LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1217, 28 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mabeno, with English mails (via Suez) and Australian .mails, arrived at Auckland from Sydney at 3 p.m. yesterday. Tlic Wellington portion of her mails will arrive by this afternoon's Mam Trunk express.

Thirty of the Territorials enrolled at Pahiatua having ottered horses, these have been posted to the signalling and communication column, which will have its headquarters there (states the laliiatua "Herald"). The company will have the following officers:—Captain i. Bollon; lieutenant, h. T. Herbert; sergeantmajor, B. Doyle. The rest of the 'territorials enrolled here go to tlio infantry, and tho first parade will be held within a month. It will bo the aim of the Defence Department to cause 110 Territorial to go a longer distance to parade than will occupy an hour, and it is probable that men who havo further to go than this to a parade centre will be called upon to have all their training at one particular period' of the to avoid travelling. There is a possibility of a corps being formed at The medical inspection ol' youth is finished, as far as Pahiatua is concerned. About 51) of those registered at Pahiatua havo failed to attend for medical inspection, and made themselves liable to prosecution.

At noon to-day a deputation consisting of clerks from "the mercantile houses in Wellington will wnit upon the Minister for Labour to protest, against being included in the union recently formed by the warehousemen's assistants.

Tho officers of Iho Garrison havo accepted the invitation of tho Navy League (o be present at Mr. A. S. Malcolm's patriotic lecture on "Imperial Federation" at tho Town Ilall on Wednesday night. His Excellency tho Governor is to take tho chair at 8 p.m. There is to be no charge for admission.

The past office in a lit Ho out' of the way spot in the Whangarei district was the local store, and was tho scene of ail amusing contretemps on a recent occasion (relates a contemporary). Olio of tho post o(nco inspectors was doing tho usual rounds, and on arrival at this littlo place—which shall bo nameless—found fault with the way his Majesty's post office was being conducted. Tho high dignitary on leaving remarked ■ with a lolty air; "You will hear from me, sir, when I return to Auckland." This proved too much for the harassed postmaster, who disappeared for a moment to return with a candle-box under his arm containing Iwo books and a few shillings' worth of stamps. He held the box at arm'slength towards the inspector and remarked : '"Ere, tako ycr blooming post office."

B?fore the breaking-up at the Wellington Collego on Friday, 2SB boys of tho college handed in their subscriptions as members of tho Navy League. Tho college .is said to bo the largest school branch of the league ill tho world. Eacli lio.v is to rcccive a copy of Kipling's "Fleet In Doing," or somc other publication of naval interest.

Tho Deputy-Commissioner 'of, the St. .Tchn Ambulance Brigade has received the' following communication from His Excellency tho Governor:—"With reference t.p your lotter of Juno 19. I am commanded by His Majesty the King to ask you to convey to tho New Zealand Branch of the St. John Ambulance Brigade au expression of His Majesty's cordial thanks for their message of loyalty and congratulation on tho occasion of his Coronation."

The Fire Brigade received a call at 2.25 p.m. on Saturday to a scrub fire between Wright Street and E. W. Mills l?oad, Vogeltown. Tho Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Newtown Brigade turned out ,and had a strenuous time. About fifteen acres of gorse and manuka wcro destroyed.

Tho following is a copy of a letter which has been forwarded lo Sir Joseph Ward by the local secrol-'UT of the Navy League (Mr. Cecil Palmer}:—"Dear Sir Joseph,—On behalf of tho Wellington Executive, I have to convey tho Navy J.oague's warmest congratulations to yourfclf and J.ady Ward upon your safe'return to these shores, and also upon tlio honour recently conferred on you by his Majesty. This may well ho regarded as a compiimmt lo New Zealand, vis well as a recognition of tho statesm.mliko attitude adopted by you (as the Dominion's reprcspiUaiivc) iii "the «iu;c of Imperial unity."-