LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 600, 31 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ho postal authorities advise. ttmt an English and Australian mail is coming through by the express train-from Auckland this afternoon. These mails left Sydney by the Mokoia for Auckland on August 25. A 'Frisco mail is duo here on Thursday next, September 2, via Rarotonga ; and Papeete, ex b.b. Manappuri. Fourteen casos of enterio fever were reported from the city during August. They aro nearly all in 0110 area, and tlio Health Department believes that it has discovered the cause, and will bo able to prevent further spread; of the disease. • A deputation will wait upon the Hon ' T. Mackenzie (Minister for Agriculture) this morning in support of the proposal that all experiment farm should bo established in tlw Wftlwopa district.

Mr. Justice Sjm will sit in Chambers at 10.30 o'clock this morning. Mr. Bengough, tho Canadian cartoonist, will be tho chief guest at tho New Zealand Club's luncheon to-day. Tho necessity for the immediate expenditure of moneys voted in connection with a number of roads in tho South Wairarapa district will be urgod upon tho Hon. It, M'Kcnzio (Ministor-in-ehargo of Iloade and Bridges) by a deputation to-morrow morning. "We're all living tho champagne life on a beer income," philosophised Mr. Wilford at a creditors'' meeting yesterday afternoon, in commenting on tho assertion of a creditor that the bankrupt had been living very extravagantly. Thb philosophy, howover, did' not appear to give tho creditors much comfort.,

An eel (tuna nui) woighing somo 201b. and measuring between 5 and 6 feet was caught on Sufvday (says our Otaki correspondent) in tho Mangapouri creek, a stream ono can almost step across. Recently somo local Chinese endeavoured to catch a similar "big fellow," but the ordeal, after the eel was hooked, scorns to have proved too much for the Oriental fishermen. At all ovents, they failed to land tho creature. , "Assisted" immigrants to the number of 63 wore on board the New Zealand Stopping Company's s.s. Paparoa, which arrived in port yesterday. They included thirteen domestic servants,; seven farmers, one farmlabouror, ono dftiry farmer, and ono housekeeper, tho remainder consisting of wives with families, whoso husbands have already settled in the country. The immigrants aro a good class, and possess capital varying from £25 to £400. Only five saloon passengers were on board the vessel; there were 126 in tho third saloon, and. 31 in tho second.

A shipment of Japanese, onions, which arrived at Auckland from Sydney on Sunday by the Wimmera, was discovered by thu Government fruit inspector (Mr. G. Harnett) to bo affected Japanese c/jon blight; The blight, which it is stated has not bcon known in, Auckland before,' .is a fungoid disease similar to potato blight in appearance. Close on 000 cases of "onions woro landed from the Wimmera into tho sheds at Queen Street /Wharf, and out of that; number 500 cases were condemned by the inspector and sent to the destructor.

, The opening ceremony in connection. with the extensive electrical l and pumping plant crccted by the Ross Goldfiolds, Ltd., will be hold on September 8. For many years largo quantities of gold were taken from Rosa . Flat, but, some ten years ago, work had to bo discontinued 'owing to the workings becoming inundated.- By-means of the new plant, which has cost £50,00Q (of which £15,000 was' Government.subsidy), it,. is hoped that the Flat I will again bo rendered sufficiently dry' to enable work to be resumed'. Mr. ißlow (Under-Secretary for Public Works) will represent the Hon. R. M'Kenzie (Minister for' Mines) at tho ceremony. In tho' opinion of tho Wellington United Friendly Societies' Council, providence is not encouraged amomg tramway employees in ; Wellington. In, most branches of tlie municipal sOTvice, the. custom is to allow half-pay to. those incapacitated from work, but in tho tramways department, full pay is given; to thoso laid .aside through accident sustained in the course of; duty. This amount used to as an off-set against full sick-pay from, the Accident' Insurance Company ' and half from the funds of the Corporation. The\oouricil is now its own insurer, and has dccidod that benefits from friendly societies' shall count as an; off-set against 1 fuli sick-pay from the municipality.; The Council of the Friendly Societies does not .think it right to deprive the man who has been prudent enough, to join :a v : society of - any advantage! over, those who' have not, and will wait- pri ithe Tramways Committee at its next meeting, y ,

Tho local branch of the Navy League is shipping to London by 'the Corinthic a wreath in ice in commemoration of the anniversary of Nelson's ever-famous, victory at Trafalgar, on October 21, .1805. The; wreath, which/is made up of bush clematis, lycopodium and viu-ious ferns, ake-ake, totara and rimu foliage and hul-a-bul berries, will to-morrow bo placed in af zinc-lined case filled with water; and the freezing processi%ilb'take,jsbme ten days. ' The block of iiite'tipon arrival at London will be placed upon the Nelson Statue in .Trafalgar Square. The unfrozen wreath is now. oil' view at Miss Murray's- establish-' mentj Willis' Stroet'; ; The Shaw-Savill> Company krid, the'; .Wellington Meat Export Com-' pany are making no charge , for their services. :

The Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. J. Carroll); was waited upon on Saturday bv a deputation ofvWairafapa; Natives regarding tho sale of the foreshore of the Wairarap.y Lake to adjacent settlors, and the amount to be 'allowed to Natives interested'' from theso sales.'. It is stated that. the foreshore is to be sold, 1 and, the Natives are to bo allowed' equity, to the' value ■' of 1 the pur-, ohase money up: to £5000. The Natives are of tho opinion, that' "thoy are not; to bo, allowed value for the full area of the land, which, it is - alleged, grows larger year, by year,' as the Wairarapa Lake reoedes. There is a proposal that the. Natives-shall be allowed some land near Whangamoana (and also, up' the Main Trunk Line) for dairy farming purposes, in exohange for their foreshort, rights, but the whole business has been hung up for some timef asid apparently is still far from finality. The Acting-Prime Minister is considering the matter. '

: Referring, to the stated intention of tho Minister for Labour (tho'Hon J. A. Millar; to bring dowri an amending Act in ; the coming' session, that would. provido, for, .tho purchase,'of workmen's homes by the payment of, small instalments, or on the building society principle, -by . which capital " ana interest were paid off in the form of rent; Mr. W. ,F.' Massey, M.P., Leaded of, ithe Opposition,; remarked .to an Auckland "Herald" representative that' ho was very pleased to see' Mr. : Millar coming round to his way of thinkings During the passage of tho Workers' Dwellings Bill, in 1905, Mr. Massey' moved to reduce the payments on the capital value, under a 25 years' lease, from six to four per cent. The late Mr. Seddon opposed the motion on that occasion, ahd ■ it was lost, but a week after this then Premier moved in' exactly the same direction ; as Mr. Massey had.' done, and secured {.'ae reduction on tho payments.

At the presentation to Mr. James M'Menamin by tho survivors from the , wreck; of the Penguin, on Sunday, one speaker stated that it would be desirable to know tho present position of the' relief fund. The,matter was mentioned yesterday to : the secretary, Mr. John R. Palmer, who courteously gave all tho , information . required. ' The last' clearing-up list was typewritten, and forwarded to the editors of papers at .the end of May last, and an uprto-dato ono is about to be prepared. Strange as it may seem, applications for financial consideration are still coming in from different parts of the world. As: late as August 18, Mr. Palmer received an application from a parent for: the expenses _ in, connection with the burial of his' son, in February last, aud. within the last few weeks claims on behalf of relatives of. suryivcrs have been received from England. The Penguin Relief Committee has no regular meeting days 0 but is summoned by the secretary when tbreo or four applications havo accumulated. In the meantime, regular payments are being made to 1 survivors, and relatives of surviifors, who suffered by the wreck and are in needy circumstances through the tragedy. The fund is still healthy. There is £1600 on fixed deposit, and a current accounts of £501. .

■ We understand, remarks the : "Raogitikei Advocate," that strong representations will bo mado to Mr. George Hutchison to induco him to withdraw from tho contest for tho Barigitikei seat in favour ?f Mr. Hockly; indeed; somo who formerly supported Mr. Hutchison have' stated that they now be-, that Mr. Hockly should be the only candidate supported as against tho Ministerial candidate. It is argued,. with somo force, that: Mri Hutchison should devote all his energy to cultivating the goodwill of tihe electors of Wanganui, and win that seat for the Opposition. There is no reason why he should become, a political froe lance. He should bo; able to secure Wanganui scat at next, election, if ho makes progress , at anything liltb; the rate lie made it in the 1 interval bctwoon the first_ and second ballots at the laat gonerivl election. Mr. Hutchison is also better suited to be a' representative of a town constituency than a representative of. a country' electorate. Mr. Hockly, On the othor bond, ie an ideal candidate for repre- j sentation of a country constituency, and he can win the Rangitikei seat with the groateat mo.' • ■ |

PERSONAL ITEMS. All tho Mmietora of. tho Crown will bo 1? -?!* juorning with the exception, of . tho Hon, D. I3uddo, who ia in tho Auckland district. Iho Hon. T, Mnckenzio {Minister for Agri- ■ culture) returned from Wanganui : yesterday. Dr. Tudor Jonoo, of tho Unitarian Church, contemplates taking a trip to England in a few months' time. ' , Mr. Henry Blundall, late of tho Treasury staff, and Mrs. UlundoH aro to leave Wellington on Friday next on a visit to Australia. „ Mr, H. J. H. Blow (Under-Secretary for Public Works) leaves on an official visit to the Nelson and West Coast districts to-day. lie will probably bo absent two or three weeks. At Eastbourne on Friday last:Mr/ and : Mrs. J. 1), Avery were entertained by the residents in tho Day's Bay pavilion, and in the courae of tho evening were presented with a silver, inkstand and clock. ; , Mr. Ernest. Short, of Parorangi, intends (says our Foilding correspondent) to make a trip to the International Exhibition in Buenos Ay res, Ae announced in a previous issue, Mr, Short will probably tako a number of sheep to the exhibition. ' . Mr. Whittle, who died last ' week st Tawhuri, in .his 95th year, had a rather adventurous career. In 1852 (says our Fielding oorrespondont) ho_ tried 'a ratheij , Napoleonic movo in shipping flour from Met < bourne to San Francisco. He bought tha flour at the Australian end at £112 per ton,' 1 and though tho prospects of the venture 1 , teemed good at tho bimo, tho law of supply' and demand proved too mudh for him, for the . San Francisco market had been ! cheap- , ened by other supplies long before his consignments arrived. Ho also 6ervod in t/ho colonial forces during ono of 1 tho Maori wars.