LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1105, 19 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which loft Wellington on March 10 by the s.s. Manuka, and connected with the Brindisi moils per the U.M.S. India, arrived in London on the afternoon of April H. Ministers of the Crown are returning to Wellington after their Easier vacation, and important meetings of Cabinet are expected at the end of tho week. It is aho expected that the Acting-Minister for Finance (Hon. J. A. Millar) will deliver a speech on the financial results, of the past year at an early date.

An invention that, it is claimed, will prove tho salvation of the flax industry in New Zealand is now in course of completion. The inventor has succeeded in developing a chemical nrocess for blenching the flax, and he is now engaged in perfecting a machine for stripping the fibre. The advantages of the new system are said "to be many, the principal features being the remarkably quid; time in which the flax can be bleached, and the fact that tho whole of tho natural strength of the fibre is retained. On a fine day the inventor says he is able to dress a leaf of flax in half an hour. While in the Waikato recently he put his solution to the test, and he says the manager of the rope factory declared that the fibre was as strong as Manila.

It is stated by a Tarnnaki exchange that one of tlio Stratford sub-enumera-tors covered eighty miles in an endeavour to pick up ono census paper. The paper was delivered to n man who lives in a whare ten miles from town; but three subsequent journeys (o and fro have not enabled the enumerator to pick up the paper, as the citizen has locked Ids whnre, and is working somewhere in the wilds.

The first part of the Tainui's voyage from London to Wellington was much enlivened by the presence of Sousa's Band, who were travelling by the steamer. They totalled about CO performers, and voyaged ns far as Capo Town. On St." Patrick's night the band gave a very enjoyable concert. For five days before the. vessel reached Capo Town M. Sousa had his band rehearsing steadily. After a tour of South Africa the party will embark ou board the lonic at Cape Town on April 22, and come on as far as Hobart. A tour of tho Australian States follows, and tlien the band comes'on to Xew Zealand.

The number of immigrants arriving from London by the Tainui yesterday was not so large as on previous vessels. In all there were 212 third-class passengers. Among these were 28 domestic servants, for whom positions were waiting as soon as they arrived. ■ There were CC "assisted?," 39 of these being nominated by relatives in New Zealand, while 27 were approved by the High Commissioner in London. In' addition, there were ten wives who came out to rejoin husbands. At Hobart 216 passengers left the vessel to try their fortunes in Australia. 111-fortune dees not seem to pursue "Bill" Squires, the man who lost his punch, so consistently ns a fanner as it did when.he was a .prominent figure in boxing circles. Taking up a farm near Tamworth (New South Wales) more than twelve months ago, he has kept his hands fo tho plough, and his farming operations were crowned with unusual success last week, when ho succeeded in winning the all-important prize for the champion bag of wheat in one of tho strongest competitions yet seen at the. Sydney . Show. Strangely enough, the variety of wlisat which secured him this coveted honour from the leading wheatgrowers of the State was "Comeback," and this was at once taken as an augury that Bill Rquires's punch had come back.

Sir. W; Paget Gale, Dunedin, organising secretary' in New Zealand for the London College of Music, has received the following list of successful candidates, all pupils of Mr. 11. Muller, of Wellington. (Maximum marks, 100; pass, Cs):— Elementary section: Muriel Sellar, 100 marks; Alexander Nieol, 99; Bornice Humphries, 9S; Kose Phillips, 95; Elsie Ssllar, 95; Wilfred Hosie,: 93; Esther Phillips, 68. Junior section: Isabel Holdaway,. 10D; Dngmar Arcus, 87.

Tile conference of Government Land Valuers, which has been meeting under the presidency of the Valuer-General during the past few days, has been discussing tho lualter generally of how to arrive at a common basis upon which to frame valuations. Yesterday the Minister for Internal Affairs (tho Hon. D. Buddo) nttonded, and delivered an interesting address.

Nearly all the Greytown Chinamen (says a Wairarapa paper) claim to be "Presbyterians" in answer to tho query as to religion required for tho census paper. When first the query was put, each ono blandly replied "Scotch." Strange to say, every other Chinaman that the enumerator called upon was of the same religious persuasion; to, a man their religion was "Scotch."

Some new caves have been discovered in the vicinity of Kaipororo, in the Forty Mile Bush (reports the Pahiatua "Herald"). They are on the private property of Mr. K. Keuall, are easily accessible, and the beauties of the stalactites and stalagmites are simply wonderful. The caves extend for some distance, and in places are very large and roomy, while at others there is only room tor ono person to walk.

The Presbyttrinn Bible Class camp, at Belniont, was struck on Monday. The championship sports niectiug resulted in an easy win for St. John's, Wellington, who, therefore, hold the banner for one year. Altogether they scored 43 points. St. Paul's, Wnnganui, came next with 27, while St. John's, Lyttelton, who were previous holders, could do no better than get third, with 20 points. A Rugby football match was also played, when a Wellington team beat the rest of New Zealand by 8 points to G. The last address at the camp was delivered by Mr. G. A. 'l'ronp, who spoke on "The Significance of the Word Union' in our Title."