LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wimmera, from Sydney, is expectcd to arrive at Auckland at noon oil Sunday, witli an Australian and Suez mail.

The Miramar Volunteer Firo Brigade desires (o acknowledge tho receipt of a cheque for ,£5 towards its funds, from Mr. A. 1). Crawford.

Die annual picnic and sports of the head oElce of tho New Zealand Railway Department is to be held at Day's Day oil Wednesday next. The Duchess'is to leave ttie Perry "Wharf for tho Bay at 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 D.in.

The letter-carriers of. Wellington had decided to hold their annual picnic and sports at Day's Bay to-day, hut the stoppage of tho cars on account of the strike is likely to interfere with that arrangement, owing to the difficulty of carriors on suburban "walks" being hampered in their work ■ through a lack of speedy transit. At a meeting held yesterday morning it was decided to hold the picnic if the cars are running, but if thero are no cars there will bo no picnic. If it is found impossible to hold the outing today, due notice will be given as to the substituted date of the picnic.

A few minutes Loforo 7 o'clock yesterday morning, the fire brigade received a call to 192 Wellington Terrace, where a washhouse had taken fire. Tho brigade suppressed, the outbreak, thus preventing it from spreading to the main building. Tho residence, which is owned by Mrs. Macdonald, had been undergoing cleaning operations on Thursday, and was unocciisieil.

Jt is stated (says tho London "Daily News") that Messrs. Krupp are now constructing a gigantic 38-centimetre (15-inch) gun surpassing anything hitherto made. The total length of the barrel will be 05 feet long, and tho gun will bo of calibre 50. The weight of a projectile will be 8581b., and it is stated that it would penetrate a steel plate 1351 millimetres thick held near the muzzle.

Remarkable disclosures were made by tho Board of Trndo judgment ■ given at Glasgow on December 20 last, regarding the loss of tlie Glasgow steamer Princess Patricia off the Isle of Arran. Tho Court found that tho stranding could only bo explained by tho theory tlmt the conipass was deflected by an electric lamp in the Docket of tho look-out man, that officer having admitted that ho might have been leaning against the compass prior to tho Rtranding. It was added that, owing to tho difficulties of the lamp question, it was impossible to throw any ulamo upon tho navigating officer.

How many people lose their lti/jfiage in tho brief journey bctwon Lyttcl'ton and OlirTs'church is probably a d'illicult question to answer (says tho Christchnreh "Pross"), but suoli experiences must bo fairly frequent. A day or two afro Mr. \V. L. Bosscbart, Consul-General for the Netherlands, bad tho misfortuno to bo fcparatod for a period from his personal belondiiißS, which, however, were subsequently found,. Much loss fortunate was Mr. T. Morgan, tho adjudicator in the recent band contest. Between tho port and tho oily Mr. Morgan lost a largo trunk containing, among otlior articles, a number of presentations made to him, specimens of quartz, and his wearing apparel. Diligent search has not yet revealed tho whereabouts of tho mißsiinp trunk, tho contents .of which are valued at .£. r >o, but which, of course, aro of much greater value (o Mr. Morgan.

* woll-attonilccl nicotine of the executive of tho Canterbury Political Reform V.Titgue was hold on Wednesday evening, when formal business in connection with .the general working was transacted. Tho following resolution was carried unanimously"That the executive nf tho CaiiIcfTmry Political Reform League at this, iSs rirst meeting, desires to convey to Mr. \V. F. Masscy and the members of tho I'eform party in Parliament, hearty congratulations on the splendid success achieved at tho last Parliamentary elections."