LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 727, 28 January 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that an English and Australian: mail is.' duo . to.: reach Wellington, by the Main Trunk express' from Auckland on; Monday. next. ■ Authority for the sealing of the agreement of contract between the Harbour Board and Messrs. Sanders Bros, for, the rebuilding of the "J" wool store at; a cost of ,£23,590 12s. . 3d. was given, at yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board. - . Tho r city librarian has been asked to report on the estimated cost of establishing a branch of tho municipal, library at Thorndon. ■ " Mr. J. H. Upton, of . Auckland, _ explained to the Anglican, Synod last night that the wile of a colonial Governor is not legally or constitutionally, an "Excellency,- -though the /nowspapere : write of "their, Excellencies." Should.. the Pri-' riiate, of New. Zealand; be.; made bishop, he would' bo sorry to see "their Graces" in the papers. "The moat disgusting exhibition ' of parsimony and the worst . specimen of economy run mad", is -the dc-scription _ of the chairman of tho Wanganui Education Board (Mr. F. Pirani) on tho .action of the Education Department in withholding a month's pay from- pupil teachers' attending the .Wellington Training College, who had employed their holidays in relieving work at the schools.' ; Mr. Pirani pointed out that, in almost , every, instance, these young folk had to. maintain in Wellington on ; the .£6O per annum allowed them'while attending the Training College, . and he. had .not ..words at his -command to ftly characterise a Department; which ...would pay . its ..headofficer .£looo.to take a: trip- Home, and at the same time deduct a paltry .£5 .each from young teachers' because they preferred work to idleness., ■ ; . Tho following/ienders were accepted at last . night's' meeting of the City Council:—Supply of Jandus flame arc lamps; ■ Messrs./ Turnbull: and. Jones; /insulators. for electrio lighting department, Ifessrs. T. Ballinger and Co,; pipes and sewage mains, Messrs;-'-John Duthio and Co. ■ /-V,- ' .The police have received:a. commnni-: cation - from, Colonel/ Badham-Thornhill, of. Ireland,. inquiring for the whereabouts of his son, :Mr./Charles/Badhain-Thorn-hill, who came out to New.Zealand as a Bhip's apprentice on the steamer Star, of New'-: Zealand.- in • June, 1908. ■, reported to have left the steamer at Wellington,' 'and > gone up country, since when nothing' has been' heard of him. The police authorities would bo glad to hear, of anything that'' wpuld: assist them _ in finding/ the whereabouts of the.-missing 'mans;i ... . : The 'unusual colour : of, the /water from 'domestic; taps these days was explained "by ■ the; City Engineer last even-ing;'.when-a councillor • remarked on .the ■discolouration. "It is, due - to . the;,fac| that the outlet': from;:. Karori-'Keservon is right , on the 'floor of the reservoir," said, Mr." Morton.. "The outlet of. the draw-pipe should be removed to-a point about ten: feet below the. level of the when full. Again, the, cause of - the.' discolouration - moy - .be the: pre-' sence of - an : - organism, • or vegetable growth.:! The prcsence of algac .in : the ■water: does ■' not: render'. it ;:injuribus" to healthj/ although it is ' very objectionable; The • remedy /would 'be'.'to. flysh - out:-.the pipes.", ; The: Mayor. intimated' that he /would. consult with the .engineer -on. the ■matter.. ' A laugh'iWent round the-City. Council, .Chamber, last night when the followingletter" was,, .read: from a'-, politician':. "1 have--to apply.'for the:ronting of:-.the large 'Town HaU. for: the:night preceding the. next; general whenever ; :it; may . take place. On', each occasion on which-1-'applied before 1 found that 1' .was, too-;late, even .though;on one occas-': -ion/1 applied - twelve 'months ahead.' I am hoping; that: on:;this occasion iny. application may be in time. -May. I.add that if ..there should be any application preceding mine. I shall: be. glad:-to'.