LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 798, 22 April 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Between 9.30 and 10.30 o'clock on Wednesday .evening, it is reported, some person or persons, unknown, broke into the cabin of the schooner Falcon, lying at tho ' Customhouse Quay breastwork, and ransacked the interior. When the skipper and crew returned to the vessel it was discovered that a quantity of clothing belonging to tho mate' was missing. - The matter has been reported to the police.

Trespassing in Kilbirnis, tunnel by pedestrians was referred to at last night's meeting of 'tho City Council. It was mentioned that proceedings woro being taken against a young man,' and ;the Mayor explained that tho caso was that of ,a man who, it was -alleged, walked through tho tunnel nt a time when tho first car was duo one morning from-Kilbirnio. The officers of tho council had not instituted proceedings ngainst any persons who had used the tunnel us a thoroughfare very early in the morning, boforo cars were running, although tho Order-in-Council said that no foot passengers were to use tho tunnel at any time.

"Why obsorve St. George's Day?" was a question asked by Councillor Cohen at last night's meeting of tho City Council. He could not see- any good reason, he said, for tho closing of the municipal offices, and ho was surprised to see-

that the Mayor'had invited citizens to observe the holiday. "I understand it has been the practice for years pnst," replied the Mayor, i am only following the ÜBual custom." "Of course our railways are not perfect ; no more than anything else. But if there are any in the next world I nope that they will bo run as well as ours in Now Zealand."—Remark by tho Prime Minister at Lovin yesterday.

Ono of the deer running on *fch'e Folding Baceconrse (says our local correspondent) made somo dangorous assaults upon visitors recently. Hie sequel is that tho Feildiag Jockey Club has passed on : its little deer hord (three animals) to Mr. Boyd's zoological gardens at Aramoho. Unlicensed cabs were plying for hire in the city'during the whole of • last year, according to Councillor Frost, who mentioned tho matter at the City Council meeting last night, and urged that prosecutions should bo instituted. Tho Mayor intimated that he would instruct the inspector to mako inquiries. Speaking at Lovin yesterday, Mr. Field, M.P. for Ofcaki, said that ho wished publicly to deny a rumour to the effect, that he did not intend to again contest the seat. It had recently been stated, ho continued, that as a result of persistent efforts by the Opposition, his majority had been gradually reduced until it had nearly reached vanishing point. Ho could not contest the point that his majority had been very considerably reduced, but he felt that at. the nest election that ho would bo returned by a majority as great as he had formerly enjoyed. There wer? only two things which would ever prevent him from being a candidate for the electorate:—(l) That his private affairs would not allow him to do so; and (2) that he found that the electors did not want him. "Neither of these positions has yet .arisen," added Mr. Field, "and I feel confident that I will continue to be your member after the next election."

Mr. W. E. Haselden, SM., will hear further argument to-day in the comi mission set up, to investigate the adjustment of accounts between -tie Wellington City Council and the Karori Borough Council consequent upon the severance of the Northland district from Karori and its inclusion within the city boundary. The city corporation, represented by Mr. O'Shea (city solicitor), has contended that the city

is entitled to a portion of.tho assets as well as of the liabilities of the Northland district, and so should be awarded a share of tho borough's ■" surplus of general assets over liabilities apart from 1 loans, and a share of the land, purchased by the borough. Further, the city, it is. contended; .is entitled to interest in the borough's tramway; since Northland was contributing pro rata towards, the sinking fund of the tramway loan. The Hon. T. W. Hislop, for the Karori Borough Council, has contended that at the time of the 'severance of Northland, the ordinary assets of the borough. exceeded the ordinary liabilities, by 13s. 6d. only. Further, any sum that might be ordered to be paid in respect of the tramway must be based on its present value and since it would take 45 years to ex-

tinguish the loan by means of the sinking fund, the sum involved in respect of the present value could not be equal to the loan that was raised for the

To-morrow,'a' team of twelve riflemen, representing the Civil' Service in Wellington, will visit'Palmeraton North to engage in a match with the' local men. The Wellington team ' will consist of Lieuts. Skelley.'Bolton, Roberts, and Henderson, Staff-Sergt.-Major Rose, - : Sergeants ■ Wakelin and Jones, Privates Lowe, Eves, Gazeley, Fisher,, and Rifleman G. Halliday (tho New Zealand champion rifle shot). - ;

