LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Those who find it necessary to use the Hutt Road have been approached for the last three weeks with the question, "Where are you going?" and they have, been Obliged to' give some answer. Yesterday morning, at 8 o'clock, what is how commonly known as the "Hutt Road tally'' canie to an end, and from lience onward everyone may pass oix unchallenged. ~ The tally, it "will be remembered, was taken with the object of ar-. riving at an approximate estimate of the traffic as affecting various local bodies who have been attached.' as contributors to the 'cost of improvements to the road. It is understood that it _ will be about! two weeks before Mr. Widdop, who has charge, of the tally, will be able to make his report to Commissioner Shortt. A clergyman who was one of the speakers at a drawing-room meeting in. Sydney ■Recently, told a new story of a fountain. "They call it a fountain, you know," he said.. "It is a sort, of big kettle, with, a tap n.eaf the bottom, and it is kept on the (ire boiling all dajr long, so that you banmake tea at any time. The old man of the western homestead, where the clergyman was then visiting l , said there must be something wrong with the fountain, as the water would not flow freely, fio he' unscrewed the tap, and started poking abOut with a wire. "And," said the relator, "he found a crawfish in the bottom Of the fountain. Tho water for the. tea had'been running through the crawfish for the past two months*" When the laughter had subsided, he added, "All the flavour was out of the crawfish when I had the tea, but what must it have been before?" A deputation from Pahiatua, Makuri, and Pongoroa waited Upon the Ppst-master-Gene'ral (the Hon, B, H. Rhodes) last evening, and urged that the Gov *tnment should renew tho contract for t:ie mail service between Pahiatua and Pongaroa for three years. There is a proposal that a service between Jlketa.lluna nnd Pongaroa should be substituted, and this was; strongly opposed by the deputation. Mr. Rhodes said a strong case had been made, and he would.be inclined to grant the request, but it would Only be fair to hear the other side. Tho Minister for Customs, who was also present, had promised to receive ft deputation at Eketahuna on tho following day, and 051 his-return the matter would be considered. j Prior to the monthly meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday, the members Were I shown over the new General Post Office ( [ which is soou to opim Its doors to the \ jmblia?

Coal to the quantity of 1909 tons passed over the Miramru' Wharf during the month of October. lij response to a letter from the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, ; recommending the speeding up of tho morning and evening trains'between Wei" lington and l'almer.ston, Mr. W. 11. P. Hell, M.P., has replied that ho will taku j an early opportunity of going into the matter with the responsible officers of tho Railway Department. For want of a quorum, the inciting of the council of the Keiv Zealand Amateur Athletic Association convened ■ for. liist evening lapsod, only five members ■wing in attendance—one short of the required minimum. Tho contract for the construction of tho approaches to tho Jlutt and Wuiwetii bridges was signed yesterday. The contractor is Mr. Daniel FSurke, of IV to no, and the werk, which is.to cost iilQi'i, is to be completed by April 18, 1913. The avroy of the I'anainn liepublic is a sight to delight the heart of a Gilbert .«nd Sullivan major-general.' On parade it numbers about 100 m<;ru The uniform consists of white duck trousers, button. Iwots, blue serge tunic heavily frogtfed, square top yachting cap of blue With a great tortoisoshell peak. An old Brown Bess rit(e, without a bayonet, completes' the equipment. The colour's are on a jointed bamboo pole some 15ft. high, gorgeous in silk, and tied with bows and streamers. The national band arc dressed in whito, and have little ear for tinio or music. They, however, play in the plawi or market place oil Sunday, when the whole town turn 9 out to hear the music and parade their smartest clothes. The native girl in' a Hewing flowered muslin, dress,, an enormous hat with feathers,- aiid n big ml silk bow at the back of her head, is a feature of the scene. White shoes and stockings, yellow kid gloves, and a parasol about.the size of a soup plato completes hot 1 attire. , Iter beau is resplendent in patent leather hoots, white striped trousers, straw- hat, arid a, bright blue coat With gilt button. A red necktie with a diamond pin about the size of a pigeon's egg, yellow kid gloves (with aring outside the glove), Cane, and cigar Rive a finishing touch of magnificence to his appearance. The natives have, to keep themselves strictly apart from the white population, nor aro whites allowed to live in the black quarters. Special carriages are set apart for them .on the regular trains, and likewise on the paddy mails, and woe betide any native who attempts to,, enter a white man's carriage. The white' police 'are chiefly drawn from-the frontiersmen of Canada, and. are pf very high standing ■/"! ■■ The use of wireloss telegraphy for commercial purposes is gradually ■forcing itself into prominent notice. 'At yesterday' 9 meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce, Sir. F, W. 'Mantpri suggested that the Customs Department should be written .to asking if it would consider the advisability of. allowing Customs entries ■ to be passed as soon as a ;yis=el concerned in. the entries was reported by. wireless from tho Wellington station. In supporting his/contention, jft. Manton said that at present the Department would not pass entries until tho vessel was in tho harbour, and frequently Customs clerks were kept half .a day, when a vessel was in port,, .wiiiting their turn , to get entries passed, If they could. get through the work twelve or. twenty-fotir hours before the'boat arrived, it would greatly facilitate the work of. the business firms, coii-.. ■perned. The secretary (Mr. H.' D. Vickerj) 1 was instructed to write to the Department tfn the matter, ,

