LOCAL.AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1742, 6 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL.AND GENERAL.

Tho Postal Department advises that tho s.s. Ulimnroa lett Sydney at noon on Saturday last, ami should reach Wellington to-morrow. Tho vessel carries 151 bags of mail matter for Wellington and Ml for Auckland.

"The next. committee to be elected is (he Trade Terms Committee," announced the president of the Chamber of Commerce at yesterday's meeting. "II: hasn't mot for two years!" "That's a good committro to bo on," said a member. 'I'lie committee was allowed Lo standunallered.

Between 70 and SO numbers of the police force in various parts of the Uoiiiitiiou lu've availed fheut.-olvos .'it' the :<?rvke of Iho coach provided by I lie Department for the assistance of men who intend t<> sit at the approaching i\aminations, in order to (iiialify for promution. Considering that a number of men are preparing for tho examination without assistance. the number of those who have decided (o avail themselves of the services of the coach is considered very satisfactory. Tho coach will prepare men either for"the sergeants' or sub-inspectors' examinations. It has already been slated that candidates have tho option of silting in (lie lirst instance for tho sub-inspectors' examination without passing tho examination which qualifies for promotion to tho rank of sergeant. The Wellington branch of the .Ship Owners' Federation met. yesterday morning to di>cuss tho recent decision of tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Union not to accept, engagements for work alter 10 a.m. on Saturdays. At the conclusion of the meeting, the local committees appointed by the federation and the union respectively met in conference. On iuf|iiiry being made last evening, a reporter, was "informed (hat there was nothing' for publication at present, but something would bo done in that connection tomorrow. Kates for the year 1!>1"-U will be struck, so far as the city proper is concerned, on the existing valuation roll, which was compiled some years ago. Suburban rates will be struck upon a new valuation, which ha-i now been practically completed by llie olliccrs of the Valuation Department,

The Hon. E. H. Rhodes, Postmaster- 1 General, has presented Canterbury Museum villi a complete collection of New Zealand and postage due stamps. The collection includes (lie stamps of -Vine, I'eiii'li.yu, and Aitutaki Islands, which are in tho Dominion's area. The specimens have been framed and hung in the ethnological room.—Press Association. A now golf story comes from the I-ower Jlutt links, anil it tells of a surprising shot made by a player during the weekcud. Tho links were covered with patches of casual water, aud for this particular shot the ball lay in water and mud amongst rushes, it was ail uncomfortablo lie to play out of, for the making of tho stroko would splash the player with uttld and water. Wherefore he shut his eyes and hit. When he. opened his eyes again the ball had vanished, and it could not bo found nnywhere, until the striker discovered it in tho left-hand pocket of his own jacket. • At yesterday's meeting of the council of tho Chamber of Commerce a communication was received from tho Lord Mayor of Bristol (Mr. C. J. Lowe), directing attention to tho fact that the lioyal Agricultural Society of England is to hold its auuual exhibition "011 the lovely downs adjacent." The letter continues: "111 addition to its usual attractions, it is desired to draw to the show exhibitors and visitors from the overseas dominions of Great Britain, us well as other- countries, and in extending a cordial invitation to my kinsfolk anil friends 'to exhibit; the natural products and industries of tho cDiint» : .es' they represent, it is hoped to render an Imperial service of great valuo in bringing together in the iwnds of comradeship the peoples now living under the British Hag, and inducing 'sympathy and good fellowship amongst men of all nations." If is further stated that 1111 Overseas Coniniittco has been established, and will issue an advance programme contaiiriig particulars of tho show, and valuable information for visitors. 011 the suggestion of Mr. Thos. Ballinger, the council of the Chamber of Commerce at yesterday's meeting decided to communicate once moro with tho firo underwriters, asking them to reconsider the question of reducing the insurance tariffs in AVcllington. In support of this action, Mr. Ballm'ger stated that tho underwriters had always mado a point about the city's water supply being inadequate, but now they had the second main from Wa.inui, and tho big storage reservoir at Brooklyn, there was no reason why the tariff sliould not bo reduced.

