LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1676, 17 February 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The stenmer Victoria an-ived nt Auckland f-liot-tly beioro 2 p.ni. yesterday, and tho southern portions of tho mails 6he brought will reach Wellington by this nfternoon's Main Trunk train. The Marama, from Vancouver, leached Auckland yesterday morning, and her mails have been dispatchcd by tho same train. Cabinet decided on Saturday to call tondors for additions to tho Government 'Printing Office, to cost approximately XCOOO. Moro machine-room and lavatory acoommbdation nro to be provided. Later on a three-storj building is to be erected, fronting Fcatherston Street, and late* etill arrangements will bo made for driving the wholo of tho macliinery by .electric, power. While in London the lion. J«s. Allen will confer with the Iligh Commissioner (tho Hon. T. Mackenzie) regarding th» proposal to seouro a better and mof* central site for the High Commissioner's office. Mr. Allen will report (o the Government on tho matter when he returns.

A deputation representing local bodies interested in Uio control of Clear Islam! will Interview tho lion. 11, X), 13cll iuluorrowi

Tho triennial conference of school inspectors, principals of training' colleges, and officers of tho Education Board concluded its'business on Saturday evening, a few mintilos before midnight. Tho greator part of tho day's sitting was taken up with various questions concerning amendments to tho school.-system and to flio Department's regulations. These wore largely technical, naving in view principally certain adjustments of machinery clauses for the cosier working of the syllabus and regulations. Thoso decisions of the oonferenoo which affect the Education Boards will not bo mado public until tho boards havo had an opportunity of reviewing thom. In tho meantime they arc "confidential." This morning the principals of tho training colleges will meet 'in conference to discuss certain matters affecting tho training of-teachers. A motor reliability trial, open to members of any recognised motor-cycling club, is to bo conducted on Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22, under the auspices of tho Wellington Motor Cycling Club. The route will be fronv Wellington ■ (Customhouse) to Taihape, via tlio Manawatu, and back by way of tho. Wairarapa.

Sentence irill bo pa.?swl in the Supremo Court this morning on ex-Constab!o Km-mc-rs, who recently pleaded guilty to a number of burglary charges. At the same time, another prisoner, Kenneth Green, will also como up for sentence. '

■ Tko Mayor and members iof _ the City Council will pay their annual visit to the Wairuii waterworks on Wednesday next. The annual smoke concert of the mailsorters of the Wellington Post Office took plSco in the New Century Hall on Saturday evening, when a most enjoyable time was spent. Mr. Jessop occupied the chair, snd among thoso present wore tho Secretary (Mr. W. R. Morrisi and AssistantSecretary (Mr. F. V. Waters). _ A long musical nrosramme was submitted, to which Mr., Waters contributed two items in capital style. Mr. A. G. Hav was another performer whoso contributions irero very warmly welcomed. It is stated that tho Greater Wellington Municipal Association will shortly cither put forward an official candidate for the city Mayoralty, or select a candidate from amongst those who may announce their intention of contesting tho seat.

The question of making further appointments to tlio Legislative Council will come up for consideration at the . next full meeting of Cabinet, which probably will not bo held for about a month. Roseneath school-children held tholr annual picnic at Day's Bay ; on Saturday. The weathor was beautifully fine, and the children had a good day's outing.

To judge of tho nitmber of trco guards along. tfie roads in ■ the Eastbourne Borough, the, stranger would imagine that the place was going to be an arborial paradise, Dut it soems that many of those triangular erections have no trees to guard, "I have eoon," romarked a councillor at the last, meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council, "a workman repairing in ifuite Mi elaborate manner a tree-guard without any plant inside." Tho Town Clerk was given permission to purchase suitable treos in order to givo tho guards a working appearance.

Tho workshops employees and district office staff of the Public Works Department held their annual picnlo at Trentham on Saturday. • There Was a good attendance, and the function passed off very successfully. ' Nineteen steamers,- of various sie«, and representing a total tonnage of 85,748 tons, constituted the arrivals' at the port of Wcllington'yosterday. It is probable that tho abovo figures aro areoord for Sunday shipping lu one New Zealand port. Included in tho arrivals wore four oversea liners,, which represented o totyl of 22,203 tons.' .

Tho Tree Kindergarten Association, which, sinoo ita inauguration in Dumxlin 'twenty years ago, bus (lone such splendid work among the children, will'hold its second conforonco in . Wellington to-day.-Tho oonfercuoe inet foi 1 tho first timo in Dunodin in Octobov, 1012, The delegates will t)d|,llis3 Xavinia „ Kehsey (president I'Yeo Kindergarten Association, Dunwlin), 'Mrs. Milns (Principal of Training College), and Miss Gibron (headmistress of Kinder, carten. school, Auckland), Mrs; T. i I'!, Taylor (prtoident (if tho Ghriatchurch Kindergarten Association), and' Mrs. Longford (hon. sjcretitry), Mrs. 1 T. JI; Gill (president of tho- Kiohtaond Preo Kindergarten), and Miss M. E. Richmond (hoi|. organising secretary, Wellington). The' conforonce will 1)0 'held at the residence of Mrs. Grady, Wellington Terrace. An informal meeting will tako place this 'afternoon, and business will be transacted on Tuesday morning and afternoon., An inspection of the various - kindergartens will take place oil Wednesday.

A proposal is on foot to form a 'union among certain employees of tho Harbour Board on< tho Wharves who, are not connected with the Waterside Workers' Union. Those are the permanent men of the board's staff, who are occupied with cargo from the tiroo it leaves the ship's slings until it is delivered ; out of tho sheds. Theso men have never been unionists before, and their methods and aims arc something apart from those of the Waterside Workers' Union, a section of which ia allied to tho Federation of J/ilionr.