LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 601, 1 September 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that -a small ■'Frisco mail is coming through • by tho Auckland express! this afternoon; land that the Warrimoo, which : loft Sydney -on"Saturday last for Wellington, has, on board on Australian mail,,; which, is due hero about 11 .o'clock;this moniing.,''.''''!;." •■.'■;": •;.':;■'■ ~;..

During tho. month of August, the Customs revenuo collected at ■Wellington amounted to £62,482 15.;2d., beer 1 duty .totalling:£Bs2 10s, 3d... In August,. 1908, itho reSpeotivo totals-, .wore £78,958 . 17b. - 2d., beer duty £1097 os. Od.v •..'■.

On Friday morning at eleven o'clock, a deputation from 'the /Wellington Ministers' Association will wait :on tho Hon.; G.Fowlds, Acting-Minister 'for " Defence, to ■protest against the calling out of tho school cadets for the proceedings ...on Sunday, September 2fi (Dominion Day). l . : ■■•: ■';.- ! :

' /According to a report 'of the: secretary : (Mr. : Truobridgo), there -wore 83 males Valid •31-foraales Dn,tbe books, of tho Ohiro' Home 'last.week, since when one mail had. bcon admittedj and another had died. ' There wore foiirt'eeoiviftmates: in- the;intermodiato 'ward. There wore 173 births, 53. deaths, > and' 71 marriages'recorded 'by ..'-the-' Registrar ; of Births, Deaths';" and Marriages in Wellington during the month; ended, yesterday. The figures compare.very, favourably with those of 'August: of last- year, when 170- births, 82 deaths; and 77 marriages were registered.

Rev. A.' S. 'Wiison.'lof; Wanganui, will preach at tho Vivian Street Baptist Ohiiroh on Sunday nest, and thereafter hold a fortnight's: series •• of-., afternoon.: and evening' meetings, on the Keswick plan, for the deep■ening of tho spiritual'life. ,A similar: series of addresses giveuby.Mr. Wilson- in Auckland reached many hundred hearers, of'.whonr travelled long distances to attend.,-,.- ~

Questioned-yesterday 1 as to 'the reasons ■which -had : led up te: tho, decision of the Government not to proceed': further, witlr the prosecutions against. the NeW Zealand - Dairy Association for allegedly,-:exporting bnttot containing more than 16 per cent. ,pf moisture, the Hon. Ji - Carroll (Actitig-Primo Minister)' stated that-thcro:!. was nothing, further .to','add'.to the instruction's: which had. already'. been sent to 'counsel appearing on behalf' of the viz.j to: withdraw, the .'informations..---.--With a view to securing a'igrant for.completing tlie Shearers' .Hill'ltoad deviation, whioh L will give access: to:the : .'north-west portion of the Waikakahi Settlement; a deputation waited on' tho ■• Hon. R. M'Kerizia yesterday. The deputation, which was: introduced by Sir Wm.. Steward, consisted of Mr. R. H; Rhodes (chairman of thoWaimate County. Council) and Mr. C. E. Bremncr (county engineer);'' The Minister, promised to give the matter his favourable consideration when. Parliament-nieets.." It is, practically .settled; that Sir' Edward Elgar's choral work "The Black Knight" .will begiveh by. the Wellington Choral Society about the.first week; in Ootober. 1 Tho: rehearsals have been well attended, and! very : successful."The Black: Knight" is purely'a choral work, and has not boeh performed in Australasia.-: Early in Decernber the socioty will produce Handel's ever popular oratorio "The Messiah," and-later in the month, about Christmas time, a carol concert will'be given. '.'•'■.•:•■ ■;'■' Members of tho .Union Parliament attended the "House" last night, armod, as it:wore, to the teeth t in anticipation of-a big debate dn the question of the abolition of tho Legislative. Council:"'Mr.'?'" Wf : ' E.' : Dickenson (Opposition), .who was ,to : have tabled the motion, and led off •urtlie debate, announced that he was, not prepared to go on with it that night. The "Opposition'.' afterwards attacked tho ' "Government''. ■ ; on a ; vote of "no confidence." The debate, which,,rathor lacked fre, eventually fklked itself out, an<j the "Hfiuse" finally : adjourned.' -■ Is' tbiire ever,, an Act., performed or; law mado that does not .react to tho "detriment of someone? At yesterday's meeting of'.'.the Wellington Benevolent Trustees an art instructor, applied for somo measure of, relief, having, fallen on evil days. ;.'.ln roply to questions,' tho applicant stated that the giving of free places at the Technical School had seriously interfered with'bis livelihood. He used to have a good of'/! pupils, but tho new regulations, of tho Education Board had altered all'that. Relief was granted. '•'■,'.■'*'■- vv '.';';.'■,■ • :■'

In view of tbo Gorernmont's decision not to proceed in the 'meantime', with: the erection of moro workers' dwellings, it is interesting to recall tho following remarks iuado by Mr. "W. F. Massey, Leader of-the Opposition, when the Bill was before the House in 1905:—''Ono would think that a man would bo encouraged; to. insuro his life and to keep up his payments, anij I say that' ho ought t<i bo encouraged; but oven if a man insures his life and keeps up his payments and hands over his policy.money at tho ond of tho term' ho is penalißcd "ono per cont., as compared with tho othor mail whe is ablo to pay the whole of his piirchaso money in ono sum. What I would like to do is this:. I would liko toi givo the workers tho opportunity of selecting thbir sections in dny locality thoy liked,-and I would givo tham fucilitios to borrow monoy."