-have :the hall allotted for: the;night preceding; the ■ genoral election after : next." Councillors - thought it v/ould l/e a good idea !to"-put■.'.tho"booking-:of/-this particular duto up at auction. ■ ', ■ ' '■ 1 :'; -The contrast ' between /the: Bar - and: the .'political--arena 1 was, pointed out; in -amusing / terms in his speech, at .the farewell banquet,'-/in:,- Sydney by Sir ■ George Rcid, who has had . a long experience in both fields, of. activity- (says the "Daily Telegraph''). "I have passed, ':as:you//all.: know, said: - hfe'.y'V'.verjr ;strenuous political life,. with some flitting but highly! auriferous periods': of /profes-; /aional engagement.';:. (Laughter.)' . In- my ipractico at the, Bar I found fighting very; fronr my-political conflicts; -be-cause:-there,., in; the midst-'of .the most .bitter:passage's, of j/arms,' my learned brothers and' myself,, always had ;one! feel;ing':." of:. sympathy - .in"', common, t which amounted.to this, that whoever lost! in :the. scrimmage,, wo did/n0t.":,,, (Laughter and cheers.) A. 'number' of Now;. South .Wales : astronomers gathered at a dinner in Sydney recently to celebrate-the tercentenary of the 1 making of-the, first'-.teleocope by Galileo in January,: 1610. (says the ' Daily .Telegraph"). A- model of - the'/instrument was shown at tho dinner. Tho original, the : chairman explained, was about; 27 ; inches' long, : the . glasses: were ordinary lenses, -with a power, of three, fitted into clumsy wooden boxes. The tube of tho telescope .was a piece of lead piping... Yet with/ this imperfect instrument, and ..with practically no .previous - research' to guide him, the Tuscan, astronomer . discovered ,the mountains on/the moon, -the.composi-' .tion of the Milky' Way,- the of Jupiter, ;spots; on the sun;- and. many, other , heavenly' phenomena.; -It was .niar- : v'ollous, said tho. president, . how Galileo discovered all : lie did,, even : with the', somewhat improved ! instruments / which: ho •made for himself, afterwards / ' On Sunday Mast, at ..Timaru, between the Moody wharf and ,the north mole, the little son of a well-known: citizen was playing in the sea : when suddenly, there arose a' strange and hideous creature (says the;-Timaru "Post"). ..The octopus, for such it was, swept towards the happy little! fellow,'. who probably would not have, understood' his danger had he: seen >it.;..'. .Another;'moment, and; one of -the largest'/octopuses that has. been . seen in Tjmaru for sonie years, would have lmd its tentacles about the: boy.. The': father of tho boy, : however, . -happened to see . the source of danger, and threw a large stone at tho • octopus,' which quickly disappeared, !,omittihg. a cloud of inky, ihiid * as it. did so. :./ : •/-: . ' ' -Horses '. were - plentiful on . the wharf yesterday.:.afternoon and they were not all running, in the shafts. . As is usual on Thursday'/afternoons,'a' number: of horses,.were. being shipped• by: the, Melbourne steamer, and; in addition' several racehorses that had ' been. competing at. the Wellington Cup, meeting were being placed on board the' Lyttclton steamer . on.their way; home:' to ;• Kiccarton. !i . Congratulations were heaped! on the: head of Mr. T. M. Wilford, chairman of the; Harbour Board; - at yesterday's' meeting: for'./the..manner.'.in .ivhich he had carried out his duties' during : tho. finan-' cial year just ending. 