LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1213, 23 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"We want the local todies to stand up against tho present centralising tendency of tho present Administration." paid Sir. J. B. Gow (representing the Opotiki County) at the Counties' Conference yesterday. The tendency at the present day, lie continued, .was to centralise everything, in Wellington, and thiiM usurp the functions of tho small local bodies. The small local bodies must' strenuously oppose this dangerous tendency. (Hear, hear.) Five boys, whose ages ranged from eleven years tu over sixteen years, were before the Juwnile Court, yesterday, on a charge of stealing one hundredweight of coal (valued at Is. Gd.), the property of tho New Zealand State Coal Company. Tho boys were all convicted, and ordered to receive five strokes of the birch. After a long delay in connection -with the form of construction to be adopted in the roof of tho new General Post Othce, tho Public Works Department has decided to have the same steel reinforcement used in the construction of the (loot. Instead of a finish of patent roofing material, as was originally contemplated, it has been decided to cover tho reinforced concrete roof with Xeuchatcl asphalt. A start has already been mado with tho roof construction. Tho placing in position of the massive stone pedimontol ornamentations on the Pealhcrstnn and Panama Streets frontages indicates that tho stone-work is nearly at an end. Tho interior work will occupy another four or fivo mouths' time. Arrangements have been made by tho local lion, secretary ef the Xavy League (acting in conjunction with the City Corporation) for Mr. A. S. Malcolm,^!.P., to givo an address on "Imperial lec.eration" at tho Municipal Concert Hall on August HO. His Excellency the Governor has promised to preside. The lecture, is to form one of (he literary series, and there is to be no charge far admission. A new indnstrv is on the eve nf inception in New /calami. After carrying nu't a scries of careful investigations in the United '.states of America, Mr. J. W. Ellis, a prominent Now Zealand timber merchant, is introducing into the country a romploto plant for cutting vnieers. He hai applied tu the Auckland Land Hoard lor some 000 acres of timber in the I'iopiol.ia survey district, near Tamarunui. and if his application goes through will commence uperations at the place mentioned. The veneer limIx'r is useful in many way.-, and the method of cutting it in thin sheets round Hi» log shows up the beauty of the grain well.

An additional day is to be set aside for attendance of the medical eupenn-. tendent at the Out-patients' Department upon certain classes of female eases.

The Ol'ira correspondent of tho Christchurch ".Ncwb" state? that work at {he Olira end of Hie tunnel is progressing at much the same pace as of yore. The bottom heading at the end of July had reached the one mile thirly-threu chain mark; the blocking is finished three and a half chains beyond thu mile. A new linn lias been put in at the back of the carpenter's shop to secure with more ease gravel from the river bed and blocks from tho concrete shed. A new winch, driven by compressed air, is being used near tho face to haul trucks from Ihe terminus of the electrified line up to the face. The air-winches for lifting blocks up to their platforms are working splendidly. They do away with the u>s_ 'if horses, and are much more convenient in every way. At' the Henley Flat the bottom heading of the tunnel has reached tho nineteenth chain, and the blocking is within a chain of (he heading. '

A remarkable tale of the manner in which tho public are gulled by .so-called clairvoyants and fortiinu-k-llcrs was told at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court recently before Mr. 11. W. Bishop, S.M., by a young man, who said that his mother carried on such practices. He said that she professed to know a lot, but ho reckoned he knew a great deal more. ITe said that he had seen people como and buy her "medicine," and cheerfully pay Vs. Cd. a bottle for it, being under the impression (hat it was' what sho said it -was, a mixture made from the jjesi; English herbs, whereas it was concocted of dandelions aud such herbs as could be found i'l her back garden. Tho old lady, who professed to bo a true gipsy, said that she could only make about Bs.' a week at her profession, though she did not deny her son's allegations. The annual meeting of the Now Zealand Society of Accountants, which is attended by delegates from all parts of the Dominion, will be held in Wellington on Wednesday nest in tho Chamber of Commerce. Under the auspices of the Printers' Federation, a successful social gathering was held at Godber's Rooms, Cuba Street, last evening, Mr, T. Jones (of tho "Evening Post") presiding over a genial gathering. The function was a private one. Toast speeches, and musical and other items filled iu a, very pleasant evening. There was a splendid.attendance at tho meeting of the Wellington of Accountants held in the Chamber of Commerce last evening. Mr. A. T. Clarke occupied the chair. Three ten-minute papers were read as follow:—"The capital expenditure with regard to electric tramways, including depreciation and Sinking Funds in connection with the same," by Mr. A. T. Clarke, auditor to the Wellington City Council; "The Tendency of Company Registration," by Mr. J. S. Barton; and "Endorsements," by Mr. J. S. Day. The reading of each paper was followed by a discussion, which contributed (o an interesting and profitable evening. It was dtcided to hold monthly meetings throughout tho winter. The London correspondent of the Melbourne "Argus" tells a good story in connection with Mr. Fisher's visit to Troon. A curious mistake was made by tho son of a peer, to whom was committed the ta«k of proposing the toast of the Commonwealth at tho Troon function. The proposer of the toast was Lord Casillis (pronounced Cn.ssels in Scotland), who had somehow got the tho idea into his head that New Zealand was a Commonwealth, and Mr. Fisher was the Prime Minister. Accordingly be devoted the whole of his speech to eujogising New Zealand. As a consequence Mr. Fisher practically bad to reolv for Now Zealand and also for the Commonwealth, which he did in such a tactful way as probably to leave Lord Casillis still under tho impression that the Dominion and the .Commonwealth were one and the same, and Mr. Fisher the over-lord of both.

A banquet is to be tendered lo Sir Joseph Ward and Sir J. G. Findlay, in the Concert Chamber of the .Town Hnll on Friday, August 23, at. 8' p.m. His ■Worship the .Mayor- of' Wellington will preside. Ticket? nre £1 Is., and may bo obtained from ilr. .iamt-s Dykes, MO Fcalherston Street. A plan of the tables may also be inspected at the secretary's office, vhers guests arcs requested to reserve their seats.