LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1439, 14 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

p. Cabinet yesterday authorised the purchase of a site for a post ofiico at Hataitai (Wellington), the erection of a school at the corner of College Street ond Botanical Road, I'almcrston North, ami the erection of a cottage for the quarantine keeper at Somes Island. A tender was accepted for the erection of a cottage hospital at Rotorua, and it was decided to offer a subsidy for "deep Milking at Boatman's, on the West Coast.

"Nothing much doing—except labour troubles!" was the cryptic ' commentary of Mr. Neil M'Lean, of John M'l.can and Sons, contractors for the Ot.ira tunnel, who is at present visiting Wellington. Mr. M'Lean said that they were about half-way through with the bore about Iwo miles on the Otirn side, and a .irtlo way in on the Bealev side. Little was being done at the latter end owing to the difficulties attendant upon having to pump the water out—most of the work was now being done from the Otira side. Mason's Steps, leading from Lambton Quay to. Wellington Terrace, are to bo improved by the substitution of a massivo wall of reinforced concrete for the unsightlv wooden hoarding which at present serves* as a retaining-wall. AYorkmon in the employ of the City Council made n start yesterday upon .the task of preparing llie foundations of the new ..tructnro. The work as n whole will take live or six month; to complete. The concrete wall will bo 130 feet long, forty feet high, and of a thickness tapering from eiyli-Ir-en inches at. the base to nine inches at the lop. On the level of Lamblon Quay Ihe concrete work will be carried out to form Ihree comiiai-tinents 1(1(1, Gin. by Bft. Bin. These will be suitable for lavatories, conveniences, or for storage purposes. The Terrace roadway i-- to' be made nine feet wider than at present, and the footpath will he carried out on cantilevers. The concrete steps leading up from Lambton Quay will be constructed in Iwo broad High!*. Apart from its principal purpose, Ihc new wall will rarrv a portion of the new Waiuui water-main. The iu(|tiiry into Ihe general conduct and control of the city re>erves is In be resumed this evening by the com mil for recently appointed by the Cilv Council. Tt has 'not yet been decided whether the proceedings shall be public or private.

The City Council has accepted Hie tender of 111" St<?w,n-; Timber Corupanv (o supplv 2fllo. for thp electric lighH'ns department, at. a cost of JUOI fti. ind, 'nj.» nnly ot.h»r Intifor in?> Unit ef C. A. OdUa !ud Co, (£IM IU. fidj,

Mr. Joseph llnmmond, tho >*ow Zealand aviator, with on JKnghsh and Continental reputation, left Auckland tor America oil Friday last by the Makura. Mr J. M. Clark, who is the judge for tho elocutionary section of the Christchurch competitions this week, and fllr. J. . F Montague, who is to judge those sections in tiio Wellington competitions in n November next, left for the south by the t Maori last evening. v The secretary of the local Chamber of Commerce- (Mr. 11. D. Vickery) has been advised that a party of twelve from Mooso Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, are about to visit New Zealand to inspect the country as a place of settlement. Provision will be made oil the City Council estimates this year for an extension of storm-water drainage in Island Bav. The policy followed so far has been to concentrate on draining the lower v levels which otherwise would be exposed T to periodical Hooding. It is intended to , follow a similar policy during tho com- i ing year. \t Hie opening of the new Roman Ca- ! tholic Convent at Wanganni on Sunday j tiie collection realised .£I9S. j Speaking at Christchurch last week, ] the Hon. JT. Or. Ell (Postmaster-Geiicrai) said that a principal officer of tlie J'ost and Telegraph Department had given a year's studv to telephone and telegrnpn 'conditions 'in America and Europe His complete report was not yet to hand, out the Minister hoped shortly to be able to announce a decision whether the presentsystem oi telephone exchanges could he replaced by an automatic system which would not only be more convenient to the public but would enable the Department to arrange its wires so much more economically as to aliow of a- uniform rate being charged for telephone connections at a far greater distance than nt present from the main central exchanges. Telephonic -communication with the South Island was not being forgotten, but tho present cable arrangements in Cook Strait were such as to render telephony a matter of great difficulty. He was now considering a recently perfected invention known as "a loaded cable," which, by the application of electrical devices, enabled deep sea cables to be used for telephony. It was thus not beyond tho bounds of possibility that in tlie future speech would be possible nil the way from Auckland to InvercaTgill. A hurried conference of the Education Boards of the Dominion will probably be held in Wellington in the course of a few days to consider what action shall bo taken in regard to the Local Government Bill.' A circular on the subject has been issued by (ho North Canterbury Board, The •Mastcrron A. and P. Society has parsed a resolution in favour of admitting to life membership those members who shall contribute ,£lO in advnnce. The idea is to relieve the association of its present overdraft. A party of Napier High School cadets under cliarge of Captain Andrews left Napier on Saturday to spend their holidays on military and geological work in the country between Napier and Taupo. The private enterprise recently started and known a3 the Express Jfesseliger Service is just tho thing wanted in Wellington. All that is necessary is to Ring up 2.182, when, without delay, a smart Boy Messenger is dispatched and nt your service to do anything required. Charges fid. within town limits.