LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that the Wimmera, which left Sydney for Auckland on Wednesday, has on board an Australian and English mail for the southern ofiices and Wellington, which should arrive here By. the Main Trunk express on Monday afternoon next. Tlie historic "Kemp's pole," erected in the seventies by tho famous chief, the late Major Kemp, to mark the "Aukati" line at Raorikia, seventeen miles up the Wanganui River, has got into a very dilapidated condition (says our local correspondent). It is now covered with moss and lichens, and almost hidden from viow by brambles. In order that so famous a land-mark may not go altogether to decay, the Wanganui Beautifying Society has resolved to havo tho surrounding ground cleared and fenced, and the pole renovated. In accordance with tho suggestion by his Majesty King Goorgo V that for tho current year there should be no celebrations of his Majesty's birthday either in tho United Kingdom or ols'owhero in tho Empire, tho Government will not be closed on June 3. . "No further developments" was tho reply made by tho Hon. D. Buddo (Minister for Public Health) when asked by a Dominion reporter yesterday if there was any fresh news in connection with the outbreak of plague at Auckland. Speaking at tho meeting of tho Land Board yesterday, the' Commissioner (Mr. Jas. Mackenzie) said that everybody heard a great deal about a living wage, but a question that had to be settled was that of the living area. Hβ added that where areas wero admittedly too small tho boaid should help the holders to increase their sec tions rather than assist persons with plenty or sufficient lands to increase their areas. "In my opinion," he coneluded, "the poorer men who do tho best, with their blocks are the one's who need helping." It is stated that burglars entered tho offieo of Messrs. Eoach and Co.'s warehouse yesterday evening. The matter has been reported to tho police. It is not often (says the "Outlook") that a daily newspaper takes a sermon from a Presbyterian pulpit as a text for a leading article, but it happened a week or two ago in Wellington. Dr. Gibb has recently been delivering a series of Sunday evening sermons at St. John's on "Tho Signs of the Times," and ouo of the series dealt trenchantly with the subject of "Sin." Tee Dominion newspaper commented favourably upon the deliverance,' which led mo to request Dr. Gibb to write out tho sermon for publication in the "Outlook." This the doctor yery kindly rlid, and the sermon, entitled "New Names for an Old Enemy," will appear on tho front pago of next week's issue. It will be remembered that a collision occurred on March 7 between two locomotives on the Waihi Gold_ Mining Company's private lino at Waihi. The Board of Examiners held that it was duo to tho failure of Chas. Milne, tho driver of ono of tho locomotives, to pick up tho "running staff" at tho crossing. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister in charge of tho Inspection of Machinery Department) has now disqualified Milne for a period of three months from the dato of the mishap. 1 In connection with the recent state : ments which have been made in Auckland about tho tinio occupied by mails in transit between Wellington and England, via Tahiti and America, it is interesting to learn that the'last'.mail' only occupied 34 days. As against this, Mr" Gunson, in a letter to the Wellington -Chamber of Commerce, stated that tho period of transit was from 40 to 45 days. A hansom oab, while making its way on to t'ae Queen's Wharf hist evening, was struck by a tram car. The driver and horse escaped without injury, but the cab had the axle and windows Droken. A meeting in regard to the Penguin relief fund was hold yesterday. The proceedings wero not open to the presa. A meeting of the general committee is to bo held at an early date. Education is naturally very necessary to tho sailor, who aspires to be master of a ship, and tho Marine Department has always recognised that if the cadets on the Amokura are to becomo useful members of the merchant service or tho Navy, it is essential that thoir schooling should be continued after they join the training ship. The scanty accommodation on tho vessel has in the past proved a bar to school classes being organised, but the Department has now mado arrangements whereby the boys will attend the Technical School during the months that the Amokura is laid up in port.