LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1635, 30 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Union Steam Ship Company's turbine steamer Maheno arrived at Auckland from Sydney at i p.m. on Saturday. She brings English (via Suez) and Australian mails, tho Wellington portion of which will arrive by tho Main Trunk .express this afternoon.

Territorials who havo been taking part in tho military tournament at Christchurch nro arriving back. Both tho Maori and tho Mokoia, which arrived yestorday brought up dotaohments.

Word has been receivod in Wanganui (telegraphs our special correspondent).that Dr. Chapman, of tho Chapman-Alexander mission, is willing to como to Wanganui to hold a four days' mission provided that tho committees at Wellington and Auckland agree to tho proposal. Tho matter whs discussed at tiro WangauUJ Alinistoi's' Association, mooting, and the secretary was instructed to endeavour to ar-' rang© for Dr. Chapman's visit from April U to April 17 (inclusive)..

A polico constable who attempted' to oject four raon—"four drunken foremen" ho called them—from Porliumont Grounds on i'riday aftornoon told the story of his adventure in tho' Police Court ou Saturday. Constable Dyer, the officer referred to, stutcd that ho had seen somo men. wrestling on tho green in Parliament Grounds, and had ordered them off the premises. Ono had refusod to go, and Had assaulted Constable Dyer. A blow in tho mouth broko tho constable's false teeth, and Constable Barton, who went to Constable Dyer's assistance, had his shako brokon. Inspector Dllison next arrived, and lent a hand, and eventually two of tho four were taken quietly to the police station. Some of the publio who witnessed tho occurrence, exhorted the polico to let tho firemen go, as it was Christmas time. The offending seafarers were fined in tho Court on Saturday morning.

"The largest, most handsome, and most comfortable theatre in Australasia" is the way in whioh a visiting actor describes the new His Majesty's Theatre In Courtenay Place.

For the.four days prior to Christmas Day the following number of messages were handled by the Wellington telegraph offices-Forwarded, 21,038; received,24,B49; transmits, 72,880, totalling 119,167 messages of. all codes. This shows a very ! large increase over last year's traffic.

The telegraph office will be opened from 9 a.m. tot p.m., and from 7 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday next (New Year's Day). Tho midnight cablo attendance will be as usual. The telephone exchange will be open continuously.

Mr. W. C. Cropp, city inspector of Christchurch, will probably" go down to future generations as the man who secured the biggest crop of ! defendants in one fell swoop (says the "Evening News J. It is in' his name that "the Mayor, covn> cillors, and citizens of Christchurch, have been cited to appear before the magistrate for a broach of the city by-law prohibiting the overcrowding of places of amusement, the terrible crime having occurred last Sunday on the occasion of the municipal organ recital. It is, ' perhaps, not generally known, that all penalties inflicted in respect to breaches of the city by-laws are remitted to the City Council. In view of this a comic opera position arises. Assuming "the Mayor, councillors, and citizens" are mulcted in the heaviest penalty possible, who will really be penalised?

An envelope addressed "Father Christmas, Nelson," was received at' the Nelson Post Office, having arrived in a country ' mail. It contained two letters and a description of a doll which each child would'like Father Christmas' to send. The postal officials, in tho course of their duties, often meat "snags" in addresses, but they almost invariably rise to the occasion. However, they were ma quandary in .regard to the letter under notice, as Father Christmas had omitted to leave-any address at which his correspondence had to .be delivered. The letter, was eventually handed over to one of the staC who"undertook: to; reply to it; so that the two little ones will not find their confidence misplaced in appeals to Father Christmas.

The witlo field of usefulness covered by the St. John Ambulance Brigade was demonstrated recently. A short time ago a lad at Oamaru suffered severely from burns and'it. was necessary to send him to Sydney. Members of the brigade at Oamaru placed him on theirain there and ho was sent by them.to Christchurch on Boxing Day. There he was attended by •members of the local brigade, who took him toLyttelton and transferred him to the Sydney vessel in port. On his arrival at Sydney he will bo met by other members of,the organisation and will receive the benefit of all tho expert knowledgo they possess.'. ' .

In tho district in the vicinity of Mararoa there is a herd of about 600 wild, cattle, half of which are bulls, and graziers naturally are averse to their presence, which is a menace to station operations and a, danger to human beings (says the, Southland News"). Several attempts have been made by venturesome stockmen to remove them by the usual means, but all have failed tho animals being extremely intractable, while the country is rough, adding to tho difficulties of the task. Two residents of Invercargill recently .spent six weeks in the district, and made repeated efforts to secure oontrol of some of tho. beasts, but though provided with horses and dogs and armed with rifles no success was met with. The bulls were the wildest, but the cows showed almost as strong resentment to interference, and the rifle .had to be used on more than one occasion in self-defence. It is a danger-ous-task, .but would have proved a profitable one to tho hunters had they been able to reduce to control a dozen or so of tho animals, It is stated that owners of properties affected'are only too willing to allow hunters on the ground, and that no charge would be made if any animals were secured.

