LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1410, 10 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The pnstnl authorities advise that (lie s.s. Jloeraki, v liich left Sydney at noon on April C), has on board an Australian mail. .She is duo to arrive hero onrly this morninu,

The question of admittiiiK or excluding no press has been discussed, at opening, by each ot the threo Labour Conferences now sitliiiK in Wellington. When it was ■■«i, ( «l at t,e Ulioiir Parly Conference yesterday Mr. h. Tregear raised a laugli by siißKi-stiiM. t|,.,t reporter, should not bu permit ted to attend any Labour Conrrciico in future unless they were members ot a iradu union.

Mr. Cecil Palmer, secretary of (he local branch of the Navy Ua»uc', lias boon advised from Hobart, through the secretary to \ ice-Admiral King-Hall, that H.M.S. Drake, thp new flagship for the Australasian Squadron, is expected to visit -Vow /Mialid waters shortly. Jt will be remembered that the Jirakc relieved the Powertul as flagship about three months «go.

Iho architects of Wellington are said to bo not too happy a body nt present, and it is hinted Hint tho decision of the judge, in connection with the recent competition in connection with the planning of the proposed new Hou?e of Parliament is not unconnected with "the rift within tho lute." There has been in existence for some time an Institute of Architects, who were wont to hold an annual conference. An endeavour is now being made to form a Society of Architects on similar lines to tho British Society of Architects, designed to consider matters of business interest to the profession. A meeting will be held shortly to formulate rules and elect officers. It is intended that branches of the society will bo established lalor on in other centres throughout the Dominion.

Mr. Edward Branscoinlje, the wellknown entrepreneur, may be credited with having niado the record booking so far in connection with the Wellington Town Hall. He has booked the Concert Chamber from Jfay 23 until September 7, continuously. The hall is to be occupied by his company of entertainers, entitled "The Dandies," who have been performing in Australia for a couple of years. They give a free anil easynnisic-song-and-story entertainment, after the style of the "Pcarlct Troubadours" and the "English Pierrots," which latter company they will succeed next month at the Town Hall. 3lr. Griffiths, musical director of tho "Scarlet Troubadours," will perform a similar duty with "The Dandies."

It is improbable that there will be any election for the Mayoralty of Eastbourne. Tho present Mayor (Mr." H. IV. .Short!) is seeking re-election, and no other candidate has yet taken the field against him. There is a vacancy in the council, and it is understood that two candidates may offer themselves for it, necessitating mi election. Sir. W. Hobbs has announced that he will stand, and it is more than likely that ho will bo opposed.

The organ at St. Paul's Anglican ProCathedral, Mulgravo Street, has been renovated nnd partly rebuilt (luring the past three weeks by Mr. A. Holxlay. The work is now completed, and the organ will bo reopened on Friday night with , a short recital by Mr. Robert Parker. The organ recital will commence at 7.30 p.m., and at 8 o'clock the choir will sing Bach's "Passion" music, (he'principal solos being taken by Mrs. Mitchell, Miss Gladys Wai kins, Mr. James Searle, and Mr. C. Cjarkson. The offertory will be in aid of Ihe organ fund.

The American system of supplying travelling libraries to State schools from the chief public library of tho city is to be tried in Wellington within a week or two. It may be remembeved that Mr. W. T. Gnmdy, headmaster of the Clyde Quay School, was ftrtick with the idea as explained by Mr. Herbert Baillie (Public Librarian) on his return from America, and asked through his committee that the now idea should lie tried in connection with his school. The proposal was agreed to, and a good many suitable books have been secured for tho initiation of the scheme in Wellington. A little longer time has s;een taken over tho matter owing to its being an unfavourable time of the year for buying books locally, most of tho places having pretty well exhausted their stocks -of tho right kind of books for boys and girls nt Christmas. A number of bookcases hnve been provided at the Clyde Quay School for the third, fourth, fifth, anrt eixth class scholars, and these are in l» tilled for a stated period in a day or two, and when the supply is exhnusted they will probably be sent on to another school, and Clyde Quay will get a fresh supply. By this method one lot of bcoks will last a school a considerable time. If there j>9 sixty scholar.? in a class and sixty books are provided, they would last a school sixty weeks, or well over a veor. Tho scheme cannot yet bo said to have been definitely adopted—it is only an experiment—but everyone interested in school libraries will have their eyes on the "Clyde Quay School experiment" during tho current year.

To-day his Excellency tho Governor, Lord Islington, will lay the foundationBtono of the new Young Men's Christian Association building at the corner of Wellesley and Coburg Streets, Auckland. Tho occasion is to be euitablv celebrated, and addresses will bo delivered by the president (Mr. A. C. Canghey), the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr), the Hon. G. Fowlds, and others. Tho new building will be a handsome one of five stori.es, and will provide accommodation for 2000 members. It will include class, club, and social rooms, concert and dining halls, a largo gymnasium department for 500 boys, and in the basement there will be a swimming pool 40ft. by 20ft. in size. It is after 56 years' operations in this city that the Y.M.C.A. commenced the construction of this modern building, and it is to bo ready for occupation in 1013. The contract price is £17,222.

