LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 293, 4 September 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Government has mado a grant of £495 to tho Education Board, for tho enlargement of the Martinborough School. The Manawatu. Lodgo, No. 73, situated at Foxton, has been registered as a branch of tho Grand Lodge of the North Island of Now Zealand of the United Ancient Order of Druids, under the Friendly Societies Act, 1908. • The .committee appointed by tho Wellington Presbytery to confer with tho Rev. J. Gibson Smith respecting his views 011 tho Atonement, held a conference with Mr. Smith yesterday, and will meet again this morning. The committee will report to the Presbyter; on September 15. Tho members of the Christchurch Savago Club, who are to visit the Wellington Club 011 Saturday, aro to bo entertained at lunch at the Grand Hotel at 1 p.m., after which they will bo taken for a trip to Somes Island 011 tho janie Scddon. They will dino at tho Grand Hotel at 6.15 p.m. with tho officers of tho local club, and later in tho evening' will supply tho programmo at tho korero to be held at tho Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street. His Excellency tho Governor wilj presido at the korero. The "Now York World" celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary 011 Slay 10 last. On that day there was issued tho largest daily newspaper ever printed (so it is claimed)—a 200-pago "Sunday World"—for tlio printing of which 000 tons of whito paper wero used, or 1552 rolls, requiring '15 20-ton cars to transport from .the mills, and 141 6-ton trucks to haul to tho pressroom, llun in a strip 21J inches wide, tho length of a "World" page, the paper in this edition would make a pathway wide enough for 0110 man to walk on 17,878 miles long, or'more than half-way around tho world. To covor tliis required 20 tons of printing ink, equivalent to 3200 gallons, enough to paint 300 ordinary houses, and equal to covering a printed surface of six square miles. .

Nino tenders have been received for tho construction of tho new Wellington Post Office. Most of them aro from Wellington contractors. Some time between 11 p.m. 011 Wednesday night and 4.30 a.m. yesterday burglars entered a dwelling in Herald Street through a back window, and stole jewellery and cash of a total vn.luo of about £11. A Gazette notice states that tho Government offices throughout Now Zealand will bo closed on Saturday, September 2G, being tlio first anniversary of tho dato on which tho Colony of New Zealand was created a Dominion. A sitting of the Native Appellate Court will bo held at Wellington on September 14, 190S, or as soon afterwards as tho business of tho Court will allow, to hoar the appeal of Kooro to Whare Pakaru against a decision given on June 13 refusing confirmation of a transfer of land from the appellant to Allan Skerman. A sitting of the Native Land Court will be held at Wellington on September 10 to hear an application of Kirk and Wilson, that tho Court should ascertain tho amount of compensation to bo paid the owners of, or other persons interested in, a section at Korokoro (Hutt) taken for waterworks purposes; and to determine who are'the proper persons to whom such compensation should be paid. Tho workshop of Messrs. Flyger and Co., undertakers, etc., Cuba. Street, was tiio sceno of an outbreak of fire early yesterday morning. The roof 'of tho workshop and tho floor were damaged, also about £60 worth of stock, which was uninsured. The cause of tlio fire was the overheating of some bricks and sand upon which a copper had been boiling all day in connection with tho work of shingling and pitching tho roof. The building was insured for £400 in the New Zealand office.

The question of providing a boat harbour at Worser Bay camo up before tho Miramar Borough Council at its meeting last evening, when Councillor Brodie moved, in accordance with notice previously given, that in view of the necessity for a safe anchorage for yachts, launches, and boats, the Wellington Harbour Board bo communicated with regarding the matter. It was decided that tho question be referred to a sub-committeo consisting of the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Crawford), and Councillors Cooper, M'Leod, and Brodio. Mr. A. H. Vila has given notice of his intention to move, at the next meeting of tho Education Board, the following motion: — "That this board draws tho attention of tho Minister for Education to the fact that there is a general desiro on tho part of education boards of tho Dominion that tho Decalogue bo exhibited on the walls of school buildings ; that there is 110 board fund available for such a purpose; that tho Minister bo respectfully requested to provido a sufficient number of tho Ton Commandments to sorve tho class-rooms of tho whole of the schools in the Dominion; and tha.t a copy of this resolution bo transmitted to othor boards."

