LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. According to'.' our practice. t of protectiiig our public: againstvany' '/. possible! ■ yenience; and injustice,, .weprintto-aay, at our own' cost, another of the govern-., mont advertisements, "which, ore paid .for. ■by.the public as/a whole, ;ond.which, , supplied/: . WardAaminis-;, tration ito'those journals:which^.willsupport the 'Ministry,'•;is withheld: from The Dominion. Tho >■ • advertisement,"." which relates to tenders .for the supply of grass seed," will bo found: 'oh "page 2. : . i:. r.

'X'ho postal.authorities, advise' that:.the Wimmera, which, left „Sydney'.for. Auckland -at moon on Wednesday' .is bringing. Australian mails only, which,should reach here by. Main Trunk trainVori Monday:. The next English; mail, is due ; to. arrive herb;on "Weduesd&yj the ,9th.,instant, per. Moeraki. It is cxpected that the Government will to-day' make an/announcement /in regard, to 'the Knyvett case..,, -. r '\ ". }]■' '■ • Suburban . railway' traffic.; on tlie Hutt line! 'whs -.blocked', for over,: an hour yesterday afternoon by .the derailment of several goods trucks Mar the Davis ' Street. crossing.' ■ The 1.20 p.mS- outwardbound train aid not leave till 2.20 p.m., "and ' when/, crawlinggingerly;'past; the 6cene of the accident, the derailed trucks were observed to be standing close up to the /line,' 'facing this way and and* propped up ' by;; screw-jacks. ters' we're righted'in smart-style by a repair gang, and: the ' trucks : removed; before ,5- p.m. ' The ' cause of the .accident is not .yet.explained,.but,ijudgihg; from the - appearance of things/ at : the. tune. of the accident,'.the.points must,have failed to act. • z:'''

The'tender'of Messrs, Munt, Cottrell and Co., Ltd.,- for cartage of" State_coal in Wellington.*forthe :year ending January 31,'1911; has-been accepted by the Government. • Messrs., Andrewsand . Lissington and E. Duignan also.tendered. The names, are .gazetted, but ; the prices are not' dis*. closed. . ' hv" ' ■ Hauls of deep sea fish are : apparently plentiful off- the beach' near Otaki at present. .- Our : local.. correspondent men-, tions several good catches, and adds that recently a resident, named Mr.. M Kegg drew in ten schnapper'with; five/easts, of •his'line. On the otlier hand—such is the fisherman's ' luck-a party:, which. chartered.' a ■ brake;'to .-brings hime. .their "catch," caught ' nothing at.; all. ■ ■ . A' correspondent states that on Wednesday 'night a-large•;white.object was seen floating in' the air Dyer -.Eastbourne.vlt gradually desoended, and finally alighted on the range .at the back of Muritai. Oninspection- it rproved to bo a large- fire balloon. • The finder would . like to know, the starting-place' of the balloon. ~ v Something like 200. property-owners have still not'met the. call of the. city-rate, collector. , Since- April l :.last;\ however,' a suni- of .£126,676 has i been collected, lasA, month' l yielding the. sum ■ of-^631,000... Close, on one; hundred summonses, are now in course of'preparation, .and will be served on defaulfera next week. The balance will then be dealt with. ' * .

Broken bottles and otter dangerous "throw.-aways" have become , such a nuisance on the beaches at Seatoun and Kar : aka Bay that the Miramar Borough Counoil has deoided to have notioe boards posted up at conspicuous points warning the pnblio. to refrain from leaving, suoh things lying]about. . Bather, premature, apparently, was the statement that.-theproposedagreement between the-Wellington Gas Company and the Miramar Borough CodnciL with regard to. the new wharf and railway ;had been "fixed' up." At the Miramar Borough Council meeting last evening the Mayor gave the "statement a denial, and said that the matter, was stiU in its committee stage.' Since the last meeting, of the council,-the Gas Committee had considered the-proposed agrefiment clause,by clause,-, and formulated ments for- the consideration _of the borough solicitor,; to be resubmitted to.the Wellington Gas Company. It was hoped that' matters would be. sufficiently advanced, for a report to be submitted to the next meeting of the council, - r The number of-patients in the Otaki Sanatorium at present is ; 30,. but . there are ■ still-"eovaral vacancies ior females. ; A total of 130' patients have beon, treated at the sanatorium sinoe it was opened ill June, 1907. .. A number of Ministerial dooisions under th 6 Customs Duties Act ara gazetted. Shampooing, ? Clipping Hairdressing, Maniouring, J?aoe Massage* Treatment of Falling Hair and Dandruff, _Combing» made up. Natural • "Hair-pads. Mrs. Eolleston (over Carroll's), 14 .Willi" Street, 'Phone 1599. Advt,

