IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 158, 28 March 1908, Page 6

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BY TEf.EGEAPH—SPECIAL CORRESrOXDENTS.) AUCKLAND. ■ March '27. Applications for 10,993 acres,' which have been throini open for selection in the; Auckland district, closed at the Crown LandsOffice on Thursday. Though tho exact number received is not yet known, it is'.-anti-cipated that tho applications' will total between . 700 arid - SOO, which'is considered highly satisfactory.- The - most, coveted sections - appear -to he- 1 those- in" the Kawliia' and Waitomo •; Counties; A' number of other sections;, comprising some 3083 acres, have also boon thrown . open • for solection under- tho optional- system ' in.,tho Waitomo, .Waipa, Kawliia, and Opotiki Counties. • Applications " for these close' on April 15, and on April ,24-a ballot will be talien. Electoral Roll, Reporting to the City . Council on the?.. New District Electoral Roll, the city valuer), (Mr. E. Hickling) ; stated • that- the .fieldmcih engaged in tho compilation of tho roll had "reported, that a largo number of people'in the, community- displayed - indifference.-. with - to enrolnient.. In many cases the men could get no information, and were told by the persons canvassed that they did not want to vote. Mr. pickling added, that several. clauses in tbo Act required amending, and said ho would be glad to specify them., A Now Bridge. , Tho foundation stone of the new Grafton Bridge, which is to carry an avenue of traffic cover l the cemetery gully, was laid on Thursday by His Excellency tho Governor. During the courso of his remarks Lord Plunket said:—"You are erecting across this gully a splendid memorial, a testimonial to those who were responsible' in a great measure for tho greatness of Auckland, and to the : increasing signs of the nationality of New Zealand. AVheu you remember thoso who lie below you are raising a memorial to tho work they have done. In tho cemetery beneath where we' stand, repose tho -bones of Governor Hobson, who died , here worn out struggling to' do his duty,' and many mon who hold important positions in Auckland in tho : past. There bo the ashes, of soldiers who died' here in defence of. their Queen and Empire; and tho volunteer colonists who fought shoulder'to shoulder with them for this then struggling country. In the cemetery, also, lie the bones of sailors who died on'the Mariukau. Bar, and many others' wlio worked hero with a pick. and' a shovel,, but had to change them at times for tho rifle. . For .tho future,of Auckland arid this country, therefore, I venture- to , think that- this memorial; that springs up from amongst their.'bones is' ono .of which.you must bo -proud;' In-cpnnectiijn with .' it I, would like; if I <mayi<to(make:.a- suggestion; It is .this, that upon, this, bridge ba placed some tablet ; -or- ornamentation, suitably . inscribed,'. 1 calling 'the'-.attention of .the passers by to tho graves of those who lie below,, the pioneers 'of -this splendid ■ municipality aridcity." . (Loud /applauso.)V , •- Rainfall. ' r ' ; Tho average rainfall i for tho month , of; March-.: for. this ■ past 43 years, -..has--, been 3.5 in:,, but although there {are. yet; six days of the -present 1 month to-.run,, those figures have already been-exceeded;;as.a rainfall of 6.26 in. - has, been' recorded Up ; till Thursday, ,'rain, haying fallon,"on fourteen days/,' It: is interesting -to - compare figures' l .with those, for. Johuary arid February,., when; unusually ,"dry weatherwas ,expcncMed.;'":ln' ■fact, the total rainfall ,for those.,tw6.riioriths; •amounted .to iin. only;' or .to be exact-.99iri. During.., January ~4sin. fell, a. much .'less quantity .than usual, as-, the - average' rainfall, for that month .'for tho past 43 years {has been 2.59 in., while in February .54in, fell as coniparod with,an average of 3.siri. for. the past 43 years. According-to the' observations made by Mr.. Hi B. Dcvcreux, F.R.M.S., the rainfall in Waihi for the .24 hours ended at eight o'clock; on Friday morning was 5.30 in. Already for the month - the fall, has been a record for March, no less than loin V.of rain having been res*istorcd. Tho average (fall for March extending over several years, has been G.SOin. :

