LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1339, 17 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Marama, which left Sydnjy for Auckland on January 15, has on Ijoard an Australian mail, also an English mail, via Suez. The Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Main Trunk on Saturday next, January 20. The miners employed at the State colliery at Point Elizabeth have applied for a new working agreement and their representatives are at present conferring with Messrs. W. C. Gasquoine (general manager) and Jas. Bishop (manager at Point Elizabeth). It is anticipated that , the conference will be shorter than others' convened for a similar object which have preceded it at Point Elizabeth. This term of the agreement under which tho Point Elizabeth colliery is at present being worked expired twelve months ago. Tho State miners at Seddonville are working under an agreement which remains current for about a year. j Tenders are to bo called immediately by the Public Works Department tor the supply of pipes for a pipe-line, five or six miles long, which is to connect Lake Coleridge with the Hakaia Eiver, in connection with the hydro-electrical scheme. The pipes are to be of iron, and are to bo riveted on tho grouml.:ji> • -i ; . Laymen as lawyers are not ' always dazzling successes, but every now and then some engineer, or carpenter, or something else turns up at Hie Magistrate's Court to conduct some civil case which he is interested in, and the views which ho airs are frequently peculiarly his own. "Look here," said JJr. M'Arthur, S.JI., to a layman yesterday morning, "don't: you go and know too mueh'about things (hat are outside your profession. ... I don't know how long it is that we have been preaching this to everybody." _A few days ago Mr. W. Wallace, of L'runga (N.S.W.), with three children, started for lvew in a sulky. ■ 110 met a motor-car on tho road, and the horse became frightened, and .Mr. Wallace tool; hold of its head. The winkers fell off, and the horse bolted, knocking Mr. Wallace down. Tho eldest girl, with great presence of mind, pa.ss.ed tho younger children.over tho back of the sulky, allowing them to fall as gently as possible. She remained in_ the sulky till tho animal came to a standstill. When Mr. Wallace and a neighbour caught up to the sulky lie found the girl had fainted, but was uninjured. Trout fishing at Tokaanu on Thursday, Masto* Kenneth Prowse; aged 10 years, secured an excellent bag of 19 fish, of a total weight of 1391b. Tho total for two rods was :!8 fish, and all with tho exception of two wero in first-class condition. Muster I'rowse's bag is easily the best bag taken at Tokaanu so far this season. Fly fishing at Jones's camp, on the Tongariro, Messrs. Troup and Shilson secured some fine bags. The position in regard to tho demands of Auckland General Labourers' Union for higher wages and impro73'l working ' conditions remains practically unchanged. The employers h-ivo determined not to take part in a conference except under the auspi-es of the Arbitration Act, and the union ..having cancelled its registration eanact agree to such a conference. The union' has referred the matter to the; Fedei atij.i of Labour.' Nearly 400 passengers landed in Auckland on Sunday by tho Malieuo from Sydney and the Tara,vera from southern ports. Tho Mahsio brought 218 passengers—loo saloon and 88 steerage— a large number having returned to New Zealand after spending tho Christmas and NewYear holidays in Australia. Those making tho trip by the Tara vera numbered 142, of whom 7G tra.-elled saloon and 66 steerage. Included in the latter class were 28 immigrants, who have decided to make their future homes in Auckland. They came out from London by the liner Kuapeha to Wellington. It has been decided that from February 1 the money order and savings bank branches at Courtenay Place, Feilding, Lower Ilutt, Masterton, and PetouoVill close at 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The offices will, however, reopen in the evening from 7 to 8 p.m., for the receipt of savings bank deposits only. At the monthly meeting of the Charitnble Aid Committee of the Wellington Hospital Board yesterday, it was reported that 15 cases had been dealt with under tho board's system of outdoor medical, relief. Attention was drawn to the case of an indigent woman who had been 1 making a practice of going round to all the doctors for consultations about her ailments. A circular memo, has been ad- , dressed to the doctors advising them of i this abuse of the outdoor medical relief ' system. A quantity of routine business ; was also disposed of at the meeting, at which there were present: Mr. J. W. M'Ewan (chairman), and Messrs. John Smith, W. Galloway, and tho Rev. W. A. i Evans. i The first consignment of material for ; the high-power wireless station to bo ; erected at Awanui arrived by the Wim- : rnera last week. It comprises 70 edd j packages of iron work, weighing 20 tons. ■ The packages have been temporarily stori ed in Auckland, and will bo transferred to Awanui in about a month's time, when it is hoped work at the site will be sufficiently far advanced to permit of the erection of the iron work. The machinery for the station has yet to coiuo to hand. The equipment for the low-power station to be erected somewhere in the vicinity of Auckland has, it is understood, now been ordered. A conference of Masonic dignitaries in. connection with the Grand Lodge of New Zealand will be opened in Wellington today, it; members consisting of the Provincial Grand Masters of the Dominion ajid certain high officers of Hie craft who wero appointed at the Grand Lodge Com- ■ munication in Christchureh last May. The Grand Master (M.W. Bro. Griffiths, of will preside. The business of the conference is to consider a number Of questions of Masonic, ceremonial and procedure. The "Daily Mail" Empire Day Cup, valued at 200 guineas, mid won by the Wellington Suburbs Rifle Club, lias at last arrived—it was won in May lastand is now on view at Messrs. Stewart Dawson and Company's, 'on the Quay. Accompanying. the big trophy is tile .'lO-guinea cup which was won outright In- the club, and which is to lie competed for by the members of the club at Trcnthani on Anniversary Day. The 200-eui-nea. trophy, whioh stands 2ft. llin. high, ami measures 17iu. across the diameter i of the globe, was slightly damaged in transit. The Australasian Wireless Co., Ltd.. of Sydne/, has been informed that the "singing quenched spark" of the Pennant Hills high-power station (New South Wales) lies broil heard distinctly at Sitnpbonbo, Java, a. distance of about 1500 miles. An unfortunate accident • happened to .Mrs. 11. Parnln. of I'np.nvai. oil Saturday evening. It appears she was driving over to a friend's when tho horse-stumbled, and the gig was capsi«xl. Mrs. Pnrnln was tlirowa to the gionnd. On the arrival of Dr. Gunli it was found the sufferer had nun arm broken and «aa otherwise bruised.