LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 April 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the Maheno, which left Sydney for Auckland on April 6, has an English and Australian mail on board. The mail is expected to reach Wellington per. Main Trunk express on Monday, April 11.

It has been decided by the Government that the 'next session of Parliament will open in tho last week in Jnne. With regard, to the congestion of magisterial business at Eltham, the Hon. Dr. Findlay, Minister for Justice, told a Dominion reporter yesterday that he had no doubt that the difficulty would bo at an end within a few days. Mr. H. F. Allen, secretary of the Wellington Industrial Association, is disappointed, at the result of the appeal for guarantees (for sums of £10, £15 ; or £20) in connection with the exhibition proposed to be held in Wellington in July. In the circular letter, which was sent out:on March 29, arequest was made for replies by April 11. but so far very few have been received - The committee ask for a guarantee of £500, and if that amount is not promised before Monday, the members will make a personal canvass, as they do not wish to see the project dropped. The City Council decided last night, on the recommendation of the Tramways Committee, to make, an offer to the Jolinsonville Town Board to supply their town with electrioity in bulk at the town boundary, at the rate of 6d. per unit, the board to pay back in five yearly instalments with interest at the rate of 6 per, cent., tho sum of £435, being the cost of-the extension of the mains from the lighting station, to ; Johnsonville. . -~-.■ In the course of his duties" recently, Mr., Hamilton, director of the Colonial Museum, was grieved to find that some of the carvings on the Maori house had been defaced. From the appearance of the unsightly marks that have been made, they were evidently done with a sharp pocket knife. In consequence, Mr. Hamilton has put up a notice to the effect that in future tho Maori house will be closed,-and anyone who wishes to look over the building will be shown round by the caretaker. ' The Government has decided to contribute £80 toward the cost of. impfov-' ing the bowling green in, the Te Aroha Sanatorium grounds, provided the bowling club will find £20.'. The North Island Railway Appeal Board will sit- to-day to consider appeals by two officials from New Plymouth against reduction of status. The wasting of water'at Brooklyn has come under the notice of the city authorities. The city engineer. reported to the Outlying Districts Committee of the council that. water is being wasted at Brooklyn at night time to a great extent. The committee recommended that steps be taken to prevent a. continuance of the practice. The council last night adopted tho committee's recommendation. Tho Grocers' Union has been, granted permission to hold-a walking race on Kelburne Park next Wednesday afternoon, no charge to be. made for admission, '■'...:?;■ The railway working account for the period ,-nJed March"s, 1910 (339 days), as gazetted last night shows that the total revenue on the North Island lines was £1,474,355, and the expenditure £1,001,845. The figures for the South Island were: Revenue, £1,497,305; expenditure, £1,012,144. Total for both Islands:—Revenue,' £2,971,661; expenditure, £2,013,988. Grand totals for corresponding period of last year (339 days): Revenue, £2,638,363; expenditure, £1,917,028. Following are the figures for the four weekly period ending March 5 with the corresponding figures of last year in parentheses:— North' Island — Revenue, £148,094 (£136,153); expenditure, £86,029 (£87,009). • South Island—Revenue, £140,705 (£127,667); expenditure, £83,432 (£82,764). Grand totals — Revenue, £288,799 .(£263,820); expenditure, £169,461 (£169,773). The expenditure on the North Island lines for a twelvemonthly period ended March 5, 1910, was 67.95 of the revenue, as compared with 67.77 on the 1 South hland. Shillings and pence are omitted in the above transcript from the Gazette. , A proclamation constituting the boroughof Te Kuiti is gazetted. The first election of Mayor and nine councillors will' bo held on May 4, and Mr. John Tammadgo is the town clerk and returning officer.

