LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 795, 19 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The, mails which left Wellington on March 15 per s.s. Moana, and connected at Sydney with the Brindisi mail per K.M.S. Moldavia, arrived in London on tho night of April 15.

Tho kinentatograph plays a. part'.in nearly every function worthy of notice, bnt seldom if ever has it been known to be on the spot in connection with the arrest o£.a .prisoner. Such was tho case,- however, 'in-connection''with the arrest of Powelka. As the riiotor-car ' containing the • escapee and his escort of sturdy policemen. drove up to the police station an enterprising kinematographist, from a balcony opposite, obtained a good picture of the party. It is even stated that Powelka honoured . the showman with a fnil-faced glance as the car turned into the station yard. : .

The members' of the commission which has been appointed to report upon suitable sites for a military training ground for the ;North Island are at present visiting the tyairoa district. '■■■:■.■.:..■'..

JJissatisfaction continues to be felt., in various parts of the Dominion in regard to the working of the system of free school books. In reply to an inquiry by a reporter yesterday, the Hon. G. Fowlds (Minister for. Education) said that the boards which took the scheme in hand jarnestly had experienced no difficulty. From some of the boards word had been received that the system was proving a great .boon. In Wellington, for instance, there had been no complaint except that of a very small shortage on the actual expenditure for the first year. During the initial year the Government 1 grant covered the books required up to' Standard 11. This year provision was made up to Standard 111. He hoped that next year a grant wonld be possible covering up to Standard IV, and that year by year more and more would be done, until tho system applied to the whole of the standards, '

The eccentric behaviour of' a young man; 26 years of age, who came out from London in the third-class of the steamer Athenic resulted in the man being examined by the port health officer on the arrival of the vessel yesterday. It is understood that the condition of the man is such that he will have to.be sent back, to England.' . ■ . '■

The Wellington College Cadet Corps go to Trentham on Wednesday to complete their class tiring. Mr. Sedgewick, who recently came to the Dominion in connection 1 with a echeme to settle Home idle boys in the colonies, hae returned from his visit to Auckland. Eeferring to the scheme, the Hon. G. Fowlds told a Dominion reporter yesterday that Mr. Sedgewick had placed certain proposals in writing before the Government. The matter would come up for consideration at an early meeting of the Cabinet. .-.-■. . "It has been said that I have stated that the tramways should never contribute anything to the rates. That I never said," declared Mr. Crawford, speaking at Island Bay, last night. "I have no doubt that the experience of other cities will be repeated here, and that when the city has greatly expanded with the aid of the tramways, ■ the penny fares will bring in.so much that we shall be able to spare a contribution to the rates." . , Proficiency certificates have teem granted the following volunteer officers:— Lieut-Colonel's certificate to LieutColon?! R. W. Tait; and lieutenants' certificates to Lientenante H. A. Davie, Wαnganui Defence Cadets; Lieut. J. Chappie, No. i Company, N.7..E.V.; Lient. W. G. Smith, liana watu M.R.; Lieut, S. A. Atkinson, Victoria College 0.T.C.; and Lieut. .1. . L. Short, Victoria College Training Corps. ■ Mr. Crawford remarked in his Mayoral ©lection speech at Island Bay last night that when he talked of beautifying the city, it was not aesthetic nonsense, but a solid matter of pounds, shillings, and pence. One reason why many people who had made their money here went elsewhere to live in retirement was that the scarcity of "parks and pleasures caused Wellington to be lees attractive than other places: He had often thought what a beautiful place Island Bay coujd be made, if a little monoy were spent there. . ■ . A boat harbour at Island Bay, to be made by connecting orva side of the island with the mainland, was a scheme which Mr. Crawford, at his meeting last nirtht, suggested as being worthy of consideration. The Court of Appeal will sit this morning for the purpose of delivering judgments. ■ Shampooing, Clipping, HaMroeslnj;, Manicuring; TFace Massage, Treatment of FaJlrng Hair and Dandruff, Combings mads up. Natural HaiT-pads. Mrs. RoUotrton (over Cnrroll'a), 14 Willis fitruet . 'Phone 1800.—Adve. j

Speaking to a Dominion reporter yesterday with regard to the central mental hospital, which it is proposed to erect near Otorohanga, the Hon. G. Fowlds stated that a. start was to be made with tho preliminary work : almost immediately. Before it would be possible to proceed with the construction of the new block oi buildings, a good "deal of roadmaking, etc., would have to be carried' out. In connection with this work, thero were a largo number of mental patients whose services could be usefully employed. It was intended to. draw on. the varione mental institutions throughout the Dominion for suitable patients, hut a majority would be taken from tho mental hospitals ill tho Norrt. Island. Although tho establishment of the institution would -be proceeded with as expeditwusly as possible, some considerable time would necessarily elapse before the whole scheme was an accomplished foot.

