LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1691, 6 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"An Old Driver" writes:—Allow 1110 to correct' a statement wljich appeared in your columns in yesterday's issue, i'ou have no doubt been wrongly informed as regards the horse drivers of mail vans. The statement has been given to your reporter that they gave a considerable amount of trouble before the advent of the motor lorries. Being an old driver myself, I give this an' .absolute_ denial; tlie drivers gave every satisfaction, and are still employed in various occupations in the Department, which fact speaks for itself. I hopo that you will remove a wrong impression which might be formed by the general public after rending tlio article in question.

One of the elephants belonging to AVirth Brothers' circus is inclined to be playful at times, and nt ( Auckland ,on Monday 11ight.it was in one of.its friyoU ous moods. The elephant in question has a Maori attendant, and it turned npon liiui. The Maori wasted 110 time in making his escape, and ran through' a gateway into the gasometer yards near the circus. The elephant followed, and finding tho gateway too small to admit him, made a hole through a fairly substantial hoarding, through which he placed his head. However, he was unable to get through, and the playful mood passing, he was taken quietly back to his quarters.

Tragedy and a noble deed are wrapped up in a miniature flag which has been presented to the Christchurch Museuu. It is a New Zealand ensign with the Union Jack and the Southern Cross, and it measures only two inches by throe. Despite its size, it will prove a source of interest for many, a year to come. Ilrieily it has been to the South Pole, a (lead man kept his promise. When Dr. Wilson, one of Captain Scott's ill-fated I'qhs£ party left Lyttelton some two years ago i'or the Antarctic regions', Miss Anne U. ilardy, of Kakaia, placed in his hands ;i mi; titre flag of New Zealand, with 1110 request that if Dr. Wilson formed one of the Polar party he would take th? little flag with him. This Dr. Wilson did. and the (lag was found 011 his dead body when discovered. It was brought back by the relief partv. and returned to Miss Hardy by Mrs. Wilson, the dead explorer's wife, and by Miss Hardy presented to tho museum—Christchurch "Press."

The members of the Dominions K-oval Commission have accepted the invitation of the Wellington-Chamber of Commerce" to an expedition into the country by motor-car "on Saturday afternoon. Many members of tho Chamber have volunteered to supply moior-ears and the Council will be glad to learn of others who can lend their cars. No formal invitations are being issued, but members of the Chamber' who desire to join flip party are nsked to notify the secretary of the Chamber as soon as possible. The expedition will start from the bottom of Woodward Street at 2 o'clock.

The Hon. W. F. Massey will receive a Federation of Labour deputation to-day in connection with matters arising out of the recent dispute in the milling industry at .Huntly.

The Government has purchased ti se,.tion of land on the Parade, Island Bay (near Mersey Street), for the erectioa of n post office.

The -Manilla correspondent of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" writes:—"At the I'olice Co'irt on Wednesday last, although Ihe list of eases was small, the variety of onllis was great. i'or no . fewer than foil' distinct kinds of caths were necessary during the proceedings. The regular Court oath, kissing the Bible, was supplemented by tlie Scotch nfTinnntion, swearing on the Koran, and the Chinese custom of blowing out a match."

THE "TRIUMPH" STILL ON TOP. The Christchurch-Kaikoura-and-bnck record still stands to the credit of Jlr G. B. Brown and his full roadster "Triumph," and the new record made last Thursday lias been buried almost as scon as it was born under the crushing weight of two hours and twenty-ono minutes. The principal features of Jlr. G. B. Brown's great ride on Saturdav have been given full publicity. On St.h February lie rodo alone. Some capital .was made out of the fact that on a previous occasion ho was accompanied by another rider, and, though the precedent thus set lias been followed in the subsequent attempts upon the record liv riders of machines other than the "Triumph," Mr. Brown decided to demonstrate his faith in "Triumiih" reliability by riding alone. He rodo the same full roadster threespeed "Triumph" as he rode when he established the record on January 17. The only difference in the conditions was that he knew the road. It must be remembered that this Chrislehureli-Kaikoura ride was suggested by "Triumph" competitors presumably as a cour.sc on which their machines had a better chance against the "Triumph" than any other. The course evidently "does suit their machine—when their machine is going well—but it quite as evidently suits the "Triumph" just as well, and a great deal belter. So the result of this little sporting controversy lias been to establish the "Triumph" as the best "cross-country" motor-cycle, as well as the best snecd machine, the best machine for reliability, and tlio best for hill-climbing. The, latest "Triumphs" are now to luiud; prices: fixed engine. ,C7fl; free engine. ,t>'o: lliree-spped, ..'JSi" 10s. Adams. Limiled..' (".iriNtoliureli. Branches. WanQ;>nni. l'rlmei>ton North. Agents, Sutherland and Kaukine. Wellington, and Tourist MoUd' Co., Hastings,— Advt.

