LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 735, 7 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'TKo (etent eruption df Rtiapettt. was clearly seen from Wdnganiti (says our local correspondent). An immenso Col* umn of steam was discernible, rising to an enormous height above the mouiltaiiL Yesterday the mountain was ohl? dimly outlined through tha haite, but there waa no visible sign-of volcanio aotivity.

In explanation of the end of the beting contest between "Gunner" Moir and Tommy Burns, of which an extraordinarily clear picture is being exhibited at the Town Hall, Moir informed, a Dominion representative that he was not knocked out by- Burns, and certainly the camera does not reproduce a knockout blow. Moir saye that he lost the contest through sheer exhaustion and weakness, fie was out-conditioned. -

■ A lady in Nelson Street,; Petone, .received a very unpleasant surprise yesterday forenoon. She was 'engaged in .culinary operations, , when she heard a noise on the table, from which Bhe had just turned away, and on making investigations fottnd a laxge-sized shot which had come through the open ■ door. There was, apparently, no great danger in this case, but still it is, to say the least of it, a 'foolish thing to discharge . firearms in such a closely-populated 1 portion: of, the towfl. ■ ... , : ..X

. Acoording to a message from Christchurch the cablegram which the. Liberal members of the House. of Representatives intended to send .to Mr, Lloyd-Qeorge congratulating him upon his Budget proposals and wishing his side well at the elections.- was neversent. .It appears, that,4o members, principally Radicals,. attached their signatures,;, but it was' thought by the Prime Minister, to whom the matter' was referred, ; that it : would be inadvisable, to : send such a cablegram. - . Sir. Joseph-. "Ward ; pointed , out that, although no monitor of the Cabinet had been asked to sign, the British public wotild'be sure to assume that the message; had been-dispatched by the Governnfent. . Financiers - would,' he 1 continued, Certainly reseat what they might imagine to bo an - unwarrantable interference - with'lmperial politics, and , they, might show their resentment in a 'way that would be very detrimental. to the interests ,of the Dominion. - He also added, that'tha Unionists might hit back oc the eve of the next general election in New Zealand. And so the cablegram was withheld.

It is understood that the appointment of a chief inspector under the reorganisation scheme in'connection with-the police force will'not be.made for some time. In addition to Mr: C. ,E. . Matthews, the chief clerk, there will be on the headquarters staff three clerks, Of whom one will be Mr.' Bvans. who will hold the position of record' clerk. • ■.'<

: Representations are to be made to tho Minister: for Defence in regard to Da-, fence f Rifle Club regulations by Messrs. Wilford and Field, It.P.'s, on behalf- of the rifle clubs_ in the Hutt "electorate, and' the Karori.- Eifle: Club respectivelyMessrs Wilted and Field have found that the Australian regulations regarding rifle clubs differ' considerably: from those existing in the Dominion, and they have forwarded to the M'lister a comparative table I showing'the dl .eronces.' Bine clubs in Australia are shown to bo at least 75 per cent, better, off than New Zealand rifle olubs. ' The Minister's attention: has also been directed to a- statement which ho made in a speech at Upper Hutt, that he intended to improve the'■ condition of rifle 'clubs." This., had been noted with satisfaction ,throughout- the -Dominion., .It is further stated that members of rifli' clubs are willing 'to-'Bdbmit -to inspection, discipline, and drill in ' order that they may be prepared for > service,and they are also prepared.to make some personal annual outlafi ■

New regulations ttttder the State Guaranteed; Advances Act will appear in Thursday's : Gazette. - They, will, it .is understood, apply almost entirely to applications for loans. l to : local bodies., Advances to . settlers and workers: will be granted under thai old regulations until another : Series of regulations, which • will' take some time: to frame,-/ are prepared. A representative 'of The Dominion was informed on Saturday that a largo number of applications for loans have already been' sent' forward : by liicAl bodies. ' Some local : authorities; (it 1 was - stated)seemed to be under .the-misapprehension that 'all thatwas' eSseiitial. to secur'6 i an. advance from- thfe .new .Department was to make an application ' to- the : Ddpjlrtriltat. - A# a matter of fact :no loan. is granted unless. the necessary formalities as provided by: the Loans to. Local Bodiesj'Aet: have been complied, with. The, 1 regulations about' to' be / issued comprise chifcfly ettracts- from tho statutory provisions.

' Tho various acclimatisation 'societies hayo.been. informed- by the Government that it is not intended to advise his cellency i to. giant exemptions . from the operations of Clause 26 of the Animals' Protection Aotj ; which provides' .for. a olose.'season'for .1910 and every suoceedirig. third ytor. : It is understood : that .six societies 6ut of 32 cotomuhicited with the Government on the subject. One strongly favoured a: close season for ' all, game; two wanted an open season for all game except native; pigeons,' and thijee desired an open SeaSon for imported: gaine only. The close season by law do& not affect the, issue of .licenses for/doer-shooting.

, All local sailing .raoeis: were ' postponed oh: Saturday on account of the wind dropping. The yawl Viking (left for the Sounds yesterday morning.'..'' .' v - . .