A complaint was recently ma<!e at. a Chamber of Commerce meeting-that the! lighting of tho railway carriages -oil subi -j urbai lines was so poor'tlia.t'Jt 'was ini-j possible 'to .reid going' through the tunnels. l'he Depait.mei]t:Wtt.s.comnilinicatcd' with, - and the Trafflo'Manager ./(Mr. . A. Duncan) has replied to the effect that only one, ljgut wns provide,d in the. day time, sufficient for' ordinary purposes," but- not' for lighting. "If would/'..: : writes Mr. Duncan, "ca.use a Very great' waste-to' light up the .oarriage fully, sd , that .all, pa'sjengeM would not, be v .interrupt^'...in their reading. I think we. oon. reasonably . ask- piisserigers to accept the.'' temporary '.interruptions in order to, avoid this-waste. lii regtiixl to the general lighting of trains after sunset, the lighting is good. All oars running to. and from -Wellington-are fitted with' 50<ar,dle-power lights, and should a mantle burst the.giiard •is in: a-j position to renew it." When the letter was read .at . yesterday's meeting of the council of the Chamfer of" 'Oommerce,. Mr. T. ( C., Dawson stated that as ; far as '■ tho letter applied to'the Lower Htitt trains' the statement was absolutely* incorrect. Ha thought it was a,' very. - unsatisfactory reply- . .'■■■ The Miramar Borough. Council's, electric poirer-house, now .iii course Of. .'construction oil a site at to .junction!'of. Ira Street and Broadway,. will "'bei'-" finished about two'/months Mhoa, and',it. is ex--pcctcd that a tender for its equipment will be let in a month's time. The equipment will include two ,1517 horse-power . Diesel ' oil engines, whicfc -'it is' calculated,' - will be able to prociuco all the powta. needed by tho. boroufch foi*. some time to come. As. soon, as tho power.house- and plant is ready tho ■ borough ■ will supply its . own power for public and private!lighting and powfeivand''will' ilso, under an arrangement with the city, feed the-tramway'wires within, its'boundaries. , The power-house is costing ,£3OOO, and the equipment, .£BOOO. ' A section of the borough, (including Seaioun) has been irei ticulated ■ for drainagej. and. that porti'oii will .be able to benefit by it. in about, three months' time, an arrangement hiiy° ing been made with the Electrical Department of the . City Corjioration to supply ' power froin the tramway wires,until such time as the. borough's power-houso is ready to furnish energy for. the'.pumping stations. The erection'., of a" high-level reservoir in Connection-.with- the..'.waterworks has been deferred for tho 'present.-

A DEMONSTRATION OF "TRIUMPH" POPULARITY. r Tho "Triumph" motor-oycle has 'demonstrated tiniei and time again, hero in New Zealand, its possession '■ of such ; high qualities as reliability; economy iri running, efficiency, capacity to stand ' hard wear, and ability to climb. Hills at high sjeed. .It'lias demonstrated ".these things in actual competition, under, competitive conditions, .and it has demonstrated them less publicly, but not less effectively, in every-day use at tho hands of thousands of ' motor-cyclists. Ever since' we first introduced the "Triumph." : to the New Zealand market the machine, hiis grown in .popularity Until to-day it is trio standard ; motor-cycle .in the . Dominion—rhe machine by which all others' are' judged. If additional demonstration is needed' of the popularity of the "Triumph," we may mention that wo have entered into : p, contract for the supply. during the next twelve months of 500 "Triumph" motorcycles, the maximum nuniber available for shipment here. The total retail value of the order is' .£40,000. The first shipment tof 85 "Triumphs," arriving'per the s.s. loriio, under tho new contract, has a retail value of £7000, and is the biggest shipment of motor-cycles of one make e v er sent to one firm in Australasia. That is a demonstration '■ of our; faith in the "Triumph", and o'Ur belief in its nhenomenal popularity. We can also 'show .the accepted contract to anyone interested. The -new model 1912-13 Triumphs" ; s'e;ll as follows-;— Fixed engine, .>670; free (Jigine, JGSOt three-speed,' .£B7' 10s. . We have fixed and free engine models for iffiriiediate delivery. Adanvs, Ltd., agents for "TriUmpli" motor-cvclcs and cycles, High Street, Christcbui'ch.. Branches at ?almerston North,' WanganUi. Agents, Messrs. Sutherland and Hankine, Mercer Street, Wellington, and • the - Tourist Motor. Co., Hastings—Advt., . ,