1 Practically ; every member 1 of' tho board bore testimony 'to tho excellence of the work done' by Mr. Wilford, one member who- admitted having. opposed Mr. Wilford's election expressing' the opinion that the chairman had proved himself an excellent appointment.;lii replying, ■;. Mr. ...Wilford said that-he .'would- never, accept; anyrpublic.; position'-unless he was prepared >to Sacrifice his private, interests in order to carrj - out the duties entailed. '! : ! The month's suspension of work at the dock, to' e'nablo : experiments, to be carried out in regard to the concrete floor work-has meant the payment of a certain sum to . tho for.; the suspension. . It was stated at yesterday's meeting of tho Harbour Board that the engineer's estimate and : the ' claim of the contractors only differed by and the claim had been settled on this basis. A letter was received from a civil /engineer at the: same meeting stating that he could settle the dock difficulty. -. The chairman:: "I've' heard a number Of '.peopio say this.";. ,Th6-..letter; was referred to' ths engineer who has been in. touch with the writer. , ! -!i''!''!;: -,'/'.! ' ;■; ■: The Potone Brass. Band! made application: to; the City: Council.: to 'undertake tho municipal : engagements of tho. now defunct:Ne\rtowh; Band.; Their.application was'considered' by. a , cominittco. nnd refused.'/.! .: /: /:: :; ; /: ;/.,! ; .''; Shampooihg;: ;"!. Clipping./'; Hairdressing, Manicuring, Face Massage,; .-Treatment ,'of; Falling Hair and -Dandruff,.' Combings made up.. Natural. Hair-pads, .Mrs. Rolleston (over' Carroll's), 14 . Willis 1 Street. ; 'Phono-'-1599.: Advt,k

/The sum: of ,£lO has been voted ,by . the City Council to the family, of'a deceased..' employee.' '//v.- ': - ■:- ';; /' - , Conductors on the. ears sometimes find, •! when - balancing up close .'.'of-r the,/ 1 day,, that: tho amount ofi.their -takings . exceeds the - value of the '' tickets. '-' sold.';-.'■ Tho surpluses accumulate, and, ■ for: the., - quarter ended : December 1"? last, , .they totalled £25 13s. 3d. The City Council . ordered, that, .the amount .should bo "dis- "- tributed ih.bonuses, among the conductors.' p The ladies' bath' at'.To Aro, has / been': considered too deep in certain places, and ;■■ the City Engineer lms been instructed to ■: do some filhng-in. • " . L A by-law is to bo framed witha view to prohibiting. the . entrance •of dogs ,• to' Newtown Park and ttie Botanical-Gardens. ; ; According, to the,abattoir account pre- ■/,; sonted at last night's meeting of the City Council the .expenditure, to Decern- -. ber 31 was' .£11,747 14s. lid., leaving-a;.: balance of ,£2290 19s. due on contracts.! The amount ~ of /, the : /loan : was .£15,000. Councillor Fletcher thought it was a matter for. congratulation that the city, engineer had carried.out; this work at .£11)00 , - odd - less. / than the estimate. Ho had V'. beard 6ome very,high opinions'. "'- on tho abattoir. '!'''. .The. next meeting of -. the: Wellington Land - Board . will, bo held on . Friday,' March. 4,; instead of on Thursday, February. 24.. .- . y i/.-;//! The City Organist (Mr. J. Maughan' Barnett) gave /a recital • on. the '.Town;.';. Hall organ yesterday, morning, as a: com- ... pliinent to the members of ,the Aiglican.. General Synod now in session in Wellington,'and their friends.::, There was a considerable attendance, and the-music was ';'/ thoroughly appreciated. The'/programme) / comprised " . "Cornelius: . March,',' - Mendel- > . ssolin; "Am' Meer," Schubert; "Minuet," Handol;'''"Prelude and Fugue • in.. O Minor," Bach; : " Traume," . Wagner;;-/ "The Answer," Wolstenbolme. The final item was :Mr. Barnett's own fantasy on the hymn-tune '■ "Mendelssohn."';!V /'!' A v letter, : bearing on the . question rof ,■ the liability of harbour boards for the. acts - 1 .of'-: pilots, V was' ' received ; from tho Harbours. Association at yesterday's meeting-' of the Harbour Board. . The chairman - stated that doubt: had been thrown on tho.question of the .board's liability.: by: a legal authority, and the . . question /was'"whether the position was'... made 1 clear, enough in