LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11111, 8 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Maheno, with an English mail 'via Brindisi) and an Australian mail, arrived in Auckland from Sydney at noon yesterday. Her Wellington mails will arrive by the Main Trunk express this afternoon. The steamer Pnrley arrived at Auckland from San Francisco at 10-55 p.m. on Saturday. Her mails will also come to hand this afternoon. Term holidays in the 'Wellington Education district are to commence on .Tune 13, in order to fit in with the Coronation festivities; H.M.S. Pioneer, whilst en route from Auckland to Lyttelton, put into Wellington for about forty minutes on Saturday afternoon, for the purpose of taking on board a large caso containing the figurehead of H.M.S. Virago, a G-gim sloop, which, was in commission on the Australian station from 1857 till 1871. H.M.S. Cambrian, now in port, brought the case over from Sydney. It is to bo taken to Auckland, and lias been loaned to the Auckland Museum by tho Admiralty. Some weeks back a report was received hero stating that a shark had attacked an open boat in which two men were fishing at Owenga, Chatham Islands. Word brought by the Nora Niven states that what is supposed to be the tamo shark has been caught. On April 21 or 25 Mr. H. C. Williams and Mr. Odie. who have been endeavouring for several months to catch "Chatham Bill" as the fish was called, managed to , land him .on a chain line, close to some rocks near the reef at Oivenga. The operation took two hours and when the hideous creature was finally got on to the beach he was found to measure 40 feet. From photographs taken- and brought here he certainly appears to be a huge fish and his great tooth bear no very pleasantlook. Of course, with a fish of this description cruising about, fishermen engaged in boats could never feel exactly safe. At an early hour yesterday morning that enterprising police tluo, Sergeant Kutlcdge and Constable M'Kelvoy, made a swoop on a lodging-house in the vicinity of Courlenay Place, and seized a largo quantity of'liquor. It is likely that Eomeouo will be prosecuted.

The Mayor of Miramar (Mr. John Brodie) and all the members of the council, accompanied by tho town clerk (Mr. H. E. Bennett), went for a drive around tho borough on Saturday afternoon. Their object was to get a first-hand knowledge of the requirements of the borough in the way of road improvements, and they accordingly inspected a great deal of the work that was done last year, and traversed roads which require further attention. Starting from the city boundary, they drovo first to the Miramar Wharf, and thence to Thai, Rua, Tom, mid Ono Street?. TUo plantation on tho Karaka Road Reserve was npxt visited, and tho Seatoun Heights Road was followed to tho Townsend Road water-supply reservoir. Thence ths party went down to Seatouu, and by way of Dundcs Street and Monro Street to tho plantation on tho north sido of Seatoun Wharf. Worser Bay was also inspected, and tho

trip as a enabled those -who made it to acquire a Rood deal of knowledge which is sure to bear fruit in future decisions of tho council.

Mr. Cecil Palmer, tho local hon. secretary of the Navy League, is arranging with Captain Wcmyss, K.N., of H.M.S. Cambrian, with a view to a naval display during the coming Exhibition. Captain Wfinyss has offered to place his ship at the disposal of the Xavy League for visits of juvenile members at ;\ data early in June, to l>o fixed later. Whilo in the south, Captain Wemyss and his officers went to considerable trouble in making the visits of juvenile members of the Navy League very interesting. The movements of tho warship are uncertain for the present, pending arrangements with his. Excellency the Governor. The annual gunlayers' test has to be carried out shortly, and it is necessary that the Pioneer and Cambrian should act in concert for this practice, which will take up a fortnight or so. A quiet spot is indispensable, with a range up to 15 miles, and Golden Bay will probably be selected. The following prisoners will come before Mr. Justice Chapman for sentence at 10 o'clock this morning:—William Nicholas Dalley (making false statement under Births, and Deaths Registration Act), Reginald Reidy, alias Willie Peters (theft from dwelling), Wilfred Henry Scalo (theft).

"Plenty of fish at the Chathams" is the verdict of the crew of tho Nora Niven (just back from the group), "but you cannot catch them in bad weather." They went on to stato that during the whole of last month only ten days' fishing was done. On April 22 a large school of blackfish passed Owenga from south to north ami eye-witnesses stato that, at the time, the whole sea seemed alivo with them.

Tho various municipal electors' associations in the city are being circularised by the Hataitai Association with a view to' tho making of a combined representation to tho City Council urging it to prescribe tho minimum fronta.se and area of an allotment of land on wliich a dwellinphoiifo may be erected. The Hataitai Association is of opinion that a minimum of forty feet frontage should be fixed as a general standard, and tho council should reserve the power to vary this in certain areas within tho city proper, or under special circumstances. The above minimum shonld, it is urged, however, be rigorously enforced in all the suburbs where tho configuration of the land offers no peculiar difficulties.

The fire brigade received a call at 12..")0 p.m. on Saturday, to a small fire at 2.1 a Courtenay Place, in premises owned by Mrs. Leslie, of Vivian Street, and occupied by Mr. YV. Taylor. Tho fire was in tnc roof, which was only flightly damaged. The contents of the house,' which were not insured, received some dainane lrom water. Thp house is insured in the Standard office for JJI2O.

The first of n series of monthly meetings in connection with the No-Litvnsc movement was lioltl in Toi-y Slrei-1 Mission Hall on Friday cvcniiiir. The liov. \V. b. .Potter occupied the chair, ami, in a. brief address, explained the objects of the league The speaker for th« evening was the Rev. JB. 0. Blaniire*, who S,'nvo art interesting and instriicl.ivo address, on tho effect of alcohol on tliu brain cells. A programme, consistini; of glee?, songs, and recitations, was provided by the Musical Helpers, and was much appreciated. The chairman, in closing, moved a vote of thanks to the speaker, and to all who had k«lnnd to make the waatius a success.

A meeting of the Philatelic Society of New Zealand was held on Friday evening in the Dominion Museum at S o'clock. Mr. A. Hamilton occupied the chair, and a large number of prominent philatelists were present. Two new members were elected, bringing the membership up to 121. A display was held of the stamps of tho Pacific Islands and Papua, tho feature of the evening being the superb exhibit made by Mr. A. T. Bate. Among the numerous rarities shown by this member were ten superb copies of the Hawaiian numerals, including the

"NTKK" variety; engravers' proofs in Mack of the Tongan issue of 1592, also proofs on plain paper in correct colours of tho set of surcharges in carmine and black of 1803, alfo proofs on plain paper of the official stamps surcharged GPU, surcharge inverted in the case of tho penny value, the lalter stamps being shown in large blocks. Mr. Bate also showed the "Fiji Times Express" stamps "on original." A display of the stamps of Ceylon and Cape of Good Hope was arranged for fho next meeting, to bo hold on June 2.

Defectives Rawle and Cameron have arrested a man or. a charge of stealing an overcoat, valued at 305., from the shop of Fanny AVhitaker.

Two alleged stowaways who arrived by tho Ngaloro last, night from Greymouth will appear at the Magistrate's Court this morning.

The Native Land Purchase Board, at ils last meeting, received offers of land aggregating -1G4,757 acres. The purchase of an area of 2577 acres was decided upon. In the case of 301,330 acres, comprising numerous blocks, technical irregularities regarding joint-ownership made it necessary that meetings of the as.wmbled owners must bo held to agree before the board could complete the purchase. Offers of a total area (in various blocks) of 12,800 acres were declined, mid 80,000 acres were referred again to the Natives for further information as to titles, etc.