LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 783, 5 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Huddart-Parker steamer Wimmera, with an English and Australian mail, arrived in Auckland from Sydney at 11.45 a.m. yesterday. Tho Wellington portion of her mails is due to arrive hero by this afternoon's express. . .

The postal authorities advise that the mail which, left Wellington on February 25, per s.s. Ulimaroa,. and connected at Sydney with tho Brindisi mails, per B.M.S. Malwa, arrived in London on the night of April 1. • -'

It having been reported that some changes were being made with regard to title of the Judges of the Supreme Court, a Dominion reporter interviewed tho Hon. Dr. .Findlay (Minister for Justice) upon the subject yesterday. Dr. Findlay replied that in consequence of, representations made by the Government to His Majesty the King, His Majesty had been pleased to approvo of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Dominion bearing in' future the title of "Honourable" throughout, tho whole of tho British Empire. Up till now the Judgee in New Zealand received the title of "Honourable," and they were permitted to bear tho title on retirement, and'whilo in office within tho limits of New Zealand. Jn future, however, those retired Judges of the Suprenie Court who had already received permission to bear the title of "Honourable" within New Zealand would have that title . generally recognised throughout tho Empire. His Majesty's permission to bear the title will now bo drafted without any territorial limitation to thoso Judges of the Supreme Court of New. Zealand who might be recommended for such permission by Hie Excellency tho Governor.

Seven street fire-alarm boxes have just been installed in the Kilbirnie district by the .Fire Brigade's staff, the installation being the first of the extensions to tho outlying districts of the central alarm system at Jervois Quay. The locations of the boxes are at the corners of Arawa Street and Hataitai Eoad, Waitoa Street—Haitaitai Road, . Moxham Avenue—Goa Street, Wellington Eoad— Seatoun Road, Crawford Street—Seatoun Hoad, Boss and C'outts Streets, Queen's' Drive, and Turi Street, Other extensions are in progress, , ,

An amendment of the law which guards against municipal "pickings" will be suggested by Councillor Atkinson at the meeting of the City Council ou Thursday night in terms of the followin" motion "(1) That in the opinion of this council paragraph H of Section 42 of tho Muncipal Corporations Act, 1908, relating to the disqualification of councillors, should' be amended'so that the exception therein contained will read as follows:—'Other than as ft shareholder in an incorporated company which contains more than 20 mombers, and is not a private company, and of which such person is not'a director or the general manager, or in an association' or partnership consisting of more than 20 members,' (2) That ponding such alteration in the law, this council should decline to accept any tender from any compnny in which a councillor is u shareholder and which does not come within tho oxccption above set out." Tho inquiry into tho Cobnr-Duchess collision will tako place at 10 a.m. next Monday, April 11, before Mr. .W. E. Hasoklon, S.Jf. A. fairly large number'of witnesses will bo called by the Jlarine Department. It is understood that the masters of both steamers will havo legal representatives at tho inquiry. The final winding-up meeting of -the Wellington and Manawatu liailway Company, tho affairs of which have been wound up by the liquidators, Messrs. John TCirkcolaie and W. M. llnnnay, will bo .held at tho Chamber of Commerce on April 15.

As yet there is no sign of the stolen "Leader." An inquiry at the Chief Detective's officu yesterday elicited the reply, "Nothing yet." Tho State School Committees for the ensuing year will be elected on Monday evening, April 25. Mr. Justice Williams will deliver judgment this morning at 10 o'clock in tho case of the Scaford Coal Company v. Shaw.

■ A marked feature of tho tramway returns for tho last six months has been a great growth of traffic to tho seaside resorts, Island Bay, Lyall Bay,. and Seatoun. It was thought by many people that tho opening of the Lyall Bay line would seriously affect the revenue from the Island Bay and Seatoun lines. As a matter of fact tho revenue on these lines, wo are informed on good authority, has largely increased. Probably ono reason of this is that many people now take the tram to Island Bay, walk from there to Lyall Bay, havo tea there, and go homo via Kilbirnie, or walk from Lyall Bay to Island Bay and take the car home from there. Again, since the making of the Happy Valley Road, many people take the tram to Brooklyn, and walk to Island Bay through Happy Valley. The total result is that tho development of the Lyall Bay traffic has had a vory beneficial effect on the other watering places.

