LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The sittings of the Public Service. Board in connection with the Income Tax Department inquiry will begin on May 23.

When a number of .informations against Kilbirnio residents charging them with having walked through the Kilbirnie tunnel without the permission of the City Council were read in the S.M. Court yesterday, Mr. J, O'Shea, City Solicitor, asked for an adjournment for two weeks in order that he might get, instructions from the council. The City Solicitor said that at present he believed the council did not intend to press the charges.

For the future consumers of electrical current will be, allowed fourteen days from the reading of the meter in which to pay their accounts and get the usual discount. Hitherto the arrangement has been that accounts have to be paid by the loth of the month to carry the discount concession.

A solicitor's bill of costs was considered "unusual" by Mr. Justice Cooper yestorday. The original bill had been for one hundred guineas, for services rendered in connection with the estate of a Maori woman, but, when tho bill came to be taxed, and it was referred back to the solicitor with instructions to particularise the charges, it was presented as a bill for nearly £270. It was explained that the solicitor had omitted to include a number of items in the original account. His Honour romarked that bills of costs, when referred back .to be "itemised," were very often rendered for a slightly larger amount, but there was a remarkable difference between £105 and £270. His Honour did not suggest that the' bill of costs was incorrect, but he would consider whether the second bill could be substituted for the first, while making an order for taxation.

The Wellington Art Club has been presented with a particularly fine landscape by the late Mr. John Gully. The donor, Mrs. Lee, is a daughter;of the late Mr. Gully, and has loaned'to the, club three other pictures by the famous artist. Students ,will appreciate the sterling work, and' fidelity to nature, displayed ■ in two)' landscape sketches, while a large seascape illustrates the fact (too often overlooked by students in these days of hurry) that accuracy of detail may, in the hands of a master, be a powerful aid to impressionistic charm and poetic feeling, instead of a useless encumbrance, as is sometimes asserted by artists of the ultra-impres-sionist school. The club has also received several other pictures by wellknown artists, either, as gifts outright or by way of loan.

Members of the Executive Council of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway' Servants laid tho resolutions adopted at the recent biennial conference before the Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) yesterday. On this occasion

the'deputation made a request that tho press should bo admitted to the conference. Mr. Millar said that he had mo objection, but pointed out that he would bo unable to give his replies that day, as he was. not aware, as to what matters were going to be brought before him. He went on to say that after making inquiries on tie different subjects from the Departmental officers ho could furnish his reply to the press. As the deputation agreed that that would bo tho best course, the conference was held in private.

Respecting the issue of free passes to tho wives of railway servants, the general manager has just written to the General Secretary of tho A.S.R.S. as under:—"l have the honour to inform

you that under tho regulations made under the Government Railways Act, tho wifo of a member is entitled. to a pass for tho period of leave duo to tho member. If the . member allows his leave to accumulate for two years, then his wife, provided she has not had a pass in tho meantime, is 1 entitled to a pass to covor tho two years' leave duo to tho member. If, however, the member takes his leave, and does not apply for a pass for his ivifo, her right to tho pass lapses at the end of tho year for tho period she would have been able to, had her husband not taken his leave. Tho wives of members cannot, thoreforo, allow their passes to accumulate unless the member allows his leave to do so."

Mr. D. Robertson, secretary to the Post and Telegraph Department, when seen by a reporter, had verv little to say 'iu connection with Sir. Shirtcliffe's complaint as to the delay in forwarding the English mails for New Zealand from Sydney. What Mr. Shirtcliffo com-

plained of was that the mails from the Orient' stcaniors reached Sydney <on Mondays, and did not leave for Auckland until tho "Wednesday following. Mr. Robertson commenting on this, stated that tho matter had been fully gone into. The mails by the Orient Company and by the P. and 0. steamers now usually arrived at Sydney b; midday on Monday. Thero had been some dislocation of tho ma.il services owing to tho coal strike, but ho understood that matters had now been rectified.

The Polliill Gully rifle- range, which was recently closed in consequence of certain allegations as to its safety, has now been reopened. In a letter to the secretary of the Range Committee, tho District Adjutant (Captain It. 0. Chosney), states that after considering tho various reports, it has been decided that the range is safo and may be reopened.Notico boards aro to l>n erected warning trespassers that they will bo prosecuted. Sittings of the Court of Appeal have been adjourned until Juno 10. The only case of the past session which remains yet. to be "decided is that of Dolt v. Holt, [a Napier will case. At the June sitting, tho Court will grant final leave to appeal to the Privy Council in the caso or tho Gisborne Harbour Board v. Barker and Barker, if the conditions shall havo been complied with. Shainpooinp. Clipping. Eairdrossinff. Manicuring, Face Massage, Treatment of falling Hair, and Dandruff. Combings made up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs Bollratoi) (over Carroll's), IJ, "Willis Street, 'i'aoue 1580.—AdvJS.

Dr. Pomare returned last night by the New Plymouth express from a visit, to the Maori typhoid patients at Jerusalem, on the '.Vauganni Eiver. There are at. present six patients, two of whom are in a critical condition; the others are doing well. Two nurses a.re Jooking after the invalids, Ivbo are isolated :'n a large building.

The following territorial officers have passed their examinations for qualifying certificates of rank: —Lieutenant H. Hawthorn (Civil Service Rifles, Wellington), captain': Lieutenant E. J. Hulbert (Post and Telegraph Rifles, Wellington), captain; Lioutenant A. E. Brown (No. 3 Company, G.A.V., Wellington), captain; Acting-Lieutenant Ellis (same corps), lieutenant; Lieutenant Rundlo (Napier Guards), captain; Captain and Quartermaster Cox (Second Battalion Wangauui Rifles), captain and quartermaster.

