LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 16 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Postal authorities advise that the s.s. Victoria, which left Sydney at noon on March 13, for Auckland, Ims on board nn Australian mail, also nn English mail via Suez. The Wellington portion i= duo to arrive hero by Main Trunk on Monday next, March *18. Detectives Hammond and Kemp yesterday arrested a man named Thos. Henderson, alias Busbridge, on a charge of intending to abscond from bail. Henderson, who will appear in Court to-day, stands charged with opening a postal packet. A man' named Arthur Leigh, 39 years ol age, an employee of the Gas Compiiuv. died at the Hospital shortly after sever o clock last evening from the effects oi what appeared to bo a self-inllicfed wount on the arm. About J. 30 p.m. ho was founci in t.ho room iu Taranaki Street in whicli he lodged lying ou his bod bleeding profusely from a deep gash in his arm. All open razor lay beside him. Hβ was removed to the. Hospital, but he died a< stated two hours after arrival at the institution. The Hon. T. Mackenzie predicts thai the route from Queenstown to Fnirliics via Mount Cook, which is now traversed by a motor service, will becomo very popular with tourists. The route 'pass-ce through magnificent lako and mountain scenery. Mr. Mackenzie witnessed the inauguration of the motor service, and journeyed over the route, during the visit to the South Island, from which ho returned yesterday. There is a fairly strong feeling in Auckland that the Education Board, the members of which are elected directly bv school committees, is not, as a hoard, representative of the committees' inter ests. 1 Ins is particularly tho enso (states the Star') with regard to the appointment of teaohjiM. The present method adopted by the board (in cofnpliance witli us gr.vlmg scheme) of submitting the name of only one candidate to tho school committee, and inviting the committee'* consideration of that candidate as a suitablo teacher for appointment, is regardci: as a eliffit upon intelligent men elected by the parents to look after the interest.' of a school. There is no objection made to a grading.scheme for teachers. What U taken exception to is that, in case: where there tre several applicants all or. the same step of the classification ladder, the names of all, or at least some of tbe« applicants are not submitted to the comniittee for selection. There is now attached to a big gun or H.M.S. Challenger a littlo brass plate, of which the whole ship's company is extremely proud. It represents a tiny target, showiug how the Challenger's gunner! won tho distinction of putting up a record for the British navy at gun-firing Here is what surrounds it: "Six hits ir 25 seconds; British record; Norfolk Bay 25th November, 1911. L. S. Bennett, gun layer; A. B. Grenves, trainer; A.B. Fraw ley, A. B. Bambury, Ord. Brown, Ord Baker, A.B. Andrews, A.B. Collins, A.B Ellwood, A.B. Mowitsin." The previous British record was six hits in 28 seconds so that the Challenger's bluejackets were up against a stiff problem when thei tried to beat that, as the best of Britisi: gunners wero always trying to do bettoi every day in some part of tho world. The target was a square moored one, nboul Bft. x flit, in measurement, but the warship was steaming at 15 knots, at a distance of 1700 yards away from it—that is approximately a mile off. The Corporation offices will be closed oi Monday next, St. Patrick's Day. In the extensive table printed as a footnote to ■ a letter from Mr. B. Wightman, in Thursday's issue, there were some typographical errors. The total votes recorded in Napier in 190S were C-129, anil not 4429. The votes actually cast for Continuance in Parnell in 1911 were 8961, in Waikato 2939, in Wairarapo 3321, in Wellington 12,565, and in -West land 40G6. The percentage of voters t< those on the roll in 1908 in Waipaws was 78.0 per cent.; in Oroua 75.5 pel cent., and 7-1.4 per cent, in 1911 i iThe'percentage of voters against National Prohibition in ,Oroua ,was .30.6.5:er..cent, and the' percentage of electors voting on , this issue "3.6 per cent. In Dunedin South the percentage of votes cast against National Prohibition was 41.S per cent, The tenth column of the table, headed "Votes polled," represented, not the total votes polled, but the votes polled against National Prohibition. "I was in China for ten years, anel during tho whole period only saw one man the worse for drink," said Mr. J W. Webster, n China Inland Missionary at present on furlough, in tho course ol an address last evening. "On my first day in Sydney," he continued, "I saw i man taking up -the whole of the footpath, and I had an exactly similar experience in Wellington," The excursion trip of the steamship Mokoia, 3502 tons, to the-Marlborougb Sounds at Easter ought to prove thoroughly enjoyable. Sho leaves Wellington on Thursday, April 4, and returns on the morning of Tuesday, April 9, While already passengers are booking in sufficient number—berths are allotted in priority of application—care will be taken tc ensure no over-crowding. The fare i£ only £4 for the round trip. There is calm water throughout tho Sounds, and as the Union Steam Ship Company are making most complete-arrangements for the entertainment of passengers each day, everybody should have a. healthy and exhilarating time. The recreations include: Fishing, boating, picnics, dances, and concerts, all of which will bo furnished without extra charge. Among the resort* likely to bo visited are: "World's End," and Tennyson Inlet, in the Pelonis Sound; Admiralty Bay and French Pass, where it is probable that Polonis Jack will be sporting