LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 905, 26 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. An English and Australian mail which left Sydney on Wednesday, August 21, for Auckland, per s.s. Maheno, is duo in Wellington on .Monday afternoon nest, August 29, by the Main Trunk express. The mails which left Auckland on August 3, per the s.s. Moura, and connected at Suva with the Vancouver mails from Brisbane, per the It.M.S. Zealandia, arrived in Vancouver on "Wednesday, August it, at 1 a.m. "Tliero N can be only one end to tliat.' You might just ns"well'sleep well at night by getting rid of your embarrassments in the Bankruptcy Court." This remark was made by Mr. W. It. Hasclden, S.M., jcstarilii}, when u ilnbtor informed him that he had pledged a sot of harness and a watch for loans of ,13 and 305., and the interest on these loans was respectively X'i Bs. per annum and £1 is. per annum.

The City Council had under consideration latt night the question of appealing against the decision of the magistrate iu the case of the Corporation v. the Prouse Lumber Company, Ltd: . During a discussion which arose Councillor Carmichael objected to Councillor Trevor (who had spoken) taking part, as he was a director of the company in question. Councillor Trevor mentioned that tenders had been called for a seven-story building, with a caretaker's place on top, to be erected on the site in Featherston Street; and if it was not in accordance with the bylaws it ought to be. stopped. Councillor Shiftcliffe suggested that the opinion of independent counsel should be taken as to tho propriety of appealing. The Mayor pointed out that it was necessary to be careful about prosecuting appeals if they wero to be losing cases, us otherwise they would become a general target. If independent legal advice agreed with their own solicitor they should prosecute the appeal, otherwise it would be to drop it. It was agreed that the 'opinion of Mr. T. F. Martin, legal adviser to the Municipal Association, be taken.

Mr. R. Hollis, a member of the Labour party in tho New South Wales Parliament, and hon. secretary of the Locomotive Association of Australasia, is coming to New Zealand to assist the NewZealand Locomotive Association in perfecting their organisation.—Press Association. ■ ' .

An officer of the Turakina is to appear before tho Court on Saturday morning to answer a charge of not declaring (for Customs purposes) certain articles which, it is alleged, aro subject to duty.

The system of surface reservoirs intruded to provide the- higU levels of the city, with a pressure water supply is being rapidly extended. The reservoir at ltoseneath is complete in itself, and will be available as soon as the necessary pumps and motors, for which tenders have been called, are procured. A reservoir on the high ground, behind Newtown Park, is nearly completed, and- the construction of another at Wadestown is to commenco almost immediately.

'An extra monthly meeting of the Wellington Accountants' Students' Society was held on Wednesday evening. A lecture was delivered'by Mr. 1) M. Find? lay on "Partnership," this being followed .by discussion. Mr. Findlay was accorded a vote- of thanks, ami has agreed to allow the lecture to be printed in tho Transactions of the, Society. The congratulations of tho society wcro extended to Messrs. Seaman, Barclay, and Hore, who had surcwded iu winning the prizes in the essay competition given by tho Incorporated Institute of Accountants. This is the fifth time in succession that the Wellington Society has won all tho prizes.

"If the Government wants to spend money, let it," said Mr. ]?. Piraui, chairman of tho Education Boards' Conference, as he brushed aside some objections to a motion that "the amount granted for free school books would be better spent on copy books, drawing books, exercise books, etc." The remit went through without further argument.

The City' Council decided at its meeting last night, on the motion of the Mayor, that a committee consisting of Councillors Fletcher, Cohen, and tho ■Mayor-bo set up to wait upon the Government to ask for a remission of tho duly on tho fire pump and a payment of tho proportion of money claimed in connection with.the Post Office fire.

Mr.' Justico Chapman, sitting in Chambers, yesterday beard a motion by Mr. T. Young, on behalf of petitioning creditors in the estate of Alfred < Frank. Higgins, storekeeper, Wellington, that a warrant be issued for the arrest ..of tho debtor, whose whereabouts are stated to be at present unknown. Tho affidavit of tho Official Assignee stated that ho had been appointed receiver in the estate, and that Migghis, had cashed a cheque for £03 on his (Higgius's) account in the; To Aro brunch oi tho Bank of Nov.-. Zealand on August 8, and had paid a further cheque for ,£l2 10s. into an account in Duuedin on 'August 10. There was no appearance for tho debtor, and his Honour, issued a warrant for tho arrest of Higgins, Asked yesterday if any special examination of Powelka had been mado since his arrival at the' gaol, Dr. Findlay stated that all abnormal cases wero under ~ a system of observation. The prisoners did not know this, but Dr. Hay had tho assistance of.-the asylum doctors', in Mew Zealand to. help tho system vheroveiy necessary;

To-day the Supremo Court will sit in Banco to hear argument on a motion in regard to the finding of security for the performance of the judgment of tho Court in tho case of Hannah v. Nodine.

"I thank you, gentlemen," said the Mayor to tho Johnsoiiville deputation that waited upon tho City Council last .evening,' "for the manner in which you havo put your views before us, and also for the brevity with which you havo expressed thoso views. You are aa example to many deputations that come before the council." . '

A deputation of members of Parliament will wait upon the Premier on Tuesday, to urge that further encouragement' should bo given to rille clubs..

When n defendant wishes to contest a civil action in thu Magistrate's Court it is provided in tho Magistrates Act that a notice oi defence should be iiled within live days ' after the " summons has' been served.' In a case mentioned betore Mr. W. It. Ilascldeu, S.M., yesterday, counsel for defendant mentioned that his client had exceeded the - time through illness, but he asked tho magistrate to use.the discretionary power held by him and to allow the right of contesting the action, as ,a satisfactory excuse lor failure to file tho defence' had been ■ advanced. The magistrate was agreeable that in this ca.se the defendant's right of contesting the action should be conserved. At the samo time he made it clear that if in such a ease, a trivial defence were set up he' would have to look into tho question whether or not the defendant should be made to bear costs. '■

.The City Council spent an liour and a half in committee last night, dealing with tho trouble in tho I'ire Brigade ami other matters, and rose without arriving at finality in regard to the subject mentioned or confirming any of tho other business in 'open council. A special meeting is to bo held next Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, to finish the different items on the agenda paper not disposed of lost night.

At yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce it was decided (says our local correspondent) to send Messrs. Jas. M'Lean, H. M'Lernon, S. Ellison, and T. Bain as delegates to Wellington to form part of the big deputation which is being arranged. b> the North Island Railway League: Speaking tu a motion to join the Bast Coast Railway League, Mr. .3. M'Lernon emphasised the need for tho East Coast railway. Ho said that when ono realised the possibilities of the East Coast and the way in which they were handicapped in regard to settlement it made one feel inclined to be wrath. The Hon. It. M'Ken-;-,ie had said that there was room for half a million settlers between llawke's liny and the Thames, and (hero was no other portion of New Zealand in tho sumo position. The motion was carried.

The nation of'filling tho vacancy on the Welliiißtnn Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, caused by the death of Jlr. ,1. <J. .Devine, was-brought before the City Council last night by Councillor Fitzgerald, who moved that the necessary steps bo taken to till tho vacancy, and that the Mayor represent the-City Council in the preliminary steps for tho eleotion. This was ugreed to.