CHRIsfCHURCH

: ■; . ''• March 27. An interesting trialof -the ;big ' tramway , road .sprinkler as an-auxiliary,..to the firo : : brigade plant was held on Thursday. On rpj; | ceipt of a supposed; fire'alarm tBo/.sprinkler' was filled up to its full capacity (5000 gal-. Ions) at the raised tramway. tank..' In Tees •than'"two' minutes -from tho '■ signal,. tho. sprinklor\ was ready to proceed /to., tho "of 1 tho outbreak! The ' water '■' iv'Ss •' ilion' pumped by .the sprinkler, into a .canx'as; taiik, from which' one of the' city's, steam extinguishers; drew .two .good- j6t-s .'of; water.. ■ A greater pressure .couild havo beeii given by' the steam engine " the sprinkler discharged two; leads'into the tank. A trial was: then made of the/sprinkler as an. extinguisher, working direct . into ; a-' lead 'of hoso, ",the result being that-a-'good jet .was' thrown to a height: of 25ft,• tho 5000 'gallons lasting 21 minutes'.- Superintendent Smith expressed' -the! opinion - that. the. sprinklers would be Valuable adjuncts ,to the existing' plant■ if • thby could .be used in conveying water to the tanks; in the , city in tho . event •of- thero being'a -serious or, prolonged 'fire; 1 - as they would bo able to discharge'lo,ooo gallons into ai tank, every quarter .'of an hour. The sprinklers oould also be. utilised for fire 3 in suburban parts where there'-was no convenient' water 1 supply for . tho steim '"plant; Ono sprinklerwith 1.5000 gallons .available' would: probably accomplish all that was required in the ordinary suburban-fire. 1

1 ; HASTINGS.

\. ' ■ March 27. Tho portion, of the Borough affected .by tho Government acceding to the petition of Messrs. J. Beatson and others for severance includes anl'area of 900 Macros with a rateable value"-of- £3587. There are; 49' affected, although 17 "of' these still; retain an interest in the Borough., The ■ dislocation is not such' a crushing blow to the Borough, but.it will mean a loss-in the rates, of £300 por annum.' . •

An 'announcement appears ■ in 1 this. issue referring to certain new by-laws, • whioh .were adopted and passed by. the Wellington Harbour Board-on March 26, and will como into force on April 1.-; \. ■ ■'.. ; . Mr. F. P.. Corkill, auctioneer,. Raglan, advertises in this issue'that, under instructions from, tho attorney for the absentee estate of Majo'r-Goneral Dickson, he will offer for sale, by public auction,, on Monday, April 6,' at 4 p.m., sections 8. and 9, Parish of, Whairigaroa, comprising 168-1 acres. , '... . . . It'is notified, by advertisement in this issue! that tho general or main roll of electors' will close for printing-on April 15; 1908,. and it is desirable that all electors who aro qualified to liavo their names added to' the roll ,of their doctoral district, should mako application for enrolment to the local registrar of.electors on 'or before that.date. . Mr. John . Smith, tho Rov. Mr. John. Smith, with, their respeqtivo wives, and a following of relatives! police- official, and domestics, will "face the music" in the Concert Room, Town Hall, on Wednesday and . Thursday, April 8 and 9, under the auspices of'the Victoria College Students' Association.- Tho; leading parts aro being taken by Mr. A. W. Newton, whom tho public of Wellington already, know very favourably, and whoso' part of Colonel Duncan Smith ("Uncan.Duncle") promises to be one of the features of tho performance; Mr. Fredk.W. Roberts, whoso connec-. tioh with leading Sydney amateur theatricals is in itself a sufficient recommendation; Miss Olive Moore, who was the " surprise i packet" in tho recent production of, "Our Boys," .and Miss, May , Newman. Rehearsals are well forward, and the production' should' be-at'-, least as'good : as.any previous/amateur .performance in Wellington. The orchestra is 'under.: the baton-' Of Miss Ethelwyn- Kirk.- , On Thursday next, at. tho Sydney Street' Hall, Miss Beatrice Richmond and Parker irill- commence -a series of five lcct,preconcerts, each ono dealing . with ; the life, and work'of one composer, tho lecturo being illus.tratcd with '.characteristic examples.. of ; ,ihat composer's vocal and instrumental,music.' ..This form of entertainment has, boen : given'beforo in Wellington by Mr'. Parker, and. has proved, very ■ popular.' Concert-goers often ■ complain' that they aro unablo to appreciato' much ,of tho-music-that'thoy hear, Decause they have not had any musical training. This deficiency may bo,-to a large extent, made up by tho. careful study of individual , composers," in tho manner provided, by .the,so lccture-concerts.. They'conibine a delightfurevening's entertainment with useful instruction.' Tho' box plan' is now open at tho Wellington Piano Co.,