Tho assisted passengers who arrived yesterday from Home by the White Star liner Athenic were mostly domestic servants, and almost all of them have places of employment to go to. The Athenic brought 208 passengers in the third class, including the 68 who' had been granted assistance by the Government. Of these latter, 20 had been approved by the . High Commissioner in London, 22 adults nnd 27 children had been nominated by relatives in New Zealand, and 17 women had come to join' tbsii husbands, bringing five children over 12 years of age, and 27 under 12. Domestic ■ servants numbered 20. The total number of passengers who arrived by the Athenio was 250.

A new proposal for tramway extension will come soon before the City Council. This is that the service should be extended from Kilbirnie along Wnipapa and Graftau • Roads to Genre Hataitai and Eoseneath. This' improvement was urged upon the Tramway Committee of the City Council by a combined deputation from tho Eoseneath and Hataitai Ratepayers' Associations yesterday, and a report .will bo presented by the committea to the council oh the matter. Owing to difficulties of grade it would not be practicable to loop up this extension, if agreed to, with the Oriental Bay line.'.

Has there been extravagance on the part of the Railway Department in forming the new Hntt Road? The question is important to local bodies, for when the Department has completed its work they will hare to foot the bill. The Makara Coonty Council is convinced that there, has been extravagance, and at its instance the Majors of Wellington, Onslow, Petone, and Lower Hutt, with the chairman.. of the Hutt and Makara County Councils, have been invited to meet in conference to-day to consider the matter. • The Mayor of Wellington (Dr. Newman) will not be able to be present, but he states that the movement .has bis entire sympathy and will be placed by him before the City Council without delay. The Bailway Department denies that there has been extravagance." It explains that a little extra cost was incurred owing to the fact that the roadhas had to be constructed on a rubble bottom, and the levels have had to be adjusted to suit the levels of the wafer mains from Wainui-o-mata. ,For.the rest it is urged that the Department has used the best material obtainable and aimed, at making a substantial thoroughfare, but there has been no unnecessary expense. The width of the road, sixty,feet, was laid down by the Act. If the cycle • track which runs beside the road had been divided from the footway, or if a large portion of the kerbing had not been taken from the old concrete blocks which used to face the railway line,'the work would have been much more expensive.

Like more than one of the chairmen of recent mayoral election meetings, Mr. R. Keene, who presided for Mr. Crawford at Island Bay last night, expressed the opinion that the law , should be altered so that Mayors' should. bo elected by the councillors from' among their own number, instead of being elected separately by. the burgesses ■

A new regulation' with regard to the admission of the relatives of passengers to the.wharves on the arrival of intercolonial steamers has been adopted by the. Auckland' Harbour Board..: For many years past it has been the custom of the board to barricade the wharves on arrival . of intercolonial steamers, and only allow- relatives or friends;-, of incomingpassengers to. pass, through the barricade.' The idea was to prevent a crowd encroaching on the -whoTves and putting passengers and officials to inconvenience. It has been found that many people abuse the privilege granted by the board, on the pretence of "seeing friends." The board has now decided to admit no one on to the wharf until , the steamer is made fast', and the passengers disembarked. There is always; a danger of the lines breaking and cansing accidents, and this fact has also been taken" into consideration by the board in adopting the. new .regulation. .-. '■'■■■■:_■ . The labour market in Auckland is in a very healthy condition just now (says the "Herald"). There is a brisk demand for strong labourers, chiefly for work on the drainage contracts, and firstclass men are readily-placed; in fact. the. supply of really Rood men is hardly equal to the demand. Tho?e who register their names with the Government Labour Bureau are mostly being sent to the country, some to Government works, and some to private employment. Between 600 and 700•seekers after land have already made application at the District Lands Office, Auckland (says the "Herald"), for poster plans of the Hauraki Plains Settlement, which is to he thrown open for election on the occupation with right of purchase tenure on Mav 13. The ballot is to take place at Thames on May 18. Altogether . 104 first and second-class sections' are offered, comprising 16,700 acres. . ' ; A six-inch punrn was sent , across by the Union S.S. Company last week to assist in the raising of the steamer Koi, at Nelson, and an attempt was made to rig it and make it effective for a fourfoot draw (at loir water), but in vain. It was.consequently sent back to Wellington as being out of order. Mr. W. A: Kennedy; local maTiagor for the TJnion Company, however, ordered it to be rigged.on board the Haupiri yesterday. The work was commenced at.: 11.20 a.m., and hy 2 o'clock the pump was drawing a full head from a , depth of 16ft.- Tho pump was found to be in perfect order, and the company's local engineers, who fitted it up here, are wondering vagnelv if the change of air could have affected a really powerfnl and efficient pump ■which did excellent work on the Kaipara, the Pilot, Janet Nicoll, and other craft.

