LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

From the "Public Service List?' of Now South Wales, a new edition of which has just been! issued, ,it appears that there, are 12,400 officers in all. divisions—probably not much more than ball the Zealand : service—drawing a total in salaries of ,£1,912,934, or an average annual-remuneration of Xlsi. By i'ar the largest phalanx is that of the'edura-; tional division, with GOl3 officers, while there' 1 are, 1659: "clerical" officers, 3171-in. the "generai" division, and 61)5 "unclassified. Professional. officers : numberß6l, and there is a "special", division, numbering only 9 as infighting strength—but they l are. under-secretaries!The return' does not comodown to a later-date than June 30,', 1909. As compared with ,the previous year, thfl number, of civil servants mounted' higher by 69, - with a t net. increase'in salaries of i! 45,845.' Since the total saJaries for the preceding-year were j£1,867,089, it appears that, the . aggre-;. gatcd. cost to tho State of thfl civil ser-. vice pay-envelope was 2.4 per cent, higher than in the'' 1908 pbriod— a moderate increase "considering the greater cost of living, and the rise of new departments, ■ such as that of agriculture. ; -Mr. J. V.. Tillett. '(Crown Solicitor) appears., to enjoy the highest .salary, of. 'any : civilreceives £1640; per .annum.: Next in or : . der is. Mr. T. A. Coghan, the; AgentGeneral, lvho, while he has-a direct salary of only ,2)250, has, however, allowances worth JE800 : moro. '.Most ; of ;the uii-der-secretaries receive ■ iBIOOO . per, annum. One: officer , only in" the service is paid <£1640, 15, ' receive : i£6so between JG2OO and■ i J8250" there are 1 1166 .officers ■ enjoving that golden mean, and the greatest of all • the-. battalions in: point of numbers is that drawing"between and J2150— there are .3492 persons so remunerated— as' 8 with iElOOO'each! V • : Last night a party'.of motorists'coming into: town' from the Hutt 'had'an unpleasant' experience with • a barricade erected ! across' the road to the north of Kaiwarr'a. . .They.' were proceeding . along the newly-formed roadway on' tneicar's seoond speed, when'they suddenly found themselves right on top .of -a heavy tele? graph, pole stretched across-the road on a. couple- of. supports. .. Tho: car .crashed; into it, and two of the' three '.occupants were thrown,bodily out:on to.'the grouhd, fortunately escaping- with nothing moro serious than a bad shaking. The motorist state that there-were absolutely no lights on this ; liutT'ciuie, r'n*' - of ,wiivj|i was apparently to divert traffic, from, the hew roadway noyr in course of formation to the old load tinder the hill. They complain that traction . engines and other obstructions are frequently, left about on the road unlighted, and state that .to .their, :own'..lajDwij3dgft.Serious. ' accidents. tKave""ilready v been'' n'arrowly escaped.. . \

' A. . Press . Association ! telegram from Christchurch ; states' that, HJI.S;' Encounter '■ remains at Lyttelton till' .Wednesday lifixt. and then sails for. Wellington with Lord Kitchener, on. board. JL . ;.■' : v

; Captain Foster; of Auckland,''adjutant of the New Zealand Rifle Association; has, taken up-, his quarters at the Trentham rifle range to superintend: Hie preparations for .tho 1 championship mating, which opens 'on March A.

At tho Bale of tho. Waiiaro at Invercargill .there were:.;abo'ut fifty business men. present.,. "Forty-five ; thousand lies there,.' said the auctioneer, "and I have the very best reasons for saying that the vessel can be floated ,for only -£2000. Not only, will.'the purchaser be buying this fine vessel,' but ho will also have 600 tons of coal and 40 tons,:of railway. : iron as well." . Bids commenced at .£SO, and. rose in tens to i'loo. Mr. J. K. Jamieson (Invorcargill) . increased: it tov J8150,: and to .£l7O when Miller Bros. (Port. Chalmers) bid .£l6O. The Port' Chalmers' firm increased their offer to : : but: Mr. Jamieson went up to at which business remained at a standstill. , "If. ever anything. was thrown away," said. 'the auctioneer, "it' was tho wreck of the Waikare. ' For this vessel to chango hands at £200 is a disgrace to Southland." ■'-.;" :■;':' V !

