LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 679, 2 December 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Half the staff of the Moumahald- Experiment Farm were paid off on Tuesday,' leaving only a few.men to carry on; this year's experiments -which have been already started, and on which the money, already spent by, the Government bids fair to be thrown away.'. There is\can-' siderable feeling on' the Coast (Says a Press Association, messago froni Wancanui) over this retrenchment' which is generally considered a very short-sighted proceeding.,;; .; , ' : On'pago 2 of this issue will be found, two advertisements,' one relating : to : tenders for tho erection of a:post office at Wairoa.and, one to tenders called by the Official Theso; owing 'to ', the Govern-' nient's continued boycott: of The ' Dominion, arc printed at our own cost. ;.! ' ■;.' : It is Teported that a; collision occurred in the harbour between'the , small steamers. Pilot - and ■;■ Eiwaka, but no damage was.done to: cither vessel. ..- ~'

Flags wero flying on the General Po6t Office nnd other buildings of the Government, as well fls some privately-owned premises yesterday, in honour of the sixty-fifth ; birthday of Queen Alexandra/.; A ~•"-,■-'..•'•:■.' ': ; ,'-:'-.

'■ The schools in tho Wellington education district mil-close for the six-weeks" midsummer' vacation on- Friday,,; December 17. '■■'■About- half-past, seven .last evening a newlyr born female child was,' discovered under tho residence of Mr. Tracey, 'n't ■'Seatouri.:. : Attention, was first attracted to. the spot'by .the cries of the which was taken charge of by a number of Indies and well cared for. Meanwhile, the; matter' had. been reported ,to tho police, and Detective Hammond and Polico Matron Beck, were sent out to Seatoun to im vestigate the circumstances. As tho .result of tlieii - inquiries, a young' girl, a domestic'employed <u Seatoun,. was arrested, and with'the child, was taken to the Salvation .Army- Home. The fact that. butchers generally; had stocked their shops s by slaughtering at their own works on. Mondoy-'aud Tuesday,' and also/.that. yesterday was' only -a- half, day for. tho -shops; reabattoir," aiid six: head of cattle and 30 sheep were: killed.. -To-day's work is' expected ■to bo much heavier.a.;- . "■■'-. •--,;:;;•, ■■' . :,,:

