LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1721, 11 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

• S —: : The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Macedonia, which:sailed from Sydney for Auckland, oil April 7, has on 'board a very small mail from Australia, duo in Wellington on Saturday morning per Main Trunk express. The postal authorities advise that the 6.5. Maknra, which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on April 7, has on hoard mails from Australia and United Kingdom, via Suez, duo in Wellington' on Saturday morning, per Main Trunk express. The compilation of the supplementary roll of Wellington city electors is now almost completed. Sir. ,T. Ames,' who is acting as registrar, stated last night that there would ba about 9700 names on the supplementary roll, Vkicli will make the number on tho combined roll approximately 33,272. ■A. motor-car, whose powerful engines have a 1 lirolj like that of a deep-sea steamer, . with " two great cylinders 'placed itli wart the chassis behind two seats raised >nly a few inches from the floor, insinuated itself through the traffic of Lambkin Quay at 5 o'clock last evening. It- was an odd-looking car that attracted much attention, and 'on inquiry being inade it was identified as. Mr. Allen Donne's racing National car—the most powerful machine of its kind that has yet been seen in Wellington, and one which i few weeks ago beat all provious records between Adelaido and Sydney. The endues are 40-S0 1 horse-power. One gallon )f petrol only shifts, tho "racer' 1 along :en miles, hence the big cylinder behind lie seats, which holds 40 gallons. The smaller cylinder, also a necessity in a L'Qcer, holds 20 gallons of lubricating oil, tvliich is conveyed automatically to the bearings as the "car slides along. A loveltv in this car is a huge movable searchlight, placed next the steering-wheel, ;o that the second occupant of the car :an throw light on dark places at any ingle; .wkici* 35 particularly handy in rounding corners. The big "National" lias been "in the | hospital" during the jrcater part of its stay in Wellington. A band of schoolboys, rushing along in full flight and with much hue and cry, aroused the echoes along Manners Street yesterday afternoon. In , their wake clattered a strapping lad, school-bag swinging from side to side across his back, who apparently had some account to settle with the members of the flying squadron'. Passing the Royal Oat Hotel, the pursuer's coat broke a little adrift, and his small fortune rang out in its fall on the roadway. A bystander picked up tho copper coinage, while other pedestrians hallooed and whistled to acquaint tho young financier of his loss. He raced along unheeding, though, the business of tho cha-sa was too urgent; and in a few seconds with his quarry he had swept round a near corner. The tuck-money thus became treasure trove to tho citizen, and he, being of a kindly nature, and. desirous that if these ljnes should meet, tho schoolboy's eye lie should know that a worthy object will benefit, is-.totalling it up to the amount of ninepence, the price of a London slum child's holiday, and forwarding the contribution—in which allotment .he hopes tho loser will thoroughly concur—to tho Editor of The Dominion's li*t for tho l'resh Air Fund. Some uncertainty appears to still exist as to tho intentions'of the Government regarding tho Dominion, Museum. Tho Minister for Internal Affairs informed a reporter yesterday that a new shed was to be erected for thei reception of'geological specimens. With thjs exception t'lia present Museum building would have to suffice until the erection of the, new Parliamentary Buildings make tho present library wing available for the nurposes of a museum. At the meeting of the Civil Scrvicc Association held early in tho week two committees were set up, one to report upon methods of organisation and tho other upon revision of rules. Uotli committees will report at. the annual meeting of tho association which is to be held about a week hence. A list of the inland mail contracts (for 1013-15) and contractors appeal's in tho current Gazette. , j