Revised regulations governing admissions to the Boyal Military Academy at Woolwich, and first appointments therefrom to, the Eoyal Artillery and Royal Engineers, and admissions to the Royal Military .College;at Sandhurst,' and fast appointments therefrom; to ; the; British Army have been approved. Copies will bo issued "shortly, to all concerned. > A meeting has been arranged for Friday next between , the, Special .Committee of the City Council and the; Salvation Army authorities; in reference to the -Prison Gate Home at Island Bay, .but . it. is probable that the date 'will have to be altered,, on jaccount ;of .the_ arrangements in connection with .the ; visit of.; : Lord Kitchener.

' It is stated that Bailey,, the' spiritualise tic medium,, who visited New Zealand some months ago,, is to undergo , a scries of .tests by ; scientific men in England shortly. He will arrive at Southampton on February .27, 'and will give n series of stances under ihe direction of 'Professor Reichell. He will j afterwards provide manifestations for,' a.-, group of investigators. at Milan. The Supremo Court sittings at Palmerston North have been- more protracted than was expected, and the civil sittings in Wellington will have to be postponed again. ' Mr..; Justice .Chapman will' not reach Wellington until about the end of next week, and' juTjmen summoned to attend on Monday will not:be required.: One of the police dogs now on duty in the outlying quarters of Paris has shown his value as a member of, the force by capturing an apache when the police were in a particular .difficulty. Two apaches had been arrested for assaulting a cabman, and about twenty'others wanted to come ;to the. rescue, i . They,; surrounded the policemen,, who, however, succeeded eventually in dragging their two prisoners to the police station. -■ But .the apaches returned unexpectedly, and, breaking into the colls, helped one of the prisonors to oscapo. As he was-running away,; however, another policeman, accompanied, by his dog, called Prince, saw: him. Prince was released,' caught the apache before he had gone a hundred yards, and guarded him safely there until his master came along and put the handcuffs on the prisoner. The: -presence of the dog. discouraged the would-bo ; rescuers two of whom wore also taken into custody.' '. Asked ;at Invercargill. whether there was any likelihood of the. Government subsidising the Union Company to put a suitable boat in tho ferry service botween Stewart Island and the Bluff during tho busy season, Sir Joseph Ward replied in the negative,!' stating ' that' in the past the traffic had,not been sufficient to warrant expenditure in that' Tho Government were .not in a position' to give a. subsidy for such, a. purpose,. because it-would simply-mean that a new system bo established, and numerous applications from other parts of tha Dominion for'similar subsidies would immediately flow. , in. , Desirous as lie was to see an' improved ferry connection between Stewart Island and the mainland, the matter had necessarily to be regarded by the possible, results.

Shampooing, Clipping Hairclressinc, Manicuring, Faco Massage, Treatment of Falling Hair and Dandruff, Combines made up. . Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Eolleston (over Carroll'6), 11 Willis Street. 'Phono 1590, Advt,

./£ Bluff official; whilst'scrutinising the passengers from Melbourne - by the Manuka on Monday, noticed, a tall man in a helmet and wearing a military • moustache stop from .the' boat.; It suddenly struck him that this distinguished visitor; must bo Lord Kitchener of Khartoum

making ■ a surprise visit. The official's kindly interrogations- were met with a confused expression and a bovaldercd reply tliat he must be mistaken, because ,"I. am. just ,an English Church parson,"' The ofhcial' collapsed,"' and his disgust tnrnod to indignation' '-.-as ■•'■'jtba - • viator, queried him for a quarter of an hour concorning train arrangements" in a re-: moto part of, the ' North: Island;. . One hundred and sixty-four third-class passengers are duo to arrive in .Welling-! .ton by the Tainui to-day/. Among them, ; are .39 assisted immigrants (G men, 21 women, and-12 children). Of these, 15 adults and 7. children havo been nominated by relatives in the Dominion, and 12 adults and 5 children have been approved by the High- Commissioner. The assisted passengers include ten domestic, servants;, six wives, who are- doming' : their '-husbands, one. farmer, one dairy-farmer, '.ami ono farm -labourer. 'v '

