LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1614, 4 December 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Railway Department has decided to run a third express train between Wellington and Auckland in addition to tho two at present running, in order to cope ivith the holiday rush traffic which will shortly commence. Tho two trains now running will keep their present timetable. The extra train will leave Wei-' lington at 12.35 p.m., and it will reach Auckland at 7.55 a.m. The ertra express will leave Auckland at 10 p.m. and arrive at Wellington at 5.46 p.m. The new service will commence on December 18 and continue until January 6.

The Wellington College Governors have forwarded an invitation to the Hon. James Allen (Minister for Education) asking him to present the prizos at Wellington College on December 11. They have likewise asked Mrs. Allen to present the prizes at.the Girls' College on December 12. . .

Cormoram, German war sloop, will arrive in Wellington on December 12. The vessel is to remain here for eight days and will then leave for Auckland.' 1

The wind which howled along Featherston Street yesterday was responsible for a rather nasty, though not serious, accident. A man named John Fairman, who was working in a trench where gas mains are being laid, was struck heavily by a weighty plank which the wind caused to tumble into the trench. Fairman is at present in the hospital, but it not thought that ho is at all badly injured. The Hutfc District Licensing Committee will meet at tho Hutt Courthouse at nooA to-day.

Mediterranean fruits have, it is reported, been scarce in' Wellington for some time, as this season's shipment has no yet come to hand. The Gorman-Austra-lian steamer Hanau was due to arrive_ i' Australia with the new fruit somo time ago, but on the wny out sho mot with several mishaps, which delayed her considerably. However, she has now arrived safely at Sydney, and the New Zealand transhipments are being brought over by this Maunganui, due to-day. New Zealand's share consists .of between 600 f>m> 800 tons of figs, dates, currants, and other like fruits.

Two sections of Crown land near tho Hutt I?oad and adjoining the Vacuum Oil Company's property at Kaiwarra wero offered for sale yesterday by tho District Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. T. V Brodrick) at the upset price of .£2410 each. Lot 1 (of 1 rood H perchcs) was sold to tho British Imperial Oil Company, and Section 2 (of 1 rood 2G porches), to the Vacuum Oil Company, both at tho upset price.

The chairman (Mr. J. Trevor) and members of t.ho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board accompanied by Dr. HardwickeSmith (Medical Superintendent of tho Hospital) visited tho Upper Hutt yesterday to inspect a property with a view to its possible acquisition for tho purposes of a children's coiiTalescrait home. Tho property is to be sold by public auction on Thursday. It is the 17-acro property of Mr. Joseph Joseph, situate<l a mile from tho Upper Hutt railway station. Tt includes a ten-roomed bungalow residence surrounded by a flower and vegetable garden.

Tho annual presentation of prizes in connection with St. Patrick's College will tnho plflW at tho Culkgo ou Deoouiwr 0 At 8 pan.

A meeting of creditors in the estate of C. H. Edwards, storekeeper, Kilbirmo, was held at the office of tho Official Assignee yesterday. Mr. A. Simpson (Uu>cial Assignee) presided, and Mr. W. 1 crry appeared for the bankrupt. _ Bankrupt stated that he had started in business nine years ago. He ascribed his failure to illness in his family, and to keen competition. Tho financial statement showed stock-in-trade, .£100; book debts, .£3 Bs. fid.; cash in hand, M,; cash in National Bank, £5 is. vet.; furniture, X2o; total, <£146 13s. Id.; unsecured creditors, .£96 16s. Sd.; deficiency, .£9O lGs. Od. The largest creditors were Wollernian and Company (.£6O), and W. and 0, Jurnbull (.£sl 195.). Mr. Simpson-said that tho books were in good order, and that Mr. Edwards had given him every assistance. Ho added that he had no doubt that tho bankrupt had niado every effort to succeed. Tho meeting was adjourned sine die. At 10 o'clock on Friday morning Dr. Hl*Arthur, S.M., will open an inquiry into ] the death of Arthur Kirke, who died in the hospital on Sunday nipht from injuries received through being knocked down ,by a run-away horse on Saturday afternoon. In connection with some apiary cases heard at the Magistrate's Court, Leeston, Canterbury, the inspector stated that tho charges were tile first of the kind made in. the district, and he desired that they should serve as a warning to other beekeepers. The object in enforcing the Act, he said, was to prevent the spread of foul brood, which was a very contagious disease. Bce-keflping was a rapidly growing industry, and to protect those who kept largo apiaries it was necessary that active steps should be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. The Southbridge and I.ceston districts, as well as parts of tho Peninsula, were regarded as being among the most suitable districts in New Zealand for bee-keeping, and a good deal of honey from the district had been sent Home in past seasons. The district possessed a large number of big apiaries. A man who had only one box of bees was a bee-keeper within the meaning of tho Act. The magistrate (Mr. H. W. Bishop) expressed tho hope that the cases would serve as a warning. If any of the 1 defendants appeared before him ajain, he said, ho would inflict substantial penalties.