~:.The Pharmacy Board examinations for' Wellington district are at present being ' held at the Chamber of Commerce ' room in/ tho National Mutual Assurance 1 Building. There are 16 candidates- for Section A, and 24 for Section The results will not be known until nest month., Similar examinations are being held in other dis-

A number of railway employees havo been successful in. catering for the intellectual welfare of members of the railway service in Wellington by forming what is known as ''The Wellington Railways Mutual Improvement and Social Club." The syllabus has already been prepared, and the subject matter to bo dealt with is of great variety. It includes mock trials, debates on current topics, social evenings; also lectures by experts on ambulance work, electricity, tablet and lock and block working, locomotive working, Westinghouee brako action, and other subjects interesting to railwaymen generally. There is every reason to ■ believe that the club will be a great success,, not only to the individual members, but also to the railway service as a whole. The first meeting will be held in the Lambton Railway Reading Room at 8 o'clock to-night.

The outward manifest of the steamer Moeraki, which sailed yesterday, included a somewhat unusual line of export, in , six stags' heads. The heads, which are fine specimens, are being shipped to Melbourne.

There was an exceptionally heavy booking of passengers by tht Mokoia, which. sailed foi Tahiti' and Rarotonga yesterday. . The total number of pas.sengers was 159, made -up of 47 in the Baloon, and 112 in the steerage. The steerage passengers included 12 Chinese booked" for Papeete, nine natives of ttarotonga, and one Italian. The vessel's cargo included-420 sacks of ryegrass from Dunedin.

A case of tree ferns, which will doubtloss remind some'absent New Zealandors of home, is to be shipped to London by the lonic, which sails this morning. ■ . ' The trade, returns. of Tonga (the realm of King George Tubou II), which is four days' steam north from Auckland, show big increases in 1909 as compared with tho previous year. Total imports have increased by £54,000 with a corresponding increase in duties of £5000.- New Zealand heads the list in imports, goods to the value .of £69,000 being passed through the Customs during the year. The imports read: 1908, £98,200; 1909, £152,900. Duties: 1908, £12,900; 1909, £17,900. Exports havo also gone up, copra being the main article produced. This encouraging increase is accounted'for by the fact of the high rates which have ruled for copra being an incentive to tie native to ''get to work." '

§ The superintendent of city reserves has received instructions to prepare' one or two wickete for children on the lingrassed portion of .Kelburno Park, the pitches to bo constructed of asphalt or soft rock.. •

Permission has been granted by the City Council to i&o New Zealand Soldiers' Grave Guild to erect headstones over the graves at Karori Cemetery of all £hr> New Zealand soldiers who served in tlio , South African war. Tho council are not insisting that the ground shall be purchased by tlie guild.

Tenders are to be caJlod by tho City Council for tho work of erecting car sheds at Thorndon, in accordance with tho plans prepared. '

Tho City Council last night passed a resolution exempting Adams Torrnco and portion of Aro Streol from tho provisions of section 117. of the. Public

Works Act, 1908, relating to the width of streets.

Shampooing, Clipping, HalrdreaslnK, Manicuring, Faco Massage, Treatment of Foi'hng Hair and Dandruff, Combings aado up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Rolloston (over Carroll's), 11 Willie S>x««t. 'Phono IJ99.—Adi*

Proposals of the Public Works Department in connection with £ho entrance to the new Government House will bo agreed to by tho City Council, provided that tho Department removes the footpath on the western side of St. Mark's Church, and constructs a now footpath to suit the level of tho roadway, and aliio erects a retaining wall along the churoh property. Tho approximate cost of the work is £75.

