LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1538, 6 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Maheno, which left Sydney; at noon en September i, for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail, 'also on English mail, via Suez. The Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Main Trunk on Monday next, September 9. On two occasions the big stores of the Vacuum Oil Company, at Kaiwarra, have been broken into at night, not by the proverbial thief, but by masses of waterbogged earth from the hill behind. As the firm has suffered considerably from these damaging inundations, which may easily recur, it has come to an arrangement with the City Council to put a batter on the hill-face immediately at the rear of the stores, that will make the premises reasonably secure for the future. The formation of the earth all along the face of tho hill between Tinakori Road and Kaiwarra is a .treacherous "greasvback," and when loaded with water it slips readily. Gay with a wealth of magnificent blooms from Councillor W. H. P. Barber's narcissi and daffodil beds at Newtown, the City Council at last night's meeting presented rather the appearance of a Carnival des Fleurs than tho hall of a deliberative assembly charged with the decision of serious questions, where brevity of argument is preferable to the flowers of natory. Councillor Barber, replying to the thanks of the Mayor for his floral offerings, said that he' desired to present his Worship and bis brother councillors with a bunch each, in token of the season.

A recommendation that "the question of the erection of a tea kiosk at tho Zoo grounds be held over till next year" was debated at the City Council last evening. Councillor Fuller considered that a tea kiosk was an urgent necessity, and should bo pushed on with before tho coming summer. If the council could not afford a very elaborate one, a 6tart could be made with one on the lines of that at the New Plymouth gardens. The kiosk would be a great convenience to women and children and would be an attraction to the public. It would, moreover, be self-supporting. Councillor Fuller altered his amendment to have tho matter referred to the Finance Committee. This was carried unanimously. Flies are a common agent in the dissemination of disease, and tho New South Wales Department of Health is urging upon the local authorities to interest themselves in a campaign of extermination during tho summer. Circulars will be sent to the local authorities, and these are to be followed by pamphlets for distribution among householders, conveying useful hints and pointing out the risks run by allowing flies to contaminate food, etc. "Flies are the filthiest of all vermin," said Dr. Willis (Acting-Chief Government Medical Officer). "They are born in filth, live in filth, and carry filth wherever they go. Each fly can carry 100,000 disease germs. Ono fly unchecked at tho beginning of summer will probably give rise to about 125,000,000 descendants' before the advent of winter." Two tramcars collided at Stewart Dawson's corner just before noon yesterday. An Island Bay palace car, bound to the railway station, failed to take tho points, or the points failed to act, and proceeded across the track towards Jervois Quay just as a south-bound car was rounding the corner. Neither car had much power on, and the only damage done was the wrenching off of tho motorman'a step from the Island Bay car. According to anotico in yesterday's "Gazette" "relatives of a deceased worker resident in the State of South .Australia shall havo the same rights and remedies under the Workers' Compensation Act, 1908, as if resident in New Zealand." A donation of ,£5 has been made to the funds of the Free Kindergarten 801 l Committee by the Wellington City Council, in lieu of a reduction in the Town Hall rent in connection with the society's effort to raise funds. A rather good police story comes from Stratford. A man had been sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment on a judgment summons, and a constable had received the warrant to execute. The constable and debtor arranged to meet nt tho railway platform next morning,, to proceed to New Plymouth together. The man turned up all Tight, but the constable overslept himself, and did not put.

in an appearance, so the debtor proceeded by himself; At the next station on tho platform was another constable, who knew of tho arrangement, and asked where his guardian was. "I am sure I have no idea," was the reply. "I have been looking for him myself. I nm going on without him." Arrived at New Plymouth, the man. proceeded to the gaol and explained that he had come to do a fortnight on a judgment summons. "And whore's the warrant for your commitment?" asked the gaoler. "I think Constale has it. We arranged last night to come together, but. I saw nothing of hint this morning, when I left. I suppose now that I am here you can take charge of me until the warrant arrives." The gaoler said that could not be done, so the man returned home by the evening train, and another appointnient is to bo made. The debtor contends that the day ho spent in going and returning to New Plymouth should count in the fourteen days to which he was sentenced.

An arrangement has been como to between tho City Council and tho Post nnd Telegraph Department, whereby the former body will wood-block tho streets surrounding tho General Post Office block (Featherston, Grey, and Panama Streets), the Department paying a proportion of tho cost. Tho work will be commenced as soon as the weather settles. A. practical illustration of tho rapidity of steel construction has just been demonstrated in the now premises in Johnston Street for Messrs. Watkins, Hull, and Wheeler, designed by Messrs. Hoggard and I'rouse, architects. Tho whole of tho foundations and four-story steel l'raino have been erected in the- short period of five weeks. Messrs. Campbell and Burke anticipate completing the contract well within contract time. Yet another case of alleged pillaging of cargo is reported. Last eveiu'ng Detective Kawle and .Acting-Detective Dcmpsoy arrested a wharf labourer on a charge of having stolen four women's dresses, valued at .£5 75., the property of Messrs. Abbott, Oram and Co. The alleged theft took place on board tho coastal steamer Kahu. at Wellington. Pig-hunters who have been in tho habit of exploiting tho Wainui district in search of sport, anglers frequenting the catchment basins of the Karori and Wainui reservoirs, and other enthusiasts of the wild may be interested to hear that a new by-law was adopted for tho regulation of their movements by tho City Council, at its meeting last evening. Various complaints with respect to tho wandering cattle nuisanco in tho outlying districts have reached the Outlying Districts Committeo of the City Council, which is of opinion that these complaints' aro due to the low penalties inflicted by the Magistrate's Court. The committeo recommended to the City Council last evening that the complainants be informed that tho council is considering the question of the necessity for setting aside certain sections of Town Belt for the purpose- of establishing pounds; also that instructions be given to all employees of the corporation, who may detect wandering cattle, to drive them to the pound. This recommendation was adopted. A. period of unusual activity is promised by the Federal Government in connection with the installation of wireless telegraphy throughout the Commonwealth, nnd\ unless some unforeseen delays tako place there should be a rapid multiplication of the present facilities (states the "Melbourne Age"). The intention is to erect ten additional stations during the present financial year. Mr. Balsillie, tho Commonwealth wireless expert, has gone to Adelaide to "tune up tho station which has just been erected there. Subsequently he will go on to Freniantle to inspect tho station erected by the Australian Wireless Company, Limited, and if he finds that it meets the requirements of the Commonwealth he will recommend the Government to take it over.

"This widening of Chow's Lane is only a bogey," said Councillor Cohen at tho City Council last evening during a brief discussion on tho question that "tenders be called for a five years' lease of tho corporation premises at tho corner of Chew's Lnne and Victoria Street, the present lease of which expires on October 31 next." Councillor J. Fuller, jun., had raised, by way of amendment, the suggestion that the currency of the lease bo seven years, a more acceptable term lie argued—and his contention wag endorsed by other speakers. It was then pointed out that the Chow's Lane leases were all for short terms, as the council had in view the idea of, ultimately, widening that congested thoroughfare. Councillor Cohen pooh-poohed this idea, which, ho said, had been talked of for years.

Music-lovers will bo pleased to" learn that the Wesley Church Choir, Foilding, will most likely com© down to Wellington to compete in tho church choir contest at the Wellington Competitions next November. It was this choir that won the choir contest at tho recent Napier Competitions, and whose performance tho judge characterised as tho finest ho had heard in the Dominion outside the Sheffield Choir,