LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"One has .only'to travel. through New Zealand to become aware of the fact that n restful calm pervades Hk- political arena of the Dominion. The conflicting winds,which cliaracteris;d the latter years of the Ward Administration have died away, and a tranquil atmosphere of sincerity and common sense now exists. The old party has practically disappeared from the arena; there is no recognised leader of the Opposition; in fact, it is hard to find, a party of that name in the House. Mr. Massey and his able team arc firmly entrenched, and are likely to remain in office for many years to come.'"—"Tho Postoralists' ReView" (Melbourne), oil. tho political situation in New Zealand. ■ A young woman, who proceeded against her husband for alleged failure to maintain her, ami who said that he deserted her while she was ill and'-left,her with only a shilling, had just taken her seat in-the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when she fainted, and had to he carried out. The_ charge was proceeded with.. The member's of the Forestry Commission will assemble in Wellington to-day, and will hold a preliminary sitting at which they 1 will map out the inos on which their inquiry is to bo conducted. A considerable number of shooting men from Masterton and district are competing ill the Wairarapa liifle Association's meeting nt I'apawai. Twenty-six members of the Opaki Rifle Club liuve entered for the Trentha.il meeting.. i y Mr. Cecil Palmer, secretary of the Navy League, .has been advised that the gift" battleship New Zealand, now Hearing Cape Town, on her way to tho Dominion, will call at Ilobart and then comc on to Auckland. After visiting that port' the warship will double North' Cape again and proceed down tho West Coast, calling, at New Plymouth, Nelson, Greymouth, "Westport, Milford Sound.-and. the Bluff. Sho will then come north, calling at Port Chalmers, Oamaril, Timnru, Lyttclfon, and then Wellington, returning to Australia by way of Napier, Gisljorne, and' Auckland, A ball will probably be tendered tho officers of 11.M.5. New Zealand. Mr. Palmer also thinks that there should b? <v public demonstration, and that ,something in the nature of a big fireworks display, -which all could sco, might Iv arranged ior one oi the evenings during the battleship's stay in port. Mr. A. Marryatt has received from Sir Joseph Ward, through Messrs. Walker arid Hall, the trophy promised by him in 1911 for competition between tho Depart; nients at the annual Civil Service athletic sports carnival held on November SO, in each year.. Tho trophy is' quite inal on? as-far as Wellington is concerned. It consists of a .finely-modelled statuette in silver of Mercury posed tip-too. on a silver globe, and mounted on n handsome ebony plinth, tho base of which' already boa's two small silver shields, recording the'two'wins- bv the. Post"' and" Telegraph Department. The trophy stands about 14' in'cncs in height, and is a delicate example of tho .silversmith's'art. The trophy will bo handed'over to the Post and Telegraph Department fortlivyjtji., ,/ V Included iii the goods damaged in tho recent fire in the New Zealand Express Cjoinpany's store in Herbert Street was a large quantity of scenery, dresses, etc., tho property of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Taylor, proprietors of the Taylor-Carrington Dramatic Company, which has .toured NewZealand on many occasions. ' Mrs. Taylor (Miss Ella Carringtoii) came to Wellington from Melbourno last week in connection with the,fire. She place? the value of their -goo,ds. in store at about. ,£2OOO. After settling with the insuranco company iii which their goods wero.' partly covered, Mrs. I Taylor lelt 1 again ior Melbourne. Mr. Taylor is at present producing . a. liumbsr. of his, own. plays at tho King's Theatre, Melbourne, under an arrangement with Mr. William Anderson. Rapid progress is being mads by Messrs. Sander? brothers with tho erection of tho new Opera House in Manners Street. The walls are already erected to a height of abbut -20ft. alt round, and as the interior walls are rising simultaneously with the outer walls, a good idea can now be obtained, of the general plan of the new theatre. ■ The building is so far advanced, that tho stage is already lieing'laid and the balcony) with a span of about 16ft., is in .course of construction. A novel contrivance for'raising the bricks and mortar to the workmen is a small l electric Jift, which runs between two uprights, tho platform of which is just large,enough to tiiko a barrow-load of bricks or mortar at a time. From the present top of the lift scaffolding platforms run to tho vari-ous-pointV where tho work .is proceeding. Tho. plant is exceedingly simple in design,' and is manipulated with a couple of levers.: Information was conveyed to tho Mayor (ilr. M'Laren) yesterday that the Auckland Public Schools' Band was'' likely to visit Wellington at Easter; and it was suggested by an officer of the locnl Boys' Institute that ith services might 'lie secured for -the Citizens' Carnival.. Tho Mayor approved the suggestion, and thought that the general cominittco would endorse that approval. As there aro 40 boys in the band, it will be necessary for them to be billeted during their projected stay in Wellington, and on receipt of definite news of the band's intention to journey to Wellington, the Mayor will mako an appeal to tho citizens. The visiting .band should bo an additional attraction to the many which are to brighten the coming Easter-time. A man'was .arrested, ..at Paekakariki yesterday by Detective-Sergeant M'llvcney on a charge of having, while employed by the "New Zealand Times" Company, received .£7 3s. 4d. of the company's money from the Dresden Piano Company, and fraudulently omittod.to account for £2 10s. of it.. He will appear before t{io Magistrate's' Court this morning. ' liirkcaldia and Stains, Ltd., aro showing a Real' Snip in Ladies' Tailored Tweed Costumes, in Tweeds and Cheviot Friezes, at 495. Gd.; 595. 6d.—!Advt.

There sooras qui to a possibility of a mining revival at Whungarei Heads, where prospecting lias been carried on quietly for s;mo time past (writes our Auckland correspondent). An indication iu this direction is an application to the Wardens' Court that has been made for Uvo claims 011 Crown land oil tlio west ■side of Kami Mountain. It appears that a reef 40ft, wido has been dkcaveral in n fork ut the Tairaliaruru River, and in the mineral licit between the aid Kauri Mountain claim that was formerly worked, nnd tlio present Waipareira claim, whero low-grade ore has been worked i'or sonic time past. Stone from the new reef which has been exhibited at Whangarci carries a fair percentage of gold, silver, and copper, but its exact value will not be known until a small parcel of quartz (hat has been sent forward to Auckland has b«n analysed. • Donations to tlio funds of the Wellington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animnls are acknowledged, with thanks, as follow:—Kirkcaldie and Stains, .£1 Is.; Mrs, J. G. Wilson, lis.; A.' R I'atorson and Co., 10s.' Gd.; Mrs. lionayne, ss. Gd.; Liidy Stout, Mrs. Garnet Harty, Rev. /A. M. Johnson,' Messrs. Mandel, Harris, and Co.; J. G. Ilarkness, H. F. Allen, J. J. Curtis and Co., B. Johnston nnd Co.,' ss. each; Mesdames Paliser, Picot, Messrs.'G. Samuel, C. Havnes, W. Bbdell, Brice, F.D. Co., and "Friend," 2s. Cd.' eachj Miss Gruer ond "Friend," 2s. each; Mrs. Symonds, Is.; total, X 5 13s. •