LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 999, 14 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One or two legal curiosities were mentioned during the hearing of the taxation cases at tho Supreme Court yesterday. The Solicitor-General (Mr. Salmond), arguing that the illegality of a business should not prevent the authorities from collecting income tax from it, remarked that the Commissioner of Taxes would be justified in demanding income tax from a successful burglar. Mr. Justice Cooper said lie thought he had read of a case in which a burglar had recourse to a law court to a.sk for a fair division of "profits" between himself nnd another burglar with whom he was in partnership. It ended rather disastrously for the applicant's solicitor, who was struck off the roll. Mr. Salmond said it was worse than that—the solicitor was hanged. He. also observed that tho parties were not burglars, but highwaymen—a,, more respectable occupation. Some concern has been aroused among theatrical people and other public entertainers by a clause in the latest amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act which provides that no public concert or entertainment shall lie given in a town on anv Sunday, Good Friday, or Christmas Day unless the written consent of the council has first been obtained. Several authorities consulted yesterday 'concurred in believin? that this clause gives a municipal council mandatory power to prohibit any public entertainment Christmas Day, even should it fall on a week day. "We are not going to take any notice of it at ill," the Mayor told a reporter yesterday when asked if the Wellington City Council intended to exercise the powers conferred by the above-mentioned clause.' The Labour Department is circularising hotelkeepers and employers engaged in kindred trades, reminding them of their obligations under tho latest amendment to the Shops and Offices Act, which came into force 011 December 3. Among the more important of the new provisions' is that which entitles night porters to a holiday once in fourteen days. A man named Patrick Driscoll w.if arrested yesterday on a charge of deserting from a.s. Ruapehu. He will appear at the Mauistrate's Court to-day.

On Friday next a Chinese resident of Wellington will be charged at the Magistrate's Court with being knowingly concorned in a fraudulent attempt at evasion of Customs duty, to wit, the duty on one case of sill:, which, it is alleged, was taken off the Manuka on December 8. The fate of the aged and decrepit horse is u frequent subject of discussion at meetings of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelly to Animals. At yesterday's meeting -Mr. Seed (inspector) stated, in reply to a question, that last year Oli aged Dorses were destroyed at the bidding of the society. In the previous year 93 vera destroyed. Condemned horses now eml their career at Kaiwarra, where their carcasses nre boiled down. A proposal is afoot to utilise them instead in feeding poultry. The larger poultry runs, it is said, keep up a steady demand, as horseflesh, minced and cooked, is an excellent food for poultry. The Finance Committee of the City Council yesterday considered lenders for the letting of the Town Hall during the Christmas nnd New Year holidays. For December 27, and January 2, 1911, the hall has been allocated to Mr. Bon Fuller, who will occupy it also on January 23, 1911 (Anniversary Day). The Concert Chamber on December 26 and 27 will be at the disposal of Mr. Monk, of L. Campbell's entertainers. On Christmas night, December 26, a municipal concert is to be given in the Town .Hall. Subject to the condition that the duties of the position are carried out after school hours, tho Wellington Education Hoard has granted permission to . tho head teacher at the To Nui School to act as county clerk of the district. Mr. !•'. Reddaway, of the firm of F. Reddaway and Co., Ltd., of Pendleton, Manchester, has presented the Institute of Marine Engineers with a very artistic and valuable bronze'statue, which is to be placed at the foot of the main stairway of tho institute's building in Aitken Street. The statue, wliich -will be illuminated with a powerful electric light, is a figure representing "La Travail," and was executed by the French artist Charles Perron. Mr. Reddaway sent the' statue "to my brother Britons across the sea." The institute is making Mr. Heddaway a life honorary associate of tho institute. .The gold emblem accompanying the honour hns been forwarded to the High Commissioner for presentation to the generous donor of the statue. Mr F. de G. Clere has been instructed to prepare plans and specifications for" a nine-roomed vicarage for St. Thomas's Church, Newtown. The house, to be built of wood, will be erected on a suitable section between Kintoul and Kiddiford Streets. Mr. Seed, inspector to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told a reporter yesterday that despite the stringent measures which have for' some time been taken with a view to the protection of animals, cases of cruelty snow no sign of diminution, but rather the reverse. Cases set down for hearing at the Supreme Court to-day are:—Jolin Chambers and Son, Ltd., v. It. Hannah and Co.,' Ltd., claim for goods; Georgo Doughty and Co. v. William Henry Nash, claim •for .£376 Is. 2d. on promissory notes. The first business, however, on the resumption of tho Court at 10.30 a.m. is to complete hearing of the two taxation cases which havo already occupied the Court two days.