Tenders will he called next week, for the alterations to the Union Clothing Company's block on the corner of Cuba and Manners Street, by which the city is to gain 0.17 perches for the widening of the footpath at that pointy During the time the alterations are being inado the public are to be inconvenienced as little as possible, for the Union Clothing Company has decided to run an Bft. footway through the building between the present entrances in Cuba and Manners Streets. A new verandah is included in the improvements to be effected in connection with the alterations. Mr. \f. C. Chatfield is the architect.

It; will be remembered that before he visited Australia, the Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) had a conference with the various district traffic managers in regard to a proposal to limit tho days upon which small quantities of goods might be dispatched to the less important stations. Asked by a Dominion, reporter yesterday as to the present position with reference to the matter, Mt. Millar said that further consideration was to be given to it before any alterations were made.

Tho question of tho expenses of wit;

nesses who may be called to give evidence before the Railway I 'Appeal Board has been engaging the attention of railwaymen lately. According to . a legal opinion just received 1 . by. the A.S.R.S., there seems to be no difference so far as concerns the incidence of payment between witnesses from the railway service, and witnesses from outside the service. Where expenses are allowed by the. board, they shall be regulated according to the scale' for the time being in force under the Magistrate's Courts 'Act, 1908; in the case of witnesses who are not members of the Department, and in the case of witnesses who are members reasonable expenses have to be allowed. With reference to this matter, it is understood that, hitherto, where expenses have been allowed against it, the Department has refused to pay the full amount to outside witnesses, particularly for■mer railway employees. ■ The first open evening of the present session of the Y.M.C.A. Literary and Debating Society was held last night. The motion for debate/ was: "That a second Legislative Chamber is unnecessary and undesirable." ' The affirmative was. maintained by Messrs. Dickinson, Parton, and Nicklin, and the negative by Messrs. Budd, Waddy, and Caughley. The debate • was thwi thrown open. The motion was afterwards put to the vote and lost, the voting being! 8 for, and 9 against. A vote was also taken 'on the question as to which side had sustained the debate most ably, and the honour was awarded to Mr. Budd and his colleagues (the negative side), by 13 votes against 4. Mr. Richard Brown presided.

"It would be a good thing," said Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., in the course of a lecture at Christchurch on Thursday, evening, "if every, citizen, before assuming a public office, were. compelled to make, a tour of the world, and thus have.his views broadened and enlightened." Maaiy people, he said, doubted whether any good could ever come out of Russia. They did not know that Russia was at the head of the world

so far as university education was concerned. They did not realise that Russia had a most distinguished style of architecture, nor were they aware that it possessed a literature of its own of which no nation would be ashamed.

In yesterday's Dominion a cablegram stated that both Mr. Oscar Asche and Mr. Souper. were wounded in a stage duel in tie performance of "Count Hannibal" in Sydney. Writing of this duel the Melbourne "Age" critic said: "Nothing better in its way 'than tho sword and dagger duel in which Mr. Oscar Ascho and Mr. Souper take part has been seen on the Australian • stage. Thrust and parry, feint and lunge followed in quick and thrilling succession, until by a lightnirig stroke the unhappy Tignonville lies prone on the floor. The duel scene was arranged by Mons. Bertrand, reported to be one of tho finest swordsmen in Europe.-"

The purchase of a brooch —from a pawnbroker's shop three years ago—led to. the discomfiture of the wife of a Wellington resident recently. The lady in question saw the brooch in a pawnbroker's window, and after much hesitation she conquered an aversion to second-hand' shops in general and went in and purchased'it for a modest £2. It was a really attractive little piece of jewellery, and its now owner wore it at intervals for three years. A few days ago, however, the former owner of the brooch turned up and, recognising her, former possession on the stranger, immediately domanded to know where tho wearer had got it. The former owner of the brooch was excited, and the wearer of the article was decidedly uncomfortable on the remembrance of the pawn-shop purchase. Her anxiety above all things was to avoid an argument in the public street where the playlet was being enacted, and she gave all the information possible to the inquirer. " The formed owiior did not appear to wholly accept the explanation and demanded the immediate return of the brooch, threatening to enlist the assistance of the. police on her side. Tilings became a little less involved in tho long run, and the two ladies so strangely thrown together, advanced on the office of the husband of tho wife who made the second-hand purchase Here a settlement was arrived at, tho original, owner of the brooch paying the second owner the £2 she had given the pawnbroker, and receiving back her brooch. The final sceno is still to bo acted, as the original owner is now moving to,get the police to trace the person who pawned the brooch.

Those- interested in aeronautical matters mil shortly have an opportunity of inspecting a series of models representing flying machines which have becomo famous. .These models liavo been made by experts in Paris and London, under the instructions. of Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, and are now on their way to the Dominion. Each model is fitted with an ingenious model which enables it to he shown in actual flight. Tho following machines are represented:—Astra, Smilk, Aerion, Olympia, L.L., Mignon, Curva, Zephyr,' and Swift.

Following a tramway accident in Auckland, tho jury brought in a rider on Thursday to the effect that the City Council should be requested to insist that each car should carry two jacks, to be available for raising tho car in rase of anybody getting underneath. It was pointed out °at tho inquest thai in some cases life might ho saved if a jack were available to raise a car immediately an accident occurred. Jacks have been used in Wellington ever sinco 3 jury recommended them on the occasion of tho Brooklyn accident. They aro not carried on the cars, but . arc kept at numerous fixed stationa along the" lines. i