LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Maheno,' with English (via Suez) nnd Australian mails, arrived at Auckland from Sydney at 7.30 a.m. yesterday. The Wellington portion of the mail will arrive by this afternoon's Main Trunk express. . • ,

The postal authorities advise that English and American niail?, via San Francisco, Tahiti, and Earotonga, are due-'in Wellington on Thursday, July 18:'

The Court of Appeal sittings commence to-day. The list of business will probably bo light. i

Wo agree that there, is a lock-out in Keefton, and consider that tho Labour Department should have taken a, case, if only to tost tho legnl position and in order to facilitate, a • settlement afterwards," is tho opening sentence in the Trades and Labour Council's reply to the appeal of Mr. Pagan, on behalf of the Rectton miners. "But, seeing that your union has completely handed over its control of your dispute to the'executive of the New Zealand Federation of Labour," the roply goes on, "and that that Federation is antagonistic and opposed to the principles of the United Labour party, which party this council is resolved to join, we cannot recommend our affiliated unions to give direct approval of the policy and principles of the New Zealand Federation under the guise and in the form of monetary assistance to your union."

Despite the unfavourable weather of Saturday evening, the Orphans Club's fortnightly "orphanositim," as these periodical, convivial gatherings are happily styled, was well attended, there being a very large muster of "orphans" at tho Masonic Hall. Tho "Most Orphan" (Dr. A. W. Izard) was in the chair, nnd a capital programme, of miscellaneous items, intcnupted by a felicitous interval for lefreshinenr, was carried out. The Prime Minister (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) was expected, but was unable, on account of pressing political business, to be present. L'hs next gathering of the Orphans will be held in honour of his Excellency the Governor, when Lord Islington will be present.

Following are the vital statistics of Wellington for tho month of June, nnd for'the half-year just ended. Last vear's figures are shown in parentheses:—Births, for Juno 166 (157), for the half-year, 101U (980); deaths, for June, 68 (68). for tho half-year, 360 (410); marriages, for June, Tβ (71), for the half-year, 536 (510); marriages in the Registrar's office, for the mouth, 16 (M), for tho half-year, 122 (110).

Tho Wellington Suburbs district, which has beeu for the most part, a No-License area for some years now, became absolutely "dry" on Saturday night. Up till 10 o'clock on Saturday the public could havo legally asked for supply, and after that any giiesl-s staying on tho promises could Imvo been served with fermented or spirituous liquors," but tho midnight hour of Saturday called up the long drought. The two hotels affected were tho Porirua and Faremata Hotels, two old houses that in tho old coaching days were popular places of call. There arc now no licensed premises between Wellington and IVkakariki. Tho reason for -the elimination of the two licenses named is the recent alteration in tho electoral boundaries, which brought Porirun and Paremata into Ihe Wellington Suburbs (a No-Lieenso district).

Two brothers, both young mon, were nrr«ved by Detective Mason and Consta'ule Kolly in Wellington on Saturday, on charges of the theft of a bundle of socks, a shirt, and ft hut from the Cuba Street shop of Messrs. George, and George, drapers. They will be charged at the Magistrate's Court this morning.

On Friday evening a concert party vis. ifwl .the Itomeior tho Aged Needy, Nowtuw.i, and a first-class programme was pre.-entcd, which was greatly enjoyed by the ininnfrs. Songs were givon by the Misvrs linndiill nnd Schoeh nnd Mi.-s South. Mo-srs. ,1. V. Can. Phipps. 11. rietclipr. If. Mentes, Itc?. Jlnofon, Ft. 11. T'npc, :ind I'. Jeffries. Mr. Borneo Gardiner whistled; and Miss'Schocli rpcil«l. Msufers Myeis and K. Miers contributed violin iolos.- Mr;, S. Myers mad.o nu ef. jkicilt AWUJWIUSW ■ . '

During tho period from April 1 to .Tune 30 this year, building permits have been issued in. Onslow Borough for Imildinffs totalling in value .£29,097 10s., whilst the. value of buildings for which perinits wero issued (luring tho wholo of ilio preceding financial year (1911-12) Amounted to .£17,000. Tho chief cnttso of t!is liig jump in tho first quarters figures of tho current financial year is tho pending erection at Kaiwarra of a largo wool and flax store for Messrs. Levin and Co.

