LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Thursday evening Mr. Clack, assistant secretary of tho Sydney Association, addressed the members of tho Y.M.C.A. Old Boys' Club. He selected for his subject, "Lifting tho Level in Life." His address was listened to with great interest by those present. The Bible Class held before tho meeting was also well attended, and a paper given by Mr. E. Baker was most interesting. Practices of tho Nigger Minstrel and Shakespeare Club 9 were held afterwards. By the way these are progressing everything agurs well for tho concert at tha end of April. In connection with this concert all those talcing part will have a rehearsal next Saturday evening.

Tho Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1911, has received tho Royal assent. It will come into operation on May 1, 11)12.

To-day tho Wellington public will havo tho opportunity of inspecting tho Jnpanese exploration ship Hainan Maru at their leisure. Early this morning tho little vessel will berth at the King's Wharf. It was originally intended that she would leave Wellington for Japan direct yesterday afternoon, but these arrangements were cancelled.

At 8.20 p.m. yesterday tho City Fire Brigade received a call to 232 Taranaki Street. On arrival it was found that a fire had occurred in a two-storied confectioner's shop and a five-roomed dwelling occupied by Henry Muller. Tho occupants wore absent at tho time of the outbreak, which is stated to havo originated in a cupboard in one of tho rooms downstairs. Tho property is owned by a Mr. Dimock, and the contents were insured in Hie Yorkshire Firo Insurance Company for .EGO, and in tho Phoenix ofllco for ,£SO. Tho damago was not of a serious nature.

At tho meeting of the Collcgo Governors yesterday a brief discussion took place on the subject of providing luncheon at the college for nil day scholars. At present "day scholars" may obtain luncheon at tho college, but the arrangement is a private, one between the masters and students, and the charge works out, roughly, at about a shilling ' per meal. Mr. Field said that what ho had i.u his mind was the possibility of arranging on a more extensive scale a luncheon for the day boys, which might bo given at less cost, say, sixpence per meal. Members of the board agreed that it would bo a good thing if something of the kind could bo arranged, but the opinion was held by the majority of tho governors that there wore difliculties in tho way of its accomplishment.

Tho visiting Australian journalists had a delightful time yesterday. At 9.30 a.m. they boarded a special car, and, accompanied by the Acting-Mayor (Mr. John Smith), Miss Smith, tho Acting-Town Clerk (Mr. !R. Tait), and local press representatives, made a tour of tho city and suburbs. This included visits to Lyall Bay, Seatoun, Island Bay, Wadestown, and tho Botanical Gardens. At the gardens tho party alighted and spent a pleasant half-hour or so inspecting the lower part of,the grounds, which' were in admirnblo order. Hero tho opportunity was seized by Mr. T. L. Mills (of Peilding) of conveying the thanks of tho visitors to tho Acting-Mayor for the enjoyable outing ho hod afforded them, to which Mr. Smith replied briefly. So well were the tramway arrangements planned that tho visitors were landed back at the Grand Hotel promptly at 1 p.m. During tho afternoon some of the visitors visited Island Bay, where, under the guidance of officials from the Government Architect's Department, they inspected tho workers' homes now being erected there. Others were shown over the "Evening Post" Office. Tho parly left for tho south last evening.

James Charles P.irko Kirkwood, electrician, filed his schedule in bankruptcy ywtordiyr. Tho flxnt mooting of creditors rill ba &M at U jhw. on Acril u,

A "tramp" steamer, fitted with wireless, is such a novelty (hat special attention, is directed to the Uoseric, which arrived at Auckland on night from New York, vi,i Australian" ports, and which is so equipped. While speed is not a feature of tho Koseric, she is a lino typo of tho modern carrier. Her capacity is equal to 10,400 tons dead-weight, anil on her present trip every foot of space was taken up, on leaving New York, with general merchandise. Two stoppages were made by tins lioseric during her voy-, ago to Melbourne, namely, at St. Vincent and Capetown, at each of which places she renewed supplies of bunker coal. The voyage from New York to Mel bourne, including tho stoppages, occupied 59 days, tho monotony of which was greatly relieved by the exchange of wireless messages with other ships.

Ono of the delegates lo the New Zealand Ironmasters' Conference declared thai; tho confusion of Arbitration Court awards nffecting his employees was such that he had engaged a cicrk solely to study them, and to sco that they 'were strictly observed. It was stated at tho conference that tho brass and ironfounders intended to nsk for a new award shortly, and in order to avoid any unnecessary worry tho secretary (Mr. ll.' V. Allen) was instructed to ask the executive of tho union to apply for a Dominion award.

Tho latest "mot" about tho "Liberal" party is: "Do morbus nil nisi buncombe" —uttered by ono of the speakers at tho banquet to Mr. J. 13. Hine, M.P., at Stratford on Thursday.

Tho monthly meeting of tho Wellington C'ollcgo Governors, held yesterday, was attended by Messrs. A. do B. Brandon (chairman), A. Warburton, Robt. Lee, W. H. Field, W. 11. P. Barber, and Miss Richmond. Tho chairman reported that the bank balance stood at ,C 571. Mr. Leo proposed tho appointment of a sub-com-mittee to go into all testimonials when appointments to the teaching staff wcro being made, but withdrew it after a majority of tho governors had agreed that tho headmaster should in all cases moko his recommendation on tho merits of tho applicants, as at present.