LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1016, 4 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The s.s. Warrimoo, from Sydney direct, has Australian mails only,. She should arrive in port about noou to-day (Wednesday, January 4). Yesterday was a partial holiday in further- observance of' the New Year, and as the'weather.-was-much better than, on-Monday, those who sought their pleasure in tho open air had little to, complain of. There were' showers of a local character ' alternating with sunshine. Thunder accompanied a shower. of ram early in the afternoon. The rifle meeting at Trenthnm, tho-bowling tournament in the city, and the races at Taulicrinikau, Bulls, and elsewhere wero continued. Excursions, across the harbour, up the Hutt Valley,-and to tho various seaside and' other resorts 'were, among tho most popular .ways .oft spending'tho: holiday. ' . '".,,. The vital statistics for Wanganui for December aro:—Births, 41 (last year 50); deaths, 13 (10); marriages 17 (10). For 1910 the figures are:—Births, 510 (previous year 520) ;' deaths,-192 (211); marriages,. 191 (143). One hundred thousand passengers were carried on the Wanganui .tramways in the ten days from' Christmas Evo to January 2, inclusive. The returns were .-CJO2, or an increase of .1:88 on the takings for .the same period'last-year., "Amongst the educational institutions I visited in England was a large secondary school where - the headmaster had introduced a technical department," said Mr. J. H. Upton, of Auckland,' to a "Star" interviewer. "In the engineering department they were driving a foutreen h.p. engine, froni which half a dozen subdepartments derive power. In the electrical department the equipment was so elaborate, and so far above-nic, that I did not understand it. In the chemical and other departments' there was a similar indication of advanced: technical instruction, the equipment being if anything better than .that attached to our institutions for higher education. I asked the headmaster what his object was— to make engineers of tho boys, or fit them for some special task in life. 'Certainly not,' was his feply.. 'My business is to make men of them, and in these days it is necessary that instruction in these things should, be included in a boy's education.'" -" Broken Hill cricket is not confined to tho heavier-footed sex (says tho Sydney "Sun"), there being at present a. ladies' association, with several affiliated clubs, in full swing. The pride of the Barrier is 'Miss M. Reidy, of the Violets. The other day she made 105 not out,, and captured seven wickets for 20. Though still in her teens, Miss Reidy is wonderfully advanced in cricket. Last season she-took 100 wickets nt an average of 3.9 a wicket; while she nlado 350 runs at an average of 12.5. So.far.this'season Miss Reidy has scored 360 runs, and taken 70 wickets.

Captain F. Zemilia, an American army officer, in plain clothes, was on November B taken into custody by the police at Moji on a charge of photographing the Western portion of Moji Harbour. Upon examination, says a dispatch to Japanese papers, quoted by the "Japan Gazette." tho stranger was found to bo a captain in the United States artillery now stationed in Manila. Besides eight photographs of Moji and the entrance to Bakan Straits' the officer had 15 photographs of the Inland Sea, Miyajima, Kobe, -Kyoto, Tokio,' and other places in Japan. The officer, it is reported, told the police that he left Manija on October 15 by the American transport Lognn, and arrived at Nagasaki on the 19th. After visiting Tokio and other places he reached Moji on November 5. The captain explained to the police that ho. took the photographs in' tho vicinity of Moji without Knowing the district was within the prohibited zone. The message adds that the police are not satisfied with theso explanations, and are stilt continuing the examination of the officer.

There seems to be a wave of prosperity throughout Australia and New Zealand says the Hon./. Drysdale Brown, Attorney-General of Victoria, who is visitins: Auckland. The cause he ascribed was a succession of good seasons. The nilway revenue was a pretty accurate test of prosperity in Australasian States, he remarked, and last.year the revenue from this source in Victoria .was n rcrord nenrlv four and a half millions. This' year' it promised ' to bq. higher.— "Herald."

A meeting of the l northern division of the Young Maori party was held at Otorohnngalast week, Dr. Buck, M.P., president, occupying the ehnir. Resolutions were passed urging the Government to foster the idea ot giving attention to the matter of nursing among the Natives. It was argued that if modern ideas affecting midwifery were inculcated in tho Native mind the incrcaso ' in population would be materially aided. Another matter which was made the subject of debate was the operation of the Advances to Settlers Act among the Native race. It was urged that now a great number of young Maoris were taking up farming pursuits seriously much advantage would accrue if, on an advance being made to thorn tinder tho provisions of the Act, the district rangers or others competent to advise could under some arrangement drop in from time to time and give hints as to' the best means of expending the money. Dr. Buck, in the course of an interview; said that a Maori with a good holding might get an advance-of ,£'soo, and for lack of knowledge spend the better part of it an the erection of a house, without giving.serious thought as to what it would cost to develop the land itself. If somebody with practical knowledge would give' the advice needed at tho proper time' it would aid the development of the. land and save many vain regrets thereafter. Dr. Pomare was among those present'at Otorohanga, which now boasts a strong branch of the party.