LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1322, 28 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which left Wellington on November 17 per the s.s. Ulimaroa nml connected nl. Sydney with tho Brindisi mails per tlm K.JI.S. India arrived in London on the night of December 21. The receipts for tho week ending December 2f on the city tramways show an increase of- ,£BO 18a. sd. over tho corresponding period last year. Saturday last Mowed a record Lining (,£6Bl 12s. IOd.) lor ono day, ,-md but lor tho breakdown in llio i,yerhc;i(l gear in Cuba Street in the evening tho figures would havo probably reached well over .£7OO. On Christmas Day, in spite of tho fact that only nn hourly servico was run, the receipt's otalled £275 17s. Bd. Tho returns for JJoxing Dny wero £m i,i s . sd. Tho Simony spocwls carried 5M passengers in tho morning, and ]fl) in the evening. Mr. Morris Fox, editor of the "Government Insuranco Recorder," tells a good joke at tho expense of Duncdin in tho latest issuo of his journal. A man ironi Dunedm ouco visited tho (own of Wellington. An Irish friend insisted upon tho visitor staying at his house instead of at ii hotel, and kept him thoro for a month, playing tho host in detail, even lo treating him to Iho theatres and other amusements, paying nil the cablares and Iho rest. When tho visitor was returning to Dunodin, tho Irishman saw mm down to tho steamer, and they went ;j»o in? saloon to have a parting drink. Whal'jl you have i" asked Iho host, continuing his hospitality lo tho very last. "iNow, look here," said the man Ironi Dunedm, "I'll hao nao mair o' this. Here ye ve been keepin' mo at yer ' honse for a monlh, an' pnying for a' tho. theatres nn' cabs an' drinks—l tell ye 111 stan' nao mnir o' it! Wo'll just li'iio a toss for. this ono!"

During the four days from December 20 to Iμ inclusive, UG2S bass of mails and 1410 hampers were handled at the Chief Post Office, Auckland (states a Tress Association message), as compured with 4921) bags .and MM hampers during the same period of last year. The stamp fales wen .£■loso 25., as compared with -WGiT 12s. Gd. last year. The American Society of Certified Accountants has (says n recent cablegram from New York to a Sydney . paper) passed a resolution protesting against, flic employment of English accountants to incorporale the bookkeeping reforms that iuii about to be introduced in tho United Stales navy yards. The society professes to Ijc chiefly concerned over Iho opportunity that their English brelhrai -will fhon have for learning American naval secrcls. The protest has not met with much support from tho press, most of Iho papers pointing out that tho society should see that its members are trained to tho English standard of efficiency. At the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, before "Mr. T- H. Lambert,' J.P., Thomas Halford pleaded guilty to drunkenness, and was convicted and discharged. An old woman (apparently about SO years of age) pleaded guilty to insobriety." On condition that she returned at once to tho Ohiro Home, of which she had been an inmate, she was convicted and discharged. Although the ship rolled rather heavily nearly the whole way from Sydney, tho passengers by the Manuka had a. very merry Christmas. Ono passenger who spends more than half his timo at sea. declared that Monday's dinner was the best ho had ever seen sorved at ski, and everyone was delighted at the splendid efforts of the chef. A concert and danco ,werd held on Tuesday evening, which was also thoroughly enjoyed by all who participated. The proceeds of tho concerts given on tho voyage to and from Sydney ainountcd to .212 Us. 10d M which sum is being handed ovor to the Shipwreck l!e----lief Society.

Count do Noskovrski, of Poland, is a visitor to Sydney. In the course of nn interview ho said ho could not understand why tho whole city goes to bed before midnight. In Warsaw, he says, they arc just beginning to wake up at that time ''We go to grand opera at 8 o'clock, and then,.when that is over, we have supper and begin to get merry. Then wo visit the restaurants, and enjoy ourselves with relreshtnents, dancing, and singing. We keep that up till 1 or even 5 o'clock in the morning, and then we retire W" setup early or, late just as it pleases us" mid then we go shooting bears, ridiu" or walking, or pay our calls. Your (rains surprised me. Tlioy all stopped running on Sunday just because Ihcro was church service going on. That is yorv bad. I had to stop and wonder what is the matW r»fc • not make uie/vorrj-, because V'r," 1 a m ?tor-l hko mofors-but what does everybody, who can't have motors do? Living in Poland is verv cheap, and in comparison Sydney is, terrible bo says the count. He informed us interviewer thatun Poland cveiTbodv has a servant. They are paid llwenotCa Sll - m " ,ss a » 10 « t n-