LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

.The Warrhnoo, which left Sydney for Auckland on Thursday last (a day .'late) in place of the Mokoia, ■ and which has an English mail on board, is not due at the northern port until this afternoon; At tho earliest the Wellington, mails.-by that-steamer , cannot 1 arrive until to-morrow evening. According: to the time-table, tho Vancouver mail should have arrived in Sydney in time to connect with the Warrimoo, but the postal authorities have not been supplied with definite informaon the point. \x . ■■'..

The Wellington Technioal School will reopen on Thursday nest after the long vaca* t10h... ■:• ■■ '.. : .■■■:■■— ■ ■■ . ' .-. ■ •..":•'■• j".

There were fewer births and deaths in Wellington and more marriages last month thail in January, ISOB. Tbo figures for the month just ended (with those ,ior the corresponditig: month of last year in parentheses). are as follow!— Births, 171 (176) ;• deaths, 60 (61); marriafies,: 88 (77). ■-: '/ ■:■-■■' ■ ■ ■■:

■•'■ Bright .and . warm and chat, Sunday brought with it just the weather for outdoor trips, and people crowded,out .of the city in ■fte morning, by train, boat, and buggy. Thirteen heavy cars'were hauled up the Manawatu lino, and the morning trains on the other suburban branch were also of more than ordinary sizo. ; :_:■.: : V . ,^V^

The'weather statistics for. the month of January are not yet completely compiled, but tile returns up to January 29 show that Wellington (vas favoured with ft:very fair.amount of rain for this time of tho year. In the 13 Wet days of the mofitfr 3.06 inches of rftiti fe11... The maximum fall occurred on January was. recorded., ■ ;'■.•;: '-']:]. .

There will bo a ■ meeiing- "of the council of the New Zealand ■ Lawn lennia Association on February 23 to. consider" the following businbss:— (1) Committee's report:-- ;(2) "That the. hon.. secretary bo instructed .to cable to tho.Lawn Tennis Conference'asking that the Now Zoaland Association's application to be made a separate nation , bo .withheld until future notice." I (3) ; Tho consideration Of a.mako.of.ball to be.used.at.tho New Zealand Champ'ionstiip meeting,' 1909.;'■'; ,■'■•,

Tho ■ Deep Sea Anglers' : . Club,' after, long ondliring the inclemency' of the. wottthbr, 1 hold a: general meeting' aiidva house was' taken at In dofiance of:"accepted.omeris,' thirteen members' Sailed oiit of Pareinata yisterday morning, and in spite of the v tinlucky liumbor-: tho most .peYfeot'-BUbfiess-i attended, the club* One hundr'ed-and sisty-soVen fish W6ro takon, 133 being sClinapper, and of these 12 of the best Woris sent, to Wellington pital. :; ;■ •. '■ ./i^-v;. , :/;.-.; : ; \:'? :■:";■)■'''' ;■;';■'.

A letter has' been' received by llr.' J. V. Luke, M.P., from the Minister for Railways (the flon.; J.. A. Millar) 'rogirding a' petition asking for a- stopping-place ,1 between. Ngaio. and; Khandapah ~o)i( i tl}9 (jVtfelliiigton-Longburn; railway. The' Ministor 'stites. that ho cannot see his way to accede to the requeetjithc distance :between :.the; two' stations :boing only ■a mile and a.half. :.Ho is of opini6n : that'tho district- is .well .served, by. 'stations.. Complaints have been' made" that' too much time is occupied-in doing the-journey between Johnsonville. and'Wellim'ton. - '■: ; ■;

■At. .Wadpstowh■. this.'. afternoon 'the Mayor artel councillors', \will confer ■ .with the solicitors to. the ilhodes Trustees.;( Messrs.; Moorhouso and Madfield), regarding certain rflads winch may.bo attepted-by;tlioproposed tramway, and. matters relative .to !tho rating preo; .will also boi'discußs'ed. On .Saturday"'. Dri M'Avthnr,. , S.M.,'' visited AVadostown, ■, to^ : gether with Mr. \V; H. .Morton (city engineer), Mr. JV.O'Shea (city solicitor), aiid Mr. Luoliio, of.the firm of Messrs, Field, Luckie, and 'i'obgood, who represent - tho; -objecting ■ratepayers; ; '■;■.■ ';.-.":■•*:" ■.'"'-.,■ ■■■ : '. : ' ; •■•'■■

