LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1738, 1 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Commissioner Cullen left for tho south lust evening. He will call parades of the jiolico at Christchureh and Dunedin un tho lines of tho parade recently called at Auckland, when the men were afforded au opportunity of stating their grievances. The Public Works Department lias received the following list of successful and unsuccessful tenders for the additions, etc., to the Post Office, PetoucAccepted: G. L. Wakelin, Wellington, <£622; declined : W. W. Illingworth, ,£GB7 j Lowin and Tremain, Pctone, ,£SOO. Tikati, tho fish that precedes the frost foh. arc now fairly plentiful on tho Otaki beach (says our local correspondent), and on Sunday several fine specimens wero found. Another big liner, which is soon to make her first acquaintance with ocean voyaging in the Australian trade, is tho Nestor, of 14,250 tons, built for 'tho Blue Funnel Line of Messrs. Alfred Holt and Co. Nothing has been more remarkable of recent years, says tho Sydney "Telegraph," than the number of fino now passenger and cargo liners built for the trado with the Commonwealth, and i't is claimed for the Nestor that she is the largest of them all. It is, however, given to no vessel in these days to hold that enviab'.o posilion very long, and the Nestor is apparently destined to be surpassed in point of si/.e by the new "White Star steamer Ceramic, which is of no less than 18,000 tons. No merchant vessel of anything like these dimensions has yet been seen in the Australian trade. To-night, ill the Town Hall, tho talented lecturer. Miss Mary Proctor, will deliver her final lecture on astronomy. Tho lecture will bo illustrated with many new lantern slides, obtained by Miss Proctor from tho original negatives at the great observatories, llcr subject,' "Tho Story of the Sun," is a fascinating one, and she brings witli her tho very latest information from the solar physics observatories. She has just returned from a visit to the Indian Solar Observatory at Kodaikanal, where she received much new and valuable information oil the sun from the director, Mr. Eversbea. This lecture will conclude the series of lectures Miss Proctor has been delivering tlirough- ; out New Zealand, with the objtel of starting a fund for a national sob- observatory for New Zealand. As the work of such an observatory will have immediate scientific and practical value to New Zealand, it is worthy of the best support. As is well known, there is a gap in the situation of tho solar observatories, there being none between India and. America, and New Zealand is excellently situated to fill tho gap, and carry on the continuous observation of the sun.

It is reported (says a Dannevirke paper) .that one of New Zealand's one-time leading horsemen is at present busily engaged in forming a jockeys' union. Jinny nro wondering what will really happen when the jockeys form a union. It is not yet decided whether their policy will lie aggressive or defensive.

' Pickpockets would appear to be exploiting the driving-sheds at the football fields just now. At the meeting 9f the Management Committee of tho Wellington ltugby Union last evening, a complaint was received from the secrotayy of tho Melroso Club's fifth class team to the effect that several members of tho team had had their pockets picked last Saturday on the Wellington. College ground. It was suggested that the doors of the shed might bo carefully locked during the progress of a match. The committee, decided that the matter was properly 0110 for tho clubs to deal with.

The inaugural meeting of th* year of tho Wellington Philosophical Society was held last evening, when Professor T. H. Easterfield, the newly-elected president of the society, in his presidential address reviewed interestingly the developments of chemical science as evidenced by some Tecent advances. The speaker traced the sequence of events since 1903, in which year lie was first elected president of the Philosophical Society, and stressed tho need of the Dominion for men to investigate big commercial chemical problems, as for example tho utilisation of such wasto products as sawdust and waste wood. The chemist nowadays was regarded by tho big manufacturer as a valuable asset, but his training was a lengthy process, and the demand at present exceeded the supply.

Mr. W. F. Colley, tho English artist and restorer of paintings, has practically completed the restoration of several paintings belonging to tho City Corporation. These consist of the portraits (in oils) of Mr. Edward Jerningham Wakefield (life size), the lato Mr. Justice Richmond, the 11011. 11. D. Bell, and Air. A. do Bathe Brandon (tho two lastnamed ex-Mayors of the city). Mr. Colley found tho portrait cf the lato Mr. Wakefield in a. very bad way, water having *at some time or other got in between the canvas and the film of paint, with tho result that tho canvas had decayed away in parts. Ho has rebacked the wholo pichuo with canvas, stretched it on to a new frame, and has brought up the artistic beauties of the minting womlerfally. Mr. Colley will have finished tho work in aliout a week, after which he will leave for C'hristclmrch, and later un will proceed to Auckland.

CAR ECONOMY AND THE BAYARD. A keen demand has arisen in Into vears for a light, moderately-priced, economical small car. Such a car fills <ho requirements of the commercial traveller or of the motorist who, owning a big p] ea .' sure car, requires a small, reliable, cheaprunning car as a town runabout. Tho 8-12 h.p. Clement Bayard is the ear that tills the bill. Its prico is .£293, inclusivo of hood, wind shield, and five lamps. It seats three persons. Its weight is llcivt. and it? nominal h.p. 12, practically a hundredweight to tho horse-power. J(s petrol consumption is one gallon to 40 miles; lubricating oil, 0110 gallon to ,500 miles. Tyres to last 10,000, cost .tiv |> Si for four covers. JO miles per hour 011 the flat, llill-elnnbing ability: car can climb the Paekakariki Hill 011 the second gear at 15 miles an hour. It is built bv A. Clement, Paris, the celebrated French automobile engineer, and its running expenses, including allowance for depreciation, do not exceed ,£52 per annum. It caa lw had finished in cither green, dark blue, or French grey, and wo can give deliveiy in fivo minutes. Adams Limited, Agent's for Clement Bayard cars, Garage, Tnam Street, Christchurch. Depots at Wanganui and Palmerston North. Agents, Tourist Slotor Co., Hastings.—Advt.