LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1398, 26 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mui'ls which left Wellington on February 10 per s.s. Moeraki, and connected nt Sydney with the Naples mails ]>or R.JI.S. Orsova, arrived in London on the morning of March -4. Carpenters and labourers nrc still busy on tlip site nf the now Parliament Building.*, the former constructing concrete boxing and (lie latter extending the excavation area. The progress made with the foundations in the immediate future will ck'penil njion the Cabinet which is to assume ollice in n day or two. Tlio custom ivlien, as in the present o;'.Ne, the Public Worts Department is carrying on n work, is for Cabinet to authorise expenditure in instalments of a few hundred pounds from time to time. This course

is being followed in connection with the laying of the foundations ul the now Parliament: Building*. The foundation ."tone which was laid on Saturday has

bson temporarily hidden from view with a u-ooilon casing. In (lie ordinary cour.-o tenders will be called for die erection of the new Parliament Building long beforo the foundations are completed.

Touching on the training of students of architecture, ilr. G. Bydiie-y Jones, presiin an address at tins Koyal .Society Jioute in Kyaiiey last week, tunt a syllabus of studies liiul been drawn up some years ago, but very lew had offered themselves loi- examination, and apparently it hail failed to appeal to the great majority. His opinion was that it had jailed to appeal to students because it hnd not been tiiinpuiteil by eludes and lectures on Uio various subjects. Mr. Jones then proceeded to argue in favour of a chair of architecture, "in asking tor a chair of arehitcc-tiiro-an art that alfc-cts t'u« liealth and safety and welfare of the public—wo are," he said, "only asking ior what lias already been in existence for a number of years in other universities of the Kmpire. 1 go farther, and say it is because we have, no chair of architecture in Australia that most of our more talented stiulcnls arc

compelled to go to other countries for the

completion of the higher studies in our art, and unfortunately for our country some of them remain away. This is not as it should bo; a young country such as ours should attract and endeavour to retain the l)ost brains in architecture a-s in all other lines of work. Therefore we intend to urge for the establishment of a chair at the university." An enthusiastic ride shot helped himself to a packet of cartridges at the 1911 meeting of the Xational Association of i\ew (South Wales, and forgot to pay for it. The mailer (says the "Sydney .Morning Herald") has evidently haunted him ike a nightmare, and to lay the ghost of his conscience he has forwarded six penny post-age stamps to the secretary of the association. Tlie matter was alluded to at a recent meeting of the National Council, -the members seemed surprised, ami the president remarked that the six stamps lormeil a.n epoch in the history of the association, as it was the first time that any shooter's conscience lirul pricked him to the extent of reimbursing (ho association uy way of conscience money. The unusual sight of half a dozen men sitting on the b?ads of two stalwart draught liom-s on Uio footpath in Willis btreet yesterday morning attracted some hundreds of people in less than that number oi seconds. The horses wero attached to a lorry, which obtruded on (he tramway track. The liortps, it appears, had taken it into their heads to have a romp by themselves during such (ime as the driver and owner (G. ]lillier) was away from the vehicle reclaiming his hat, which ir ii ß " m, , " l ' , lvhiskctl off near the Town Hall. I lie horses careered along Mercer htreet, and reaching Willis Street, essayed to part company, but before thev could decide how they were going to round the corner they went straight ahead and sprawled over on the slippery pavement, one on each siils of a stout cast-iron verandah post, lhero they were promptly sat wion by people who seemed to know that that was the proper thing to do. and eventually, when unharnessed, were allowed to regain their feet. The marvel is that no ono was hurt by the escapade. 'Mr. Albert Keller, who will leave Waihi shortly to enter upon a course of sfudv at tho Moody Institute. Chicago US A" was entertained on Thursday evening at a farewell social by members of St w m .r ,,^, '*" l " , c '"'r«li. Tim Rev' A\. White, M.A., presided, nnd several speakers bore testimony to the personal worth of the guest and the good work c!/.ne by him during the time lie had held ofPeo in various branches of church work Mr Keller was the recipient of presentations from the roninwat'ons of the St. James's and the East Fmd I'rcshyferian Churches, and from the Kev. F. A. Thomson on lie half of the Primitive Methodist Church.

The Tov;n Clnrk yesterday received ci communion tion from the Mayor of Wellington Mr. T M. Wilfonl, ion- on holiday in Emiiniul. The letter contained the noivs, already received liere. that Mr. AVilford had unproved considerably in health

The City Council will meet on Tiiosday next, the ordinary night of nicotine being too close to the. Easter holidays. In consequence the Tramways and Finance Committees will both meet on Monday next. '

The police have received no information respecting the man whom the captain of the steamer Kennedy saw fall into the harbour on Sunday afternoon. I't is thought that tie man must have not out again safely.

Up till an early hour this morning there was no sign of the overdue trawle? Energy at Wellington. Shipping folkare of the opinion that the little vessel is sheltering in some of the bays about Cook

Fireman Godwin, of the Wellington Municipal Fire Brigade, sustained a slight concussion of tho brain through an accident at the station on Saturday evenine In response to an alarm (winch proved to bo a false one) he jumped on to the pole down which the men slide from the first floor, and releasing his hold too soon, iell on tho concrete floor, striking Ins head heavily in the fall. Hβ was rendered unconscious, and medical assistance had do be summoned. Hβ is recovering satisfactorily.

An oil spring has b-eon discovered at Paraparaumu, and a company has been formed to exploit .it (writes our special correspondent).

It was stated at a meeting of the Bakers .Xjiiion last night that the baiters' picnic hold at Niulestown Park on March 13 hurl been a financial success. During the meeting, the secretary, Jlv. AndrewCollins, w<is presented with a silver teapot, and the treasurer Mr. J. Newman wns made tho recipient of a biscuit barrel.