Wo understand (says the "OtftgO ,'.; Daily Times") that no final decision has been come to with respect, to further/action in corineq-' tion with tho ballot papers that were -abstracted on; tho, occasion of , :thev Dunodin North election rebount.. A; consideration .of ,the..oircumstancps surrounding their" .disappearance; has narrowed : the, .'.persons' against whom there could be' any justification for sus-- 1 pioion.down to a very small but that is not a Buißoient ground for.action to-be itaken against any one:individual,i.noimatter how strong the suspioion may be; and it is : probable, therefore, that the'mystery will rOr main unsolved./ . ~'■?'" ';"■ '.. ■' ■;•' '■,'/ '/;/ : "~ : -'; ; '

-.-.The" King's -Coronation .Lodge., of'. Good Templars,-held .its 'usual, weekly session,last.' Friday evening. at : ,its>roora,. 121''.Manners Street. Bro.-A.-Dryden, C.T.,. presided, and there was. a fair attendance. ;Ofiicers-;for the O.nsuiiig quarter -wore olected as follow :~C.T., Bro.; 'X'. . \\T.: Stool; '..V/IV, Sister. L.' ■ Barratt;: Bccretary; Bro. L. Parris j■, financial secretary; Bro. L: Goodgcr;. treasurer, Bro. 8. Shaw (reelected);' marshal,! Bro. A. EllendenjVohap-,lam,--'Sister E. Morris; guard, 'Sister Hard- , ing; sentinel) Bro.' E. Burrows;\P.O.T.' and lleg., Bro. A. Drydon; pianist, Sister L. Barratt. Various, delegates to the: District were appointed,' and ■ the;, Harmony. Committee was also elected. Hearty fraternal greetings were received from and reciprocated to various lodges.'■ A hearty/vote Of thanks was passed to, visitors and scrutineers (Bros, E.Goodaer.and Smithi.- ' ■. •;'•: _.'

Spots,on tho sun have befin noticed by.Mr. Clement Wraggc, and to them 'he , attributes the recent seismic distUrbancos.-; ; There.' aresix i great centres of disturbance, ; three ■■' of them being about 26,000 miles from edge to edge. In two of the systems,'apart from tHo main centres, thcro are four minor' This, Mr. Wraggo states, is amost '.abnormal condition, for. tho outbursts of solar energy should have come;to an end at least one year and throequarters agov birfc, owing to some unexplained cosmic conditions they had been unduly prolonged. He is of ;opinion that the recent marine earthquake ; wae : . due; to the solar disturbances/and he would not be surprised to ; hear of further seismic action, accompanied by volcanic eruptions, ,probably in tho Northern Hemieiihero. Since the moon is not in a lino with the sun,at the present time, the disturbance will.not; boi so great.as if. the two forces were apting together, . ,

Tho first quarter of the new year will see a good deal of desirable land in the Wellington: district opened up for closer settlement b? the Wollington District Land Board, On Maroh 24, the Carrington ' Estate of '6106 acres, situated at Cartorton, will be.;thrown opoh for selection in sections of from 77 to 643 acres. The Pitt Settlement, 1 adjoining tho old. Hutt Racecourse, will be balloted for on 'March 30, when thorc will, bo offered 120 seotions of 33 years' lease: , :■. Thon before 'the olid;of March the Waitotara block of 10,000 acres will bo thrown opon for eekctibn, and there are now two survey parties on the block getting it ready for the coming ballot. The oorniriissiorior. (Mr. Jas. Mttbkonzie) %'ill visit Waitotara in a iew days. The mombers of the District Board will go to Raotihi at tho end of next month to suporviso tho disposal'of 28 township allotrribtits at Raetihi, Rnd 65 Bections in Ohakune. Tho board will also visit the Runtiti block (Seuth Waimarino)j of somo 14,178. ,»cress, early in March, . . : There lire more w»ys tha none of bleudin-; tea, but there's only one honest and fight way, and that is to blend for quality. Maay teas arc blended for value—that is, teas of ocrtnin prices avo lumped together in order to ■■•.nke qortain of profit. Crescont Blond Tea is blended for quality, irrespective of the prices of tho teas required to make tho blend. It ia.'a seiontifio combination of-the strong robust teas o< Burjcclinf and tho flno dolieato Uas of Coylon. Xwo BluiUßge per ib. from all stores.-AtiTC, .

