LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1211, 21 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An English mail, via Suez, and an Australian mail veached Auckland by tho Sydney steamer at o'clock yesterday afternoon. The Wellington portion wilt be in Hiis city by tho Main Trunk express this afternoon.

A few years back (states the "Wairarapa Age") tho Hon. T. Mackenzie favoured the establishment of a Civil Service Board. In those days he was in the cold shades of OppoMtion. To-day lie is a Minister of the Crown, possessed of powers of patronage and of dispensing favours, and lie thinks that the Ministerial control of tho Public Servico cannot bo improved upon. It is strange how circumstances alter cases. The Hon. 1\ Mackenzie's argument that tho control of the service by commissioners would mean the flooding of tlis Civil Service with tho sous of the wealthy is so much fatuous nonsense. The suggestion is unworthy of a Minister of the Crown. It is a habit of "Liberal" Ministers, however, to mako sneering references to the wealthy and aristocratic tho while tlie.v arc hobnobbing with Koyalty and breaking their necks to secure titles.

Tho many friends of Mr. T. Churchward (secretary of the Wellington Bowling Centre) and Mrs. Churchward will regret to hear of a serious accident which befell their seven-year-old daughter, Hilda, on Fridov evening at tlieir residence, Ohiro lioad." Tho child was busying herself in tho garden, when the rake which sha had been using fell over a bank, about Bft. or Oft. in height. As it fell the child leaned over in an endeavour to recover it, overbalanced herself, and fell on the concrete stops below. Tho little girl must have struck first with her jaw, a piece of which was broken right out hy a doul)l<? fracture, ami a nasty wound, which required seven stitches, was niado across her clnii. An operation was immediately performed by Dr. Collins. Tho child is doing as well as can be expectcd.

On Saturday, Detective Hammond arrested a man, who is to appear before the Magistrate's Court this morning, oil a charge of false pretences, and a charge of forgery. "Some time when you arc over on the Challenger the buglo may sound the call to action," said Chief Felly Officer 'Welsh at the Brotherhood meeting yesterday. "Vou will see men rushing about, but you will not know what it all means. But the crew knows. Every man from the captain to ths youngest laddie knows that it is a call to action, and that- there is a place in the action (hat he, and he alone, caw fill. When the buglo sounds out a call to action ho knows that he has got to drop what he is doing, and be at his post. If he is not at his post tho fact that he is absent will quickly be known."

Trs dale of tho opening of the Auckland Town Hall has been fixed by the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Tarr) for Thursday, December 14, subject to the convenience of the Governor, who will perform tho ceremony. It is expected that the contractors will be out of :lio bunding in November, and the date has nteu f:>ed for the middle, of December so as allow a reasonable time for the installation of Hie organ to be completed, it being considered that the opening ceremony v.ill be. much more impressive if tho ; rgan call be brought into use at tho s'line time. It is probable that the opening cevomruies will extend over two or three days. J lie ceremony of opening the hall will tako place 011 December 11, and it is picl-able that a conversaziono win take (1 ice on the following evening. It is o.tpfclcd that the musical societies will arnngo a proerammo for tho following Monday an.! Tuesday.

The band of H.M.S. Challenger delighted the inmates of the Hospital yesterday afternoon with a very fine programme oi music. There was a large number of people in tho grounds, and tho collection amounted to .£6 12s. Gd.

An exciting light between thrashers and a whale was witnessed off Sydney Heads a few days ago. The signal master (Mr. Gibson) saw a commotion in the ocean among somo whales to tho eastward of the Heads, and an examination through the glasses showed that upwards of a dor en thrashers were in deadl.v combat witli a whale, estimated as being 60 feet in length. The whale was attacked from all sides, and in its efforts t'o escape lashed the sea into a mass of foam. It made desperate efforts to get seaward, but all to n6 avail. Tho thrashers leaped into the air, and came down on it with terrific force, all the time heading the monster towards the cliffs. One thrasher, in particular, was noticed to sweep down repeatedly on the mammal. This thrasher had a fin estimated by Mr. Gibson to bo (i feet in length, and was marked with white patches on either side. It seemed to head the charge on tho whale, which was gradually forced into shallow water half a mile from tho cliffs, where it suddenly disappeared, having evidently succumbed to t'ho attack of its enemies.