LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 605, 7 September 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho- postal, authorities advise that . tho Manuka, , which left Sydney on, Saturday for Wellington; has on hoard' an .English and Australian - mail, which '-. is duo hero to-' morrow. ■ t • . ■< •> A doputation representing . the Fruit. Brokers' Conference will Wait upon tho Hon. J. A;: Millar with regard to the carriage* of fruit on the railways! - Ia reply to a message expressing regret at the loss occasioned <by the firo in tho Canadian House of' Parliament, Sir 'Wilfrid Laurier yesterday cabled his-thanks to the Actin'g-Priine Minister. (Hou. J. Carroll). The Hutt . Valley Horticultural Society's members' meeting . will bo held at tho Town Hall this (Tuesday) evening at Bo'clock.:The subject for discussion is "Narcissi, and other Flowers in Season." • An agreement has been arrived at between tho College Governors and the Government that tho free-placo-pupils,''who.aro entitled to admission to-tho Girls' High School, shall not join the classes there until the beginning of nest year. . •• Tho Police Commission is oxpected .to return to "Wellington..from, tho north at tho ond of this week, and: it will probably, hold its first sitting in this city on Monday next. When evidence hps been heard in Wellington; tho commission will liavo concluded its investigations. ; Tho. "walking-sly-prog'shop"-is reported to', bo again in Wellington, this t-imo on a somewhat enlarged scale —a principal proprietor with assistant canvassers. It is stated that on Sunday two men wcro caught conducting this trade, and that _on their dwelling? boing £earc)icd alcoholic supplies were found. Prosecutions are believed to bo pending in this connection. j Hio Kahutara costate. which/has been I purchased by , the Government, is situated l near' Frnser.town, ami contains 9Cl4' - acres. For tho most part-the property consists of pastoral laml. As. tho Government do not get possession until March 1 _next, it will not be possible to open.it for selection until February. . It is understood that. the estate :is particularly.-adapted for closer settlement. Practically the wholo of tho laud is under grass, aiid is, well watorod.

It is understood that a largo number of alterations in connection with the railway time-tables are contemplated. The alterations in the 'Auckland district will como int-o forco 011 November 1. Boy Scout camps arc being held' at the' lower end of Happy Valley this week by tho Brooklyn and \.M.C.A. patrols, under tho supervision of Scout-masters Stych . aiid Adair, respectively., . . . Recently, tho Hunterville Town Board decided to discliargo all single men, retaining only married men for a week or two until prepared to proceed full-handed with tho work. Four singlo men advertised for wives, declaring "looks and ago 110 object."

' Says our Pahiatua correspondentAt tho meeting of the Pahiatua County .Council on Saturday, permission was given a Wellington' mining syndicate,-" who nave prospecting, rights in the Manawatu Gorge, io sink a wmze about six feer-from tho road for the purpose of obtaining specimens for testing purposes. The result of .tho testing operations wi11,,. no doubt, bo watched'- witl; considerable by settlers .having Wind in the vicinity, -. ■ :. ' ! .' ' . Some amusement was recently caused' in 'tho main street of Waipukurau by tho un-, usual spectacle of a calf , pursuing a telegraph niessoiiger. (relates a country exchange). After vain endeavours. to. ride away from tho animal,"', tho'messenger was brought to tho ground.. Tho-calf then*went in- pursuit of a medical man, who was in his motor-car,' arid lie was obliged to take refuge in the I 'post;officc;.-' The calf; weary of waiting for the doctor'to icappear, followed in tho wake of tho Waipawa coach; ,

