LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1352, 1 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As a result' of the. engine of the New Plymouth mail train freaking down near Longbnm yesterday afternoon, the express was about two hours late in reaching Wellington last night, hi addition jo tho "hold up" at Longburn, tho traiu was delayed at Johusonvilln for half an hour to enable a goods train to pass.

At a concert held on the Manuka on Tuesday evening, whilst' the steamer was oh route from Sydney to Wellington, the fimi of £i was raised for the Australasian Shipwrecked Mariners' Association.

A love story of the Bill Silcos description was told by Constable Houston in the Central Police Court, Sydney, the other day. He said that in Gipps Street, Pyrmont, ho saw a youth, James Brown, 23, brutally ill-treating a young womau, who seemed to be taking his blows as so many endearing pledges of fond affection. The girl was knocked down in the street, dragged into a lane, and kicked in a savage manner. Although she was bleeding from the nose when. Constable Houston arrived on the scene, the girl declined to give her assailant in charge, nor would slio prosecute when lie was brought before Mr. Smithers the next morning. On a cliaTge of riotous behaviour, Brown wa-s fined £H or two months, and was also bound Over to be of good behaviour for 12 months, in default three months. Accused: Will you give me time to pay, your Worship? The S.M.: I wish I could give you six months without the option of a fine. It would do you good.

A cable message from New York published iu Sydney says: While making her trial runs nt Rochester on January 22 a motor ice-boat, fitted with aeroplane engines nnd propeller, attained the great Speed of 1-10 miles an hour. The trials were carried out by the inventor, Lyman Seely.

The former residence of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, picturesquely situated ou a hill overlooking the Pacific near Congee, has been purchased by a Koman Catholic religious order. The deficit on the purchase of the now residence is not yet wiped out, and the Archbishop continues to appeal for contributions towards the debt of .£1(00 which still remains owing.

Two young men from Blenheim, who have just completed a visit to tho North Island, had a somewhat unfortunate experience on the New Zealand Railways. They were riding, they allege, from Hatimia to AVcllington, and, as the guard wan taking their tickets on one of the platforms, the wind whisked tho flimsy things away. They were informed 'rlint the matter would I* set. right wlron the train reached Wondville, but at that station tlio ticketless passengers wero told that they would have to pay thoir fares through to Wellington, and then apply for a refund. The ■ faros were, paid, but, much to their astonishment, the guard declared on investigation that the loss of the tickets was their fault. Further application to the "powers thnt be" was unsuccessful, and tho bolafol ■travellers have Iwen informed that the business is "now under further consideration."

During her trip from Sydney to Wellington, the wireless operator on board the Manuka ngain heard signals from Uγ. Mawson's station on Macquarie Inland. This was nt 9.20 and 9.50 nn Monday night. The signals could I>e hrard very clearly, nut the Maecmnrie station could not pick up (lie Manuka's messages. On .Tammry 2, whilst the vessel wns en route from the Bluff to Ifob.irtand Melbourne, Mr. K. V. M'Namorn heard (he Island station talking for Ihc first time.

:\i lO.iifl p.m. yps(vrcl.iy the luonl «iro-Ift-s si;ilion received a uiossnpt , from ])r. MiUVMin's slntioM on the Mapquurip Island.'-. Tlio niopsago simply stated "All well," and was transmitted through H.M.S. Pioneer, at. present, st. Piiiipdin. Thn tliaUincf! frtun llw Inbimls to YVoJliigtoa it ibout i?nfl mj^t

At H.2.'t o'clock last evening a quantity of I (fiiixi in a gully adjoining I'pliiml Orescciil, Kelhuinc , , was set ablaze. The fire spread up ii hillside and slightly scorched (ho side-wall iif a liuiisi! at 18 C.plnnd Cresecnl , , occupied by Mrs. IJ. Na^i. Lust evenin- Hie ferry Meiiiner Duchess was well filled when she left the wharf nt 7.-15 o'clock on a moonlight excursion, in cnjuiiL'clion willi ihi< Cenlral Mission, for Day's ]iay. The night was beautifully clear, and the water was like a niillpomi. Tlio Mission Hand was in adoiidanco, and played selections. On arrival at the bay, mi enjoyable concert wns held ill tlio Jiavihou, (lie Duchess nil wiling to (ho cily wharf shortly before 11 p.m. As (ho result of an outbreak of picuro pneumonia in several dairy herds at Yamiathan, Victoria, u yenr ago, the veterinary officers of (he Department of Agriculture inoculated 1084 cattle. There were ,1 per cent, nf deaths, while 1:! per cent, of the animals lost their tails. Following the inoculation, Mm Department, though not compelled to do so, allowed •£•210 as compensation to ton of tho sottiers who suffered losses, but this sum represented only a small portion of tho itill extent of compensation claimed. One man rendered nn account for X'M, the particulars being 39 cows, which lost their tails, at £7 per tail; i cows, which went dry, JMI; g cows which died, ,£BO. J'lus account was regarded by the Department as "out of nil reason." The (ioreriiiuciit scheme I'm , providing temporary housing accommodation lor immigrants takes tho form of tuo erection of a large building, probably on the Rocks, area, at an estimated cost of about iWKJU (says the Sydney "Morning Herald"). This building is to be. equal to the housing of about 400 persons, it will contain dormitories for singlo men, suitable accommodation ior married immigrants and children, largo i diningrooms, and kitchen, with tho necessary kitchen utensils. It is assumed that the stay of immigrants in these quarters will not exceed a few days, and they will be charged for the accommodation at as low a rato as will enable the place to )k worked- without lofs. Pending the erection of this permanent depot, tho Government proposes to come to tho assistant of immigrants .by providing housing accommodation in one or more of the tenement flats on the Itoeks area. The Labourers' Union, formed recently in connection with the Gear Meat Works lit Potone, has forwarded a. serios of demands to the directors. The men demand that the work shall consist of, eighthours per day, the maximum wage to l>e 11s. per day, and the minimum 10s. per day. All work doue after ordinary hours to be paid for at the rate of tfine and a half. The Labourers' Union lias a membership of 150, fully paid up. A conference between (he directors and heads of departments was held last night. Referring to the money , amassed by waiters,,a. correspondent point* out that in New York Mr. Charles Mill(r, a waiter of (he Astor House Hotel, retired with a foituiie of ,£20,000, and (he head waiter of the Waldorf Astoria owns a racing stable, a motor-car, and a steam yacht. In Vienna, again, the colours of another head waiter are among the most promineut on the racing field. The head boots of a famous hot*! in the Trossachs is said to have amassed ,1:17,000 in five vears.