LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 25 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ « Tho postal authorities .advise that the Wimmera, which sailed from Sydnev at noon pn May 23 for Auckland, has on board im Australian mail and an English mail, via Suez. The Wellington nortion is due to arrive per Main Trunk express on Tuesday nest. The funeral of tho late Mr. Peter M'Ardle took place yesterday morning at tho Karori Cemetery. A great number of friends of tho deceased assisted at the obsequies. The service at the grave was conducted by the Eev. Father Herring A large number of West Coasters followed the remains to their last resting place. The late Mr. M'Arcile leaves two married daughters and a son to mourn their loss. Hβ arrived in New Zealand in the early days when quite a boy, and was a verv prominent business man in Dunedin and Wellington for the last twenty years. In his early days on the West Coast he was in the employ of Messrs. Gilrner Bros., and latterly in Dunedin with Mr. Martin Kennedy. He was a native of Castleblaney, Ireland. Mr. M'Ardlo will be missed by a great number of old settlers and friends in this citjr. Ho ',ras a man of kind end genial qualities. ' The following tenders have been accepted by the Public Works Department for formation on the Westport-Inangahua railway:—No. 16, M. Leddy, of Westport, c£lD7l 55.; No. 13, J. A. Stewart and partv, JC1956. Gradually the scholars attending State schools from tha third to the sixth standards are being given an opportunity of viewing the Baillie collection of British paintings, which is still attracting large attendances to the fine gallery in Waterloo Quay. On Wednesday the children of tho Eastbourne School were brought across gratis by tho Wellington Steam Ferry Company, which courtesy the children acknowledged on being returned to Eastbourne by giving cheers for the manager (Mr. E. G. F. Zohrab). While the children were in town, the Mayor of Eastbourne (Mr. H. W. Shortt) thought that they might as well make a day of it, eo ho treated them to an exhibtion of another kind of pictures at Shortt's Theatre. Yesterday a contingent of scholars from tho Clyde Quay School paid a visit to the Baillie Gallery. From an educational point of view the paintings should be of the greatest value to the young people. Before another municipal general election comes round, tho city electoral roll will be prepared afresh. This is done under a regulation attached to the Municipal Corporations Act. In practice tho ratepayers' roll is taken as tho basis of the now electoral roll, together with the names of those residential electors who voted at the last election preceding the preparation of the new roll. When a new roli is compiled in Wellington, it. is probnb'.e that the names of residential electors who voted at tho last Mayoral election, as well as the names of those who voted at the subsequent by-«leetion, will be retained on the list. All other residential electors will have to make application afresh when the new roll is being compiled. The following motion will be moved by Councillor Short at Monday's meeting cf the Petone Borough Council:—"That Hw resolution rejected on the Ist day of May, 1912, which refused Mr. F. F. Pethrick a concession to run trams in the borough bo annulled, and the whole question bo reopened for consideration." The notice of motion is signed by live councillors. About thirty of the delegatos who camo to Wellington to attend the recent Local Government. Bill Conference yesterday accepted an invitation from the chairman of tho Wellington Hospital Board (Mr. j Trevor) and the Mayor (Mr. M'Laren) to nnv n visit to tho local hospital, A special ear left the Town nail at 10 a.m. with the visitors aboard. Visits ware paid to the main and Victoria Hospitals, and special attention was paid to tho Children's Hospital. Thanks wore expressed bv the visitors to Mr. Trevor, the Mayor, and the doctor, matron, and etau" of the hospital. Sneaking to a Rangitikei Racing Club rtoicgnio fast evening, the lion. i«. W. Rus°oll saiil that the Slate should encourage in every possible way the breeding of horses capable of being utilised us remounts or for artillery service. If not bv lotali-ator permits, then by special i/nz-es the State should encourago the lircediii" of horses of the type ho had inilieatei!. both for purposes of iWcnce. and so as to provide tin . Imperial bovornment with remounts if required. No need to worry about that letter or parcel you have no one to tnke for you. Ju't ri'nir up 23-S2. and the Exprrjs Messeusrer fervic? immediately fond a. smsrt W to do ,ill j-our errands at saquy rate scs'ujalf Mid .auickly. .

Messrs. John Roberts and Joachim, of Dunedin, have inspected I , ho Baiilie collection of British paintings during the wcvk, ami.worn much impressed with tho high standard of art there represented. They have tuken a note of povoral painting?, and arc to report to the council of the Dominion Art Gallery )a)'oro any decision is arrived at regarding the purchase of tho .same. A meeting of supporters of the New Zealand Political Reform League .was hold in Ngaruawahia a few davs ago, at which a communication from the central executive of the league was considered. Tins was to Iho effect that Ngaruawahia was to become the headquarters of the league for the Raglan electorate. Captain p. A. Young was appointed local organising secretary pro <cm, ami wns instructed to invite , delegates from the various divisions of the electorate to meet Mr. Jlnssey and Mr. Lindegreen, of Xffaruawahia on tho 20th ins',, when Mr, Massey i will deliver an address to his supporters in the Town Hall, and Mr. Lindcgroeu will confer with the delegates on matters affecting the reorganisation of the league in the electorate. A temporary committee was also appointed to receive and confer with Mr. Liudegroen, the organising secretary, on the occasion of hie visit. It is officially stated that the total amount owing by the local bodies in the Dominion, apart from loans from tho Government, is nearly and tho interest paid, apart from any sinking funds, averages £1 lls. Td. per cent. Three millions of this total is paying more than 5 per cent., and a, million and a half is paying 6 per cent. An exciting incident is reported as having occurred the other day on the shore of Hio Hauraki Gulf. Several Natives were bathing when one of the youngsters saw a dark object lying motionless on the surface of the water. On closer investigation he found it to be ah octopus. He turned rapidly and commenced to swim for t'no shore, shouting out for help, as one of the tentacles of the octopus hnd already wound itself round one of his lega. 'Hie frantic screams of tho lad, who was now firmly held in tho grasp of the fish, attracted the notice of his companions, and two men swam out to his assistance. When they reached the boy both his legs were tightly bound, and he was nearly exhausted in his struggles to get free. The rescuers succeeded in dragging the boy and the octopus into shallow water, where they managed to get the !ad free, and put an end to the octopus. Had there been no help at hand, the boy would have met a terrible d«ath. It is said that it is unusually late in the year for an octopus to be seen in the gulf.