LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Maheno, which left Sydney on if arch 22 for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail, also the English mail via Suez, nxjfi English and American mails .via Vancouver. The Wellington portion will arrive here on Monday next, March 27. The whole of tho sleepers required to complcto the Kurori extension tramlino havo now arrived, and a start will bo mndo early next week with the work of laying the remaining portion of the track. It is anticipated that it will be completed in about three weeks. Since tho Tramways Conference last adjournod, mass meetings of the men have been held to consider in its latest aspect tho position' of affairs between their union and the City Council. The men on tho "A.M." shift assembled on Thursday evening, and those of the "P.M." shift yesterday morning. Both meetings were private, but it is rumoured that the tramwaymen have decided to hand over to the council the muchtalkcd:of "key" to their roster. A reporter who sought information at tho offico of the Tramway Department yesterday was informed that tho "key" had not tlieu been received. In referenco to the telegram published in Tub Dominion on Thursday regarding tho Mokau property, wo aro requested to state that the shares granted to the Natives number 2500, not .2000 as stated in tho message. Tho \\ ollington Trades and Labour Council has decided to wait upon the Hon. J. A. Millar to protest against Mr. T. E. Sedgwick's proposal to bring out another contingent of English boys to work on farms in this country, and to strenuously object to the same gentleman's proposal that the Government should suhsidiso tho passage money for boys willing to come to Now Zealand. A ballot of members of tho Now Zealand branches of tho Australasian Federated Seamen's Union on tho question of adopting tho Australian rules of tho Seamen's Federation resulted in an almost unanimous vote in favour of tho adoption, only 26 votes in tho whole of Now Zealand being recorded against tho proposal. There is to bo an informal conference of the secretaries of t-luS Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin branches on Monday, to discuss the next movo and other matters of importance to members. It is stated that in all probability it will'be necessary to cancel, the present rules and register new ones. A small alteration will bo made in tho title of tho New ZealandUnion to mako it uniform with tho Australian Union and when this is done there would bo one organised body of seamen throughout Australasia, governed by an Australian executive-council of fourteen, beini* two delegates appointed by each branch of the federation. With the Now Zealand branches thero will be seven in all. The new title of tho body will be the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia. Tho United Building Company's ballot for £1000 last evening resulted in Messrs. A. R. Ilislop, jun., and W. T. Churchward drawing £500 eacli from tlie first fund. Tho sum of £1000 was sold in the second fund, £400 of which realised 30 per cent-., and £600 25 per cent. About twelve barmaids have so far 'sent in applications for registration to the Labour Depaitment. Theso applications come from various parts ol New Zealand*

The points and "special work" required for tho lines entering tho uew Tborndon car-shed have now arrived, and employees of tho Tramway Department have mado a start upon tho work of laying them in position. The shed will therefore be arailablo shortly for tho stowage of some of tlio cars that now have to bo left standing every night in tho open air. The Felten, Guillauino Company, with which the City Council has concluded a contract for tho supply of wire, is ono of the largest cable manufacturing firms in Europe. It has establishments at Mulheim-on-Rhine and FrankforwmMain. Tho company has never previously done business with tho Wellington City Council. Tho Minister for Railways (tho Hon. J. A. Millar) has conceded tho request of the Mungaroa settlers to have a milk van attached to tho 6 o'clock train to Wellington eacli evening, to enable them to send down their milk with expedition. Tho heavy rain of a few weeks ago flooded tho cellars under the old Parliamentary . Buildings, where a few of tho later Parliamentary records are kept. Some of them wero more or less damaged. The building, in some portions, where repairs are being executed, has been without a roof, and this wa3 the reason for the water penetrating to the cellars. En passant, it might bo stated that the work of fitting up the rooms in this building for occupancy by some of the Departments, and the completion of repairs generally, is being pushed 011 now at a rapid rate, probably with the, idea of having the workmen out of the place before the opening of Parliament. A correspondent writes to tho "Transvaal Chronicle" describing an extraordinary occurrence which took place 011 a farm in the Waterberg district recently in full daylight. The occupants of a house on the farm wore startled by a hissing, screcching sound, like that of a shell from a gun, made by an object which passed through the roof and into the floor. The missile, which was apparently an 1 aerolite, then exploded with terrific force, Two men were in the room at tho time, one of whom was partly paralysed iii tho log. In an adjoining room were two little girls ana three kittens. All the kittens were killed, and one of the girls was impressed with a curious mark on tho body. A native in the kitchen was rendered' unconscious, and others 111 the house were dazed. The windows and roof of the room through which the object fell were blown out by the force of tho explosion, and the walls damaged, but 110 sign of tho supposed aerolite could bo found, except a little clust. To-day the last of tho senior cricket championship matches will bo played at the Basin Reserve. Admission to tho reserve will bo 6d.