tho present liar- '-. .hours: Act..' v The-matter /was -referred to.' thei / Wharves-; !and-\ Accounts ■ Committee. ; ' '• Tho death of a celebrity has lately been announced; from America.. This .was iV Pat Sheedy (says tho "Argus"). Born 1 in • Ireland, he;was' -apprenticed to a harnessmaker inAmericaj, but developed: a;' -.;, natural genius for gambling. - Winning-;: and: losing fortunes' became, a habit'with.' him.He lost' jESOOO "in one sitting at.V Monte Carlo, established faro at - Cairo/ (where he was - /known as' - "Sheedy '■ l'asha"), and- ran a network of faro banks throughout/ the :United ; States., It t;-: was'Sheedy who",recovered - for. Messrs;.-' ■ Agriew Gainsborough's "Duchess of Devonshire" nearly. a quarter of a'century after' it had been-cut. from' its, frame; in"?,; Bond Street one foggy night. The thief, . who had found:it a white elephant, finally'!,".' confessed to his friend- Sheedy, 1 - who; com- /.-, municated with Pinkerton, the detective, and got., it. back for the Agnews,_ receiv-. . ing, it is said, ~£5000: for .his! services. ... .*. . A melancholy account of: the results' of French -rule: in.i Tahiti, tho,\ Paumotus,;. and' the Marquesas has heen given .in'; a lecture' at. the Beval Colonial Institute by Mr.', Frederick; W. /-Christian,' who ( ! spent:J.', several years in -the. South .Seas:as .a student!-of; native /languages and- :cus-';: : toms " (says the'."Age").! "'When • France,' ■ annexed the : islands , in. question •; half, /" a'' century ago • the, - population. numbered.. -,; 50,000. •: Now, counting half-castes,' there K are!, left " some ; 4000 • -survivors; ■ many', of , •/; thim feeble, apathetic,-and sickly._ "Tho ■ birth-rate,"'says Mr.""Christian; "is:very.;' tiny; : the.."deatn-rate is appalling.; Every-"' .; year' the poor miserable remnant is/sink-..;, ing -lower and lower "into apathy, and ': despair; Drink and opium have so mud-. : died and enfeebled. its will, power that it has scarcely strength and energy suf-, : icient'for the simplest .and most indispensable labours requisite to support bare ,- /life, much' less. for. the sustained; labours -- ; of grappling with nature boldly, and fore ing thg, jungle/under cultivation. Kindly,, ... iveiynieaninj officials' say, 'Let the' pool. . f iconic die in ! peace.';" Whole ! tracts /■/ oi ■■ ■ I and,Vonco/.the vsitb ~6f . well'. cultivated;; / plantations,, now' lie. idle." This descrip- ; •tion' apples -mainly; to the;'.natives, of; tfie";';;Marquesas. All over _ the islands ;; tho;;' - visitors' ; soe? the - remains' of abandoned ; / townships. "Tho people &T3 dead, thatch • iand roof ' and-.r6of:/trep. ; ;haye fallen": in;--, the bones .of-the .deaff city- alono' are ,left."" Mr.' Christian' compares : all this- / ■mth the happy; .flourishing population of .: Earotonga—"industriouS:.planters, and - -, workers, - mighty cricketer's, generous con-; tribiitors/to .their, native 'church,' happy,;:. sober, and:cohtented-6o'ns ; of ..the -Brifashr Empire." -r'V /fiy ;-"v;.p, : ■/'/.:■;. '• .: The' Commissioner ,of/Crown Lahds for - . . the, ,Wellington ;district ~(Mr.' James Mac-; . ; kenzie) / has' ' recently. .' completed; a tour; extending over ./a 1 - large-portion of,; the.' district controlled' by tlie. Wellington Land Board;. Heportihg" on one important; "matter at. yestorday'sSmeeting . of / the ;board,. the commissioner stated that _at .Nireaha, a number.. of.iviUage lots which / ..were;".subdivided' some-- two.- and .a, half ; years ago for the purpose of giving :,a. : start" to;, small settlers, have • given: tfi».'.; 'Land/Board a good deal of trouble.The-;;; ' lots .adjoin a';; factory in full swing,, but, : notwithstanding this,'several bf.'the .lots',./-. :have fallen into the hands-of persons who , are not. complying -with the conditions ,; under which the aboard -gave them/ the; 'holdings. ' The'.