LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1542, 11 September 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Moeraki, which sailed from Sydney on September 7, at noon, has on board an Australian mail. Sho is due to arrive here to-day. The postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Moana, which sailed from Sydney at 0 p.m. on September 7, has on board an Australian mail. She is duo to arrive here early to-morrow. , Mails which left Wellington on August 2 per s.s. Mailai, and connected with Naples mails per R.M.S. Otrnnto at Sydney, arrived at London on September 1). Mr. G. E. Butler's picture, "The Shining Pathway," which was exhibited in this year's Royal Academy, has been purchased by a lady for ,£275. Mr. Butler is a Wellington artist settled in Bristol, England, and the son of Mr. Butler, of the Lambton Quay picture gallery. He is a regular exhibitor now at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon. "Kick, Bill; kick!" exhorted an agitated but sympathetic spectator from the depths of tho fifteen thousand or so that watched tho progress of tho ThamesAuckland football match on tho Auckland Domain ou Saturday. Bill kicked, and then crumpled up under the charge of a playful 12-stone miner, who had got there fast, but just a fraction late. "Well played, Bill," encouraged tho spectating friend, as the kickist painfully resumed tho perpendicular, obviously shaken to his vital foundations by the impact. "Smile, Bill; smile!" promptly mimicked some sideline wag, who had spent a night at the panto., and the ghastly, convalescent response that flickered on Bill's tortured countenance delighted tho crowd. The monthly meeting of tho Wellington Provincial Industrial Association, to have been held last evening, lapsed for want of a quorum, there being three short of the required number.

"EM.F." AND "FLANDERS" CARS GIVE SATISFACTTON-WHO SAYS SO? Tho true test of automobile quality is tho verdict of the man who buys the car and the man who drives it. Wo say that the "E.M.F. Thirty" and its smaller Bister, tho "Flanders Twenty," are tho best American cars ever introduced to New Zealand. You say: "Yes, perhaps so, but can you give us any' evidence.P" Well, we'll see what some of tho owners have to say about it. Mr. R. Wylio (Mayor of Kaiapoi) has had an "E.M.F. Thirty" for about nine months. He writes that ho has not had the slightest mechanical trouble, that the car is doing 22 to 25 miles to tho gallon of petrol, and that it is giving the "greatest satisfaction." Mr. G. B. Starkey says ho hns run his "E.M.F. Thirty" 3500 miles, and found it "very satisfactory." Mr. Job Osborne, of Doyleston, well-known engineer says ho thinks his "E.M.F. Thirtv" is the best car that can be bought for the nionev, and his mileage averages 1000 n month. Mr. E. L. Beattie, of Summer Hill, Cust, says of his "Flanders Twenty" that ho is "extremely satisfied" with her, that he has run 7000 miles, and found the car exceptionally light on lyres and petrol, the engine being excellent for developing power. Tho 30 h.p. "E.M.F." fivo-seater, prico .£375; the 20 h.p. "Flanders" four-sealer, prico X 205; nud tho 20 h.p. "Flanders" two-seater, prico „E275. AH these cars aro complete with windshield, cape hood, and five lamps. In f,tnck at Adams, Limited (agents), Christchurch. Timaru, Palmcrslou North, Wnnganui: also Tourist Motor Company. iHatlnjiii «t'A 0, T. WiUou. lm»nid ijarwo. Auekland.'-Adrt

That wharf: Our Feilding correspondent states that at tho last meeting of tho Feilding Chamber of Commorce Mr. P. I'irani tabled a motion asking tho Government to hand over tho Foxton wharf, at what it cost tho Government, to tho Foxton llarbour Board. This was lost. Tho ground of opposition to it was "that it might ho used as a ground for Baying that Feilding was interested in Foxton harbour." There were six first-class passengers, M fecond-class, and 371 third-class from Loudon by R.M.S. Athonic, which arrived at Wellington yesterday. Included in tho number were 73 assisted immigrants, of whom 49 were women and. 24 were children. Domestic servants numbered %, and these were all "snapped up" (possibly by wireless) prior to arrival. Ten wives camo out to rejoin their husbands. A petition for a compassionate allowance has been made to Parliament by Marian Gold Smith, widow of tho Into Mr. E. C. Gold Smith, lately Commissioner of Crown Lands for tho Auckland laud district. The petition, which was presented by Mr. Myers (Auckland East), states that on his retirement Mr. Gold Smith was entitled to a pension of JMOO per annum, but ho died three months later. Had he accepted compensation instead of pension ho would have been entitled to over .