LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1790, 1 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"Regarding this case," said Mr, P. S. K. Macassey, Crown Solicitor, acting jn several milk prosecutions which wer? taken beforo the Magistrate's Court terday, "the amount of added water was 15 per cent. That means," continued counsel, "that about one-seventh of the material sold nas water. In one hundred gallons there would bo 15 of water, so that a man practically makes up his, fino in ai day." On behalf of the Government, the Hon. B. Heaton I?,bodes (Postmaster-Qeneral) ■ forwarded to - Captain Halsey, of H.M.S. New Zealand, a framed sot of New Zealand postage stamps, and also an album containing a complete sot for his daughter. Before leaving Auckland on Saturday last, Captain Halsey sent tho following message to Mr. Rhodes:—"Will you Kindly, on my behalf, thank tho Government of the Dominion for their kind present of a framed set of New Zealand postage stamps, and also for the lovely album which you have sent to my daughter from tho Government? It is a really nice memento of our visit to New Zealand, and my daughter and I will value them very much indeed." Complaints from various places have been received by the -Minister for Marino (the Hon, F. M. B.' Fisher) about excessivo charges which it is said arc being made by retail fishermen for oysters. In somo places as much as 2s. Gd. a bottle (containing four or five dozen) is being charged for oysters which aro procured from the State at a fraction oyer lid. per dozen. "If I find, as a result of inquiry, that the public are being subjected to an imposition," the Minister informed a, reporter last evening, "then tho Marine Department will take into serious consideration tho question of not merely selling oysters wholesale, but fixing a retail price." Wood-blocking to the value of £3230 is to be laid down in Wellington during the current financial year. This item in tho estimates refers to tho wood-blocking of Lower Cuba Street, down to the junction of Mercer Street and Jervois Quay. On account of that part of Lower Cuba Street immediately opposite Mr. Geo. Winder's shop having a rather abrupt slope down to the water channel, tho spot as a stopping place for tho Wallace and Constable Streets cars was u, very awkward, one as the sudden slope away of the road made tlio tramway steps inches 'higher than they would be on a wood-blocked road. For that reason that .portion of the work has already been done, but tho rest of tho work will not bo put in hand until early next .year. In the meantime the blocks will be brought and stored until tho coming summer. Such work, it is stated, cannot bo done satisfactorily in tho winter months. "How long" have you been a milk inspector?" asked Mr. M. Myers of a witness in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Witness: "About six months." Mr. Myers: "What were you before then?" Witness: "A bricklayer." The compctitivo designs for the Infant and Normal School and Training College to bo eroded at ICelburne, which were submitted to tho Wellington Education Board, were on viow publicly yesterday. If tlio designs in question are to be taken • as a sample of New Zealand's future style of building, then tho future buildings are not going to bs very imposing. Many of the eicvations shown were anything but original. Glancing at the various elevations, one could hardly b? impressed from an artistic point of view, with many of those submitted. In the Court of Appeal yesterday Mr. M. Myers mentioned the cose 6f Ross v. Cnssells to come before a Full Bench of the Supreme Court. It was an appeal from a magistrate's decision, by which Ross had been convicted uf a breach of the Gaming Act. While (lie question of a fixture w-.is being disciifwd, .Mr. Justice Chapman remarked: "If there is an undue suspension of the business of the parties concerned you are of course entitled to an early hearing." Ilis Honpur'* remark waa followed by a rohoral 6Jnllo.

, It is understood that the motor-lorries I to bo ordered by the City Council for tho ' Tramways Department; are to )jo used to ! link up Constable Street and Kilbirnie i South. > At its last' meeting the City Council decided to raluco (lie price of electric - current for lighting by Id. per unit. Tlio \ present price to the ordinary consumer is ' lOd. per unit, and 3d. per unit discount i if tho account lie paid before a certain [ dale during the succeeding month. How i the latest reduction—which dales from ' October I—will1 —will he made, lias not yet been decided, but it will probably take " the form of an extra penny discount, and : so act as au extra, inducement, for the • public to pay up promptly. The fact , that several private firms are considering the advisableness of laying down muchinery plants to generate their own current ' is'said to have been one of the motives I for the council's action in reducing the ) price of electricity. An attempt to break into the Thorndon railway Iwokiug office is clmr £- cd against a man who was arrested by Detectives Ttawle and Dcmpsey yesterday, r .An application for a leaso of 1000 acres of land near Waiotapn is being made to the Mines Department by an Auckland syndicate with a view to prospecting for 3 petroleum, Mr. H. It. Cooke, acting on . behalf of the syndicate, had an interview with tho Minister for Mines (the Hon. " W. Fraser) yesterday. Messrs. W. D. l " S. Macyonald (representative of tho dis--3 trict), l'\ Mnnder, and J. S. Dickson, > M.l'.'s, were also present. Tho Minister L . stated that two other similar applications had been received. Ho said tlia-t while ' lie would grant the application or applit cations subject to' the prescribed condil tions, lie would like to see all the upplit cants before coming to any definite <lc- , eision. The .area applied for is within , the tehrmat springs area 1 , but under J legislation passed last session, tho Minis--1 tor has power to grant such, applications, - provided that he is satisfied that proper , safeguards are observed. In tho present case tho applicants have consulted tho " Government geologist as to tho advisablet ness of putting down bores in tho tlier- , inal springs area and they state that Ilia I answer was not unfavourable to tho proj posal. c Tlio opening of the Wellington Diocesan Synod, arranged for Wednesday next, hag 1 been postponed until Saturday, July 5, fc at 8 p.m. His Excellency the Governor will bo present.