It is probable that a beginning will be madealmost at once with the erection of a fairly largo convent at Pctono for tho Sisters of tiio Mission, who aro to take up work in that suburb, relieving the Sisters of Mercy, who now pay visits to Petone from the Hill Street convent. Tho city work of the Sisters of Mercy has increased so much* with tho expansion of Wellington as to require all their attention, and tho work, about Petone has also grown, and is now thought to demand tho services of a resident sisterhood. The Sisters of tho Mission, whose headquarters for New Zealand are in Christchurch, are also established in New Plymouth, Napier, Nelson, and other towns.

"In this Dominion the volunteers do not form the third or fourth lino of defence as they do in England. They aro tho first line, and so tho men wo see carrying their muskets in our streets aro tho men who must meet an invading enemy," said LioutenantColonel Bauchop last night. He was addressing a largo meeting of Victoria College 'Varsity students called for the purpose of establishing a rifle club or a volunteor corps in connection with tho college. The students wore keenly interested, and although little of their time is unoccupied they decided after a short bi)t spirited discussion to form a volunteer corps. All the speakers ■showed great appreciation of Colonel Bauchop's remarks, and of the necessity for' some self-sacrifice. At the conclusion of the meeting over twenty students handed in their names for enrolment, and it looks as though a strong corps is to be added to the city battalion.

In refcrenco to an interjection' at Mr. W. M'Lean's political meeting on Tuesday evening the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, has written as follows to Mr. M'Lean: —"Dear Mr. M'Lean, —I notico that at your meeting last evening one of those present suggested that I had appointed one of my sons to tho Public Service, which you were good enough to dof6nd, and for which I thank you. I shall bo glad, however, if you will kindly state upon my authority at your next meeting that none of my sons liavo been appointed to any position in the Government or Public Sorvice, nor have any of them at any timo received any moneys directly l or . indirectly from tlio Government for any services. I am also very happy' to stato that thrco of my sons, who havo arrived at an age when it becomes necessary for them to make their own way in tho world, long ago decided what their work in life should be, and that is not in any branch of the Government or Public Sorvice.—(Signed) J. G. Ward."

They were discussing tho' weather 011 'Chango yesterday (writes our Auckland correspondent). . "I never thought it was going to rain," lamented 0110 man in the group, "so I left my umbrella at home." "So did I,"' chimed in another, '-'and my coat, too. Tho glass was high when I looked at it." "The best glass 1 know," observed a third speaker, "is my daughter's hair. It is naturally light iii colour, but whenever thoro is going to be rain it becomes lighter still. I liavo heard her mother adviso her in the morning to take her mackintosh with her, and, 011 my daughter asking why, tell iier to look at her hair in tho glass." "Your daughter," suggested tho first man, "ought to be able to get a good billet as assistant to Captain Edwin." One would have thought, writes tho recorder of the episode, that by tho possession- of so reliable a "weather glass" the fortunato father would have been protected against showers. But, 110, ho could not havo seen his daughter' before leaving home, for ho closed the discussion by seeking to borrow an umbrella.

The Mayor of Miramar (Mr. C. J. Crawford) took occasion, during an interval in the proceedings at the council meeting last evening, to pass somo severe comment on the action of certain people in fostering an unhealthy spirit of rivalry between the interests on the northorn side of the harbour— Hutt and Petone—and those on the Evans Bay side. At present, ho said, the negotiations pending between the Wellington Harbour Hoard and those bodies interested in their respective schemos of reclamation wore being mado the basis for'certain suggestions that the interests of the Hutt and Pctone were being used to kill the Evans Bay scheme, while othors suggested the contrary idea—that Evans-Bay was being fostered at the oxpenso of Potone. It was to bo regretted that these peoplo found themselves unable to face tho general question of tlio prosperity of Port Nicholson as a'whole. Tho Evans Bay reclamation scheme was tho outcomc of an agitation on the part of certain manufacturers for increased accommodation for their industrial enterprise. The interests of tho northern side of the harbour should also bo developed. There was 110 question of rivalry, and he hoped there would nover be any. He strongly protested, at this stage of the negotiations with tho Harbour Board, against tho actions of certain peoplo, who wero pulling tho various local authorities by the e*rs in order that tho whole thing might be squashed. (Hear, hear.)

