LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Maheno, vhioh left Sydney at noon on April 3 for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail, and also an English mail via Suez. Tho Wellington portion is duo to arrive here by tho Mam liunk on Monday next, April 8. Tho two children whoso remaTkablo adventures in search of the bluo bird are tho subject of Maeterlinck's beautiful story aro to be represented by Australians. This is iu pursuance of a policy ill , . .T. C. Williamson insisted upon when arranging with Jlr. Frederick Harrison to stage "The HI lie Bird" in Australia. "You cannot," he /-aid, "find in England children as clever as we have." Tyltyl will accordingly bo played by Baby Cramer, who has recently completed a "starring" tour as Littlo Lord Fauntlcroy. Mytyl will bo impersonated by littlo Vera Spaull, who has played Cissie Denver in "Tlio Silver King' and was recently Kilty Vanco iu "Alias Jimmy Valentine.'" Tho English stage manager is delighted with tho way tho children aro shaping. "Do they know their parts?" Jlr. Williamson asked him a fow days after tho children had received them. "Yes," he answered, "perfectly." Ho added, "Why, littlo Vera Micro knows tho whole piny! West's and tho Royal Pictures .management (King's Theatre) havo consented to give a benefit performance on May 2 in aid of tho fund for improving tho Basin Eescrve. Additional regulations ffororninjr tho manufacture of methylated spirits aa-o gazetted. Eeturns furnished by tho Government Statistician (Mr. jr. Fraser) show that during February, 1912, tho Dominion gained 3902 immigrants, as against 8370 in February, 1011. Departures from the Dominion totalled 3125 in February, 1912, and 3523 in February, 1911. The Presbytery of Wellington in Jnno, 1911, nominated additional chaplains to (lie Territorial forces. Tho names were accepted and duly gazetted. They appear in tho Army List, October, 1911, page 102j January 12, page 106-7. Similar appointments wero mado by tho Presbyteries of Wnnganui and Uawko's Bay. Every effort is being made to continue tiro work, and also to arrango. for opportunities afforded under tho new conditions. Tho Rev. W. Shirer, chaplain, will visit tho camp at Trentham. Ho will conduct service in camp on Easter Day. Additional and amended regulations under tho National Provident Fund Act, 1910, appear in tho current Gazette. Amended doer stalking regulations, affecting the Canterbury and South Canterbury, districts, aro published in the Gazelle/

Tho regulation under which reductions in premiums, payable on Government Life Insurance policies, are allowed in the case of ministers of religion, is revoked liy n liotico in the current Gazette. The revocation docs not apply to policies already issued, and any person who is nt present a polievliolder, and at some future time becomes an ofiiciatiim minister under the MnrriiiKc Act, is to be pnuilcd a reduction in premium payments, as if the refuhlion had not been revoked. The cnrriml: Gazette notifies tho constitution of the Borough of Uunangu, County (if Grey. Amended regulations under the Government Hnilways Act, 11)08, published in lh<Gazette, provide that no married nioiiibor of the service, or widower with a child <ir children dependent uwu him. shall receive a salary of "less than -UIIO 17*. per annum. No member of the srrvii-n 22 years of aue or upwards is to receive !e-s than ,£1(10 per milium. The right to additional allownnc.es necessary to raise salaries to the amounts indicated is to date from the time at which Ihe members concerned furnish the Kcnornl malinger with satisfactory arideuci) thivt thoy yoenQse llio <jualilicAtiom ucntlouodi

"I. want yon to send me to Pakaloa, said a man from the dock of Urn !}•«. Court on Thursday. "I. am only killin;' my-'Ai with drink, and want to got away from it. 1 want to ro to.Pakaloa. Mr. IV. 0. Uiddcll, S.M., who was on the Bench, said tliuf he could not accede to the request, as the dofondnnt was not a habitual drunkard within the meaning of the Act. . , . We have to acknowledge the receipt of 10s. sent by Mr. M. Kmerson and lricnds for the I'resh Air Fund. 'J'lie following circular letter from tho headmaster of Clifton College has been sent out to old Clifimiians :-"I shall bo glad if you will kindly allow me to make known in your columns to all old Unlonians and others interested in the school that the Commemoration of the filticth yrar of til" exigence of Clifton I nllegc will take place in the week endiiiß SatiiTday, Julv 13, and that the chief functions in"connection with the celebration, of which fuller notice ivill be Riven later, will be on I'iichy and Saturday in that week: It is reported that within tho last few davs, one of tho collection-boxes at St ]'a'ul'< IWatiK-dnil was broken olion and the contents stolen. It is considered unlikely that the box contained more than a vc'rv small.sum of money. Mr.'G. Jf. Taylor, farmer, of Taliautamii, met with a serious accident on iuesdoy iast. under somewhat pcculiai' circuinslaiKes. Jlc was sharpening eorno knives of his chatleutter, and near by was an open tin of blasting powder. A spark from (he grinding steel ignited the powder, causing an alarming explosion. Air. Taylor was practicnlly blown out of the shed, and was very much burned. He is now progressing satisfactorily. Members of tho Socialist parly aro about to hold a conference in Wellington, with a view to oxtenditn? its operations in New Zealand. Belcgatcs fioni about twenty lowjis, in various parts of the Dominion, aro to be welcomed at a gathering on Monday next. In connection with tho conference, a numb?r of meetings have been arranged. This evening about half a dozen meetings are to bo held in the open air. To-morrow afternoon at three o'clock a meeting is to bo held in Pot-t Office Square, and in tho evening- a public lecture is to bo given in tho Opera House. A wireless message waa received in Wellington from the Ifaheno last evening to the effect that tho steamer, now en route from Sydney to Auckland, is expected to arrive at her destination at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

On Monday next tho Port Nicholson Yacht Club will hold a picnic at Somes Island. The club has chartered a steamer, which will leave tho Clyde Quay Wharf at 10.15 a.m. on Monday and will return at 5 p.m. Luncheon and afternoon tea will bo provided, and, given a fine day, an enjoyable outing , is promised.

Tho City Council is instituting proceedings against tho proprietor of a city restaurant for alleged keeping- of his premises in an unclean condition.