LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mail which left Wellington on the s.s. Tahiti: on October 11, connected at Naples with the s.s. Omrah, and arrived in London on the afternoon of November 16. It was announced some tijne ago that tenders would be called for the erection of the nfew Parliamentary Buildings' before tho end of this'year.-; There is, nowa,, prospect that tenders may be called within a week or two. The plans, which aro being prepared by the Government Architect, have almost, reached completion. Strong protest will be made by the Wellington Cricket Association-against the endeavour of the Wellington Eugby Football League to obtain the use of various city reserves. Last night the council of the association decided to enter a-formal protest. Mr. M. P. Luckie (the 1 chairman of the Management Committee) remarked that the League was "a brandnew body, formed entirely for the purpose of fostering professional football, and they have not had to incur any of the expense of the upkeep of these grounds," ho continued. A young solicitor who appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday asked a witness: "Is it not a fact that these house plans are.on a stereotyped form?" "It's just like a lawyer's lease," interjected Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., with a knowing wink, "you just change one or two of thewords." . The danger of leaving a lighted candle vrarittended in. a room where a window is open was brought home last evening to Mr. A. H. Miller, the occupier of o fourroomed dwelling in Dawson Street.Shortly before 9.14 last night Mr. Miller went out, leaving a candle burning in the bedroom of his house. It'is.surmised that tho wind brought a curtain within reach of the candle flame. At all cventa tho house was soon afterwards ablaze. By the time the fire brigade got tho outbreak in hand, tho bedroom and its contents were destroyed, and an adjoining sitting room partly destroyed. Tho agents.for the house are Messrs. Fanning and Co, Tho contents were insured for .£65.

A DEMONSTRATION OF "TRIUMPH" POPULARITY, The "Triumph" motor-cycle has demonstrated time and time again,- here in New Zealand, its possession of such high qualities as reliability, eoonomy in' running, ■ efficiency, capacity to stand hard wear, and ability to climb hills at high speed. It has 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 the hands of thousands of motor-cyclists. Ever, since wo - first introduced the "Triumph" to the New Zealand market the machine bus crown, in popularity until to-day it is tno standard motor-cycle in the Dominion—rho machine by which all others aPo judged. If additional demonstration is needed of the popularity of the "Triumph," we may mention that, we have.entered into a, contract for the supply during the next twelve months of 500 "Triumph" motorcycles, tho maximum number available for shipment here. The total retail value of the order is ,£40,000. The first shipment of 85 "Triumphs," arriving per tho s.s. lonic, under the new contract, has a retail value of ,£7OOO, and is tho biggest shipment of motor-cycles of one make ever sent to one firm in Australasia. That is a demonstration o{ , our ". faith in the "Triumph" and our belief in its phenomenal popularity. . Wo can also show the accepted contract to anyone interested. The new model 1912-13 Triumphs" soil as follows:—Fixed engine, ,£7O; free tngine, .£80; three-speed, .£B7 10s. < We have fixed and free engino models for immediate delivery. Adams, Ltd., agents for "Triumph" motor-cycles and cycles, High Street, Christcluirch. Branches at Pal-' mcrston North, Wangamii. Agents, Messrs. Sutherland and Hankine,. Mercer Street, Wellington, and the Tourist Motor Co., Hastines—Advfc.

