LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 867, 13 July 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho s.s. Warrimoo, which left Sydney on Monday last for Wellington direct, has on board an 'Australian mail, also the English mail via Suez, which, under ordinary circumstances, would arrive We nest Monday. She should arrivo early on Friday morning.

The mails which left Auckland by the s.s. Navua on June 8 connected at Suva with the Vancouver mail steamer Marama, and reached London on July 11.

The Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice) has agreed to. receive a deputation on Friday week, which will urge a reduction in the sentence imposed on Powelka.,

The Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice) states that ho is not yet in a position to give the details of the proposed changes in connection with the police force.

Speaking at the Anglican Synod yesterday, the Rev. W. J. M'Connell described pottering over financial details as an "English" • mode of procedure. This drew from a lay member the instant and emphatic rejoinder that the English had infinitely more logic and more common sense than any other nation on the face of the earth.-

The. New Zealand Maimers' Union Conference decided yesterday to bring to the notice of the Minister for Justice the jUas'turlon case of Millar v. Lamb, in which the Chief Justice -decided that a manufacturer of wine in a No-License district must not sell it in that district. The union will ask that the law be amended.

"A piece of downright rot" is the opinion of Mr. J. .M'Queen, of Invercargill, on the Noxious Weeds Act. He told his fellow delegates at the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union yesterday that he had soma of most'of the noxious weeds on his farm, and was not much the worse. The stock dealt With them. The sheep ate the ragwort. Mr. Leadley (Ashburton): "I've got a neighbour who says the same as you, but I don't like him as a neighbour." Mr. M'Queen: "Then there's ono sensible man in your district." They had been scared in .the past about sorrel, and then about the Scotch thistle, and now some farmers would. like to see Scotch thistle. on their land. The land got sick of weeds as of other plants, and in a few years the whole thing would be laughed at. Mr. M'Queen also stated that California!! thistle made excellent ensilage.

' Representatives of both parties to the cooks' and waiters' dispute with the employers met in conference yesterday, with a view to arriving at a settlement of'the points at issue. The conference; which lasted all day, proved to bo abortive, no settlement being arrived at. Tho case will now £o before the Court. ,

Queen Charlotte Sound, that favourite resort of holiday-makers, is as deeply interesting for its history as for its scenery. Captain Cook visited it no fewer than five times. He first anchored there on January 16, 1770, after sailing round the North Island. He careened his vessel, the Endeavour, in Ship Cove, which is to-day hi much the same state of nature as when Cook visited it. For some time there were differences of opinion as to which of the many indentations of . the Sound was exactly the "snug covo" referred to by Cook, but by means of a drawing executed by an artist who accompanied Captain Cook on one .of his later voyages, Mr. Robert M'Nab has since been able to establish its without difficulty. Mr. M'Nab's lecture on Saturday evening next should furnish one of the most' educative and interesting reviews of this historic locality sTet5 T et given to the public, and should be very well attended, especially so when the object of Mr. M'Nab's lecturing tout —the erection of a suitablo memorial to the great navigator—is considered The Minister for Labour (the %on. J. A. Millar) states that the market for labour is very good just now, considering the time of year The Department is not receiving many applicants for work, and those who do apply are easily placed. There is not half the trouble there was last year.

A deputation of residents from the vicinity of Maarama Crescent and Ohiro Road waited upon the Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford, ALP.) yesterday morning with reference to the condition of a private right-of-way leading from the Crescent to Ohiro Road. It was pointed out that the steps of the right-of-way had fallen into disrepair, and hence were a danger to pedestrian traffic. Those interested would, no doubt, said the. speakers, contribute to the cost of the repairs. Complaint was also made of an alleged obstruction caused by vehicles being left standing at the entrance to Ohiro Road. In reply, -the Mayor said with regard to the right-of-way that the difficulty was the question of private ownership. He would, however, look into the matter and see what could be done. He would also investigate tho complaint concerning the obstruction in Ohiro Road, and see what could bo dono with regard to the provision of a light there.

I'imis insignis, as a timber tree, has generally been despised, but Mr. Itichard Evans, of Kaiapoi, had a good word to say for it at the Farmers' Union Conference yosterday. There were houses in North Canterbury, ho said, built of pin'us insignis, which was full of resin, and.a good durable wood. He added that the only timber in his district which seemed likely to take the place of white pine for butter boxes was poplar, which had no resin. Ho knew of a poplar tree- which was planted 26 years ago in good land, and which was now eight feet round.

The Court of Appeal will hoar to~day the case of the King v. Muir. Tomorrow there are .two rases for hearing by the Court: Shortland ]<')at Gold Alining Company v. Dawson, and Wellington City Council v. Italia Coricli. The-Full Court will hear to-day the Gishorne Native land ease in re the estate of Heni Willoughby.

_ The necessity of drawing specifications with absolute precision was exemplified at the meeting of the Hutt County Council yesterday when the Inspector of Works reported that a contractor on tho Orongorongo Road, having come across a deposit of gravel in making a cutting, declined to embody it in the road formation, although the specifications under which he is working provide that rock uncovered in working is to be utilised in forming the road. As a councillor remarked, it involves less labour to transfer gravel in this way than rock, ,but it seems that the contractor in question declines to admit that "rock" as a descriptive term covers gravel. or metal. The council decided to ask the contractor 'to cart the gravel and to employ its own surfacemen in spreadnig it.

