LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails -which left Wellington on March 20 per tlio s.s. "Ulimaroa connected with the lirimlisi mails, per the It.M.S. Moldavia, arrived in London on April 25.

During the run up the coast from Lyttelton to Wellington oil Sunday, the JJimitangi passed wreckage about 30ft. in length, partly visible, about 20 miles north of Lyttclton. Of late masters of vessels trading round the '.few Zealand coast have reported sighting wreckago on several recently. Advice has brai received fiom Auckland by Mr. 11. P. Allen stating that the total space which it was originally proposed to allot to Wellington exhibitors at the Auckland Exhibition lias already fccen over-ap-plied for. Extra accommodation has also L-een largely bespoken, corner spaces parti, cularlv. Up till now Wellington exhibitors have Ixioked 5800 square feet of space for which they havo paid JCGS9 -Is., and this .suin.Jias been remitted to Auckland.

Questioned last evening as to what stand he would have taken had lie' been upon the City Council .when the tramway strike occurred, -Mr. H. Buddie replied that, in his opinion, the City Council upon that occasion were an excellent opportunity of showing a firm back. The people of Wellington, he thought, had recognised this. When he heard—lie was .away at the time—that the council had backed down, ho thought what ho would not repeat that night.

"Thorndon people are modest in their demands, and don't want much," said Dr. Newinan, M.P., at an election meeting in lliat district last evening, "but I would like to ask the candidates if they would l>9 in favour of tarring this street (Jlolesworth Street) anil some of the neighbouring streets. Tho dust nuisance is terrible. In l'act, in the language of tho council, I wonder why the deuce tho tarring has not been douo before." (Laughter.) Several of the candidates promised to give the matter their attention. "South Island, especially Otira and Buller Gorges worth every traveller's visit. Motors and coaches first class. Enilways require, and can stmid, much improvement. Officials most obliging, but carriages not clean. Pace fearfully slow —average 13 miles por hour between Stanhope and Nelson. —A tourist's comment in visitors' book at the Wellington Government Tourist Bureau. "Tho last year lias been simply a year of nothings," said Councillor L. M'fveii; zie, addressing a meeting of city electors at Thorndon last evening. "We have dono nothing (luring tho past year of any moment. It has been, more u year of administration." Sprinting horses is the subject of a remit which is to be moved at the Provincial Conference of the Auckland Farmers' Union, 011 behalf of the Morriusville branch. Tho remit suggests that the conference discuss the advisability of asking tlie Government to subsidise all hunt clubs cn all hors.'s of Llio hunt club stamp which may be needed- for purposes of military defence, and to prohibit raccs under distances of one mile at racing club events in order to encourage tho breeding of a sturdy stomp of horse. A motion in favour of the Bible-in-Schools mn.-emunt was mtved at the conclusion of last night's meeting of St. .Mark's parish. The mover of the. motion, Mr. G. W. Barltrop, spoke briefly 011 the matter in. question, and the resolution was carried, there being one dissentient voice amongst tho 10 odd present. The Public Works Department has let a contract to .Mr. G. 1.. Wakeliu, of Wellington, for tile erection of additions to the I'etone Post (Illiee. The contract price is .t(>22 Is. Rejected tenders wero those of W. W. lllingworth, Wellington f.tBST); and Lowiu ami Tremain, l'ctoiie (JOT IS-.). "Although insistence seventeen years, your school has never been able to boast of a shelter-shed for the infant scholars," commented the committee of the South Wellington School in ils report at the annual meeting of householders last evening. Tho committee, by the way, has taken the matter in its own hands, and have already raised a sum of .£3O towards the cost of the work,

The state of tlio Thorudon swimming baths was mentioned to the City Council candidates who addressed a meeting in tlio Thorndon Methodist Schoolroom last evening, and they were asked whether, if elected, they would do what they could to have the baths put into a state of repair. Mr. Huddle said that ho had visited the baths recently, and had seen nothing wrong with them except that tlio tide was very low. Not even a Labour councillor could rectify that. All that ho could say was that alter being elected he would inspect the baths, and if they needed attention would do what he could to see that tliev got it. Mr. W. J. Thompson gave a ■similar reply. Later the elector who had just raised the question brought it up again. He said he had been deputed, by a lady who possessed great innuenco in that quarter of the town to ask Mr. Buddie whether he approved of allowing -sharks in Thonnluu baths. (Laughter.) Mr. liuddle:' "I don't think, sir, that sharks should bo'allowed in the baths." (Laughter.) The questioner: "I am quite serious, Mr. Buddie!" Mr. Buddie: "I am quite serious, too. I said that I did not think sharks should be allowed in the baths."

Addressing a meeting in Post Office Sqiiaro yesterday, Mr. T. C. A. Ilis-lop was asked what lie would have done had lie been on the council at the time of the tram strike. He replied that when a large body of men giving full satisfaction to all with whom they came into contact found it impossible io get o.:i with one man, it should be obvious that lie should lis removed to another position. Had that, been done when it was clear it should have been done no strike would have occurred.

The amount of gas purchased by the Jlutt Horough Council from the l'etono Borough Council for the year ended March 31 was 9,451,,000 cubic feet; 7,751,500 feet were sold to consumers, and G!i2,000 feet were used for street lighting, the gas unaccounted for amounting to .1,009,500 feet, being 11.31 per cent, of gas purchased.

Mr. J. Clieesman, signal inspector, New Zealand railways, who has been on ail extended holiday to Australia, returned by the s.s. Maunganui on Wednesday morning last. While in Australia he made a study of a number of improvements on the Australian, railways, have been instituted since lie was a member of that service. In the interlocking branch alone in New South Wales, the staff now numbers 1100 men, with ten signal inspectors. Mr. Cheesmuii states that lie was surprised to find what a field New South Waies was for New Zealand officers to gain information from.