LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1076, 15 March 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ rrr-*--. The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Warrimoo, which sailed from Sydney at 2 p.m. on-March .11,. has on board an Australian mail. She is duo to arrive here at midday to-day.

Almost every year, said Councillor Welch, at the Hutt County Council yesterday, there occurred at the Epuni School an outbreak of scarlet fever, or some similar epidemic. He wanted the matter gono.into by the Health authorities. The cause might be in somo dirty drain or other defect. 'As tho matter stood at present, the school itself suffered by reputation. Though the school had not yet been closed this year, fourteen of the scholars were being sent to the Taita School and forty to Lower Hutt. The council: decided to call the attention of the Health authorities to the matter.

"Tho Court does, not pay much attention to saints," said the Chief Justice yesterdav, when informing counsel that' St. Patrick's Day (next Friday) would not be a Court holiday.

A member of a deputation to the Minister for Railways yesterday, Mr. Ward, of Pukerua, near Plimmerton, said that his grandfather had first settled in that district in 1818. It seems a long time from that to the present day, but yet one of the descendants of that pioneer was asking yesterday Mr railway facilities for the lioldiiig that has come down to him. Mr. Ward fattens 4000 sheep a year and he has to pursue a round-a-bout process to enable them to bo shipped to Wellington. The incident yesterday was suggestive of the extent of railway development that is yet required in this country.

A number of Maoris arrived in Wellington last nij'Jit by the Patccna from Picton and Xolsnn. They are proceeding to the Wairnrapa to tho big celebration which is to commence at l'apawai on March 25, the chief events of which will bo the unveiling of tho memorial to Tnmahau Mahupuku. aiuJ discussion of the welfare of the Maori race generally^

Colonel E. S. Heard and the officers of tho School of Instruction at Tauherinikaii will be "at homo" to tho residents of the Wairarapa to-morrow afternoon, between 2 and 5 o'clock, when a. gymkhana, arranged to celebrate the breaking-up of the camp, will bo held.

Tho Wellington Adult School, which was founded a year or two ago by members of the Society of Friends, wiil hold its annual tea and meeting in the Primitive. Jlothodist Schoolroom, Webb Street, to-night. The Hon. C. M. Luke, M.L.C., will give an address, and another speaker will be Mr. Henry Cordor, of Sunderland, England, who lias been for L' 6 years an enthusiastic worker in tho Adult School movement at Home. Mr. Cordor is able to testify to tho excellent educational and moral results which have been effected by this agency.

A charge of having obtained a sum of £1 10s. on March 8 from Thos. Kvlo by means of false pretences will bo preferred in the S.M. Court this morning against a man who was arrested last evening by Detectives Cassells and Mason.

The National Hat Mills, Wellington, has secured the contract for tho military felt hats (khaki) for the New Zealand Territorials.

On Monday evening the St. John Ambulance brigades hfld a corps drill at the Star Boating Shed. Representatives were present from the Tramway and the Wellington divisions. The work for the evening took the form of first aid to the injured, combined with stretcher drill.

Sixty-five- applications from all parts of the Dominion have been received for the position of Town Clerk and Engineer of Master ton, in succession to Mr. W. T. Mansfield. These (says our local correspondent) were dealt with by the council yesterday, but the final selection will uot be made until todav.

Shortly after one o'clock ' yesterday afternoon the Fire Brigade received a call to a four-roomed two-storied house in College Green. The lire originated in a cupboard in the kitchen, resulting in tho two rooms on the ground floor being slightly damaged. The 'building is owned by Mr. W. F. Richards, and was occupied by Mr. Arthur Gunner. Tho houso is insured in tho Phoenix Insurance Company for £200, and the contents, in the Alliance. Assurance Company, for £150.

A Manakau settler, Mr. Tompsitt, chairman of _ the Otaki Road Board, saw tho Minister for Railways yesterday regarding a railway crossing at Manakau, on tho Manawatu line. Mr. Tompsitt. said that tho Government were constructing a crossing that would be of little uso to the people, who rather desired two —one at either end of tho township. Tho Minister replied that ho would obtain a report. He objected very much to increasing railway crossings, because tho danger to trains was increased. In this case also, as what was asked for was rather a convenience than a necessity, tho lecal authority should bo prepared to stand part of the cost. If they would contribute, say, a third of tho cost of one crossing he would bo prepared to obtain a report on the matter. This, Mr. Tompsitt said, he thought tho locality would do, and tho Minister promised to obtain the report.

"I know," said tho Minister for Railways yesterday to a deputation, "that you can get petitions signed any time you want an expenditure of public money."

"I have to take the most important things as they, come along," said tho Minister for Railways to a deputation yesterday that was asking for a siding. What had been good enough in the railways twenty-five years ago-, he added, was most unsuitable in some -instances to-day. The result was that whore der velopmcnt had been greatest and' the call was the most pressing the Government had to spend the most money. To tho same deputation, answering a re-, quest to have an express train stop at Pukcrua,. the Minister said that it seemed as if some people could not bear to seo • a fast train pass their settlement. But if the Government gave way and mado all the stoppages that were asked of fast trains the journeys would be lengthened to an unreasonable extent. The interests of long-distance passengers had to be considered as well as those of the dwellers along tho lines.

A Gazette Extraordinary issued yesterday extends the prorogation of Parliament until April 20.