. Gas has served its, term as" a means : of lighting the • streets of the suburbs, the. city's contract ! .wifc> tho Gas- Company having Expired on-Tuesday night,' Last-night the electric light extensions which have been'made to Brooklyn, Island Bay, Rosencat.li, Kilbirnie, Mitchelltown, and the ,Hutt Road,- were 1 in full swing, and' the' working'all round is reported to: havo been fory satisfactory.. Altogether, .235 clectrio lamps hare; been' erected to replace, tho 106 gas lamps which previously did "duty.''in" tho suburbs.' ■> 1 . .. '. Boy scouts .will he privileged 'persons ori'ih# tramcars. when in, uniform,. if. a tion to be put forward by the Tramways Committee of the City Council is given effect to, Iho suggestion is -that' the scouts should be charged half the usual fare.. .. Replying last' evening to a question at tho social tendered to delegates of the Amalgamated : oociety, of Engineers. ..Mr.yßaume,«M.P., said that he would not like to see universal school books introduced. Such a'system would mean;, ho explained, that every class in every school would be learning the same subject from the same books,' and he did not think' that, such uniformity would be desirable. However, he favoured the prompt; introduction of free'school books. •; r ,'•• • •; "r nin almost ashamed to say what! I have year,*: said, Mr,: Justice Chapman, in the Supreme Court yesterday. The. judge had been .asked to hear n coso aiter tho. comniGncePt^Li 0 ideation! and ho informed counsel that lie needed a holiday, : that he had eavned it,: v and.that.ho intended to,take it., ,-• _Last evening,;; at' Scott's. robms, .' Manners btreet, the non-commissioned officers and men of the, corps of Dominion Scouts tendered their officers-Captain J. G.' W. . Dalrymplo and the subaltern officers—a, "return" social. . Among tho visitors present were Dr.: A. AV. Izard, Mr.' J. 'Irwin (a mehiber of. 1 th<S 'corps of 'His ; 1 ajosty's Veterany, 1 and Lieutenant Robinson; ii A , n< i * uvnls - ;Tho social, which was well attended,; was: an entire success, aiid a distmct credit: to.:-its organisers.,- KergeintMajor WilhS . occupied the chair. Musical items wore -.contributed by.-. Messrs.- Ncilson; loth, Aicholl, Dunn, and Duncan, and Troohers Zoutendyk, Humphrey, and Nicholl. Dr.'lzard proposed tho toast of "I'h'o Veterans" ' (responded to by Mr. Irwin), and Lieutenant Kobilison toasted, the,health of "The Dominion Scouts. There' were numerous. other toasts, till proposed' in the happiest voin and cuthu■siastieally honoured, j. "... .. The leakngo of- currcnt on the. electric cars is, sometimes; painfully' ; obvious during wet weather. ■ (says theChristchurch "Press';')-, ■'A day . or two ago, a passenger in tho act of handing a penny to. tho conductor received ah electrical shock, .which: was, so strong and/so unexpected that-ho promptly dropped tho com pn, to the, floor and refused to have 'anything more to do with it, The. .conductor, it transpired, was standing upon, a couple of boltheads which protruded .through the footboard ahd immediately he. touched the passenger's penny the circuit .was completed, and such .electricity as was flowing about promiscuously thus found a convenient outlet for its energies. On Tuesday last the office staff of the Mutual Life and- Citizens', Assurance Company, Ltd., held a picnic at Day's Bay. During tho day a tenniis tournament was. played, .. the winner being' Mr. L. S. .Emeny, who received l;hq : trophy donated by the. secretary, Mr. C A. Kichardsou. ' . Mr.. G. Allport, secretary, of : the. Marine Department,' received'a 1 telegram' yesterday from; Captain Hooper, of the Amokura,; stating. that a-landing had-been effected at Sunday Island in the kermadec group. The mails were delivered, and the residents' were, found to; be woll. Curtis Island was : also' "visited, and a new. depot l was', built there,; and the": provisions wero ' renewed. A continuous easterly swell prevented tlie, Ainokura's party' lauding at Maoauliiy Island, lint-a close examination of the shore .was inade,, and the depot' was plainly observed to bo intact.- . Espcranee Rock was also visited," but throughout tho wholo of tho cruise no- signs of .wreckage or castaways were seen, , and there was ' not hing to.; suggest that the; Clan Macpherson had come'to, grief on ; tho group.: The Amokurawill remain at Auckland ' during;. the next : ; few; days for. • a slight overhiul, and. will then return, to. .Wellington. When tho. vessel reaches liero .the boys will be • given ; their. midsummer, holiday leave.',' ■ .... " V Says our Mastorton correspondent: Only.-two convictions for drunkenness were recorded'.-in Mastbrton for November, 1900, as against 2D for November, 1908. ;■ - , v ■■ • ... . Shampooing, Clipping, Hairdressing, Manicuring, Face, Massage,' Treatment of Falling. Hair and Dandruff, Combings mado up, - Natural Hair-pads. Mrs, Uollcston (over Carroll's) U Street. . .'Phone 1503. ...• CISI7