"No trace'•'' are words that may fitill.be applied to Archibald John M'Noil, whooscaped from the Terrace Goal over a week ago. 'i'he police have heard nothing as to hie whereabouts. .''.-' .■'■■.' :'..- : -./ ■• ' . y'/. -y .-•/

The Health Department report the following cases of infectious diseases for the week ended January 30:—In ' Wellington city: Scarlet fever 1, diphtheria 5, tuberculosis 2. In the Hutt County: Tuberculosis 2..;" / v

A shrill alarm sounded by the whistle; of Kclburne carsheds drew the attention of: all who were m the neighbourhood on Saturday evening. Tho r cause, however, was.merely a gorso tiro on Karori Rond, which tho city brigado extinguisked without difficulty. .'The call was civen..at 7.24 o'clock ; ; . '.'■.;■

Fowlhouses at:M»rtinborough, on the pre-, mises of Mr. D. Mfttson, were burned down on Friday shortly before midnight. Tho Inspector of Police has word that the sheas, which wore the property of Mr. F. Won,,were insured for £76, but the loss exceeds this amount by about £65. ' : .■-. ;■■' .'. ///'y

Tho St. ThomaVs Tennis Club was opened on Saturday afternoon by the president (the Rev. J. 'Walker), about 30 members.of the club being'present. The ladies of the club provided tea, and a most enjoyable afternoon tfas , spent. A considerable proportion of the work of forming, the court, .which-is 'an asphalt one, wasdone by a working bee , .. Mr. 6. H. Herbert is hon. .sec. to the club'.'y.

The First Battalion Wellington. R.y.' T Band rendered a programme of music.;at tho:Newtown Park yesterday l afternoon in the "presence of a.largeand appreciative audiences for. the. purpose of aiding Mrs.- Offens, 'of yMitchelltown, who has the misfortune of being a widow and the-'mother of a* large family of seven eldest .11 years, the youngest , a cripple), arid who : has : recently been: burnt out- •; The' sum ; of £9 3a. lid. was collected. .

Thei • new brick memorial schools ; which have just been erected'by : Mrs. W. Johnston,' in memory.-..0f. the late. Hon. Walter ston, in- Derby ' Street, ■: Feildihg, y'..will; he opened to-day for the first time.' •Accommodation has been provided for 200 children;with four.large, class-rooms, and,an entrance hall 60 feet long and Iβ foot wide, for "drill : purposes in wet weather. All the interior .Woodwork is finished/in picked heart'of rinlu, ■ except the. seats ■' and desks/ which aro. ; of kaun.- All the classroom' walls have a, handsome wooden dado all round, abovo which the plaster walls, etc., aro finished in Keen's cementj .with enriched cornice's and centrepieces manufactured by the.Carrara Ceiling company. / Each classroom, has special hylopla'tes and other jmodern conveniences,.; to enable the work of the schools : to be satisfactorily carried : out, .The building has a frontage of 80 feet, and was.designedly' Mr. E.- W. G. Coleridge,, under whose, direction the work was carried'out by Messrs.. .R. Hoald and, Sons, of Feilding." The amonntof tho contract; was £3000/ and the building was finished to '.time with a credit balance of £30, instead.of any extras, i. ■;: y v " : ;.-"";■■; -v.