LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the b.s. Maheno, which sailed fronv Sydnev for Auckland on April 2, has on board ai Australian mail, also aa English mail via Suez. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express on Monday next. Reserved judgment will bo delivered bv Mr. Justice Chapman in the Supreme Court this morning in tho following cases:—Porter v. the Wellington City Gouncil; Baker, v. Potter; and Henderson v. Gurr. . - In view of recent happenings at Lower Hutt, tho local council havo arranged to place motor "traps" at various intervals along their portion of tlio Main Road. Certain points will bo selected, tho distance measured off, and telepliono communication established between the "traps," which will bo in cliargo of a man with a stop-watch. An objector to his valuations, when before tho Auckland City Assessment Court, argued that auction pticcs were tho fairest thing to go by. because peoplo sometimes paid fancy figures privatclv for a property particularly desired. The City Valuer said:—"You have taken a fancy price for some of yours," to which tho reply was: "Of course. I got all I could." Tho objection was not upheld. To-morrow the Rev. E. 0. 13Iamires will' preside for tlve last time over the Wellington Central Mission, services prior to taking his departure for his new cliargo at Hawora. -Three Sunday school anniversary and 'farewell services will be held. Mr. Blnmircs will preside at the sorvico ill the Herbert Street Ilall at 11 a.m. and at the service in tho New Theatre at 7' p.m. At tho service in the Herbert Street Hall at .'I p.m., Mrs. Blnmires will deliver an address to young people. At. all the services there will be specinl singing by a choir composed of children belouging' to the Sunday jchcol.

"I think you aro forgetting these men aro seamen, and. will navo to bo treated as seamen!" said Mr. J. 11. Pollock, in referring to tho matter of tlw refreshments to bo provided at the. fcto on AA'ednesdny week at Newtown Park. "If yon doii'it get them up thero beforo half-past one, you probably won't got them at all." (Laughter.) Mr. Pollock's remarks were responsible for the decision (tentatively arrived at) that tlio fcto shall extend from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. On the advice of Mr. AV. A. Morton it was decided that tho time would largely depend on what leavo tlio men would bo given, and that it would bo best to consult 'tho officers of tho warship beforo committing themselves to anything . definite. Tlio pulpit at St. John's Church tomorrow morning will bo occupied by Dr. Chapman., who has been conducting tho mission during tlio past fortnight. In the evening Dr. Gibb r s thcino will be, ' AY hat I I'ind ill Christ." At itho Lyceum Theatre, Pelono, last night, an _ entertainment, was • given by local musical talent and Havward's Picturo Proprietary, for tho purpose of. wipiug off tho debt of tho Pelono Municipal Band. There was a. very attendance, and itlio proceeds amounted to about ,£2O. Pedestrians and drivers of vehicles wero considerably inconvenienced last night through the large gas lamps on tho Lower liutt main bridge .not being alight. Tho lamps aro worked on tho clock system, and were either out of gear or else the pressure was too weak. The conference of Native Land Court Judges, convened by the Hon. AY. H. Herrics, concluded its business yesterday after sitting for throe 'days. Tho question as to whether a Masonic Lodge building should bo rated at its full capital value camo Wore Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., at the sitting of the Auckland Assessment Court for tho Citv on Thursday. It was in respect to the Eden Lodge, Upper Queen Street. Tho objectors argued that it. was a semi-charit-able institution, and contended that they therefor© did not get tho samo returns from tlio; hall as if it wero a business premises.; Tho valuation was, however, sustained, A five-year-old son of Mr. Georgo Dryburgh, foreman of the stables of tlio Bacchus Marsh Milk Company, Sydney, was rescued from a box, tlio lid of which closed on him, after having been, imprisoned for two hours, The child wandered away in tho afternoon, and his non-appearance at tea-timo filled his parents with deep concern., Mr. Dryburgh mado an exhaustive search in the western end of tho city, but could glean no tidings of his son. It was a lucky thought that prompted Mr. Dryburgh to go into the stables, for on entering tlio yard he heard a noiso as of someone knocking. Running to one of tho company s wagons, he located tho sounds in a box. Ho called out, and received the reply, in ■ muffled tones, liko those of a ventriloquist, "I'm in this bos, Daddy." Ihe poor little boy was in a pitlablo condition when he was taken out of the box. His faco was streaming with perspiration, and he was''unable to stand. A mission steamer as a, medium for the expression of sentimental tribute is illustrated by the graceful action ot the Southern Cross each time she enters tlio porti of Auckland in dipping her flag whoa opposite tho old mission station at Ivoliimarama. ' It is doubtless an act of veneration in memory of tho founder (tho late Bishop Sclwyn), but probably ono of thankfulness also for safe return from