LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1510, 5 August 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Maheno, with English and Australian mails on board, arrived at Auckland from Sydney at 5 p.m. yesterday, in good time, to connect with the overland express. The Wellington nnd southern portions of the mails will arrive in town this afternoon.

Cabinet held a lengthy sitting on Saturday, most of its time being spent upon the Financial Statement. The proofs of this document are now undergoing final revision. The Prime Minister (the Hon. \V. P. Massey) stated last evening that ho had no doubt that the Financial Statement and Estimates would bo presented to the House on Tuesday.

An important conference will take place at General Headquarters, Alexandra Barracks, this morning, when representatives of tho New Zealand Rifle Clubs' Association will meet General Godloy in order to discuss matters affectilig the future interests of rifle clubs. '

A Petone deputation recently waited upon the Hon. W. H. Herrios (Minister for Railways), to ask that various improvements should be made in connection with the running of suburban trains. The Minister has now forwarded a oomimmication to Mr. Wilford, M.P., who introduced tho deputation, giving a definite reply to some of the requests advanced. For tho convenience of passengers, suburban trains aro henceforth t'o be made up, as far as possible, on a uniform plan, first and second-class carriages being placed in the same relative positions. Improved facilities are to be provided for the sale of tickets on Monday mornings and on holidays. Holiday and weekly tickets aro to bo sold al Petone on Saturdays and Sundays; and an additional clerk is to be detailed for the sale of tickets on Monday mornings. Effortsare to be made to minimise the disorganisation of ordinary suburban traffic on race days.

The weather was anything but propitious on Saturday for the usual week-end sports. During the morning the wind veered round to the south, and a bank of thundorous-hued clouds quickly revealed its intention of re-intromicing the disagreeable conditions of the mid-week. Heavy rain set in, and continued almost witho'ut intermission until a late hour on Saturday night. By yesterday morning the packed clouds had disappeared, and the weather continued brilliantly fair throughout the day. There was a brighter tint of, azure from the dimpled surface of the harbour, the hills were green with the promise of spring, and away across the harbour could bo wen in clear relief the s'atolyTararuas and Rimutakas in their winter mantles, closing in the prospect to the north wifth ponks of dazzling white. It was one of Wellington's most beautiful days.

"You never know until you go about canvassing at an election what an awful blackguard your candidate is," said Mrs. A. K. Newman, in the course of a speech at the Sydney Street Schoolroom on Saturday night. "Of course," sho added, amidst laughter, "that' never applied to the candidate for Wellington East."

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court open nt 11 o'clock this morning. Tho Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) will be on the Bench.

As a sequel to a .recent fatal accident to a Wellington tram conductor, Mr. Davey, 31.1'., has intimated that ho will ask the Government whether it will favourably oonsider the advisability of amending' the tramway legislation in tho direction of providing that existing tramcars shall bo gradually converted, so that conductors will not bfi compelled to collect fares from a footboard.

With reference to the examination and selection of staff cadets for the Royal Australian Military College, it is announced in District Orders that before n cadet is accepted as a candidate he is to bo medically examined by a. board of medical officers convened by District Headquarters. If medically fit, the candidate, will bo allowed to compete at the entrance examination. Cadets who are selected after the examination will be again medically examined by the same board of medical officers beforo being finally accepted as staff cadets. This.fina , me'dical examination will take plaoo just prior to the cadets being required to report at Headquarters, Wellington, before sailing for Australia. Copies of old examination papers may be obtained from Messrs. Whiteombe and Tombs, Wellington, at Is. per set.

An examination in tho subjects of Class "C" will bo held at Pnlmerston North ou August 9 and 10 next, for officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps in the Wellington Military District. There aro iivo candidates.

