LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 874, 21 July 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

When discussing the necessity for the appointment of a permanent' librarian at Victoria College' last, evening. Mr. Chas.Wi! <3n, . speaking . as chairman of the Library Committee, referred to the fact that the Hector collection, comprising 'something like 3000 volumes, was how in the library. The business of cataloguing this collection, added Mr. Wilson, would require the services of a competent librarian' for at least two months. "It is essential," said ill'. F. G, Bolton, in speaking of his visit to America to a pressman yesterday, "that all passenger steamers of a certain "capacity should be equipped with wireless telegraphy, and 1 sincerely believe ■ that legislation should be passed in New Zealand and by the Australian States; making it compulsory as soon as the land stations aro erected.. Only'the other day H.M.S. Powerful, lying, m Sydney, was able to flash the news of the JohnsonJeffries fight to a warship at Nukualofaover 2000 miles away—and it was whilst we' were travelling a lonely sea on the old Mariposa between Tahiti and San Francisco that'wo received the news of the King's death from u vessel hundreds of miles away." * ■ • . : The necessity for the erection of a refinery in connection with the. oil industry in Taranaki will. be brought under the notice of'tile Hon. E. M'Kenzie (Minister for Mines) by a deputation which will wait upon him this morning- . The hospital authorities reported last evening that the infant, Dominica Aloiscr, who was severely burnt in a cottage in Charlton Avenue on Monday night, is still in a low condition, although not critical. ' ■ , . "Mystical curtains 'of golden-green .light," said Prolessor David, of Sydney, at his Antarctica lecture describing the Aurora. "It looks at first as . if-there were a.great white fleet;" he said, "with numbers ' of; searchlights, advancing over the , far . horizon. Little by'little the searchlights grow more numerous, throwing 'greit vertical beams, until they touch one another - along the sky, and- torn a continuous curtain of beautiful goldengreeu light. As it .lifts you- see- another and another, curtain, and it gets higher and higher, and. passes right over the zenith, extending from south to. north'. Every now and then these curtains touch one another! and then they break up into glorious festoons. Even when, we were, used to them for months, as soon as oiie of us called out, 'Boys, here's the Aurora,' we would'jump out of bed to watch it, even in the . bitter .'cold." The disputo • between the Whakatu Sausage "Casing Makers' .Union and'Borthwick Brothers, Ltd.,; will bo discussed beforo Mr. P. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) at Napier, on July 28. Thu necessary steps to bring an industrial dispute before a Council of Con-' ciliatioii- have', been taken by the Wellington Blitter, Creamery, and Cheese. Faotorics Employees' Union.' Messrs. J. Robertson (secretary of the union, .■ Palmerston North), G. A. Beere (factory assistant, Linton), and W. H. Duncan (factory manager, Feilding), are nominated us as.iesaur.i. Employers ill. the "Walrarapa, Tlawke'a Bay, Manawatu, and Wancaimi districts are cited. Amongst the -argu' from Australia by the Manuka yesterday was 1800 cases of fruit, and 200 louse,melons, brought downto Syduey by the Atun fyorn the,.lslands. As the Wingfield Street case occupied more time than was anticipated, the Court of Appeal did not begin its hearing of Moflaiid' v. Hales yesterday, us intended. The latter case, which has. relor.ence to . commission on sale, of the Birehliill Estati, .Marlborough, Is to be taken this 'inoruliij,Mr. .W. J. Triekett has introduced a Bill in the New South AVales Legislative Council dispensing with the necessity of kissing the Book on the "part of anyone required to take an oath. The new 'measure was read a first time. Legislation of a somewhat similar "character passed the Imperial Parliament last year. The extent to which the depression was felt last' year is indicated in a return presented to the House of Representatives yesterday in regard to the consumption of articles in common use. Although there was a substantial increase in population, the total number of gallons ot spirits on which duty was paid was 32,500 Jess than during the previous twelve months. As regarus tobacco, the total quantity upon which duty was paid was somewhat greater last year than during the previous twelve months, but the duty por capita was less. In connection witli wine and ale and beer, the position is similar to that with reference to spirits. Proceeding down the list, it is interesting to noto that more tea was consumed iast year thau-in 1903, the per capita averages being 7.081b. and G.illb. respectively, but there was. a diminution