The Hon. H. D. Bell, in the abeonce of Hon. Jas. Allen (Minister for Education), presided over tho quarterly meeting of tho Teachers'- Superannuation Board, which was held yesterday. Twelvo allowances ranging from .£52 to <£100 were granted; also two allowances to widows of deceassd contributors. In twenty-seven cases refunds were ordered to bo made to contributors who had retired before becoming entitled to retiring allowances. The total membership at tho end of September was 3012. Tho Marist Fathers' Mission, which has been conducted for the past three weeks at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, terminated on Sunday evening, when the church was taxed to its utmost capacity. The mission has been wider tho care of Fathers O'Connell (superior), Taylor, and M'Cartliy. Each morning and evening throughout tho three weolts large crowds have thronged to St. Patrick's. Tho mass : at 7 a.m. on Sunday -was attended by tho ladies of tho parish,, and at eight 1 o'clock GOO men attended and approached Holy Communion. The renewal of baptismal vows was an irapreeive sight at the evening service, each member of the large congregation holding a lighted' candle overhead and repeating tho vows after Father O'Connell. Prior to dispersing, the congregation sang "Hail, Glorious St. Patrick." Lord Islington told' the members of the New, Zealand Club yesterday that when he first went to the House o'f Commous it was a common thing to see half the members present wearing their hats, j Ih later years the practice died out to I a great extent, a change due to a growing belief that anyone who constantly wore it hat was apt to find his hair receding, While on. the subject of hats, Lord Islington related that tho termination of one of his early speeches in the House was signalised by tremendous cheermg. Members were not applauding' the speech. The outburst of cheers was provoked by the fact that the orator, on concluding his speech, had sat down upon and hopelessly squashed his hat, carefully deposited upon hi.; bs/ich before ho commenoed to speak. Another Parliamentary Btory told by Lord Islington was about the representative of a borough constituency who was very slack in attending divisions and recording his vote. Finally, his constituents formally protested that he was neglecting hTs duties, and asked him for ,an explanation. Tho defaulting one arranged with his brother member for tho same borough to hold a meeting, and on the night of the meeting asked that he should bo allowed to speak first. This he was allowed to do, and he proceeded to say to his constituents that some of them appeared to think that their mcmlxrs had been slack in attendance at divisions. ' To dispel any erroneous impression that might be lingering in the mind of any constituent he would tell them that thero had been 520 divisions during that session, and .that their members had' attended- no Tewer than 501 of the number. "He did not add," remarked Lord Islington, "that his conscientious colleague had attended 500 divisions, and he had attended four!" A "housing" scheme for Wellington amateur sports bodies is to receive consideration at a meeting which is to be held to-night at the Y.M.C.A. rooms. It is.understood that one of the is to secure some kind of club room. The signatories to the circular convening the meeting are: Messrs. R. W. M'Villy (representing rowing, boxing, and amateur athletics), B. A. Guise (Amateur Athletic Association Olympic Council), B. L. Salmon (New Zealand Football Association and Junior Cricket Association), W. Perry (New Zealand Rugby Union), E. B. Vance (Wellington. Cricket Association), H. C. W. Blick (Wellington Swimming. Association), J. F. Atkins (Wellington Swimming Association'and New Zealand Football Association). Mr. M'Villy will preside. Last night Messrs. M. "F-. Luckie and C. G. Wilson wero appointed to rei present the Wellington Cricket Association. ' Still another body is offering support to, the Wellington Cricket Association in opposiing any proposal to the effect that the trams should be run through the Basin Reserve. This-' is the Wellington Contre of the New, Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, whoso disapproval was T£dtl ; 'i®i'i), '14ftet"'*vEi'(Sll u i%td at last night's meeting of tho Wellington. Cricket Association. The Hon. H. D. Bell (Minister for Internal Affairs)) together with* his -office staff, will remove to-day from Parliament Buildings to new quarters in the General Post Office Building. Mr. Bell is taking over rooms formerly occupied by Mr. D. Robertson (secretary), and other Post and Telegraph Department officials. The /members of the Astronomical Sec--tion of the Wellington Philosophical' Society held their usual weekly meeting atr ICelburne last evening. .Observations were taken of Saturn and the moon, but conditions were not good for observing, clouds frequently obscuring tho field of view.. Last week conditions were much more favourable, and on that occasion clear observations were obtained of many of the planets—Mercury, Venus, 1 Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon, and -also of a number of star clusters and, nebulae. : The captain ,of the whaling gunboat Campbell, attached to the fleet which lias been operating from Jervis Bay, New South Wales, during the past two months, informed a Sydney interviewer lost week that up., to date the fleet had captured 130 whales, an average of over two per day. Of this number the Campbell accounted for 55, the Sorrel for 47, and tho Lionel for 28. The, whaler Zealaader has been taken over to New South Wales to join the hunt.