LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 925, 19 September 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

,The Wimmera, with' English and Aus-' tralian mails aboard, arrived in Auckland yesterday at 7 p.m. The Wellington and southern section of the mails will arrive by Main Trunk express this afternoon. The Government is to be asked by Mr.' Hardy, M.P., whether they will introduce legislation to suppress the tea-coupon gambling referred to in petitions presented to the House., ; It blew hard on Saturday night. Within the Opera-House, at Calves.concert, where one might have expected to- find sanctuary from the howling blast, > the wind wafted the sky borders to and fro, and'rocked the scenery at times in an alarming manner. The entrance of Signer Galileo Gasparri was marked by an extraordinarily strong gust, and the. /singer gave an apprehensive glance aloft before he broke into a Tost} cadence, which was somewhat marred by what sounded like, a banging door behind'the stage. The occasion rather .emphasised an old point, namely, what a draughty, place the-. Opera House is. .Whenever the dross circle door is opened a cold shaft of air direct from the street rushes into, the auditQrhuii and chills the occupants; which trouble-is also experienced in tho stalls. What seems to be needed is a swing' door half way up tho dress circle stairs, and half-way down- tho stalls entrance, or a double set of doors in each case. Perhaps tho latter would bo . preferable, as dross cirolo patrons aro sometimes distracted in the middle'of a scono.or a song by tho telephono-bcll or loud talk in tho vestibule After reviewing tho evidence taken by tho Collootor of . Customs in connection with the wreck of the ketch Felicity/at tho Heads on September 11, the Marino Department finds that there is no ueces. etty. for'tether inquiry.

During the timo that the crowd was leaving Athletic Park after the representative match on Saturday two men came to blows in the crush between the inner and outer gates, and as ft result both were arrested and taken to the Newtown Police Station. A largo number of spectators followed in the same direction,. but as neither man gave any trouble, - order reigned among the crowd. The alleged fight is said to have aiisen, through one man treading on the .other's toes..

That the colonial youth is not always so casual as he is generally given credit for was refreshingly demonstrated on the Wadestown Road on Saturday night, when during the height of the gale one of the electric light wires snapped. Of threo young men who were the first to discover the "live"-'wire lying across the road, one went to the nearest telephone to'acquaint the Corporation Lighting Department of the occurrence, while the other two stood .by to warn unwary pedestrians of the danger—an -action which gained much appreciation from late homegoers.. . - ( ■■■ .._""•••■ According to a report furnished tov'the police, a man named: Edmo.nd Godfrey, a cook by' trade, has, since 6 p.m: on Thursday last, been missing from 22, Marion Street, where he rented a.room. On Thursday he left the house taking with him a blanket, razor, and pair, of boots, but giving no indication as to > where he was going; Two : letters written by the man were handed to the police, and indicate that he' was. in a jnelancholy : mood. Since the matter was first reported, the. police havsihscertained that Godfrey took a couple of suits of clothes with him, and it is believed that he will be traced before.long.

The. Fire. Brigade have been having really a busy time. They were called out twice, oh Saturday to suppress incipient fires, and.at an early, hour yesterday had-to battle with the big. ; blaze on Thorndon Quay. Wellington ■" has been remarkably, free from fires so far, this year. '. Since April.l./(the'beginning of the municipal year) the brigade has only received- 86 calls, as 'compared 'with 131 calls received between April 1 and September'l7 last, year. - : .1 .'.-.

