LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1091, 1 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Now Zealand Government by circular has called the attention of Civil Servants in the Dominion to tho regulation governing tho uso of official postago stamps, and the reason is a report that unused official stamps are being offered for sale by London stamp-deal-ers. Tho provision of the regulations is that any officer disposing of iimised official stamps shall be liable to a fine, of £o for the first offence and dismissal for any subsequent offences.

The thirty-third anniversary of tho Vivian Street Baptist Church and tlie sixth of tho Rev. J. J. North's ministry, will be celebrated to-morrow. Tho services will bo conducted in the morning by the Jlov. J. J. North, and in the evening by the Bev. Dr. Ciibb.

The lines of tho approach to tho new car-shed at Thorndon aro to ho completed in about two weeks. The shod will accommodate about twenty of the corporation's largest ears.

Beferrhig to the request of the ,\"ew Plymouth Scenery Preservation 'loj>ut:ition to the Hon. T. Mackenzie regarding tho preservation of tno bush along the banks of tho Mokau Hirer, Jlr. David Whyte, of Hastings, a promoter o : tho Mokaii syndicate which intends to develop the settlement, mining, business, and scenery resources of tho district, informed a Dominion representative that his company is in full sympathy with the objects of the deputation. Stops aro being taken to preserve, tho forest which extends along the river for r, distance of forty miles, and which is described as among the finest in tho North Island. Steamers will bo run \vt the stream by tho Mokau Company, with headquarters at >Vaitara.

Considerable discussion has arisen among residents of the llutt Valley over the. decision of the Unit Biver Board to open the stopbank to the public and to spend til in malting slops up to the haul; and in other work, incidental to making tho bank into a promenade. Exception was taken to ibis action by Mr. Hubert Orr, who submitted it to the Audit Office, contending that the board had exceeded its authority, and that members should be hold personally liable for tho expenditure. A letter setting forth the view taken of the matter by tho board was then addressed to the Audit Office by the chairman of the board (Mr. O. Slovens). Mr. Stevens has now received a coinmu'.iication from the Auditor-General, stating that Mr. Orr has been notified that the matter "is not one for Audit Office interference."

If is anticipated Dial tbe Wadoslown tramway will be completed as far as Pitt Street and ready for tho running of cars to that point in about two months. So far as can be ascertained the "key" of the Tramway Union roster, which has been the theme of so many words of late, has not yet been banded over to the City Council Sub-Committee appointed to treat witii union representatives in regard tt) a new working agreement, 'i'lio obvious fact about a situation that Iras become involved is that the tramway trouble will not bo settled, probably will not have approached within measurable distance of a settlement, before the municipal elections occur on April 26. The only claims that have, as yet, been even considered are these relating to the payment of motormen and conductors. Demands mado ou behalf of tho various other grades of tramway employees, power-houso hands, repair-shop workers, and so on, have not been so much as mentioned in the several resultless conferences that have been held since the demands were presented. An exchange, reports that the Council of tho Otago Art Society has decided to hold a winter exhibition of .sketches in the Art Gallery Hall towards the end of May. In addition to the work by Dunedin artists and students, members of kindred societies in New Zealand will bo asked to contribute. Tho utilisation of the new surface' reservoir at Boseneath is still delayed pending arrival of the pumps which aro to form part of its equipment. The pumps were to have been delivered on January 20 last, but they are not now expected to arrive before April 18. > It is hoped that pumps for the. Molroso surface reservoir, which is also completed, may arrive from England by the same steamer. Pumps for the surface reservoir at AVadestown are expected to arrive in 'July.