- Commissioner inspected .' tho sections on his recent visit/through -. ■ the. Wellington > land / district; under ; hi»'-". ; : control; ■ and; 'reported 'to!.the, board. yes- : terday thatj although, a number of Hi»!;-| settlers are' of the right stamp, and doing : their best,;- noxious ' weeds;/arei; getting a hold of. 'some 1 of■ the sections, and, on , the- Commissioner's ' recommendation, ;; it -/ was .decided to forfeit one, allowing, /how- ;-; ever, a month jfor-appeal, and: calling upon others to show cause; why. .their '/-: interest should - not be ' forfeited'; /at; ■ the next monthly meeting of the board. : Mr*. G; Allport, secretary of .the. Marine VDepartment,-. received', a telegram yester- . •'. , day afternoon-- stating, ■ that:' tho' - training :.T ship Amokura;' had ; put; into Picto'n;: to t .securo. medi'cal attendance for. one of :the';J: lads on the ship. ; The Amokura :con- ' tinued ; her ; cruise; at 5 p.m;, and: will' be.; '/back;inWellington;"on Monday./ , J; : v / The advisableness.; of, running ; tramS: . from. the; Kilbirnie. Hotel to: Lyall Bay.; ;is'to be considered by the Tramway Com-' -mittee of the City Council, as the result of a'suggestion-made by- Couneillor Cohen. ;- at; lost, night'smeeting. 'In. the opinion of tho electrical 'engineer,: it' is not. likely■' . that. the. Government 'v'would . give'..; the'iV . necessary • permission, even if l ; such' ' a . scheme was favourably, considered by;:tho committee. ; //' 'Y//;v : . ,The : ! Mayor ■ haspromised ; Coun'cillop Fletcher.' thati : a- report; on the' proposed*.' extension of the tramline: from the Bank -. of New;Zealand;corner' to the' Post' OffiM";..; will lie .brought down in .March.• Th< question of, wood-blocking;-the. Post. Offlw.; .', hquare \vill/also- be considered .at ,th« saino time. ' '; /;'" "jiU'i-v-'-The Mayor has; been! negotiating • with' .' the Government of late in reference t# preliminaries for the Chariotto Street tramway loop. An. effort is being made.'.v ;to secure a. portion-ofthe old Govern- • ment: House, grounds to enable the, road; to be oxtended. to : the width-.of C6ft:, :ahd J:pending ' the . settlement; of ~' this, nothing/ is 'being done to''start the; work;': - ' A' recommehdatiori' that the city ' ehsi<; ;; / : , neer should; be' instructed to - extend the water main to '■ Lyall as ;to - enable/£ shower" baths to be fiit-id in (he bathinc. sheds on the beach;' lyaff lield ovcr. at last - : knight's' meeting of tbe'vCih- Qouncil.) Th<; chairman,of.the Hoservcs'Committee,- Mr. J. P. Luke, remarked on the value of.tlio ; - I bay; as.an asset to tho .city, and, replj*., / ing' .to suggestions.that : ai caretaker should . be appointed to look after/the beach, and ,' that. not salt-water baths, should;' be:, ?; erected,-stated that; the-Kferves: Commit- . fee: had gone' into the matter of improv- . ing the bay. . In-tlie 'next .estimates: tliey .; would bring doirn' a _rtiport.;irrgihg the , .construction of- a/pavilic-n, /which .would':.', give: facilities the;>; recreation - of', the '.^plei : ''.,Thß's'n'e^sd^!fo : r,;hbt':«lt;water.v;i.--baths had also, been considered,*- and would bo dealt with in the report. . •. . - /.To-morrow, afternoon';: tho". final match' : ' in tho-series-,of competitions for tho'-'./Wel. lirigton' Garrison-' Shield' will .be fired 'at ' .Trontham.'-i'The; rangest/will 'be 200,"500, ;\- and. 000-yards, and the.S,ommereille:ahd. ..;; Collins Itangos /will, :be;/usedi •: Long-range '"shooting / (800 and 900 .yards) ;will : taico., jplace on l , the Seddon. Range, the targets' 'having been; alloted-':'- ac-*^■'■■follow Itiflo Club, 1 /-torSj -D/ißattcry,.: J-,to :8; -3 Upper Hutt;..9 /tolipjiPermdnent/ Rillo Club, -11;; Petone Navale,. 12 ■ to; 14.; The special train will :leave at 1.55 p.m.,. - ' and will stop at/Petone and-Lower Hutti: