LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 597, 27 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Speaker's notification of tho vacancy of the Kangitikoi 6eat is-gazetted. • Tho trouble ih'-the j>aint-ih'6p of! the'E3tone Railway Workshops .continues, arid developments are expected to-day or to-rtjorrow. A Departmental inquiry'commenced -yesterday,but it has not. concluded yet.

Proceedings are to /be taken by the City Couiicii against' the mahagiug. director of a large city firm, who is alleged to liavc commenced building operations without first detaining a permit.

, It was agreed by -tho City Council last evening that the l'enguiir Disaster Relief ' Committee should .be allowed Jo . erect memorial stones' and fences on theffljraves of: seamen drowned ill the wreck, without the necessity of purchasing the; ground.. This; morning,' St' D.30 k deUfo-. tion of milk-veudors mil wait upon the Hon. D. Buddo with' reference to what they consider excessive costs of prosecution for alleged, breaches of tho regulations, and. other, matters affecting tho industry. . •, The arrivals at New. Zealand ports during July, 1909, were 5232, and the departures 2839. The arrivals during July, 1908, wero 2941;. and the departures 2204. Tho_ \Vel-; lington-arrivals, last month were 1435, and tlio. departures' 152 L . A vo£o of £100 was passed by ■ the City: Council. last evening, for work; for .tho unemployed on, Anderson provided .tho Unemployment Relief Committee would agree to su&sidiso it by. tlie sum of £100.: Portion of tho money is to bo.used for the erection of fences by carpenters; . -.y .

Negotiations are still proceeding between tho City Council and the owners' of land at the corner ;of Willis Street'and .Manners Street, with : -a : view, to widening , the thoroughfares. 'The matter was preferred, la3t evening to the Finance Committeo of tho council for further coiisidei-atioii.

According to the' .Gazette, 1 the heaviest rainfall for July last in the North lslahd was recorded at To Araroa (North Auck< land), 22.91 inches, and the lowest at IJorangaliau. 1.32 inches. :The highest in the South Island - Was 19.54 at Okuru, and tho lowest, .38, at Dipton.

A deputation from Papawai watted on the Honi R. M'Kenzie yesterday m support of an ; application for tho grant of £100 to erect; a traffic bridge over; the. Mangarara Creek, between Groytown and l'apaWiii. 'Ml - . M'Kenzie, in reply, pifoiriieed to see what could' be done in regard'to the matter.

According to : Mr, . K. who. lias just returned from a visit to the Home and', tho Australian States, ■ New Zealand has little'to learn in fe'gard to the identification of criminals by, moans of the Bngor-print system. Ho states that tho Home system .is now in . universal use , throughout' tllo Empire, and is everywhere working with the'gre'dtest satisfaction.

Better equipment has been applied for by the Kilbirnio .Volunteer Fire Brigade, but the City CoUneil last night adopted tho recommeiidatiou of tho Committee that the request 'catmot bo entertained. It was desired to liave a flro alarm connection for eieh fireman, horse for tho reel, station lamp, trousers and SpAinWrs for firCriien, a lid pay at tho same rato as auxiliaries for-the tim& worked at fites. V

The preseht is apparently destined to bo a period of records for tho ( tratcVCourtat Wellington. A little while back a 'case in civil jurisdiction occupied about ten days in the hearing, qnd now a claim has been, fildd,, the details' of which extend over 97 sheets of manuscript, aiid make a totiil lftfigth of 18'yWds 10 inclidS. Previously the record, ift this liilo idr WOllington was held tiy tho details or.a butcher 8 account' claim, filed in 1875, and making a length of 'three , yards.;

The railway trallio returns of tho North Island maiil lines arid branches for the fourwcfilily period uhded July 24, as cofnparcd with the corresponding period of last year (the figures for Which aro here given in brackets), iiieludc the fßllOfriUg :-d<'i)'3t-C iiSS passengers 60,040 (51,824), secouil'tlass 291,539 (279,357). , The revenuo was as follows £40,698 Os. sd; (£32,990 Is. fld), liarccls, luggilge,; ftfid malls. £6337 12s. 9d, (£5877 155.. 6d), goods £J5,d73 lis. (£44,08 i! 45.), miscellaneous £1306 -16s/ Bd. (£1074 lSs. Id,rents : aild,cpmmiSsioh Mo 6s. 8(1, (£2312. Is. 8d); total, £06,451 fln. od. (£67,137 oe. td.).

