LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 585, 13 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

By, Gazette Extraordinary, issued yesterday, the prorogation of the General Assembly is extended'from'August 19to September 9. ; Tho official opening of tho new miniature range at the Garrison Hall, . Buckle Street' has been fixed fop the afternoon of Saturday, August 21, when' 'air 'officers'.. and 'ladies| match will ..be, fired mnder. the auspices of \tl\o 'Wellington Garrison .Officers'' Club.. . Councillor Luke gave ;notice at last night's; ,'mepjiina of the City Council to inove that the City Solifiitor' be instructed to prepare , a •:Bill vesting. iii the, managers of the Technical' School a leaso of an area of land on the Town Belt adjacent to' John Street, for the'purposo of technical education. : Next Thursday (August 19), Dr. Buck. M.P., will lecture to tho Garrison Officers Club ..oil- the subject of "Ancient' Man in Warfare." The Hon. James Carroll (ActingPrime Minister), and the .Hon, A. T; Ngata have' signified their' intention of being present. ■ : '; - ' ' . : r ; An amended Order-in-Council for the Lyell. Bay tfamway was put before the City Council for approval at its meeting yesterday evening. This was necessary ; through the Public Works Department altering the . maximum fare from 3d. to Id. ' Oh,'special, cars no limit is placed on tho amount of tho faro. The amendment was approved. :.V,

A deputation of residents of Howard and Tasman Streets waited on the City Council last evening and drew attention to the state of the streets in question, and asked that certain works should be carried out. The Mayor informed the deputation that the city engineer would visit the locality and report to tho counoil, which woiild let the deputa-' tion know the result later. ;■ •>'

Word was received By, the Acting-Prime Minister yesterday that soine of the, members of tho Maori troupo which was engaged to appear at tho New York Hippodrome; had been refused admission to the United States on the ground that they were afflicted with eye'trouble. He states that; he is unable to intercede on their behalf, as ho. feels reluctant to interfere in : connection with the health regulations of another , oountry.

Asked by a Cliristchurch " Press" reporter if there was, any likelihood of New Zealand being asked 'to reciprocate _ with the Commonwealth :. of Australia'in regard to the Australian currency, the Hon. J. A; Millar, Acting-Mini-ster for. Finance, Said that he could not ! 6ay whether it wis likely, or not; there had been no communication ffoin the Federal Government on the subject.,.

A Press Association telegram states that tho Professorial Board of Canterbury. College has approved the' Suggestions ■ mado by the Students' Association with regard to the formation of an officers' training corps, and decided to notify the Defence Council that Canterbury Collego Would bo prepared to furnish two oompanics of tlifi officers' training corps. These will contain one, or perhaps two, unite of engineer offioers. It is exr pected that a membership of from eighty to one hundred will bo forthcoming.

■ An application, was mado to the Tramways Committee of the Oity Council recently by tho Tramways Siok and Benefit Sqcioty that the counoil should subsidise the society. Tho committee recommended to last night's meeting of the counoil that the sooioty should bo informed that, in view of the reduced net earnings of tho tramway Sorvice. the council regret that they cannot see thoir way to subsidise tho socicty this year. The counoil is prepared to considor oach individual caso of accidont as heretofore.

"Did the corporation officer who recently prosecuted himself in tho Magistrate s Court, receive. tho consent .of • the council hefofe doing so?" asked Councillor l'itzgorald at last night's council meeting. "If so, ho added, "I think it's ridiculous." • Tile Mayor replied that the officor referred to took the action entirely on his own responsibility. Councillor Fitzgerald then askea Whether tho Mayor or tho coiinoil Would givo instructions that tlicro should be no repetition of such a proceeding. The Mayor rejoined that ho thought tho officer would bo moro careful in the future. '

Complaint has been made against a practice of children in-outlying parts of tho city, throwing jam-tins or mud . at passing motor-cars. , Tho youngsters apparently want to seo the Can) run oVer tho tins, but as their aim is not by nitty ■ meaiia ticcui-.ito the ohaulfour often runs .tho rißk of a nasty blow. The chief danger, however, lies ill this fact that the attention of tho driver of the car is diverted from his task, and ho is liable, in his momentary liipso, to rtm his car into'danger.' l'arents should warn their children against the dangerous practice referred to, or thoy may Ind themselves w, booms U'oubie,

