LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 796, 20 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise thai,the Mariposa left San Francisco on April 15, with an English and American mail for New Zealand, which is due in Wellington per s.s. Mokoia., from Raro tonga, on May 12. ■

It is reported that Mr. W. P. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, is to be asked to visit the Wairarapa in the near future to deliver a political address.

The whereabouts of Mr. P. P. Darcy are no longer a mystery, says the Marlborough 'T3xpress." Mr. J. Townsend, who represented Marlborough at the Shearers' Conference at Wellington, informed a reporter that Mr. Darcy arrived in San Francisco on Thursday morning. This information was received by Mr. Townsend from a.steward on the Mokoia, who stated that he had picked up a pocket-book on tho vessel with a number of letters and other papers addressed to Mi- Darcy. A man answering Mr. Darcy's description was a passenger. ■ ,

iThe Government has decided to send a representative to the Argentine Exhibition with a collection of exhibits of the chief products of the Dominion.

Tho question as to whether the Queen's statue should occupy its present site is being raised by Councillor Bv Fletcher, who has given notice that he will move at to-morrow's meeting of the City Council: "That in view of the decision of the council to wood-Hock Bio triangle in front of the General Post Office it-is desirable, and the time is opportune to move tho Queen's statue to a more suitable place, and that the city engineer bo asked to report on the best site."

■' A fire broke out at 6.85 o'clock last evening at. No. 8 Tinakori Road, which comprises a grocer's shop and five-roomed dwelling, occupied by Mr. John Crichton. The fife was caused by the -overheating of a kerosene stove, and ■ the. damage, which was trifling, was confined to the wallpaper and ceiling of a front bedroom on tho first floor. Tho outbreak was suppressed by the occupants before the TUorndori and Central Brigades arrived. ■ An Orphans' Club has been inaugurated in Wellington, with Dr. Arnold Izard as its president, and Mr.B. Keenan as honorary secretary. Its .object js to foster literary, dramatic, and musical talent, and to provide rational amusement during the winter months,.

: Tho usual meeting of the Society for the .Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was held yesterday evening, Mr. J. Jameson presiding. The following donations were acknowledged:—Miss Malcolm, 10s. 6d.; Mrs. Shand, Dr. A. Martin, Messrs. J. F. Atkinson, J. J. Reich, and Gollin and Co., Ltd., lOst. each; Mesdames G. Jlee, H. Hall,, Mrs. and Miss Beero, Messrs. E. E. Hammond, C. B. Trinnell, J. S. Swan, H. Hughes, C. A. Ewen, A. J. Petherick, and "W.M.," '■■ '- each; Messrs. V. Dentice, J; G. 1„:-ier, \V. Gee, and "Friend," 2s. ~:/ each; "A.G.G.," 25.; Mrs.'Tiller, and "Maggie," Bs.; total, £& 10s. Cd. ; Mrs. Christie drew attention to the financial j'position of the society, and urged that greater' efforts should be made to' inv, I crease the funds. It was resolved to ask the clergy and ministers of' all 'the, 'city churches to draw attention to the work of the society from the pulpit.

It is stated.that Powelka, .who is now in custody at the Wellington Gaol, is in a state of .great dejection, and i 9 also in very weak health' after' the,excitement of his recent escape. He cats and sleeps very little, and a warder remains by him day and night.

Mr., I". Seed, Inspector to the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, explained at last, nights meeting ,of the Society that ho Teas frequently hampered for want of expert veterinary assistance. The Chief Government Veterinarian (Mr. C. J. Eeakes) had intimated that he was willing for his officers to give assistance, but did not wish them to. lose time by attending at the courts. ■Sir. Seed emphasised the -necessity of having expert evidence to place before the magistrate. The inspector was. instructed to test the Department's attitude by making a definite < request for assistance in a particular case.

The Court of Appeal will sit to-morrow to give judgment in respect to several cases heard this session. Judgment was given yesterday in the Wanganui case of 1 Watt and- Cohen, solicitors,. v. Aubrey James Willis, in which the Court held that the legal firm had advised their client, Willis, without making such inquiries into his case as ought to have! been made. ■' The syndicate which is erecting a permanent skating rink in Christchuich is making a vigorous attempt to have the new building ready by July 1, and for this purpose the rink is being built by day labour instead of being .let by contract. It will have two. entrances from Hereford Street, and when finished will have accommodation for from 800 to 1000 people. It will bo a' two-story brick building, tho upper story being given to balconies, committee and tea rooms' and a substantial hall. The skating floor will be made of Noufchatel asphalte, and will be 220 ft. by 65ft. The syndicate has cabled Home for 800 ' pairs of _ the best modern skates for the use of rinkers. At a special meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board yesterday, the amended by-laws fixing the new scale of; port charges and' altering the board's proceduco at' meetings were adoptod, passed, and sealed. They will come into force on May 1. The members present were: The chairman (Mr. R. Fletcher), Messrs. T.'M. Wilford, M.P., C. W. Jones, P. G. Bolton, J. G. Harkncss, and J. W. M'Ewan. Two middle-aged men, were arrested-yeslcrday-7-ono at tnidnlay and the. other late at night—on a charge of having been concerned in .the breaking and entering of Messrs. B. Pearco and-Co.'s boot establishment in Cuba Street recently. The Wellington Painters' Union is preparing a new agreement as to terms of employment. It is anticipated that very little difficulty will be experienced in coming to an arrangement satisfactory to employers and workers, especially if, as is understood, the union does not propose any alterations in tho existing terms as to wages and hours of labour. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Hallv) will resume next Tuesday tho hearing of tho Napier tailorosses' dispute, which was adjourned in order to obtain thp opinion of tho Arbitration Court as to whether it was advisable to have two awards dealing with one industry in the same district. The Court has'replied, in effect, that tho case should bo proceeded

