LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1428, 1 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the Moann, which sailed from Sydney on Saturday last, has en board an Australian mail. Sha is duo to arrive here to-day. No bankruptcies occurred in. Wellington during the month of April. There wero in all seven bankruptcies during tho firstquarter of the current year, five of them in March. Tho steamer Ruahine, due at Wellington early to-morrow morning, has 82 assisted immigrants on board, all women and children. Thirty-three of the 53 adults are domestic servants coming out under tho care of a matron. The others are wives coming out with their children --there arc 2Si children—to join their husbands in New Zealand. The Government docs not encourage men to come out during the winter months, and the next shipment of farm labourers is duo in September.

The statement of a southern paper that a flaw has been discovered in tho legislation for tlie registering of barmaids appears to lie well founded. It is held by high legal authorities that whnt is called a private' bar is not a "public bar" within the morning of the licensing Ace, which provides that no unregistered barmaid can serve in a public bar. Hence, if this view is correct, unregistered barmaids may serve in private bars, and tho legislation which was designed to gradually eliminate barmaids would be ineffective. It <3 probable that amending legislation will be introduced. Empire Day (Mar li) this year is to be observed on, antt in conjunction with, the King's Birthday (,Tuuo 3), by the schools in the Wellington Education district. The date of the second election _of school committees in those districts (Wellington Education Board) where, at the statutory meeting convened for tho last Monday in April the proceedings lapsed, has been fixed for May 21 next. In Wellington during the month of April 170 births were registered, and there- occurred 55 deaths and 118 marriages. Tlie statistics for the same month in 1911 were: 156 births, 50 deaths, and 117 marriages. Of the total number of marriages 19 took place in the Registrar's office. At the moeting of tho Wellington Philosophical Society tr. be hold this evening, tho president, Mr. G. V. Hudson, F.E.S., will briefly describe a remarkable instance of domestic depravity recently discovered bv Mr. F. P. Dodd in connection with the habits of a Queensland ant. A number of entomological specimens will also be exhibited. A few weeks ago, Mr. C. B. WestmacoU, who was manager of tho "Maori Village," which was sent to England by an Australian syndicate, passed through Wellington en route to Sydney. In the course of an interview, Mr. Wostmacott stated that failing to obtain a satisfactory financial ■settlement with the syndicate (which ■a-as "alleged to have left the Maoris stranded in England), ho intended to apnlv for redress through the courts. Information is now to hand that a sritisfartorv settlement has been come to betvr'een'Jlr. Westinacott and the syndicate. Mr Westmacott intends to visit New Zealand shortly. Xo need to worry about that letter or parcel you have no one to talso for von fust ring up 2352, and the Express Messenger Service immediately send a smart )wv to do all your errands at cheap rniW, securely and iiuickl.v." The Messrs. Vitulta. Hros. notify cliciils thai owing to tht! illmw. of Mr. .!. ViM.la Uun will r>o Hllilill !*> Wci'F l »'«K n ffeuiCUt2 uatU Curtkcji BOtlp>

Tho quarterly conference of the Primitive Methodist Sunday School Teachers was hold lit J'elone on Monday, Tho picsidcnt, Mr. .1. Jlndclon, was in the chair. A practical paper was read by Miss Clark (Sydney Street School) on "Infant Teaching," emphasising the importance of this branch of the work. Jliss Jieaiimont (Webb Street) gave an excellent report of the New Zealand Conference, recently hold at Blenheim.

]n tho course of a letter to tho London "Express," Air. H. Hickinan, on emigr.il.ion nsent, says: "Tho Orient Line to Australia have'notified their agents they cannot take any more third-class passengers until August next, ten of their largo steamers being full. The ships of the ]' and 0. branch line to Australia are all lull until the end of July, and it is impossible to get a third-class passage to Australia by any line. All full. In the case of Canada, tho Canadian Pacific liailwny notify agents that they are unable to take second-class or third-class passoneei-s until Hay next (except for a special" sailing or so). The Allan Line are in tho same fix, the Royal Lino from Bristol are also full until .luno next for third-class, the C'unnrd Lino from Liverpool are full until May, and so it 13 with ail the lines. In l'hct, look where you will, tho shipping linos are full in the third-class a long way ahead.