V The Inspector-General of Hospitals Has circularised the .Wellington Hospital Board, stating that as- the. board will oease to exist on. March 31 it would be as well l to make an arrangement with firms supplying goods to- the board's various institutions, and whose tenders run out on Maroh. 31, to continue. to supply-, the. new board at the prioes agreed on, tuitil the newly-ooiistituted board is enabled to call for fro6h ; tenders." .

At ' the next meeting •of the Finance Committee of the City: Council • a decision is expected to be arrived at. as to. what, will be done with Goodall'6 block- of. buildings in .Willis' Street, which were purchased for street-widening purposes.: It is'"still, to be'.decided what action -will bo taken in regard to the block of leaseholds formerly held by Mr. _ John Duthie, and running from Mr. Duthie's warehouse to the corner of Mercer Street. "What-ever-the decision may bo in regard, to the buildings," said a' civic, authority yesterday, "Willis Street will be; widened with as . little; delay as possible/'

The contractor for the erection of the new ,"J" shed for the Harbour Board has oommenced operations, and is almost ready to begin pile-driving. The 'District Hospital Board intends taking drastic measures to cope with .the of. outstanding fees for treatment at the Otaki Hospital and Sanatorium. At, the . next meeting of the bo-ard.the secretary ..will present, a report dealing with each case treated since the opening of the sanatorium, giving the liability incurred and' the amount outstanding in each! case. In cases where the beard considers the patient or ex-patient able to pay, action' yrill: be taken .to collect the money forthwith. -•• , ~

'•A Chambers sitting"' of the Supreme. Court will be held at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Mr. Justice Cooper .will preside., >.

The forerunners of the Anglican Geners.l Mission—Canon Pollock ana the Rev. H. A; Kennedy—as the result of several, con; ferences with the bishops and. representative, clergyi have decided on' the followingdates for their visits to the respective diocesesWaiapu (Napier), February, lli; Wellington, February 28; Nelson, March 10;. Christehurch, April' 5; Dunedin, April 15; Auckland, April, 28. It is anticipated that the missiohers,.most of whose nameswere published' yesterday, will leave England Si July, and the following dates have boon fixed for their work in the several, dioceses of the North.lslandj—Auckland, Thursday, ;-. September \l, : toThursday,; September 15; Waiapu, Sundays Septem-' :ber' 18, .to Thursday, September 29; Wellington, Sunday,' October 2/ tb Sunday, October 16. Here they will take a weeks /rest before: beginning their work 'in : the . South -Island •. dioceses, : according the ' following • plan:—Chnstchurch, y Sunday, October .23, to Suhday,/ November ;J>; i Dunedin, Wednesday,'. November •: 9, to Wednesday, November- 23; : Nelson, Sunday, November 27;. to Sunday; 11.

