LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1701, 18 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An . exciting incident took plaoo on board the Shaw-Savill steamer Tainui 'when she was en route from London to Wellington. It appears that a secondclass passenger, a former resident of New. Zealand, who was booked to Timaru, showed signs of dementia after the steamer had left 'I'eneriffe. He was promptly locked up' in the forward hospital anil two men were set to watch him. On the morning after the Tainui left Cape Town, however, the passenger managed to secure a razor with which ho inflicted a severe wound oij himself. The ship's doetor attended the case and, dressed the wound which did not prove to be dangerous. On arrival of the Tainui at Wellington yesterday the man was handed over to the police. Mr. J. P. Luke, who is a candidate for the Mayoralty, will commence his platform campaign immediately after the holidays are jver. A purebred Clydesdale stallion, 2 years old, was brought to New Zealand by the Shaw-Savill steamer Tainui yesterday. It was consigned to Mr. Elworthy of Timaru. Miss M, K. Mestayer writes as follows: —"May 1 be allowed a few lines to thank you and those of your readers 'who so' generously responded to the appeals for the 'tuck boxes for the Melanesian Mission? The increase this year was specially noticeable in English biscuits, jams, and foodstuffs generally. There . was also a decided increase in the cash given, and it is in this connection that I wish to acknowledge an anonymous donation of ,£1 from Mangaweka." It is not often that tho tram passenger has a chance of witnessing a bit of snakecatching and killing. On Monday morning, March 10, the 11.40 car, Manly to Narrabeen, Sydney, was approaching the atop at the top of Farrell's Hill, when a driver of a vehiclo a little ahead of the car was seen to. hastily alight, and make a dart for something in the roadway. A second or two after a wriggling snake was held in the air. At tho samo time a hand was raised as a signal.for the driver to slop. Tho snake-catcher proved to bo Mi. Heinlz, ono of the South Creek flower-growers. "A second," said he, "and we'll end this reptile's days." "Right!" answered the driver, who saw the position, and waited until Mr. Heintz laid the wriggling thing half across «. rail. Over went the lever, and oil' went the snake's head. Thus ended the .days of a three-footer who had so far forgotten himself as to wander into the roadway for a wanning after the wintry weather of the previous few days. In the course of n letter to an Auckland officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Driscoll, D.5.0., Commander-General of the Legion of Frontiersmen, makes the following interesting observation on the value of rillo practice: "If there is any money going, let it be spent in rifle practice. With a rifle shooting population in New Zealand no invader from any part of the earth would have a ghost oi' a chance lo remnin except in trenches nicely packed with four or six feet of earth over thsln to keep them snug."

A dramatic meeting occurred on board the R.M.S. Tainui when the vessel was ut Plymouth 011 February 1, and the result wus that an elopement to New Zealand was frustrated and the parties concerned returned to their homes. A husband discovered-the absence of his wife with her children, aged 17 years and 18 months respectively, and having traced them 110 found that they had booked passages in the Tainui for New Zealand. A man named Hunt had disappeared from their district about the same time. Too late to catch the Tainui at London the husband took train to Plymouth and there invited the aid of the local police, 'l'he mail steamer was boarded and the auartet ivar, discovered amongst the second-class passengers. They had booked passages as Mr. and Mrs. Hunt and family. When the husband and police officers appeared there was a sceno, and Captain Moffatt, of the Tainui, was called in and as far as the ship was concerned the incident ended there, the parties being landed at Plymouth and the Tainui proceeded on her journey. Once more has the habitat of the Tourist Department's public bureau ' been changed. It has moved round the city so often that it stands the risk of being set down as a tourist bureau on tour. On this occasion the bureau is likely to have a fixed abode, and one, moreover, which will be well in the focus of the travelling public. The new quarters are the public offices lately used by the letter delivery and registered letter branches of the Wellington Post Office, on the ground floor of the old 1 General Post Office, fronting the entrance to the Queen's Wharf. The new bureau, though not yet in apple-pie order, is a large, roomy, and well-lighted apartment with high walls illuminated by some splendid paintings of C..N. Worsley, C. Hi Howorth, and other New Zealand and visiting artists, handsome photographs, curiously faithful paintings of the Waitomo Cavesi and fine enough "heads" to whet the desire of any deerstalker. The new location of the Tourist Department's bureau should mean a great many more inquiries about our scenic and health, resorts than formerly, for, like the High Commissioner's offices in London, the bureau has for some years been, "oif the map." The seventh anmial_ Easter conference of the National Association of Spiritualists will be held in Wellington in the Century Hall, Kent Terrace, Pro. ceedings will open on Good Friday morning at 10.30, and will continue to Easter Monday. ' Many delegates are expected front all parts. The officers are: Mr. W. C. Nation (Levin), president; vice-presi-dents, Messrs. P. Moodie (Christchurch), and W. M'Lean (also president of the local Association); treasurer, Mr. M'Nicol; auditor, Mr. Fryer; liadgo mistress, Miss MLean; lion, Mr. L. Moore. Special services will bo held throughout tile convention. At to-day's meeting of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board Mr. L. M'Kenzio will move that "when a vacancy occurs on the honorary surgical staff applications from honorary. physicians shall be given preference. Tho lecture on Imperial topics which the Hon. G. E. .Foster (Canadian Trade Minister) was to havo delivered in Wellington to-morrow evening, under the auspices of the Navy League, has been abandoned, Mr. Foster finding it impossible to come to Wellington. A telegram to this effect was received by Mr. (J. W. Palmer (secretary of tho Wellington branch of the Navy League) late on Saturday evening. Exactly why Mr. Foster cannot come, Mr. Palmer does not Know, but the hitch, whatever its cause, must haVo arisen suddenly, for Mr. Palmer yesterday received a letter from the Canadian Minister, confirming 'his telegram, in which he stated that ho would come to Wellington and speak on "The liTnpiro and Ourselves." The telegram cancelling the engagement had, of course, been dispatched later than this letter. A good instance o£ the appositeness of Scripture for all times and places was given in the Auckland saddlers' dispute, which was settled on Friday'before tho Commissioner of Conciliation, Mr. Harlo Giles. After two days of bargaining, what was practically a deadlock had been arrived at; the employers had offered to give Is. IJ<l, per hour as their limit, while tho union representative, Mr. Rosser, would not agree to accept anything less than Is. 2d. Being challenged to adduce argument in favour of his contention, the union advocate" quickly quoted tho text of which the following is the full rendering:—"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast Si to prison. Verily I say. unto thee, Thou ehalt by no means come out thence, till thou has paid.tho uttermost farthing."—Matt., V. chap., 25 verse. The argument ivas evidently quite sufficient, the "uttermost farthing" was agreed to, and the wag® settled at Is. 2d.