LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1652, 20 January 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

: The steamer Victoria, with Australian mails on. board, arrived at Auckland at midday yesterday. The mail. is duo in Wellington' by: the 4.12 train . this, afternoon. The same, train is also bringing Amerioan and. English mails, via. Vancouver, ,

; New prison regulations and now police regulations havo been completed, under instructions from the Hon, A. L. Herdman (Minister for Justice) and will bo gazetted shortly; The prison and police regulations about to bo superseded have been in force for nearly thirty years, and the necessity of bringing them up to date has been recognised for some time past. This Easter tho annual tiniveraity College Tournament is to be hold in Wellington. The debating, contest is to take place .on the evening of Easter Saturday in the Concert Chamber Of tho Town Hall. The judges' are his Honour Mr. Justice Chapman, the Hon. Sir John Pindlay, K.C., and the Rev, ■ Dr. Kennedy, and they have chosto as tho sub. ject for tho debate: "That it is desirable that Now Zealand should federate with Australia for the purpose of defence'-by land and sea," In the first debate Canterbury College asserts- the affirmative and Victoria Collego ■ opposes. In the second debate Auckland affirms and Otago opposes. Bach of the four colleges is reprt&mted by two speakers. The Victoria College representatives are Messrs, W.'J. MTildowny and .<?. Q. Q; Watson. A fire in Manners Street ocoupied the attention of the Central Brigade in tho small hours of yesterday morning. The call was received at thirteen minutes' past midnight (Saturday), and the hose was playing on the building,very soon after. Without much trouble the ilnines were ex- j tinguished,' but not before the building and oontents had been considerably damaged. The Scene of tho fire was on tho 60uth 6ido of Manners Street, near tho Willis Street corner, in ft two-storied building owned by Mrs. Dataiell and Dr. Graoe, and occupied by various tenants. As far as could bo' seen, the fire originated in tho upstairs portion, and the tenants, who suffered damage, wore Mr. W. A. Stanley, manufacturing jeweller; Mr. G. P. Hanaa, eigmvriter; and Mr. Neville, electrician. Messrs, Gurney Bros., basket manufacturers, and Mr. Walling, tobaccollist. who occupiod shops below, had their stocks damaged by water and smoke. Tho building was .insured for .£2500 in the Union and Sun offices. In April last tho same building (then threo storys) was tho scone of a serious conflagration, and Fireman M'Lcan lost his life through coining into oontact with a live wire. After that fire tho top story Was taken off the building.

Among the nominations received for tho motor cycle sports to bo held at Awaiiuni on Anniversary Day, was one from a lady enthusiast, who wished to compete in the fifteen-mile event. Tho club decided not to accept her nomination, owing to tho element, of danger unavoidably associated with motor raofng.

A representative of the South Island Labourers' Union will visit tho Mosterton district next week, to organise tho farm labourers and threshing mill hands. He will subsequently Visit other parts of the North Islnnd, It is understood, says the "Age," that another effort is to be mad« to seciif* an Arbitration Court award for farm labourers.

There are rumours of « law case likely to eventuate in connection with tho recent sale of the Kekerangu property (says th» Kaikoura. "Star"), nnd, on behalf of th« Government, a number of valuers have been over the estate this week for the purpose of valuing tho roads on the property.

During the passage of R.M.S. Tumkina from London to Wellington tho death of (ui infant child,, Irene Dorothy Kemp, took place in tu? third-class, from natural cauios. Tao body wm buried at aea on Dscambor 9c

Tho question of railway freights was introduced at tho meeting of tho Masterton Chamber of Commerce on Friday by Mr. G. C. Summercil, who 6tated that his attention had been specially drawn to tflc fact that tho charge on benzine was 2s, 2d. per caso, or double rates, and that it was carried at the owners' risks. Mr. S'uinmerell pointed out that benzine was largely used in agricultural pursuits, particularly in the driving of milking machines. Kerosene was carried at rate and a half. The president stated that tho matter of railway rates had been , brought up some years ago, but nothing was done. He thought thero was room for improvement. A sub-committeo was set up to go into the question and report to the Chamber.

The president of the Mnsterlon Chamber of Commerce stated at last ••Friday's meeting that it had been proposed to take up the question 0/ a woollen mill early in tho new year. In view of tho industrial unrest, however, and the stringency in the money .market, ho did not think it desirable to take action in the meantime. Jlesponsibility for the truth of this must assum&lby the Lyftelton "Times" w 1 billing at tho Belfast Freezing Works on Friday morning, a slaughterman named David Dann found, a ninocarat gold signet ring around the tongue j if 3 , ""nkM Tho ring had evidently been there for some time, as it was quite blick and embedded around the tongue ntar. the root. v . Altogether there were 365 passengers on , m° ~ v Zealand Shipping ConiEanv a Tuiakina, ■ which arrived from ondon on Saturday morning. Of this number 85 were assisted immigrants, ihero were eight adults and six children nominated by friends and relatives in Now Zealand, 10 adults and two children, . nominated by the High Commissioner and five wives who had oome out to rejoin their husbands. There were 20 women aud seven men and eight children. Inoludod among tho "assisteds" were H domestic servants, one fafmer, : and five farm labourers. The domestics came out in charge of a matron (Hiss E, M. Taker). Mr. Willis, head of jthe large buying house of 'Willis, Sindall and Co., London, is at- present on a visit to' New Zealmd, and, in. company with Mr. Wingield, their New. Zealand director, paid a visit t? •iff!??'® on Friday. In the afternoon Mr. Willis visited tho Riverdalo and the Kaupokonui dairy factories. He made a suggestion that the cheese factories should put up' a quantity of loaf cheeses and rfiip thorn to arrive in just prior to Christmas.' His firm, and many other firms, romld gladly buy these for presentation to their clients, and the advertisement which they Mould receive from tho distribution alone would, W of some value to New Zealand. He had not hitherto thought a great deal about New Zealand i it was so relatively insignificant 'in his imagination, and so rarely mentioned, that his firm had not taken a ; great deal, of notice of its New Zealand director's recommendations; In future, howevor, he .would do all in his power to assist New Zoaland business. .By tho narrowest margin imaginable Gisborno escaped d'serious gunpowder explosion on Thursday last, says the "Poverty : Bay Herald." It appears that the grass across Stanley Eoaa at Awapuni was discovered on fire, and word was sent to the borough yards. The borough overseer and one br • two other members of the staff hurried off, and 6nly just succeeded in beating out tho flames that by this time Jmd actually surrounded the two powder magazines. In fact, in one instance the grass was burnt to within a foot of tho magazine, and there 'was danger of the flames filtering through the ventilators.

Two electrics bells have been erected on the Palraorston Railway Station platform, one at each ond of tlio office buildings. Their object is'to notify th6se in oharco of outgoing trains/that booking at-the ticket offloo' has been completed. Tho ljells thus obviate ahy possible chance of a delay in the departure of ft _ train through the ignorance' of the officials : as to whether there are any ■ more pa6£ongers, and , they .''also do away with the risk of passengete missing a ..train owing 'to delay 1 cansed' by' ! cxten'siTe bookings''

, An "industrial rally" of Trades Union Conference delegates wag held at the Empress Theatre Inst evening, and was addressed by Mr. R. Semple and othcra' p.