It haa become quite a popular praotice (says the "Lyttelton Times ) to pass critical remarks in regard to the methods of conducting the tramways in Christchurch. Although the public resents criticism from strangers, and is really iprotid of its tramway system, .it reserves its right to criticise and gritmble on every occasion, and it -usually exercises that right to the utmost. But an officer of the Tramway Board, in discussing the work on Boxing Day, aired a tramway grievance against the public. He said that, to those who were actively engaged in the practical work of dealing with tramway traffic, many members of the public were exasperatingly slow. 'When the rushes were on it was most irritating to watch people, board a car, or alight from one, with leisurely gait, as if hundreds of other people in other parts of the city were not being kept waiting: People who used the tramways day after day all the year round became used, to the motorman's "Hurry on, please," and consequently his request, as well as the clang of his bell, oftenfell upon deaf ears. If mme heed was erven to them there would be fewer small delays, which, in the aggregate, made a mighty total.

MOTOK CARS, MOTOR CYCLES FOE

. THE NEW YEAR TRADE. We are offering for immediate delivery the famous Clement Bayard cars,' noted for their simplicity, graceful appearance, and absolute reliability. These "French Tslbots" are guaranteed to run 100,000 miles with a minimum of "attention. The 8-12 h.p. 3-seater Clement-Bayard, with full running equipment, sells at ,£295; tho 10.15 h.p. Clement-Bayard, fully equipped, sells at .£399 Us. 6d., and tho 10-15 4-5 eeator Clement-Bayard, fully equipped, sells at J2426 ds. 6d., these prices being inclusive of everything usually sold as "extras." Those splendid light cars of the Studebaker manufacture, whioh have earned such a wonderful New Zealand reputation for giving satisfaction and "making good," are' offered as follows'.—2o h.p. 2-soator Studo-baker-Flanders, finished in French grey and complete with hood, wind-shield, five lamps, dock, and speedometer, £215; 20 ■ ■ h.p. i-seator Stndcbaker-Flanders (same finish and equipment) 30 h.p. 5-seater Studebaker E.M.F. (samo equipment), .£375. In motor-cycles we have tho world's best, the "Triumph," fixed engine ,£7O, free engine .£BO, 3-spced .£B7 10s., and that popular machine, tho "8.5.A.," fixed engino '.£7O, free engine iCSO, 2-speed .£BS. We welcomo letters requiring particulars of our wide range of motor cars and motor cycles, and anyone interested is cordinlly invited to write us at tho head office. High Street, Christclmreh. Branches at Wanganui and Palmerston North, where cars and motor cycles can bo inspected. Also nt agentsTourist Motor Co.. Hastings. Sutherland aid Eankino, Wellington.—Advt.

A copy of the first issue of the iatest addition to tho newspaper press of New Zealand has reached this office. The new journal is "The Tribune," published at Waverlcy. Tho motto of the paper ,is "For Humanity, Liberty, and Law," and "The Tribune" says of itself that it "is quito free and-untrammelled, independent of every party (political or other organisation) or individual—in so far as concerns tho paper itself." The now paper is published by Mr. A. E. Havelock Green. The first number is woll printed, and well filled with local news, with comments on local affairs, and with local advertisements. •

Duncdin business men state that trado has so far this Christmas excelled anything done in previous years. Ono representative business man, with fifty years' experience in Dunedin, states that thero never has been so much evidence oi general prosperity. Money is plentiful, and people are not afraid to part with it. Tho old "bang went saxpenco" joke against Scotch folk has no application in the Edinburgh of the south. The demand for fancy books is almost phenomenal. Ono soller says that, whereas tho average gift ten years ago cost about 2s. od., the valuo now is 6s. The majority of people do not want to purchaso trashy presents'. There has been a great revival in Christmas cards, in all departments of trade business has been exceptionally brisk, and it is estimated that during Yuletide the people of Otago will have spent over £100,000 in special directions. t About half past 5 o'clock on Saturday evening a pedestrian was knocked down by a motor-cyclist at the corner of Meroer Street and Willis Street. No serious injuries were sustained by the pedestrian, who was able to leave for home.