LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1566, 9 October 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that the s.s. TJlimaroa, which sailed from Sydney at noon on October 5, has on board an Australian mail. She is due to arrive here to-day. The postal authorities advise that the. s.s. Aorangi. which sailed from Sydney al 3 p.m. on October 5, lias on, hoard <i small Australian mail. She is due here on Thursday morning. The tender of Messrs. Campbell and Burko lias been accepted to re-establish M.\ J. It. Blair's building, which was recently badly (flitted by fire whilst ill tho occupation of Messrs. Whitcoiube and Tombs, Ltd. The contract price is approximately X7OOO. Messrs. Campbell .and Burke were the Contractors for tho old building. Tho High Commissioner has forwarded to the Government: the plaster medallions which ornamented the New Zealand arch in London at the Coronation, Tliey woro exeouted by Professor Lantieri, of South Kensington, and represent the Into ami present King and Queen, Captain Cook, and Sir Joseph Ward. Tho medallions, which are surrounded by a wreath and are about sft. in diameter, have been sent over to the Dominion Museum, but it is found that they are rather large for exhibition thero. If possible the one representing Captain Cook will be placed in the Museum, and the remainder stored until sufficient accommodation is pro. vided. The charges for press telegrams from New Zealand to Great Britain have been reduced to T-Ul. per word.

Tho "Timnru Herald," which for some time post, lias appeared us nn 8-page daily paper, is now published as a 12-page paper, mid very proporly lakes some credit to itself as being the first daily paper of this size lo ho published outside (ho four chief centres of the Dominion, AVe congratulate our contemporary on its enterprise. The "Herald wight' reasonably claim credit for the quality, ns well as the quantity, of the matter which it supplies to its readers, for the paper, as published to-iluy, is a well-written and iiowsy publication which would do credit io a much larger place even than the progressive town ill which it is published. Tlio "Jlerald," which was established something like 50 years ago, lias had some fpiy clianfcs in Iho editorship. Following Mr. Horton, the founder of tlio paper, there have lioen Mr. Herbert Eoltleld, Mr. Feldwiek, Mr. Ivdwafd Wakefield, Mr. W. IT. Triggs Mr. G. CI. Fitzgerald, Mr. W. 1). Campbell, and the present editor is Mr. \V. I'. Alexander, who was one of the original numbers of tlio literary stall' of The Dominion. At tlio request of tlio Chinese Government (mado through tho Acting-Consul) tlio Chinese community of Wellington are to celebrato the coming into power of tho Republican Government in China. The celebration will take tho form of a bis picnic and sports-gathering at tho Athletic Park, to commence at noon. If the requisite permission can be obtained there will be a display of fireworks in tho evening. Methods of checking and preventing the spread of consumption will be discussed by a medical conference to bo hold in Wellington on October 22. It has been convened by tho Department of Public Health, with a view to arriving at a national policy, ami its particular function will be to select the most effective means of educating the people. Doctors who hnvo I>een in charge of consumption sanatoria in the four centres and the chairman of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association have been invited to attend tho conference. A novel and altogether happy idea in ".Kismet" is tho complete enclosure of the orchestra in what forms on extension of the stage. This extension, however, is not encroached upon by the players, but is pciforated with small circular holes, and the effect of the subdued light from below gives tho effect of a mosaic floor, which h in admirable keeping with the spirit of the beautiful scenes. The. management is showing more than usual regard to those who "come early to avoid the rush." Quite a crowd of family circle patrons gathered in front of the Opera House between. 