LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1377, 1 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Wimmeni, which left Sydney at !> p.m. 011 February 1!S for Auckland, has on board un Australian mail, also au English mail via Suez. Tho Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Jlnin Trunk on Monday, March 4. In case of misunderstanding, we are asked to announce that no member of the Garrison Artillery Division may absent himself from the camp, commencing tomorrow, Jlarch -', on the ground that it is more convenient to attend at some other time, unless ho has applied in writing for leave of absence, and has received a reply granting leave. Mr. Walklnte, manager for (he Auckland Electric Tramway Company, who has been on a visit to Wellington, speaks in glowing terms of die progress and growth of Auckland. The tramway revenue was advancing, he said, by leaps and bounds, and at the present time they were building no fewer than 21 cars to cope with the rapidly increasing business and to provide for extensions under way and contemplated. Only after she has l>een ordered and committed to the Slate insane asylum by the Linn County Court (Oregon, U.S.A.) was the discovery made recently that Miss Ray Leonard, 62 years old, an old resident of Lebanon, has for 41) years been masquerading as a man. During this time it had never been suspected by the woman's friends that she was not a man. She came to Lebanon in 1889 with her father, saying that they were from Jfaiue. Both worked as shoemakers, and when the "father" died eight years ago sbe continued the shop alone. Several eccentricities were noted in Jliss Leonard. One of these, was that she never went out of the shop, day or night, except for meals, and always refused to vote at elections. She talked and walked like a man, smoked a pipe, and chewed tobacco. The municipal electric freight car has only been running for about three or four months, and it is already paying working expenses. The tramways manager (Jlr. Stuart Richardson) takes this as the best of proof that a good freight service can be built up, particularly in the carriage of goods and parcels between the city and the more distant suburbs. At present n man may arrive at the Thermion station with several portmanteaux, which would ordinarily cost him 1* least three or four shillings'to convey to Kilbirnie or Lyall Bay, but by shipping them on the freight car, which'awaits all the principal trains, the same will be handled for sixpence each. The Tramways Department has just issued to business men a card, giving particulars of the new freight service, and how the same can be made use of by all who have goods to transnort. The charges fixed are as follow:-2811>., 4d.j Mill)., Gd.; 1121b., 9d.; 2001b., Is-: gocarts, 6d.; bicvcles, Is. each ("bikes" are awkward to pack). As showing the use which the ears may be put to, some two tons of cement were taken out to Karori by the car on Wednesday.

The Trish people of "Wcllinijtoii intend to celebrato St.' Patrick's Day in good style, this year. As March 17 falls on a Sunday it has been decided to hold a big spurts meeting and picnic in Aewlown V:irk on Saturday, March 16. On the succeeding Monday there is to be an Irish concert in the big Town Hall. •Vmong the special engagements made lor the concert are Mr. Fart[uhar louuu, of Christchurch, who proved a very popular performer at last year s concert, and Miss Adelaide Bruce, the. Australian contralto, who recently appeared at the festival in connection with the opeumg of the new Town Hall in Auckland.

The vital statistics published in this week's Gazette show 'Wellington to be the healthiest city in the Dominion, or at least the city with the lov.-cst death-rate. The proportion of deaths per 1000 of mean population during 1911 was as follows:— Auckland, 10.93; Wellington. 10.08; Christchurch, 10.36; and Dunedin, 10.43

The Taumaruniii Defence Rifle Clnb has been transferred from the Auckland military district to the Wellington district, the Governor has al?o been pleased to accept the services of the Napier Defence Rifle Club, with headquarters at Napier.

When she was at Wellington on February 23, the Hutklart-Parker steamer Victoria was compelled to carry on 700 bags of cement. This was owing to the wharf labourers refusing to handle the cargo unless they were allowed to use hooks. The vessel arrived at Wellington from southern ports vesterda-y, and tho cement was landed. Hooks were used in discharging it. "A brass tablet to the memory of the late Vernon S. W. Richardson (son of Captain G. S. Richardson), who died on November 20, 1911, as the result of a guncarriage- accident at Petono the previous day, was unveiled by Mr. H. W. Kcrsley in. the boys' department of tho Y.M.C.A. last night. The late Mr. Richardson had been a member of the boys' department, and was very highly spoken of by Mr. Kcrsley (president), Mr. E. M. Ryan (general secretary), and Bay Baker (one of the boys). Members of the D Battery, to which Mr. Richardson was attached at the time of his death, were in attendance. The, tablet is inscribed as follows:—"In memoriaiu.—Erected by the members of tho boys' department of the Old Boys' Club, in loving memory of Vernon S. W. Kiehardson, born at Wellington, March 23, 1893, died November 28, 1911, as result of an accident at Potone, November 25, 1911; aged 18 years 7 months. His life an inspiration to all."