• It is stated that ; there - iei : every prospect of ';•.' (he price': of : metallic. filament lamps being ro- , duced' at a very early, date. . . • ' ' : The. annual .picnic of tin corporation ,6m-':. plo.vees is to bo held at Trentham on Saturday next.':.r ' v : A special meeting of the' Management Cominittoe of tho Now Zealand ltugby Union was held yesterday afternoon to consider a. letter,-; -from tho Now. South Wales. Union, 'suggesting ':/ that a conference should bo held in- Sydney on December .28, jietweeii Now Zealand, Now :■ South Wales, and tjueenslacd. The letter did not state; the matters to be discussed at tho conference. l but the chairman remarked that New Zealand had some time ago proposed a conference to discuss the laws of tho gdina. Thoro was no information in tho letter, except: to say thai a conference was proposed. It wna decided,. after a long discussion, to write to tho New South Wales Union, stating that New Zealand is willing to join in a' conference , on tho laws of the. gamo, and suggesting that, three: delegates should be appointed from each : union, and asking Now South Wales to reply, . stating. l the motions to' bo' tabled, and.also'; suggesting that the conference bo held not: later than the end of January. The suggestion made 'at the last meeting of the City Council that. on additional stopping, place should bo made on theJervois Quay tram section, opposite 'Harris Street, is not favoured . by the.Tramways Committee of tho. council., / There is much talk of camping-out now that. summer is upon us, and , already there are •'' people to be found who hare started out upon their, adventures in different parts of ■ tho country. A party of twelve ladies and gentlo- >. men left Ashburton early in the week by drag 1 on a three weeks', trip, during which they in-' tend to travel to the. West' Const, nnd. back,/ by ; way of the Otira Gorge, sa,ys tho "Ashburton '/ iGuardian." It is intended,' to sec all the scenery-possible 'on the way,\nnd to vary the route; when necessary, to see more.' The party ; will camp, out oxcept when nt Hokitika, and'all the. members expect to.'have a pleasant time. If:'all; goes well,: Ashburton should bo "seen;-' again by the party on Saturday, December 18. . A disquieting report has reached the -Bluff ■; from, the north-west const -of Stewart Island '; (says the "Otago Daily Times")-- Op®' of tho harbour, fleet visited Mason's Bay with/a Hv» Stock' consignment for the pastoral run lateljr i occupied in that neighbourhood. She; pr»l ' ceeded by way of.tho straits and Cod Pish Jsland. /Tho master, being well acquainted with: all, the landmarks, wasipuzzled to them with preyious experience. Getting down : towards the west coast headlsmds that differ., onco became more and more apparent. As,a matter of fact,' certain of tho more prominent landmarks had in a measure been wiped out altogether.' " Tlio ' only feasible explanation ,is thnt earthquakes, which were sliglitly relt at the Bluff and elsewhero a few ,days since,, oper- ; , aled at'this: place with a force and effect not. pleasant to contemplate, it may, on,.fuller inquiries, ,be found that the story admits .of ', 'modification, The residents on tho east ads - of the island; certainly know nothing about a rude shake, and no one is known to, hay# been on the west 6ide. . . ,v ; . ,A; little heap. of ■ stones, called "moa stones,7 . from«ths'gizzards of a, species of. the'..famous; , extinct family of birds, has been'added to tho: collection of moa spe6imens in the' Canterbury■/ Museum,: which :is the-best collection, of th« kind in/the world. A Christchurch, paper says these stones have been found in .' many , district#' ~ in New Zealand,; and theiri distribution showi; ' that the eigontio birds had a. very wide rang<\ extending from the sea' coast to the lofty mountains. The new addition was found re-• 1 cently by Mr. Johannes Anderson 5500 fee-'; up Mount Burnett, in. tho Mackenzie' Country, The stones ■ sometimes vary in 6ize. ; from very.; small ones up to some, which weigh 2oz. complete, set ,:weighs from, Boz. to 51b. /.On/ Swampy' Hill; near Dunedin,'. some years ago,,' . Mr. Justice .Chapman found a collection of moa; stones :nt'a, height of 2000, feet.:- .It has been: noted: that.the . stones, .in: most; cases,' tausthave been-picked up by the'birds close to' the 'place .where, they had'been lying; and; this fact is accepted as evidence that tho huge,: ! clumsy ; birds, whose' liabifjs' nr6 ' largely :;a : 1 question' of bonjecturo,: travelled, slowly. /■ i -.At; an adjourned ' meeting of. tho Waitald i County: Council ■ yesterday morning, ; Mr. D. ■ Sutherland was reflected chairman unop-_ ' posed|. : ~v, ' The. Wellington.'Homing/Pigeon/ Society 'flew. ' a/race from Ruseoll (a distanco of. 420 milea '. air-line) last week., ! Forty-seven .birds::wet# 1 liberated at's a.m. on Thursday; but the strong; 5 adverse winds prevailing prevented'them liom- . ,ing .that. day. / Birds' were: : timed in on Fri- . day as follow:—Mr. J.' H. Clark's b. c. lien, i No. 6. at 8.28, a.m.! Mr. Bailey's b.c. hen, 3 No.' : 9,> at B:J3stj.m'. l |vM<'l AV'Clark's fb. o.'cpck»!< , No. 5, at-U.52: 'a l .iii.i find Mr, , Elliott's b.- c. j lien, No. 367 iat .4.2 p.m. A race from 5 Half* ' Moon" Bay, VStewart Island (520 : miles), .-is tho . ; society's:-next :.event/u.:.;. ;.'■-/•''-/ '•'•ln'reference proposal.to runHho'tram# j oil: Christmas '.Day,; it is Suggested: that the "serais should, be the' some as; on Sundays, on .tho' principal lines; including, morning cars, to | .meet-the' boats and trains., : Double fares will be charged if ,the. recommeidation of the City j Council's Tramway Committee: is given/effect , to to-nisht. ..../, ' ' ••' ■•.

.-': A; proposal will bo jpnt' forward at to-night's meeting of v tho City Council to, tho effect, that the Post'arid Telegraph Department .£335 per annum, for the carriage of majls,. telegraph; messengers, and , letter-carriers' on the tramcars, with a'further .£lswhen-the-Wadei town':extension is .made.. ,:•;,;::;.;: -\'..-■'/■-.