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday and yesterday, and in order that tho footpaths should not be blocked they were admitted to the stairs leading to tho upper circle. There they were able to sit down in comparative comfort to await the opening of the doors. It was rather ail odd sight to «■' some hundreds .of people, mostly young Indies, eating sandwiches and biscuits oil the stnirs,. whilst they gossiped alx>ut plays and players, but most of all about "Kismet." Tho conflict of the lunch hours observed by ths Harbour Board's working staff aiul the warehouses was the subject of a letter from Mr. A. E. Donne, secretary of tlio Wellington Woollen Company, to tho 'Wellington Chamber of Commerce. The writer pointed out that on account of the wharf employees ceasing work between noon and 1 p.m., and the warehouses between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., two of the best hours of the day were practically lost, ami it had been pointed out that an effort might bo mado to synchronise the midday meal hour by milking it from 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. One member of tho council of the chamber pointed out at Monday's meeting that tho Arbitration Court award might interfere with cliaii<?tii'-r the time of the meal hour as far as tho wharf labourers were concerned, and Mr. Mabin (tho chairman) did not think there was much chance of an alteration being affected, as tho men who commenced-work at 8 a.m. probably had their breakfast an hour before that time; that being so, the warehousemen close between noon and 1 p.m. instead of the hour later. Mr. Donue is being writion to to tjiat effect. A return was presented to Parliament, yesterday showing tlio amount, of money invested up to August, 1012, by tho Government Advances Board on mortgages under tho workers' nud settlors branches dii tho Ohinemuri goldfiolds. Under' tho heading "Workers," the sums are:— Waihi, ,£20,005; Waikino, .£2020 ; Karaugaliake, „£2f)o; Waitekauri, £10. Under tho heading "Settlers," the amounts were;— Waihi, JEW,OSS; AVaikino, X 2740; Karaiigahake, .£l7O j 'Waitekauri, nil. The Public. Trustee made one investment of .£2OO at Grahamstown. Everybody by this time has heard of t.lie "Greater J. D. Williams picture Enterprises." A reference to a special coupon announcement on page 5 of this issue will disclose at least one secret of Mr. J. D. Williams's success in tlio management of photo-play theatres. Ho makes it a rule to "get in on the ground floor," as the Americans say, with his public. Tho "Greater J. D. AVilliams Proprietary" has taken over the luxuri-Dusly-appointed Adelphi Theatre in Willis Street, and on Friday, .October 18 next, will change its name, and under tho style of the "Empress," will be ran on the lines which have earned for tho ,T. D. Williams theatres nil Australian reputation. Mr. J. D. AVilliams tolls us that everywhere in tho world except in New Zealand the price of admission to a photo-nlay theatre is 3d. for tho stalls, and Od. for tho dress circlc, and in tho next breath states that a number of people do not think ths AVellinglon public want low prices. He wants lo know definitely if this is so, and invites an expression of opinion. For this expression of opinion, "I do, or do not" (as the case may bo), "believe in modem enterprise prices for pictures," eac.li person -ending ina coupon will receive n free matinee doubly ticket, which will hold good till October .10. Opinions, set forth in tho advertised coupon, must bo mailed on or before October 12. A somewhat unusual proposal has been laid before the Government in tho House if Kepresentativos by Mr. AY. Nosworthy, M.P., who has given notice that ho will isle the Prime Minister whether the Government will take stops to have immigrants fairly distributed between the North and South Jslands. In a note appended to his question, Mr. Nosworthy ;tates that tho executive of tho Timnru branch of the Farmers' Union, after hearing Mr. R. Evans, of North Canterbury, lecided to urge the local members of Parliament to uso their influence to get »teaniers bringing immigrants to call alternately at a South Island port first, Mr. Evans staled that the last two boats brought four hundred immigrants .'each, ind only two_ passengers by each came south. The North Island got them all. ■Repeal of tho provision in tho Public Trust Office Act, which compels local bodies to invest their sinking funds with tho Public Trustee at a low rate, of interest, was proposed by Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., in the Houso of Representatives last evening,-when an .amending Bill was under consideration. Dr. Newman said that ho spoke on bolialf of the Corporation of Wellington, which lost a :onsiderable sum annually by the operation of tho clause mentioned. Tho city bad invested large sums of -money on mortgage without losing any of it and the :orpomion considered that they should bo allowed to control their own sinking funds. Tho Hon. A. L. Herdmnn said that he could not seo his way to embody tho repeal provision nsked for in the Bill before tho House. Tho Minister for Finance, he added, was bringing down an intendment to the Local Bodies' I.oan! &ct which would empower local bodies to [lontrol their own sinking sunds in Te•poet of outside borrowing, but would reHiiro that sinking funds for loans obained from the Government should be invested with tho Public Trustee.