LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 3 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

~ 'The . berthing of the steapier 'Ao.rangi, at the Glosgow Whcrf yesterday morning, Was carriotTout ih ft very leisurely way. She arrived In tho harbour at fl a.m;, and wafi due to come alongside at 8 a.m./ but it was nearly two hours later, before her gang-plank was pushedashore,' Tho best part of an hour was spent in warping the 6hip up to the wharf, and then, some hitoln arose about ft gangway, which delayed for another quarter of »n hour the reunion, of - eeßvreary passengers' and expectant friends. Tno only gangways on tiio wharf Were perched aloft on okvated orane-platforms. Some half-hearted, attempts were made to lower down one o» these, gangways, but nothing , dime'of it, .and for just alout a quartet of an hour the Aoriiißi remailied fast to the Wharf and with fenders in pbsitioll, but minus means of communication with the shore. Finally ■a' gangway was - detached from, one of tho hatchways,.where it had been Stowbd aboard the ship, and run ashore. There seemed no. apparent reason why this should not have been done a quarter of an hour earlier.

Probably l few men haVS occupied, at as early an age, so responsible a position as tho Hon. C. K. iVazer (Postinaster-Gen-fcralof tli® Commonwealth), who arrived by tho Aorangi from .Sydney yesterday. Mr. Frazer's thirty-third l-irthday coincided with tiid day of his arrival'm New Zealand. The Commonwealth PostmasterGeneral is one of the increasing band of Cabinet -Ministers, Who have. from tho ranks. Not so many years ago no was & locomotive fireman..

Tho members of tho Imperial Trado Commission are duo . to arrive hero ,at about; the end 6f next Month, 1 and Tml spend some Ml" weeks in tho Dominiofi, ■l'lioy Will lcavfl London by the'lß.M.S. Maloja on January 10, arrive iii MeU; bourno about tlio taiddlo of 1 February, and como on immediately to New Zealand. , Yosterday 'tho' Hou. C. 'B. Praiier waS ehoivii over tho'now GeaCrar Post Office by Mr; W. 1!. Morrjs (Secretary to tliO Tost and ''Telegraph Department)!'. Both the l internal and external features'oi! tho building wdro. greatly admired by the PosimaSter-Qenofali • VKihe persons, four men arid five'womeni who frequent, the Mount Cook district, were arrested yesterday by Sergeant Butledgo and his staff for charges of consorting. with persons df evil repute.

Tho fnajority bf . tho coal miners , of! Otago and. Southland, with the-eicfiptloil bf those employed by the Kaitangata Company, aro reported to be considering the questions of, Seceding from the Federation of Labour, and of joining forces with the United Labour .' Party "Star," :

.; In conjunction with other harbour officials, Dr. P6llen, P6rt Health Officer, had a strenuous New:Yoar'a Day. Proin about 2 ji.nl. to 7 p.ni,, on the day in question over 16(H) passengers, who arrived by the Tahiti, Athenic,; and' Warriinoo, "passed examination", priot to landing. s

Passengers by the To Arai couch tad an oxoiting oxpbrioncO yesterday, ; daysthe "Poverty Bay Herald." Shortly after; baling the Bridge Hotel the driver (Mr. B. Kirk) waS'trying.'to,-.steer clekr of &; mob of sheep, while the tramway engine camo puffing along with trucks;;; loaded with, metali ; TKo noiso mado by tho dngino frightened tho horeos, which struggled, ttnd finally ups4t the coaoh into tho aeop drain. l There ivefo thrco passengers, including two ladies, but no ono yxs injured. nor.was any damage done lo tho coach. • , ;■ .

Better late than heverV is a spying which appears to be applicable to information given, on tho telegraph shipping notice board at tho Gctioral ! Post Office, Wellington. Although the arrival of tho M&pourika. and Waiinea, at Nelson, from Wellington, wastelegraphod on January ■1, it was not until yesterday that woi'd was recived ooncerhiiig tho arrlvtil of the Nikau, which" left this poit at about tho 6ame hour as the first-mentioned! vessels on New Year's, Eve, The local agents for the Nikau also received tulvioeiwhioh etatcd that tho Nikau had arrived at Nelson frbm Wellington; via Fr&icli Pass and Motuekb, ,iit 10.10 a,in. oil JarmHry 1.

A birculaf has been issued by Iho Federation, of Labour> through Mr. 1?.-! H. Hickey, requesting unions to nttend a conference of ; unions called by. the F<dernfctan of LabotU'. 'l'hfi bbjoet of tho conference irt -set out aa follows in tiro circular:— The conference of (unions culled "by the Federation of Labour, to Cohsidor tho test means of meeting the cdtnmoli dagger. threatening organised Labour will; as previously intimated, be held at The Worker' officii, Wellington, fan Tues-.; day, JfttiUftl'y 21, 1913. As suggested in ft previous letter, tlip cluief "bushieiis of tho Conference will bo to consider tho difficulties and dangers Confronting trades unionism, and to agree, if possible, .upon ft basis <)f combined action that .will strbhgtncrt c.lch and all, ivliifo making for consolidation a lid oiimncipatibtt of the great Worldi'ig-class." So far as cati bo learned,, it is not tho intention (if Unions nov,* outside tho federation to be ippfesentcd at tho conference, j