- The- schooling oomrr.enced on Monday last, and each morning now a squad of the boys is to bo seen bearing down on the building in Mercer Street. The ship's crew has been divided into two classes, each attending on alternate days. Those lads that had only passed the lower standards before joining the i vessel receive more general than technical instruction, but those who have passed the sixth standard receive more- technical instruction, such as navigation, etc. The Tourist Division has received information that tho fishing in Lake Tarawera at present is excellent. Mr. Irvine, of Auckland, and a friend recently visited tho lake, and took 24 fish of an average weight of 51b-, the largest weighing 101b. Wednesday,' July 20, will bo observed as a public holiday in the Governmentoffices for tho celebration of Arbor Day. In order that the movement may be made as successful as possible, the ■Government 'hopes that tho Mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of local bodies will placo tho matter prominently before tho people of tho Dominion, and do all they can to encourago tho planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public and private, with trees suited to the locality. The business of arranging the order of cases set down for hearing at the Supreme Court civil sittings will beuudertaken by tho Chief Justice- at 2 o'clock this afternoon. The last case of the criminal list, involving a charge of theft against Porcival M'Kemen Braithwaite, will be disposed of this morning. The retrial of Alice Mary Aiisticc, concerning an alleged illegal operation, has been fixed for 10 o'clock on Wednesday. Whon the meeting of tho Land Board opened yesterday tho Commissioner. (Mr. Jas. Mackenzie) said that it was quite unnecessary for him to remind members that since the last meeting of tho board King Edward VII had passed away. As practically every publio body not only in the Dominion but probably in tho world had expressed condolence in tho loss our groat JSmpiro had sustained, it was only fitting and proper that the board should also make a resolution its first business that day. Ho would ask tho board to pass the following resolution: "That tho Wellington Land Board desires to placo on record its deep regret at the death of hia Majesty King Edward VII, its appreciation of his higli character as ruler and peacemaker, and tho great loss our Empire, both at Homo and abroad, lias sustained by his demise." Mr. Ellingliam seconded tho resolution, te which members signified thofr approval by standing in silence. Shampooing, Clipping, Hairdrcssing, Manicnriiiß, Pace Massage, Treatment of Falling Hair, mid Dandruff. Combings made up. Natural Hatr-padg. Mrs. Eolleston (over Carroll's). 11 Willis Btreot. 'Phone im-Adyt,

At 6.30 last evening the Fire Brigado received a call to Luke's Lane, off Manners Street, to suppress a slight outbreak in Messrs. Luke's foundry. It is undorstood that about thirty men are. to be put on tho Wadestown tramway works next Monday, to begin oxcavating in a fresh place. Up to the present time 130 boys have been received on tho training ship Amokura. Sixty of these are still on board, and 55 have been found berths at sea, 48 of whom wero placed in the merchant service, the others in the Navy. These particulars are given in a statement attached to the annual report of tho Navy League (Wellington branch)'. The report proceeds:—"The smallnoss of the Amokura must still bb felt very acutely by all on board, :md it is regrettable that tho ship will not permit of schooling for tho boys, some of whom no doubt have received but a scant education, A shoro establishment (on similar lines to tho Navy League Sea-training Home at Liscard, Cheshire) run in conjunction with tho Amokura, and in close proximity to it, should overcome- these difficulties; and at a minimum of cost would bo the means of extending and popularising the sea-training movement. The practical work of tho ship should have a very lasting effect on the boys, owing to the nature of tho voyages, which _ are of lengthy duration, and in very boisterous latitudes. It is a noteworthy fact that the Amokura has covered upwards of 18,500 miles, and has been steered continuously, by the boy sailors." Tho activity of the-Navy League in New Zealand is probably, a valuable object less'ion to the branches in other countries. The local secretary (Mr. C. W. Palmer), in a supplement to the annual report says:—"lt is also very disquieting to contemplate the fact ■that, whereas tho membership of tho German Navy League now totals 1,031,339, and the funds increased during 1909 by £219,940, amounting now to £1,671,190 (vide Press Association cable from Berlin of April 6 last), the figures of the British Navy League are but a small fractional part of the above. The aggregate funds of our league throughout the world do not run very far into four figures. This is a fitting commentary upon tho apathetic complacency of our people as com-pared-with the patriotic enthusiasm of our vigorous rivals on tho Continent of Europe, who havo already surpassed us in their industrial development, and whoso population of 60,000,000 exceeds by 10,000,000 the total white population of the' British Empire throughout the world."