The vrindow to be erected in St. Mary's Cathedral, Auckland, in memory of the late Bishop Cowie, Primate of New Zealand, has arrived in Auckland. The window was designed by,,Archdeacon.Walsh and.executed by Messrs. Jones and Willis, of London. It shonld have been livered in Auckland last October, bnt the" manufacturers kept it on exliibition in their showrooms for about six months. Canon Walpole, Teotor? of Lambeth, and formerly vicar; of St. Mary's, Parnell, wrote to Canon Mac Murray expressinfr his nleasnre at the.beauty of design and excellence of the workmanship. The window is to be unveiled and dedicated on Wednesday, April 27,.at 3 p.m. .

Interest in the Yamni Sound tragedy has been revived by the. trial recently, at. Broorve (W.A.). of six aborigines, for the murder of John Pritchard Jones in January last. The whole six were found gnilty of wilfnl mnrder, and sentenced to death. One alone admitted his guilt. Jones and his partner Jfasyen, beachcombers and prospectors, visited Yampi Sound in January last. A tribe of natives went to their lugger. Jones was enticed ashore, a native named.Peter remaining on board with Massen. . After the departure of the dinghy, containing Jones and fonr natives, and a catamaran with the rest of the natives on board, a savage attack _ was made by Peter on. Miws?sn. On petting possession of o. tomahawk, Massen threw the native overboard, and then shot him dead. Jones, on leaving, told his partner that ho would rotnrn for lunch, bnt ho did not do eo, and after cruising aronnd for three days. Massen went into Derby and reported the. matter. After several attempts. Constable Fletcher brought the whole of the tribe, , with the exception of two, into Derby. The constable also discovered the remains of Jones.

The postal authorities advise that the Mooraki, which Inft Sydney on Saturday, April Iβ, is bringing an Australian mail for the Dominion.. She is due at Wellington on Wednesday, April 20.. ' .

Tho Shaw-Savill steamer lonic, which is to sail for London on Saturday, will be a full passenger ship. Up. to yesterday 880' bookings had been entered.

The law of gravitation is & curious thing. : Although inevitable in its operation it plays strange vagaries at time?. In Sydney, on April 8, a labourer named Frank Craddock fell fifty feet from the top of Mr. A. Saunders , new building to the ground, and escaped■: uninjured. A few days before a coal lunvDcr named Edward Boland fell less than half the distance and was killed. Presence of mind had something to do-with CraddocVs escape. He had been hoisted in a barrow to the top of the building, when tho gear gave way, and barrow and mandescended at a terrific pace to'the ground. Just when it was expected that he would be.dashed to death Craddock stepped nimbly out of the barrow on to the ground and. resumed his work; ' '

The retiring collection at St. John's Church for the Presbyterian Orphanage realised over .£SO.

_ The precautions which were taken by the port health officer on the arrival of the Ulimaroa from Sydney last week as a re £mt of an outbreak of smallpox in Anstraba, were repeated yesterday on the arrival of the Athenic from London via Cape Town and Hobart.- The vessel was given, a clean bill of health after a searching inspection. The-Chief Justice win hear to-day the' Cas » °l M and Bell v. Sample, an appeal from the' decision of Dr. A. M'Arr°i r j- * M - i n connection with a house- : building contract. The Government of Victoria has been so favourably impressed with the first contingent of British boys sent ont by the Agent General that it has. sent a cable message to Sir John Taverner to continue sending out twelve boys per month. Speaking on tho matter, the Premier'said th«y_ were the right kind of immigrants, and it would be to the advantage of' Victoria to get as many of; them as possible. Every British lad had' as much , right to come and Uve in. Victoria as he had. In the interests of the rural development of the State it was necessary to increase the population in tho country districts, especially as colonial boys did not show nracli inclination to leave the cities and go ont into the country. . .-•.'". : .'■ . ■ Mr. George Swinburne, IHLL.A, and former Minister for AgriraltureyVyktoria, out; of the, amount received 'by him from the "Age" in the recent action for libel, is distributing the sum of ,£2250; among the various public and charitable institutions, in Melbourne. : , ■.''.' : The Minister for Internal Affairs celebrated April 1 by issuing a municipal handbook containing valuable information, one item of which is that the population of the Borough of Hamilton is ,£2600. The "typographical error" is no respecter of persons, arid the above example shows that it occasionally includes' even Ministers of the Crown amone its victims. '. . . Reciprocity in the matter of certificates ior engine-drivers has been arranged between Victoria land other States of the Commonwealth / and.. New' Zealand, states the Melbourne "Age." "An Order-in-Council has been passed providing- that persons, holding engine-drivsrs' certificates issued in the otter States or in New Zealand will be granted the same •grade certificate in Victoria under the Mines Act.and,the Coal Mines Eegnla. tion Act. '/ . . ' ' , '