LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1700, 17 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Huddart-Parker steamer Victoria arrived at' Auckland from Sydney direct at 4 p.m. yesterday.. She brought an English and Australian mail, the southern portion of which should arrive in Wellington by this afternoon's Main Trunk express.

The Petone Fire Brigade, which lias been in exigence just twenty-one years, celebrated its "coming of age by holding a social evening on Saturday. .Superintendent Lepper, who lias been a member since the brigade's inception, briefly reviewed the improvements and efficiency of the fire-fighters during later years, and members of the Fire. Board, who were also present, spoke in eulogistic terms of tho firemen's doings. Tho Hutt , and Potone Fire Brigade's annual competition for the Baldwin Cup will bo held'on. the Lower Hutt Hccreation Ground next Saturday. Teams will he entered from the .Hutt Brigade (present holders), the I'etnne Workshops, the Gear Company, and t.ha Potono Town Brigade.

At tho Terrace Congregational Church yesterday, the ' Rev. J. Heed Glasson, preaching from the text, "Ho that lx>lieveth shall not make haste" (Isaiali 2716), and apropos of the Livingstone centenary, reviewed the cardinal features of tho famous African explorer's. life, personality, and work. The idea presented in the text was that faith inspired fixity of purpose, steadfast aims, firmness of character. That Livingstone possessed these attributes was plainly shown in his splendid achievements in tlio faeo of extremo hardship, peril, and suffering. Tho explorer's ! difficulties and victories were interestingly diseased by Mr. Glasson in the course of his address.

Members of tho Wairarapa Public •1111134 oAi;u}uoso.idoi spoils which, visited Wellington at the weak-end lor the annual' inter-district schools match between tho Wellington and Wairarapa,boys, were tho guests of the Wellington' Public Schools Cricket' Association at dinner at>the Burlington Cafe on Saturday evening. The proceedings were marked by a spontaneous amity which inspired a general good-fellowship all round' Mr. B. If. Low presided. After dinner'the country boys were taken to various places of amusement .by their Wellington friends..

The affairs of St. Peter's Club have been wound up. It was found that the club was not' receiving enough support from tho young men of tho parish tn justify its existence, and at a recent meeting it was decided to disband tho institution, and vest the furniture and effects in tho churchwardens of St. Peter's Church.

At St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral last night, evening prayer was shortened, and was followed by tlio sacred cantata,

"From Olivet to. Oaivury," which was very finely rendered by' a strong choir. Mr. Robert Parker was at tho organ. Thero was a largo congregation.

At tho annual meeting of the Wellington Drivers' Union, tho following were elected officers for the ensuing year: — President, Mr. W. Ritson j vice-presidents, Messrs. J. Spicer, J. Rogers, and A. E. Moore; treasurer. Mr. G. Haslam; trustees,' Messrs. G. L. Startup and C. Stott; Management Committee, Messrs. C. Carberry, R, Bland,'R. Upton, T. O'Brien, J. Brotherton, J. Crawfurd, J. Headisen, and J. Hcushilwood; secretary, Mr. A. Parlane. Delegates to t'ho annual conference of the Drivers' Federation, meeting in Christohurch on April!) next, were appointed, as follow:—Messrs. J. Rogers, A. E. Moore,' and A. Parlane. In response to the recjifest of the Unity Scheme Subcommittee, a 6um of .£lO 10s. was t'o that body towards tho expenses in connection with tho propaganda work.

Mr. D. A. Ewen, of Messrs. Sargood, Son. and Ewen, has promised a donation of .£2O ■ to the Citizens' Easter Carnival Committee provided that nineteen others give a similar sum. The dqnations of Messrs. G. E. Tolhurst and Seaton are to bo included in this offer. The other seventeen aro requested to send in their names to tli3 Mayor at the earliest posmoment.

At the meeting of-the Miramar Borough Council to-morrow ovening, Councillor Grigg will move:—"That after the end of March all fares on tha Miramar Borough Council tramways be one penny (holidays included)

Local yachtsmen' are to be asked by the Navy League to participate in the harbour welcome to be accorded to H.M.S. NewZealand on her arrival in port next month. '

Mr. John Castles, treasurer of tho Zoological Society, reports that the collection taken at Newtown Park yesterday amounted to .£8 os. 3d., which amount will be dovoted to the purchase of Iho flamingoes (now on order). During the afternpon tho Wellington Watersiders' Band played a, generous programme' of music.