Anderson Park has been allocated to the Wellington Rugby Union, for the present winter season, this permission to be revoked at the discretion of the City Council. "Conscience"- money to the amount of £10 has been forwarded to the general manager of the State Fire Insurance' Office, by an anonymous correspondent. 1 Messrs. T. G. Macarthy and James Ames were re-elected director* of the Hutt Park Railway Company at the annual meeting held yesterday. Mr. J. B. Harcourt was re-elected auditor. Among the matters which will probably como up for consideration at the next meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union is the question as to whether tlio alterations which have just been made to the laws by the International Board at Home should be brought into forco in New Zealand for the coming season. If thoy aro to como into operation this year it will bo necessary to instruct the various Referees' Associations to that effect without delay. Commander W. F. Blunt, of H.M. drill-ship Pioneor, states in a letter to Mr. C. W. Palmer, that ho does not expect to be in Wellington until the end of Mat month. . i

The question of tepid swimming baths was raised by Councillor Carmichael at the City Council last night. Councillor Luke, as cliairman of tho Baths Committee, said the matter had not been lost sight of, but the engineer was vory busy with the Wadestown tramway, the Wainui reservoir, and other works. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., was much impressed, at the Levin Show on Wednesday, by the splendid exhibit made by the boys of the Wereroa training Farm, which he states was the most interesting feature of the show, and reflected tho greatest credit on the institution. The exhibit comprised specimens of woodwork and needlework, including cushions, tea cosies, and other articles. Most of the work had been done by boys from ten to fourteen years of age. Some of it was of a very high quality, and the inlaid woodwork, Mr. Fisher states, would have done credit to a.finished workman. During an interview with a Dominion reporter yesterday, Mr. Hamilton ■T*?? of the Colonial Museum, do?w • i, Clemellt "Wragge's assertior that, in the course of his Teceht visit to the north, ho could not have been within 30 miles of the spot at which he made his recent interesting discoveries. Mr. Hamilton went on to say, from the account of the trip which ho gave the Dominion, it mnst have been' clear to anybody who knows tho ground that, he was within a very short distance of the place. As a matter of fact, he purposely did not go nearer than half a mile, for the reason that he did not wish to interfere in connection with the matter.until Mr. Wragge had completed his investigations.

