LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1717, 7 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

9 Tho Muhciio arrived in Auckland from Sydney at 11 a.m. yesterday. The Wellington portion of her English (via Suez) ami Australian mails will arrive by this afternoon's main trunk express. Tho postal authorities ndviso that mails from America and the United Kingdom via San Francisco, Tahiti, and Rarotonga, .are duo in Wellington on April 2-1-. ■ Tho Hon, W. H. Herries informed a. reporter on Saturday that although detailed figures of railway revenue for tho year were not yet availablo he anticipated that the net revonuo would provide tho perccntago of 3J per cent, which it was tho policy of tho present Government to obtain from the mihvofs. Tho secretary of the Zoological Society (Sir. Castle) acknowledges the receipt of Jil lis. 7d., being the amount raised by a small band of juveniles at a bazaar held in their garden at Newtown on Saturday afternoon in aid of tho tiger fund. When the "motor hurdles" were placed on the Hutt Road at Petono they diverted such traffic along Nelson Street, but tho council has placed a "hurdle" in Nelson Street, and motorists are now taking the Cuba Street routo to avoid these obstructions. ' A paragraph in Battalion Orders for the present week, pays: "As the appointment of additional officers to tho regiment must shortly be considered, officers commanding companies are requested to send in the names of senior non-commissioned Officers whom they ate prepared to recommend for promotion to .commissioned rank." . A big gorso fire on the .Belmont Hills last night created some little excitement in Petone. It was thought ,by people in the town that the residence of Mr. W. Callender, manager of the Bank of Now Zealand, was in danger, but as a fact, tho firo was quite a safe distance from tho house. A letter was received at the meeting of tho Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on Thursday last from Mr..Hugh J. Ward, Sydney, expressing his gratification that tho gynaecological ward at the Dunedin Hospital, should have been named the "King Edward Pavilion." It was his greatest desire that tlie ward should be a memorial to tho lato King Edward. . At a recent meeting of clergy during tho -Auckland Anglican Synod of 1911 it was resolved, that a Diocesan Reading Society should be formed, this society being known ns tho Solwyn Reading Society. At .first it was thought that the number of -available books in tho Cathedral and Bray Libraries would be considerable. The committee, however, found that this was not tho ease, and so a supply of books to augment those already in hand was obtained from England.These have-now arrived and the committee is setting to work to encourage members to obtain the books required. Circulars havo been sent out concerning the society, the honorary secretary of which is the Rev. E. ID. Maiden 1 (King's College). Briefly, tho objects of tho society are to encouraqo definite and systematic study in religious knowledge with special reference to the history of tho Bible, Prayer Book, and Church, and to foreign missions and social service. The society a course of study for each successive year and recommends certain books. Examinations, -though not compulsory, will bo held periodically to test the reality of members reading. A list of books on the various i subjects has been prepared by the society, all of which can now be obtained locally. Members are classed as either Btuclents or reading members. Tho former are invited to take up one or moro subjects each year and to present themselves for examination. Reading members undertake to promote and further tho general objects of tho society and to follow their own course of study. A branch of tho New Zealand Civil Service Association has beeD formed in Auckland. Some opposition was met with (says the "Herald ), the opponents to the suggestion holding that the formation of a branoh would appear antagonistic to the recently-appointed Civil Service Commissioners. Mr. A. J. Hill has been elected secretary pro tem., and tho following Provisional Committee has been ■appointed:—Messrs. Bendley (Lands and Survey), Gilfc-dder (Valuation), Shera (Public Works)-, Aborcrombie (Customs), Captain Attwood (Marine), Jacka (Stato Eire), Young (Government Insurance), Earl (Native Laud Court), Cross (Public Trust), Symona (Public Health), Harvey (Lands and Deeds), Hunter (Labour), Rhodes (Magistrate's Court), Cassolton (Defence), Kerr (Prisons), aud M'Mahon (Mental Hospital). Successful harvest festival services were conducted at St. Augustine's Church, Petone, yesterday, The Rev. G. B. Stephenson was tho preacher, and there wero large congregations throughout the day. Much amusement was caused early on Friday morning in Symonds Street, Auckland, by tho stubborn behaviour of a cow which had strayed from a neighbouring paddock. The animal in question, with great determination, took up its stand in tho track of tho trams, and for somo little time resisted all efforts to movo it. Two trams were held up for a short time, the cow threatening with its horns all who felt disposed to dispute its right to tho public road, Finally, amid much laughter, a littlo girl, who was obviously known to tho animal, called it by name; and the cow followed her peacefully back io its usual haunts.