The recent slaughtermen's dispute has been ended, the parties having come to an agreement as to conditions of work and rates of wages. The agreement—between tho Now Zealand Federated Slaughtermen's Association on the one hand, and the North British and _ Hawke's Bay Freezing Company, Limited, Nelson. Bros., Ltd., Longburn Freezing Company, Ltd., T. Borthwick and Sons, and Wanganui Freezing Company, Ltd., on the other—was filed yesterday with the Clerk of Awards (Mr. A. Stubbs), in order that the Arbitration Court . may embody its terms in an award.

The Wellington Presbytery has appointed a Standing Committee to take such steps as may be from time to time necessary with regard to the holding of church services at the various military training camps which are to be held in future under the new defence scheme.

At the meeting of the Wellington Presbytery yesterday, very favourable reports were submitted by the commission—consisting of the Revs. J. Gibson Smith' and J. Kennedy Elliott—appointed by the Presbytery to. visit the now congregation at Wadestown." Credit was due, said the report, to the labours of Mr. Rutledge and the officers associated with him in the organising of the congregation, and to Mr. C. R. Joplin, clerk of the session, secretary to the Church Committee, and superintendent of the Sunday School. Mr. AY'eir, a student, had been given a probationary appointment in charge of the congregation, and very satisfactory results were expected from his administration of the charge. The congregation, the commissioners considered, should not fail to avail themselves of the privilege of taking part and supporting tho ordinances of the Church. The presbyterv recorded its thanks to the Rev. W. Shirer, Mr. J. H. Hopkirk (Brooklyn), and the various supervising officers associated with them in .the conduct of the recent Sunday School examinations. Appreciative references were also made to the valuable services rendered to the church at Rona Bay by Mr. J. B. Finlar.

When the subject of special service fees was under discussion at the Anglican Synod yesterday, the Rev. J. H. Sykes strongly opposed a suggestion that fees should' be abolished, and quoted his own experience as suggesting that in regard to the marriage service at least a standard fee should be demanded. Mr. Sykes related that he at one time occupied a charge in Western Canada. Special service fees were unknown in that district, and parsons often were called upon to make long and toilsome -journeys to perform special services, and received frequently a meagre reward, or none at all. Mr. Sykes told with feeling how he was once a'sked by a man whom he had just married to name his fee. When.he was informed that the amount of fee was left to the individual concerned,; the new-made benedict remarked, "0, then, I'll see you later in the evening." "And that," said>, Mr. Sykes pointedly, "was all the fee I received on that occasion."

The St. Aloysius branch of the H.A.C.B.S. held its half-yearly summoned meeting on Monday. Bro. T. Pender presided, and there was a good attendance of members, representatives from the St. Patrick's and Thorndon branches of the H.A.C.8.5., the Arch Druid (Bro. F: 51. Brown), and Past Arch (Bro. L. Boock), of the Excelsior Lodge of Druids, tho chaplain (the Rev. father M'Donakl), and the Rev. Father Herring were present. One new member was initiated. The election of officers for .the ensuing six months resulted as follows,:—President, ' Bro.. W. J. O'Meara; vice-president, Bro. B. Simon; treasurer, Bro. C. J. M'Erlean; secretary, Bro. W. H. Giles; warden, Bro. T. Loughnan; guardian, 8r0..H. Lee; sick visitors, Bros. T. Pender and W. Perry; auditors, Bros. T. Pender and J. L. Murphy; delegate to dispensary, Bro, W. H. Giles; press steward, Bro. TV. J. O'Meara. After receipt of contributions and installation of officers the meeting went into harmony. Items were contributed by Messrs. Minifie, M'Keown, M'Erlean, Pender, Boock, Brown, Burke, O'Sullivau, and Connolly.

During his recent observations in Npw York, Mr. E. AYood, importer, of Melbourne, paid special attention to tne business life opening out for young men. Lecturing to the Hardware Assistants' Trade Association in Melbourne last week, he said taiat there were schools to teach everything on the business and mechanical sides in New York. A young man could work half a day, and go to a technical school the other half. Here these things were only just being begun. There was no reason why any man with a receptive mind should not attend a school which would help hini to expand his business, instead of going on. in the narrow groove of his predecessors. There should bo here, as in New York, schools in which a salesman could be taught how to sell, a shopkeeper how to display his goods, and how various handicrafts should bo pursued. Every man of ability could be an apprentice to something in. such schools. It was the practical development of secondary education, which had so far been but faintly touched in Australia. Men would have to' learn trades if the boys would not, or could not. There was nothing to stop them doing so, except conservatism.

The establishment of the Senior and Ex-Students' Associated in connection with the Wellington Technical College on a sound basis is now assured. During the week the provisional committee has been working strenuously, and all arrangements havo been completed for a large general meeting in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street* on Friday evening, when Mr. W. S. La Trobe, M.A., director, will occupy the chair. In the draft constitution, to be submitted to the meeting, provision has been made for junior students becoming an integral part of the institution. The labour involved in searching tho college records for names and addresses has proved so formidable that it has been fqund possible to circularise only a section of past and present pupils. It is, therefore, hoped that those who do not receive a circular . will accept the advertisement in another column as sufficient intimation that their assistance will be heartily welcomed.

For private reasons, Lieut.-Colonel E. W. C. Cliaytor was unable to deliver his lecture. "The Necessity ot Preparation and Training for War," before tho members of the Wellington Garrison Officers' Club last evening. Captain J. A. Cowles cavo an interesting review of the tactical points of the siego of Quebec, and the remainder of tho evening was devoted to the continuation of the previous discussion on "Ballistics."

A meeting of creditors of Donald Langlv. Turner, chemist, of Wellington, is to be held in the Official Assignee's Office this morning, at 11 o'clock.