LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1796, 8 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A man who took a rather ostrich-like course up the Magistrate's Court yesterday had not been many moments in the hall of justice before ho would probably havo gladly hidden his- head in the sand had there been any about. "Stand over there, please," said Mr. Wilford, directing the man. "Oh, no; over here," said one of the Court officials, who added: "Ho hasn't been charged." "Hasn't been charged?" ejaculated Mr, Wilford. "I thought he was well charged." The man wcj formally charged, and the clerk was about to ask him how he pleaded. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.: "I wouldn't ask tho defendant to plead." Tho man mumbled something. Mr. liiddell: "It doesn't matter what you are. You aro not in a fit condition to appear before tho Court. The easo Will be adjourned till you sober yourself up." Defendant: "Bight oh, sir." As slated in tho Governor's Speech to Parliament, General Sir lan Hamilton will visit New Zealand in April next. Ho will in that time inspect all tho forces, and in order to enable him to do so, the four big divisional camps aro to bo held then in order that he may re© as much of the territorial army as possible. lie will report to tho New Zealand Government and Homo Government on our forces. In regard to the agitation for the continuance of the running of tho second Main Trunk express between Wellington and Auckland, the council of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce received a lottol- from the Minister for Railways (tho Hon. W. H. Herries), stating that it wag hoped to reinstato the second express in the coming spring.

Clergymen of tho Church of England in tho Wellington Dioceso havo not a groat deal to look forward to in the way of pension after their torm of office. Tho maximum yearly pension, heretofore has been ,£IOO, but it is now proposed to raise it to i!HO. Mr. Hadfield pointed out at last night's meeting of Synod that this is a very paltry sum to bo paid to a clergyman who had spent his life in the servico of the Church. Ho instanced one (reoipient of the pension who had 47 years of active service.

At yesterday's meeting of the Council of tho Chamber of Commerce, a letter was read from tho Wellington Master Grocers' Association, intimating that for eonio time past hardship had been entailed upon members through tho Magistrates in regard to the law respecting the recovery of debts. Tho association propose to sond a douptation to tho Minister for Justice "begging him to alter the ideas of tho Magistrates with respect to making orders for payment on judgment summonses." It is the idea of the association that every association of employcrs in Wellington should send a deputation to the Minister to air their grievances. One member suggested that they would Only bo making a laughingstock of themselves if they took such a niattet before tlio Minister for Justice. It was quite certain that the Minister could not very well alter tho ideas of Magistrates. The Chamber decided to reply stating that it (could not act as' requested.

Tho legal firm of Stafford and Treadwell is to bo dissolved, and each partner ■will practice on his own account. _ The firm is one of tho oldest in tho Dominion, having been established as far back as 1842.

Nominations for th© annual ©lectioil of members to tho Wellington Education Board closed yesterday. Tho members for two> out of tho three wards wcro reelected. unopposed. Ifor tho City Wtird, Mr. Robert Lee (tiro retiring member) is opposed by Miss Mary Elizabeth. Richmond. For Wiairarapa Ward, Mr. A. W. Hogg is Td-olectecl unopposed. For Hutt-lforowhonua Ward, Mr. W. 11. Eieltl is also re-eleoted unopposed.

Tho Mayor of Lower Hutt (Mr. E. P. Bunny), speaking at tho Hutt Hoad, deputation which waited on tho Hon.. W. H. Herries yestorday, said that some years ago his borough spent .£70,000 on a water und drainage system, thus raising its annual interest payments to iC5009. Yet tho Hospital and Charitable Aid levy during the same period had just doubled.

Tlio Tramways Board of Management havo notified the Miramar Council, in reference to a deputation which waited on tho City Council, asking that tho present 7.28 a.m. car cfnom Mioamar terminus ehoilld start earlier, that arrangements can bo made to start the car at 7.16 a.m. This alteration will necessitate tho cars at present timed to leave Lambton Station at B.G a.m. and Miramar at 8.46 a.m. departing ten ininute3 earlier. In regard' to the suggestion to start tho Seatoun car at 8.21 a.m. instead of 8.28 a.m., tlio 'board lias replied that it is l not possible to make this alteration, owing to ■ tho car being one' of tho regular Service earst and any change in its running would necessitate 'the rearrangement of the whole Kilbirnie tunnel service.

