LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1441, 16 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A slight earthquake ehock lasting for about a mi unto, with two specially noticeable pulsations, was felt in Wellington twenty minutes before noon yesterday. Some observers claim to have heard, a rumbling sound. A l'ress Association telegram from Gisoorno states that a slight shock of earthquake was felt there nt 11.40 a.m.

"I should bo glad if newspapers refrained, as far as they possibly can, from publishing any ex pnrte statements on any dispute that is likely to he dealt with by; a Conciliation Council, until tho case has lx??n heard by tho Court. I have nothing personally to' grumble about; tho newspapers have always given me a fair hearing and reported very correctly anything that 1 have had to say."—Mr. I'. Haliy, at. the Conciliation Council yesterday.

On Tuesday evening, at tho Victoria Ward of the Wellington Hospital, an interesting ceremony took place, when a piano and music cabinet wero presented to tho institution. Mr. .T. G. W. Aitkcii, who made- the presentation, spoke on. behalt of Miss Minnio Brown, a patient in the hospital, and her friends, through whoso efforts the piano was pnrchnsed. Dr. Hardwick Smith accepted the handsome pit, and expressed the keen appreciation of the staff and patients at having an inctnimqiit of their own in the home. Dr. A. ft. Newman, who was also present, addressed the gathering. The piano, purchased from tho Dresden Piano Company, bears a silver plate, with an inscription, to commemorate Miss Brown's effort. After the presentation ceremony a programme O' in " striiniental, vocal, and elocutionary items was gone through by the members and irioniis of St. John's Young Women s Bible Class. This was greatly enjoyed by all present, the items by Mr. Z. Wood, the elocutionist, earning special applause.

With tho object of encouraging advanced study at' Victoria College, the Professorial Board submitted to tho councu at its meeting last evening a proposal "that no fees be charged to a student m a subject in winch he is conducting original investigation." It would bo certified by tho Faculty most nearly concerned that the studc-nt was sufficiently advanced profitably to carry out the class of work entailed in such investigation. Tho regulation would in no case .ipply to wort for a thesis done for an honours examination. The recommendation cnnie before the council' via its Finance Committee, which minuted the proposol, with a suggestion that consideration might be given to special cases as they might arise. The council approved of the suggestion on tho basis advised by the linanco Committee.

A statement made by Mr. H. P. Allen, secretary to the Industrial Association, at tho meeting of tho General Committee of that body is strongly denied by Mr. Andivws Collins, secretnrv to the Wellington Bakers' Union. Mr. Allen said, during a discussion on the shortage of skilled lab,our, that the state of the baking trade in Wellinston was such that if ono baker was laid up the bread supply of the city would be affected. A Dominios reporter was invited by Mr, Collins to inspect the union's employment book yestcrdav afternoon, and ho found that it contained entries of the names of twelve members of the union who were apparently out of employment. There were seven men in Mr. Collins's office when flio reporter called, and he was assured that all these were bakers awaiting engagement. Mr. Collins said that he had never been unable to find a journeyman for any master baker who had applied to him during the last fourteen years, except occasionally for hot-cross-bun work, and ho challenged Mr. Allen to prove the contrary.

Prior to Sir John Findlay's lecture on "Eugenics" last evening tho annual meeting of the Wellington Eugenics Education Society was held. The president (Professor H. B. Kirk) presided over ft small attendance. The report (summarised yesterday, in The Dominion) and the statement of accounts were read and adopted. The following were elected members of the council-.—Dr. Agues Bennett, Sir Robert Stout, Sir John Findlay, Messrs. E. Kennedy, C. B. Morison, L\ W. Frankhyhl, D. M'Laroii, nnd Tennant. It was resolved to raise the annual subscription to 10s. f>d., which will include subscription to the "Eugenics Review."

A conference of representatives of district education boards will be held in Wellington on Monday next, probably at the oHires of the Wellington Education Board, for the purpose of discussing various matters in connection with the big conference on the Local Government Bill, which is to take place on the following day.

Among the third-class passengers or board tho Arawn, which arrived in port yesturdav from London via the_ Caps.', were fifty-seven assisted immigrants. Forty of these are adults, and among them were twenty-three domestics, many of whom wore coming out to situations already arranged for them.

This morning Mr, Justice Chapman will deliver decision in the cases of Geo. T. P. Williams v. Albert Edward Webb, and Geo. T. P. Williams v. Arthur Percival Masters, applications for writs of prohibition.

At a meeting of tho Northern Bowling Association of New Zealand to be held on Tuesday next tho proposed rules of the Amalgamated Bowling Association of New Zealand (which takes in the Now Zealand Bowlin" Association, of tho South Island, and the Auckland Bowling Association) will be submitted to delegates for discussion.

In demonstration of what a Staio may do towards building up a National Art Gallery, Mr. G. 'V. F. Jlanu, director oi the National Gallery of New South Wales, who arrived from Sydney yesterday, states that so far the sum of .£140,000 has been expended on the National Gallery Building in the Sydney Domain, and the value of the art treasures stored therein is estimated at £l4S,m. The average annual attendance of visitors is now well over « quarter of a million.

