LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1637, 2 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A man called at Thb Dominion Office yesterday morning to exhibit a hand i i cl i ! J . OPO a vor y Mst y wound. Ho stated that ho had received the injury through having been- bitten by a boar which resides in tlio, Newtown Zoo. Ho was putting his hand through tho bar of the animal e quarters and offering it food when it took his hand in a hearty but unwelcome shako. Tho victim of tho experience, who is a country dweller, was on the way for medical aid when ho left the officio of this paper. , French men-o'-warsmen were seen, walking about the streets of Wellington yesterday, and the question was naturally nskeds "What French nian-o'-war is in port?" As a matter of foot, the visitors were through-passengers from Papeete to Sydney by tho Tahiti* which arrived from San Franoisco during tho afternoon. They are on their way home to France, their term of service at tho islands having expired, Chri.'-tianitv was introduced into New Zealand by the Bov. 6amuel Marsden in 18U. Ho landed nt tho Bay of Islands on December 22. and, on Christmas Day preached upon the appropriate text, "Behold, I bring you mad tidings of great joy." This was the first sermon delivered in New Zealand. Tho centenary of this happening is to be celebrated in December, 1914, and in the beginning of the following year. Bishop Crossley is now engaged in making arrangements in connection with tho celebrations, It is probable that a special service will be held at Christmas, 10H, on tho spot where Marsden first set foot on Now Zealand 6oil. A groat Church Congress, to be held in Auckland during February, 1915, has also beon proposed.

Wellington wharves presented a very busy scene from about 8 p.m. until 8 p.m. yesterday. During.the hours mentioned thousands of people werct to bo se«a walking about in the vicinity. Thertason was tho oversea passenger vessel.!, arriving ahd the coastal steamers departing. When tho Athenio berthed' at the King s Wharf there were.;fully 1300 interested spectators and friends waiting to welcome their 641 friends on board, and wish them "A.Happy New Year." A large crowd of people met the Warrimoo and Tahiti also, and a big crowd was down to see tho Maori take her 500 passengers away ebutli. Prussia's long-threatened project to tax bachelors is now before he Diet (says the London "Observer" .of \N ovember 17). It is proposed to put an income surtax of from 10 to 20 per cent..on all unmarried men whoso incomes exceed £150 per annu'ta. ■ The schemo Has the backing of the Conservatives, and is likely to becomo law. Its promoters say that the insidious growth of tho habit of remaining single among German, men requires to bo checked, and that the time has come to confer special privileges on those willing to assume the obligations of matrimony and fatherhood.

Thore was all insignificant outbreak of measles on tho Atkonioofl/her voyage frok Ixraion. Altogether there were nine' eases, all the persons affected being children, and they wore all convalescent when thoy arrived in Wellington, One passenger, was not passed by the port doctor on arrival. Ho is Mr: I£. Malvey, a third-class passenger,... who joined the ship at Capo Town. ,He is Bufferins s.oui«ly now from minors' phthisis, but : before ho, went to South Africa and into (.he mines there he was an athlete of some achievement in New Included amongst his effects on tho ship now are ■Bveral of hi 3 trophieß., ■ ;; That the San Francisco mail steamer' had arrived at Wellington was quite ovident yesterday, lion. ■ wearing '. broadbrimmed felt,hat«, baggy : trousers, 1 and watoh-guards peeping from underneath their waistcoats wero seen walking about the streets, ' The Amerioan ''twang" wag also.heard whenever a stop was made before a shop window.-.-' The strangers : appeared to take keen interest in their new surroundings. They were also made tho subject of "remarks' by colonials as they passed. ■ ', ''■ Much mail matter was landed from the three oversea, vessels which, arrived at Wellington yesterday. > The Athenic, from London,.brought 6SH) packages, and the Tahiti from San Francisco, via way ports, 550 bags and hampers, The Warrimoo, from Sydney, brought ft very small mail, consisting of.six bags. The Aorangi, whioli arrives in port from Sydney early this morning, has the greater part of the Australian mail, and this consist of 222 bags; '■'.' : ~ ':. ,; " . ■■>■■ ".■■■ The Telegraph Office advises that a telephone office, also bureau, is now ©pen at Pokeao Valley, in th« Auckland '.district. From yesterday, Victorian motorists will have to pay the following annual taxation focsi—Motor oyclcs, r sß,oachV motor-cars, not exceeding 6J h,p., .£1 Is. each) cars from 0i )i.p. to 12 h.p.,'.£2 2s. each) from, 12 h.p. to 10 h.p., .£3 Ss. eachj from 16 h.p. to 28 h.p., £i is.; 20 h.p. to 33 h.p.; £i 55.) and exceeding 38 h.p., £8 6s. each, Motor vragons km to bo taxed at *63 Bs. each.''lt is estimated . that. the. total amount that will accrue to the ■ Victorian, Road Board next year from these taxes will closely approach JJ20.000, o, Sum that will pay interest cm tho jE400;000 which is to be spent annually by tho Victorian Board for tho next five years, The now scale of 'torian taxes'will, amount to about three tomes that paid in 1912. The number of cars in Victoria is (683, and 8127 motor cycles. ' -J...- ■ .'■:-..