The Government has accepted the tendoi of Messrs. Travis and Co. for the supply of military accoutrements for tho Defence Department. , An amendment of tho city by-IaWB was adopted by tho council last evening giving, tho authorities absolute oontrol over all the, boardings of tho city. Tho Bandsmen's Sunday Committeo h&vei been granted the use of Newtown I'arlc for Sunday, September 5. Tho City Council has also sanctioned the taking up of a collection. The Postmaster-Genera] has issued an order, forbidding money-order and postal correspondence for Snr. R. Gennert. Porto, (Portugal, and Mr. Leonard Succr, Paris and London. Before the departure of the R.M.S. Tongariro' for London yesterday a party of Customs offioials, in compainy with two detectives, made a search of the ship to ascertain if the missing storekeeper, Pint, had concealed himself aboard. ■ No trace of him was found. ' The Wellington Konnol Club's show was well attended*yesterday, and ■ everything points to a successful reckoning up after the canines are, returned to their several homos.' Tho show is ;a record one for such exhibitions 'in Now Zealand, and tho entries of'-a representative character. The show will conclude thjs evening. , , The fire brigade received a call at <8.55 o'clock last night to a small outbreak at No. 2 Crawford's Lane, off Vivian Street. The building was a five-roomed house owned by. Mrs. Reid, and occupied by Mr.! James Stevenson. The outbreak originated in a cupboard in the kitohen, arid spread up the wall, damaging the cupboard and the wallpaper. ; The usuar weekly meeting of tho women's branch of tho Political Reform League was held last night in Boulcott Chambers. There was a- good attendance, and several , new members wero elected; Arrangements wore gone into in connection with the forthcoming euchre party.. It was decidcd that a paper written by an honorary lady member, at Bulls' should bo read at the next meeting. Crippsy who gained the Australasian "light: heavyweight" championship in, a' boxing match at Christehurch with Griffin on Tuesday, evenmg, intends,' it k to; devote a portion of the purse he received as the ' award of his prowess, to the purchase of a; high-class New Zealand bull for. the purpose of improving the milking: strain on his New . South. Wales farm. - ;

.The following.resolution was passed by tho City Council' fast night, on tno motion; of Councillor Luke,:—-That the, City ,; Solicitor bo-instructed to take steps to promote legislation at'the; next'session of Parliament to Vest in of Technical Education Board an area of tho council's,land adjacent to John Street, for the purposes'of technical education. One pf the grievances of school cadet officers has- been the unnecessary quantity of clerical work entailed in making up tho annual Government returns for capitation. AIT these; have, now been abolished, and in their $ace s has been provided one . simple return form certifying to the claims for oapi-, tation, .the number claimed for, and the winners of marksmen's badges." ;. : Only '&fey-! mp.ro.'piles have to be driven at the Clyde Quay , Wharf. Tho chairman of the HaTbour, Board, (Mr. Wilford, M.P.), in mentioning this at' yesterday's meeting; said that it could not be said that the contractors were behind-hand, because ■ the work had been hung up while tlio board was having the forro-concrete n'ork: .examined. Very; carefhl supervision, was necessary in ■ all rerro-coticrete construction.' | ' Regulations under whicli advances may be made ito occupiers of land in Rangataua Village iSettlement, Wellington land district, are gazetted.. , ' A sum, not exceeding £50 may, be advanced to the lessee, witlnn five years from .the date : of' selection, towards the cost of fencing-and building a dwelling-, .house, but v .7t.ho li: advance'' must, not, .exceed three-fourths of r the value ,of the; .fencing aiid ; ,building;,''. : Principal and interest at; o -.in 1 h?'( yearly ,jnstalmorits ;in !a3varice,"extending if jr '>• period of five to ten years. , The! lessee Must insure the, buildings' and. erections!.in'!thoi;nam6!> of' the King. :; v'

The police have boon advised that- the missing man, Jno. Robt. CatheTwood, who left Lis home on stating that he intended to commit suicide, has been Geeti at Judgeford, near Pahautanui. Ho calle.d at a house, and. stated that;ho had boon employed' by : Mr./ Carroll, of Newtown. He had walked from Wellington to Hay wards, and thence to Judgeford during the night. On his arm he had a cut'about 2J inches long which,' he said, had been causcd by a scythe blade falling, on his camp. . Caticrwood was taken into the house, and, after the cut had been dressed and he had had breakfast, ho left for Paekakariki.

