LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1665, 4 February 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

~ Cabinet, will meet to-day to dealwith a number of important' matters which await atteation; ~.■■,

A deep .voice; from the; auditorium caused a stir in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. . Detective Abbott was in tho witness box giving evidence in a case in whiclfthcft was alleged against a steward, on the steamer Arahufa. "On Saturday last," he said, "I was. on the Arahiira making inquiries into the fire which .occurred, there^—" "You'ro a ——■ liar" cried someone from the.back. "Put that man out," the Magistrate (Mr. Riddcll) ordered; and the Court orderly and another constable ejectedithe^interrupter. ' ■■-. ~'".'

Although his Excellenoy, the; Governor had occasion to mention on'more than one occasion the year 1813-ono hundred: years ago—during his interesting speech at the Now Zealand Club's luncheon yesterday, he omitted to state, that, at. that period the l then Earl of Liverpool was Prime Minister of England,'having taken office on Juno 9, 1812, relinquishing it on April 24,1827—a fifteen years' term.- That distinguished. statesman was tho second Earl of the old .title. -The present Earl of Liverpool is the second Earl of the revived title and fifth, of tho old title. \

"The Katipq," the official .organ of tho Post and Telegraph Association, has a sting occasionally. The January number says: "Tho usual nnnual': protest. All cleat 1 was not signalled : until. 9,30 Christmas morning. It is aptly, named'the annual endurance i test, and the.sooner some solution of 'this nerve-racking, heartbreaking, Christmas Eve task is.found the more pleased we all will bo." '

During the past six months, tho.Hon. W. H. Herrics stated yesterday, oyer 200,000 acres of the laud Tested in Maori, land boards alionated by way' of sale, lease, and timber lease. The area 6old outright was about one-third of the total aroa dealt with. Lack of surveyors still imposes a difficult*, in 'partitioning available blocks.for settlement, but every effort is being made to overcome the difficulty. Next session the .Native Minister hopes to bring down a'Bill which will still further facilitate the settlement of such lands as the Maoris are willing ;to/dispose of. ,' ' ,";'•. ' ' The animal population of the stoamer Bomuera, which arrived ■in '■• Wellington' yesterday, was notably increased on tho trip out from London. Seven chameleons were 'born, four kittens, and 'n foal. All aro doing well, except one chameleon, which died.

' The fion. W. H. Hemes (Minister for Railways) told ft reporter yesterday that tho experiment of attaching a special car to the Auckland express for the carriage of fruit had not come up'to expectations. On some days no more fruit had offered than could be oarried in the guard's van, and on '• theso occasions the spocial car had v lcen dispensed With. ,

Tho Grand Jury yesterday commended the action of Messrs. R. Blencoo and Geo. Florence, in respect to a criminal assault case, and also commended the action of Mr. J. Jones, in a case of assault whero actual bodily harm wda alleged to have been caused.

Whether or not ft fight by mutual consent was ground for a charge of assault was tho subject of a reserved judgment in tho case of the Police versus Whisker and'Fairlcy, given at Auckland on Friday by Mr.Cuttcii. He said that tho dofondants had quarrelled in a billiard room, and had afterwards gone out into a yard behind tho room and fought. The yard was not a public place, and 60 tho charge of ■ assoult had been laid. For tho defence it had been suggested that whero tho parties had agreed to fight there could not be an assault, and an instance, was. given of a boxing matoh whero tho contestants had agreed beforehand to fight. This point, however, was niodo'* void by the fact that there had been evidence of angry feeling between the two young' men. They would be fined JB2 each, and costs. ; • '• ; '■~..'■"'

Tho recent departure of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne (Dr. Clarke) for England.has an important bearing on the subject of tho legal nexus which binds tho Church of England in Australia to the parent Church. While in the Old Country Dr. Clarke will tako the opportunity of ascertaining tile views of tho Archbishop of Canterbury, tho English bishops, and other Church authorities upon tho question of tho autonomy of tho Church in Australia. It is expected that Dr. Clarko will return in time-to discuss the results of his visit with the bishops who will assemble in connection With the Church Congress in Brisbane next spring, ": and important proposals will probably be laid before tho> next meeting of the. General Synod. . ■.'."'.-,■ .".. ;

Contractors in Now Zealand are finding it very difficult • to, obtain' delivery *of Australian hardwood timber, particularly ironbark; which is usually heeded in longj lougths in the case of harbour works;! The ncod.is so pressing in ' the, case> .of Messrs. Donald M'Loati and Co;, that Mr. M'Loan has left for Australia in order to. see if he can in \any way: Expedite tho dispatch, of timber ordered some, 1 eight months ago. ■; A: contract'. to extend, tho Glasgow :■ Whirf wos'let -16 Messrs. .'.Ti Dillori'atid C 6.' 6omo four or five, months Ago, but owing to: difficulties, in getting timber the contractors have not yelbjeon alio to make a start with the work. Contrae'tors' generally throughout the 'Dominion have been similarly ', hampered. The cause is said to bo a double first, that the big timtor, area is ■becoming more tomote. and tho diffioulties.of getting "it down to the port .of shiriment arc Increasingly, difficult, -and, ; second, that there is a difficulty, in getting, bottoms to carry tho timber from Clarencb River and Newcastle. ■ '.'

As Christmas Day fell four days ; after, tho Kemuera, left Plymouth, it was Actided to postpone tho Christmas tree, fete provided by tho Now Zealand Shipping Co, until tho New Year,, when theichil-' dren on board,' numbering ,120,. were entertained on the saloon deck, Tho liner had a full complement of passengers in all classes', and an enjoyable voyago" ensued. A fancy dress ball was held, by the first and' second-class passengers four, days bcr fore the Kemuera' arrived, at Hobort, and an equally successful one on. the following ovening by the. third-class passengers, \- ■ ,'; : ;; ■.; ■ \ ;; '.-v.'..:..''' ■] ';•

A third-class passenger, .Miss L. Dnvey, 53 yearß of age,, died tin board R.M.S, RemUera at sett' bn.'January 4'. ;.'.; ■ :.■:

.Tho perils of' interrupting amiui with an accordion bent ort inflicting his minstrelsy upon unwilling ears 1 was* demon: strated on Sunday evening. The 5 p.m. train from Upper Hutt had just'pulled in nt Lower Hutt to tho strains of "Come Back to Erin," when the'tunc Was tem- . pbrarily shifted from. the platform W a first-class smoking ■ compartment,; -Somebody entered a protest, and from song it led-to story; All the w6os ; 6f' o. trodden race were recited, and- the in-: nocent intruder held up to.scbfn'as.ainan without soulf-etc'.' The advent of a ticketcollector'brought forth a ''second"; return -and the man with "the harp' vacated his claim accordingly.,,cratfallen, 'but •indignant. ■ , " J l:'^ V " ' "■'•