LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1450, 27 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

As thei V iminern dsd not leave Sydnev n-LhlT'Tlv Y llt!t , 1 011 Thursday (instead ot Aednesday as usual), the Kiigusn mail via Suez will not arrive here until .o-morrow afternoon, assuming that «»'»er connects with to-day's Main liunk express at, Auckland. ,1,.«- I L? nti " mi y- tari - t sPMlf"' who addiessed a meeting in Customhouse Square y sterday met with a foeman worthy of hieel in tho person of a Erev-rearded bv innk- wh S ?!] liv . en , (id . tho proceedings W making hostile interjections. "If you don't, l-.ke New Zealand well enough to live in ,t, get out!" is a sample of the aduco that the veteran offeree! to the orator. 'I do like New Zealand," declared the latter, "and that is • why I want to make it better. My friend 'will py, he continued, "that the bnv.s ought to be trained." "So they should," rejoined the veteran sturdily. "Let me point .out," said the anli-militarist speaker, that my friend's age e.temMs him from training; that will be left to the boys. "I have done my time," siated the veteran, "both in England and oih here.' ''It doesn't seem to have done you much good, dart," was the somewiiat rude comment of a by-otiiuder. "Why hasn't, it done him much good?'' queried another by-stander in indignant tones; it has made a man of him anyway! The offidi.il opening of the Glenhone section of the Xelson-Murclitson railway iino has been postponed for a. fortnight. It was to have taken place on Juno 3. _ The Christchurch "Spectator," which is printed and published by tho Hon. G. W. Russell,, said on Saturday in the coursß of an article on the Local Government Bill:—"The Hon. G. W. Russell, too, who, by the way is roping in much credit for his successful and Herculean task in this connection, seems unlikely to offer any forbidding objection to dropping the education clauses of tho measure. ... At anyrate, for tho success so far attained tho 'Spectator' congratulates the Mackenzie Government in general and tho Minister for Internal Affairs in particular." Mr. Russell is the Minister for Internal Affairs. A meeting of nil interested in the formation of a suitable track over the Tararuas was hold at Otaki 011 Friday night, Mr. W. 11. Field being the convener. There was a very satisfactory attendance, and much interest was evinced over the proposal. Mr. Field pointed out the many advantages to be derived from tho formation of a track, and tho advisability of erecting a hut. His views were warmly supported. Mr. Morgan Carkeek was elected chairman of committee for the proposal, and Mr. W. Burns Smith secretary. Subscription lists will be opened immediately.

Cabinet has decided (o double the number of places to which weather forecasts will be sent, thus bringing tho number up fo 200. The Meteorological Department now pays JiIOOO per annum to the Post Office for telegraphing the forecast, but tho increase in the number of stations will not involve a proportionate increase in the cost, as the Post and Telegraph Department is willing lo' i-c----dnco tho rates if the messages) are froiiiied according to districts. When t.lio new system conies into operation, Hie Government Meteorologist will prepare a special forecast for each group, una theso forecasts will be more definite and detailed than the general one now issued. Tho following are the new stations in tbo North Island:—Tokomaru Bay, ilanpiroa, Waipukurau, Takapau, Ormondville, Cape Palliser, Port I'itzrov, Tryphenn, Te Kaha, To Aroha, Hiejis BaV, Mnnaia, Waverley, Inglewood, Midhurs't, Eltham, Whangainomonn, Mangaweka, Halcombe, Bulls, ICimliolton, Shannon, Levin, Eketahuna, Maurieeville, Peatherston, Martinborough, Waiuku, Mokan, Driiry, Mercer, Hiintl.v, Tualmi, Morrinsville, Taumarunui, Taupo, dimktuie, Raehiti, Waiouru. i Settlers in tho district from Pahautanui to Waikanae or thereabouts are complaining of tho hnvoc wrought by opossums upon their fruit crops, Orchards and gardens situated near the patches of standing bus!), where these animals have their fairs, have naturally suffered the most severely. The opossums seem to be particularly fond of apples and penis, but no sort of fruit comes amiss to them, and they are not particular as to whether it is ripe or not. It is staled Hint: in some instances they have deMroveil half the erop.

As *his is t lie sea-on of I lie y?ar for planting roses and sweet pens, the Hose and Carnation Club will hold a meetilij; in Qodbcr's rooms, Cuba Street, on Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock, when ocular demonstration by expert exhibitors will be given on tho best methods of "planting and pruning ros?c." At the Mine meeting a paper will be read on "SweM jies=, and how lo grow tlieni lo produce show blooms. ' T'ull discission will be arranged, and a very interesting evr.iijng is assured. In view of the early siIIi11 ■» of (he Civil Service Conuni-sion, Ihe New Zealand Civil Hervite A"-oi'iation is asking (ho Prime Minister to be alhnvc;l olliiial rojii u-.-cnlalion at Hie wilh || in right lo a.-k f|iresHon>'. Th« branches »f the association are to be circularised bv tlio executive ccmmittfo tor an espre-.-ioii of opinion n-s to the holding of a Dominion innfotrnr/* l« *J»* of tta iumlisalictu of Ujo CJoisbumioiv

The l'cinii(. I!n> in HusscM Terraco i;.fiV.L'ii'il tin* circunislnisri's "I' I lie. family n} Mr. Wm. Charles Turner, a casual labourer, wlin-i- work is intcrmitlenf in fln? winlit time. Mr. Turner has .six little* children, ranging in age from six munilis in thirteen yearn, and j-inni llin tire, which iU's!.n>yed almost. the wtioUill' their elofhiiiu, mm ims been tstlicn In (ho liospiial siilVfiinfrom diphtheria. The <!■■■neral Labourers' Union lias donated .til) 11> I]h: rcliof fuiiil, eoiilribiiiiiins In which will lie thankfully received by the* Town Clerk or Mr. .M. .1. i'eardo!!, Trades Hall, Wellington. Tlki Mission Hand played at llm Imspil.nl yesterday afternoon. 'J'lio colleclion amounted io .!'■(. William M'Mnbon, n si si^lo mnn, 20 years of :i;_;i' (n civil servant living at MitehcllSawn), has been aduiiitcil to I lie. li i.'s|iil,i!. Iln broke his leg while playing l'ootlmll on .Saturday uflorruioii.