LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Defence Department Vld their annual picnic at Day's Bay yesterday. They were ferried. across and back by the «.«, Janie, Seddon, and spent a Terr jolly day at the Bay. All the staff officers in town, including Major-General A': J. Godley, participated in tho outins. About 150 attended. After luncheon the .usual races wero run. The staff officers race was won by Captain Escourt, who defeated Colonol Knox, in a runoff, after tying for first place. Tho party returned at six o'clock. V ■

The Chinese in Wellington propose to observe Wednesday, February 12, as a holiday in commemoration of the establishment of the Eepublio, that day being the day on which tho Emperor Hsuan Tung abdicated tho throne. .

General Godley will hold an insp-rotion of senior cadets at the Garrison flail,Buckle Street, to-night at 7.30. General Godley '> will also, inspect the coast defence troops oji Friday, February 21, while they are manoeuvring.

At yesterday's meeting of the Council of the Chamber of, Commerce,, tho question cf changing tho system of 1 obtaining ruling values for exports was brought up in the form of a .motion tabled by Mr. T. C. Dawson, who moved;—" That the secretary submit a monthly list showing tho ruling exports, so that the values in quarterly returns can bo based on the same, instead of the present system of checking the completed returns. i After a discussion on tho vexed question of accurate ruling values, a committee, con-, sistine of Messrs.-A. E.- Mabin, A. S. Pisa, T. C. Dawson, and E. G. Pilcher, was set up to confer with the Secretary ■191 Custoinß-(Mr. Wn 8.'.-iMontgomeryJ,, with a- view to arriving at a more satisfactory system of ascertaining ruling prioos of exports monthly than obtains at present.

iJanies Smith, : an invalid pensioner,; was recently required to give evidence in a case at the Sydney Police Court. Ho had concluded his evidence when the seniorconstable put the deposition before mm t "You : can t, sign your name, can you, Smith P" asked the officer, noticing that tho witness' had ! lost both hands. r Oh;- yes, I can," was : Smith's reply. Give mo i» pen." Tho senior, constable gavo tho handlers man a pen. Ho took it. with remarkable firmness between the wrist Units, and with much confidence, rapidity,-, and i legibility, wrote ' James Smith." The writing was much better than that of tho majority of pfcople who have the use of - their fingers. :

on-behalf of the Hemp Committoo' of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce at Vesterday s meeting, Mr. A. B. Mabin (chairman) stated that tho com. mittee had found it necessary to have the contract rioto between niillers And exporters amended and clauses dealing with striko and war, risks had been inserted in the note. Tho millers hac'l agreed to the amendments which meet the wishes of the .exporters. , The attempt to form an Association of Chambers of Commerce has not, so .far, been very successful. It, was decided some months ago that every Chamber of Commerce in the Dominion shou.d bo approached respecting the proposal, and (according to the resolution passed) if fifteen replies favourable to tho proposal were recoived the association would bo formed and a conference should be called. Mr. A. E.' Mabin (president of tho Wellington Chamber) reported yesterday that only nine favourable replies had been received. Some Chambers (amongst them Auckland and Wanganui) ; wera aeainst the proposal, and a number had not replied. 'It was decided to issue another circular to Chambers which had not replied. This by way of a final effort. :

The Greater Wellington; Municipal Electors' Association met 'last i njght. There were twenty-five citizens present, and over these Mr. J. G. W. Aitken presided. The fallowing officers were elected: President, Mr. J. G. W. Aitken: vicepresidents, Messrs. H. G. Hill and A. L« Hunt; executive, Messrs.,E. Wylie, W. Thomson, A. E. Odlin, .J. S. Barton, T. C. A. Hislop, G. Shirtcllffe, and. E. J. Col ley. Tho fruit market in Auckland at present is well stocked with both Island and local fruits. Bananas, always a popular fruit, are very. reasonable in. price, and supplies are ooming forward (writes our Auckland correspondent). Last week a good shipment arrived from Rarotongo, while a further shipment is duo from Fiji this week, Oranges nro also coming along well, and experienced a good demand during ,last week. In. the streets local fruits are selling freely, tomatoes in 'particular are in good domaud, fine fruit being obtainable for 3d. or id. p?r lb. Apples and pears are meeting with a very fair demand, and good fruit is selling at very reasonable prices. ' j