LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister for Education, the Hon. .lames Allen, showed some ;innoyaiie-o in the House yesterday over the publication in JUK Dominion and other pnpors of a biiinmury of the Education Commission's report. In the course of his remarks he said ho did not think the report .should have been published until it was laid on the table of the House, and he appeared to imagine -that some bUuiic was attachable to tho papers publishing i|. Since Mr. Allen is so sciMtiro on the point, why did he, according to his own statement ill the House, hand over n copy of the report the previous night to evening paper representatives, to enable I In? evenlilt; papers throughout the country to forestall the morning papers? II 15' true that he. spociliccl that those papers were not lo u-e it until il wns hid on tho table of the House, bill his net ion unfairly placed the whole iif (he moriiiii-j papers of the Dominion at n disadvantage. Mr. Allen, of course, is new to Ministerial office, am! was no doubt annoyed to think that he should lie. charged with favouring The Dosii.vios , . As a matter nf fact, this paper has nothing to thank Ministers for in the way of information—quite the reverse—nor does it propose to study (ho whims of Ministers as to when anil how it should publish news of interest and , concern to its readers. As to the Education Commission's report, The Domixiox 11 ltd other papers were entitled to publish it whenever the opportunity occurred,

The postal authorities advise tlint the B.s. Maungamii, which sailed from Sydney at noon on August 3, has ou board an Australian mail. She is duo to arrive here this (Wednesday) morning. . The Prime: Minister is to 1» asked by Mr. Harris whether all claims against the New -Zealand Government in what is known as the Webster case have been settled, and also whether any" tangible benefit (o tho Dominion in connection with tho case has resulted from the recent visit of Sir John Findlay to London. Commodious offices, comprising a large meeting hall, library, students' room, and secretary's offices, have (says tho annual report of the New Zealand Society of Accountants) been secured under lease on tho third floor of a centrally situated building in the course of erection in Johnston Street, Wellington. The building, which will be known us "Accountants' Chambers," will be completed about tho ond of the present vear. A portion of the space available will be sub-leas:od to tho Wellington branch. /Die meeting hall .will nflord ample accommodation for meetings of the members and students, and will also be available for company and other meetings at a reasonable fee. Marlon Junction is recommended as a site for an agricultural college by Mr. E. Newman, M.P., in a question addressed to the Government. He submits that Marton should be considered on account of its central position and the'quality nf the land hi the district. A school farm already exists at Marlon, and Mr. Newman states -that it attracts students from Ion? distances, but that its operations are hampered owing to a lack of sufficient buildings. Yesterday afternoon Detectives Camoron, liawle, and Hammond arrested n man on a charge of his having forged tho name of Charles Campbell to a cheque for £8 125., and uttered the cheque to a Christohurch hotelkeeper. Mr. Escott, member for Pahiatua, will nsk the Minister for Defence on Wednesday to place free railway passes to rifle teams on the old footing, that is to grant them for distances, not exceeding 100 miles. Mr. Escqtt submits that this restoration would tend to preserve rifle shooting as a national sport and would encourage men to buy their own rifles and arm themselves at their own expense-. ' Yesterday evening a meeting of tho Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held. Since the last meeting tho following donations have been received by tho society:—Mr. A. de Brandon, JCI Is.; Messrs. Chapman, Skcrrelt, Wylie, and Tripp, 10s. Gd.; Mr. 1 , . Meadowcroft, 10s. Gd.j Messrs. J. O'Brien and Co., 10s. Gd.; Messrs. W. and J. Staples and Co., 55.; Mr. R. A. Holmes, 55.; Messrs. Coulls, Culling and Co., 55.; Mr. E. Tregear, 25.. 6d.; and Miss Gruar, 2a. A private view of some interesting scientific pictures is to lie given for the medical and scientific fraternity at tliu King's Theatre this afternoon at I) o'clock. Prior to tho big Reform Rally in tho Town Hall on Monday evening, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., Mr. Herbert S. Claughton (organist of St. Andrew's Church) played a number of organ solos in a very pleasing manlier. "Will there be a tariff Amendment Bill this session?" was a question to tho Minister !'or Customs, of which Mr. H. (1. Ell-gave notice yesterday. Mr. Ell slated that there had been a largo increase in Customs revenue, and suggested remissions of duty on crockery, glu6swar«, cutlery, etc. . In the report of the Reform League Conference yesterday it was stated in error that a committee "had no recommendation to make regarding the proposed appointment of an official organiser of tho parly." Tho word "organiser" should havo been "organ." * A request for tho appointment of an .additional valuer for the North Auckland district was made to the Prime Minister yesterday. A deputation explained that at present there is only one valuer stationed north of Auckland, aud that this officer frequently had to employ farmers and others as sub-valuers because he personally could not cover-the whole of his district. Mr. Massey promised to obtain • a ■ report ■ from the Valuer-General on tho proposal. : Tie' thought that as the amount of work was increasing through the progress of settlement, a valuer would probably be appointed for the western side of the peninsula in tho very near future. In, response to representations made by a deputation which was recently introduced to the Prime Minister at Woodville by Mr. J. H. Escort, M.P., the Minister •for Public AVorks has notified that member that an officer of tho Geological Department will be sent to inspect and report upon the Maharahara coalfield, as soon as one is available All the officers of the- Department are at present busily engaged.