LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlie, postal authorities advise that the Wimmera, which sailed from Sydney on the 17th instant, for 'Auckland, has on board an English mail, via Suez, also an Australian mail. The Wellington, portion 'should reach here by Main Trunk express' on 'Monday next.. Lord Islington has been informed by. the Secretary of State.for the Colonies that his Majesty has been pleased to decide that the period of full Court mourning for his late Majesty shall 'terminate-in. New Zealand on September 6 instead of November 8. During the- period of half-Court "mourning, beginning on October 1, his Excellency, in common with other Governors, may attend imd give entertainments, but no balls may be given in Government House until'after May 6, 1911. ■ The names", of ex-Councillors M. Murdoch and "W. H. P. Barber have been-mentioned as possible aspirants for the position on the City Council left vacant by the death of Mr. J. J. Devino. Mr. Murdoch was , a member of the council -from 1899 to 1909, and Mr. Barber from 1891 to 1905. No date, has yet been ffxcd for the election. A" witness in a civil case.in the Supreme Court. yesterday stated that he neviir read the. newspapers. Mr. Justice Chapman appeared to be rather surprised 'at this, but after asking further quostions his surprise increased. The" man said he could not read. "Where were you born?" asked his* Honour.. "In Marlborough—at Blenheim," replied; the witness. "I'm surprised that anyone in Marlborough cannot read,"' said the judge. The Consul for the Netherlands, the Hon. C. J. Johnston, has received a copy of tlio State's Gazette No. 55 and 56, relative to the Act of February 10, 1910, concerning Netherland subjects of the Dutch indies, arid containing, the provision that those who ivish to remain subjects 'in 'case of; residence in a foreign country, must, register themselves at the Netherlands Consulate or Vice-Consulate .within three months after their arrival, and must repeat the- iregistration within the first three months of each calen-. dar year. Those who are resident already in a foreign country have to register themselves within the first three mouths of next year, for the first time. The copy of the "Gazette" can be setn at the office of the Consul, Messrs. Johnston and Company/ Limited, Feiitherston Street, .Wellington.

,Iu one of the cases -brought by the Truant Inspector at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. Riddell, S.iVl., remarked that it was necessary for ■ parents and guardians to obtair an exD7nption from the head teacher wnen children were kept away from school. Tins bad frequently been stated in court, he said, and there was no reason why parents, should be ignorant of the law. In the House of Representatives yesterday' the Hon. A. T. Ngata stated that arrangements were bi.ing hiade for ninety thousand acres of land on the eastern side of the Waiinana Valley, thirty miles from Mangnpolmta, in the Ur'ewera Country, to be opened for settlement. It was hoped that arrangements would lio aimpleted with the Native- owners by the middle of ,nest month. This weds the Government bad received offers iliat four blocks of land in the AVhakatane Valley should be opened for settlement. "You will tfavo to be hero at 10 o'clock on future occasions," said Mr. fiiddcll, S.M.; to ii ranger, who was not present yesterday the first time a certain by-law case was called. "This is the second time the case has been called," added the magistrate, "and the Court must not be delayed by you." Speaking in tbe Honsu of Representatives yesterday, Mr. Jlassey jiaid the settlors'who had taken up land on the Hnuraki Plains, which wern now being drained, had to pay a very serious rent. The success or nim-siiccoss'i of the settlement would depend on. whether the Government'gave effect to the recommendations of the Oliinemuri Silting Commission. While these rivers continued to flood, flic settlers on tho Hauraki Plains could not bo successful. He trusted thu proposals of tliu Commissioners would be embodied in legislation at once.

Edmunds' Buckeridge, dentist, of Wellington, lias been adjudged bankrupt. The first meeting of his creditors will bo held at the Official Assignee's office, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30. ' A ranger stated in the Magistrate's Court yesterday that a woman had refused point blank to register her dog on the. ground that the dog tax was "an unjust -imposition on the part of the City Council." The annual meeting of the- Federation of Labour, which is now being held in Wellington, is not expected to conclude before Wednesday next. ' At next Thursday's meeting of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council Mr. D. M'Laren, M.1 , ., is to address the delegates on the City Milk Supply Bill, of which measure he has charge in Parliament on behalf of the City Council. At Thursday's meeting Mr. W. Cooper-was elected secretary of theLabour Day Celebration Committee, and the executive council was appointed to act as a financial committee.. .A sub-committee under Mr. Noot was appointed to draw up a sports programme. Any financial surplus over from the picnic is to be donated to the Trades Hall building'fund. The valuo of deep-breathing exercises is emphasised in the annual report on the junior cadet system. It is stated that in the syllabus of instruction issued during the year stress was laid on the importance of physical training, 50 per cent of the time allotted for drill being set apart for this purpose, and, where possible, to include deepbreathing exercises. In order to show what can be done by a systematic' course of physical training, accurate records wore kept of the lung-capaci-ties of the boys in the secondary department of ,the Greytown District High School before undergoing a course of physical training, and. showing the result after a : ; three-months' course. The chest expansion amounted to from 3in. to ojin. The results of a twoinonths' course of deep breathing show remarkable increases in lung capacities, ranging from 5 to 55 cub. in. The Minister for Education (the Hon. G. Fowlds) has informed Mr. Wilford, M.P. for Hutt, that a vote is to be placed on the Estimates for the erection of a school at Normandale. Owing to the stoppages of works at Ross Flat about 40 men have been thrown out of eraploymont. In regard to this matter,' Mr. Murdoch (chairman of the Westland County) and Mr. Bruco (Mayor of Ross) telegraphed to Mr. Seddon,' M.P., yesterday, asking him to interview the Hon. R. M'Kenzie (Minister for Public Works) with.a view of securing work for them. Mr. M'Kenzie raado arrangements for the single men to be taken on at the Gass railway construction works, and for the married men to be employed on the construction of a road between Kohatahi and Ross, and' on the construction of the Walls Road at Wanganui South, Westland. . • ■ ■ The local syndicate- who' are behind tho Beech aeroj)lav.e, a model of which waa exhibited in Wellington a few weeks ago, are in receipt of an offer from Sydney to take over tho bulk of tho interest in the machine on terms likely to be favourably considered. If these are accepted by the syndicate, business matters connected with the Beech aeroplane will he attended to.in Sydney, the Wellington backers still retaining a considerable interest in the invention, which has made an impression on thos"e interested in aviation in Australia.. .'.•■'■.