Applications are to be invited for the position of assistant building inspector for the city engineer's department. The Mayor poipted out last night that Mr. Morton (city engineer) was overworked since tho departure of Mr. Patorson. He would be able to carry out the work of the department, if the proposed appointment were made, and tho council would save about £170 ner year. L

The Finance Committee of the City Council asked last ovening to be given authority to make an offer for tho purchase of 24 aoros of land at Lyall Bay as a permanent picnic ground and pleasure resort. The matter was referred back to the committee, and the Mayor said i&at arrangements' would be made that councillors should visit the section during tho coarse of a few days. . . ■

A correspondent, writing from Nukualofa. Tonga, under date April 15. says: A recent report in the Auckland papers anent tho resignations of tho survey staff in Tonga has afforded much amusement in these parts. The staff complains of "unfair treatment meted out to them by tho Tongan Government and tho want of support accorded to them by the British Consul." They also consider that the British Consul has railed to secure justice for them, and thereby "practically allowed the Britisn flag to be flouted." The report goes on to say that Mr. J. W. Davis recently inspected the system and found the staff fully as competent as the local staffs of New Zealand survey offices. Inquiries have elicited the information that the staff applied for increased salary, and prior to the consideration of the Estimates by the Cabinet, they issued an ultimatum—so to speak— that unless their request was acceded, to, they would Tesign in a body. They' have resigned, the Cabinet not being favourable to tho increases. These men were doing well, and in addition to salaries they were provided with quarters, had innumerable "boys" attached to the staff, had travelling and ration allowances, besides which they had use of Government horses and vehicles at all ; times. Then again the\ hours easiest imaginable. • How the British flag comes to be flonted is a conundrum. ■.-■■' ■ ■ ■ ;

Councillor Carmichael last night moved.at the City Council to rescind a tender for the supply of gravel that had'been accepted at a previous meeting. The motion was lost. The City Council, last" iaighib accepted,' the tender of the National Electric Company for the supply of . transformers, . and the tender of Mr. U. W. Hursthouse, of Lower Hutt, for the supply of a water-ballast, roller. The tenders for supply of meters were held over.

Objections to _ • proposed : pnblio drains through private property are to be heard at the-City Council Chamber at 7.30 p.m. next Thursday. Building permits issued by the City Corporation during the fortnight ended last Tuesday numbered 32, put of 33 applications. The value of the buildings was as follows:—City, £10,276; £5110;. Northland, £1580— total, £16,966. : .' ; The sum of £783 13s. lid. was spent _pn books and papers for the municipal libraries during the last financial year.' It was divided as follows: —Central Library, £599 18s. 3d; Newtown, £167 9s, Id.; Brooklyn, £16 6s. 7d. j The subscriptions' were:—Central, £447-- J Newtown, L 'ie'24B m 2s.; Brooklyn £13 11s. 6d.—total, £783 13s. lid.' The sum of £422 6s: 6d. was spent on additions to the.:Newtown Library. . ■Two lessees of sections from the City Council came from Pahiatua yesterday to make representations to the corporation for a reduction.in rental. "We only want the same treatment as the other tenants receive," they said. "In the past they have been better off, and havo • been able to improve their sections .to a greater extent." It was IKiinted . put by the tenants,' Messrs. J. Manson and H. Heppenstall, that their leases had just run out, and when the. sections were put up at. auction,' not a single bid was received. The auctioneer asked in vain for pennies. One of the tenants pointed out that he had, been in occupatioii for 20 years, and'he had not improved his position at : all. He was now compelled to stand on-the upset "rental, and he'was not ablo to afford 17s. per acie. Council-

lors inquired into valuations from Mr. W. Wakeman (valuer, of. Pahiatua), and tho matter was referred "to the Finance Committee. .

A matter to come up for consideration at the quarterly meeting of the Typographical Society, to be held'tomorrow evening, w/ill be the proposal to make Poverty Bay aad Hawke's Bay an industrial district .instead of the present arrangement, under which the ■former is attached to Auckland and tho latter to Wellington. The Napier branch of tho union has already forwarded a protest, against the suggested alteration. ■ :, ■ The City Council has postponed consideration of the recommendations of the By-laws Committee, with respect to the duplicated street: names, till the meeting of the council, to be held on May 5, in order to allow the public, to lodge their objections. ' All objections must be in. by April 27. ■ / The By-laws Committee of the City Council last • night reported :—'.'That the application of the Zealandia Skating Syndicate for permission to convert the upper floor of Messrs. Odlin and Cb.'s building, Cable Street, into a skating rink be not granted, as the' precautions proposed to be taken are not sufficient to reduce' , .the-risk and

make the building suitable for public entertainments and skating." The City Council resolved accordingly. . Tho news that it" is likely that the Shakespearean company, headed by Mr: Oscar Asche and Miss Lily Brayton, will pay a visit to New Zealand will bo welcomed by all lovers of the higher forms of dramatic • art. The company has been playing most successfully in Australia now for six months. ■ The

repertoire includes Taming of the Shrew," "As You Like It," "Othello," "Tho Merchant of Venice," and "Count Hannibal." >