The financial year of the Wellington Corporation ended on Thursday, March 31. Tho officers of the. treasury department arc hard at work preparing the reports for the year, which will be ready in a few days. It is believed that they will prove quite satisfactory. A deputation of Newtown residents will wait upon the City Council at its meeting on Thursday night to urge the extorision of the tramway from Constable Street, Newtown, to Kilbirnie. Mr. Andrew Hamilton, vice-president of the Wellington Bowling Club, met with a rather serious accident on Friday. He was walking from Aro Street to the Karori tunnel with the object of catching a car there, when he tripped over earthworks, and fell heavily to the ground. He was picked up in an unconscious condition by a passer-by, and was taken to his home. Dr. Herbert was. summoned, and did everything possible for the ■ sufferer, who had sustained a severe shock. He was ablo to leavo his bed for a little yesterday. Advice' has been received by Mr. Danby, Immigration Officer in Wellington, that among the passengers by the Turakina, '••liich is due from. London to-morrow, are 36 persons who are coming out under tho assisted system. Of these 20 aro women and 15 are children under tho age of twelve. Twenty-nine of the assisted passengers (H adults and 15 children) were nominated by relatives in New Zealand. Included in tho number are some domestic servants. . . •

According to local officers of the Labour Department, the general experience in New Zealand is that, if n. married couple is wanted for a farm, ■ couples 'with children nro usually barred. Not infrequently this was duo. to the- lack of sufficient house accommodation. The domestic servant difficulty has become so acute that married couples : are now often engaged on farms when it is really only the wife's services that are required. At the present time a good domestic on a farm can command .£52 (and found) per annum, whereas married couples can bo got for as low ns ,£72 (and found) per annum. Then, again, a competent ploughman and farm labourer whose wife is efficient.in the matter of household duties will , not accept under £120 a year. If couples havo children of working age, there.is usually little difficulty in placing the whole family,- with the exception, perhaps of tho father. It is recognised by the Department that any scheme which will assist in placing couples with small children will be beneficial from every point of view. \

On the occasion of the Wellington Racing Club's autumn meeting, which takes placo on Wednesday and Saturday next,'the minimum amount which'may be invested on the totalisator.will be reduced from £1 to 10s. This '.privilege will, of course, extend only to the outside public. ■ ■:''■'. . ''. i Councillor Devine'has given notice to move at the next meeting of .the Cijty Council:—"(a). That this council considers the time has fully arrived when a general railway station adequate to the requirements of Wellington and suburbs should be: erected ;by the Government in a'suit-'* ablo position in the city, (b) That the co-operation of the adjoining borough councils, the Chamber of Commerce, and' pther'local representative.bodies and , lead-, ing citizens generally-be sought: with the view of uniting with : this council in making a vigorous representation to the Government on the subject." ... .;■'.'•

Tho widening of tho corner of Cuba and.Manners Streets is an old project of the City Council which has been partially, carried out by the: setting back of'the , frontage of Mr. Georgo Winder's/ new building. The south-west corner, opposite Mr. Winder's shop, is, however, a very sharp one, and traffic has to be managed very carefully at this point to avoid accidents. The setting back of the. corner premises on this side of Manners Street was suggested year? ago, but an agreement could not then ■bo arrived at on terms . satisfactory . to the City Council. The proposal has lately been revived, and yesterday morning an interview took place on the subject between the. Mayor, the city valuer, the city engineer, and the Wesleyan Trustees of the corner property. After a lengthy discussion the Mayor agreed to put certain proposals before the Finance Committee, and these will .come before the council at its meeting on Thursday night.

The examinations, to be held under the auspices of theNen Zealand Pharmacy Board will take place in the Chamber of Commerce oil. April 20, 21, and' 22. The subscriber system, which has prevailed in the Northern Wairoa since the constitution of the Northern Wairoa Hospital, has been abolished by the new llarsden-Kaipara Hospital Board. • 'I'ho objection mado by Australian station-owners to the employment of married couples blessed' with "cncumbrancos" is apparently shared by pastoralists in how Zealand. • Inquiries made at a labour agency by ail' "Evening News" reporter elicited that great 'difficulty was frequently experienced in placing married couples on stations when children of tender years bad to accompany their parents. In a great many cases the married couples' have to occupy rooms in the homestead, and the omploycr does not, in view of that fact, welcome the presence of their children. Another objection is that tho wife's time is fully ocoupied in the discharge of her household work, and this would bo neglected if she had to attend to young children. When there is separate cottage accommodation the objections to tho presence of children are not so pronounced. It is interesting to note, also, that married couples cast an appraising oye on' offers which come their way. Their two principal requirements aro that the stations should be within moderately easy , reach of a. school, and that the services of a doctor can bo secured with reasonable promptness. _ Plaocs which do not offer these amenities are seldom considered by married couples with "encumbrances." A young man who tried to commit suicide in tho Court Opera House at Vienna, under dramatic circumstances recently, is now in a hospital"'with several stitches in his heart. It is possible that he may recover. Immediately after the curtain descended ori the last aot of "Rigolotto" tho audienco in the opera liouso wero startled to hear two shots fired from an upper box. Tho attendants who rushed to tho box found a young man. in evening dress lying on the floor, with two wounds in his ahost. Ho was hurried to tho hospital, whero -the surgeons found that both bullets 'had penetrated the heart. Although thore seemed little likelihood of his recovery tho surgeons decided on an opcratiou, and tho perforated heart was carefully stitched. Tho wounded man ralliod well; and tho surgeons aro hopeful that this remarkable operation may prove successful. Tho identity of the maa lias not been ascertained. Ho left a memorandum asking that tho announcement of his death be sent to a fornior swcotlieart who lives in Budapest. I