£2OOO. Mrs. Gold Smith states that she has boon left in straitened circumstances, and asks for an allowance of JCI2OO (equal to her husband's salary for two years) to enable her to purchase an annuity. ( Tho assistant-inspector of post offices had a very exciting experience ou a recent trip from Awnkino to Waitara by couch when crossing Mount Messenger. Just after he left tho top of Mount Messenger pnrt of the road gave way under tho near side lender, and tho horso.rolled down a precipice and- 6teep bank 60 feet, bringing up in tho scrub on a narrow ledge. After an hour's delay the animal was got up uninjured. Had it gono over the narrow ledgo it would have fallen several hundred feet. The driver's presence of mind in putting the brake on hnTd saved the other four horses, and the coach and passengers from going over. It was indeed a marvellous escape. Speaking,in Christchurch in reference to the agitation in New Zealand for tho introduction of instruction in the Biblo in State schools, tho Rev. J. E. WattsDitchfield, of London, expressed his commendation of the efforts.being made, and added that ho thought that tho overwhelming opinion in England was that it would be disastrous to exclude Biblo instruction from the English schools. Tho comparatively insignificant number of children in those schools withdrawn from Scripture lessons showed clearly that the wholo country desired that Scriptural instruction should bo provided for. What applied to England, he ventured to think, should apply to New Zealand. • Objection has been recorded by tho Feilding Chamber of Commerce to tho inclusion of Feilding in the Foxton Harbour Board's rating area. Mr. D. Guthrie, M.P., is to be asked to opposo any ineasuro seeking to bring about such inclusion. At the Land Commissioner's office, Brisbane, Tecently, applications were received for tho lease of two areas of 228 square miles and 508 square miles of country,*.' both situated in tho BouHa district, for pastoral purposes, for a period of 30 years. Tho areas are known as Honsforth and Falkirk, tho upset price being 7s. Gd. per squaTe mile. Both leases w.oro auctioned, and tho price in each case run up to 12s. per square railo. when both were knocked down to Mr. , William M'Kenzie. The number of old age pensions granted in Australia up to the end of last month was 100,613. This total was split up among the States as follows:—New South Wales, 37,574; Victoria, 31,302; Queensland, 13,302; South Australia, 9042; West Australia, 3866; Tasmania, 5020. Death and cancellations reduced tho pensioners by 21,029, so that tho pensions actually being paid at tho date mentioned wcro 79,574. Invalid pensions now amount to 10,985, this being the net total after deducting deaths and cancellations from tho 12,759 granted. Speaking at tho luncheon In connection with the Dubbo Highland gathering, Mr. D. Cameron, of Yerriman, Coohabarabrnn, faid that if Mr. Fisher (tho Commonwealth Prime Minister) does not veto the ediot for the abolition of the kilt, ho (Mr. Fisher) had better not go to Scotland again. At Monday night's meeting of the Academy of Arts it was announced that two pictures had been purchased for tho National Gallery collection as tho gift of Mr. John Duthio. When tho picture purchaso movement was at its height Mr. Duthie signified his willingness to contribute to tho national pictures to tho extent of i£loo. He has done more, it seems, for two pictures have been purchased at his request at Home considerably in excess of tho sum ho had named. They are by artists of, world repute. One is entitled "A Strayed Princess," by George Weatherbee, who is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy, and the other is a portrait of the mother of Willcie Collins, the novelist, by Margaret Cooper. 1 Tho pictures were purchased from a celebrated private collection. These and the other pictures given and purchased are for a Dominion, and not exclusively a Wellington, collection, and will be eventually housed in a Dominion Gallery in Wellington. The telephone offico at Roseneath' is now a receiving office for telegrams and bureau only. Telegrams should bo addressed "Roseneath, Wellington."