,' Tramway .luggage .vans will-be run during tho Christmas holidays if _the: City' Council S asses a' recommendation, which is to be placed eforo it this evening:by'the Tramways' Committee.: It: is;,understood that the; suggestion ■ will bo, to run'ono of the small box cars behind. ' a big car, which will inept tho heavy tramo;. trains, a. small charge being made for the car- i, ringe. of the luggage,.which .cannot be',taken ■'', into tho-cars by,passengers.:;'' .'• ;. ■■'■ :'.-',',

' 'As far as can to .seen at present, the new ■' Lyell 'Bay tram extension will probably, bo •' opened ' about'' December ,14.' The; work, hha been proceoding'rapidly since'the sleepers'came .: .twelve will-Teap , tho benefitof the new lino., :* will bo completed.right.through to iho.bay by , ; the end'of next-weefc-'A suggested time-table v find table of fares will be laid before to-night's v.' meeting of the City Council. It is .'understood- ■ ' ■ that; the, propositi, is, that a 3d.: fare be-charged from' the I.ambton Station to bay, that the, " charge should' bo 2d. from Colirtouay Place to tho terminus/and Id., front Wellington Eoad, 1 •>' lvilbirriie,' to the bay.' Concession 'tickets .to, the; bay Avill' be at. the' rate of Gd., ; the same - as . rulu to' the' city boundary. Children, under':'; twelve; will reap the benefit of the. now lino, -. -, as't|iey will bo able to;rido'fr6tn' the lambton Station, to Maranui for Id. The proposed ser- . vice j.is 20 minutes in the\daytime, ■ and- 40 ! : minutes, after 7 p.m.,/with 20 minutes until 8 p.m. on' Sundays,. and 40 minutes thereafter. - Consideration of the representations' inado by -the. Industrial-Association and the local eleo- ' trical ■ importers in. reference, to the' muiiici- ,' paiity dealing in clcctric light fittings has'beea • " further postponed until the' next'meeting, of. the' r Tramways Conimittee of the City Council; ■ ■ The now Hnppy Valley Road, which' has reeentlv been completed by. the City. Council, and which provides' a, hew drive from the city, throujh Brooklyn:and back to'town,via Island Bay 'or tho.Queen's Drive, is to; bo opened.by the Mayor .-and... councillors- .next 1 ■'afternoon. .-The party will.return via Maranui, •where, the new tramway and other works will bo. inspected. -. _ •••••• ' : The: proposed eight-hour day'for nurses was--the subject, of ..adverse oomment.at.yesterday'*' meeting '.of-i the: District Hospital Board. "It «■• was-pointed out that ;it would be impossible f work the eight-hour system 1 at. the Otaki Ho» pital and Sanatorium, and the board decided to' place ,it' 011 record ' that. they' wore 'not ■in favour ot the. retention of -Clause 1 128 -of the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Board' Bill now ~: before ■ the House, in;so far as tho provision - for a 56-hour' is concerned.-' Mr'. C.' J.-' Crawford. pointed out'- that it Was not right - ■ that, nurses at a. hospital like the one, at ■ ' Otaki should bo compelled to work tm eight, hour day/ when they frequently did practically ■; nothing for several weeks on end. When th«: ' oombined .boards got to work, ,ho, thought it might be' arranged that-the Otaki and Wei. ' lington Hospitals shouldnvork :together with-benefit,-to-both the, nurses and patients. Tho l secretaix was,instructed, to.forward tho-follow. ; nig telegram .to all' district, hospital boards in :■ New. Zealand 'Welhngton.V Distriot Hospital - ' Board,protests strongly against uew clause inHospitals'Bill which arbitrarily, limits hours of all nurses to 56 per week." ;In care of large' ,hospitals- it would involvo extra.;sisters, .ami. in .. all small: .hospitals aiid sanatoria oiic-third .extra. stall, .with no, - corresponding increase: in efficiency. I'lease wire immediately your bc'ardV viDivs, with view to niy board'presenting peti.: ,' tion to ■ Legislature, to; eliminate . clause ana ■ loav.e matter to discretion of , boards." : .', On and: after Monday next,. trains' will niij- ■ to' and" from . Masterton, as follow i—For Wei- i k liugton, 7.311 a.m., ,11.15 a.m., and 3.1S pm , for Cross '.Creek, *10.5 p.ni.j for Woodville,' ?;«. •: a.m. (connects . with up Auckland ■ express at-" I'almerston-North), 11,41 .a.m.: (connects with up- Napier mail, train:at- Woodville), 5.-kV.p.ni-:- v - Trains. arrive - at.- Masterton' from ■ ,'Wellingtoi ■ 'at 11.38 ft.ni';,:5.55 p.m., and 8 p.m,i from Cross - Creek, 7:25 n,m,'; from ■..Woodvilie; ' 11.30 n.tn., 3.53 p.m.; and 9.50 p.m. •'.■•' c .The concrete foundations lor the new dam at■■■■•' tho. .Wainui-o-mata:.- reservoir: liu'yeviiow • bees : completed, and,fmtiijfactory. work is now-beim' •' done; 611, (he superstructure., : .ThVie is . still .' twelve months' work ahead of the contractors.