In reply to a, question by. a; "Manawatu Standard ,' representative yesterday,. Mr. D. Cuddie, Dairy Commissioner, said the Department' hoped to carry out cow-testing through-* ' out the Dominion. ; Ttoy would first see how the movement,, "Wok on" at DaMeld, which : p]aoo had been selected on account of its proximity to headquarters. They would give the: movemdAt a trial in that ocntro first, and if it proved a succoSs there, would carry out, similar work all over the colony. ,Mf. Cuddie said the movement was being entered .into enthusiastically by the dairy farmers-of | Dalefield, and it was fully anticipated. the dairy herds would show, great improvement as a result, of the■ testing. ... , ~

' A Ohristcliurch paper publishes extracts from letters'received, in Christchurch from' Mr. James Thorn, the Socialist, who is' visiting the Old . Country. Writing oh July 12,. Mr. Thorn says: "I landed in Tilbury-the, day before yesterday. Yesterday I rode through: London on a bus, and saw most of the great'sights.. It was great and appal-: ling. I have been oihiply overwhelmed with goodwill and kind treatment." Writing,on' July 17, Mr. Thorn adds: "I have, already met Mr. Hyildman to-day, and I have to meet Mr. Ramsay Macdonald and- Mrl E.' Belfort Bax. Next Thursday I will meet the Hon. ; A, Schreiner, ex-Prime Minister of Capo Colony, at lir. Macdonald's house. I have also met Mr.-Harry Quelch. and have been most kindly-treated by _Mf. Ben Tillett. I am starting my.'investigations in a" day or two. It; takes time to find oue's way about in, this wilderness of London." ,- r - ~ \ ' , It will be remembered that a Wert Coast syndicate which desires to loaso ivaterpower •rights oil the To ArahOa--River.'.re-cently made representations' to the Hotuß. M'Kenzie to the effect that the regulations too drastic. Among other things it was submitted that the amount of deposit required Was. too large,; but tile Minister replied that the'deposit wa-s merely the U6ual proof- of bo ha fides required in dealings 6E the kind: The diificulty has- tiovt beert over-: oome by the - syndicate paying the doposit. It is proposed to develop 19,000 h.p., mainly for the purpose of: pumping water from the Hokitika Rivcron to the, Rimu terraces for hydraulic sluicing Altogether the syndicate: has a capital of' something like £150,000. : If th 6 scheme i 6 a success 'it will, Mr. M'Kenzie says, give a great Impetus: to goldmining on that part, of the coast. "■ ■ '

New Zealand tennis flayers generally, and tile New Zealand Association's Committee m paftifcUlaf, will be highly pleased 011 reading yesterday's cablo mossngo that the Victorian Assoolatioil has instructed its dolegatoa to BUpport the proposals of the New Zealand Association At the Meeting of tlio Australasian Association, to be held shortly.. Now Zealand, in its proposals. _ declared that it could not, and would not, rojoin thfi Australasian -Association, thereby being ranked hs a national Olitity eijUhl with the' Common'tfoMth'is States. , Wlutt the Dominion. proposed ' Was that .Australia should; form van uss6ciatimi of Its own to govern'its States, as New Zealand' governed its . provinces. Then the Australian arid tlusNew Zealand Associations should Set up an Australasian Assaciatiatij to arraiigo find eonlrol all matters- in connection with the iiitorfial/nal contest, whilst tho Davis, Cup was held bV Australasia—tlio argument i being that as the rulo plainly said "Australia with New Zealand" Shall form a nation—to bo oalled; Australasia—New Zealand was hot prepared to bo classified as one of tbo Commonwealth 8 Statosi nor did sho believe that either country should interfere with the irttcmfvWbrkiiu»3 of tlio other. It wouljl appehl 1 , tndt, after a long fight, Now 2etil4ndj with, VjitoriVa support, is llkety to got What Shi) wauls.:

