LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 995, 9 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ With the object of impressing on the juvenile mind what native birds may not be molested, a poster is to be prepared by the Government, showing the different native birds which are under protection. An endeavour will be made to have the posters placed in or near the public schools.

After a very lengthy and exciting competition botween tho various literarv societies of Wellington,. the' honour o"f contesting the final battle rests with the Vivian Street Baptist nnd the Victoria College Societies. The contest will take place to-night in the Concert Chamber, town Hall, at S o'clock. The subject to be debated is: "That the National Provident Fund will prove of vast improvement to the people of New Zealand." The following will renresent tho two societies:—Vivian Street: Messrs. J. Townsond, C. J. Humphries, and Hay; College: Messrs. D. S. Smith, C. H. Taylor, and W. J. M'Eldownev. Tho Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford) will act as chairman, and Mr. C. Wilson will officiate as judge.

Messrs. Richardson, Blair and M'Cabe have contracted to supply the City Conn-, oil with electrical car sundries at the price of .£557 19s. Unaccepted tenders were those of A. D. Riley and Co. (.£057 lCs. -Id.), P. R. Baillie and Co.' (,£678 19s. Gd-.), Turnbull and Jones U715 65.), Grecnshiels and Co. (.£750).

New regulations as to holidays in the post and telegraph service are gazetted. Aew Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, his Majesty's Birthday, Dominion Day, Christmas Day, and the day following are to be observed as holidays, but when any of these clays falls upon a Sunday the following Monday will bo a holiday instead. The regulations give the Minister power to have post and telegraph offices opened during restricted hours on holidays. Leavo of absence is also dealt with.

Sir James Mills stated yesterday that tho San Francisco-New Zealand service would for the present be maintained by the Aorangi and Maitai, both being steamers equipped for tho carriago of refrigerated cargo. It was intended, however, to replace the Maitai by a steamer with larger accommodation for both passengers and cargo.

Tho Silver Jubilee of St. Patrick's College is to bo celebrated on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday next. In connection with tho event solemn pontifical High Ma6s will be celebrated in St. Joseph's Church, Buckle Street, at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday. A conversazione is to be held in the Town Hall at 8 p.m. on Monday, and tho annual distribution of prizes, at which his Excellency will preside, will tako place at tho coMogo on Tuesday.

The following cases are expected to come before Mr. Justice Cooper at the Supreme Court to-day:—ln re J. D. Cruickshank and Co., petition to wind up company; Robert Lionel Levin v. Richard Cornelias Gurnc-y, claim for .£2OO on contract. It is, however, possible that the first of these cases may occupy the whole day.

A large and handsome steel-frame and brick building is to be erected for Mr. T. Covordale, of the Lower Hutt, at the corner of Willis Street and Old Customhouse Quay, the sito at present occupied by tho "Pomona". fruit shop. The new building, which is to cost .£SOOO, will be erected by Messrs. Howie and Matthews. Under the Crimes Amendment Act passed during the last session of Parliament a Prisons Board, consisting of not less than three or more than seven persons, has to be appointed.' This board will, says the Attorney-General, have to be selected before January "l next, but nothing has been done so far, nor can anything be said 'in this connection at present.

In proposing the toast of "'Parliament" at the annual dinner of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday evening, Mr. A. J. Entrican (chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board) said that about the. middle of last century a man who was a failure at everything else invariably turned his attention- to school teaching. Ho instanced "Mr. Saucers," as created by Charles Dickens in "Nicholas Nickleby, ns a typical case. Later, on a man who failed in other vocations opened' a grocer's shop. That stage had now also passed away, and the failures of tho present day, he remarked amid laughter,,usually developed an ambition to enter Parliament. He did not say that this applied in every case, but it was an undoubted fact that thero were many men in Parliament at tho present day who could not possibly earn ;C3DO a year at any.other occupation. No members of the Legislature were present to receive this candid criticism of the "highest court in the land."

Prom information received, Detective Cassolls and Constable Cnrmody arrested at Carterton yesterday a man named Frank Dixon, on a charge of having killed a bull belonging to his neighbour, James Turley. ,- A number of pupils of. the Seatoun branch of St. Mary s Convent—which is nourishing under the guidance of Mother Bernard—were confirmed by his Grace the Archbishop at , his private chapel, Hill Street, yesterday .afternoon. After the. ceremony the boys were, entertained at tea in the convent. A number of Ministerial decisions- under the Customs Act are gazetted. An alteration of- the regulations relating to private telephone lines is gazetted. A man was arrested by Detectives Lewis and Cameron yesterday on a charge of having stolen a box of currants, the property of the Wellington Harbour Board. Quito a largo consignment of fruit arrived at Wellington yesterday by the Aorangi from 'Frisco. Included in the shipment were 14,035 cases of apples, of which 7927 cases are for Sydney, the remainder being for New Zealand. The apples come from the State of Washington, and are said to be the best-con-ditioned ever landed in the Dominion. Other lines consisted of' 8011 cases of oranges, -1207 cases of bananas, .137 cases of pines, 3(17 cases of canned frnits, 27 paefcagos of dried fruits, also a largo quantity of coconuts and potatoes. Butter containing preservatives is not admitted to the States, and a consignment shipped from New Zealand by the Aorangi on her last trip Was refused admittance for non-observance of-this prohibition. , Sent on to Vancouver, however, it realised a good price. Speaking yesterday of improvements in connection with the propulsion of .steamers, Sir James Mills enumerated many advantages arising from the use of oil as fuel. A new steamer to be built, if trade warranted it, for the San Francisco service, would probably bo fitted with oilconsuming furnaces. Oil could be obtained in San Prancisco at loss cost than coal aud its use enabled economy to be effected both in time and labour. A ship burning oil fuel was always kept clean, to tho manifest comfort of passengers and all concerned. Sir James Mills stated that oil fuel was successfully employed on tho Pacific steamers npd the locomotives of the Southern Pacific Company's service, and expressed a hope that at no very distant date oil would be used in all his company's steamers. .- Shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand aro reminded that the half-yearly general meeting will be held in tho banking-house, Wellington, to-day, at 11 o'clock. Mr. A. Picard writes at some length regarding our report of a Court case in. which he, in conjunction with Mr. G. Jelly, was fined for having used threatening bchavious_ whereby a breach of the peace was occasioned. Our report stated that a fight took place. Mr. Picard denies that' he fought at all. He states that he endeavoured to avoid a fight, and, in tho scuffle which ensued, ho merely endeavoured to dodge his bigger and heavier opponent. Mr. Picard claims to havo considerable skill in tho art of self-defence—both as an exponent of jiujitsu and boxing—and expresses a desire to meet Mr. Jelly at tho next, local boxing tournament in order to demonstrate that had tho encounter which took place actually been a fight in the proper sense of tho term there would havo been a different ending. For the best and most modern Hair and Complexion Treatment, Mrs. Roller ton, who has jnst returned from England and America, is recommended. Highest diploma for removing superfluous hair Vibrormussage, Hairdrossing, Shampooing and Clipping. . i Willis Street (over Carroll's.). Tel. 1599,-Advt. . . .