with, and if the parties do not come to an agreement, they will bo given an opportunity of placing their views before the Court at its next sitting, and the Cotirt will then decide as to the necessity or otherwise of creating a separate award for the Hawke's Bay portion of the lington industrial district. , The nowlv-constituted Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board will meet ou Friday afternoon to transact tho following business:—(l) Receive and consider tho report of the Policy Committee, set up to devise a policy for the future working of the board; (2) receive and consider the report of the Finance Committee, sot up to draw up the estimates of receipts and expenditure for tho ensuing year, 1910-11; (3) consider reports from tho committees, set up to temporarily control tho various institutions of the board. Tho members of the hoard havo beon advised that the Finance Committee is now engaged in making tho apportionment of the levies on local authorities and subsidy, which, if ready in time, will be circulated before the meeting ou Friday, when tho Finauco Committee will submit the sarno' for approval and confirmation.

The Commonwealth Government, though not taking part in the general exhibition of the Festival of the Empire, has made arrangements for a display of enlarged photographs depicting all phases of Australian life, industries, and scenery, and bioscope films will be provided for use at lectures on Australia, to be delivered during the course of tho exhibition. As regards tho associated Pageant of London, the promoters are anxious that the participants therein should be representative of all parts of tho Empire, and the Prime ' Minister thinks it likely (states a Sydney paper) that many Australians who may be visiting England this season will desire to avail themselvos of the invitation to take part in tho Pageant as representing Australia in the concluding scene, which is to bo a tableau depicting the gathering of the oversea Dominions round the Mother Country.

Lord Chelmsford, Governor of New South Walesi has noticed that the Australian boy does not possess that ingrained habit exhibited by English boys of coßecting butterflies and other things (states a Sydney paper). When he was a boy ho followed this practice himself; but neither in Queensland nor New South Wales has ho come across any lad who has taken the trouble to acquire a collection of butterflies. ' Speculating as to the reason for this in a recent 6peech, he said it was probably to be accounted for by tho fact that there was not in Aus-. tralia a good elementary handbook boys might purchase at a cheap' price-i The love of collecting specimens was nop merely due to an instinct to kill an animal, but was really 1 scientific attempt, on a small scale, to shidy Nature,- and be suggested that tho publication of a handbook for butterflies, for example, would not only add enormous interest to the lives of Australian boys, but as a commercial venture would not be entirely without profit. Collecting butterflies and other specimens is not unknown as a hobby among New Zealand • boys. The Newtown Museum receives frequent contributions-from naturalists of youthful age.

An unusual' case, came .before, the 'Melbourne Polkso Conrt recently, when Samuel Cohen,, aimaniof. about 40 years of age, was charged with having unlawfully and without lawful excuse refused ivhen called upon by Plain-clothes Constable Hjfffriing to assist him in nneffing a fray on the night of March 15,, at the comer of Lonsdale and , Exhibition Streets. Cohen pleaded; not guilty. Constable Hickling stated that he had occasion to arrest a man who was. fighting with a woman and using bad language, The man struggled violently, and he had to throw him several times. A crowd collected, and several women interfered on behalf of the man. While struggling ; on the ground witness saw Cohen, whom he knew Ht looked him full in the

face, and'said: "1 call on you, Samuel Cohen, to assist mo with this man to the

watchhouse in,the King's name." Cohen put his hands in his pocket, turned round and walked away. Witness heard him call out: "Let them have a go," Witness again called on him to. assist him. Cohen did not reply or ;go to his.assistance. Constables Miller and Barclay arrived shortly after, and assisted to disperse the crowd and take the man to the watchhouso. Cohen was committed for trial. '■'■•■ According to the Botorua correspondent of the Auckland "Herald," . the action of the Tourist' Department in soaping the Wairoa Geyser, at Whakarewarewa, without giving sufficient public notice, .at .inconvenient hours, and also when the indications were against the: probability of a display, has called forth some criticism at fiotorua. It is considered that if a week's notice were given, and advertised locally and in Auckland, many people would come to see the shot, and\tith the charge now made the Department would be well recouped for the outlay. ■■ . When the Hon. E. M'Kenzie visited Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty, last week, he was accorded a true ' Native welcome.