; Work is"still'actively proceeding at Andcr- * son-Park,' where unemployed labour is being utilised io extend' tho level area of the future 1 recreation ground. Tho grains that were, put in last. Week arc drying,-tho ground nicely!! < Fencing has been begun, ,to : protect tho. area I which will soon, bo sown, in grass. .The .work ' at. tho parity will 'continue about- a week. < The .excavating, which is,being'done' by.' tho < uncmploye<l at Victoria: College will lie ' finished about.]tho.,en:V;of this week, and 1 the Mount-' Victoria track probably.: in 1 Thursday. ■ ■■'. 1 The annual, competition for tho Plunkct . Medal, presented by his Excellency the. Go- ■ vernor to tho'.Victoria;College Debating;So- , cioty for 'competitive oratorj'; will ,bo" held, ; on Saturday evening, next, at ~tho Concert Chamber, 'lown Hall. Mr. J. Mason will preside, and Mr.: Justice Cooper is expected to adjudicate. The competitors are' as , fol- : low (subjects, in parentheses)Messrs."-R. Bouchcr (Nelson), M. H. Oram (Lincoln), J. M. Hogbcn (Toussaint I'Overturo) ' J. Ross (Gordon), W. :J. M(Eldowney , (Cromwell), R. Kennedy (Drake), I G. Morice(Livingstone);; and J.:Ogg ,(Napoleon).. ■ • Wo have received, from tlio 'publishers, 'Mossrs. StoilG,;Son,valid Company,-. Ltd., a copy of their latest'issuc : of. tho firm's Wellington, • Hawke's; Bay, and Taranaki.direc-' tory.-. This handy book of re-forenoo has.been thoroughly ;revised' and--brought up-tp-dato. To. facilitate;t-lio 'finding of names, < neai'y one thousand ■•references . are .inserted throughout ".tho"-alphabetical division, ,; 's6 'that namc-3 siniilarly' pronounced' but differently 'spelt; may ho. easily traced'. ' .Incorporated: with , the directory is .tile N.Z. Annual, con*.' taininj a'mass of commercial,, .statistical, 1 and gmial,information...' ' ~ .. It may yet happen that tho Commonwealth will .bo obliged •. to T adopt ■.- tho inscription .'.'King.arid Emperor" for.tho King's nead side of ths , now, Australian silver' coinage. Tho rccsnt communication seftt to tho lm--pwisl. authorities;indicating tWt, "King,.of all. the Britains".'ot ','Kirtg tof the Dominions; Beyond .'tie Seas" .'tfould. ,be; preferable.; Io .-"King ahd Emperor,", has.not so far pro-. ' duccd satisfketpry results.; Tho ■ ' Imperial ■ Mirtt ofllciala-i-Aiso' difficulties. " The'Coninion-. ivealth Treasurer is-going ;into iho; whole' mattef again to I ;sc»;.if. 'Australian-''wishes cannot bo ir.et. ..''. ■''" . In the course of'a. reference to the cablo services, :the "New Zealand' Herald" says ('.'^•jiuay,,ii^,bp,'abio't6,'gj;-<)ijtly;modify cable,' .chafes .to X6n'd6n,'Tbut "there .is absplutely| hp ; reason why )vo ' not; fcorgajiiso cable, scryicc In the' jyogcif.a State," cattle'.Between. New 'Zeblarid 1 ana, Australia was 1 projected, and. in'vccout years Sir Joseph Ward, lias insisted that such a ' cable' .'business': could bo 'profitably .carried 011; at a' halfpenny .per word.' The 'existing chargo is threepence..' If our' Prime Minister: .really desires cablo reform, why not , arrange, [with .the Federal Governnierit 'tor a new Tas-; man Sea service,' which, at a - penny per word' ought to prove a;magnificeiit success.".. : ~ ~ -..'By tho Shaw, Savill,and Albion steamer' .Arawa, which': arrived :in .'the.'stream 'from' London shortly;.beforo 110011-yesterday;- there: were 335 passengers,. of. whom' 233: W e r6 .jntho third-class. -..The I'asslstetl" ; passengers', ' included' 75 adults and 3! ojiildroii. Forty-" ono adults wcro nominated by. friends in Now, Zealand; and thirty-four-came out under the auspices of .tho High Commissioner. Twentyfour are described as, domestics (all. under .engagement)/ :\vhilo there ,wore,.nina farmers. Fourteen'of, theVwomen' .wore tho wives of previous : inimigrantß, who have now settled ill this, cbuhtry. ' -The ■ assisted, passcnge'ra: wero : met on arrival by Jlr. A., A. S. Danby. Immigration Olficcrj- aud Miss Brenmer and Mr. - l'roctor, of; tho Labour Department. . ' A: new calondar has been, devised (says an Australian ..