At tho Magistrate's Court yesterday reference was- made! of a* case 1 in whidb the, Australasian :: / Federated- Seamen's. ;TJmon; are hiking action against the Patea,.Shippingl Company for recovery, of; a penalty of iilO for an alleged . breach of ! tho Arbitration Award. The: claim for alty. was ;; based;on an .allegation..that:de*. fendant company had declined :to pay overtime to tuo crew of the steamer.,Arapawa, in conformity.with Clause,3l,of the, award;' on a oertain Sunday on which the vessel nxnved at Picton, and dmartcd. again, on tho saino day.- ;Mt. \VV>;, i. Young, secretary of! the union, .appeared for plaintiffs, ■ and Mr; v represented the defendant companyM-Ihe , case iwill be hoard on Fobruary 17. ■

•Millions of caterpillars weto responsiblo, for the Stoppage ,of the 1.40 p.m. train, from Wanganui to. 'Marton on_Tuesday, when, : approaching; Fordyi.:,- . .The. huge aTmy was on'the march, on a. raiding expedition to ; a ■ field of oats. on the other side, of; the -metalled way, and, was just crossing the : line when ...the ' tram dallied into' it. %There:waa. a dreadful .mortality, of r .course, and' tho- bodies of tlie slain greased. therails 'and, clogged the_engine • wheels, oausing .'them to,;skid.; Further, progress was impossible until : the rails had been' sanded., Last .summer / the' 6ame thing happisned'to a'train in the South Island. :0.

iffOtjidr 'places than. Wenington—even those far ; removed from, "the madding. crowd' Mind difficulty;in/graarding.poods from;the - 'depredations/of "wharf •thieves,. 'The -Stewart .''lsland' ©orrespohdeiit- of the. /-'Southland Times":says'that petty, thieving on the : wharfthere"-is becominga source;- of--' constant annoyance- and; loss.? Scarcely,. a ; week passes .without a case ing reported, i ancli; unless - those expecting goods .by : the .steamer take the, precaution to be on.hand when she : wad then never lose sight of. their parccls, they are very apt to be forestalled. ■ 'ftw When the question of building the'.tir-: pedo-boat : ;: ':dostiroycrßH.i.!i.VAT>stn i «?.-.--.. ,r ? 8 -. under the'consideration'.pf , : .ft j.previouß. Federal- Government, which was, at the time consulting ProfeKor.Bvles, the famous naval architect, it is - stated'.that, an eminent firm\ : of ..British : shipbuilders_'o£fered to establish a ;6hipbuilding yard at Melbourne; (says the "Daily Telegraph ). The firm was ready ■ to. at .once' acquire a site at Port!.Phillip, in close proximity, to a coal • supply, and, subject?to, certain promises of regular Government work extending over a period of years, to lay . out a fully-equipped naval consnuchon. yara, capable of building and executing < repairs to - cruisers and , xhe . offer then-made.^is .likely to,be :rmewed ; very shortly, in connection with .the building of the three' destroyers, which.have .to be ready by. the middle:of -.1912 to join,the Australian naval unit.; ;