Those who "turned up their noses" at tho odour of the hump-backed whale of Lyall Bay have Httlo idea to what uses the oil from such carcasses is put to nowadays. Mr. B. Jacobsen, the Norwegian gentleman, who visited Wellington last week in connection with tho establishment in these waters of still another whaling company, states that whaleoil is now being used extensively in Norway and Denmark in the manufacture of margarine, which in those countries is an article of food in much commoner use, than butter. A great deal of butter is made in both (he countries mentioned, but, according to tho visitor, the price it commands on the London market makes it prohibitive for the working-class peopie in either Norway or Denmark. "Whale nil mnkes very good margarine," declared Mr. .Tacolison, "and it. is relished by those who acquire the tnslo for it!" H<) it swsnis that "whale farms" may some day bo an addition to the industries of the Dominion, with whale inspectors, and ilm rest of Iho official paraphernalia which go to make up an industry.

Simplicity itself in prepnje— a. ehiM can malcr a delicious cup of "Camp Coffee in hnU mliiuU without ri»k ot fo.ilure,~ Advt,

A happy idea on the part of Hie Cana(liiin (.'adds when in Auckland (oi\ route lo Sydney) last! week was Hie saluting of the statue of Sir George Grey, at the head of Queen Street. In this manner a solid appreciation of the great dead who have helped to build an Empire overseas is lxiinif inculcated. The cadets are to lour Mew Zealand in November next.

Miss Ethel Irving, Hie brilliant English comedienne, has just returned to England from Australia, and made her reappearance at the Hippodrome. Miss Irving finds the Australians a race of passionate theatregoers, and she notes what she terms the amazing power of the press in moulding their judgment. "The. social side of Australia," she says, "is very marked. The Australians arc a pleasiire-loviiig race. Dinners, balls, dances from one end of the year to the. other, and everybody goes to the theatre. Their likes and dislikes are marked. They take every sort of play offered—but it has to'fce the best of its kind or you hear from them. The power of the press is amazing. Everybody—from the little boy in the street to the man at the top of the social scale—reads the papers, and tlieir faith' in the press is complete. 'I read it in the paper,' you will hear them I say, 'so it must be true.'"

'The increasing popularity of tlio Vancouver servicQ as a means of travel is shown by tlie fact that the Makurn, which sailed from Auckland on Friday for the Canadian port, look about 270 passengers in all classes. Of this number, 32 first, 40 second, and 15 third-class passengers joined the vessel at Auckland, and came from nil parts of New Zealand. As on previous trips, Uie majority of the passengers were from Australia, the Makura on tlio present trip having about 193 from the Commonwealth on board. There is still a demand for New Zealand butter in Canada, and the Makura took some 4000 boxes, in addition to lines of liiries, wool, flax, etc.

Tho ?no\v on the Tararua ranges has driven the deer on to the low lands, and several small herds have been seen browsing in paddocks at the foot of the hills during the last week.

Ono of the largest wliales over seen on the coast was captured uIT To Kaha last week, .stales the Opotiki "Hcrnld." It was siR-hted" on Tue-day afternoon, and soveral lwats put off in hopes of sceuriiiß it. When struck by the harpoons it stnvo in two of His boats ami made for tha open sea. After an exciting Tun the whale succumbed just as it became dark. It took until five o'clock the following morning, however, to pel- the monster ashore Tt measured fIS feet in length and 12 feet in tioieht. anil bMn.s of the. right species is probably worth JMSO.

The. susgostions of Captain Davey, tho commander of the Vancouver cadet contingent, now en route- to Sydney, that the Auckland cartels .should moot his bovs in open competition in November Xlmi they return to New Zealand, prior to thoir leaving for homo, has around considerable interest in cadet and territorial circles in Auckland, states tho "Herald." Colonel C. T. Major, of the

Auckland King's College, will place the matior before his officers and cadets at tho first opportunity, and Mr. J. AY. Tibbs, of the Grammar School, intends to do the same. Mr. Tiblxs believes that time nnd circumstances permitting, his boys will probably co-operate on the lines suggested. He believes that a. comnetition in company drill, squad drill, advance and rear-guard work, as well as shooting would be (iiiito within their sphere, as suggested by Captain Davey.