LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sir Joseph Ward, while delivering! his financial Statement on September 8, Ml, proved to admit free' of duly machinery tor tho development of tbo oil helds, or to admit such machinery bv provision on the Estimates. . No definite indication was given as to the time during which free admission was to continue, nor was the nature of tho article* to bo embraced by the term "plant" definitely specified. For the information of those Interested, the Government desires to announce that the promiso mado on September S will be carried out so far as it refers to all machinery, and to plant declared to be for oil-boring purposes, provided it can be shoA-n to the satisfaction of the Collector of Cnstcms to have been ordered einee September '8, 1911, anil prior to July 2G, 1912. . Six months n<?o, Mr. Castle, (ho '.treasurer of tho Wellington. Zoological' Society, intimated to tho president that coupons for.ca.sh payments were in some cases taken, by customers and thrown away; and that if the society would place n. box in some convenient place, that customers not intending to realise on their coupons might depisit them in it, and the president .would keep'the key, the deposits should lie presented to the Zoological Society. A box was accordingly placed in Sir. Castle's chemist shop, anil on Thursday evening it was reported that up to date the many unconsidored trifles amounted to £2 19s. -Id.

The shooting season, which closes next Wednesday, lias not produced very good sport in tho Auckland district. Tho ivet weather which prevailed in December killed a large proportion of tho young pheasants, and when sportsmen went into tho country with dog aiid gun they found only last season's birds, and few of these.. Altogether the season has been most disappointing throughout tho district. A local deputation, introduced by Dr. A. K. Newman, It.P., yesterday interviewed tho threo members of tho Cabinet who hail from Wellington, the Hon. A. 'L. Herdman, the Hon. F. 11. B. Fisher, and the Hon. H. D. Bell. Tho proceedings were private, but the principal object of tho deputation was to piggest the provision of improved facilities at Te Ato Railway Station. On Monday a deputation will bring the sa"hie subject under the notice of tho Hon. W. H. Hemes, Minister for Railways. A Chamber of Commerce depuration is to interview the Minister for Railways on the saiuo day. At the Zoological Society's council.meeting on Thursday night, Mr. Crewes read an extract from a letter he a few days earlier received from Australia. The writer, describing the Adelaide Zoo, expressed tho opinion that the flamingoes wore tho prettiest sight in tho Zoo. , The council thereupon asked the secretary to make inquiries, with a new to getting 6omo flamingoes for tho Wellington Zoo.

The Rev. J. J. North will bo the speaker at Hie meeting of the Wellington. City Men's Brotherhood on Sunday afternoon in the New Theatre. His subject will Le '"Gambling, Race-days, and the Sports Protection League." Tho meeting is open to men ajid women, and questions ore invited. Although tho prosecution of the irrigation scheme at Ida. Valley is at present partly held up owing to bad weatner, a good de.al of preparatory work is-being carried out under the superintendence of an overseer. Material required for building dams and reseivoirs is being got on to tho ground, but in the present stato of the weather it is impossible to open up the ground in readiness for the irrigation work proper. Mr. F. C. Hay, the Public Works (Department Engineer, who is to take charge of the irrigation works, is at present engaged in survey operations in North Canterbury, but is under instructions to proceed to Ida Valley as soon as better weather makes it possible to proceed upon a comprehensive scale, with tho development of the irrigation scheme. In his lecture before the Insurance Institute at Auckland on Wednesday evening, Dr. M'Dowell suggested that the Bachelor of Commerce degree should bo made particularly applicable; to tho various professions in commercial life. •He quoted for an example the degree of Bachelor of Engineering, the holders of wliich place after their nnmes (in abbreviated word to show in which branch ofengineering they have graduated. For instance, n graduate who hns been successful in mechanical engineering signs himEolf as "B.E. (Mcch.)." Dr. M'Dowell suggested that the Commerce degree could be similarly divided. There could be a branch of the degree for the actuarial, industrial, insurance, and banking professions. Dr. M'DowbH's suggestion was very favourably received by (ho members of the institute.

Tho members of the Eastbourne Borough Council are to make a tour of the district to-day, to personally sco tboso parts which are suffering at present from storm-water accumulations. Eastbouruo from tho eandy nature of its soil is, generally speaking, a particularly dry snot, but the phenomenally heavy rains of the past fortnight have severely tested the soakagc properties of the soil, and surfacewater is lying- in one or two parts of tho borough. It is to have a first-hand knowledge of these places during mid-wintar, and to devise some means of preventing similar accumulations in the future, that this afternoon's inspection is to bo made The party will assemble at tho foot of the Bono, Bay Wharf at 2 p.m. Mr; J. G. Swan, architect,'has Resigned the plans and is carrying out tho erection by clay labour of a new hofel at I/vin for Messrs. J. Staples nnd Co.. of Wellington. The new building will have a frontaeo of 68ft. to Oxford Street, bv one of 115 ft. to Durham Street. It will" bo a two-story building of wood, destined on tho latest design, combining utility with comfnrt. Tho ground floor has a largo bar (on tbe corner), three bar pnrlours, lounge hall, large commercial, writing, club, and dining rooms. Thirty bedrooms will 1)o provided irostnirs. An adjunct to tho new hotel will be a lnrgo'stable., to contain six lo"so-boxi>s and four pfnlis. Th« new structure will cost about .CiOOO. It is tlio intention a little later on of >r-.«r S . Stands nnd Co. to rebuild H« nld Wollinnl-on TTotcl. on tho corner of Svdn»v nnd Mnl P sw"rtli Struts. A rnntrnnt for Hi» first nnrHnn nf the new buildinir lins b«»n let by Mr. John S. Pwnn; nreVtocr, tr, .Tones and Ca'" n rnn. who bnvn n'roady made, a start v"'" , Hi/> wnvV This consists of a twn-«ro'- brick buildintr. Wft. by ,Wt, which !-- f obnf, tbe r»nr of the hotel on tli° «ito hithorto occunierl bv somo of tlip niit''"ii«">s niul adinnots of Mm bnW. T!i«« bliililinir will inelnde a Icifclion C2lft. Gin. bv 18ft.). wnsltlionpe. stor«-rnoni, ct<\. nnd n mimb?r of bedrooms im=fnirs. Tho building is costing about .£lf>oo. Announcements regardinu Sunday services will be found on tmiie 2 of this'issue At St. John's Chiireh, Willis Street (Presbyterian), Dr. Gibb's subject at the eveni'lir service will be "Tlio one tliiim nw,\. ful." At St. Andrew's Church (Presbyterian), the Ifev. Y. Paton will preach in tho morning on "The message of Korea," jind in Ihe evenins tbe P.cv. ,T, Gilvnn Smith's subject will be "Pilale." Tho eveninir pivachw <it Wesley Church Tnr.v naki Street, will be tho 'Rev. V. Vaton rartiou!:ivs of the sprviens at St. Paul's St. Peter's, and St. Mark's Anglican Churches, are ai'o announced. Warner's Bust-proof Corsets are oomfortiblo—guaranteed eo—they shape fnsnionablv. _ The bonos cannot rust or can the fabric jear. Try a pair. You will declare it i» oorsot perfection. Wellington Drapers.—A.dvt-