LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1613, 3 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr. A. J. Petherick, secretary of the New Zealand Tennis Association, under instructions from his managing: committee, 6ent the following cablegram yesterday to ilr. Dixon, of the British tennis team, whioh won the Davis Cup on Saturday ;—"Heartiest congratulations.Britain's splendid victory." ' • ••;■■-. - The annual meeting of the Astronomical Section of the Wellington Philosophical Society will be held at the Kelbnme Observatory this'evening. After the ordinary business has been transacted, members will have an opportunity-of using the new equatorial telescope. We often hear of three acres and a cow, but at the meeting in the Sydney Town Hall recently to form a "Twilight" home for aged women, the suggestion was put forward for a slightly smaller area of ground and a kitton. "Oh! a full-grown cat, surely," came as an aside. "I think that women, wherever they are, will have pets,!" remarked the speaker of the moment,. "I am sure they, will want something young about them. Why I, or you and you and you (pointing down the row of seated women) would be unbearable if Vβ iver© always cooped up with only old people. We ought to have ,young folks in the home as well as the aged, and .not think about being old." A timaly suggestion that all the yonng people available 6hould be encouraged to, visit the home Bavod the situation. . The Tasmanian Government has decided to appoint a commission under the Jury Act to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire disaster in the North Lyell mine. The procedure of doing so was that the Superintendent of Police had prepared a panel of eligible jurors, composed of twenty ratepayers and sixteen miners of Zeehan. From this number the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition drew four ratepayers and three miners. The personnel of the draw has been made known, and is as foIlowB:— J. H. Palmer, H. Thomas, and J. Hornby, miners; W. H. Tapsell, A. J. Scott W. Harris, and Donald Salter, ratepayers. The Premier will appoint the foregoing as a Royal Commission, with the powers of a coroner's jury, to inquire into the cause of the disaster. The idea in selecting a panel from the residents' of Zeehan was to remove all persons concerned in local affairs at Lyell, with a view to securing a dispassionate finding. , .

'A sale of work in. aid of the Melanesian and Maori Missions is to be held in the Girls' Friendly Society's Lodge, Vivian Street, next Saturday, December 7, from 2to 10 p.m. The stalls -will contain a large variety of art objects from Japan, China, and India which will be found very useful as Christmns presents, or to keep as interesting souvenirs of the wonderful craftsmanship of the Orient. The attendance at tho sale is expected to bo very large.

A good eudlonoo woe present ot the concert givon in tho Concert Chamber of tho Town Ifnll lost craning, under tho auspices of tho Soottieh Society of Wellington. All tho items were well received. Musical selections v/ero given by Mrs. 1). MacMillnn and Mr. J. MncMillun. Vocal items woro contributed by: Mrs. W. B. Willis, Mr. U. N. i'lcUiher, Mrs. A. Rogoro, Mr. A. Onkoy, Mrs. J. M'Fadyen, Mr. T. Nowton, nml Miss B. Noill. A violin rxilo, "Highland Memories," was given by Mr. K. tlllchrist. Exhibitions of Highland dancing were also given by varioiiß members of tho society. Mrs. l>. MacMillan was tho accompanist.

An echo of tho disastrous earthquako at Messina ilonted into tho Ministerial rooms ftt Government Buildings, Auckland, yesterday, with tho presentation of a silver medal to Mr. W. E. Jang (chief steward of tho Ngatinwa), by the I'riino Minister. Tho avard waa a recognition by tho Italian Government of services rendered by tho recipient, who was a steward on tho Ophir at the time, in helping to succour, sufferers through the earthquake. An accompanying letter to tho New Zealand Government stated that Mr. Long displayed heroic courage. Mr. Massey made a few suitable remarks in making tho prceentution, and the Italian Consal ia Auckland (Mr. C. Rhodes) expressed appreciation on tho part of tho Italian Government for the assistance of tho Now Zealand Government in the presentation of tho medal, and the Mayor added a fow words of congratulation to Mr. Long.—Pres3 Association.