LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1393, 20 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

•» The i>o;>lal authorities advise tliat the s.s. .\!.iiiri'/ii;nii, which loft Sydney .it iMin;t 011 tin; Kiili insl., has on hoard an .\tiniisiu mail. She is dim to arrive lure early to-day. Mails which left Auckland hy the Mahunt nn I'ebniary l(i arrived in I.ondou (via Vancouver) on March li .As (lure '.corns to bo .'nine mi-coiicep-t i<m as to Ihe portion of tile Turarua ForeM li-.i-erve tvhif.li will l;e opened to mor-lalk"rs for the cumin; .-('a-.m, the s.si'etary ol' (lie A celinmfisatiuii -ik-iily iutorms ns that the portion to hi! opened is (lie portion in the enmities of Kki'f.ilitina, Manriceville, and .Mastertoii, as ;li-iilu-iI on the licen-.es issued. .Ml Hie rest of-that reserve will l;e <'!omm(. Stalkers should stndv their lic.'ii-cs carei't: I l.v. The new Town liall for Khandallah, erected by Mie Onslotv IJul'uukli Coiiiu'i (unilor a'special rating agreement), has hfen ooiupleled, and .henceforth Ihe res,, dents of that attractive suburb will have a hall capable of being utilised for any .'find of entertainment. The hall, which fronts Mackenzie Road, has a frontage of Mdi't. by a depth of B.">ft. An attractive entrance, surmounted by a balcony, admits to a'small foyer, fruit; which doors open to (he hall and a staircase leads to the pallory, which commands a (rood view of the hall. At the further end is a commodious stage, 35ft. by 15ft., elevated in such a way that if the hall is required for dancing the seats can, with a tnininiiini of labour, be slowed beloiv in the basement. CIV the stage is a kitchen fitted ivilh all conveniences, and a large dressing-room for the ladies. The hall was designed by Mr. l'\ de J. Clere.and it ltas been ereclcd by Mr. John Wood, at a cost of about. .£I3OO. Tho neiv hall is to be used for lho_ first time on Monday next, when a social and concert will be Riven in aid of the funds of tho Khandallah Bowling Club. Members of the Orphans' Club arc to assist.

"While visiting Kawliia last week, the members of the Auckland Crown Lands Board favourably considered an application for a cottago hospital site. The "Herald" correspondent writes:—"Ml'. Shaw (representative on tlio Waikato Hospital Board) explained that the Waikato boil.v had realised tho isolated condition of the district, and had agreed to contribute towards tho erection of <i nurses' homo with auxiliary wards, for which a pum of JrJOO had been collected in the Kawhia district, irith promises of more if necessary. As the members of tlio hoard had already experienced the diseomtorts of -17 miles of travel on the only outlet for patients, tho speaker received a sympathetic, hearing, as they realised tho inhumanity of convoying patients over such rnwls in'summer, not to mention winter. Various sites were inspected and the members of the board promised that the application would receive their hearty, support."

The secretary of the Dunedin Council of Churches reports that proofs continue to miiltiplv of the great interest taken even ill Australia in tho. opening of the Cli'ipman-Alexaiuler mission at Dulic-din Oiis week. Messrs. Fitehett Bros., publishers of the "Southern Cross," are sending a special representative with tile partv, and the edttrr of tho Australian "Christian World" has announced his intention of seeing tho start of Dr. Chapman's work.

A deputation of Auckland businessmen waited upon Mr. Arthur M. Myers, M.P., on Monday, and called his attention to the tact that a number of gentlemen who wore desirous of posting biters oil the Main Trunk train on Sunday night were unable to do so, with the result that considerable trouble anil inconvenience has been caused. Mr. Myers prc-miV-'d to inquire into the matter, and on doing so found tho position to bo that the rar.lway officials limit the issue of tickets to 200 in order to control the traffic, and that (lie Postal Department have charge of (lie letter-box situated outside the station entrance, in which letters may bo posted ten minutes prior to the departure of the train. The Chief Postmaster was also seen by the representative of City East, with a view of finding whether notice could not be put on tho letter-b?x informin" the public of the exact position. Tho OlSef Postmaster promised to look into the matter, and also to see whether it would not be possible to reduce tlio time in which letters might be posted in the outside letter-box from ten to tivo minutes before the train leaves. A little diversion took nlaco in Swanson Street, Auckland, on Monday during the lunch hour in connection with the Lenten services being held for men at the Chamber of Commerce rooms. About 50 men had assembled outside the building for the purpose of attending the service, but thc-y found tho doors locked in honour of St. Palrick's Day. Xolhing daunted by this cold reception, one of the loaders of tile mission made an examination and discovered that one of the windows could be opened. "A man then climbed through tlio window and opened tile door for the others. The annual convention of the local. Christian Umleavmir Union was held last eveniii l * in tlio Wobb Street Church, tho presidcut (Mr. J\ A. M.ufe') in tho chair. The annual report showed that good progress had been made during the year. Tho speakers of the evening wero Miss "Webster and the liev. Jas. Webster, both of tho, China Inland Mission. The former outlined tho life and work of Dr. Lee and the latter dealt with methods oi mission work in North-West China. Tlio junior C.E. demonstration is to bo held in the Town lfall this evening. Dental inspection of school children was given a practical trial by the committee of the Carterton District High School last vcar, when the local dentists wero approached with a request that they would examine and report upon tho state of tho children's teelh. Mini's. M'Gaun and Jackson readily consented, and duly performed their part of the work. Each child was given a printed diagram so marked as to denote what teeth required stopping or extraction. The eommitteo has now asked the local doctors to examine the children and to address tho older boys of tho school on some parts of sexual physiology. Tho suggestion has been favourably received, and the first address will probably be given bv Dr. Johnston in a fortnight's time. The doctors' wives have consented to address tho older girls. The Special Committee set up by tho Dunedin City Council sonio .timo ngo to consider tho advisability of forming a municipal baud and tho estimated cost of same will report to next meeting of tho council that, after having carefully investigated the matter, it is unable to recommend that tho proposal to form such a band bo given effect to. The committee ds of opinion, however, that the council might reasonably offovd financial assistance to tho bands, and accordingly recommends that a sum of J31.50 bo voted for such purpose, tho Tramways Committee to contribute one-third.