llie police aro vigilantly controlling tin street traffic on roadway and pavemeni i 1 ii ', 3 well, too. Last evening, shortly after livo o'clock, as Lambton Quay was thickly thronging, a ladv rounded Stewart Dawson's corncr into th( Quay; a few yards along sho met o gentleman friend, and an animated con ycrsutioii was commenced in the middlo oj tho nay. Immediately a couplo of flu lady s iriendg came along, and they had barely joined in tlio chat when two othei gentlemen and a bevy of girl acquaint at-ees swooped up, and tlio original roll, number of two had mounted up till then was a circle of about a dozen people who needed so much of the pavement foi the holding of their conference that othei wayfarers of the then very busy thorough faro were forming a queue in singlo fil< so as to get through the remaining inter slices of pathway which were left. Fortunately a policeman arrived on the seem and summarily broke up tho assembly, but. it was only temporarily, as immediate, ly ho had passed round the corner tin units, with 110 idea of his early return magnet-like 'resumed their former com. pactness. The officer, thbugli, was versec in tho "way of such street congregations and, peeping round tho corner from lii; altitudo of six feet odd, lie taw the liumai island again blocking the stream o: traffic, and retracing his.tracks ho utter cd a more authoritative "Move on please!" And they moved on, but "Hon absurd!" said one of tho ladies. Mr. Justice McMillan at-Perth recently made some pertinent remarks in sentenc ing Thomas Williams, who escaped fron Fremantlo gaol some weeks ago, out sur rendered to the police two days later Williams pleaded that the. facilities oi csrape were an overwhelming temptation Mr. Justice M'Millnn, in imposing t sentence of ono month for escaping fron custody, said, "I think you did what ] probably would have done in your place Prison is not supposed to be a comfort able place, and I hope it never will be Prison is a plato of puuislimout. 1 an: glad to find vou thought it a good plac< to get out: of, but prisoners must b: shown they must not attempt to escape You only had to'removo a pieco of iroi from the roof and to pass through , tlu opeii door.; I hope some day when fund: are available more suitable buildings' w'il! bo erected." The Dunedin "Star" reports that Mr Bheinhard, chief engineer for tho Australasian Telcfunkon Company, and - s Mr, Whitoman, Ins assistant, left Duuedin 01 Tuesday morning-to complete the fitting oi tho instruments and tho general working apparatus of the wireless station at tilt Bluff. The other big wireless station al Awanui, near tlio North Cape, is bein? tested, and already has spoken to Met bourne and other remote places. Thest stations aro exactly alike. At each plac< the mast is 396 ft. long, and the sites arc similar, botli being on extensive ■ level areas. It is necessary to erect 6uch stations on plains. For one reason a pointed hill would not give the required 1000 ft radius on the level, and there are magnetic considerations for preferring n Hal area. It is noted that low-powered stations can effect, vely receive x from greai distances. Tlio principal, value of thf giant stations is their greater power' in sending. i Complaints 'have been received witli great frequency of late by the trannvaj authorities as to the inconvenience caused by tlio high steps on tram-cars. Generally no special typo of car is specified, but it is admitted that the only typo oil which the steps aro too high is th; palacc car. These aro all being altered internally to make tliein comply with the Davej clause, and a passage-way is being cut through overy one. At the same tim< that this is being done, it is intended that a lower step shall be fitted at tilt end of every car. It would not 1m pos sible at reasonable expense, nor would il bo altogether dosirablo in the opinion oi the authorities, to have a low step at taclied for the wide length of the car It is: of course withdraw c considerable number of cars from tin tracks at onco and make all the altera tions, quickly, ,and it will be porhaps i year yet before the last car is fitted witl the promised improvement. A juryman at tho Sydney quarter ses sions recently asked to be excused fron service pn tlio plea that lie was quite deai iu "Judge Dpcker released tlu man, adding that it was proper that jurymen should liear both sides. _A start thas been mado with this erection of a lower-power, wireless station at Darwin, and, as, tenders close on May H for the greater portion of the apparatus for the high-power installation, it is probable that that work will' shortly be put in hand. This is the station which is to be a link in the Empire wireless chain. Mr. Frazer (Australian Post. master-General) has been advised by hi. l experts that there is not much doubl that it will be ready before the Imperial .station at Singapore is completed. There will be 1G wireless stations in operation in the Commonwealth by the end of the present .month. The monthly meeting of the Wellington Industrial' Association, set down for last evening, liad to be abandoned for want of a quorum. ■Commissioner Cullen told a reporter yesterday 4 that policemen