LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1424, 26 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

* During a discussion ,at tho annual meeting of the Slcn*s City Brotherhood last night, on the question as to whether the meetings should be open to women, a leceut arrival from London gave an amusing recital of the experience of an Old Country Brotherhood of which lie had been secretary. The meetings weio first of all open to men and women, and proved a groat failure. Then they were lor men only, with one day a quarter for women. This proved a' great success. Then it was suggested that the young men should bring their sweethearts', and they did. That arrangement proved a failure, because they came there to flirt. (Laughter.) "Why," asked Sir. E. Tiegear, "didn't they muzzle them?" (Renewed laughter.) Packed on the deck of the Aorangi are a number of cage boxes of various sizes and shapes, each containing a small variety of Australian birds and a kangaroo. The collection comprises four emus, 1 kangaroo, a large number of Australian pairots. and two black swans. Sir. J. Schneider is the owner of the collection, and is taking them to the United States by tho vessel, which leaves today.

Sir. SI. J. Reardon, secretary of tho General Labourers' Union, leaves for Hawke's Bay on .Saturday. He is to meet employers in private conference, at Xa-

pier, on Monday, at Hastings on Tuesday, and at. Wnnganui on Wednesday, with a view to arriving at au agreement to replace the award, now expired, which covered general labourers in the Wellington country district.

Tho cleaning of tho Town Hall is an arduous task which keeps a small staff pretty busily occupied. The custodian, Sir. Leslie, has now procured' a small portable vacuum Cleaner, which is giving great assistance in cleaning operations in different parts of the building. It is worked i by one man, and contains a motor which derives power from an ordinary electric lighting "point." Yesterday the machine was employed in cleaning the canvas matting in tho Concert Chamber, and the work went on with none of the stirring up of dust which accompanies ordinary swecpiii" operations.

The statutory annual meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board will lie held on Thursday next, at 2.30 p.m. Tho chief business of the meeting will be the election of chairman. It is understood that Mr. E. Fletcher will bo re-elected. ■c,- T ,'!? anmu, l "house" rifle match for the Wellington Hardware Cup will be fired at irentham on Saturday. The linns represented will be the Stewart Timber and Glassware Co., Ltd., Briscoe, M'Neil and Co., Ltd., Ocllin's, Ltd., J. Duthie and Co, Ltd., and E. W. Mills and Co., Ltd., Captain J. G. Roache (Fifth Regiment) will act as supervising officer on th« range, while Lieut. Hugo (Senior Cadets) will be in charge of the trench. The teams will consist of ten men each. The Baillje collection of pictures, which have been hung in "U" Shed, are to Ijo thrown open to the public at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

A meeting of the interim committee of tho Lastern Harbour Association was hold on Wednesday night. Mr C P bkerrett, K.C., presided, and there 'was a good attendance. The committee adopted a constitution and rules, subject to confirmation by general meeting, and made provision for completing the mem-l-iers-lnp of the association. Preliminary arrangements were mado towards carrvin'g out the objects of the association, "and these will be actively pushed forward.

Iho new regulations as to the shooting season lor opossums and tho killing of nativo game en Lake Ellesmere, tho effect of which has already been published, wero gazetted last night.

A new regulation respecting loans to local authorities under-the New Zealand State-Guaranteed Advances Act, 1909, provides- that the term of any loan granted to a local authority may be twenty years and tho principal and interest at 3J per cent, shall bo payable by half-yearly instalments in accordance -with a table published in last night's Gazette.

A proposal to assist the campaign against tubercular disease in New Zealand has been made by the Hon. G. Vf. Russell (Minister for Public Health). His idea (telegraphs our Auckland correspondent) is to disseminate all possiblo useful information regarding tho disease throughout the whole Dominion. With this view he has suggested to tho Inspeo-tor-General of Hospitals (Dr. Valentine) that a library of works dealing with tuberculosis should bo established at the Department's head office in Wellington, and a duplicate at tho Cambridge Sanatorium. This would be supplemented and brought up to date from quarter to quarter with nil information obtainable from tho study of consumption in other countries, especially America, England, and Germany.

It would appear that the precaution taken by the Auckland Harbour Board in establishing a powder depot at Motuihi Island will bo a profitable source of income to the Customs Department. It is customary (states our correspondent) for vessels, arriving at Auckland with explosives as part cargo to go to the powderground to discharge prior to berthing. In order to reach tho island, which .is within the harbour boundaries, the vessel proceeds through Motuihi Channel, which is outsido tho harbour. When the vessel completes discharging and is ready to proceed to tho wharves, it is necessary in order to obtain water of a sufficient

depth io go out through the Motuihi Channel and steam into tho harbour past Mount Rangitoto. A similar position arises if the vessel is required to take in explosives on the outward voyage for

southern ports. Tho owners of tho vessel are liable to the Customs for lighter dues each time she enters the harbour. Tho New Zealand Shipping Company were called upon to pay tho extra charge recently, but upon representation to the Minister for tho Department it was decided to collect dues as formerly for the one inward and outward trip.

The Hutt Valley Tramway Board is abolished by Order-in-Council gazetted last night. The Act which constituted tho tramway districtprovided that if the board did not, within three years from the date of its first election, construct and commence to run a tramway, it should bo dissolved by Order-in-Council. The ratepayers, when consulted by poll, declined to endorse the loan proposals of the board, and the project was afterwards allowed to drop. The board leaves no assets or liabilities.

The total postal revenue collected in New Zealand during the first quarter of the present year was .£170,180 3s. Id., as compared with ,£164,50G Bs. 5Jd. during the corresponding "period of last year. The telegraph revenue (including telephones) for the respective periods was ,£93,616 17s. sd. and .£86,007 ss. lid.,total post and telegraph, .£263,797 and ,£250,513 133 i "d. Money-orders were issued during the quarter ended March 31, 1912, to the number of 159,574, amounting to ,£794,413 16?. 4d., while the money-orders paid numbered 131,003, and amounted to .£711.576 3s. The amounts for the first quarter of last venr were',£669,383 ss. Gd. and .£596,647 11s* 4d. Postal notes amounting (with commission) to .£143,722 15s. 10{d. were sold dur. ing tho first quarter, of the present year, and those paid during the same period came to ,£140,140 14s. 0d„ the totals for the first quarter of 1911 being respec. tiveiy .£133,704 ss. 3d. and ,£l!!n,G42 4s. Gd.

Tho highest rainfall recorded at any place in the North Island I a j;(- month was 11.07 inches at Glcnburn, Motn, and the lowest was 2,31 inches, nt Wailmkeke,'Carterton. The highest and lowest records in tho South Island were: 14.18 inches at Pnysegur Point and 1.1-j inches at AVnilcari. The inward shipping at ull New Zea> land ports during the first quarter of the present year totalled 163 vessels, with a combined tonnage of 397,613. The totals for the corresponding quarter of 1911 were, 143 vessels and 342,614 tons. Ths outward shipping- during the quarter ended March Hi, 1912, comprised 102 ivs. peN. with « lotal tonnage, of 437.T11U. The liliiires for the fust qiiartor of 1!l|| were IIH veswls and .'t'll.SH. tou<. "NAZOL" cures Coughs. Colds, Bronchitis, Influenza, Nasal Catarrh, or Cold iu tho Head. It nover fails. CO doses. la. fid. Got a Kmql luJwJcr.-Advt,