LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the Mararna, which is bringing the Van--couver mail, is due in Sydney on August 8. Tho mail should reach Auckland on August 14, . and Wellington on the 15th.

At 3 o'clock this afternoon, Lieuten-ant-Colonel Bauchop, Officer .Commanding the • District, is to be tendered a presentation by the old boys of Port Chalmers now resident in Wellington, as a token of esteem and farewell on the eve'of his departure from New Zealand for a twelve months' course at the Staff College, Quetta, India. The presentation will take place at the Marine Engineers' Institute.

. The Mayor, Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., intends to bring before ' tho Reserves Committee as soon as possible a proposal that horticultural authorities in various parts of the world shall be approached with a view to $ie establishment of a regular system of exchange under which surplus trees and plants from the various city reserves might be exchanged for_ specimens indigenous in foreign countries. As Mr. Wilford observes, many plants lightly estimated here are greatly prized abroad, and the converse is equally true. Hent,-e the exchange would be to the profit of all concerned.

The Palmerston North Savage Club are to be entertained by the Wellington Savage Club at the Masonic Hall this evening. We are asked to say that through inadvertence our evening contemporary referred last evening to this korerb as a "ladies' night." This is not the case. Mr. Hugh Ward will also be among the honoured guests.

In reference to'the suggested purchase, by public subscription, of a collection of skins of Brazilian and Malaysian birds lately offered to the City Council, Mr. Wilfdrd has thought it well before inviting subscriptions to instruct Mr. Yuill, taxidermist at the Newtown Museum, to furnish an estimate of the cost of stuffing and mounting the collection. It is for this reason that a list has not yet been circulated.

In the report of an accident, which occurred on board the Indradcvi here nbout a month ago, it was stated that the injured man, D. M'Kay, was a single man. We are asked to say that this is not so. Mr. M'Kay has a wife and family resident near Hastings.

The meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union to have been held last evening had to be postponed, no quorum being available. A short special meeting. may be held on. Monday evening next. ~

The experiments with a view to increasing the productiveness of the poor gum lands of the north will be carried out undor the supervision of Mr. Baylis3, field supervisor for the. North Is-. land.\lt is intended, states'the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie); to test the soil, experiment with manures, and try various grasses. The experiments may be carried out'in about- three different classes of country, and will be continued until something definite is: demonstrated. They will be commenced at an early date. The special meeting of the City Council held yesterday to consider the adjustment of employees' salaries - was adjourned until Thursday, August 18, the reason, being that it was judged impossible,, save by a very late sitting, to transact the whole of the business at one meeting.

Constant applications have lately been made to the City Council for wood-blocking on several of the streets. At almost every meeting of tjie Financial Committee requests are received for grants for this purpose. The position adopted by the council, and stated by tho Mayor", is that there is no money available at the present time for woodThe interests of the outside districts have to be kept in view, and whatever money is available spent to the best advantage, where, no footpaths exist,, and where practically no road formation has yet been undertaken. •

The St. John's Literary and Debating Society, last evening discussed the question "That Home Rule for Ireland is desirable." After an interesting and animated debate, the meeting, decided for the negative. Dr. Gibb, who was in the chair, placed the first six speakers in the following order:— Messrs. Watson, Patterson, . Douglas, and Lynch (equal), Sadler arid L. Andrew (equal). j

No fewer than 69 horses were shipped from Wellington yesterday. •' Of the number, 21 were taken by tho Warrinioo for' Sydney, and 48 travelled by the Monowai, 47 being intended for Melbourne, and one for Hobart.