himself; and then—in Queen Charlotte Sound—Long Island, Ship Cove, Endeavour Inlet, and East Bay. Further information appears in our advertising columns. An experiment in the method of distributing partridges is to be tried by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. The steamer Kia Ora, which is due on March 24, is bringing 40 pairs of Hungarian partridges from London. The society will not liberate the birds as usual, but will keep them to breed from, and will distribute the chicks. A correspondent at Omaha (Auckland) states that on Wednesday of last week tho residents were alarmed by a sudden and furious gust of wind, which lasted for several minutes. Its path was strewn with broken nud uprooted trees, the damago appearing to be purely local. Large pine and gum trees wero torn down, and oven pohutukawas, that had stood the weather for ages, were levelled to the ground. Mr. Koderic Matheson's auxiliary fishing/yacht, which was on the slips, was bodily lifted and thrown aside, sustaining only a breakage at the masthead, and immediately afterwards a large pohutukawa crashod down on the spot just vacated by tho boat. Tho tree was sufficiently largo to have crushed the yacht from deck to keel. Many fruit trees were stripped of their crops, and the loss in some- cases has been severe. This afternoon the Karori Rifle Club will fire its final match for its second and third competition series for trophies donated by Messrs. J. F. Mills and J. Eeed, Judge llawson, and Messrs. L. and W. Dlundell, Owen Daly, F. Gasquoine, C. Hodder and H. Marshall. The match will ilso mark the completion of the club's ihampionship which at present stands at x very interesting stage only one point separating the positions of the two leading competitors—Riflemen Bulford and Burns. Lieutenant Gasquoino has kindly ionsonted to net as trench officer on the jcoasiou of the Club's championship final. The tender of Messrs. Coleman and Sons, Now Plymouth, has been acceptod )>• the Government for tho erection of Departmental buildings in that town. Jnsuccessful tenderers were: Messrs. Joon Bros. (New Plymouth), .£3690; A. )■; BurreJl (Hnwera), .£3787; R. Kvan and 10. (Manain), JI-1000. The now building s to be erected in brick. The country about Lake Coleridge beine iut.sido the belt of settlement, special ccommodation will have to bo provided or the workers engaged at tho lake in oniieclion with the development; of the rater-power scheme. The Public Works kpartmeut has already let a contract to klefsrs. Mills and Ivepple, of Christliurch, to build eight cottages, in which mgincsrs and other workmen will be loused, at a cost of ,£2817. The Public Works Department has lot contract for the erection of a brick iost office at Kaiwarra, at a cost of 21033. The contractor is Mr. A. Scaler, Wellington. Other tenderers were: lcssr=. A. 11. Harbottlo W1953); Jones ud Cuuncron (JCJO77): .T. Wood (Jam); i. C. Kuiait (.C!is7); Copper and Son mm,

Mr. ,7. Lomas, Secretary for Labour has returned to Wellington from an official visit to Christcliurdi and the West Coast. He was present at a meeting of tho Workers' Dwelling Board at Christchurch, and at the meeting a number of applications for homes were considered. He inspected three blocks of land at Greymouth, and two at Nelson, which arc under offer to tho Department as sites for dwellings, and also he met a numberof applicants at each place. Tho workers' dwellings scheme has big prospects at Greymouth, ilr. Lomas considers, lor tho workers there aro enthusiastic about having homes erected in their town. T i ho ii Ea n° r dtltos for tho Tow n Hnll te if Conccrt Chamber have been olored for public tender, and the tenders close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday next. Thero mil be an organ recital in tho big hall on Good I'nday evening, but Saturday and Monday nights are still onen. Folnn" B i? rG I tll ° b °? kin Rs for tho Town S all r%, Cl , lß ' St. Patrick's concert; i-, L>. (jallichan, public meeting; 23, organ recital; 26, Municipal Orchestra t'i ° r fS'i, r<;c T ,lnli Ai , " 1 A organ recital; July 23-27 J. and N. Tait; October 14 to November 2, Competitions Sociolv. And for the Concert Chamber-March "7 Hamilton Hodges; 28, Percival Clarke'• April 10, Hamilton Hodges; 24, Hamilton S°™ gOS Ti >•"? 8^ 5, Ellwar(l Branscombu; 10-22, English Pierrots; October 14 to 2, Competitions Socioty. Mr. Branscombe is also in treaty for dates in June, July, or August. The question of Eternal punishment is causing a good deal of discussion at present. Tho views of tho Rev. J. G. Chapman, of the Taranaki Methodist Church, on this subject wero considered by the Methodist Conference. Last Sunday evening tho Rev. J. Kennedy Elliott, of the Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church, preached a vigorous sermon on tho subject. It will be noticed by an advertisement in this issue that Mr. Elliott will again attack Mr. Chapman's position by preaching a special sermon on Sunday evening. A special meeting of the City Council will be held on Thursday next to pass the motor-car by-law. Messrs. F. J. Pinny, Limited, of this city, are presenting to the New Zealand Competitions Society n, gTand Chappell piano, valued at £125, as a first prize for tho solo pianist recital contest, which is to bo held at the society's second annual festival in October next. Steps are being taken to form a Historical and Early Settlers' Association in Wellington. Circulars have been issued from tho Town Clerk's office, inviting all likely to be interested to attend a preliminary meeting in one of the committee rooms in tho Town Hall on Friday ovoning next. His Worship the Acting-Mayor will preside.