A conference between the Hon. J. A. Millar;'(Minister for Rail ways)/.and the various, district traffic . managers, will take place to-day.. It is understood that one of the matters which .will come up for Consideration will be the question'of train services generally. One aspect: whioh Mr. Millar intends to bring forward relates to the proposed'' reduction jn the facilities for forwarding small quantities of. goods to stations of. minor importance. • The projected .. amendments to. the. new time-tables will also, engage attention. .According; to 'Mr;- Millar; it is not.intended;'to'.make any drastio-.depalN tures from the existing services. ■ v • *

An interim statement by the Hon. J. A. Millar. (Minister- for Railways) with reference to the railway return for the four-weekly' period elided, January 8: is of interest.- It shows' that the 'revenue for the period was, £22,000' greater > than for the corresponding period ' of .1909. Taking the position for tne twelve months to date,- it would: be found (he said) that the railways were-.£180,000 net' better, off than at the same jptoiod of last year. To earn . the ''increase' in' revenue of' -£273>000 the expenditure had increased 'only .by : d£85,000, or. about: 31': per cent, of ..the revenue. Prom the figures, given out by Mr. Millar, it appears that the increase in .the.revenue for the North Island during the four weeks in question Was oVer ,£12,000, whilst the', increase for: the South Island was only, between" and xsooo. • ■ /'v-'.;:-

Mr. C. it. Ealmer, .the local secretary of the Navy League, has received a, oommunicatioii.from an officer of. H.M.S. Challenger, at " Auckland, stating that H;MiSi Pegasus ie em ber way to Weilington, via Gisbonieand Napier, and is due here to-morrow, leaving again_ do Thursday, for Wcstport and . New mouth;' Ever since the cruiser Cambrian lost her anchor while moored at ; New Plymouth during the year 1808, the ships of the squadron hare consistently avoided that port. The recently-formed Taranaki branch of the Navy League .has been moving'in . the matter, and it is understood that the decision to send the Pegasus to Now Plymouth is a result of its efforts. This n«w3. will be particularly welcome to the sohool branches.-of the ' league, - which are strong in Taranald.

• A special -eorrioe was hold in the Kit birnie Anglican: Church/ last evening, when' the Bishop of Wellington ' instituted the llev. J. Blackburne as view l of the parochial district, of Kilbirnio and Miramar. The church waa .well filled, 'and the servioe was a most impressive one. The Bishop proaohed from the text, "Charity Seeketli' Not Her Own." The prayers were read by the Kev.' M. W. Butterfield, and other clergy a]6o assisted.

: A supplemßntary list of new appointments to tlio commission of the.peace will be published shortly. It will contain a large number of riamM of persons residing in nil parts of the Dominion. The list has been sent on to Cabinet for consideration. ■; .' : ■

Shampooing, Clipping H&irdresslng* Maniouring, Face Massage, Treatment of Falling Hair and Dandruff, Combinffa made up. Natural Hair-pads.. Mrs. Bolleston (over Carroll's), U Willis Street- 'Pb n »els9?. Advt,

We have to acknowledge a donation of ten shillings by "M. W." • towards the London Fresh Air Fund. This will send one child to the country for a fortnight.

The unusual sight of -a constable on a cabman's "dickey" created. considerable interest in the city on : Friday (states the Christchurch Tress"). . It appears that the proprietor of the vehicle was deemed by the policeman to be too intoxicated to drive .the cab, and the guardian of the law thereupon pjaced him inside the cab and drove him to the station. ;

In conversation with an Ashburton "Mail" representative, Mr. Ben Ede, of Hampsteadv stated that he had been working for his living for 70 years. When seven years of age, m the Old Country, he was, employed at what was known as '."bird minding," or scaring the birds off the wheat crops. When about 22 or 23 years of age, Mr. Ede ; emigrated to the colonies, and came out in the' Omeo in 1861. , After a brief sojourn in Australia, he arrived in Canterbury, and started brick-making for the Lyttelton : tunnei. In 1865 he came to the place where Ashburton 'now stands, and has seen every house in the town go up; Mr. Ede landed in New Zealand with his wife and five children, and now; counting the grahdohildren,' the family numbers -130. He bought his-property at Hampstead when 71 years of age,- and. he and his wife set to work to improve it, with tho result that the valuation went up jBIOO, and the old people's old age pension was reduced.- This year it was again reduced. A . significant statement to breaches of prohibition orders was'made by Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., at tho Christchurch Police; Court ; on Friday, when a man named Anthony Green appeared before him, charged with procuring liquor while prohibited. ' Mr. Bailey remarked (states "The Press") 'that magistrates now; had moreV power than they previously had in 'dealing with these cases. "Hitherto," he said, ;"aiißan had to have a certain number of convictions for ' drunkenness against him, before he - could be sent to an - inebriates'' home, but now if a .man 'commits a, breach of a prohibition order |we . can ..send .him 'to' a-i home. :If you come up again' oh ' a similar charge I will seriously think of sending.'you to an • inebriates' homo fpr-two:-years." Defendant was. convicted : ,and ordered to come tip for sentence when called upon. . >

Gorsc fires are still giving the - fire brigade some, trouble/; At-2.45 p.m. on Satufday afternoon, a call -was received to the rear of the Kelburne bowling green, and at 5.11 p.m. jesterday another call was received to Dransfield Street Vogeltown. -

;In his reply to a ChriEtchurch deputation,, the" Honi G. ■ Fowlds, Minister for Education, -is reported by "The Press 1 ' as ! saying that the; deputation must be-! lieve. that,. the main function of the Minister was to resist Education Boards when they; were clamouring' for money. (Mr.G; W. Eussell, -M.P.: That is only a recent development.) It was a very old position. If it was only a recent development it showed that there must have been a recent, development ! of extravaganoe on the part of the boards.' During •• the four years .he had been more or less responsible : for tho expenditure,' the Department had. paid £155,000 more for school buildings than in ,the four -preceding years;