LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1499, 23 July 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It _ has been decided to defer further consideration of the Tramway Board's report on the reorganisation of the city tramway system till the fortnightly meeting of the City Council on Thursday next after the ordinary business has bsen disposed of. So far as can be gathered there is not a very great deal left to be 'done, and it is not expected that Thursday's sitting in committee will last more than an hour. Tho Public Works Department is interested to some extent in the position that has arisen over tho building of tho now bridge at Wanganui. It is now reported that the building contract cannot go through, becauso it is impossible lo drive tho piles. Tho contract was let by tho Wanganui Town Council, and it is under the council's control, but the Public Works Department had undertaken to contribute a subsidy. Now t.ho Department is an interested spectator merely. Mr. 11. J. 11. Blow, Under-Secretary for tho Department, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that tho Department looked to the contractor to finish the work. There might bo difficulties, as difficulties frequently cropped up in carrying out contracts, but it rested with the contractor to overcome them. With the control of Hie contract, however, the Department was not at all concerned; that was tho Wanganui Borough Council's business.

An interesting case to nil concerned in musical ventures will ho heard in the S.M. Court on Thursday next. The action is one instituted by a vocalist against a local musical society for part of a fee withheld on account of the former not presenting himself at the final (or any) rehearsal; The case is one of some importance, as it frequently happens that a society engages for a performance a professional singer, who is either en tour or who is in a remote part of the country when the engagement is made, and as a general thins one rehearsal at least is considered necessary to ensure the success of the performance. A gener.il meeting of members of the Academy of Fine Arts was held last night, to adopt alterations to the society's articles of association. Tho purport of the amendments was to abolish voting by proxy at the election of officers, and (o substitute for it voting by post. The privilege of voting by post, however, will 1m available only to members residing at 15 miles distance from AYollington, and to members, resident in Wellington,) who are temporarily absent from their homes. Mr. Justice Sim will preside at a Chamber sitting of tho Supremo Court at 10 o'clock this morning. The award of tho Court of Arbitration has been filed in the dispute between the Federated Boot Trades' Association and the Boot Manufacturers' Federation. The award is based upon tho agreement (already published) arrived at by the parties. It comes into force on August 1, and remains in force for three years, applying to tli" northern industrial district (execnt th» Gishorne iudicial district*, Taranaki, Wellington, "Otago, Canterbury, and Southland. The Parliamcntarv Library has been placed under the Ministerial control of the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. A collision occurred in Cuba Street about 2.10 p.m. yp*t°rclnv, between a motor-car and a. double-decker Iramcar. No serious injuries result ml t'i anyone as a result of the collision, but it was s-imo ten minutes before the motor-car could be removed from the lino, and in th* meantime half-a-dozen trams were held up on tho section. A small slin occurred on tho railway line near SilverstT»am yesterday morniii?. and na's.icneers by the mornirifr trains had to change cars to get to town. A snecial meting rf the Reserves Committee of the Citv Council will bo held to-morrow to consider the evidence; and report of the sub-committee apnointed to inonire into certain matters connected with the general management of the reTt is exnected that the renort will T;o presented to the City Council on Thursday.

The finniwl conference of the Acclimatisation Societies of Ww Zealand, usually held in the month of July, lias been fixed to bo held in Wellington on August U. Tho congestion in the press pallory at fiirliair.ent. will be relieved when tho House meets aenin os a result of th« absorption into the reporters' fallen' of the space fornierlv r?<vM'vod for Ministers' wives and daughters. Tn future the wives of Ministers will be accommodated, like wives of other members, on the floor of the House. The chancre was one of urgent necessity, for the men who=e business if was to report, the nronMriiwn of Parliament were nt times hampered by the lack of sufficient space, to' accommodate everybody comfortably. A very'high complimotvt has been paid by tho Hon. StaiufoT-th Smith (Administrator for the Australian Government) to the London Missionary Society's ngents in Papua. He stares that. Iho effect of the work of tho missionaries in that tcrrilory lias been nothing but good. lie adds: "T anv chd lo have (he -opportunity of saying that they are doing excellent, work. Thev Iwivo been of immense advantage to the Government, they have co-operated with the Government, they have not scught in any way to arrogate to tlicmI nelver, any of |li(i<c fniici.iuiis which beI lnpa tn tho civil ' -