LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

While passing through Cook Strait on September 25. at 6 p.m., the captain of the Petone (Captain .Muir) reports sighting an object which.'looked like..a target, used in ronnection with gun practice. It had four "masts..up, with canvas between each. The position of the target on that date was six' miles '"south-east of- Wellington Head |'(near Tory Channel). . Exporting' on" the Wellington City Milk Supply Bill yesterday, tho Local Bills Committee, to which the measure had been referred, recommended-that the; Bill ; be allowed. to proceed - with,: amend- : ments. Only two amendments are recommended by the committee. The first' is a minor'alteration in "regard to the storage of ' milk intended' for sale," and the second ■> provides that inspectors -.under the Act shall.be appointed with the approval of- the Minister .for '.Public Health. - _ '. , .; V, ; Some time on Tuesday night, tho pigeonhouse at Mi-. Ernest" Albert Cole s 'resi-.. dence on Thoimdon-Quay was . .unlocked, arid twenty-five valuable homing pigeons, valued at JC3I, were missing in- the- morning. The matter was 1 reported to ? the police, and yesterday Detectives Cameron and 'Eawle arrested a maii" named John Cicel, who will appear before the Court this morning on a oharge of theft. It is understood : that-'the majority - of: ' the pigeons have-been recovered dead. ■ After due inquiry and deliberation over cost, the General Post Office has come to an arrangement with .Messrs. C. and A. . Odlin, of Wellington, to execute orders, for metal letter-slots in the doors of business places and private residences. The Acting-Chief Postmaster of: Wellington (Mr.. Morris) has instituted a close canvass following upon the distribution of a . pamphlet illustrating the different '• styles of slots—of iron, antique copper, and burnished brass—and, the 'result is proving .most satisfactory. ,A consignment of the standard patterns has already , been ordered, 'arid-;as soon'as'possible after, their arrival the, contracting firm;;-.will commence operations. At yosterdaj-'s meeting of the Auckland Education Board (says'our special correspondent) Mr. Parr moved: "That it is desirable that school gardens.should.be encouraged in every school; as an adjunct ta' the ordinary '; course, and that the board offer three prizes of £5, £'A,; ana. .£2 respectively,, to be awarded during tho year. 1911,, to . the schools in each of the inspectoral: districts which' shall, in tho, opinion of the ihspeotor, l produce, the most satisfactory results in 'making the school garden a means of practical education. Mr.'.-'Garland; thought that it should be understood by the teachers that the board expected tnat the priii money, should be used for. the good of the school; such as .the purchase of scientific apparatus, ; etc. The motion, was carried • unanimously. ;, V. v; : ;. , At a meeting of the committee of. the Wellington' branch'of the .St., John Ambulance Association, held, yesterday, 'it was decided to fix Ootober S next as the date of "Ambulance Saturday," tho.occa-. sion-,of the association's aunual appeal to the publio for funds, to further its work; ' ;. Since the iiands for Settlement Act came into; force there have been,. 2474 transfers -of"lleases;;• the'.--area'^••' : 6fs';;land. transferred being 503,833 acres, -and the amount paid'for.goodwill being £1j095,708. 4he end of the procession of conferences held in ; Wellington' during the. session; of Parliament is not' yet in sight. The Y.MiC.A. ■is to hold its annual convention . hero next week,, and early „in November, tho Builders' and; Contractors' Federation "of lv T ew . Zealand will ; hold its annual conference;in, this city.' ; Mr. ,M; J. Eeardon is to . leave on Saturday, for Wanganui, where he' will appear on behalf ot the General Labourers' Union in the Arbitration Court ; on 'Monday next., 'L'he- Wanganui branch of. the Indepeud'ent' Labour Party has asked Mr.. Keardon,.. while in Wanganui, to address a publio meeting on the platform and aims of the party. Mr. -D! il'Laren is also l>eing v approached with a view to his' delivering an address. A branch of tho Labour party was . formed in Wanganui prior to the last Trades . Council Conference held-in Auckland, but little has yet been-; effected in the way. of organisation. ' . o i ' \ "1 am! directed -to convey to,you our. entire approval of your proposals, if practicable," .writes the secretary of the Auckland • Women's- ;Politicai \League, to the Hon. Dr. Findlay, referring ,to the proposals. to, deal; with- the "social, plague." "We are 'all"well aware of the need■ that exists for'soine such measure," the.letter continues, "if it can -be 'made strictly, applicable to, both sexes and all. classes. If. this cannot, be done;. V ~ . then it will follow thafrour poor 6isters of the unfortunate class will be the only ones brought under .the, Act, while rich .men and women will escape. , Our league has, however, every confidence-in. your sense of jnstice : .and abilityto make the provisions egual for all.", , The president of the New Zealand Association in Sydney has sent the following reply to the cablegram dispatched' on Monday by,the Prime "At meeting of N.Z. Association 1 your; cable was read and highly appreciated. ■ It is ■the unanimous wish of all present that I- cable expressing their, high apprecia-. tion of your thoughtful cable, and their pleasure at the fact that one of your colleagues, the Hon. Mr. Fowlds, was able to bo present; 1 am asked, to convey to you the congratulations of all present on the; continuous and satisfactory expansion of the Dominion in which all here take so dear an interest." . The annual tea and meeting of-.the Molesworth Street. Methodist Church was held last evening. Tho ■ tea was fairly well attended, as was the after-meeting at which the Kev. Mr. .Fee presided. The report, which was a-satisfactory one, recorded ......that'- the- average attendance throughout- the year had. been from .85 to 90, which'was slightly better.,,than \ last, year. . The Bible classes for young men and women" were especially; strong,* representing, as it'did, about, one-third of the total attendance .at:.the school, v The income; for the year was just under .£39,' and, the expenditure over i£3B, -which left a small credit balance for tho current year's operations. .Addresses were given by- Messrs. T. ;■ Sims . (superintendent), Graves, and the chairman. The collections on Sunday and last evening amounted to about i£2o, which was . rather less than last veaiv ■' . • . The annual, reunion of .the members of the Dominion : . Scouts f was. held at Scott's .Rooms' last evening,. Lieutenant. Hastings, Acting-Officer Commanding tho company, presiding. There was a good attendance .of. members and visiting members of other, corps,' function was a most successful .one, the evening being enjoyably spent in speeches; songs, and ' recitations. The following toasts were honoured"Tho King" (the chairman), "Army and. Navy" -. (Captain Gardener, response ,by Lieutenant Skelley), "The Company" (Captain Gibbs and Lieutenant Robinson, responses by Lieutenant Hastings),' "Our Guests" (Lieutenant Mahoney, response by Lieutenant Bobinson),:-'- "Tho Press"- ;(lieutenant Skellev). Musical-and other items were contributed byLieuteiiant Wilkinson,. Lieutenant Mahohev, Sergeant Millett, Troopers Baker and Olney.