the perils •of etormy eeas and savage shores. Tho Southern Cross is now on one of her periodical visits to Auckland. The Hon, R, H. Rhodes (Minister for Public Health) lias not yet arrived at a regarding tho proposal brought under his notice by a deputation from the Horowhenua County Codicil on .Thursday to transfer tho northern part of tho Horowhenua County fTom tho AY'ollington Hospital ; District to that under tho control of tho Palmerston Hospital Board, but ho.)mentioned ,ono .possibility to a reporter yustenlay- which was not raised by tlio deputation. Under tho existing, law relating' to counties it is quito open to tho northern ridings of tho Hcrpwhenua County, which desire to bo added to the Palmerston Hospital"District, to form themselves into a nSw county. The difficulty regarding hospital districts would then disappear, as .tilie AYollington Hospital Board is willing to relinquish its control over' tho area contained, in the ridings, and tho Palmerston Board is willing to add this to its territory. Possibly, however, considerations connected with rating may arise which would prevent the separation of tho northern ridings from the Horowhenua County and tho formation of a separate county. Failing an adjustment of this nature, the only way in which tho desired transfer of territory from ona hospital district to another can be effected is (as stated by Mr. Rhodes in replying to the Horowhenua deputation) by an amendment of the Hospitals Act. A statement furnished by tho cicrlc of the Raglan County Council (Mr. H. Marsland) gives an interesting illustration of the, manner in which European settlement is solving tho difficulty of obtaining rates from _ itho communistic lands of , tho Maoris. During tho financial year which has jnst closed, the Raglan Council, for the fifth year in succession, collected tho wholo of the rates payable by Europeans. Native-occupied lands wero not being placed on the rate-book, as under tho existing law it is virtually impossible to enforce payment. Tho pur.chaso and settlement of Native lands by the Government, and' the leasing of lnrgo blocks to Europeans, 'is greatly assisting towards- a solution of this intricate questibn. In the year 1010-11, the total general rates received from the wh-ole of To Aknu (including the uresont To Akau and Port Waikato Ridings), amounted to .£lB Os. 10d., while for tlio past year itlio amoihit from the samo area exceeded .£SOO. This increase, Mr. Marsland states, was due solely to the advent of European settlors to tho Native lands. Tho monthly service for men only will be held in St. Mark's Church, Dufferin Street, at 3 p.m. to-morrow, when mi address will bo given by tho vicar, the Rev. C. P. Askew, on "Is Religion Reasonable." Prior to commencement of tho service a solo will bo sung by tlio Rev.' A. AV. H. Compton, and several sielections will be rendered by tho organist (Mr. L. P. Watkins). "This motor-car traffic wants special treatment; if s abnormal," said tho Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr) before the Mangere Bridge Commission. "The Govertment should tax- the motorists, as is dono in every other country, for tho ut>keep of roads. _ .They should have to pay n special benzine tax ; or something liko that. The 1 Government should. subsidiso this 'tax, and devote it to tho main roads Mid bridges, and then we might have them in decent repair." Mr. Parr also stated that all tho cars woro imported, the money thus going out of tho country. Referring later on to tho AVaitakoro Ranges, Mr. Parr said: "Wo have ono of the finest natural oarksin tho southern hemisphere in those •anges,_ and now these wretched motorists there. Tho Government vill surely liavo to interfere, or they vill havo us bankrupt." A peculiar accident befel William Buterworth, an Auckland Harbour Board miployee, at Mechanics'' Bay at about lalf-past four o'clock on Wednesday af.ernoon. Blasting operations aro in process in connection with' excavation work ■ it _ tho cliff •at the end of tho Kinir's i Drive, and an explosion occurred at tho ■ nomont Butterworth wa? about to enter i lie office, which' is some 250 yds. away, i o draw some pay. A pieco of rock," < weighing four or five pounds, was hurled ' nto the air by the blast, and descending i ■truck Butterworth ' heavily over tho ' loart. Dr. King was summoned to attend i ■ho'mail, and finding that ho was suffer- < ng great agony, ordered his immediate < v.moval to tho hospital. It is feared that ' Jutterworth has had several ribs broken, ' uid that they were pressing on the heart] 1 lis conditions was such as to occasion 1 omo anxiety. . , l Tho executive of the New Zealand Naional Schools Defence League met yester- | lay afternoon, and decided to issuo all ifficial reply to the Bishop of Nelson's re- ; .•cut deliverauce on tho, attitude of the t Women's Christian Temperance Union to- j vards tho question of Bible in schools. t 'At n meeting of tho Wellington Atli- \ etic and Cycling Club, held on Thursday r ironing. it was decided to abandon tho 1 >roposal Ip hold a sports meeting this o nonth, owing Jo no definite reply having .■ >cen received from 'tlio City Council as 1 o a ground. I Notices of Sunday services will bo found [ m page 1 of this issue. • j t