Tho jTew Zeala'nd Racing Conference is to be held in Wellington on July IS, 17, and 18 next.

Hypnotism is Professor Norwood's business, but motor-cycling is his favourite recreation. He has an "Indian" machine, and on it he and Mrs. Norwood rode all the way from Napier to Wellington. He speaks in glowing terms of the character of the country for motor-cycl-ing, and prophesies that the time is not far distant when the niotor-u'cle will bo as common and popular as tho ordinary cycle is to-day. lie had one unfortunate experience. When only a few miles out from Napier ho saw a trap driven rather erratically. Ho tooted all ho knew, to announce the coining of the "Indian," but just as he was going to shoot past on his right sido the man in tho (rap pulled his horse suddenly right across tho track. "There- were only two things for it—a smash into the trap or a slide into tho ditch. We. took tho ditch, and the result was that I lost ft pednl, and my wife ono of hor foot-rests. And, would you believe me, that man drove off, not Knowing if we were dead or alivo in-(hat ditch."

Tho difficulty some of tho members of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants have experienced in.getting their annual leave has been brought under tho notice of tho Government through tho Goncrnl Manager of Railways. Mr. T. Konayno has replied to tho society as follows: —"1 have the honour to inform yon that every endeavour is made to keep tho leave up-to-date. It may occasionally happen, whero lenvo has been arranged, that something unforeseen arises which makes a postponement necessary, but wherever possible this is avoided. Tho most frequent cause of those postponements is that of a member going off sick or on account of accident nt one of tho smaller stations, necessitating the sending of relief at once, nnd the nearest relief porter has to bo sent."

Requests for sundry improvements in tho details of postal facilities, chiefly in connection with mail deliveries, at Lower Hutt and Paliiatnn were placed before the Postmaster-General (the Hon. 11. G. Ell) yesterday bv deputations from those localities, The Minister promised to go carefully into tho questions raised. Mr. Veiteh, M.l'., also waited upon Mr. Ell, mul discussed the postal needs of Wangan m.

Latest dress fabrics fur autumn and winter, 19121 Smith mid Cniighey, Ltd., Auckland, will forward on request, post free, samples of all that is newest and best in dress fabrics, marked in plain figures at lowest rash prices. Smith nnd Omjflip.v's Miiil Oidor Department is equipped lo execute orders promptly nnd well, every minute detail being carefully studied. Freight or postage is rnid on nil orders for drnnory, clothing;, or boots to etiy icW-Msb In the Dominion, Write to4i>i?i statin* your reauirwnoals,—Advti

For the purpose of the big display of paintings which Mr. John Uiiillie lias brought from England, the Harbour Board's "IJ" shed is to be made n special bond by The Customs Department, and each sale of a picture will bo duly reported to the Department. -Mr- Baillio states that the trustees of the National Gallery in Sydney «ve sending over a representative, "with" authority to purchase, and in all probability Iho Melbourne Gallery will do likewise. In the ease of picluri's bought for other Slates, they will be shipped to Melbourne or Sydney under bond. A further lot of pictures is due here shortly by the Cnriniluc.

The Railway Appeal Board lias dismissed the apije.il of Mr. George T. Benefield. AVniigiinui, agninst the withholding of his annual increment of salary for nine months, being the period during which he was a Hay from work o\ti»S to an accident sustained outside his work.

It is understood that the amalgamation between .lolin Fuller ami Sins :\iid Hr<mnan's, Ltd., of Sydney and Melbourne, in respect to the control of the vaudeville business carried on by both firms has been elFected, and that as tho result of the combination New Zealand will profit considerably as regards the-standard of ar.tists who will appear in the permanent vaudeville theatres hitherto controlled by Fullers in New Zealand. The difficulty in the past of securing highclass artists for New Zealand alone has been the limitation of the field, but with a complete circuit, including long seasons in tho big centres of Australia, it will now bo possible to get a continuous stream of artists, whose engagements will include New Zealand in the countries to be visited. Brennan's, Ltd., has lieen singularly successful in Australia, and the amalgamation with the powerful New Zealand firm cannot be anything but beneficial to the vaudeville business of this country. It is understood that Mr. Ben Fuller will be the general malinger, with residence in Sydney. On being consulted last evening Mr. John Fuller stated that negotiations were still in progress, and ho. was hourly waiting a cable message from his brother (Mr. Ben Fuller) confirming the arrangement. Ho thought that the amalgamation ivas as good as a certainly, but pending the receipt of the promised came message thf business would still be run under the same auspices as heretofore.