An epidemic of burglaries lias boon dift- . turbing Melbourne. Tha suburbs of Melbourne (says the "Argus") must surely constitute a sort of . burglar's and housolaeaker'a paradise.; :More; favourable con-; .ditions for. the. peaceful .and profitable; exercise .of the craft can scarcely bo dosired by the most ■ timorous members of - the: profession. They have a' numerous population with a high-standard, of.;ram- '• :fort, even the poorest household possess- ; 1 ing some. piece of jewellery or . other . portable; property worth carrying away; ; a,V climate genial enough to tempt thousandsi. :: of people to'leavo their,windows,ahd^doorg! V ... constantly l open'; air adequate supply of ■ "receivers,"-, whose. : handsome . profits' enablo them to be generous to the producer; and—most important of ali—a police force which neglects no precaution to'keep tho unsuspecting householder in complete":' ignorance'. ;. of what'. is being -V I done' by tho; ... fraternity. . Tho ' . grievance of !' the'' "Aigus" against the police; force has. relation to a :• practice which'is not unknown.-in- New .. Zealand. When anyone reports a burglary ho. is .made'' to understand tliat he preserves tie closest secrecy there is practically no;<chaiice of the criminal..; being brought to justice; whilo if he holds'* his tongue, : and,, above. all,. mentibns not; , a word to the press, thero js ovary likdihood , of: his property being When he oomes to learn {states, the.. "Argus"), as ultimately ho ; must, : that scores of other people have been , treated , ! to the same solemn humbug,-he feels an- . noyed, and readjustshis estimate of the policeJ Had he .been warned in' he , would have taken. precautions' against burglars and saved'his property. ■ The burglar also, with - .hundreds' ; of' : , eyes . watching for him as tho result of press publicity; would find it far more' difficult v , to repeat his operations... . . . ..

Hanraki Gnlf was practically denuded of oysters before the industry ■was placed under the control of tho Marino Department,' but arrangements are now. being ! made: to have: some; of the old beds ro- ■ ■ , planted. '. Present supplies'-come from th« : ; Bay of. Islands and tram Kaiparajandit, : > ;f. is "anticipated , that .wlien< the North "Island season opens, on May-.l'.a,fair.supplj 'v will bo forthcoming.. In order that ths 'J, beds will not be depleted' of more than ■ ■.-. - a reasonable amount each season,' th« ■ Marine Department ..-.i5... engaging . men who V; can be. trusted not to exceed the threo ■ bags a day limit imposed 'by .'the-regula-tions. 'I r.'';'.' :. The I .'seismic disturbance reported from . Melbourne at tho . end> of. last; month as - having probably originated in the Tas- . man' Sea; 400 miles, or- .thereabouts'from '. Hobart, receives partial confirmation in a roport:, from Moggielslands,S.S.W. oj Stewart Island, (says 'tho "Bluff Pross"). The master of a cutter which has just returned from a cruise in tho neighbourhood 6ays that- the coast, lines of ..the is- : land, .as, well .aa tho ..coast liae. of. tho mainland of. Styswart Island, between ■ Weather ■ Point' and Doughboy Bay, have undergone,complete transformation; ..The cUffs,'.jiriti their, deeply.,indented caverns, - ! - .'havef. entirqly.n disappearedi. and . in their . , place is a sloping face''leading down; tp; : ijea -level or : possibly deeper. One of the two Moggie'boat harbours has been badly shaken,, but/the captain had hot 1 the : ; means of ascertaining'the effect .the dis-., itirbaneo had-on its.shelters. At Wcatller Point and Doughboy Bay the old landmarks ' have; disappeared, or else; altered . . ' beyond! recogiution. '.The disturbance would to-'have .caught ..this particular edge of tho Island without having ; made itself felt in any of tho othor parts."Under provocation from hecklers duping the election campaign, many of , thfl peers havo. exhibited 'a ■ particular. sensi-.; . - tiveness about 1 their-alleged ignorance of practical matters as a- class, says an EAglish correspondent of the "Ago." No .. other chargo levelled, against : them has yielded.- anything ;like equally amusing . ■ results. iv-!Some'genuine examples of incongruity > have astonished • as well as. 1 tickled their audiences. . Tho-Eari'or . '. HMdwick6,-for instance, claimed .at 1 meeting'thai he was as: well qualified, to "rough it" as any member of his audi- ' enco;;he looked 5 as' though he .could,.and', fairly supported' his: point. from peiijonal . oxpbrienoa.; ! Lloyd-fcteorgo had r boon , saying that there- were no sailors,* pilots,,/. ;. railway guards or miners in the House ot ■ I Lords. The Earl replied that he had beaa for eight years a mining engineer, and 1 had worked for two y<ars as an orimaiy miner in -Montana. - jHis job hadibeen on " a ten hundred-feet level, 1 and ho received. ' trade imionv'.wOs.,': He .was known:?*.; ;■ and oa "}Jo. 126" to the management. - -

