LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1498, 22 July 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

is the Huddnrt-Parker steamer Wimmera did not leave Sydney for "Auckland till' Thursday last-fa day late—tho ling-, lish and Austvnliail mails,-which are on board, will not arrive in Wellington till to-morrow afternoon. The local wireless station ropqrts that tho Wimmera expects to arrive at Auckland to-day at 11 a.m. TII9 Education Commission has asked for an extension of time, in which to complete its inquiry, from July 25 to July 31. Tho Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister for Education) stated on Saturday that the commission would probably get the extra time it had asked for. According to a return prepared for the information of tho City Council, the estimate of expenditure for tho year 1912-13 ■will show a considerable increase on the amount for the previous year. In ton years the expenditure in this department of municipal affairs has risen from ,£3G9B to .£7942. . A deputation from the local Chamber of Commerce is to interview the Hon. W. H. Hemes (Minister for Hoihvays) this week in reference to the acceleration of tho early morning and evening trains between Palmerston North and Wellington; tho desirability of having surveys taken to ascertain the most practicable route for the, deviation of the railway' to relievo tho traffic on the Manawatu; and the institution of a through booking system on the New Zealand railways. Tho Civil Service Commission will commence' its sittings in Christchurch this morning. Ah interesting contribution .of Maori curios lias just been made to the Auckland Museum bv Mr. Humphrey B. Dcvereux. Although the Auckland Isthmus in tho early davs was studded with numerous fortified 'Maori pos, of which Mount Eden tind One-tree Hill are tho most notable examples, and although it might be expected that numerous articles of Maori handiwork would be found about these fortifications, in point of fact the number of specimens that have been unearthed is very small indeed. Twenty-two years ago, however, Mr. Devereux noticed, near tho summit of One-treo Hill, a bit of greenstone projecting from the scarfed wall of one of the Maori earthworks. On removing some of the soil he found it to be a groenstono axo in perfect condition. Further search revealed the presence of a. fino ear-drop of singularly beautiful and graceful shape. The articles were found within a few yards of tlva place where the body of the late Sir John L. Campbell now lies, and it occurred to Mr. Dsveroux that they might appropriately repose in the recesses of an institution which will share in the bequests recently left to the citizens of Auckland by their great benefactor. "The uriion should insist on the Gov-, ernment appointing an inspector of gear, so that tho regulations may be fully carried out, and all gear regularly examined."— Wellington Waterside Workers' annual report. . There are now 2026 street lamps in Wellington, representing .£B7IO in cost. In 1904 there were only 816 lamps, and the cost then totalled .£3194. Street lighting now costs 4d. per unit; track lighting, 31d. per unit; Town Hall lighting, ad.; power, 3d. Tho payment by tho Wellington Watcrsido Workers' Union of ono year's fees to tho Federation of Labour amounted to .-£IOO, and (states the annual report) during this period the union has been generous in donations, to the extent of .£l5B. Notwithstanding this additional oxpense, tho union's balanco at tho bauk has been increased from £S'll Is. to .£630 15s. Id., and assets from JJBGO to =£1033 'fc. 7d.

A ueculinr aspect of the licensing law of this' Dominion was mentioned by the Prime Minister when be stated, in replying to a recent deputation, that the residents of Taumarunui and To Kuiti were not permitted to vote, for or against the issue of licenses in their own towns, but only for or against, tho issue of licences at Waitara. The position is due to the fact that Taumarunui and Te Kuiti, being in the King Country, are subject, to the special regulations concerning the exclusion of liquor, which obtain in that area. Both towns are also in the Taumarunui doctorate, and hence their residents vote at. licenrinir elections for or agnjnst license:i at Waitara, which is in (he Taumarunui electorate, but outside the limits of the King Country. In replying to the above-mentioned deputation. Mr. Mousey remarked flint. he> had always voted against giving European residents in the King Country the right tc vote for or against the licensed sale of liquor in their own neighbourhood, but that tlift number of these- European residents was increasing rapidly, and that it piirlit not lie found possible to continue, indefinitely tip policy of refusing them full voting privileges in licensing polls.

A rather singular accident occurred at the I'cilding suleyards a'few days ago. A settler was standing on the platform along the top of the cattle- pens, when an old cow apparently took exception to tho oilskin cosit ho was wearing. The more she looked the less sho liked it,.and gradually working herself up into a fury she. jumped on her hind legs and with a vicious shake of her head and a butt forward put one horn through the oilskin. The wearer was taken completely by surprise, and within another fow seconds lie found himself in the pen beside tho enraged animal. Ho fell with considerable force, and in doing so came in contact with the cow's horn, as a result of which his leg was badly injured. The animal's fury instantly subsided, and no further attempt to nlolcst him was made. Surgical attondauce had to bo obtained. "Camp Coffee," a preparation of tho finest, coffee grown, never goes stale, never wastes—a perfect boon to all!—Advt,

Tlio now tramway timo-tablo comes into operation to-day. Tho alterations affect all routes. A gentleman called on the "Taranaki Daily News" the other day to deny that iioolt vondors on railway trains excepted women from their appeals to purchase questionable books, "Two of my girls," lie said, "wero going down tho line (ho other day, and one of the train pests offered ono of these objectionable books to them. Knowing from personal observation what was going on, I cautioned the girls before they left against buying theso Ixioks on the train, and the girls promptly refused to buy. This was not enough, 'i'ho wretch pestered them for a considerable i time until, being unable to stand his attentions any longer, they promptly complained to tho guard. After that they were left alone." During an excursion in tho valley of tho Danube, the members of an anthropological society in congress in Heilbronn, Germany, were given a. stone-age banquet by Edouard Halm, an archaeologist of Berlin. A sandbank in tlio middle of tho river served as the tabic, and all tho utensils, dishes, etc., used wero of wood, especially mado far the occasion, in exact imitation of those used in the stone-ago. Tlio monu consisted of cabbage soup, cooked in n wooden bowl by placing heated stones therein; boiled "leg of horse," roast pork with, stowed maize, turnips roasted in tho ashes, and a dessert of dried berries served with honey. According to Hie guests at this unique banquet, the human race of the stone-age period could have had no reason to complain of such fare. It is understood that an alternative scalo of tram fares to that suggested in a previous report by the City Tramway Board has been prepared by the board for consideration at tho meeting of tho City Council to-morrow. .