LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1579, 24 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Makura, which sailed from Sydney at noon on October 21 for Auckland lm» on board an Australian mail, and also a small English mail via Suez. The Wellington portion is due to arrive hero on Saturday next.

The retail fruiterers of Wellington, who purchase their supplies from the city fruit markets in. Allen and Blair Streets, have felt for some time past that tho charge o!' (!d. per sack and Cd. per caw, when the goods purchased arc so packed, is not a reasonable charge, although tho money is returnable on the return of tho sacks and cases. Negotiations have been in progress for some little time between retailers and the merchants, and the latter, to bring matters to a head, decided to reduce the charges to ad. per case and 4d. per sack (not returnable), but this is strongly opposed, especially by the Chinese dealers. A certain course of action has been decided on by the retailers, and interesting developments aro promised in the course of a day or two.

It is not expected that the new General Post Office will be ready for opening as far as the public is concerned until about tho middle of November.

Some excitement and not a little amusement was caused on Lambton Quay at 10 o'clock yesterday morning by one oi' the "official" motor-cycles of the Post Office (with carrier attached) catching on fire. At lirst an cH'orfc was made to douse the flaming petrol with water, which was entirely without effect. Then someone suggested sand, while another pressed the electric alarm, which brought tho. Tire Brigade to the spot. The sand arrived first, and the engine was smothered, and the blaze obliterated, before the official fire-fighters had a. chance to.display their prowess.

In reply to a proposal that workers' concession fnres be allowed on tho railway between Wellington and Tawn Flat, and Wellington and l'orirua, which was submitted as a question by Mr. W. 11. D. Bell, member for AVollington Suburbs, to the Minister for Railways. The Minister stated in the House of Representatives yesterday that "the passenger business between Wellington and Porirna has been carefully watched, and I regret that it shows no indication of being. sufficient to justify the inauguration of workers' tickets. The daily average number of passengers carried by tho morning tram for a fortnight during a recent period was three from l'orirua and nine from 'Pawn Flat. Under these circumstances I regret being unable to give a favourablo reply to the question."

Mr. C. 1\ Pulley, the contractor for the Wairoa Harbour protection works, is a visitor to Wellington. He states that splendid progress is being made with the work, which has been aided by a spell of good weather: So good lias been the state of the bar that the steamer Magic has'Oeon able to make sixteen trips since August 10. Already 1300 to 1400 feet (out of 3000 feet) of the mole on tho eastern side of the river has been built, and a similar length of staging has been erected on the western side. Mr. Pulley anticipates completing the work well within contract time, providing the weather conditions arc normal.

"My own opinion is that GOft. streets are too narrow/' remarked the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives last evening. He was engaged at the time in defending n clause in the. Land Bill which cinpuwers the Government, under certain circumstances, to reduce the minimum street-width for the benefit of nrens laid out as now towns. Mr. Massey said that in some 'exceptional cases it was necessary 'o reduce the width of streets, but that his honest opinion wns that city streets in general should be not less than 100 feet wide. ''"",!,'.".

In remarking at Hie Auckland Synod on Monday .that the Anglican Church in New Zealand was approaching n remarkable crisis in regard to .the Church, constitution, Bishop Crossley expressed the opinion that it would he wise to elect to the General Synod a.proportion of younger men who could learn the business attaching thereto while there was yet time. Mr. tie aider Sfjiodsme/i, J/e iraidd bo tvrj', ) Jjordsirip repl'ieS flint he i»i) not desire ((m( (do maffcr sftduYtf m tt«y way (w ( ' mark was applauded—that Synod would appunAato U\e <k=Av« \.o g\\o tt\c sovmßO? I Jiion an opportunity to participate in tho work of (ho General Synod.

A. noteworthy fact in connection .\fiOi the debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday about words used by Sir Joseph Ward at a meeting of tho Public Accounts Committee, is that Mr. J. 13. Hinc, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, did not vote either in the Avvision upon tiw umeiuhnent proposed by Mr. Robertson or in the division upon the motion which, was carried by the House. Mr. Jline wns in his place throughout the delate, but walked out before tho divisions took plnce.

Members of tho Harbour Board are' to be informed that in future when they require leave of absence they must notify the secretary in writing-. This is the result of a resolution moved by Mr. Cohen nt last night's meeting. Tho question arose when Mr. Hildreth applied for leave for Mr. A. H. Hindmnrsn, Mr. Janu's Trevor desiring to know if Mr. llimlmarsh hod actually requested Mr. Hildroth to apply..

Mr. A. M. Myers ciuno into collision with Mr. W. A. Veitch in the House of Representatives last evening, when he repented a suggestion made by him on several previous occasions, that the Government should import, an expert town-plan-ner from abroad. Mr. Veitch attacked the suggestion warmly, the burden of his contention being that the expert or' experts required should lie obtained locally. Mr. Myers said that no one could hold a higher opinion than he did of the ability of New 7/ealanders, but lie had delved into this tinestion of town planning, and was quite convinced that it had now become a science. It was of such importance that in his opinion it would be in the best interests of the community if the Government would bring out a man who had devoted many years to the study of this special subject. If such a man were brought out the only thing he would be needed to do would be to make a report. Afterwards there would l>o quite enough local talent to give effect to his recommendations. As showing tho possible benefits ensuing from town-planning, Mr. Myers quoted statistics showing: that both tho ileatli-rntc and infantile mortality rato were much lower in garden cities in England than in London and other groat cities.