Deceased masters, ex-pupils, and benefactors of St. Patrick's College were commemorated at a solemn Requiem Mass iu St. Joseph's Church yesterday morning. Tho celebrant was tho Ven. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., tile deacon and sub-deacon being I!ev. Father Tubman, S.M. (Timarn), and Rev. Father Fay, S.M. (Temuka). There were present in tho sanctuary his Grace the Archbishop, Bishop Grimes, Father O'Shea, S.M., V.G., Dean Kegnault, S.M. (provincial), Father Kcogh, S.M. (Hastings), and Dean Carew, S.M. (Greymouth). A number of local and visiting clergy also attended, and there was a largo congregation. Tho college boys, with some of the clergy, formed tho choir, and the Itev. Father Schaefer, S.M., presided at the organ. The sermon was preached by the ltev. Father Ainsworth, S.M., an "old boy" of the college. He spoke, feelingly of the companions of a' quarter 'of a century ago, who sat by him in study, classroom, and chapel, who shared his games, and formed those boyhood friendships that were stronger than ties of blood. The grief was keen and tense, that they nowstood in tho relationship of tho living to tho dead. And yet they had not gathered there to mourn as "those, who had nn hope." The spirits of their dear dead were with them in the bonds of a love holier and purer than that of earth, and the grief of Alma Mater was assuaged in tho thought that her great mission was not to lit them for this life only, but to prepare them to be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tho Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to .Animals mot yesterday, Mr. J. Jamieson presiding. The undermentioned donations were acknowledged Mr. J. Burne, jGI Is.; Mrs. 11. P. Hawson, .£1 Is.; Sir. W. E. Gotch, £1; "A Friend" (per Miss Rous-Marten), dEI; Messrs. George and Kersloy, 10s. Cd.; Bannatyne and Co., 10s.; Messrs. Stowe, ~F. Oakes," E. Anderson, Bates and Lees, Potter and Son, nn(l the Misses Eons-Marten (ss. oach), i.'l 10s.; Mrs. Poll:,' Mrs. Picot, Messrs. Preston, Earle, Ivory, and Hendry, (2s. 6d. each), 155.; total, ,£7 Ts. Gd. As the next meeting of tho society would fall in normal coursc on Boxing "Day, it was decided to postnone it to January 10, 1911.

The male passenger by the Eotorua from London, who was declared an undesirable immigrant, jvill be sent back by the Ruapehu, leaving Wellington to-morrow. 1

The City Council has accepted the tender of Messrs. Maec and .Nicholson to carry out extensions to the'yards at the abattoirs for tho sum of .£1726. Unaccepted tenders were: Meyer and Illingworth, £1818; W. L. Thompson, ,£1775; Howio and Matthews, .£2173. Successful tenderers for the supply of 125 ironbark poles for the Electric Lighting Department were; S. Brown and Sous, .£l2O lis. 3d.. Unaccepted tenders; J. M. Wallace and Co., ,£12!) ss. 5d.; and Kichardson, Blair and M'Cabe, JSI-M Is. 3d. W. Crabtrce and Sons have contracted to supply four "feeder pillars" to the Tramway Department, at a cost of ,£l2 10s. S. Luke and Co. offered to fulfil tho contract at a price of JE36, but tho council, following its usual policy where a firm of which a City Councillor is a member is concerned, declined to consider the tender.

It is slated that most of the local labour unions intend' to follow the recommendation of the recent Trades' Council Conference at Auckland by supporting the candidature of Mr. J. A. M'Cullough as workers' representative on the Arbitration, Court. A number of unions have already definitely decided to record their votes in favour of Mr. M'Cullough. The Masterton County Council have considered tenders for "the erection of bridges over two branches of the Waipoua River, at the northern approach to Masterton. Tenders (says our Masterton correspondent) had been received about two months ago, but the successful tenderer gave up the work, stating that he would be unablo to cope with tho inflow of water. As a sequel, new tenders were called, with the result that W. Wolff and Co. were successful, the price being .£1390. Other tenders were: Sykes and Shaw. .£4557; Thompson and Andrews. .£1009; J. G. K. Gilmour, <£5000; Donald M'Lean and Co., .£5170. . ■ A very successful gathering of members of the Orphans' Club .was held at the Hotel Windsor last evening, the occasion being a complimentary dinner to the president, Dr. A. W. Izard. Mr. H. C. Tcwslcy, one of tho vici'rpresidents of the club, was in the chair, and there were about 70 members present. The evening was enlivened with songs, recitations, and instrumental items contributed by Messrs. Hickmott, Fracr, Echlin, Atmoro, Gawthorpe, Minifie, Oswin, M'Lean, Brennan, Lampin, and Frasor-Tkompson. The toast of the evening was that of "The President.'' Oil behalf of the club, Mr. H. C. Tcwsley presented Dr. Izard with a handsomely-framed photograph of the Executive Committee of the club, and in a felicitous speech conveyed lo the recipient the heartiest goodwill and cordial sentiments of the club. Dr. Izard responded with a characteristic speech.