The quarterly vital statistics.issued by Mr. G. H. Kaibbs, 'Commonwealth bta : . tistician, can usually be rehed upon for some interesting' facts and figures concerning Australian • marriages. • ihe ! returns , issued- yesterday are not'disappointing in this ■ respect (says the Age"). Amongst the 8202 marriages that took place in the third quarter of 1909 there were some very young and • Very old:brides and bridegrooms;'' Three of the; brides were; only. 14' years of age,', 17.-we^nly'.U, years- old, and 63 had only attained the age of 16.; • Un the other hand, quite a respectable number were well in the' sixties; or, seventies before marrying.: Of the bridegrooms, one was■ 16,-one 17, and 41 were 18' yeans: old when they, took "a . wife., r: At; least , one bridegroom: was .89 : years of age an d "|7 were 70 or over., Of the bridegrooms 7619 were bachelors, 555 widowers,. and 28 <Upersons. Victoria-was the .birthplace of 2035, and New South \Vides of 2472. -England' claimed to be tho natal place of, 568 of the 'Benedicts. „She c o jiM only account, however, for., 2*9 .of the. brides, the °f whom. were 1 Australian born. ;. Only; -WJ of the parties to the marriages m the nuarter had to place a mark on . . their K&Ltes 'Kom inability to; signtheir 'mines. Nearly half, the marriages in the three months were 1 celebrated in either AngScan or Eoinan Catholic churches. ■ Tho Inspector-General of Hospitals, Dr. Vsdintinej 'in' a communication- to the ohairman of the Hospital J3°oni boarmg Z Z Hospitals Act; ,1909,. states- tha the eleoHon of boarfs under the new Act will be held ou Wednesday, March 16, and the Act .will come into force ™Apnl 1. In framing the regulations, with, regard to ' the apportionment of representation, "Dr.'-: Valintine' has: as; far as possible ' allowed for' the .same, number of membors as with boards undor the old law, except where the .boards'.have, been comprised ;of 1 all the members, of a, county council • and which makes a large and unwieldy" board.-Personally, with regard; ; :td the number of,members comprising a: board, , the . Inspector-Gen-eral states that' he . would Tather :6ce a anall than ■a' large; board-for example, a beard of ,eight: or. twelve, . The Act, however, provides that a board shall consist of not less than eight nor.more .than, twenty mombere. Where there are a great number of bodies, Dr. Valintine adr mits that it wxmld naturally be ditticult to .have small, boards, and he therefore proposes ,to apportion the looal bodies in the Wellington district so that; the board will consist of sixteen persons. Before definitely deciding on this, however, tho Inspeotor-General: is asking the opinion of the various boards, •. The. regulations will be brought out as soon as the replies' have been received. Both the District Hospital Board: and tho Charitable Aid Board consider that the new-board should consist of at least sixteen mom-, hers, tho, reason being J, that owing to tho number of different: institutions which w iU be under tbe new board, and tho necessity far tt separate, committee for caoh, too muoh work ■; would bo entailed on a small 'board.'. Further, a small board with the necessarily large number of committees would .necessitate, the introduction of too many honorary : members.

"A petition urging -the Royal Commis-, . sion appointed to: report upon the rival-.;; reroutes of the North' Auckland railway to' : deal with the section between; Topunui •/:o and M'Carroll's Gap has been very influentially signed.. Amongst the siena- • tories are the Mayors of Auckland, New--market, Onehunga, and: Grey Lynn, and the chairmen of various local bodies, elso ! Messrs. Baume, Poolo, Glover, , and 80l- .» lard, M.P.'s, the chairman of tho Auck-: land Harbour Board, the chairman of the, Education Board, and; the president / • •;■ , of the Chamber, of Commerce.. The pj- , .tition was sent to, Wdlington by laijt night's ■ mail. " » ' y : '/;';' i The wettest place in the; North Island during/ December, 1909, according...to. tihfl official-returns gazetted last . night,- was , Tangihanga, near Te Araroa, where, ■ ;/" inches of rain were-registered. .The low-.est-rainfall in'this island was at 'Helens' . villo, .55 inches. 1 . In tho South a Island, Otira -kept :up its reputation with 2L15 ' < inches. Otekaike,.at.the other\ extreme, ; - had only. .35 inches.- >- ■,;•> * , . The - annual meeting' of the/ Weningtna - Choral' Society has been 'fixed .for fche'l/, ovening of February 28, at . 5t,.":.. Jolm J i, v : Schoolroom. ' ''•/•.//•"•''