and detective: were availing themselves very freely indeed, of the services of the coach provided Police Department in anticipation' of-' the September examinations, Already 1 a considerable number of applications, have come in from, the stations nearest to Wellington, and it is expected that .when applications from rnoro distanl parts of tho Dominion arrive, the coach will have his hands full. It is intended that tho work of coac'hing should be commenced at tho end of this month or al tbo beginning of May. Mr. J. W. Collins, of the Labour Department. has just completed the inquiry into shortage of-labour in the Dominion, which ho commenced about sis weeks ago under instructions from tilt Hon, p. D. Bell, Minister for Immigration. In pursuance of his inquiry, Mr Collins visited factories and other establishments in all the chief and secondary towns of tho Dominion, and he will now proceed to embody the, results of liif investigations in a report which will bt submitted to tho Minister about a fortnight hence. Mr. Collins concluded his investigations in tho Motueka district, and only returned to Wellington on Wednesday evening. "Conscience-money," consisting of 25., forwarded to the Railway Department, 10s. foi'irarded to the Customs Department, and postal nofes to,tho valuo oi .£2, forwarded to the Government, is acknowledged by the Secretary to the Treasury in t'liis week's Gazette. The tobacco-manufacturing business has coino to New Zealand. Wooden premises in Victoria Street* Hamilton, have, by notice in the Gazette, been approved "as a, manufactory in which tobacco may be manufactured prior to the payment of duty thereon.'' - A few days ago the Rev. G. B. Monro conducted a christening in a Chinese residence in Auckland. Ho spoke to one of the Chinese regarding Dr. Kirk and (he Canton mission, ancf suggested that ho might, obtain donations from among his countrymen to provide ,£35 to instal a' bed in the proposed new hospital at Ko T'ong. Tho Chinaman immediately offered J3lO 10s., and promised to "raise sufficient' money to cover tho cost of three beds. Over 170 caies were set down for hearing at tho Auckland Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Many adjournments were granted, f-omo cases' were settled out of cr.urt, and a large number were unde. fended, and took but a snort time to dispose of. Defences wero fi|ed in no fewer than 27 of the cases, and tho magistrato was kept busy throughout tho day. Some very, fine performances liavo been achieved by the wireless operators op tho steamer Zcalandia. On tlio voyago to Vancouver from Auckland some of the long-distance messages sent were: Sydney, 1101 miles; Wellington, 1000 to 1200 miles; K.M.S. Mnramn, 1100 miles; Suva, 118!) to 785 mile*; Awanui, 800 miles (received messages at 1800 miles); Sonoma, 1575 miles; Triangle Island, Vancouver, 1200 miles. On tho outward voyage from Vancouver somo of tho longest distances over which messages wore sent were: Triangle Island, Vancouver, 2250 miles; Estevan Point, Vancouver, 1853 miles; Honolulu, 1200 miles; Suva, SSO to 1000. miles; Wellington, 1100 miles; and Sydney, 1320 miles. A message was also received from Triangle Island, Vancouver, when the steamer was 3000 miles away. This is a rpcord for a low-power station. Mr. Stacey, chief operator oil the Zealandia, expressed tho opinion that tho station at triangle Island is the best in the world lor the power that is in use there. Durjiiff the ivholo voyage Hip Zcalnndht was kept informed of all tho latest news by wireless, aud not n day passed without the vessel being within range of eomo station or. .veistl,

In our issue yesterday a telegram de-_ scribing how an old man (70 years), after" apparently being hunted about from pillar to post, finally appeared before tho Magistrate at Wanganui, was headed Masterlon," whereas, of course, it should obviously havo been ."Wanganui." When a. case was callcd at tho Auckland Magistrate'g Court on Tuesday, in which tho solicitor was stated to bo engaged elsewhere Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M., remarked that it seemed as if they had to an ango for all other courts in Auckland. lAtfil? "ady to .go on," said Mr. "j l , , sohcitora are engaged elsewhere, they should brief someone else. It is impossible for a solicitor to attend cases in two courts at tho same lime, and 10 should arrange accordingly." Later on, , :ji ; r thCT - Qas l was adjourned; tho 1 TV' 1 Com 't' and protested, <?v Ll- 0 tt 1,0011 in town for ill: e W llmvcv «'. informed it «as his onn solicitor who got the case adjourned. As he marched out of court, a,?'; 1 , P u \l out altogether rather tiiaii waste more time.