For tho remainder of the football season tho City Council has agreed to allow the Wellington Football Association to use tho Upper Duppa Street Park, on Saturday afternoons. Tho offer of Messrs. Dwa.u Bros to sell tho city a gymnasium in Gordon Street for tho purpose of a recreation room for tho trainway omplovecß has been declined. Tho prico asked was £1050. A highly succossfu] trial of the "Minimax" fire extinguisher has been given at Lower Hutt, ill tho presence of members and officials of tho borough council and tho firo brigade. The ngont is Mr. A, T. Bate. A young Chinaman, hailing from Duncdin, and who has been studying.dentistry in England, roturned to New' Zealand l>y tho Corintliic. He ivent through a full courso' of: training at Home, and is now a duly qualified dentist. Native lands acquired'by the Government in the Auckland and Taraaiaki districts, aggregating .many thousand' acres, .are declared by Gbvernor's proclamations published in this week's Gazette to bo Crown lands, | subject to be sold and dealt with under the; Land Act, 1908. The Acting-British Consul at Stockholm reports that the local'pross have published accounts of a discovery in- telephone apparatus recently made by two Swedes, Messrs; C., E. Egner, and J. G. Hohnstrom, tho former being chief engineer in tbe Stockholm telephone' administration, and tho latter tho president of' the TolegTapli Company's training establishment. "By this invention" (says tho "Electrician" of July 2) "they claim that telephonic communication can be obtained over a distance of 2500 miles with, perfect .'clearness.".'. .• .. At last night's'meeting 'of the City. Council, tho Mayor (Dr. Newman) said two ten-, ders had beon received half an hour after the timo for receiving tenders liad expired. Ho asked whether tno councilwould have these tenders opened. Scyeral councillors took strong objection to such a course, and the Mayor .thenv explained- that ho entirely agreed with them,; but lie understood that ho was carrying out the policy of the past. It was decided, to, destroy the tenders, and the Mayor said : he would _ not of his own motion raise a similar question in <the future. The Minis'ter . for Railways stated at Christchurch on Tuesday that lie had taken advice in regard to the new body of railway servants formed under the -title the Drivers, Firemen, and Cleaners! Society, which wished to: bo registered so that it might be placed on the same footing as tho old socioty, tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants'. He fouiid .that owing to a clause in'the Arbitration, Act ho, had no power to'entor into any agreement with any body except tho Amalgamated Society, which was "the society" described in the special clause dealing with railway servants. . He could reoognisejonly one. society) or a society: that'was formed to take its place. Tho. new society, as'fax as official recognition was concerned, therefore, iras out of court.

Councillor Carmicliael drew attention at the City Council meeting last night to the condition of Sydney .Street; between Molesworth Street and Mulgravo Street, which, ho' described as dangerous. Tho Mayor promised that it would- be seen to. Councillor. Smith complained of tile blocking of the footpath in anotlier part of Sydney Street by the Governmeut'si suspended' building operations. ■ Tho Mayor said tho council'was powerless at present in that 1 matter. In'reply to Councillor Deviile, who complained of the grassy condition, of pari of the' sidewalk on the Western side of Wellington Terrace—"like a long paddock"—thei Mayor promised that tlio necessary work would'be done,

• Lieutenant-Colonel A; Bauchop; ; O.M.G., Officer Commanding the Wellington District, lectured, at the Garrison Officers' Club last .'evening On. the subject' of "The Protection of an Army in the Field."; There was 4 very good attendance of members, and Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Dutlne,, commanding the First Wellington Rifle Battalion, presided. Tho lccturor dealt very fully, r and most interestingly, with the various principles governing the 1 protcctjon '.•• of • field columns, and amplified his points with tactical notes on certain well-known campaigns, !as, for exrippleij:t)j(rrretii'e!rietltJofjSir John Moore's atmy"'upoir 'Corunna.' Even tho Jewish law-giver, Moses, was ' instanced. Moses's disposition ;of -the Army of Israel was' :a . veritable.' .('Union Jack. • with' tho main force in the centro, and the protecting outposts stretching outwards like the crosses of the national ensign of Britain. The lecture was listened' tov'witli' the ■ greatest. attention and appreciation.