The auxiliary schooner Huia is expected to complete discharging southern produce to-day (states our Dargaville correspondent), after which she will proceed to To Kopuru.'and load timber iSi 6 s ? uth> li wiu be remembered that on the occasion of the Huia's last visit she was .unfortunate enough to receive considerable, damage by fire. On the present trip her run, from, tho ooast proved very disastrous, a terrific gale being encountered off Cape E«mont. The topsail was lost, and a portion of the cargo damaged, the flour and chaff suffering. most. About a hundred cases of benzine were swept off the deck and lost, besides.a 400-gallon tank of water, the loss of which has already been recorded. • The City Council last evening decided to appoint a caretaker for' the Lyall Bay Beach, the officers to recommend a man in the employ of the corporation competent to carry' out the duties.. • ''. .■ The Tramways Committee recommended the City Council last evening "that tenders be called for the work of erecting carsheds at Thomdon, in accordance with the plans." The clause was referred back .to the committee for further consideration, especially with reference to a proposal to suspend a clause of the building by-law so as to allow of tho erection of a temporary iron wall. . .-■...' , The complaint of a householder was voiced by a city councillor last' evening, when he asserted that one of the newly-appointed sanitary inspectors had burst into a house at 8 o'clock in tho morning, and walked upstairs to inspect the bathroom,' without saying so much as "By your leave." Tho City Engineer said that no inspector was entitled to enter any premises unless ho intimated who he was and what he was about. "Is 8 o'clock a proper hour for an inspector to do this work?" asked the councillor. "Would you have the men start work at 10 o'clock?" the engineer asked in turn. The Mayor said that he would suggest to the inspectors that there need.be no unpleasantnesses connected with 'their necesSa-ry'' ii visits^t6 u ; : vaHous houses, "-i The City Council last night resolved, oii the motion of Councillor- Devine seconded by Councillor Luke: ','(a) That this council considers the time has fully' arrived when a general railway station adequate to,the requirements of Wellington and suburbs should be erected by the Government in a suitable position in the city, (b) That the cooperation of the adjoining borough councils, the Chamber of Commerce and other local • representative bodies be sought with the view of uniting with this council in making a vigorous representation to the Government on the subject." ',■'... _ A petition signed by 186 residents of Borhampore, who desired the City Council'to extend Waripori Street and make it fit for traffic, was presented by Councillor Luke last night, and referred to the city engineer for a report. The City Council last night accepted the tender of Mr. G. W. floss for the purchase of an engine and chaffcutter which the counoil had taken over with some property at Fitchett. The i city.- engineer's department reports that during the fortnight ended April 5 27 applications were made for permits to erect, alter, or extend buildings, and 24 permits were granted. The value of the property in respect . of which the permits were granted is given as : Mows:—City, £5182: Melrose, £4821 j'Northland, £425; total, : £10,428. Children delight in writing'and re-ceiving-letters. They have the added joy and feeling of adventure in writing to friends in distant lands which they hope some day to visit. It was through an understanding of this very, natural instinct (says the London correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus") that the League of the Empire originated ~ in 1901 a scheme for. bringing children in different parts of the Empire into touch with each other for mutual correspondence. They were able to utilise their immense knowledgo of educational niatterj and interest in schools of every, grade, both in Groat Britain and in the colonies, in the furthe/ince of the scheme. ' Somo slight idea of the expansion which has come from quite small beginnings may bo gathered from the fact that over 17,000 children are now membors of the comrades''cOire-, spondence, section of: the league, and are in direct communication with each other. The number increases at the rate of nearly 200 a month, and includes many pupil teachers. The ages range from nine to nineteen, but the most active correspondents aie those between twelve and seventeen, who have reached the ag9 when the world outside their own circle begins to interest them, and to wonder what "it is like on the other side of the globe. Speaking at Dunedin on Sinday eveningj Mr. D. M'Laren. M.P., said that ono of tho reasons or tho weakness of trades unionism.was undoubtedly the sops-they had been given in • tho shape of palliativo legislation. There seemed to bo a feeling in existence that by tho adoption of the principle of conciliation and arbitration they had. stopped the working of economic law. It was necessary to.emphasise the fact that the lawß operating in older countries, producing conditions as described, say. in a chapter of Upton Sinclair's "Jungle," were also in existence in this younger country, and in time must undoubtedly produce like results. He believed the Arbitration Act had served its best purpose in strengthening unions in members and finances, arming them for further fighting. The recognition of the weakness of the props they had been leaning upon was an acknowledgment that they had not fully grasped the necessity of the socialisation of all industries. To him it was not merely a question as to whether a man was a unionist, but how much of a unionist was he? Tho spcakor urged them to drop all sectional and personal jealousies, and to work harmoniously together in a real spirit of. solidarity. .Theycould havo any number of parties strong in membership and finaucos, but without | more harmony they would have no real force. What was wanted was not so much a better body, but a more live Bpirit,

The appointment of Mr. H: D. "Bedford as lecturer on history at the Otago University brings our college into lino with other colleges in the Dominion, says the Dunedin "Star." In the course of the public-spirited 'letter to the ;■ University Council conveying his willingness to accept the position of lecturer without emolument for the present, Mr. Bedford urged the necessity for such classes, and his insistence waf fortified by -a letter from Dr. Gilray, which contained the following apposite opinion: History is a study of immense importance, especially in young countries, which stand greatly in need of the valuable and steadying training of the judgment, supplied by history. The patriotic and Imperial movement which is so marked a feature of our.,, time, and in which we are all deeply interested, cannot be the intelligent movement it ought to be without the study of history. I have long regretted that so little time, comparatively,: is given in our New Zealand schools and colleges to this study, and j have welcomed the efforts of the Navy League in recent years' to stimulate tho study of British history in our schools. It is. reported -that steps ar-. being taken to form an Orphans' Club in Wellington.

It is now some years since the Orepuki Shale Works closed down and the manager returned to Scotland, and it appeared as if there was little hope of the renewal of operations; but the company have decided to put the shah? field through a thorough test, and with that object in view the Government have decided to place at their disposal in a months time one of the diamond drills that have-been doing service at Waihi. Though the works have been idle for a considerable time, the machinery has been periodically overhauled,' and, so, should operations be resumed, everything will be found in working order. It is stated that the company's desire is to have an area outside their lease tested, as they are not satisfied that they have picked out the best site obtainable. It is contended by those who are active in. the matter that, aa the British Empire only supplies oneseventh of the world's oil production, from an Imperial point of view it is advisable to exploit' the ojl deposits within the bounds of the Empire,' so that in the event of success we would be independent of foreign supplies should international complications ever occur.'

