LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1664, 3 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho s.s. Wimmora, inwards from Sydney to Auckland, brought yesterday an mail, via Suez., and tho usual Australian mail. Tho steamer connected with tho Main Trunk express and the mails will arrive in Wellington this afternoon.

A fore-cabin steward named John J. Cotterill, employed on board the Arahura, was arrested by Detectivo Bailey on Saturday morning. Ho was charged;Witli the Jhel't of two watches, tho property of ono of the painters who wcro at work on tho Arahura.

Sentenco will bo passed in tho Supremo Court this morning tin. Horace James liichards, a young man, who recently pleaded guilty to a charge of forgery at Martinborough. Tho prisoner, Albert Henry l'almer, who appeared before ,Mr. Justico Chapman last week on a charge of theft, and who was ordered to stand down for a few days, will appear again this morning.

Organised labour Intjuds to have a full representation among tho candidates for tho City Council, Harbour Board, and Wellington Hospital aud Charitable Aid Board at the coming After tho prospoctivo candidates aro known, those to be formally nominated will bo selected by ballot on the preferential system in order that there shall be no overlapping. For this purpose ballot pai>ers > are being issued by tho Wellington District Labour Council. TUo ballot will closo on February 25. I'he city engineer, Mr. W. H. Morton, concluded his negotiations with representatives of tho corporation labourers re increased rates of pay on Saturday.' Ho will report to the City Council as to tho result of his negotiations, and tho council will finally determine what shall bo done. In .conversation with'a Dominion reporter after the conference, Mr. Morton said ho could not divulge anything connected with the business until he had reported to the oouncil. ,

Although tho conference between the Prime Minister and tho Federation of Labour delegates who' interviewed him on Friday last was tinged with hostiHtr, there were some gleams of a lighter spirit. One such instance was when Mr. Hickey pleaded/'poetio license" as his-excuse for greatly, exaggerating-the number of landhungry people in this country. Later on Mr. Fraser,- a northern Federation delegate, had occasion to refer to a recent occurrence at Wailii when Fcderationists ■and, Arbitrationiijts had a Contest for tho possession of thevMiners'Union Hall. It will ho remembered that on that occasion the Fcderationists massed themselves in a passage and endeavoured to resist the entrance, of the other paTty. The, Arbitrntionisis solved the problem by climbing, over tho heads of the men, in tho passage. Referring--to this incident Mr. Fraser remarked: "Tliey climbed over our heads Ond kicked tho faces, of our men. If that is riot a breach of tho peace, I submit that it is conduct likely to lead a breach of tho peace." Tlio Prime minister and joined in laughing at' this naive way of stating the case.

.The first meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce this year , will lo held on Monday; nest. ~ '•

Of 555 passengers who are on board the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer licinucia, due in port from .London today, 121 ere in the first and second saloons, while 131 aro travelling . thirdclass. Included in'jfchq latter number are 130 assisted passengers, of whom 25 ar« ineiii 56 nro womeiii and 49. bio.children. Tlioso nominated bj' relations in New Zealand number'3s' adults and 43, children. Tho High Commissioner; approved ; of 46 adults'and six children. The "assisteds" includo 2B domestic servants, 14 fnrnl labourers, throe farmers, one ploughman, and 17, wives who are coming out to rejoin their husbands. ,

The housing of visitors for tb® forthcoming Exhibition is likely , (says ; tho Auckland "Herald") to become a very eqrious problem. At the present time tho majority of tho hotels and boardinghouses are full. Tourists'arriving in Auckland lately have as often as not been compelled to leavo their baggage on boiird the boat or at tho station whilst- a search for accommodation is made. ■ . v'.

The old Auckland-Auilt yaclit Waitangi has boon sold by. Messrs.'Gibbs and Bouicott to' Mess:s. A. Lancaster, M. Howie, 'A. Gray, and B. Proud, of this city.- It is tho intention of lor now owners to entor tho Waitangi for the ocean raco ■ from .Wellington to Port Underwood on February 25.'.'. ,

The coming conference of Crown Land Commissioners will, amongst other matters, consider the position of leases of small grazing runs • granted under tho Land-Act of 1885. These leases have expired,': but the 'lessees have, up till the present been allowed to continue in occupation on'the old basis of rental—2l per cent, on the capital value of the land. As it is considered that these lands should now be producing more revenue than when they wero originally leased, tho manner and terms of such leases will be fully discussed at tho. conference,. as promised by the Wellington Commissioner (Air. Brodrick) at tho last meeting of the Land Board. .

The man Richard Attew Webb,' for whose safety fears were entertained, arrived safely ut his homo on Saturday morning. 'Ho went oway from the Boat Harbour on Wednesday morning, and as ho had not''returned -on Friday his absence was reported to the polipq; He states, that he had. been sheltering ( at Ward Island, • ■