LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2786, 2 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Commenting on tho statement made recently in Cliristchurch by Bishop Sedgwick, of AVaiapn, to the effect that it was impossible lor a man to live a straight life and succeed commercially, the Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. A. AV. Averill) stated last week (says the "Herald") that he did not in the least agree with the statement, which had been made without thought or considertion. The idea was erroneous and foolish, because it was well known that tliero were honest men in business as in any other calling of life. There were "black sheep" among the ranks of ministers, as there were in every. profession and trade, but because thero were a few "black sheep" it did not follow that the whole class should be condemned. "My experience of business men," concluded Dr. Averill, "is that tliey are strictly honest and straight. I consider Bishop Sedgwick's statement to bo too sweeping, and altogether uncalled for." Shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday the City Firo Brigade receivod a call to a tworoomed cottage at 3G Frederick Street, occupied by . Henry Gcorgo Walsh. The outbreak was not of a serious nature, the damage being vory slight. Tho house is owned by the Moltau Estate Coy.; Palmerston North, and is insured in the l'hoenix Office for „CSO. Thero are no insurances on tlio contents. A civic recaption is to bo accorded (o Sir Eider Haggard in tho Council Chamber at noon on Monday next. It was decided at last evening's meeting of the City Council that tho application of the Hatuitai Municipal Electors' Association for the widening of Waitoi, lioad be not agreed to at present. An application for tho formation of an approach to Jl'Kenzio Terrace was not granted. To tho credit of commercial travellers be it said, "No Rubbing Laundry Help" is selling fast, Is. package sufficient seveai weeks' washing. Contains nothing injuri. ous: £10 guarantee. All gram.—Advt.

Tho Chief Justice is a living example of tho fact that a Scotsman may havo a keen sense of the relish for hunipur. He' not only cracks a joke himself occasionally, but draws on his fund of acquired humour. Yesterday, at the hearing of evidence before tho Railway Deviation Commission, of which Sir Robert Stout is chairman, the question arose whether he should hear oounsel to;day or postpone it until next day; His Honour did not mintl which course were, taken, but stipulated for brevity in- the forensic harangues, being unwilling to spend more than a day on counsel's addresses. He was reassured on this point, and expressed great approval of Mark Twain's predeliction for short speeches. Tho Yankee humorist, he said, objected to long speeches; twenty minutes was his tirai-limit. "If a man t?pl£ longer he either could not bore for oil or there was 110 oil there." Counsel might be forgivon for taking another view, but they allowed themselves to pmilo at Sir Robert Stout's gentle Hint, Bud probably thought that the humorist jwas not referring to professional speakers, but only amateurs.'

Oh Tuesday evening the Hutt and Petone Railway Section of the National Reserve held its usual parade, Lieut. Simons being the O.C. The platoon was lurther instructed in barrel pier buildand the work showed a marked improvement on previous efforts.

• tS $ os ', n| ' 1 ! 0,lr shooting galleries in n) 1 " ,n has boon extended from 10,ii0 p.m. to 11 p.m. A by-law to that eltect was agreed to by the council last evening.

Already 250 officers of tho Bank of New Zealand in the Dominion have enlisted, diul have either gone, or are on their way, to the front, and this total will soon be increased to 850.

-i s Gazette that nndei the Prisoners' Detention Act Wellington Prison has been declared by tho Gover-lior-ia-Couneil a prison hospital.

Interviewed at Dunedin this week respecting the alleged prevalence of certaui diseases in New Zealand just now Dr. Valmtino, Chief Health Officer, stated that although the reports were very much exaggerated, the Minister of Public' Pealt'h' was emphatic in his determination to introduce legislfitipn during Hie present session very much on the lines suggested by the report of the recent lwyal Commission on social diseases. It was thpi)ght that no good would bo attained by patting into operation anything in the nature of a Contagious Diseases Act, but that other means would most assuredly bp undertaken.

The City Council agreed last evening, in answer to a petition that butchers' shops could be kept open until 7 p.m. on Friday, when the succeeding day was declared a general holiday,

pouncillor W. H. P. Barber with much consideration dwelt upon tho unhappy lot of the tramways pointsman who was employed at the foot of Cuba Street, who doubly risked his life from exposure to tho weather, and a knock-out blow from, a car, and.asked that automatic levers be procured instead of those manually shifted. The 'Mayor said that tho Tramways Manager had recommended the same thing ovs* a year ago, Imt it was absolutely impossible to ■ get' the material at the present time. > .

Two mild cases of scarlet fever have developed at the Harrow Neck Camp (says the "New Zealand Herald"). Tho medical authorities haro thought it advisable to place the Maoris who paraded oa Saturday in quarantine for the present in order not to run the rislc of infection.

At the meeting of the City Council last evening it was decided that the oharge ipr the use of. tho city reserves for the present winter seasop be reduced from <£10 10s. to c£s 55., owing to the strained financial circumstances of the sports bodies, and also that no charge bo mado for the use of the Lyall Bay reserve as no money is to bo spent on that ground.

