LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1518, 14 August 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An action for slander was being heard in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, and during cross-examination the principal witness declared that while he was reading o newspaper in the auction mart ono morning the auctioneer told him to , put it away. Witap>s was being; fiucstioncd by Jlr. C. P. .Sken-ett, h'.C., as to tho reason, when his Honour (Mr. JustiC3 Ldwards) remarked that perhaps it was because the paper was not of the right colour. "There's onlv one rig-lit colour now, your Honour," eaid Mr. Skerrett.

A brief reference to the principle of co-partnership was made at the Indus--1 -' s ;'° c ,i ali °n's meeting last evening, wnen a letter was received from the Employers l-ederfttiou conveying an inriuirv with regard to the .collation of data-on the subject. Tho Board of Trade, it was pointed out, was desirous of obtaining information with regard to the working of tlio system in various places, and the Emp.oycrs lederation now invited the Industrial Association to forward anv in--formation it might have of the results of any attempt which might have been made to introduce the principle of co-partner-shny in tlw Udliiigton industrial'district. Air® • m C ' ol,l H«".v," suggested -Air. Minger,; with a-, smite; • '-'I don't' think it has l>cen altogether a siicccss,' ?ir ,leal '-" All(1 1,0 lo "kcd .tcio ; A at Mr. Norwood, the Gas Coinpanys representative on the association, inat geutleiium smiled a non-cominittai simlo. Jim letter was laid aside, no action being taken last evening. • Complimentary remarks are not alwnvs safe. In an alleged tlauder action at the hupreme Court yesterday, a witness was asked by Mr. C. I'., .Skerrett, K.C., this question: Well, the defendant was really Pi?Jf"L J if U i a « c< ! mi ' l . i,n ®" t . whDn lie, said; tliat lie Jiau the sanio opinion of you "'as 1 your association had?" This causcd .Mr. « iiaticc Lthvards to observe, "Complinien* jary remarks are Hot always safe; It has teen actionable'to call a practiiinolawyer an honest attorney,"

Speaking at l tho Industrial Association last evening in support of a motion to ariange for a conference of delegates from tho Industrial Corporation of Now Zealand, Mr. D. Robertson said that tho jjO\ernment now in power represented the backbone of thy country, and they should take steps to impress Alinisters with the mpoitance of assisting the development of tho industrial interests. They had had I'lfftVPV UOC m - tbs Fnsl ' mi(l during v J'ttuvs'soine of their indus- • almost been -obliterated—killed. "So valuable have main street front-' ages become (said tho Mayor of Auckliiiid, on being interviewed on his return troni hydneyj, ''tliat. thero is a proposal now before the City Council to pull down a sound three-story building in Pitt oti cot, opposite tho post officc, and replace it with a ;uew building twenty-ono stones high.' No doubt this is tho result ot high values-nothing less than a 'skyscraper' will pay on such dear site's, iiiero havo been several important discussions by tho City Council 011 this 'skyscraper' proposal, and tho decision arrived at is »pt. without its lesson tb AuckI, : t'll'St of all,, tho council reduced t.ne height , of the*'proposed now building from -1 _to 18 stories, and eventually, 011 tho casting vote of the Lord Mayor, it was decided to allow no building (o go up over 150 ft. high—or 14 stones. A strong body of opinion in tho council favoured the Skyscraper' as a necessity of modern city conditions, but I cannot.'help thinking that the saner policy is to strictmi '"I 1- 1B height of new buildings, llie skyscraper/ which disfigures the face ot New York'and other great cities,.means tho shutting out of light and air and siin, especially in narrow streets, and spells ill-health and insanitary conditions for the citizens, ,

A petition signed ' by 13D persons at Onehunga antagonistic to the zoological gardens established thero has been forwarded to Parliament. As a countermove, a petition is being circulated for signature amongst those in favour of the "zoo," and so far thero lias been 110 troublo experienced in securing a long list of names. Ono resident close to tho "zoo" complains that, a neighbour's cow causes far more qnnoyncco than all tho animals in tho gardens. ' At a meeting of drivers' employees, held at tho rooms of the Wellington Employers' Assoeiatio.il yesterday 'afternoon, Messrs. Win. Ferguson, P. S. Young, n'nd G. IC. Mathiesou were appointed assessors to act on behalf of the employers .in tho dispute to' be. heard before tlio Conciliation Council to-day. Tho Drivers' Union is asking for a week of '|7£ hours, tho daily hours to be regulated in advance by tho class of work, biit ordinarily ihev are' to fall between 7 a.m. and' 7 p.nil 011 five days of tho week, and 7 a.m. and nonn on tho day which tho weekly halfholidav is observed. A minimum wage of J!2 14s. per week is .asked for drivers of single horses, and ,£2'lßs. for drivers of two horses, with is. per week extra for each additional'horse. Overtime at the rate of 'Is. 6'd. per' hour is also included in the demands'.

A man named Rabbits, alias Roberts, who some timo ago absconded from Bleuheim, and Ayas arrested in Sydney recently, is (o arrive to-day' in charge of Conslablo Williams, who wont over to bring him back. Rabbits willi be charged at Blenheim with failing to comply witli a maintenance order. The City Couucil has authorised the city solicitor (.Mr. J. O'Shca). to appeal against the decision of Mr. W. ft. Tfiddoll, S.M., in the ease in which ,T. Rail was proceeded -'against for carrying 011 a certain trade (tallow melting) in Martin' Street. The . information was dismissed on tlio ground Hint defendant hud only done tallow nieltiiisr as n pqrt of the business of margarine making, ami that his operations had not been offensive. Captain Kemp, of tlio coastal steamer Mangapapa, reported to the police yesterday forenoon that he had sighlod'the body of'a man floating in the hnrlKmr in the .vioinitv of Evans Bay. Two constables secured a boat and made h search in the vicinity silted, but were unable to find (lie hO'.I.Vi The oi'iiiiiil cnnferenco of I he Acclimatisation Societies of New Zealand will be held in fhe Chamber cf Commereo today. Delegates from nil parts of Xew Zealand Hill be in al.tondauce. When in dopbt; ute "Camp Coffee" foi breakfast mid supper. Quicldy mul onsiW wade, refreshing and whokwuic'-Advt,"

Ye-,1 eruay IMectivc-Sergeant Cassells and Con-table Dtiyln ai rested a man mi j\ charge of (licfl of 20 packets of cigarettes, value 155., from a Chinese shop in Majnriwinks Street. The arrested man will also b;> charged willi a breach of the Prisons Acl, il being alleged Hint on July !l he secreted tobacco lor prisoners „t '.Mount Luok.

Jho premises at present occupied liv ii"i! 1111 (u, > druggists, iii » stl : ri -' l > lui ™ '""en leased to the Ifi'iush hiniMro Trading Company ia tobacco iirmi fur a term of seven years. Messrs. Shiirhind and Co. will remove sliortly to their ucw warehouse in Di\on Street.