LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1411, 11 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Nic postal authorities advise that the s.s. Mamma, which left Svducv at 1 p.m. on April 8 for Auckland, 'Ihik on bard an .Auslralinn mail, also a vcrv .-mull Kngli-h mail, via Suez. The W'oiliiiKtou portion is due to arrive hern on Milurday by the .Main Trunk expre>s.

The Minister for J.akur (Hon. G. I.nmenson) will receive a deputation from the Sawmill Worker.-,' Conference at 10.15 a.m. to-day, and ono from the Drivers' Conference at hali-pnst eleven.

Jhe visil of (ho Hrilish .U-ocialiou for I lie Adviiiceiiient of Science to Australia, in 1911, has, since the project took ollicial shape, ere ilcd widely extending interest among men in the I'niled Kingdom. It was orisinallv thought that only about 100 members would be aide to afford the time to vi'ml the Commonwealth. The I'riine MiuUter (Mr. I'islier) has now received a communication that the number will be at least 150.

Speaking at the Timber Workers' Conference yesterday, in reference to (lie high price of foodstuffs, tlio chairman (Mr. 1-;. I'helan) said that it was not feasible in this country for the Government to enter into competition with the farmers by establishing State farms. "There is no mistake," lie added, "t'no cockatoos are the backbone of the country, and have n good deal of influence." 'The present Ministry, he went on to sav, would Ire afraid to establish State farms for competitive purposes for fear of offending what he once more termed "the cockatoos."

Iv'ot a few delegates at the Trades Council Conference ye.-torilny were rung down by the chairman (the Hon. ,f. T. Paul) while still in the full tide of a speech. Some of the orators seemed to find the rigid enforcement of the time-limit a little galling. On one occasion Mr. Hreen asked tire chairman whether his watch was fast. "No, but it only rezWers five minutes in five minutes," replied Air. Paul.

When the attendance at the Vnity Conference reached its maximum point, over (0 delegates tool; part in its deliberations. The Hon. ,1. T. Paul, chairman of the conference, estimates that it can easily claim to represent 100,000 persens. "It is by far the largest and most representative Labour gathering ever held in New Zealand," .Mr. Paul remarked. "Nothing has ever apprc. ched it, either as regards number of delegates or number cf persons represented."

The proprietor of a Wellington cafe is being proceeded against by the City Council, the allegation being' that "he did unlawfully sutler refuso to accumulate in a building .< . . so as to cause an ofl'onsivo smell." The same person is being proceeded against on other charges, which ntl'cct the manner in which he is keeping his premise!-.

A Wellington business man, who states that he has been reading quite a lot about the faultless management of the Post Oiliee in the Dominion, writes that he had occasion when in liotorua on April 1 to post two small packages to Wellington, lie judged that they would arrive here on April 3 or 1 at the latest, but, much to his disgust, they were not delivered until Tuesday, April 9. The illustration is, h« considers, an excellent one as showing the perfection which our postal system has attained.

The number of complaints received from train travellers respecting railway management" is on the increase. One prominent Wellington resident complains I hut after carefully cheeking his luggage at liotorua for Xew Plymouth, via Marlon, ho discovered on arriving at • the junction I hat his luggage had not come on by thc-snmo train. It had been taken off tiio liotorua-Auckland train at Frankton, but not put on to the first southbound express. After strenuous telegraphing, lie managed to have it placed on the second express.

A recent visitor to Rotorua states that the tennis courts in the Government grounds are not nearly in such ft good condition as they were a year or two ago. When he was there just before Easter the asphalt courts were all under repair, and the grass ones were out of repair. There was a great deal of grumbling amongst tennis players.

The announcement made in Sydney by Messrs. Wirth Bros, that a Good Friday breakfast would be available for poor children at the circus in Belinore Markets caused 10,000 or 12,000 children to assemble outside the big gates at daylight on Friday last. Although the breakfast was announced to be "served" at 8 o'clock, it was all over by that time,, and the hungry bays and girls were then dispersing happily. As soon as the crowd at the gates began to reach considerable proportions, tho circus managers, Messrs. G. 1,. Petersen and G. Anderson, instructed their staff to open up the premises and distribute the foodstuffs. Tho breakfast consisted of plain but wholesome fare— hot-cross buns and ginger-beer—but, as it was provided in sufficient quantity, which circumstance, after all, counts most with the youngsters, all went away satisfied. A meeting of tho creditors in the estate of Win. Lavery, private hotelkeeper, Wellington, was called for yesterday afternoon, but an adjournment had to be made until next Tuesday afternoon, as there was not a quorum.

Councillor John Fuller has handed in the following notice of motion to the City Council •.—"That a deputation consisting of the Mayor and citizens wait upon the new Minister for Railways with regard to the early commencement and completion of tire now Wellington Central IJ.-iil-ivay Station."

The committee of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists met yesterday afternoon, Mr. E. Schwabe presiding. Three new members were admitted. Jt was resolved to strike lmlinaneial members oft the roll, after giving them due notice, in accordance with By-law 17. The secretary was authorised to pay X 3 3s. for clerical assistance. A draft of the report for presentation at the forthcoming annual meeting was approved.

A message received from Manalcau yesterday afternoon states that Stanley J. P>eattie, wlic- went out on the hills on Saturday to look for cuttle, has not returned, although he was expected back on Sunday. A search party of Manakau residents left yesterday nftcrnoun. Beattie had a dog and gun with him, but practically no foorl.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Edward Croft: pleaded guilty to three charges of stealing bicycles. The charges stated that on March 27 he stole a bicycle worth £2 10s. from Robert Anderson; on March 28, a bicycle worth .£7 from Henry Marsh; and on March 30 a bicycle worth £2 10s. from Henry Maddocks." Detective M'llveney slate:! that ono bicycle bad been sold to a second-hand dealer for 1-H, another disposed of for .CI, and the third left in a stable. Aroused was addicted to drink, and, at the time of his committing tho thefts, had (Detective M'llveney understood) been under the influence of liquor. Croft was sentenced to two months' imprisonment.

Welcoming the Hon. O. Laurenson (Minister for Labour) to (he Trades Councils' Conference yesterday, the lion. J. T. Paul said that it was seventeen

years since n Minister for Labour had visited a Labour Conference iu New Zealand. The last visitor was the Hon. W. P. Reeves, whom Mr. Paul described as perhaps the ablest Minister for Labour who had ever served iu Xcw Zealand. Mr. Paul repeated these facts at the

sncinl (rathering held last evening, and added thai, iu (he early days a better sort of Labour legislation was passed than in more recent years. In the early days if was not unusual for a Labniv Minister In put before Hi? leaders of Labour confidential drafis of the Labour Rill:, that ]|i-' prnpe-ed lo bring before Parliament. Prior to the dcpirture of the different •diips which recenllv journeyed to the Snh-Aiilsireiic I,lands and the Ire Pack, the Y.M.C.A. fenvavd'.'d a large number of ningnr.inc-, periodicals, and other sundry literature. It was reported to tho aclingsecrotnry yesterday afternoon that (he inhabitants of these islands very much npmeriate the (hnug'.itfnlnoss of the Y.M.C.A., and that the magazines and literature were read with great pleasure. The men living on the various islands, particularly the Cam pi;'.'lis, have conveyed their very's-incerest expressions of thanks lo the Y.M.C.A. for remembering Hiem in this pai'liiul u' direction.