LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1556, 27 September 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

im" 5 ? ,v Ur Otnlu correspondent:— Mr. VI hate Gray, a local Native, who forwarded a piece of ambergris to England, hat received word that it realised ,6200, nt tno rate of £2 per ounce. Owing to decomposition, it only realised a quarter of is original value. • wettest place in Now Zealand during the month of August was the Hermitage at Mount Cook, where nearly 21 i "in"' (2093 P° illts ) ,vpr ® record- • I Coast generally bravely Dinintniiied its reputation for drought rc®lstance, for 11.48 inches were recorded at Otira, 11.78 inches at Puysegur Point, and 10.31 at Parapara. The highest fall recorded in the North Islnnd was ' Te Araroa, where 11.47 iuches were measured b.v the Government gauge. The only otner place to reach double figures was \\ekaweka, which registered 10.69 inches. Local records were as follow:—Wainui reservoir, 2.G1 inches; Silverstream, 2.44 inches; 1.2S inches; Lower Ilntt, 1.79 inches; Karori Reservoir, 2.03 inches. The Court of Appeal sittings commerce on Monday next. The majority of the judges ore expected to be ill Wellington oil that day. Tho Imperal Government having requested that eacli self-govering Dominion should appoint a special officer whoso duties should be to prepare statistics and make tho necessary arrangements for evidence to_l» taken by the Imperial Trado Commission, and for tho itinerary of the Commissioners when visiting tho Dominion, the New Zealand Govern.nient.has appointed Mr. Poss tu be K BUl'h special officer for New Zealand. The commission will visit New Zealand earlv next year, and then proceed-to' Australia. The Wellington Engi'no Drivers' Union's disputo will be heard by the Conciliation Council in Mr. Halloy's room at 10.30 o'clock this morning. A conference of the Federation of Labour to consider the position at Waihi is to be held in Wellington tn-day. According to an announcement in this week's Gazette, published Inst evening, tho position of ''.Staff-officer for Senior Cadets" in the Now Zealand Staff Corps has been abolished. Officers originally posted' to these positions—Lieutenants R. S. Matthews (Auckland), N. W. 1). Thorns (Otago), 11. S._N. Robinswn (Wellington), and V. A. Kelsall (Canterbury)—liavo since been appointed offioers-in-charge of area groups, with tho temporary rank of captain. ' The executive of the Auckland Tramways Union met on Tuesday evening to consider about GO applications for tho position of secretary to tho union. It was recently proposed that the salary of tho present secretary, Mr. A. Rosser, should be increased by il per week, but a ballot taken to decide the question determined against the proposal. The applications tor the position of secretary had already been called for, and tho executive had to reduce tho number to five. The applicants who were chosen were Messrs. IT. Carter (Masterton), C. M'Millan (Auckland), D. J. Murphy (Auckland), H. Urquhart (Auckland), and T. Willis (Auckland). Messrs. Willis and Carter are both tramway men, and fhe others are union secretaries, These five names will be submitted to a ballot of the union next Friday* and in the meantime a special meeting of the union will be held on and the applicants will be invited to address members.— "Herald." Tho tender of Mr. Nioliolas Meuli, of Wanganui, has been accepted by Mr. 11. E. White, architect, for the erection of a new theatre and block of shops and offices on Victoria Avenue, Wanganui, The approximate cost of fhe block will be .615,000. The building will be erected in brick and steel, nnd will be three stories in heiglit, with a frontage to the Avenuo of GGft. nnd one to Mam Place of 166 ft. There will be four shops fronting the Avenue, nnd two floors of office apartments above. The theatre will be a capacious one of two tiers, with sealing accommodation for 1650 people, including four boxes. The galleries will be supported by three steel pillars, and will be so constructed that a full view of tho stage will be obtained from every seat. The auditorium will be 031't. square, and ample room will be provided "iwhind the curtain" for every kind of production. A special meeting of the City Council will be held on Monday next to consider the report of the joint conlmittri of the T'inanee and Property Committee 1 nnd Power Stations and Tramways Committee regarding increases of salary, and also to consider several notices of motion (already published) given by Councillors Godber and Fletcher. AT LAST-TIIE LADY'S AUTOMOBILE. Ever since motoring becamo popular there lias bren a demand lor a small, light, graceful car, simple in construction and easy to handle, which should meet the special requirements of the lady motorists. Such a car has been nt last produced by the famous "French firm of Clement-Bayard, and the specimen 8-12 h.p. two-seater car of (lie 1912-1.1 type, which has just been unpacked ill 'our parage has claims which no oilier ear fo momnu'iid it to tlie discriminating lady liio'iorist. It lias i\ beautifully neat torpedo body, with the latest type of wire wheels. In its construction simplicity and durability have been attained iu a very race degree. It is exceptionally easy to start and so cleanly iu its working (lint the lady driver need not even soil her gloves. H.v r"n.'on of its simplicity and popularity the car is very cheap. The price, 41275, includes nn adjustable wind-shield, n nice hood and nnd four lamps. The tyres nre Mielielin's, the best ill the world. The car is economical on petrol, running forty miles to the gnllon. It will climb an'v hill. and sent three passengers at a pincii. The cost of upkeep would range from .E2.1 to ,6f>n per year, According to um>. Write for photograph of the New Clemenl-Bay-nrd lady's ear. Adams, Limited, n wilts for (.'lenient-Bayard Cars. Garage, Tuam Street, near lligh Street Shop. Also, PalniroMon. Wanganui, Sutltr.rland ltnii. kijie, aiid Tourist Co., Hastings j

Messrs. H. D. 11. Haszard, A, Cum ming, and 11. Pollock lmvo been np pointed commissioners to classify tli< Westlaud Land District. For tho sam ftork'ili Otago Messrs. li. 11. Wilinot, J A. M'Pherson, and G. Livingstono hav< been appointed commissioners. Before tlio Accoun touts' Students' So ciety Inst evening Mr. H. H. Iluggin: dealt ivitli tho post office system of ac counts as distinguished from tlio ac counts of tho general (ioveriniienl, whiet aru common to all Departments, and fal under (lie province of the Treasury. Tli< l'ost Office system was really n bankiitj business which received moneys l'or . large number of putliiifu fiom the pub lie, both on its oivn account and on be half of a very largo number of tlio prin ?ipal Government Jjepiirtments, The Pos Ollico received interest-bearing deposit: from the public, and invested tho money! received in liquid securilies. In iti money order and postal nolo business V issued drafts on places both within anc beyond A'cw Zealand, and paid draft; drawn oh Now Zealand either by its owr agencies or by the agencies' of foreigi countries with which it has relations. I received o mounts for tredit of almost every Department in tho Government ser vice, and paid a very great number o: claims on behalf of Government Depart ments, particularly the Public Trust am Advances to Sctttcrn Departments, ii fact, it performed for the general publii and the general Government the various duties which, in quite another sphere oi activity are usually performed by a com mereial bank. The criticisms passed ( bj the Public Service Commission with ret erenoij to tho inspection and checking oi stores and the keening of cost account! in the workshops did not apply to the Post Office, where sucli accounts are kepi upon, the .latest commercial lines. The treat simplicity of the stamp account wat also explained, and the lecturcr gave ii as his opinion that no more perfect system of checking postage had yet been devised til (in. that of affixing stamps to letters. TII6 Prims Minister announced in thi House of Representatives last evening tha' the plans of the new Parliamentary Build iugs Wotild bo 011 view in a waiting roon in the Library wing to-morrow, and 01 Monday.,