i Appreciation was expressed last week by tho Prime Minister, of tho Commonwealth, Mr. Fisher, at the visiTpaid to Melbourne by. Mr. J, Allen, tho Minister for Defence and Finance in New Zealand, who is on his way to England on a visit, "We, in. Australia!, ; benefit greatly by hav- ■ ing the opportunity of conversing with New Zealand.Hinisters, who may bo able to call on us on their travels," added Mr, 'Fisher, "It enables us to learn their views at first-hand upon important questions afiocting tho interests of the Dominion and tho Commonwealth, while it also affords us a chance to' convey our opinions similarly to thorn. We have enjoyed Mr,, Allen's visit, and ; have appreciated an exchange of views with him. ■ - ■ Surely the burglar who visited a house in a Melbourne suburb one day last week made the easiest coup on record. He found a note pinned.on the' door telling him whero the key was, and_ then—what matter that tho doors and windows Were all locked! Of oourse, the note was written by the mistress of tho hcuso; who Was out, for her husband, who was expected to como home. Meantime, Bill Sykes happened to pass that way. Ho collected .£lO worth of jewellery, and annexed eomo land dcods, and put the key back under the stone mentioned in the note. ■-,''.. Nearly three-quarters of a million sterling was expended by tho Publio Works Department of New South' Wales upon works in Sidney during tho year just ended. This does not represent the .total cost of all the works when completed, but merely the proportion of their.total cost covered during* tho year. Over .£77,000 was expended in establishing; State brickworks. - .-.'

"If people could only keep their heads," said Mr.' G. E. Allison, caretaker of tho tepid baths, in Christchurch, speaking to a reporter respecting the recent bathing fatalities at SUlnner, "wo should havo few accidents of this sort. Tho hunian body naturally floats, and it is the frantio efforts made by drowning persons to keep themselves from sinking that end fatally. It is always scon that a dcud body floats, and this proves tho theory. But tho natural impulse of a drowning man is to throw up his arms. This Is absolutely the most dangerous thing that, could bo done. Lot anyone in a bath- try throwing up the arms in deep water, and it will bo speedily seen, that tho body sinks. Indeed, that plan is often used by swimmors who desire to sink for any purposo as an alternative to diving. Calling out is another foolish practice, for, as a rule, tho chance of being heard by a rescuer is outweighed by tho increasing exhaustion that calling out brings.' Let a bather out of his depth tako a deep breath and lie still, and ho will float till assistance arrives. A man who can swim hoed not bo drowned if ho will but remember that wherever there is an outward there is also an inward ourrent. Lot him swim till he reaches the inward current, and it will assist him ashore. Tho. habit of trying to find tho bottom often leads good ewimmens ti. death in pot-holes." Fruit in fairly largo quantitlos arrived in. Wellington from Sata Franolsoo end Island- ports by tho Tahiti yestorduy. ; Included in tho shipment were 100 caws of fresh apples, 9800 coses of canned'fruits, 12,000 cases of dried fruits, and 1900 cases of Oalifornian oranges There were also a largo quantity of bananas. Inquiries at tho Harbour Board's tolls office wero numerous last oVening in re--sard to the Anchor Line's steamer Nikau. 'he vessel left Wellington at 5.15 p.m. on Tuesday for Nelson, and should^-un-der ordinary circumstances, have arrived at her destination yesterday morning. Up till on early hour this monhng no news concerning tho vessel had been received tt Wellington. The telegraph notice board at the Genoral'Post Office gives the time of arrival at Nelson of the Mapourika and Waimeci both from Wellington, but no mention Was hiade of the Nikau. ' .-■'_ >. ,':.'■ Fine weather favoured the Union.Compony's Tahiti on her passage from San Francisco to Wellington. The trip was a most enjoyable one. Tho usual darioes, concerts, and deck 6ports wero indulged in. The coming of the Now Year was celebrated by holding a ball en deck dn Tuesday ovening. There wero 83 passengers in all classes for New Zealand, and 100 oto proceeding to Sydney. ~;•'-.,■•■ .