Although Shakespeare is "caviare" to the sjeneral public he 'finds admirers in unlikely places. After the recent Tercentenary celebrations in Wellington, which were an artistic and financial succesa, Mrs. Hannah, who took a leading part in the performances,' received a letter from a lighthouseTkeeper, who stated that his time was spent between his work and the study of the immortal pages of the Bard of Avon. Realising that Shakespeare wrote for the stage, he,had often desired to see his plays represented on the boards, and as he was visiting Wellington at the time, of the Tercentenary celeliration6, he attended them, and desired to express' the pleasure he derived, from the efforts of the Wellington amateurs. Not only did tho committee give pleasure to the patrons of the pageants, but they derived considerable profits, amounting to nearly ,£250, which will augment the funds of the Red Cross. Shakespeare evidently does not always spell ruin. Th/tj committee proposes to keep itself alive and help to perpetrate the memory of Shakespeare by holding annual birthday celebrations.

The Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music, London, has awarded an exbibition to Miss Madelaine Hooker, as the result of her examination in pianoforte at the Timaru centre last year. Miss Hooker comes from Hawera, and was only 16 years of age at the time of her examination. The practical examinations in all centres this year will be conducted by Mr. Arthur Hinton, who has not previously yjs-it-ed New Zealand. Mr. Hinton will reach the Dominion at the end of August, and examinations will be held as nearly as possible on the same dates as last year.

Last evening the City Council passed a resolution disagreeing with the proposal to erect a toll gate on the Hutt Road (under the control of tho Hutt Road Board) to assist tho finances of contributing bo.li s.s.

Mr. H. ■ Symes, of Dunediu, is at present in' Wellington, with tho object of under the notice of the Postal authorities an important innovation in connection jvith tho. automatic telephone system. An official trial of the apparatus was made on Wednesday by the experts of the Telegraph Department, and tho results will bo made known in due course. Patent rights have been secured, and Mr. Symes is about to proceed to Australia and America to bring his instrument under notice in those countries, Tho Arbitration Court sits at Christcliurch on. June 12. There is a very long list of matters to deal with. A special sub-committee of the City Council visited tho Hutt Road and Ngnhauranga Gorge for a double purpose yesterday. . The members inspected the worn places on the main Hutt Road between Kniwarra and Ngahauranga, whero ' in places the surface metal had been worn, down to the beach boulders, necessitating a new sheathing of metal, and a sui-facc blinding. Tho sub-committee also inspected a metal quarry in | the Ngahauranga Gorge, from which, futuro supplies of metal for the -repair of tho Hutt Road may be obtaiiiSd. Yesterday evening iii the Alexandra Hall in Abel Smith Street, Miss Adela Pankhurst gave' another address, her subject on this occasion being constructive pcace proposas. A great deal of matter relevant and irrelevant was dealt with by her in the" course of the hour and a half during which she 6poke. That the meeting was not in agreement with Miss Pankhursfs views ' was shown by the questions which were asked at the close of the address, nor woro her answers considered satisfactory by the questioners. At present Ohiro Road extends from Aro Street (to the west of the Wellington Bowling Club's Bowling Green) to tho seashore at Ohiro Bay. As the house numbers are duplicated in some cases on this long stretch of road, the City Council decided last evening to divide the road in two. For tho future Ohiro Road will extend from Aro Street to Tanera Terrace, Brooklyn, and that stretch of road from Tanera Crescent to Ohiro Bav will be known as tho Happy Valley Road. Tho Reserves Committee of the City Council decided last evening that the Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association bo informed in reply to their request for the acquisition of land opposite the' Island Bay tramway terminus as a reserve for the public, that the council regrets that it cannot accedo to the request, owing to, tho heavy strain upon tho corporation's finances caused by the war. Tho association is also to be inofrmed that tho valuation nf the City Valuer does not reach the figure at which tho land was offered to the council.

At the City Council meeting last oven* ing the Mayor and Councillors G. Frost and J. Godber were appointed the council's delegates to the proposed conference of contributing local bodies to tho Wellington Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board to discuss the question of the increased financial levies on local bodies.

Two blocks, of land in the Watamarina burvey District, Marlborough, having an area of 230 and 251 acres respectively, liavo been gazetted as 6et apart for tho use of discharged soldiers, by way of 6alo or lease under special tenures. Hutt Eoad matters were briefly discussed at last night's meeting of the Onslow Borough Council, when tho question of tolls was mentioned. The Lower Hutt Borough- Council asked tho Onslow Borough Council to approve of the following resolution"That wing to the heavy drain upon the resources of the local bodies finaiicmlly interested in the maintenance of tho Mutt lload, this council is of the opinion that the time has arrived when a toll-gate should be erected at the most convenient spot on that portion of tho road which is under tho control of the Hutt lload Board of Control." Councillor Apploton strongly objeotud to tho idea of erecting a toll-gate, which he described as a ''relic of barbarism." Other councillors were of the same opinion, and (subsequently it was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Appleton, "That ,tho council agrees to fall in with tho object of the Hutt Council to obtain financial assistance, but deprecates the idea of a tolktux.

On the, recommendation of tho Bylaws Committee, it was decided by the City Council last evening that a general instruction be issued that in. future ail permission for street signs shall be granted only by agreement drawn up by tho City Solicitor, .

Messrs. J, H. JJelhuno apd Co., at their rooms yesterday afternoon, sold at auction a residential property in Thorn, don. Thia comprised' freehold land 'having a frontage of 21ft. to Hobson Crescent by a. <lepth of 104 ft. 6in. (widening to 83ft. 3in. at the back boundary), and abutting on to the Thorndon tennis courts, Tvitii the nine-roomed lioubo, No* 2D Hobson Crescent, thereon. The p'upj chaser was Mr. A. H. HindmarsK, M-P.j as agent, and the prico .£1650.