LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2330, 11 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

'An exciting runaway occurred in the heart of tho city yesterday .morning, and might easily have resulted in' loss of life. A too-horse lorry, of the Colonial Company, was proceeding down Woodward Street, the 6teep and narrow street leading from Lainbton Quay to ; the Terrace, when the horses took fright and dashed down towards the Quay. The lorry was loaded with heavy paving stones, and these added to the momentum once the vehicle was fairly under way. The driver courageously stuck td his seat, and when the Quay was reached endeavoured to turn the horses. The impetus was too great, howover, and they shot right across the road, and crashed into the plate glass window of Messrs. Johnston and Co., auctioneers. The window was entirely smashed, and one horse was severely cut about the fore legs. The other struck a heavy mattress which waS' leaning against the window, and escaped with' slight injuries., One of tho shafts was broken, but otherwise no damage was done. The driver/ who stayed at his post to the last, escaped uninjured.

, The following sittings of the Court of Appeal at Wellington for 1915 have been tixed: —March 22, by the Second Division of the Court; June 28, by the First Division; September 27, by; the Second Division'.

' Shareholders are reminded that the half-yearly general meeting of the Bank of New Zealand will be held in the Banking House to-day. -at 11 o'clock.

A civil action, the Publio Trustee versus J. B. D. Koch, claim for possession of land, was set down, for hearing at the Supreme Court yesterday, hut was adjourned without a . date being fixed.. The will case, the Publio Trustee versus M'Donald, has been fet down for hearing at 10 a.m. to-morrow.

It will be noted from cur advertising columns that the workers' dwelling, now neariug' completion at the Taitville Settlement, will bo thrown open for public inspection to-morrow. Officers of the Department will be in attendance to show visitors over the houses. The best way. to react the dwellings is for visitors to take the tramcar to the Karori side of the tunnel and walk along Moana. Road. A walk of five minutes will bring visitors to the site of the dwellings. The return journey could be made through Taitville to the Aro Street iram.

This afternoon the Magpies, who ate at present nightly performing, at His Majesty's 1 Theatre, are to visit Fort Ballance to give an entertainment to the Coast Defence Forces stationed there.

A cab .pursuing a most erratic course along one of the publio streets on Wednesday attracted the attention, of a. policeman. The constable _ started in pursuit, and by taking a diagonal path quickly overtook the unstable-looking Vehicle. The driver did not jump at the advent of a-prospective passenger when stopped by the policeman, but simply rolled off ."lis scat into the arms of tho man in blue. The latter summed up tho position, bundled the driver into tho cab, and drove hini to the nearest police statipn. Yesterday the driverpnssenaei' was fined'4os., in default seven days' fiaol, for being drunk while in charge of a vehicle.

The courso of instruction drawn up by tho Wellington Education Board for uncertificated teachers is tho_ same as that ißsued last year. It is understood that a number of the country boards aro copying the Wellington course;

Tho Minister of Defence (the Hon. Jas. Allen) lias received the following letter from Liout.-Colonel 0. P. Winter, Military Secretary for Canada:— "Dear sir,—ln Colonel Hughes's absence, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 23rd September with reference to tho two seta of two filmß of the Hautapu camp, wliich was inspected by Sir lan Hamilton during his recent visit to your Dominion. I beg that you will accept my Minister's very cordial thanks for sending him a set of those films, and to any that at the earliest opportunity uso will be mado of thorn in exhibiting the scones throughout tho military camps of Canada."

At yesterday's mooting of tho Wellington Education-Board o protest was received > from tho Hntt teachers and School Coinmittco against the mode adopted for tho separating of tho Hutt School. Officers of tho board presented figures showing tlint in only two instances might injustico bo dono members, of the teaching staff, and tlio mnticr was loft in ' the hands of tho executive.

A grant of £900 for the addition of two now rooms to tho Monti Bay ptclinnl has licstt n«Un)i'iiictl by Uw Education Board,

The Wellington Education Board met yesterday. ' Mr. J. G. W. Aitken presided. The following authorisations were made: —Newman School, fillets to windows; Groytown, Papawai residence, additional painting; Ngaturi and Kohinui, repair .of chimneys (damage due to earthquake); Kilbir'nie, asphalting: Karori, a subsidy of £ for £ up to £20 for extension of asphalt and repairs; Britomart Street, the retaining wall to bo extended to tho corner of Stanley Street; Tauherenikau, tho foreman to arrange for repair of leaks in residence; Levin, ground improvements, the work to be arranged on the linos recommended by the committoe, lip to tho amount of donation and subsidy available, tho work is ' to be done during tho holidays; Pongaroa, the proposal of tho inspector for additional accommodation to bo approved; Ekotahuna, tender for removal and reerection of fencing to bo aecoptod; Kolburn Infants' School, minor repairs to be attended to. •

So rapidly is a state of effioiency being attained by the Maori troops who have volunteered for the front laid who are now encamped at the Avondale racecourse, that already the oamp is reputed to be one of the quiokest in that respect oh record in this country. Surprising progress has been made in th© seven weeks during which tho 600 members of the Native contingent have been under canvfiß. The results are all the_ more remarkable seeing that the majority of the men have not seen previous service, a few • only having served with the New Zealand forces in the South African war. The marksmanship of the Maoris is reported to be very good.

On Friday week, December 18, "The Messiah" is to. be sung once more by the Royal Wellington Choral Society at Me Town Hall, under the baton of Miv Herbort Bloy. The soloists engaged are Soprano, Miss Annetta George (London); contralto, Miss Mina Caldow; tenor, Mr. Martin Duff (Dunedin). Arrangements have been completed with Messrs. J. and N. Tait for the first appearance in New Zealand of the famous English basso, Sir. Peter Dawson. Although Mr. Dawson has not appeared in person in New Zealand he is well known from the gramaphone records. Ihe box plan will open at the Dresden on Friday at 9 o'clock, where 3s. and ■is. seats can be reserved. 1

At an inquest held- by. Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., into the death -J Patrick •a 1 1?' Wellington Hospital as the result of injuria received through being run over by a train at the Thorndon Railway Station, the Coroner returned a verdict that death ;vas caused by shock, duo to the injuries received. No blame was attachable to anyone.

A few days ago Detective Mason and Constable Larkin arrested a man at Grey town on a charge that, on October 23 at Greytown, he did Bteal fivo oxen, valued at £42 10s., the property of George Peacock Harrison. Accused will appear beforo tho Court at Greytown to-day, when he will also be charged with, on September 28, stealing twp oxen, valued at £17, also from Harrison.