LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1212, 22 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Mueraki, which left Sydney at noon on the 19th instant, has on board on Australian mail. She is due in Wellington on Wednesday morning, the 23rd instant.

Mr. Ilerdnian, M.P., will meet the electors of Northland at an early date to lay before them liis views on various political issues of foment.

In excavating for wood-blocking in Customhouse Quay (opposite W. M. Biuinatyne and C'o.'s building) the workmen cam-.* upon a layer of concrete threo inches in thickness, extending up Iho Quay for a considerable distance. It is believed that Piis was at one time the surface of the load, which was just there utilised as an express stand.

The old line of wooden shops to the. south of Ihe White Swan Hotel have been demolished, to make way for a substantial row of brick shops and offices, plans of which have, been prepared by Mr. .T. M. Dawson. The property is owned by Mr. T. G. Macarthy.

A sharp shock of earthquake occurred in Wellington at about 9.25 a.m. yesterday.

Some time between Saturday afternoon and yesterday morning the offices of Messrs. Huddart, Parker, and Co. were broken into, and the sum of .£ll7 abstracted therefrom. The police have tho matter in hand.

Constructional work at tlio new Children's Hospital is now almost completed. The brickwork of the walls is practically finished, though a few bricklayers are still ougage.d in building cjiimneys. The roof is everywhere' ready, or almost ready, to receive its exterior covering of Marseilles tiles, niid the building will be covered in from end to end within a fortnight.- A start: will then bo made upon the interior finishing work, which will lake several months to complete. The contractors (Messrs. Watts Bros.) hope to finish the building by the end of tlio year.

The latest mails from Noumea, says tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph," contain an account of an extraordinary case, in which a woman .suece.ssfully petitioned for a divorce from her husband bccausc lie insisted u[.on her becoming a queen. Tho Court of Los Angeles, according to "La Franco Australe," .has just granted a decree to Madame Nellie Clarke, who refused to follow her husband to the I'iteairn Islands, of which he claims to be king. Two years ago Mr. was shipwrecked on the J'itcairh Islands. Later he purchased lliem, and was elected "king' by their inhabitants. .His subject?, who numbered 1-5, soon wanted a queen, however, and, like a dutiful husband, Mr. Clarke asked his wife to share his throne. She strongly resented tho idea of being transformed into a queen, and asked the law to free her from her royal husband. The Court was sympathetic, granted her wish, and at (lie samo time censured King Clarke for neglecting his home.

A deputation from the Oh lira County Council asked the Minister for Public "Works yesterday morning to fix a date for the ceremony of turning the first sod at the Ongarue end of the Stratferd-Ongaruo railway. The Hon. K. M'Kenr.it; replied that as soon as the surveyors, who are now engaged oil tlio work, have located Ino first mile, of cross suction, tho constructional work will be commenced, lie was unable to give any definite indication of tho dale by which that preliminary work would bj. comi'letcd. The Oliura County Council' proposes to ccJebrato tho beginning of tho line by a ceremonial gathering, in which the Prime Minister, the Minister for Public Works, aud tho representatives of the neighbouring constituencies will bo invited to participate.

With the object of keeping tlie eoiiimcrcinl coniinunitv (if Now Zealand in touch os fur as possible with the great possibilities of trade with Canada, the Canadian Commissioner (Mr. lieddoo) some time ago applied to the Canadian. Minister for the interior requesting him to fiend om maps, issued this vear. for distribution to the Chambers 'of Commerce at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The, maps, which are complete in every respect, arrived in Auckland by the last' mail. They give an excellent: idea of the size and ihc resources of the great Dominion across tho Pacific. Mr. jjoddoe is forwarding (he maps to their destinations.

The Dresden piano Company has just rrceived a cablegram froni Glasgow in which it' is mentioned that the band using TUiwkcs and Son*' brass iisstnime.nt.s won the first prize and challenge cut) at the Exhibition contest out. of thirteen competitors.

Dr. Arnold Izard will address electors of Wellington North at the Methodi-i Schoolroom, Northland, at S o'clock tonight.

A lecture on (he subject "The in nisti.iy (inil Biography" was delivered by the l.cv. .f. Kennedy Elliott, IS..Aj„ the Kent Terrace I'resbvterian Church last evening. Tlie h-ctnivs which i ras i„. terspeisod by selections from thou!. .Psalms and tunes, was listened to bv largo audience. 'L'iie choir, which was well represented. rendered "Tlie King of r,i>ve " uiul in addition llr. W. 11. Codicr cave an organ solo, "Sunset and Sunrise on (he Alps." A collodion of over ,t:j was taken up in aid of the new idioolroow.

Councillor ll.imlmarsli will move at next Thursday's meeting of the City Council:—

"Thai the motion passed at tko last meeting of (.lie Oily Council, respecting the, wages 0!' linesmen and assistant linesmen, he rescinded, and that the petition of tho men bo reconsidered."

The Auckland district health officer (Dr. If. 11. Makgill) has bc:i\ visiting toiua in connection with several matters all-rcting public health. The suggested sitis tor (lie i-o'aticu ward and general hospital were inspecUd, and details in connection wilh the appointment of an inspector of health under the I'luspilnl Hoard were also discussed. It is likely that, the inspector's sphere of duly will include Maori settlements. Another important mailer claiming .Dr. Makgill's allenlion was the establishment of a scheme of nursing amongst the Maoris. A chance inquiry at the police station, says the Dunediii "Star," elicited the somewhat significant fact that for a number of years there has Ijcen only one inftiU'ce of a finder of money bringing it to that office. 'J'he exception was n young man, who picked up a purse with about .£l2 in it, Pursuing the subjeet, the newspaper representative asked of the tramway officials their experience as to queer finds, and received the astonishing answer that oi:« day a woman forgot her baby and left: it in a tramcar. That the abandonment was a cas? of pure forgelfulncss was,"however, at onee apparent, for the mother took a following cur and joyfully reclaimed he.r ofTs.priug whilst the conductor was wondering what to do with il.

Tim Taranaki Hospital nnd Charitable Aid Board recently discussed the illsanitary stain of Maori villages, as shown by a rocfiit investigation of an outbreak of typhoid fever at Puniho. A resolution v.as passed that, wit.h the object of inducing the Natives to abandon the present system of living in large kniang.U', (lie Native Minister should lie requested to introduce legislation to enable them to remove their diallings to lands owned by them individually and to enable the Public Trustee to advance money 011 (.lie security of the lands and stock for the purpose of effecting permanent improvements awl stacking the farms. _ The resolution further asked that tangis should ho restricted or done away with, 011 account of the menace to health and the squandering of money.