LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ihe postal authorities advise that the s.s. Aloeraki, which sailed from Svdncv at « p.m. on October 12, has 011 bonril an Australian mail. She is due to arrive here? tins morning.

Driven-.--, chauffeurs, cyclists, and pedes, innns on the Hutt Ifoad have by this time quite accepted the harmless surveillance under which they hove been placed in order that the Hutt ftond Connfiis* sioner, appointed by the Government to apportion the cost of the road iniprovei tlio various local bodies ben. »' ii ,"' n £ ' je I >rov idetl with an estimate ot the traffic. The sentinels at the gates— i.e., the tally clerks posted at the several barricades along the road, have had comparntively liltle difficulty with the public, and their only discomfort so far lias como trorn the howling northerly which lias driven stinging dust squalls along the loan. Shelter boxes have been provided in convenient positions, and one of these was blown over yesterday morning, and the tenant spent rather an uncomfortable time. Rome of the drivers who travel back and forward frequently during the day cannot understand uh.v one tallv does not suflico for the record of their traffic, and some soon-humoured bantering has taken place between theiil and the clerks, who seo so many faces during the day that n is difficult to remember individuals. Cyclists using the special track have offered some objection to dismounting at ho barricades to be tallied, and it lim been suggested that nn extra «ato across the cycle track itself should be provided, lhe usual declaration is: "Brown-Wel-lington to l'etone, or "Smith-Wellington to Ngahauranga;" and so on, and it is not even necessary to stop in order to JI,T pns J ,n,! -. J It: on '.V «ie uninitiated who, not quite understanding the procedure, is compelled to stop arid render an account of hi* movements. ■ 'Tenders for the construction of one of Hutt'™7fnr S . ° th ° I>ip °, Bri(lßP nt tho iiuu, aim for the approaches to the new tho'f'ii V <"•! 1)0 considered ,J V V l( - v C «" n cil nt its meeting to-morrow evening, the construction of the remaining approach to the Hutt Pipe Bridgo is the function of the suburban councils.

"*Y, ock held Inst evenij p V th ®.^y d n c y Street Northland Pi imitivc Methodist Mutual Improvement Society proved a most enjoyable event. J hero was a g6od attendance'of members, „f fi V 'tt ' J ',p oss "»i noti"B as "Speaker of the House." Prior to the prfncipnl business of 'Parliament," numerous questions were asked by members about various measures. The "Actinc-Primo Minister (Jit. \V. M. Egglestono) then introduced his budget in nn able manner, enumerating the many proposals of his Party, after which an animated debate ensued, quite a number of members participating. During the evening Miss Jean Nicholas contributed ti song. The next meeting, which will be the Inst ordinary meeting of this session, is the the Journal Evening,"

It is not expected that .a great deal of work will be accomplished by the corporation this year in connection*with the improvement of the Oriental Bay Parade. This and other municipal works, such ns the big Island Bay culvert, are being carried on out of revenue,-which means to say that if there is no spare cash in the corporation coffers for these works no progress can be made; if there is n little, then a little progress is possible; if there is a lot, then great strides are possible.

It is a time-honoured mlo of Parliament that when the doors are locked for a division a member who wishes to speak (he can only do so at that time on n point of order) must do so wliilo sitting down and wearing a hat. Mr. Bradney collided with the rule, Inst night in the Houso Df Representatives when the first division was taken upon a proposed amendment to the Defence Bill. Mr, Bradnev attempted to speak standing, aiul with'head uncovered, as tho division, bells were ringing. Exclamations wore at once raised on all sides, and the Chairman called Mr. Bradney to order. It was some timo before the member for Auckland West realised what was required of him. For an uncomfortable minute or so noisjc ndmonitions and advice were propelleil at liim from every side. Finally ho obtained a hat, which, as usual on these occasions, was several times too small. After nil his trouble. Mr. Bradney found thnt he was still out of order, for what he desired to say was that tho House was beiiii* asked to vote upon an amendment, which it had not grasped. No such point can bo discussed when tho House lias gone to a division.

Several prisoners, who have pleaded guilty to offences in tlio Lower Court, will come before tlio Chief Justice (Sir Hobert Stoul) for sentence on Friday morning.

Deteclivo Mason arrested a wharf labourer yesterday 011 a charge of stealing two tins of preserved peaches from tho cargo of the Tahiti, whilst accused was working 011 tho vessel last week.

Upon the arrival of the New Plymouth express yesterday Detective Dempsey ar- " lna " named Win. Thomas M'Lvoy, on a charge of obtaining the sum of «£3 by false pretences from Alary Kavanagh, hotel-keeper, Waverley,

When tho Defence Bill was being considered in Committee in the House of Representatives last evening .1 somewhat remarkable proposal was ventilated by Mr. T. M. AVilford. Ho urged the Hon. .las. Allen to hand over his portfolio of Defence to the Hon. W. It. Ilerries or some other of his colleagues. Tho member for llutt was careful to explain that his proposal was not. intended to reflect in any way upon the Minister for Defence, of whose qualities as a Defence expert ho had a very high opinion. What he objected to was that Mr. Allen was both Minister for Defence and an officer in tho Defence forces. He considered that there should bo a clear division between the civil and military control of tho defence scheme. Mr. G. M. Thomson said that it would be as reasonable to ask Mr. Allen to resign tho portfolio of Education liecause he was Chancellor of the Otago University. Mr. Allen said that 011 becoming Minister for Defence lie had asked to be placed on the Reserve, and he was there now. The Minister for Defence had for many years been a volunteer officer. This applied'to Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Myers. "Sir. Seddon ?" asked a member. "Mr. Seddon—l don't know whether he was a volunteer," replied the Minister, "hut, if not, he should have been."

Even Iho Labour members, it would appear, find Mr. John Payne, the representative of the Federation of Labour, returned by Grey Lynn, a trifle hard io put up with as a colleague. Mr. W. A. Voitcli, one of tho most temperate speakers in the House, found it necessary last night to make an acidulated reference to Mr. l'nyne and his speeches. The member for Grey Lynn had just been speaking on the Defence Bill, and he had made the original suggestion that the age for national training should be raised from 25 to 55 years. "It is a pity tlio House has not power to order that a member's speeches in some cases should be recorded on a graphophone," said Mr. Veitch, in commenting 011 the speech and the proposal, "and that lie should bo compelled to sit down and listen to his own speeches 011 the'machine. I think that in some cases the House is entitled to a very great deal of sympathy."