Tho Wimsett cases will be heard in the Supreme Court' to-day. . ; The ballot, for the election of two auditors for t'nc Wellington Meat Export Company will take, place on September 2 at tho oompany's offices, Lamhton Quay, not at tho Chamber of Commerce as previously stated; Tenders were accepted bv the City Council last evening as' follow Chimneys for tramway recreation room, Mr. J. H. Rennioj rails for Lyell 'Bay , tramway; Messrs. J. Duthio und Company; pointß and crossings i for Lyell Hay tramway, Messrs. Richardson and Blair; caretaker's cottage at abat- ; toirs, Mr. Martin Williams. At tho conclusion of a long committee discussion of the City Council last night, it .was annouricod that a definite agreement ' had been arrived at with tho Wesley Trustees, for the,.widening of the Manners and Cuba Streets corner. , Arrangements have still to bo made with the lesßoes of tho : corner building, the Union Clothing Com-' pany; ■ /' ■ With reference to the subdivision of Crown lands .along the North Island Main Trunk railway from Kakahi to 'Raurimu townships for selection by unemployed, civil servants, arid road and railway workers on improved , , farm s 'conditions, the Land Board' resolved ' yesterday to approve the scheme in bulk and ; to authorise the commissioner to Buch , amendments, alterations, and reservations as ho deems necessary in tho interests of ,■■■.■ ; settlement. ! ■ ■ ■ | It would seem that the reported statement by the editor of the Palmorston morning , ' paper, to the effect that the standard of tho - , Palmorston papers; is much higher' than. in : any other part of tho Australasian colonies, is repudiated by that gentleman.; According to the paper referred to, the editor said;that the papers in. Palraerefcan endeavoured to keep . t up standard and were, above tho A Australasian average of papers outßide tho ' cities.. Which is a much more modest asser* | tion, arid a good deal nearer the truth; v An Apiti, correspondent writes:—A rather . determined attempt to poison'some ' valuable" bulldogs 'was made on.Monday night. . Early on Tuesday morning the owner of . tho ' dogs found four pieces of meat carefully foHcd and sewn; through, these containinc large doses of poikon. • Iney were Btatterod 1 over the section where the dogs run. Polico ' supepision for thia largo district is not extensive, cases of'undetected theft, are uumeious, and the larrikin element is reaching a rather pronounced stage. The only way to check-tnoea offences and afford a feeling ot security to tho settlors is to have a t6si- ! dent constable for this rapidly-growing. , township. ' ; '~''. ': ' At!'the conclusion of the meeting of tho i Wellington and' Wairarapa.'. Cbaritablq •; Aid \ • Board yesterday, Mr. R. C. Kirk, as chair- - ■ man, 1 said that tlio, work that had been af- • forded the unemployed in Wellington must , have materially ielioved the calls that others . \rise must have been made on the board's ' funds.;: Between'soo and mon. had been given employment onough "to them' , . through the worst of' tho" winter. The, seo» retary (Mr. Georgo Willis), who is , also . | secretary of : tho Unemployed: Relief Commit- ; tee, announced that applications for work ' were tailing off. Thoso that wero applying now wcro mostly married men, who had only been; accommodated , with half-time work. ■ i Mr. Kirk announood that the committeo • f hoped to koop 1 the work going to September, , i' and so' 6op the' winter through. »y .i', 1 j 1 . "Practioo, practice, practice," emphasised Mr. Lee (chairman; or . the Education Board), yesterday, when referring l to the necessity for greater attention being paid to, tho stand- : ard subjects of reading and arithmetic in tho ' primary schools. Ho complained that, geno- < rally speaking, the' reading of all the schools 5 was marked Jow by. the inspectors,; and asi sorted his belief that , this deterioration in , t tlio standard-of merit ; was traceable to an ■ ) anxiety on tho part of_ teachers to hurry i their! pupils along; too, quickly. He instanced i tliocaso of a teacher who had referred with - pride -to tho fact that ho had in his sixth ..... . 1 standard a' ten-year-old girl.';, "It seems to 5 me," ho went on, "that instead of ondeav--5 ouring to attain l the best standard of read- - irig, teachers are. content to satisfy the bare 1 requirements of tho,..'pass' standard. Wo b want , the children practised * in-, wjoir. :ffork. f- The examination system,; ho contended, ya9 ■ largely, to blanip! for, tbis,,.and,ho looked for- ... i , 'ward to the day when Btich a ' system would,.. . no longer exist. . .. -