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Regulations for the reregistra.tion of acclimatisation societies under the Animals' Protection Act, 1907, are published in this week's " Gazette." The tender, of Mr. R. A. Wakolin, of Wellington, has been accepted for the construction of the new post offico at Upper Hutt. The amount of tho tender is about £2000. Mr. H. W. Brabant, S.M., has been appointed chairman of the licensing committees for the districts of Napier and Hawkc's Bay, in place of Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M. Tenders will be received at the Public Trust Office, Wellington, up to 10 a.m. on September 30, 190S, for leases of a number of reserves under tho. West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892, and subsequent regulations. Tho question of the control, by the officers of the Wellington Garrison, of the management of tho affairs of the Wellington Volunteer Rifle Association, will bo definitely considered by the Garrison Officers' Club this evening. Tho Wellington Public School Cadet Battalions will bo invited to co-operato with tho troops in tho military review to take place at Newtown Park on Dominion Day. It is not yet decided whether tho review will be held on tho Saturday, which is tho date of the anniversary—September 26 —or on the Monday following. ' The first birthday' of the new Dominion of New Zealand will, in Wellington, be observed with appropriate military pomp and circumstance. It has been decided to hold a grand military review in Newtown Park. Tho First Rifle Battalion, the Garrison' Artillery Division, Ambulanco and Army Service divisions, Engineers, and mounted sections will tako part.

Suggestions are already being made in respect of the official opening with duo ceremony of the Main Trunk line. The Chamber of Ccmmorce invited the Ministor for Public Works (the Hon. W. Hall-Jones) attend a luncheon on tho occasion. The Minister, in replying to tho invitation, suggested that the opening ceremony should be held at the beginning of October, at tho meeting place of tho Wellington and Auckland provinces. The Wellington representatives could then go on to Auckland to participate in a function which tho Railway League desires to hold in honour of the event. "Progress" for Septembor contains, as usual, a great amount of interesting matter for the scientist, mechanic, architect, and builder. There is an article on the latest in regard to Brennan's mono-rail, while in tho electrical department wo learn of a new phase in modern warfare, electric artillery; and to this interesting section must be added some, notes on a . new "wireless," and an account of tho great desideratum of all electricity users, tho ideal primary Several pages are devoted to building and invention, while tho achievements of the pioneers in aerial navigation find .fitting acknowledgment.

It "is not generally known, writes our l Wairarapa correspondent, that Oregon pirio, tho present bugbear of our sawmillers, can bo and is grown in New Zealand. Thero are a number of these trees at present growing in some of tho private gardens in Masterton, and they are also stocked by professional gardeners. - Although it would be a vory long time before these trees could be available for timber purposes, it appears at first view that the planting of Oregon pino in New Zealand by the Government would bo a good investment, tho benefit of which would be reaped and doubtless' properly appreciated by the present unborn millions of the Dominion.

In their report on the efficiency of the brakes of tho Auckland trams, Messrs. R. W. Holmes and Stuart' Richardson state that tho brakes were in fair working order, but not in efficient repair. The motormen used tho brakes to the best of their ability. It is recommended that tho Government should undertake the periodical inspection of the rolling stock of the Dominion tramways. There was cloar evideuco that tho maintenance of tho brakes at Auckland in the past had boon neglected; also that the company was nowltaking/steppyto plaqe; (thorn in good repair. Results had sliown that the electrical emergency brakes were not as good as the hand brake, and that the electrical emergency brake was useless for quick stops descending a hill. In tho interests of tho public an improved emergency brako should bo' provided. ,