LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1112, 27 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A heavy thunderstorm in Auckland recently resulted in a very pretty show at Victoria Park. Shortly after the commencement of the violent stage of the storm thousands of seabirds, big gulls and little ones, congregated in the park, presumably to gather ill a harvest from the worms which came out to see what was going on above. The concourse of birds was so great that the ground appeared almost a living mosaic of white and green. The grey plumage of the younger gulls and an occasional blackbird gave variety to the mass meeting, and all the birds appeared to be finding it well worth while to be out in the rain. "Whilst the letter portion of the last English mail, via Suez, did not reach Christchurch until yesterday morning, the newspapers by the same mail (which came via the Bluff) readied ChristchurcTi 011 Holiday evening—twenty-four hours before they were expected. The gale which swept over the city yesterday was responsible l'ar the collapse of the front wall of the new Skating Kink, now iu course of erection at Kilbirme South. The rink, which is being erected bv Eassons, Ltd., is a building with 70ft. frontage and 150 ft. depth. Only the framework of the roof was up, thus allowing the gale n clear target in the street wall. Luckily no one was passing when the wall collapsed but, had the accident occurred two or. three seconds earlier, a well-known citizen would probably have met with serious injury, as he had just passed when the wall crashed down. The Acting-Minister of Finance (the Hon. J.- A. Millar) will deliver an address at Dunedin shortly, at a public function to be held there, during which he will submit the state of the country's finances for the past twelve months. "I strongly object to the ice-cream cart being allowed to pull up in front of the school gates," remarked a householder with efnphasis at the householders' meeting at East Christchnrch on Monday evening. • "1 raised this 'bogey' last year, and I 'do the same this year. The children get in a fever-heat running about the school grounds, and then rush out and buy ice-creams. I have had some of my children ill with eating this icecream." A member of the committee said there was a prospect of this state of affairs being remedied, as the City Council intended to compel ice-cream vendors to remain on their stands in accordance with their licenses, instead of moving about as they chose, and selling their wares. On Monday morning the Dunedin reservoirs held about 10,000,000 gallons of water, • whereas their full capacity is about 80,000,000 gallons. Though tho amount of water at present stored is not very much greater than was the c.ise before the late rain, there-is every probability that the daily inflow will not a»a ! n this season lx> less than the daily consumption. Latterly the depletion of the water storage had been going on at an average rate of about 2,000,000 gallons a week. Yesterday the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. I'. Hally) heard the enginedrivers,' dispute. Tho main question is tho rates of pay under the new condition* brought about by recent legislation, which provides two clashes of certificates for engine-drivers, instead of one. •\ General agreement on the main points in dispute was arrived at, but tho terms will not biS announced at present.. Tho ass*«ors were—Uor the employers: Messrs. H""c. Croll. J. Hutehen, and W. Cable; for the union: Messrs. C. Foster, W. Denliam, and J. Bead. Reserved judgment in the cose Hales and others v. Devcrcux will be delivered in the Supreme. Court by Mr. Justice Chapman at 10 o'clock this morning.

The commander of the Terra Nova has submitted to tho Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister of Marine) certain proposals in regard to the utilisation of his vessel for the survey of portions of the coast cf New Zealand. These proposals are now under consideration. The "Southland Times" slates that Mr. W. Johnston, at a meeting of tho Southland Acclimatisation Society 011 Thursday evening last, staled that the moose liberated at the Sounds had recently been seen. His informant had told him that the animals were in such a poor condition that he could have hung his hat upon them anywhere. They were quite quiet. Very little food was available, and there was every indication that they could not have btfen liberated in a more unsuitable spot. At the Mount Cook Police Court, before Mr. T. Bland, J.P., James Ilunter, charged with being a habitual drunkard, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Joseph Roberts, IMmond James Lawlor, and Timothy Blake, charged ' with drunkenness, were each fined 10s., or ■18 hours' imprisonment. Mary Williams, for being drunk, waS convicted and discharged, and two first-offending inebriates were similarly dealt with. When speaking at the annual meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association at Auckland this week, Lord Islington found himself in the somewhat unusual position of having to tell of a painful accident which had occurred the same morning, and which apt'lv illustrated the point ho was endeavouring to make, viz., the desirableness of everyone in the community being capable of rendering "first aid tn the injured." His Excellency said; "Just as 1 was entering the hall to-night I was told of a very painful occurrence that took place only this morning. A man who was working in a wholesale drug store met with a terrible accident. A bottle of nitric acid broke, and its contents poured over him. Tho result would have been, of course, most calamitous to him had it not been that one of his fellow workmen had passed through the first-aid classes, and was able to render him service of such a character on the spot, that tho doctor when he arrived, and treated the unfortunate man. said it had undoubtedly saved him great suffering, and I believe constant ill-health. The annual meeting of the Old Wellington Navals' Association will be held at the Jcrvois Quay boat station next Friday evening. The annual report Vt.-.cos that the I'etone Association has during the year twice won the Hunt Cup. the Wellington Association has won the "White Horse Whisky" Cup in cutter races three times out of seven, Petonc having won it four times. Mr. Bowater, an ex-member of the Navals, died'during the year, and the committee was instrumental in raising .£43 lis. icr the widow and children. The cjnumtiee congratulates Chief retty Officer Martin -on being selected to go Home as a member of the Coronation contingent, and thanks Mr. E. T. Taylor for presenting a gold medal to each member of the crew which won the big cutler race. In conclusion, the committee urges members to tako more interest in the affairs of the association than was manifested during the past year. All ex-members of the Wellington 'Navals are invited to attend the annual meeting cl' the association.