-exchange,)., Vvitli 'the; object ol harmonising tile civil, year, .with tho. astro- . nomical year. ' Tho Gregorian calendar,, which . at present governs civil, operations,' was es-, tablishod in 1552,'; and it .is contended that tie .'time has; come to malio. anotlier -advauco.' Tho principal • features. of, the, proposed .now' calendar are:—There -will bo 364 .calendar days in oaclryeir alMl ono, "Anno-day.";'.The' , "Anno day" '.wiH .conlo , between Saturday,; the last day of December, 'and, Sunday; the first day of January . This day will bear no other name'",or ..date: than ','Aluio,day 1 ";19Il —* 'Anno ;day I" ■ 1912, and so on.;. Tnerorwill be exactly-four weeks in every'month, and every, year, month, and -week , will commence ; on; a Sunday and end. with a _. Sunday.'. ■ Every ~fourth-! year (commencing \with -\Qiif ■ shall have, a - "mid. anno" (or nud-yoar day). This day .shall,come, between Saturday- Vinocnt i4th,-and Sunday Vincent loth. -It is. tho oxact'middle of tho year. , This day .is ■to ho treated'in every- respect the x samo as "Anno day." Tho; new' calendar' could; uy. "general conscnt, boi adopted on Ist January; 1911, withodt .disturbing the present calendar.: • Tlio Fisher natent; lifebOat made a voyago ■ for tho boat harbour at Oriental, Bay to . the Glasgow Wharf .yesterday morning, with' s Mr; G. Maclaino in chargo.and four ' gors—Mesdamcs Fisher, Maclaine, ana -Dav-' • los, and little Miss Fisher.: The,threa.ladies * manipulated tho driving gear and Mr.- Mac-laino-steered. .The queer-looking,. torpedo-. -shaped craft was on the wator a coiiplo of ' hours, and tho .voyagers.. stated that it j worked well, and that the ventilation was sufficient. , Mr.. Fisher and a boat's; crew of four tow'cd the lifeboat from, tlio centre of ' tho harbour to the .Glasgow Wharf, and; by, : way. of demonstration several, strenuous' at-, tompta wero made to capsizo it, but without 1 avail. Mr. Fisher' statod > that tlio t-nahwas ■ in '.every way satisfactory,' but. added that .110. intended making several improvements 111 the boat. .Captain ..Smith, Marino , . Superin--1 tendent, went down to the Glasgow Wharf j to inspect tho boat, but owing to somo mis- . take or misapprehension aB :to tho -appoint: I mont mado with the Department he (lid not " see it. ; Tho Maori took it to Lyttelton laat night. -. "r ~ Accompanied by Mr. Field, M.P., the.Hon. ! ,R. M'Kenzio (Slinister for, Public Works) ' spent, tho week-end in tlio Otaki electorate. 1 Oil Saturday'morning Mr. M'ljcavoy (chair- ' man of the Horowhenua s Coiint-y Council), ! and Mr. Malcolm' (tho engineer) showed him tho damage which had occurred along, tlio ' banks of tho Waikanao Rivei'._, Mr., M'Ken- ■ zio expressed the, opinion; that , tho matter ■ of; constructing protectivo works, was. -one 1 more, properly for the: attention' of the local ' bodies or the land-owner than for tho Gov- ' ernment. ' .With feganl to., .renrosoiilatioris 1 for votes for various roads arid fridges, Mr. 1 M'Kenzio promised to givr tho proposed works every consideration _ when the Public l Works estimates Wero being framed. , 111 I the afternoon. Mr. M'Kenr.io was taken along . a portion of the proposed route'of tho-Loyin-['/Greatford railway, in' ordsr that; lis might t obtain some idea of.the .country through £ which' H would, pass. Before returning to - -"Wellington yesterday morning, Mr.. M'Ken--1 visited Wcfcroa Experiment Farm with . the maiyger (Mr. Drysdalo). He expressed r himself as. being well pleased with everything he saw thoro.