LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1625, 17 December 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"He certainly. complied with the bylaws,- but in doing so he committed . an act of dishonesty," said Mr. H. E. O'Leary yesterday, on appearing in the Magistrate's Court to defend a young man who had taken a lamp from tho corporation yards because the light on the vehicle he was driving had given out.

On and after to-morrow excursion tickets will be issued on the city tramcars out to the seaside at Lyall Bay and Island Bay by special cars at very reduced rates. There are two cars to Island Bay, leaving Lambton Station at 10.17 and 10.30.in the morning, and three to Lyall Bay at 10.14, 10.29, and 10.44 from- Government Buildings. The pence (return) for adults and twopence for children—will be available for return on any car leaving the bays, between 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the- afternoon.

On Thursday night. last the gun and carriage which are so familiar to all who visit the Children's Park, Greymouth, were unscrewed from their bed of concrete and rolled into the creek at. the foot of the slope. The gun was a relic of the Boer War, and the act seems to have been tho work of more than one person, as it was no easy job to unscrew all the bolts.—"Grey River Argus."

Tho future of the big tunnel contract at Arthur's Pas has not yet been settled by Cabinet, though an announcement is expected within a week, states the "Westport News." It may be regarded as almost certain that the Government will decide to call for tenders. If this does not meet with a satisfactory, response, then the only other alternative left is for the Public Works Department to undertake the responsibility of completing the tunnel. Meanwhile the work is still going on at Otira, and tho Government has arranged with Messrs. M'Lean and Sons, Ltd., to continue operations until Christmas.

"Does your Honour propose to go on any longer ?" asked Mr. S. Stafford, counsel for claimant in the Compensation Court yesterday evening. The clook pointed to five. "Oh, yes, considerably longer," replied Mr. Justice Chapman. "This' ca9o will evidently take some time." Earlier in the day his Honour had explained that there was a considerable volume of work to get through before the vacation, which commences on Monday next. Subsequently his Honour announced that the Court would sit on after the tea adjournment. It was not only that he felt some anxiety about the compensation case to follow, but also about other business which ho has to transact this week.

"It is very detrimental to fat stock to drive them at all," said a witness in the Compensation Court yesterday. The Gear Company, he explained, preferred to truck stock from Porirua to Petone Tather than send them down the Ngahauranga Gorge by road. Stock, he added, were not half as roughly handled on the railway as some people imagined.

Under th« auspices of tho Wellington Education Board, Mr. Jl. 0. Parker, of Wflllliißt/.n, lias beflri conducting Saturday elttKBM for teachers at Mastorton in voice production ulitl sight singing. 110 concluded tho course on Hnturuny. The pleasure derived from llieso lessons was voiced by Tttr, J). E. I<o.ilio, on behalf of tho clam, 110 assured j\lr. Parkor that tho laltcr'B bappy, interesting methods of imparting instruction were much appreciated, and that' tho lessons were always anticipated by the teachers with great pleasure. When expressing gratiiication that his efforts had been appreciated, Mr. Parker remarked that it is nearly twenty-fivo years sinco he was brought into contact with Wairarapa teachers in a similar way. lie heartily reciprocated the good wishes that had been expressed.

Tho monthly rally of the Hutt Valley No-License League wa3 hold at Petoue last evening.

Soma women who aro convicted in the Magistrate's Court prefer to serve a term in prison rather than stay in the Salvation Army Home. "You will be convicted and ordered to be placed in the Salvation Army Home for 6ix months," said Jtr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., to a voung woman yesterday. "I won't go there, sho said, thumping tho dock. "I won t stay there—so it's no use."

A man who appeared in the Magistrate's Court in a certain case yesterday admitted that his wife had assaulted him. "Yes, I gave you a crack," cried tho wife, angrily. "A crack docs you good." "It's no use," she said, after a while, "you will have to pay this money or you will go somewhere else." A word from tho magistrate quietcnedher awhile; but she soon informed the Court that: "If he doesn't pay up, I will get him sent up to the Terrace."

The next, sitting of the Bankruptcy Court in Wellington has been fixed for Monday, March 3, 1913. \ A quaint Swedish law, which bans the sale of lobsters measuring less than 6Jin. in length, has been responsible for a UUbcrtian incident at Gothenburg. An Argus-eyed policeman discovered 251 lobsters that did not obey the law's demand aa to siM. He impounded them, and later on eold them at public auction to a restaurant proprietor, who was then given a license permitting him to sell _ them. Meanwhile the tradesman who originally possessed tho lobsters had been fined Ai. The day following the auction he was given at a restaurant one of his confiscated fish for luncheon.

Tho secretary of tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board desires to acknowledge the following further donations to the Christmas fund:—Messrs. R. Hannah and Co., X.Y.Z., one guinea each; the Wairarapa Farmers, Friend, W. Crabtree and Sons, half a guinea each; Watkins, Tyer, and Tolati. ten shillings; Victoria Laundry, W.J.H., Sanders Bros., D.C.D., five shillings each'. Also goods from Champion Biscuit Company, Panama Hotel, Montague, White Swan Hotel, Eoyai Hotel. C. A. Innes, Adclphi Hotel.

A conference of manufacturers interested in the leather trades is to be held in Christchurch about January 17, and as som© of the delegates at this meeting aro' to be members of the conference of manufacturers, importers, and employees in the boot trade convened by the Minister, for Customs, tho Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, tho Minister has postponed the latter conference until January 21.

The children of lighthouse-keepers on the New South Wales coast have few facilities to acquire education, and the State Treasurer, who administers the Navigation Department, is now arranging for a system of transfers among light-house-keepers, so that those with families may be able to send their ' ohildrcn to school. At present many of these youngsters living on inaccessible parts of the coast, are growing'up with very littlo educational advantages, and Mr. Cann is anxious that something should bo done for them.

Something liko a record number of immigrants are on board the Shaw, Savill liner Ifamari, which is due at ■;Dunedin.' frdm. London "oh 'December 27. Altogether there are 625 passengers, tho northern portion of whom will be transhipped to coastal steamers., The Athenic, which ds due at Wellington from London oh January" 1, has also a large number of immigrants.

The Waterside Workers' Band, which played at Newtown Park on Sunday, collected £6 Us. 6d. The surd is to be contributed to tho Evans Fund, Waihi.

The Store will' be open To-morrow (Wednesday) till 6 p.m., and will close on Saturday at 1 p.m.' for .usual weekly half-holiday. Great Show Day to-morrow Attractions in every department. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd.—Advt.