Somo distance from the road (says a contemporary) his carriage, was stopped, the horses were taken out, ropes were hitched on, and a" throng of Maori young bloods seized- the ropes' with a Trill and hauled Mr. MTKenzie up the hill to the township, headed by,.the pipers of a tartanolad contingent. At. the top of the hill the Town Band took up the welcome, and here the-haulers rested while a haka of

welcome-.was danced' in .fine; style by a 'number of Maori - men. stripped to the 1 waist and attired in mats. A lanse crowd of pakehas and Maoris was looking on and cheering vigorously. "Komate, komate," was snug vigorously at the end of the haka, and Qie men drevr aside to let the vehicle pass on to where a number of j wahines, tastefully attired, danced, a poi dance piettily_. Once again the carriage | went on, until a pause was made for a poi dance by a second bevy of maidens, who were distinguished from the first by , hanging red sashes 'as compared vrith •blue. Yet £ third time''was.the poi danced by- wahines, all. dressed in white, and as these retired, as.if inviting the visitors to enter the pa, the carriage was rapidly drawn a sharp incline to where a •small stage had been erected and decorated'with • nikau /palms, and; where the ordinary formal welcome took place.. Visits of CaSinet- Ministens to the sequestered 'settlement of Te Puke are rare.

Argument was heard before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., at Auckland on Monday, on a point raised as to whether: a witness in a breach of award case oould.be compelled to give evidence, the ground for refusal being that he was io be charged later on in connection with the same set of'. circumstances, _ and his evidence might incriminate him. The information had been laid by the Auckland Painters" Union. His Worship, in giving his decision, said in all British courts of .justice there had been a rule that no witness could bo compelled to answer any question which, in the, opinion of the judge, might tend to incriminate him. This privilege. had only been infringed upon by recent legislation, which compelled witnesses in certain cases to answer questions which might incriminate them, but it had as it were compensated them by practically indemnifying them. Before, any Court would be justified in saying that the privilege had been taken away by law. it must be shown very clearly that it had been taken away absolutely. He held that the witness in the case under notice was not bound to answer the questions that were asked him. v His Worship suggested that counsel might bring tho matter under the notice of the Minister. ":.'-.' Mr. E. Trcgear, Secretary, for Labour, speaking to an Auckland'"Herald" representative on Monday evening, said tho outlook for labour in this district seemed to be very good. "I have been of the opinion," he said, "that this coming winter would be a comparatively prosperous one, but the rise in wool and frozen meat has not yet been felt,by the distribution of tho extra money, so that I am afraid some people will have a i struggle this winter. With the coming spring, however, I look forward to a time of almost • phenomenal prosperity, both for employers and men.". Speaking of the Southdown strike, Mr. Tregear said he would regard it as a good thirjff for trades unions if they could find some way whereby tho married . men in the unions could have- a weightier vote in the case of a proposal to strike. "I feel certain," added Mr. Tregear, "that the small strikes that have taken place in the Dominion within the last four or five years have been in almost every case precipitated by the more thoughtless members of the union, and that in. very many cases married men have been dragged into striking unwillingly. They have had to suffer as if they were fully responsible for a hasty and unconsidered action."

Mr. George Soott, of Christehureh, who was one of the assessors in the engineering dispute heard recently in Wellington, appears to have been very much impressed by the way in which the proceedings of the Conciliation Council v;ere conducted. He ie reported as saying that New Zealand was .fortunate in having such a man as tho Wellington Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Hally). There was no doubt whatever that he possessed tho necessary tact, ability, and determination to settle disputes if within the ran»e of human possibility. Tho engineers' case did not come within that description. He had, as a manufacturer, attended many conferences of employers and workers, but he Had never seen any business of that nature conducted in such an able and amicable spirit as tho conference referred to. 3bamppotng, Clipping, Halrdresslng, Manicuring, Face Massage, Treatment of {Wring Hair ond Dandruff, Combings tnadfl up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Rollcston (over Carroll's), 14 Willis Sfcroot. 'Phone 1599,-Adrt,

Inspector Seed stated, at yesterday's meeting of the SJP.CJL, that the police had lately been doing very good work, especially at Newtown, in obtaining can. victions for cruelty to horses. He thought this should be known, as then had been a statement in tie press .to the effect that the police had been rather ,bs in this part of their work.

The -widening ofWiffisStteefciiaifeanoIng satisfactorily. Messrs. J. DuSoe ax& Co. have completed the operation of shilling their 6hop frontage back €bs required ten feet to the new building-line and &o verandah posts are now flnsh with the old line. Yesterday Mr. Join Moffatt, the contractor for moring back the (Sty Council's own block of brick building immediately to the north of Chew's Jtare (next the Hotel Windsor), commenced work, and within a week or two tlas block should, be adjusted to the new order of things. As soon as drat is dons the council will set back tie footpath as far south.as Messrs. Jones and Ashdown's shop, which, is also to be "trimmed off" front at an early data. Mr. Wilford eonrplained laßtTrighifhat during his "earlier campaigns for the City Mayoralty tie papera.63M be had plenty of abifity, but was too young. On the present occasion they saM ; & was old enough, bnt had no ability.