An animated debate was expected ta. take place on-two proposals with regard " \ w ' to the Miraraar . " tramways when ; the ,; ' Borough ,Council met last evening, but / ; owing, to; the;.small attendance and : tia ; " absence of the " mover of one of the. r . motions;, both were shdved. ;. Councillor . Bowie was to have moved for a reduction •- of the running of the. cars to' an hourly.. service. Tho other-proposal was a notice : of ' motion by Councillor. Bell, , that/'a fare v- -. of Id. per., mile' be 'charged |.on v .cars; ; for ordinary traffic, and coupons be'issued; entitling, purchasers', to,'24'.rides (for/2ii fares 'to be subject to -alimtions during : : v holidays and . extraordinary /-■'traffic^..;;;''; # • TheM''matt6rß"-T^/prphably-iOß\dißCua^V-i\-'-';\ s '-"'v at a special meeting of the council, to be convened latei'.* - /;< -/'; : ; y f•./•:.<; i 'fA jjood business proposition? is -vtai ■:> ; ; ;; the of Miramar (Mr. C. J. Craw- - ' ford) thinks j of-the. borough's wharf.Ha- : / '.r ferring to the wharf at last night's meet- • • < ing ot the council; Mr. Crawford said - . that., there .had been some wild; 'criJacifim/ : ,-/- ; of the Harbour Board with regard to the ... wharfextension :' work.; Pessimists had: '/iv f-. prognosticated a / loss on - the working,; Naturally, • said the speaker,- there would ■. . % • be"a loss at first, but the loss would .not \ deter a private individual from ; embark-. : ' • ing.apon a similar' enterprise.A t business.;; man would' jump at, the .chance of SO: " / years'' control of ;the -wharf,, thingi ;:, werein; this; country, the '' private in-,. /;;,/,, dividual was not;allowed to engage upon. such . enterprises, and it -was '-'".. ; the bounden 1 duty .of civic~ local bodiea to''do';so,: if 'the/ development -.of -v*,-; .counti7. was : tobe fostered. ; / - - The first meeting, of.< the.State Guaran-. teed ■ Advances • Board, which had : been. ; fixed for yesterday, wad - postponed until. •. to-day.", v ;•• /;;;vV' ; .y ' -<• .V / - -r'V . :In -many parts of Nigeria,> and especi-. •« ally among the hill/ regions of; the north- - ; - ? ;;; • ern \provinces,'- baboons. / are one of. the . j /;.;' greatest plagues ,to the farmer, and a - source; of menace to property, and even . to;life. A;Protectorate ; officer,y-while en-;'; .; gaged' in a mountain; villago, ( was informed'by; the: local queen- that, her , / people could' not continue their. farming -• •• ; v.to the raids of baboons. , Duringthe absence of the : men a few . weeks pre- y ./' - viously," theee • beasts -had : actually com®: ; ; : T - into the heart/of vthe. village and .do- , :stroyedr.the/ cropsJy.;Thelnatives, are :. constant dread of • them,' and continually r ■;,/'; fear for the safety'of theiT children.;-. Sir. .yV. i. William Wallace relates that he has 6een droves of fifty to,a.hundred of these,am- . mali' all in- single file,- and/that,- lately ho •; / ?. A / himself ' shot/ rwo;ehonndus :;brutes^ '/jwHo ■ were, grinning '.' at him-, frbm . tho ohffai They: utter a- lomd ■ bark. They possess a regular systeia of : defenoe, aad dways have ngiiallera .out ; to watch for the approach of a: poesibla -:,i enemyi '..These' sojuts: are. always .the biggest'monkeys,' and they signal ; by barka to their comrades-when strangers are* ap- . • At the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, beforo Mr.» John Smith,. • Walter' Harris, for drunkenness, was con- .: victed' and discharged, i. P. : Bice, for : ■ drunkenness, was fined lOs., iß.doiaiut ia hours'' imprisoninent. The; flower" show in oonneotion with St.. Thoniaa's Pilrish; Newtoirai' a.' : considerable number of patrons yesterday.- ... and .'ranch;.interest/was/evinced V; in l '™e,. ■various!eshibits shown; parhcularlT.ii,, ■ those in:the"chirdren's.classes/ Althoughxr : . 1?1 the show- froiri 'a.'floral.point.of new did „ vr ; , not reuch the high standard 'of the pre-.. ~ .■. ! vibus year, ,the organisers are to be con-, ~ gratulated on the' result of I this; y®ar ® : . labours and, the .successful termination of the exhibition. "The-trouble, of course, lies in the future, ana-to- provide for i the-future we, - niust look ahead now," says the London , . ■ secretary of .tho Navy' I/ngue m a letter • : to Mr. C. "\V. Palmer, hon. secretary of the Wellington branch, has a^ wnvs been' the 1 custom of tho . Navy , League, but in the pessimistic uttMamies. thatiW/heaiy^MMpM^i-vv::,, our eyes to; the: fact \that o , or < Nayy -^^. ; ..,v , day is' in a better • condition than it ha» . over been." • 1 1 ■■■;■