LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1102, 15 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Victoria, which loft Sydney at noon on April 12, for Aucklaud, lias on hoard an Australian mail. It is due hero on Holiday, April 17 by the Main Trunk express. The " Otago Daily Times " reports that Mr. W. Sutherland, who attends to harbour lights in the lower reaches of Otago Harbour, found two whales of the bottle-nose species stranded at tho Spit at Otago Heads on Tuesday moming. The whales—a cow and a calf— were left by the receding tide about 400" of 500 yards north :moloi The cow measures 30ft. in length, and the calf about 15ft. When the- whales were discovered by Mr. Sutherland at 6 a.m. they wero alive. They are expected to yield a quantity of oil, and the finder has arranged for the flinching and trying-out of the blubber. Major-General A. J. Godley, Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, regards the port of Westport as an imp'ortant clement in the scheme of defence of New Zealand, and considers it yital that the harbour should be linked up with the trunk railway system of the Dominion. The General, while in the Westpnrt district the other day, obtained a mass of information from the local Territorial officers (Captain Cottrell and O'Brien, Lieutenants Bottom, Brcreton and Levy) and from Messrs. Colvin, Greenwood, Greenland, and others. He also made, some very closo inquiries at the Harbour Board office. Hares may be shot in the portion of the Wellington Acclimatisation district lying to the southward of a lino com moncing at Paekakariki, thence to tin summit of the Rimutaka Range, am thence to the sea at Whareama. Na tive pigeons, pukekos, teal, and grei cluck may be shot in the coming sea son. The musical competitions in Mastertoi: in July next arc already attracting attention from outside districts (Jays mil local correspondent). One choir from Wellington has signified its intention of competing. The committee of t-hi. society decided last evening to endeavour to arrange school excursions to the town (from north and south) in connection with the competitions. The tender of Messrs. Sharrott and Co., at £2195, has been accepted by the Foxton Borough Council for the erection of a Coronation Hall in that town. Other tenders ranged up to £2840. A notice is gazetted forbidding the issue of money orders and the forwarding of correspondence addressed tc the Aluminium Manufacturing Company, George Street, Sydney; and Commoford's Mail-Dealers' Collection Agency, Martin Lane, Sydney. At the Burnside cattley&rds on Wednesday a meeting of master butchers was held to discuss the present position of the trade and to determine- on some joint course of action for the future. It was asserted that business had been unprofitable for the last twelve months, and that there has been so littlo margin to work on that practically every butcher in the trade must have lost money, and somo of them very heavily. What is undisputed is that the journeymen butchers have- been in a better position than their employers. Instead of improving, tho present positioji will got worse as feed gets more scarccj and this will bo accentuated during winter and early spring. The motion which was put to tno meeting, and which was carried unanimously, was as follows: —"That sale prices lio readjusted to me?t the increased price of stock." Tho increase in prices agreed upon ranges from Jd. to Id. per lb., and it may bo regarded as practically certain that a further advance will he agreed upon later on. —"Otago Daily Times." A 2-1-hour motor reliability trial, under the auspices of the New Zealand Motor-cycle- Club, is to bo held on April 21 and' 22. The route will be from Wellington to Waipawa, via the Manaivatu Gorge, returning via the AVairarapa. The Order-in-Council required to validate the extension of workers' fare privileges, approved some months ago by the City Council, will come up for consideration at Hie next meeting of Cabinet, and it is anticipated tint the corporation will shortly be in a position to introduce tho new system of fares. Twenty boy scouts and three scoutmasters left Island Bay yesterday morning and walked round the coast to Terawhiti. They carried four clays' provisions, and to-day they intend doing some gold prospecting on the creeks thereabouts. 'Cash prizes are offered for a competition in this month's "Brads-haw," Entries close in the 25tlu* [

City streets have been sprayed with tar during the past year at an average cost of between ljd. and l}d. per square yard. This sum' includes the cost of tar, applying same, and also the sweeping of the road surface. The City Engineer considers it advisable to construct road surfaces in the- busier streets with tar-bound macadam, which would lend to hotter results from the use of the tar-spraying machine.

Two gangs of corporation employees have been engaged during the past year in asphalting the inner side of footpaths in "the city which previously wore asphalted for only half thoir width. The City Engineer hopes to have the work completed, so far as the old Wellington ward is concerned, at the end of the current year. Afterwards similar work will be 'carried out in the principal streets of the outlying districts.

A social gathering of buyers connected with the firm of Messrs. Kirkealdie and Stains was held at the Hotel Windsor on Wednesday night, Messrs. Sidney and Keith Kirkealdie being the guests of tho evening The too.™ of "The Firm" was proposed by the chairman (Mr. Teasdale) and responded to by Mr. S. Kirkealdie. A very enjnyablo evening was speat.

The pipes required for tho duplication of the Wainui water main are expected to arrive in Wellington about two months hence. The contract for these pipes, and that for the supply of pipes for a twelve-inch main to be laid to Kilbirnie from tho city boundary for the supply of Miramar are in the hands of Messrs. J. Dutliio and Co.

Newspapers are on the increase up the Main Trunk Line. Mr. Claridgo, who has planted, amongst other journals, tho "Eketahuna Express," the "Jlartinborough Star," and tho "Taumarunui Press! 1 ' lias introduced a similar paper into Huntly, and now another has been started at To Awamutu by Mr. A. G. Warburton. To Awamutu district had an exciting journalistic experience some forty odd years ago, when it ran two papers, one of which—that controlled by Sir John (then Mr.) Gorst—was summarily suppressed by Bewi Maniapoto.

On the motion of Mr. J. W. Macdonald, solicitor to the Public Trust Office, tho Supreme Court this week granted to tho Public Trustee probate of the wills of the undermentioned deceased persons:—John Briggs, late of Wellington, police sergeant; Felix M'Gahey, Timaru, lighthouse-keeper; Catherine Owens, Taylorville, widow; Frederick Augustus Miller, Lawrence, builder; Albortina Williainina Filgate Drury, Auckland, widow; Georgo Bissctt, Wellington, editor; James Gear, Porirua, gentleman; James Smyth, Opolio, painter; Mary Ann Dunkle.v, Roxburgh, widow; Alison or Alice Muir, Auckland, formerly of Greytown, milliner; orders to administer were also granted to tho Public Trustee in respect of the estates of the following deceased persons: Frederick Arthur Leigh, late of Kapuni, farmer; William John M'llrce, or Macilree, Christ church, dentist; Joseph Fitness, Rehia, farmer; James Briger Smith, Katui, fanner.

Visitors to AVellington will find the Wellington Bradshaw a very useful little book, as it contains time-tables and general information. Price, one penny. '