LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1612, 2 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Haheno, with English and Australian mails on board, arrived at Auckland at 5 p.m. yesterday. The mails are due to arrive in Wellington by this afternoon's express. Some of the hoarders who suffered by the fire on Wellington Terrace on Saturday evening have had a most unfortunate experience of late, having been burnt out on three occasions lately—once on the West Coast, again in Tinakori Road, and .for the third time on Saturday evening. This particular party weye at the competitions on Saturday evening, and arrived back to find the house they had been boarding at little more than oshes. Tho ladies, who hdd gooieto the concert without hats, were forced to borrow lieadgear before they'could venture out yesterday. "

The net Customs returns collected at Auckland during November' amounted to £71,460, as against £77,191 in November, 1911. Tho value of the gold export, owing to the continuance of the Waihi strike, was only .£22,696, • as compared with £65, iK during the corresponding period of the previous year.—Press Association. •

The meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee, which was to have been held to-day, has been postponed till noon to-morrow. .....'

Owing to the inclemenoy of the weather on Saturday, the annual picnio of the corporation employees was postponed until next Saturday-.

To-day is the fifty-eighth, anniversary of the Eureka Stockade incident. It was on December 3, 1854, that the Eureka iight took place between the diggers and the 14th Eegiment at the Eureka Stockade, Ballarat, when twenty-five of Xhe diggers lost their lives and thirteen eoldiers. There is still one' man living in Wellington who was present in the stockade when it.was attacked by the troops, namely, Captain John Simnionds, now residing in, Tory Street. He was within a few yards of Peter Lalorwhen he was shot down. Mr. J. Brown, of the Upper Hiitt, attended many of the diggers meetings that led up to the riot'.- .

Councillor Fuller has given notice of his intention to move, at' the next meeting of the City Council, the following motion:—"That sufficient cars be provided on Christmas Day to cope with the anticipated traffic, and thus minimise overcrowding." Councillor Fuller has also given notice to move the following rescinding motion: —"That the resolution passed at the meeting of the Wellington City Council, held on November 28, deciding to charge double fares on the tramways oa Christmas Day, be rescinded."

An epidemic of measles broke out on board the Shaw-Savill liner lonic during her voyage from Lonilon to Wellington. Altogether thero' were between 80 and ifl cases during the voyage.-

A covered-in wagonette belonging to, and driven by, a man named Nioholas Bergs, of Lower Hutt, met with an accident nt 8. o'clock yesterday afternoon, near the Hutt railway station. The vehicle contained several passengers, and while travelling along the road one of the off-side wheels collapsed, and threw the occupants on to the roadway. Bergs received injuries to his face, and was . considerably cut about, and had to bo medically attended to. The passengers were all more or less bruised and shaken. There will bo a eitting of the Court of Arbitration in Wellington to-day to deal with cases under tho Workers' Compensation Act. Detectives Bawle and Cameron, on Saturday arrested Geoffrey .Wilson, a quartermaster of. the s.s. Otaki, for allegedly being concerned in a theft of a. roll of cloth —the some chargo on which three other men at present stand remanded. AN OPEN CHALLENGE FROM THE TKIUMPH. Juet recently in Christchurch the nir hoe been thick with motor-cycle challenges and' counter-challenges, allegations of bluff, excuses, and explanations. The time has come to show where the Triumph Btande in this matter, and to put an end to an unprofitable controversy. The trouble started with Mr. G. B. Brown's open challenge to any' make, of motorcyole, irrespective of h.p., to a hill-climb-ing test on Paekakariki or Sumner Hill. That challenge etill goes begjjinj;. Then a firm of motor-cyclo agents , issued a counter-challenge to pit one of their machines against a tourist trophy Triumph on a speed test from Christchnroh to Kaikoura and back,' That counter-challenge was promptly accepted, but the public are now being treated to a number nt explanations as to why the contest has been declined by those who suggested it. We are, however, delighted with the suggestion given in that counter-challenge that there should be a contest "of eome use to prospective buyers—a challenge of reliability.." Had wo thought of it wo should have issued such a challenge long ago. Such, a test should give the general public an excellent criterion as to the comparative merits of various makes of motor-oycles. We hasten, therefore to avail ourselves of tho very valuable suggestion givon by our good friends of the J. A. Philp Motor Company, and on behalf of the Trntnph Motor Company, Ltd., Coventry, we hereby issno a ,£lO challenge to all makes of motor-cycle, 3i h.p. or under, for a contest, Christchurch to Kaikoura, via Cheviot, returning to Christchurch via Waiau, against time. No restrictions to be made as to riders or equipment by oither side. The Knikoura run is not our selection. It is tho course chosen by our competitors, but we agrco that it is a good course, for a tret of reliability. We have issued a sporting challenge, without reservations or restrictions, and as evidence of our desire to mnko the test a ! purely sporting concern, wo undertake to handover any money we may win to the Christchurch Beautifying Association, Are there any acceptances for this challenge? Adams, Ltd., New Zealand agents for Triumph motor-cycles. Branches Wangfttuit ntiu PclmcMton Northj and agants jtourist Motor Co., Hastiness,,—Advi

A skilful and successful operation, was (eaya tho Auckland "Herald ,1 ) performed by Captain S. W. Hayter, with the assistance of Mr. Higra, the chiof officer, of the Tysor etcamer Niwaru, while on tho paseago from Liverpool to Auokland. In a heavy gale on November 7 the second steward, John 'Richmond,, had his right hand jammed in. a door, with the result that the bones of tho fingers end hand were crushed and broken, and the ilesh badly lacerated. Tho unfortunate man's hand was at once cleansed a;nd bandaged, but on November 16 mortification set in, and in ordor to save the man's life, Captain Hayter decided to attempt to amputate tho third and fourth fingers and a part of the hand. No anaesthetic was at hand, but tho flesh of the hand was eo badly decayed that the patient felt practically no pain. The operation was a great success. Tho success of the operation is all the more creditable when it is token into account that Captain Hayter had no previous surgical experience, and also that the only instruments at his disposal were those contained in the ship's medical chest.'

The .Canadian-Australian mail steamer Makuri has sailed from Vancouver for Auckland and Sydney, via way ports, with a record number of passengers on board. Tho number totals 440, and .of theso 170 are travelling first-class, 125 eecond-claus, and 145 1 third-class. The Makura'e preeent contingent beats her previous record by 10, the liner leaving Vancouver some months ago with 430 people on board. Advice has aleo been received that passengers are booking freely by the now 18,500ton steamer Niagara, which is to leave Auckland on. her maiden voyage to Vancouver on May 9 of next year. The importation of Canadian merchandise is increasing with the departure of each successive steamer from Vancouver. Generally from 500 to 700 tons is discharged at Auckland each trip. But this amount will be nearly doubled, ae the Maknra has lOSfl tons on board for distribution iu New Zealand.

Mr. H. D. Acland, who returned to Christehurch on Thursday from a visit to the Old Country, says that the motor bus appeared to be everywhere in London. It not only travelled fast, but was very comfortable, and it was competing very seriously with the London County Council tramways. Christehurch, Mr. Acland considered, should bo very careful about inoreosing its tramway system, because the motor bus, which could go everywhere, might injuriously cut into the tramway traffic after the expenses had been incurred of putting the tramways down.