in the consumption of coffee, cocoa, and 'chicory, only 0.411b. per head being consumed last year, as against 0.55 in 1908. Mr. A. French, a Bathurst jeweller, has invented a' telephone which . will automatically register the number of calls; •the calls will be..limited to three minutes each, and half a minute before the expiration of this period a warning bell will ring to enablo the user to insert another penny in the slot should he desiro fo extend his conversation. It is also claimed that the telephone will automatically connect and disconnect subscribers, and th.it it is much more private than those at present, in Hise. Negotiations aro in ' progress with the Commonwealth Postmaster-General for a trial of the invention. Mr. Willcie, chairman of tlje Ohalcune Town Boa'rd, and Mr. Jennings, M.P. for Tnumarnnni, waited on the .lion. T. Mackenzie, Minister in charge of the Tourist Department, yesterday with- reference to tho track recently formed from Ohakuno to Mount Ruapchu. Mr. Wilkic asked, that a national park board be sot.up similar to the Egmont National Park Hoard, to make provision for the tourist traffic. The Minister, promised toM-isit. thn mountain as soon as possible to go into tho matter. ' Shampooing. Clipping, Hairdrcssing, Manicuring, Face Massage, Treatment of Tallin" Hair, and Damiruli. Combings made " up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs. Kolleston (over Carroll's), i Willis Btroot. 'Phono 1599.—Advt,

The ileal for further telephonic communication. in tho back-blocks was emphasised by Mr. Jennings in the House of Representatives last night. "There are plenty of old telephones iii tile public olfices," he said, "which might be sent to back-blocks districts, where cheaper rates might be charged." In reply, the Prime Minister said the suggestion could not be adopted. Unless the best equipment was available the telephone services .in the back-blocks would not be satisiactory. New Zealand was better telephoned in. sparsely-populated districts than any other country one could name—not excepting America. "Why," added the -Prime Minister, "it costs more to maintain some of the private wires than the whole of'.the subscriptions. They can t stand a dec-eat bmize.". 'The monthly meeting of the Wellington Accountant Students' Society was held 1 a:-1 evening, when Mr. M. Myers, LL.B-., delivered an interesting lecture on "Vendor and Purchaser." The points arising on sale of goods c.i.f. and f.o.b. .were plainly illustrated by the lecturer, who commented on the fact that many merchants had only very hazy ideas of the effect of these terms. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded ■ Mr. Myers, who answered numerous, questions during the. evening. \ A gentleman called at The Dominion office yesterday • and informed us that a r petition ill favour of the bookmaker was being handed round in a city tram-car for signature yesterday. He'stated that this was. a most objectionable occurrence and should not be permitted by the tramway authorities. We,have also been informed that on another occasion a was asked to sign what .he was led to believe was a petition praying for the abolition of the bookmaker.. Casting his eye over the document after he had signed,, lie found that its : purpose was exactly the opposite of what, had 'been stated. He promptly erased his signature. •. A meeting of creditors will be held ,in the Official Assignee's office this morning at 11 a.m., concerning the bankruptcy of Edward Wilfrid Jacobs, pustrycouk, of Hopper Street, Wellington. ■ On Monday evening next Mr., Bobert M'Nnb will deliver a lecture, on the subject of "The Military Training of the. People of Great Britain," before the members .of • the Wellington Garrison Officers' Club. Invitations to be present at the lecture are to, be extended to a number of representative employers 'of labour. The Victoria College Council has appointed Mr. H. F. Von Haast--(tlu) chairman of the board), to represent it at the deputation of university professors,' which ivill wait upon . the Minister for Education (the Hon. G. Fowlds) on Monday morning next. with reference to . the question of mom Tig provision for . a of superannuation pensions for professors retiring from the university service. ■The secretary of the Navy- League has circularised headmasters of schools in tho Wellington district to the effect that Mr. • Robert "ParkfT has undertaken to conduct the juvenile choruses at the league's annual demonstration to be.held at the Town Hall on September 7, .Later Mr. Parker proposes to visit several of the larger schools, and_ organise sectional rehearsals for singers from smaller schools adjacent. Two or three massed rehearsals are to be held at the Town Hall during the latter part of August and early in' September. These will be , held under the supervision of Mr. E. Darrocli. ;