..'When the New Zealand Shipping Company's Turakina arrived' at; Welling-/ ton I'rom Lyttelton on Saturday morning, Detectives Kemp and Hammond arrested a" man named Alexander Taylor.; on a oharge of: having stolen a;', quantity, of curtains and other articles '■' of: -'drapery/ of a total/value"of .£25 19s: 3d;:-.. Taylor was the e'ngin«-room\storekeeper "of the steamer, and ..Inst month : he,, was': convicted and .-fined f of' harbouring, un-Cus-tomed : curtains valued .at .£5. The articles, mentioned, in the charge of theft 'are alleged .to ..'have "been.': part of the ship s . original. ■ cargo .from . Eng-, land; aid . were; Contained '.in a case of goods , consigned Jo A. Spence, Stratford. - Taylor 'will appear ■ at. the Magistrate's Court.this mprning., ... -,'■•/

:■ An,entertainment,given by.'Hamilton's "Scarlet Troubadours oh Saturday evening at-the, Working Men's Club produced the such of £i lOs.j, which has been handed over as a donation to,the Children's Hos-, pital Fund. ■.-.■..'■'.■'-•';■-,'v-' l -.--:':-v- : '/:/' /:■■■:

At the. meeting ■of the Wellington Brotherhood in the': King's Theatre ".yes-; torday afternoon it.was'decided that the Brotherhood should meet next Sunday at, the Queen's Statue and proceed in 'a body to the Town Hall'to-attend .--the /mass 'meeting which isto'be held by theAngli-: can missioners,- A-caso.'of .distress was dealt with by the members, "and: several suggestions-by the executive-were, considered. • : ,- \ ..■•:■ •'•■:'■■

The president of the Arbitration' Court has directed that .the dispute between the Canterbury sheepowners: and the", Canterbury Shearers', Union-shall;be. set down for,'hearing at- the. .sitting; of. the' Court which-opens in Wellington on Wednesday next. ,■. ; :,: : ' :.::"'■■ '"■'.,/: : '. // -■

. The City Council has accepted the tender of 8.W.. Powell.: to i supply .2800 cubic yards' of broken bluestone metal for the sum of .£IOO3 6s. Bd.' Unsuccessful tenderers were the'- Kohauto: Quarry ..Conir pany ..(,£1120), ;and, the Belmont' Quarry (£1120).-.; The metal is to .be used, on' the following streets';—Allen Street,"■/,- Clyde' Quay, Hunter Street, Jer'vois: Quay, "Her-' cer Street and :Victoria . Street. / ,;.■'.'.

■ A conference of 'the local :lwdie3''iriter-' 1 csted in filling the.vacancy on the Hospital- and : Charitable Aid Board caused, by the death of Mr. J.,J.- Devine„is to be held .early' this week. ' The' bodies' conv : cerned are the: Wellington City : Council, Karori Borough Council,- {and : Miramar Borough Cpuncil./Each is entitled to send the whole. : pf its members'' to' the conference.VvThera;is.;.no restriction in regard to .'.nominations'land .the selection' of' a representative . is - to .be determined by ballot.;-- ':"/'.-• ;,-,;. ;,v-;:;,;; ~; :-'

'■•'• The\ secretary- of ./the : Pitt-', Memorial Fund (Mr. Styles) -desires'to acknowledge the following further subscription's, out* side 'of. .Nelson:—Dr. J.VG.-'Findlay.j■At-torney-General, .Wellington, /v£l;. Is,;.', Mr. Ei V. Kedward, Wellington, -JBI 'Is.; Mr.. B. N. G. Poultoh", Wellington,.'-lOsi". Od.; Mr.«S. Gilmer, .Wellington, iE3.'2s.;.Hon. J. . M'Gowah, M.L.C., Wellington, £I .' Is. <jd.; ..Messrs. M'Callum and .Mills,; solicitors, Blenheim, .£2 '2s.; ; 6d.V'-Mr.' Fred .Eouso,- Wanganui, '£r..ls.'',-'6d.K.:Mr.,.'S. Wratt, Motueka, .£l' Is.j.and*a-;'sum of 2s. 6d. from a Christchurch' sympathiser.; The list 'closes' 'this month'. rTwo.-'hun-, idr.cd pounds is required and.^Ho:nasbeen ; ■'received'.to date.'..' ; ! '■//./" ' ' y ' : .'