The monthly meeting of the Victoria College Council was held last evening, there being , present: The chairman (Mr. C Wilson), Sir H-obert Stout, Dr. C. P. Knight, and Messrs. H. H. Ostler. H. D. Hell William I'tMiison, J. G. W. Aitken, R M'Kab. B. Jl'Callum, M.P.. A. W. Hogg, T. B. Fleming, C Watson, and A. H. Meek. A memorandum summarizing wi'e financial position to date showed that after providing for current liabilities (salaries, accounts, etc.) totalling t £SSO Os 7d., n. credit balance of ,£1571 Ss. (id. remained. The statement was adopted.

.\ report covering proposals for the establishing of a fish' market in Wellington will come before the City Council at its meeting this evening.

Tl>o nHit school at tho Wellington Bovs' Institute is being conducted this winter by members of the Students' Christim Union, who invite all boys who have not parsed the Fifth or Sixth Standards to join, and they will prepare them tor these examinations. Basket ball, narri»''S "ymnasium, and boxing classes are in'full swing under competent instructors.

Yesterday Detective Mason arrested a man in Wellington on a charge of having de««rted tho steamer Kia Ora, and another man on n charge of having stolen an overcoat from the third cook of cho Hiimitnka while that vessel was lying at Timaru. Both nro to appear in Ine Magistrate's Court this morning.

Mr Edward Tregear addressed a weetin<r at the Druids' Hall, Taranaki Street, la°t ii'"l>t. Dealing with the high cost of" living, Mr. Tregear said that his experience as secretary for the Labour De-iii-r'-uKMit during so many years had shown him that when tiie workers' wages ivei* l-ai-od the landlords put up the rents, and the' workers wcro no belter off than before. That was the sort of exploitation lli» Labour party were out to fight. (ApplaV=e) He thought that tho land monopolists and land speculators who benefited as the result of trams and other public improvements ought to be rated on (he increased land values, to pay for tiie imnrovemenM, and the rates on the homes and on the industry of the people should bo abolished. (Applause.) Sir. Tressar also refered to the extension of public reserves and recreation grounds, thn i>x-te-'ision and improvement of tho tramway ■ivstem. nnd tlio necessity ■ Tor public lii'ths and public markets. Louncilior Hindmnrsii, M.P., also addressed !he meetinp. A vote of ihimks and confidenco was carried unanimously.

The private enterprise rcociilly sl,irl«il nml known as the Express ifeshciiger Sc'-vicP i= jiisl"- the tiling , m;i ntccl in Wellin'o'on. A'll that i? iiw?s?arv- lo Bins up" ,1 .'? , l when, without riday, a smart if Hispnleh'rt nn'l nt. your sofvjM in rt" «nythtn.B required, Uharges "Bd. jrittia tosa lLnut*.*

Tho Wellington Tramways Union is not 1 forgetful of services rendered them during the strike in Wellington. In return for the courtesies extended to them by West's and tho Koyal Pictures Proprietary, the union is to present the members of the firm with framed photographs of tho members of tho union, and a gold medallion. It will be remembered that the union held two of their mass meetings in tho King's Theatre, for which no clmrgo was made. The presentation will be made to-morrow evening, when the Tramways Hand will render a number of selections at the ■theatre.

Ucpresentatives of eight New Zealand typographical unions are at present sitting in conference in Wellington, engaged hi 'the task of framing a set of demands for presentation to employers. The conference, which opened yesterday, is a private one.

Tho Minister for Mines (the Hon. J. Colvin) hopes' for important results from the Government's offer of a pound for pound subsidy up to =£10,000 for deepsinking nt Boatman's, in the Reefton district. Speaking to a Dominion reporter, the Minister recoiled that tho district had been famous for tho very productive Welcome Mine and Fiery Cross Mine. Ho believed that deep-sinking would open up very rich, veins of gold at Boatman's, just as it had in other places, and the effect upon the prosperity of the district would bo very important. As a subsidy was being offered on a pound for pound basis, it would depend upon private enterprise whether anything whs done or not. Mr. Colvin also mentioned that Cabinet had decided to offer si bonus of .£250 to auyone who invented a more economic process for manufacturing briquettes of slack coal. Tho Presbyterian Orphanage and Social Service Association is holding its third annual meeting to-night in Si John s Hall, Dixon Street. The Hoy.. Dr. Oibb wUI preside, and addresses bearing on tiio work will also be B>v«n by the Eev. J. Gibson Smith, and Mr. T. P. Mills, the association's secretary. Mr. Vi. M. Hannay, lion, treasurer, will submit the financial statement. It is hoped that there will be a large gathering.

The Rosenoath school children (Wellington) arc arranging for an exchange oi flags with the Rosmeath school children in Dumbartonshire, Scotland. In this connection it is interesting to note that one of the early settlers in Wellingtons Rosencath was a native of Rosenoath in Scotland, the geographical appearance of which is rather similar to the wind-swept knoll at Point Jerningham for which reason it received its name.

A deputation representing the recent libraries' conference will wait upon the Minister for Education (Hon. J, A. Hanan) nt 11 a.m. to-day.