The offices of tho Official Assignee, are to ha moved to-day from the i'ublic Trust Buildings to tho premises lately occupied I>y I he. Wellington Meat Export Company nn Lamblon Quay.

Messrs. Hoggard and Prouse, nrchiiccls, have lieen entrusted with the work of dosigning considerable extensions' to tho premises <if the Wellington Woollen Company at I'etone. This will tako the form of a new wool store of three floors, to be constructed in steel and concrete, with a flat roof, and walls strong enough to boar tho weight of further floors should ill further extensions be necessary in tho future. Each of the Iloors will be C3l't. uin. by 77ft. Gin., which will givo ■roughly 15,000 ft. of floor space an elevator will servo each floor. The mill is also to hove a hosiery manufacturing department, which will occupy two floors of a new building, each Gift, by 103 ft., giving floor space of 13.000 ft. Tho lower floor is to bo well lighted from all sides and the top by a saw-tooth roof of nine teeth. This building will also bo erected in steel and concrete. The directors of tho company met on Friday last, and approved tho plans, and tenders for tho 'work are to be called forthwith.

So heavy havo been the bookings for both tho Town Halls (big hall and Concert Chamber) this winter that the season has been a test of managerial arrangements. Tho almost continuous bookings of both bolls has demonstrated that the ticket offices at the main ontrauco oro inadequate. Owing to (he Concert Chamber being let for a stretch of threo months, ono of the ticket offices only is available for the large hail, and that is not-sufficient, when, there is a large audience. Moreover, tho public are apt to be confused, and purchase tickets for an entertainment or function which they do not wish to attend. Up till tho present tho difficulty has teen got over by a mutual acceptance of tickets by the controlling authorities of each hall, but at tho same time, it indicates a weakness in the arrangements. It is suggested that a ticket office for the Concert Chamber might bo erected upstairs in tho recess beside the stairway leading to tho gallery of the smaller hall. If that wero dono the two offices below would always be arailnblo for uso in connection with tho Town Hall proper.

Two .men lincl a narrow escape from death al Auckland on Thursday afternoon last. The scow Lady of th? Lako was lying at Wilson's Wharf, Hobson Street, the crew being engaged in discharging sand in barrels from the vessel to the wharf. A barrel of sand, weighing about scwl\, had' been hoisted about 20ft. when the mast to which the derrick was attached mapped in two, and with derrick, sand, and tackle fell to the deck. Captain Cirogan was struck in the face by the tackle, and had two tooth knocked out, also receiving a bad cut over tho eye. After attention at a chemist's shop ho was nblo to proceed homo. Another member of tho crow received a blow on the head, but was nblo to continue his work. Bystanders declare tha./ the two men had marvellous escape?, 'as the barrel of sand fell very near to them, and if it had struck them it would liavo meant certain death.

Tho accommodation at the Inebriates' Homo at Koto Eoa Island is taxed to its utmost capacity, thei'o being now 10G patients at tho institution. ' As accommodation is provided for a maximum of 100 patients, it can be seen that tho authorities have had to mako extra provision for six men. At Pakatoa Island thero are 33 female patients, whereas thero is accommodation for a maximum of 50 Women. At Koto Roa lilaud tho most recent work of improvement is tho construction of a breakwater nnd a road along the foreshore of (ho bay. It is tho ultimate intention of the Salvation Army authorities to erect a landing place or jetty at the bay, a most necessary improvement in view of the fact that at tho present time there are no proper facilities for landing.

The annual session of tho Synod of the Diocese of Wellington will be opened at tho Sydney Street Schoolroom at 3 p.m. to-morrow.

On Friday afternoon tlie Auckland Education Instituto adopted the following remit to bo forwarded for consideration at tlici annual meeting of (ho New Zealand J'iducntioDiil Institute:—ln order to facilitate the working of our schools, it is desirable that (ho Education .Acti and tho regulation? thereunder should bo to arao.mled that— (1) All calculations for (a) payment of funds from the Department t.p the boards; (b) payment of funds fi'O'ii boards to coinniittees; (c) payment of salaries; nnd (d) staffing of schools, ojc, at present based on the average '.tail/ attendance, shall thereafter bo based on tho working roll number. It is suggested that the working roll number for each Quarter be the total number on tho roll of punils who havo attended not fewer than "half tho number of times Wio fphool has been open. (2) Tho present Sanitation system for manual work in yi'iinary schools shall bo discontinued in tavour of definite allowances as for stationery.