It is customary for tlio members of the Hibernian Society in Wellington as a whole to attend a special communion service during the year. In the past the wliolo of the Order- has attended 0110 church, but' owing to the growth of membership it was found necessary yesterday to divide up the branches, so that bach could attend tho services in their respective parishes. The St. Patrick's (men) and St. Mary's (ladies) branches attended' t'he General communion servico at 8 a.m. in St. Mary of tho Angels' Church, Boulcott Street, and at tho conclusion of tho servico a communion breakfast, served in tho old Marist Brothers' School, in Boulcot't Street, was attended by about 200 members. The Rev. Father Herring, S.M., officiated at the church service. The Sacred Heart branch of tlio society attended, the 7 a.m. service at tlio Hill Street Basilica, wheny the I!ev. Father Hickson celebrated mass. Tho communion' breakfast, held after the service, was served in tho Guilford Terrace Hall. Tho Aloysius branch (Newtown) attended tlio 7.30 a.m. service at St. Anno's, and partook of tlio communion servico in the neighbouring lodge-room. At 7.29 a.m. yesterday the fire brigade received a cell to Lawrence Street, Newtown, an outbreak of fire having occurred at No. 35, a seven-roomed two-storied wood and iron residence in tlie occupation of Mrs. Mary Ann Daly. Tlio wall-paper only in one of tho first-floor bedrooms was burnt. The contents of the house (for which Messrs. Chapman, Skerrett, Wylio, and Tripp are agents) were insured for JC'JO in the Commercial Union Office. It is supposed that the outbreak occurred through a'lighted candle being left unguarded,

It is estimated that the receipts from the surf gala at Lyall Bay on Saturday afternoon will 'amount to'about ,£IOO. The custodian of the bay estimated that there were 5000 people on the beach during the afternoon.

On account.of the holidays this weekend the ordinary meeting of tho City Council will he held to-morrow evening. The order paper includes two rescinding notices of motion. One is tabled by Councillor Trevor, who wishes to rescind a clause in the last report of Finance aud Property Committee,' viz.—"That the wages of permanent men bo Is. ljd. per hour for'actual timo worked, and Ib. SJd. per hour for casuals." The other consists of tho Mayor's motion to rescind the resolution granting a lease to the Kelburne Bowling Club of an acre of Town Belt land at Kelburne, and substituting a grant of the land in question for tho purposes of a public howling green.

The father of viticulturists in Wellington proper was the-Into Mr. David N. Wilkinson, formerly, of Oriental Bay, who planted vines in his hot-houses in tho sunniest corner of Wellington fifty years ago, which are still yielding hundred'weights of the most luscious grapes. Tlio old.gentleman, who brought with him a ripe knowledge of tlio garden, and in particular th© cultivation of tlio vine, arrive 4 in Wellington by t'ho ship Olympus in 1811, in company with Dr. l'eatherston and many others. In the 'fifties ho estal>lished himself in Oriental Bay, and laid out what was for a decade or two known as "Wilkinson's Tea Gardens," to whose shady arbours half of Wellington used to repair oil Sunday afternoons in t'he 'eighties. Even then Wilkinson's grapes wero locally famous, and wero always in keen demand, and to-day the vines are bountifully laden with the fruit, of the year. .The forty-year-old "Black Haniboro'" vines are still wonderfully productive, while thei'e are other houses devoted to plump "Gros Colemans" and rich wine-flavour<?d "Muscats," of lingering flavour. Although buildings have clustered all round the old garden, tho hothouses, about half a dozen in all, still catch all the sun tlie.ro is going, and Mr. D. N. Wilkinson's skill as a viticulturist enables him to keep his vines in perfect order. \ ■

The work of extending tlio tramway track' from tho present terminus at the Nowtown enrsheds to tho park gates is now well under .way. A length of about fifty yards of the reading has been trenched, and the metals have been laid and bonded for the greater part of that distance. Should good working conditions prevail this week, the extension should ba completed by Easter Carnival time, and. a boon will be conferred oh travellers t'o and from the park which will earn their blessing, always provided, of course, tirot the fractional increase of track does not incite the authorities to tho discovery of sible moment.