An inquest, concerning tho dentil of Alexander Stilt, of Westport, who fell from a tram-car opposite (ho l'ost Office on Wednesday night and broke one of his legs and died in the hospital on Saturday, is to bo held at the S.M. Court at !) o'clock this moraine by Dr. A. M'Arthur, S..AI. Detectives Andrews and Dempsey on Saturday arrested a young man on a cnargo of stealing a watcli valued at J:li lUs„ the property of Leonard Sullivan, Princes Street. Mr. Lang, M.l'., in responding to tho toast ol' "The Dominion ot J.\ew Zealand" at a social given at Utaliuliu, in honour of Mr. S. J. Harbutt, wuo is leaving the district, said no could not say how long the financial crisis would continue, but they had tho satisiactioii ot Jniowmg that the Dominion is in' a very prosperous condition. Lvory article exported was fetching a high price, uml tho quantity of gooos exported was increasing. Willi increased settlement and greater railway facilities lor tho'back country ' tho prospects of tho Dominion tor. tne future wero bright. Tho Auckland Slaugnieriaen's Union has forwarded to tho City' Council, proposals regarding pay aud couditious of slaughtermen, and lias suggested that a coniurenco bo arranged to discuss the question and to draw up an- agreement under the Arbitration Act. The matter was rclerred to tho Finance Committee, and at tho suggestion of Councillor It. S. liriggs, the council agreed to consult tho Master Butchers' Association on. tho question. Some consternation has been caused at tho now Post Olhco in Auckland as tho result of tlio inundation of tho basement with salt water. Tho basement was to havo been occupied by portion of tho office stall' last week, but the sudden Hooding of the whole of tlieso "lower regions" has rendered that impossible. It is thought that tho explanation is that tho Dennis pump, used by tho Fire Brigade during the course of tho recent tiro in Lndean's Buildings', threw something liko 150,000 gallons of water from the sea into the burning building, with tho result that Mndean's basement becamo filled with salt water. Some old underground watercourse has, no doubt, enabled the water to 'peroolato underneath the railWay ontraneo into tho Post Office basement alongside, with tho result described. "Star." , Mr. t). Bobertson, owner ( of the trawler Waitara, which went ashore on tho Otaki beach on Thursday last, stated to a Dominion representative on Saturday that tho vessel was chartered by Captain Running. Ho further stated that the vessel had sustained no damage, and it was expected to havo her refloated cither on Saturday night or Sunday. Mr. Jolui Marshall, of Auckland, who recently returned from an extended tour of Kurope, has written to the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr), asking him to accept two fine oil paintings purchased by him in FlorenceA Mr. Parr, who lni3 seen the pictures (both of which are valuablo works of art), propos s to recommend their acceptance to the Art Gallery Committee: , On Saturday night, in Willis Street, what might have been a serious accident was narrowly averted. A tramcar, bound for Lambton Station, had stopped opposite Mercer Street, and following tho car was a taxi-cab. The driver of the latter vehicle then swerved round; and at the same time a motor cyclist, going at a slow rate of speed, turned out from Mercer Street into Willis Street, and the two met. The motor cycle struck tho front portion of the taxi,, and the rider was thrown from his machine. Luckily both wero proceeding slowly, and consequently no damage was done to either motor cyclo or taxi. .