Shampooing. Clipping, Halrdresstng, Manicuring, Face Mnssage, Treatment of Falling Hair nnd Dandruff, Combings raado up. Natural Hair-pads.. Mrs. Kolleston (over Carroll's). 14 Willie B*TAat, 'Phone 1599.-Advt

In a circular memorandum to headmasters of public and private schools. Major ,T. W. Macdohald, Officer Commanding the. Junior Cadets, has asked for a return' of all boys attending the school who were eleven years of age and over at the end of last year, the names of male teachers who are recommended for officers, and other information necessary for the carryine into effect of the provisions of the Defence Act so far as they relate to junior cadets. The formation of units according to the establishment laid down in the regulations recently issued will then follow.

• The tender of Mr. John Moffat has been accepted by tho City Council for setting back tho premises known as Goodall and Lyons's restaurant in Willis Street, hold on corporation leases.'

Captain, J. G. W. Dalrymple, Officer Commanding the Dominion Scouts, who has been under military arrest pendinE the result of the inquiry into the fracas which occurred in the officers' quarters of the training camp of the corps at tho Hutt Park some time ago, was yesterday summoned to district headquarters and informed by Licut.-Colonel Bauchop that the period of his arrest had now expired, and that ho was at liberty to resume command of his company. .

In reply to inquiries by an Auckland reporter, : Messrs. Cook and Sons' representative there stated that though there was a considerable falling off in: tho. number of Australian and European visitors, Now Zealanders themselves had travelled more this season—principally throughout the Dominion, but also to other countries —thnn in any previous year. Ih£s : local was a considerable falling-off in the numperity of the Dominion, for peoplo did not travel nnlese ihere was. money to spare.. Cook's representative ai Auckland was further of opinion that the Tβcenf olections in England kept a great many English tourists at Home, and the fewness of American tourists was due to the fact that this was the • European travel season, and Americans Vere taking advantage of the new route, via Jagon and China, to visit those countries. :

"Announcement has already teen made" (states the Executive Committee of the Wellington Musical Union in its annual report) "of the intended production during the coming season of Sebastian Bach'a great oratorio, 'The Passion According to bt. Matthew,' which is regarded by all musicians aa the greatest choral work in existence. In order toatlow ample tim* for preparation, this, will be given as the second, or possibly the third, concert of the season. . Coleridge Taylor's picturesque and most popular work, 'Hiawatha' (of which the first performance in New Zealand was given by the Musical Union), will form the programme of the first concert, and.it is hoped the services of Mr. Hamilton Hoages, who is now on his way.' out from England, will be secured for, the name part. A Christmas performance of Handel's "Messiah' will be given as the last' subscription concert of the season. This was not given by the Musical Union last December owing to its previous announcement by a' kindred society, but .it is believed that many subscribers to the union will be glad-of a reversion, to what ha 9 been for several years.its annual custom." An important trade is likely to be created in frozen turtle from Queensland. 1 A firm in London took some shipments in hand during , the . recent winter in England, and they made a successful and profitable business of it. It was sold in small . quantities to private purchasers, and introduced into many of the "hotels. The chefs there spoke of it in the highest'terms, and declared tliat it i was superior to the turtles imported alive for them. Tho live turtles lose flesh and fat, as they are worried by the voyage, in being conveyed to. England, but thei frozen ones retain all their best qualities. Large orders have been received, and there is a prospect of the trade being extended to Paris,"j and Boulogne and some of the cities in Germany. The. turtles are very numerous along the Queensland coast. One or two successfur efforts have been made to establish turtle soup works, and tinned preparation of turtle have been exported, but the export of frozen' turtle may lead'to the great expansion of the turtle industries now existing, and provide ia-n'ew source of wealth,, A .turtle often weighs 3001b5., and the flesh is sold in London at from 7d. to 7-Jd. per .lb. , , ■'