Tho Wirasett esse bow before the Supremo Court will probably conclude to-ciay.

Colonel Robin, C.8., Chief of the General Staff, will'deliver'aii address to the Garrison Signallers: this evening, at the Drill Hall.

/The total membership of lawn tennis clubs in the Wellington province now exceeds 2000. :

The proprietor of a fish supper-room in Tory Street was arrested last night on a charge of sly grog-selling. Tho alleged offonco is stated to have taken place , on Sunday. : i!

i Under the hoading of "A Queer Craft," thorc was published in Tuk Dominion of yesterday's: date an account of a'cruiso undertaken by some. venturesome people in tho "Firmer" lifeboat. Tho account, was supplied by throe members of the party which Went oh board tho lifeboat, and who' stated that the cruise had been-a very sue-, cessful one. Wo have Binco'been, supplied with a statement which .puts a different complexion on tho event, and are inquiring further into'tho matter.

A small fire broke out last night at No. 208 Ingostre Street, a private hotel owned by Mr. Luxford, of. Wakanui, and occupied by Mr. Joseph Ross, The fire originated in a'downstairs bedroom, and'. damaged a narrow strip of the inside wall. ■■ The alarm was given at 8.49 p.m., but. when the firo brigade arrived on the scono'.tho bbardorß in tho hotel had managed to suppress tho flames. Tho contents of tho building were iusTtred for £700, in' the Alliance Assurance ollico. ■..'. ■•; .'

. Tenders have been accepted by the Wellington Technical Education Board for tho year ending August 31, 1010, as follow— Typewriter supplies/ Remington Typewriter Agency; papor and ink, Ferguson and Hicks; printing, Blundell Bros.; binding, Ferguson arid Hicks; library books, Whit-; combe and Tombs; art class material, Smith and Smith, Ltd.; timber, Btbwart Timber Company. Ltd., and C- and A. Odlin, Ltd.; metals, A. and T. Burt, Ltd,,' and. John Duthio and Co.; electric cable, H. A; Smithy and Co. J' electric bell wire and; incandosoont and Osram lamps, A,. and ;T. Burt. Ltd.; insulating materials and enamel 6toel conduit, H.'A. Smith and Company ;• oils, Vacuum Oil Company, • Ltd.; engineering, stores, H. G. Anderson and Company., >An applicant for public ■ relief ''yesterday testified that ho had sold out bis furniture in Dunodin to get to Auckland, sold more to leave for. Gisborne,: and more still to get to Wellington.' Ho also stated that since his arrival here some five or six weeks ago he had been trying to' get work. He did not road tho papers'.nor did : he ever speak to anyone, and though bo had heard of 'the relief, works in Wellington,' when in Auckland, ho had not made any. application to the Relief Committee hero. He had been about with : his wife—going from house to .house. He would ask for work and she would bog. He never wont about without: the "missis." It, was'suggested that a week's accommodation be offered them at the home. ■, Tin's was refused, the man saying that if : they could not help him the ladies of Wellington must.:•'-,■•';. ;■■'. s ,'"'■:■>,',.. ■ i./ ■;,■■-.

: Writes ..the, London correspondent >of the Auckland. "Herald":' Aoeording .to \' the opinion oxprossed at Smithfield Market," tho state of the'frozen meat trade as to inutton and. lamb .is deplorable,- The London stores are full M overflowing, and'the' disohargo of vessels, with .'■ meat' from' Now - Zoaland has been retarded owing to tho'difficulty ofigettingwarohquso/spaco.lt would bo a great help.if statistics'wore published periodically, giving 'tho quantities of frozen meat-stored; Congested/ cold -'stores are. ...a /. :!wondorful "bear"'factor, and ono doos not necessarily ■know-'whether it' is meat,.-.■'buttery'.- or, hops which is the cause of the congestion; though' at present'frozen/lambs aro the' main source of .trouble. ; Very jhoavy'■ shipments of; mui-1 ten and lamb<from tho Dominion in;Mayj had much* to .do ..with', the.' depression -in the •trade.- ;■:' \V -.■■ .J r ■'•-.■ ; ; -.:-. ; ■<.

Moro exhibits from o the' Solomon' Islands havo been added to tfic collection in the Do-' minion Museum. ' First in size and importance :is a $' native oaribej'iwell'lmadb, 'and. 1 ' faithful,, prise; amulets'-', made ; from; sections .of shell,"!a'.wooden-bbwKin.'the' ■shape'.'t , f:''a' ; 'bdnita'fisli,,.',an ..elaborate woven belt .of blacky .and yellow, material, a .stone amulet; arid some decorative coinbs. Two flint implements, -ono 'for boring holes in wood, and-the other aV somewhatV roughly-' shaped axoj' probably, of'considerable age, .are interesting asbeing exactly the same as implements used by the prehistoric inhabitants of Europe, the quality of the flint appearing, also; to bo: much the same'as, that used;by the early, residents of Britain for such tools:' Flint of this .quality is not found' in Now Zealand, or. probably the ' Maoris would havo made use- of ;: n-material* so,'well' adapted to v purpoEoß of cutting and boring.'; ,