LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1673, 13 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities.advise tT)At th« s.S/Zonlandia, which sailed from Sydney nt noon on tie ,10th instant, for Auckland, has. on board an Australian mail, also an English mail via Suez. The Wellington: partion is due to arrive here by Main fnlnk on Saturday; afternoon, tho lath instimt.

Under-the will of the late' Mr. W. J. Merrick, of Cambridge, who -'died on Christmas Day last, the residue of his estate, after providing for relatives, is to, be'equally divided -between-St. Andrew's Anglican hud Trinity Presbyterian Churches'at Cambridge,, .tliei'Anglican' Maori and Melanesian Missions, the Presbyterian Maori and Foreign Missions, tha Salvation Army, liescue Work, tho Door of Hope, and. Helping Hand . Missions.Tho executors are winding up the estate as speedily as possible, and they anticipate- .tho ;above-nielitioned churches and missions will each benefit to the extent of XSOO.- . .

During the passage from Fiji to-Auck-land, the Union Company's steamer Pukaki met with-a strong south-easterly gala accompanied by heavy seas. The heavy weather continued till Monday, when the gale raodorated, and tho vessel camo on to Auckland, arriving at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Communications- from the Islands indicate that very bad-weather is being experienced there. Tho Union Company have been advised that tho Pukaki/ which was discharging coal*at Apia, Saihoa, at the end.of last week,, had to put-to sea till tho weather moderated. In consequence her dcpirture for Auckland was -delayed.—Auckland "Star." - . By way of Appreciation of tho excellent service rendered by,the Wellington Fire Brigade at. the recent fire in A tho New Zealand Express Company's store in Horbert Street, the company's manager has written to Superintendent Tait as follows:—"I am directed to inform you that the board of directors has passed-a voto bf thanks to. the Wellington Eire Brigade for their successful efforts in minimising the loss caused by the-fire in Edward Street ,on February i, and in particular for the pains taken by yourself and your staff in -reducing the damage by water to "the lowest pOssibld point. I have pleasure in enclosing a cheijue for .£lO 10s."

Tho local telegraph office have received tho following advice from the Comlboh.wealth Government:—Radio stations : 'aro now open at Port Moresby, (Pripua, N'ew Guinea), and Thursday Island (Queensland). ■ The charges for communications from ship to shore, or vice versa, are sixpence per word,.without a minimum rate. Charges for messages from New Zealand to Thursday Island for communication to ships -will be tenpenco halfpenny per word. To Port Moresby for comnlunication to ships one shilling and a halfpenny per word, and for delivery at Port Moresby sixpence halfpenny per word. One of the most interesting subjects discussed at the Master Bakers' Association's Conference in Dunedin last week was the coming to New Zealaull df the automatic bakery. Somo of tho delegates freely stated that the talk of automatic bakeries would make a very serious alteration in the condition of the trade. Mr. W. A. Kellow, a Wellington delegate, who is interested- in the local automatic bakery company, gitvo the conference full particulars of the plant and working of an automatic bakery, und Was specially thanked for the information so freely vouchsafed. As the outcome Df tho discussion it will not be surptising to see automatic bakeries, established shortly in each of the other centres in New Zealand.

During an electrical disturbance which passed over Sydney at about i) p.m. on February 5, a tramway post in George Street, neail Market Street, was struck by a Hash of lightning. For several second's it afforded a brilliant display; sparks Hying out from the. metal. Tho incident caused, .some alaini amongst the crowd who were sheltering from tho rain at Iho time, lightning also struck a moving picture theatre in Pitt Street, causing some electric wires to fuse. An alarm of fire was given, and several appliances turned out from heitdiiUiU'toi's. No damage; however- was dons,

We linvo to acknowledge receipt of n leaflet by Edward Tregror on "The Need for Unity." The burden of the' article i a that "the Squntbvs' King, the employers, the banks, the mining speculators, the capitalistic newspapers, the commiir-' cial trusts, have only stopped looting now and then—to laugh." And so on.

The annual staff picnic of the City Council will be iiolu at Day's Hay tomorrow.

Ono from three sometimes leaves nothing, oven though it is an arithmetical anomaly. An'.instance cropped, up at (he Mount Eden llorough Council meejing on Monday night, when ilo report came forward tram the Works CbmmiMbe. 'Inquiry, elicited'thrit tho" committee had met,- but had had an' accident. The meeting consisted of a bare quorum' of three councillors, and the first business proved a rock on which they split. No. 1 councillor proposed, a ni6ti:'m, but- nobody seconded. No. 2 councillor tricd.it ailother way, but his happy thought, also fell down for want of support. No. 3 councillor came into the breach by mov-; ing to refer the matter to tho council for settlement. No. 2 thought the suggestion 6f sufficient valuo to second it, rind it was consequently carried. Thereupon No. 1 councillor signified his disapproval by going home, and the. meeting lapsed ■tot want of a quorum.—Auckland "otar." A young man named Peter Morris met with a painful, accident at his residence, Avondnle, on Monday. He,was spinning his bicycle wheel, alter oiling, when the first .finger of the right hand touched the chain,' which carried tho finger like a flash on to the sprocket wheel, with the result that tho nail and flesh from tin first joint were snapped clean oif at tin bone." First aid was rendered at Allely'i pharmacy until the arrival,of Dr. Eos siter, who - amputated the■ finger-at th first joint. The patient is progrossin: favourably. ' -i;