One of tbo most deathless and widely spread, superstitions. thrives. upon number thirteen. There aro grownup people, in other respects sane, who would rather , starve '.. than sit, at. dinner at a table where 'the .company that;, fisaro. Professor Blackie "■ used to toU a lively story on this subjects Arriving one : night at ;;Dalmeny,'> Lord seat near Edinburgh,' he, doming- later.fomd , the guests seated at'dinner. With cha> acteristio cheeriness, ondiin 1 obedienoe,to . constant habit of.-making home in any circumstances,: be brought up, a chair and seated himself near his hostesji-; He instantly beoame coriscioip 'of a-strong.. uneasiness in the circle, deepened , 'into constrained silence,, Lady, Bcsebery whispered u. him that ho - had better go /into the drawing-room, ; where he would find Lady- Ahorde®-. seated alone. But Blackie had not dinetv and W as not tlio kind of , man to see otters pleasantly engaged without desieio join. "Yes by and by," ho'answored to Lady 1 Rosobery's , increased embarrassment. Presently, one of the an(t pointed out tohim tliat_ his arnyaJ ! made '.the. ooihpany ; thirteen at table,: and; there was a lady present.who was a farm believer "in tho tradition frocfi arithmetical circumstances; death.. woul*. be with, one", or more ofthe_ guosts before the'year was' out.":-; So fte hungry professor, dolefully,'departed..to. ; the dnity-.ing-r00m..V.-- y ' At the" Union 'Steam' Ship ~'Company's., wharf, Sydney, a. very large crowd of people gatbered,last,week to send-off the steamer Mahcno for Auckland,_ Bays the , "Sydney .'.Morning Herald. . The -chief attraction was..the. party of Maoris, who had been in'camp at Clontarf. - So many.. friends had' the. New: Zealandera mad? that they were kept very busy, shaking hands Maggie Papakura,'.the well-known, guide, said:"We have enjoyedjV..your people's company, and it hurts us to .say good-b've. . Since my. .last , visit .to. Syfk ney I 'have noticed a very, great improvement in your buildings, and many other things, and our stay. has. beenone at great onjovment. • "I have .been in; many: placos of the world, but have never'; seen; such" a lovely- place as Sydney, and such kind peoplo, and all of us aro extremely sorry we ore going home. vThe Maoris would never like to leav© thfiir homa ■hut 1 they ' would' leave it willingly to vira Sydney.'"'' The Australian ';paper 1 add< .that "Maggie - said - this with ;jher eyes full o£ teare." .

Yesterday, the pupils attending ..the Mount Cook schools, with their teachers, and parents, spent their annual . outing at . Day's Bay, in penoct , weather. sports programme was' arranged by; the committee and' the. teachers,: and :carned out .very successfully. .... : .

Firing on the Seddon Range at Trantham this afternoon mil bofrom'.tho 000 and, 1000 yards ' mounds, not from the 800 and. 900 .yards.:mounds, as : previously arranged.

:Officer3 concerned are requested to not© that' tlid quarterly examination under the Central Board of Examination which would in the ordinary : course have .been held on Wednesday, JJnrch 2* lias been postponed till March 16 next^