LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1178, 13 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of the Wellington Philosophic:»l Society was bold at the Dominion Museum hist night. Ill', (i. V. Hudson presided over an averaga attendance. Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Museum, exhibited smnc recent aciiuisitionsof that institution; Jlr. 1!. \V. Holmes, Chief Engineer of the -Public Works Department, exhibited plans, views and a model of the Commonwealth Capital Territory, and explained tho slops which are being taken by the Federal Government to secure designs tor a worthy city. Professor Easterlieli! read a paper on "Tho Higher i'ally Acids," embodying the results of experiments made by himself and Miss C. M, Taylor, who is holder of a \.Z. Government scholarship. Some Wellington tid'U records were submitted by Jlr. C. K Adams. Professor Lab.v's name was on the agenda paper, in connection with an exhibit of a vibration galvanometer, but he was unable to attend. He, however, sent an assistant from the College, who made the_ demonstration on his behalf. Mr. T. King spoke in favour o£ a proposal to i'orai leading circles. float-shed accommodation at Eastbourne is a standing want in the borough, and a frequent topic of discussion at the council table. The matter was once again before the council ut its meeting last evening, when a resident of the district made application for permission to erect a boatshod. The council agreed that the whole question was one of policy. In tho opinion of one of the councillors, the only means of providing adequate accommodation for boats was to set aside a special area for the purpose, an opinion which seemed to find some favour. Tho application under question was declined. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Dental Association held in the Grand HoteMast evening, was largely attended bv local members and visiting delegates attending the conference now in session. This evening visiting dentists are to be entertained by Wellington members of the profession. An emphatic protest against the publication in. the press of statements given by tramway employees to the police after a recent tramway fatality, and the failure to publish the statement made bv tho widow of the deceased, was made bv tho city solicitor (Mr. John O'Shea) (luring tho course of tho inquiry into the circumstances surrounding tho death of the lato Mr. D. M'Murrich. Mr. O'Shea pointed out that, not only had the statement of tho widow not been published, but he himself had not been allowed to see it. Ho considered it positively immoral that tho statement of the tramway employees should be published in detail, whilst tho statement of a person on whose behalf it was possible (in certain circumstances) that a claim against tho corporation might, be made,'should not be published. Station-Sergeant Darby, who was conducting the case for tho police, observed that, as far as the publication of the statements was concerned, ho knew nothing about; it. At any rate, he was not going to show his brief to counsel for the City Council. He had refused, and would have continued to refuse, to show Mr. O'Shea Mrs. M'Murrieli's statement. The Inspector of Police was available if Mr. O'Shea had any complaint to make against tho police. Mr. O'Shea said that liis poiut was not against the stationsergeant, but that if the statements of the one side were published, the statements of tlio other sido should also be given out.

The Dominion Museum lias received a collection of Queensland moths from Di. Lucas, the well-known Brisbane collector, in exchange for N.Z. specimens. A collection of moths from Aril Island, off the south-west coast of New Guinea, has also • bseu acquired by tho same institution. Tho Director (Mr. A. Hamilton), in exhibiting these two collections at the meeting of the Philosophical Society last night, paid that both were of considerable interest. and came from districts not hitherto represented in the miisoum. He added that the collection of lepidontera at the Museum was beginning io assume a comprehensive character, which would malic it very useful to persons studying tho science of entomology.

A special meeting of the Wellington Master Farriers was beld on Tuesday night for tlio purpose of considering demands from the Blacksmith's Union, which will come before the Conciliation Council on Friday. The principal demands are:—A forty-four-honr week instead of forty-eight hjms as is now the case; Is. 4!d. an hour instead of Is. 3d. for farriers, and an increase of 3d. an hour for doormen; the binding over of apprentices for five years instead of six; and time and a-liaif for overtime (tho masters oft'oi- time and a-quarter for the first two hours, and time end a-half for all overtime after). The following were appointed assessors: —Messrs.'A. Knappo, C. N'eilson. and M. M'Grath. Mr. W. Talbut was appointed agent. ■

A meeting of the Canterbury Racing Club's delegates will be held in the Tovni Hall, Wellington, cn .Saturday evening next, at half-past seven.

On the motion of Mr. .T. W. M'Donald, solicitor to tho Public Trust Office, the Supremo Court yesterday granted to the Public Trustee probate of the wills of tho undermentioned deceased persons:—Henry Blackm.ore, hte of.Opawa. postal official; James Marshall, late of Milton, farmer; Kllen Treliey, late of Brunnerton, widow; James O'Grady, late of Dunedin, retired pipelayor; Ann Pudney, Into of Wellington, widow; Janet Gow (also known as Janet Gow Chamberlain), late of Greymouth, spinster. Orders to administer were also granted in respect of the estates of the following {—Harriet Frances Maclean, late of Dunedin, married woman; George Chilton, lata of Arch Hill, frcnch polisher; John Scott Angus, late of Auckland, watchmaker (with will annexed).

Messrs. Duncan and M'Tntosli have contracted to supply tho City Council with tramway caps and covers during the current year, at schedule rates. Messrs. Hill and Son were the other tenderers.