Tb.6 Auckland "Herald" suggests that tie breaking of telegraphic, communication between Auckland and the. south, resulting in the complete isolation of that city from the main telegraphic system of the Dominion, should be guarded against for the future by the construction of a second line.. Our contemporary points out that there is already dual means of communication south from Hamilton, by the eastern, and by the western telegraph route, and this duplication has frequently saved messages from interruption. But Auckland still depends upon- a single route north from Hamilton, and that this ianot more frequently interrupted for a prolonged period is due not merely to hard work on the part of the departmental officers, but also, to good fortune, which cannot always be depended upon. The construction of a .direct telegraphic line to the Thames would; give a duplicate'route, for the -Thames connects with Tauranga and Rotorua, and would thus afford an outlet when-. ever the Hamilton route was cut. Thia (says the "Herald") is very necessary, and should receive the immediate, attention of the, Government"; for one of' the most important considerations in a telegraphic service, is that it shall be available whenever'required. ..:■'.' TheClandeboye Estate, neaT Temuka,which was acquired recently, by tho. Government for closer settlement, haa been already inspected by a number of intending'applicants from both islands. THe land "is intended-for dairying, and for this,'..; purpose', it -. is admirably adapted. "The estate is situated sis miles from Tennika in a north-easterly, direction, a good metalled road-leading, all the. way.down to' it. The Clande--boye school is within half a mile of it, and a creamery is close alongside tha school. It is bounded on the south side by the Orari River, on the north by. a road which is to be formed out of it (all the subdivisions will front on to this road with the exception of tha homestead block, which faces Holieston's; Road), on the east by other.farm lands, and on the '. west' by Rolleston's Road. The estate,is practically level, is well watered by natural creeks aid streams, and the soil is deep, rich and free, being composed largely''of .river silt and sand. The examination of. applicants is now fixed for May 19, and the ballot will be held on the foUowing day at Temuka.

Amended regulations as to leave oi absence of officers in the public service are gazetted. An officer who has served! fifteen years.or more may be granted' by the Minister in charge of the Department leave of absence not exceeding three weeks in any one year. If the officer has served less than three years, his leave must not exceed two .weeka in one year. The'granting of leave of absence is subject to the following conditions: —That the behaviour of the officer has been in every way satisfactory; that tho total intermittent leave during the previous 'twelve months, has' not exceeded five days; that absenos from illness or accident has. not ex-' eeeded one week; and, more generally,that his official duties haye been properly performed.' Clause 3 reads:"No' officer shall be entitled to claim leave of absence as. a right, and if for any cause the head - of the Department thinks .--such.' leave ought' not to be granted, he may refuse the same in any : case, subject to the approval of his action by the Minister.'-'

The Governor has appointed the following representatives of. contributory, districts to Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards:—Mr. J. W. Murray, to'represent Akitio County, on the Wairarapai Hospital - and Charitable Aid Board; Mr. S. M. Porritt, to represent Stratford County,'on the Stratford Board.'. A few Ministerial decisions under th* Customs Duties' Act are gazetted.. - Motor-cars, it would appear, ari hardly suitable playthings for Yesterday afternoon a small boy wa? left 'reclining in ' the front seat of a motor-car in Dominion Avenue, and bis curiosity, prompting him? to try parts of the mechanism, he finally' succeeded in releasing the brake. The machine immediately commenced to' move .down' the gentle incline, and it kept going until it bumped the curbing of the footpath on the other side of Lambton. Quay. Fortunately for the car and its passenger no trams wore passing when it made this special excursion. Shampooing, Clipping, Hairdresslng, Manicuring, Face Massage, Treatment ol Falling Hair and Dandruff, Combinga made up. Natural Hair-pai*. Mrs.Kolleston (over Carroll's), U Willij Struct." 'Phono 1599.—Advt.