LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 803, 28 April 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. T. M. Wilford's election as Mayor of Wellington will cause a vacancy in the offico of Chairman of Committees of the House of llepresentativos. ■On several occasions during tho campaign Mr. Wilford, when questioned !»s to how ho would find time to cope with,the duties he was seeking to acid to 1 thoso he had already undertaken, stated that if elected Mayor ho would rosign tho Chairmanship of Committees. 'lhis office will, no doubt, liow become vacant. Mr. Wilford's successor may possibly bo Mr. T. H. Davoy, member for Christchurch East, who was "in tho running" for the post last year, but declined to contest tho office against his colleague, Mr. Wilford. The only other likely candidate for the position is Sir William Stoward, whoso claim for Parliamentary proferment cannot bo overlooked. Tho annual mooting of the' Wellington Licensing Committee will be held at the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, June 1, at noon.

The Government will shortly havo to fill two vacancies on the Wellington Harbour Board. Mr. Wilford, who has been for the last eight years- one of the Government representatives, will now sit ex-officio as Mayor of Wellington, and under the same rule Dr. Newman will no longer be a member of the board. The other vacancy is that caused by the resignation of Mr. I l '. H. Fraser,

Referring to the agitation in Auckland against the doing away of the Government House there, the Hon. G. Fowlds states that it was announced in tho Budget last year that the house and grounds were to be handed over for university purposes. But for lack of time that would probably have been done last year. There had been a suggestion made that part of the grounds ought to bo made available for grammar school purposes. It could not be denied that tho Grammar School needed something in the way of-a playground. His own idea air along, however, had been that- the property should be used for university purposes. "If," he added, "the grounds are left open, as is usually done in the case of college, grounds, they, will be available for the people of Auckland as a beauty spot and pleasure ground, as well as serving the, purposes of higher education."

The local secretary of the Navy League has received a letter from headquarters in London stating that New Zealand's governor-designate, Lord Dickson-Poynder, is a keen supporter of the league. A demonstration is being arranged by the league, to take place in'the Town .Hall towards the end of June, and it is suggested that the occasion might be a fitting one on which to tender a public welcome to the new Governor.

The dock question reached a further stage last evening, when the Harbour Board had the matter before it in committee. The following resolution was passed, and was subsequently .confirmed in open board without discussion:—"That the contractors be requested to immediately proceed with the construction,of the,dock in accordance with their contract."

We learn that in accordance with' his instructions the Crown Prosecutor at Christchurch will proceed with tho remaining income tax cases against Messrs; Bowron Bros.

As a result of his visit to' Australia the Hon. J. A. Millar states that he rather favours the New Zealand method in dealing with industrial matters of appointing conciliation commissioners to that of the wages, board system in vogue in Victoria. .

At yesterday's meeting of the Harbour Board the, chairman. (Mr. R. Fletcher) announced that the report of the Sinking Fund Commissioners on the past six months showed that the sinking funds now , amounted : to £111,610 ss. 3d., as ; against £106,657 6s. 9d. six months ago, showing an increase of £4952 18s: 6d. The chairman said ' these figures were highly ■ satisfactory. The report was adopted. .

Speaking to a Melbourne "Age" reporter last week, the .Hon. J. A. Millar. stated that he expected that the imports into New Zealand would be over 4J- millions in excess of the total for last year. -

Mr. Justioe Cooper will sit in Chambers at 10.30 a.m. to-morrow.

At a Banco sitting of the Supreme Court at 10.30 this morning Mr. Justice Cooper will hear the appeal cases of Young v. Murphy, and Shelly v. Jones, At 2.30 p.m. Mr. Justice Cooper - will deal with a motion in connection with the bankruptcy of John Morris Schapiro. Tho Chief Justice will sit in. Banco at 2.30 p.m'. for the;hearing of the appeal case, King v. King, and an originating summons, the "Wellington Deposit Mortgage and Building Association v. Somerville.' ■: . ■'..

A : special meeting of the City Council's sub-committee on street/names will be bold at 8 o'clock this evening in No. 1- Committee lloom at the - Town •Hall. ■ ' '

City Councillors and officials will go out to Lyall Bay by special tramcar, leaving the; Town Hall at 10.30 thismorning, to inspect the piece of land: which is under offer to the corporation for use as a public park.

Cabinet has passed tho amount re-> quired to erect the necessary buildings on the Reformatory Prison Farm at Tokonui.' The preliminary work ,in connection with the scheme, viz., .erection of a number of houses, must be done by free labour. These houses will bo . required, to .accommodate prisoners, who will bo drafted , there as soon as they have been built, to prepare the. farm for the increased number of prisoners who will be sent there. Speaking to a Dominion reporter last riignt, Dr. Findlay said that : his idea was to have at least 300. prisoners for training and reformatory purposes at the farm, . where they would be at least ablo to maintain themselves'. ... ' .

According •to the Grey mouth correspondent of the Christchurch ; "Press" a notification appears in the Greymouth Magistrate's Courthouse which states that Messrs. David Ziman and Felix Campbell have been granted a mineral prospecting license over 25,000 acres at and adjacent to Kotuku. as they purpose boring for oil. Tho other two licenses granted for this' purpose are held by Mr. Joseph Taylor (2000 acres) ami the : Hon. J. D. Ormond and Mr. R. D. D. M'Lean, of Hawke's Bay (2000 acres). - . It is understood that Mr. David Ziman has had placed at his command a capital of two millions for the development of the oil area in Westland. -