The newly-oompleted wing to the Victoria Maori Girls' School, at Auckland, is to be opened on April 26 by the Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Neligan). The new wing completes the ■building, and has been erected at a cost of about £15001 The original plans iiave been followed in the construction work, with the result that tho school, which stands on the- St. Steplion's estate, is a vory imposinglooking structure. The additions malTe provision for another 20 girls in the school.' ' : ■ . .

Mr. J. Keir has secured the contract for all cartage for. the New Zealand .Railways in Wellington. Tho schedulo rates set forth in his tender appear in this week's Gazette. .

Tho Court of Appeal gave decision yesterday against Bowron Bros, in regard to the motion to prohibit Mr, H. W. Bishop, S.M., from adjudicating in the income-tax case recently heard by him in Christchurch . [ Tho Court mil consider to-day whether leave to appeal to the Privy Council should be granted. Judgment was given in a number of other important cases. These, together with Supreme Court Cases, are reported in oilier parts of Shis issue.

The annual meeting of St. Michael's parish, Kelburne, was attended by about twenty members last evening. The Rev. G. P.■' Davy- (vicar) presided, and congratulated tho parishioners on a very satisfactory year. The annua] report, already published, was adopted, and all the officers were re-elected. v Tho total traffic revenue of the 'Wellington tramways for the twelve months ended March 31, 1910, amounted to £130,710—an increase of £1678 compared with the previous year. The sala of current and sundries returned a revenue of £8750, the increase over the previous year amounting to £1347. The total revenue from all sources ,vae £139,460, .the figures being £3024 better than thoso for the preceding twelve months. The total working expenses' SkHw 1 * H^ 92 ' 946 ' ' ?° m Pared- with v Sin tJ° T ° year in March, 1909. The excess of revenue over worfc,ing expenses amounted to £46,613, as compared with £44,763 for 1909. Tbia i.l cl J ulv ? lent to nearly 8 per cent, on tho total capital cost of the tramways, power supply, and public lighting undertakings. After providing for the year s interest, sinking fund, and depreciation charges, there is a net surplus tor the year amounting to £6123, compared with £5934 for the previous^' year, iiio total number of passengers carried ™ 21.932,607, compared with for tho previous year The 'nSsnu fe™ P assen S erß amounted to fn inrvn %*«??'- M against £121,129 for 1909. The increase in passengers, therefore, was 252,605, and the increase in revenue £1915 ss. 7d. '

Consideration of notices of motion, given by Councillor Luke (who isli in regard to the desirability of providing a recreation ground in Kilbirnie, has been deferred until the nextmeeting of the City Council.

In the curront Gazette appears the Public Trustee's statement of the condition, of the Kaitangata Eelkf Fund for the year ended March 31 last. The sum of £4376 17a. 4d. was carried for. ward from the previous year, which has earned interest to the amount of £185 12s. 3d. during the year. Thirteen re. cipients have received £317 3e. 2d. dmi mg the twelve months, and £1 16s. 2d. represents the board's expenses, leasi ing £4243 10s. 3d. to carry The present annual liability to thirteen recipients is £315 9s 4d.

Wellington still retains an ate hold on discount stamps. The total value of stampe sold to traders during the quarter ended March 31. was £405 155., of which £399 ss. worth were purchased in Wellington, indicating that the practice of giving discount stamps is practically non-existent in any,other part of the Dominion*; The City t Council last night discussed the question what to do in a case where

it was alleged that a building permit was applied for, and the buildings concerned were begun before the matter was dealt with/ Several councillors commented strongly on the alleged action of the applicant. The matter is to receive further consideration. ' '