Last winter a ewe fell over the big papa cliff overlooking tho Mangaweka Recroution Ground. The animal was caught on a ledge after falling a considerable) distance, and managed to exist oil tho face of the cliff. The ewe subsequently gave birtli to a lamb, and both animals aro apparently thriving on tho Bteep face. How they manage to Obtain a foothold on the cliff is surprising; but they move ibout with great freedom, and are apparently content with their precarious lot. The only feed accessible to them, says tho "Doily Times," is a patch of stunted ecrub 011 a ledge here and there, and a patch or two of grass. Tho monthly meeting of tho counoil of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce, held yesterday; was presided over by Mr. A. M. Mabin. Messr3. D. A. Craig (Clarton, Hodgson, and Co., Ltd.) and J. M. Muir (Joseph Nathan and Co., Ltd) were olected members. Resignations wore receive<l from Messrs. P. J. Nnthan (Joseph Nathan and Co., Ltd.), E. W. Arinit, and F. W. Ponder (National Cash Register Co., Ltd). At. yesterday's meeting, of tho council of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W. G. Dutluo reminded the members tliat some years ago Sir Joseph Ward had asked the Chambers of Commerce throughout Now Zealand what amendments were wanted in the Bankruptcy Act. Tho piatter was then gone into, a Bill i was drawn up, approved by the Associated Chambers of Commerce, and forwarded on to the Government. Since thou they had heard nothing about it. On the motion of Mr, Duthie, it was docided to write asking tho Prime Minister when the nrOposed measure was to bo brought before Parliament. Tho KaTori East Post Office is now a money order find savings bank office, tho afconcy being in ohorpo of Mr» C. Richards, bookseller.

I Tho president of tho Wellington Acclimatisation Society (Mr. L. 0. H. Triirp) wrote to yesterday's meeting of tho Chamber of Commerce asking tho council to pass ft resolution to the effect that tho killing of opossums should bo regulated and only allowed during certain months. Tho Wellington Society (ho pointed out) had for many years beon catching opossums in the south, and turning them out in the ParaparaumU bush and tho Wninui bush. If tho killing of opossums wero regulated, eventually a largo trado in opossum skills would, it was urged, grow up, and New. Zealand would havo another valuable industry. Mr. Tripp said ho had received a telephone message only that morning from a man who stated quito indignantly that it had como to his laiowledgo'that two men, had caught 203 opossums in 17 days at Paraparaumu. Thcw) would bo wortli, perhaps, 15s. each, which showed the value thero was in the skin,?. It simply moant, lie said, that these harmless and timid little animals, which wero easily killed, were being ruthlessly slaughtered. On the motion of Mr. J. B. M'Ewan, it was decided to ask tlio Government to protect opossums. On August 3, ex-pupils of th'o Otago Boys' Iligh School aro to celebrate tho jubilee of tho foundation of their school. It is expected that a considerable number of old boys resident in Wellington will attend the functions to bo hold in Dunediiv but it is qlso intended to celobrato the occasion in Wellington, and a meeting of old boys of tho school will be held this week to discuss details. A lecture under the auspices of the Wellington Pliilosophical ' Society was delivered by Dr. C. Chilton!, Professor of Biology at Canterbury College, in tho Town Hall Concert Chamber last night, on "Biological Results from Antarctic Exploration." Their Excellencies the Earl and tho Countess of Liverpool were present. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided. Dr. Chilton, traversed in rapid review the. history of tho principal exploring expeditions that hare gone down into the frozen South Polar regions. By a series of interesting limelight views he showed tho strange animal and bird lifo of the Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic zones, and then went on to speak of the still more strango living things in tho sea on. which these larger mammals and_ birds feed'. Ho spoke also of vegetation, tho very few plants and lichens which can endure the severity of the cLiinnto in the wind-beatan Sub-Antarctic islands. Prom all of his data he drew contain conclusions, that at somo time in tlio historj; of tho world that region must have enjoyed a climate that was more or less temperate, and that there must havo been possible _in somo long distant age ' communication, among certain of tho well-known islands of the Antarotic Ocean. A vote' of thanks was, on tho motion of Mr. G, M. Thomson. M.P., accorded tho lecturer.

Mr W. Douglas, local manager for the film of Jolm Fuller and Sons, received a cablegram from Sydney last evening announcing an important move in the moving picture world. Tho message was to the effect that Mr. Clias. Spencer, of the Australian General Film Company, lias scoured sole rig'hts\ in Australasia of tlio following American firms:—Lubin, S. and A. (12ssanay), and Kalem. This means that as Messrs. John Fuller and Sons and Haywards Picture Enterprises aro associated with tho Australian General Film Company, New Zealand will got tho benefit of the new arrangement. < The Director of tho Wellington Technical School (Mr. La T'robo) lias written to the council of tho Chamber of Commerce respecting the annual prize essays, and suggesting certain conditions as submitted to him by Mr. Kockcl, of tho Technical Day School". A ifoto was appended hoping tliat tho Chamber of Commerce would bo sufficiently interested in tho matter to agree to tho suggestions. and perhaps mako a small ;nnt for tho prizes, which would bo called the "Wellington Chamber of Commerce Prizes." Alter a brief discussion, it was decided to intimate to tho Director 01 the Wellington Technical School that the council could not entertain the idea of giving prizes.