A strange phenomenon was noticed on Sunday. afternoon by the acting-master of thocablo. steamer Iris (Captain' W. Holmes). Ho states that when travelling by tho 2.30 boat from Auckland to Devonport ho observed a big explosion 'in the middle of the harbour, about 400 yards to' the north-west Of Orakei cattlo wh'arf. Tlio water! rose in a largo volume about 30ft. high, and the'shock was fell At'-the' Submarine Mining Depot,' North Head, hs well as on board |hc Iris. There were no boats in the vicinity of tlio explosion, and no mining operations were in progress at Ndrth Head. Others may have.also noted the strange Occurrence. '

. Tho influx oi people into Waihi is amply deniori'stra'ted by .{he fact that only since last Monday week no fewer than 73 pupils have boen entered on the roll of the Waihi District High School—so in primnry "department and Zi in the secondary department. All of these lire new pupils. The falling off in population as a result of industrial trouble is. evidently fast recovering.—Auckland "Star."

... Tlio final mc'etiiig.of {he joint committee which .'carried ■ out the arrangements for the Hon. James Allen's .farewell banquet was held last evening.'■• Accounts totallin" '.£92 ,2s. M. .were passed for payment, and it,was. reported that a,batam>B.oi',.£2 life. 3d. litis available. It, was'decided'-to. apply this surplus towards ,tho. cost of reprinting Mc speeches for circulation. The committee recorded its great .appreciation of,the work, done by, the hou. secretary, Capt. G. Hume. ■'..'■. ■

Mrs. Caldcr'i.. of Ponsonby. Auckland (wife 'Of" -tlip Commissary., to .the •BisKop .of' ' Me'lailesiajj' ' writes in£ follows:—"lkery year; nt Ibis. time you are Rood enough to nll6w me, to remind your readers' of my ■ '.Melanesian. tuck boxes, .lteminding is all there is for me. to do—no .urging, no preaching! Wellington, responds so to'my original plea that L feel a confidence and .certainty that'l feel no'whera else. There was last' y.far; thanks to Wellington, more Melonda beef.and more pre'disiested beefj and beef and iron .trine,than I have over sent before, and the thanks I get. make ice try to double it—oreii. thori it's little ! cwmgh among so many. My capable and kindly helper, Miss Mestayer, of Sydney ifjlwet,. iifilll ■■'tiufoii iifrs, 'in' riioneyuMidi iu kind, .aiid forwards them to me'frith' businesslike punctuality, and'packed in n. manner that would shame, many a professional , packer.. I. have-lbeen greatly thankful tor boxes, of mixed biscuits,, and. as .1; (ret none,, eseept from. .Wollinitfon,. that is .one score 'niore far the kindly' pcoplo.of your city." '

..St,. Benedicts' Hall- Auckland, whs crowded to the doors on Sunday evening, nearly. 1000 -psrsbus . being • present, whfcii hither. Edge addresttd ft vcrv. tic meeting,, which .was presided Over by Mpnsignof • Qilltin, .V.G. rather Edge, who is organising the federation in thd diocsse,of-Auckland, explained the object pf. ihe. meeting), and emphasised the fact that tlio;'education' question-;whs the first to 'receive- consideration from consolidated Eohiaii C-atholio. bnirliori. "Whether oiir requests to the' AucklriiUl Education Board will bo nuietly turned down.remains ttfl.be' seen,".concluded- the speaker, "esjiebijillf when wo. ore presenting, a-, united, front, 1 ' At the close ot tho meeting a large number' of-members' were enrolled into the federatiori, which is-assuming largo proportions.. .. ■.■--.' ■-. , , ...;.- ■. i ;

A residence in' Moleswofih Street whs the scene of some excitement-Inst'flight.'.; Towards, the close- of the evening shouts arid: yells: were heard, issttiiife t'rbiii. the house. -Two po'liceiheri on duty .on hear; ihg this coiriinotuSh, immediately;, rushed to the-scene of this supposed."row," only to find that a fe'iv of tlio' irierry guests were indulging in the Maori "haka" in rather a' brilliant fashidn. - . '

'Ao Gigahdrn. correspondent of fha'Sydney "Daily Telegraph" states: As Mrs. E. Garling was goiiig'to'tlie I,'atlirooni at her' home she ..narrowly, avoided treading on the tail of a brown- snake,. sft. in length,. ■■' She attefiipted to ■ dispatch, the reptile with a'rlilc, mil It. Later on Mrs. Garliug, went .to .take a child's dress out of a t basket in thy wash-liotisej and was startled to find the shrike snugly colled tip in the garhieut. The snake whs eventually killed by. Mrs. Garlirig's husband. • ■'.''■'.'''■■.■■■',

„. As noted recently in these columns, New Zealand contractors have during,the past twelve months found considerable; difficulty in gettiilg, delivery, of long lengths of hardwood timber, used so generally in connection with waterside works.. Recently Mr. Donald M'Leah, of Wellington, journeyed to Sydney; to see if he could facilitate matters iti connection;with the delivery of hardwood for the construction of the Jefvois Quay extension to the Taranaki Street Wharf. He returned to Wellington, by the Maungahiii,.with, the news that' the Union Conipany's .steamer Koroiriiko is bringing across a shipment of hardwood, and other supplies are expected iii the near fiililrb. Hd also arranged for long lemtths of hardwood (irbnbark) for Messrs. M'Lean and Co.'s Wairincollieries' railway contract to be shipped to Aucklaidfby failing vessels.