Some misunderstanding has apparently | arisen between the Labour Department and .Mr. .M. J. Keardon (secretary of the Slaughtermen's federation, and of the Wellington Slaughtermen's Union). As reported in Tub Dominion, Mr. Reardon stated 011 Tuesday that lie had been notiiied by the Labour Department that his union would have 110 standing before tho Arbitration Court ill objecting to tho registration of the new union, which has been formed underlie name of the K«uhauranga Slaughtermen's Industrial Union of Workers. Jlr. F. W. Kowley, DeputyRegistrar of Industrial Unions, when ho was questioned on the subject yesterday, said that the Department had not notified llr. Reardon that his uuion would have no standing before the. Court ill objecting to the registration'of the new union. The matter, Mr. Rowley added, was one for the Arbitration Court, and not tor the Labour Department to determine. 11l r. Reardon, when he was seen later in the day, stated that his impression was that llr. Kowley had informed him, in the course of a conversation over the telephone, that his union would have no standing before tho. Court in objecting to the formation of the rival body. As bearing on the claim of the existing Slaughtermen's Union to retain its present position, Mr. Reardon states that although only two members of the union are at work for the local meat export companies, it has thirty-five members working for the Waingawa Company and seven or eight employed at tho Wellington city übattoirs.

The annual picnic of the Wellington Working Men's Club is to take place at Day's Bay on Saturday next.

Young Australia, which has won high places in the arena of sport, is, it seems, holding its own also in the humbler but more useful sphere of dairying'(says the Sydney' "Daily Telegraph'"). Giving evidence before the Food Commissioner (Mr. Bavin), a dairyman complained of tho slowness of immigrants who were tried at milking. "There is no comparison between item and the Australians," said lie. "Are the Australians quicker?" inquired the Commissioner. "They aro not ontv quicker, but they are more intelligent,' was the r::p!y, "and, again, the Englishmen's hands do not seem so well suited for tlio work." ..

Captain'H. White-Parsons, of tijo Wlinngaps, told an Auckland "Star" reporter that his vessel, which left Newcastle a 11.7 n.m. on February 25, and arrived at Auckland ou Tuesday morning, had met villi exceptionally strong currents setting to the southward, and' had passed through very noticeable tide rips practically throughout tho whole of the voyage. The' sea was smooth, with light variable winds. The captain added that tlie tide rips were the strongest lie had ever experienced in that locality, and affected the navigation of the vessel. This information, he thought, might' be of use to other mariners in those waters.

Some time ago tho Mayor Qlr. D. M'Laren) directed that letters should hs forwarded to tho headmasters of schools asking if they would undertake the matter of selling scholars' concession tram tickets. The Mayor states that, so far, "very eatisfaet'ory replies have been received, ex'pressing approval of the scheme." A difficulty, however, has arisen, viz., that owing to the various tickets, routes, sections, etc., the masters might' have some difficulty in meeting the situation. In consequence of this, tho Trtyll- - Board is to discuss the possibility of simplifying scholars' concession tickets.

"They are trying a new gag now," said Mr. Oaltes. The Liberal Senate candidate was criticising the Labour party at a meeting of the Enmorc (N.S.W.) Literal League. "They are trying to fasten 011 to the Liberal party the term 'Conservatives.' The 'dying rock-chopper,' 'rich baker,' and 'leg-irons' are worn out. But the people are summing up tho Liberal party's legislation, such as tho waees boards, workmen's compensation, police superannuation, railway and tramway superannuation, subventions to friendly societies, and invalidity pensions, antl they put the Labour party down now as the champion humbugs of the State." '

Tile Australian .Federal elections are to take'place "oil 31'. 'The restriction.of .£250 in the expenses of Senate candidates and ,£IOO in the cose of candidates'of the House of Representatives takes place from the end of February. The law make 3it imperative that 110 electoral expenses outside specific matters shall be incurred within three months of the election day by the person who is offering himself as a candidate.

Sydney is contributing handsomely towards the Antarctic, Disaster Fund. Up till Friday last the Lord Mayor's fund had reached the sum of .£'2666. tlis Chamber of Commerce list totalW JECGI, ami the "Sydney Morning Herald" list ,£JCG. To this has to be ndded the J. C. Williamson Company's contribution of .£B4l. Tho slot telephone which the postal authorities have undertaken to instal at Island Bay, 011 a date not vet specified, is to be located on the site which has been acquired in that suburb for 11 post oflico.

The new pure food regulations, which arc to be gazetted to-day, will come into forco immediately, but manufacturers and others concerned will be allowed reasonable time in which to conform to the new standards and conditions imposed by the regulations.

A man employed on the railway diningcars wns arretted yesterday by Detectives Aiuhews and Lewis 011 three charges of the theft of goods belonging to the St'xte.

ILM.S. l'yruinus, which litis relieved H.M.S. Pioneer as New Zealand drill ship, is at present at Ilobart. She leaves the Tasmnnian port 011 March 11 for Sydney. H.M.S. Pyrainus is due in New Zealand waters about the first week in April. It is probable that she will accompany 11.M.5. Nmv Zealand round the New Zealand coast.

Tho local representatives of the Dnnlop Rubber Company of Australasia, Ltd., hnvo received the following cable message:—"Spears and Ivirkhnm won Melbourne six days' race 011 Dunlop tyres."