Tho Mayor-elect (Mr. J. I'. Luke) will be installed in offieo at the usual statutory meeting of the City Council, to bo held at noon to-morrow. At tho same meeting- the various committees for the next two years will [be_ set up. _ Similar meetings will bo held in connection with tlio Onslow, Miramar, Karori, and Eastbourno Borough Councils. Delegates from (the various New Zealand Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will meet in conference (his morning at 10 o'clock. . Tho meeting was to have been held at the oflico of tlio Wellington sccretaiy, hut it has now been arranged to hold it at the Chamber of Commerce, .to enable friends of tho society to look in during tho proceedings. Messrs. P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., of Christchurch, havo undertaken to supply the Government with cross-arms in connection with tho Lake Coleridge hydroelectrical scheme, t'or the sum of .£'sl2. The only other tenderers were Messrs. John Waller and Sons, Ltd., who offered to supply the goods for ,£MB IDs. A communication was received by the council of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday, notifying that a colonial exhibition is to bo held at Samarang (Java) from tho month of August. 11)14, until November of the same year. It was decidcd to forward the communication to tho Wellington Industrial Association, with tho suggestion that tho information may be of valuo to exporters, jwrtieularly of frozen mid tinned meats. "For the convenience of foot passengers," was (ho official explanation tendered by the I'etouo Barough Engineer at tho Ilutt Road inquiry yesterday, as to why the much-discussed "hurdles" havo been built on tho main road through l'etone. Tho reason, as stated, caused somo laughter amongst the counsel at tho inquiry, and tho engineer went on to stato that ho'had had the "hurdles" made at the instruction of the Borough Council, and that tho council had so ordered .because the road in winter bccamo very muddy, and difficult for foot passengers to cross. The higher crossings, ho thought, would be dry and less muddy. The engine-driver of tlio special train containing the Minister for Railways and party on the Methveu branch line on Saturday'did a smart pieeo of .work. The train was travelling at about thirty-iivo miles an hour between Cairnbrae and Lymlhurst, and tho weather was very boisterous. No very great distance could hs clearly seen ahead, and suddenly the driver saw Iwo heit'ersMn quiet, possession of the middle of the railway track. Tlio train was brought to a dead stop just as the cow-catcher camo in contact with the hindquarters of one of tho heifers. The cow got a bit of a shock, but trotted away without an injury further than a bit of n gash on each hindquarter. Tho new modern and powerful light on Wilson's Promontory, on the Victorian coast, was to bo lit for tho first ti mo on Thursday of last week. Tho light has over. 1,000,000 candle power, and is of the group Hashing variety, showing four flashes, each of half a second duration in quick succession every 15 seconds. Vapourise.l kerosene (the Sydney "Telegraph" states) is to be tho illmninant. The old tower has been used, and clockwork mechanism for revolving the apparatus and producing"" tho flashes lias been fitted to run for eight hours without rewinding. It is estimated that in clear weather tho light will be visiblo for 25 nautical miles. In view of the importance of Wilson's Promontory as a signalling station, an additional assistant lightkeeper has l)ceu appointed. Applications are invited by the Commonwealth Department for External Affairs for grazing rights over no fewer than 55,000 square miles of pastoral land in tho Northern Territory. Approximately 90,000 square miles arc north of the lloper River, 10,000 square miles are between the overland telegraph lino and the Victoria liiver Downs and Wave Hill stations, and 15,000 square miles between the overland telegraph lino and tho Queensland border, including the unoccupied part of JSarkly tableland. No license will be granted unless the number of stock to be plaecd on the land is at least one head of large cattle or four head of small cattle for every square nvde. AY lien the lands have been surveyed they will lie made available for pastoral leases of troin 21 io -12 years' tenure, according to classification.

The number of motor-cars imported by New Zealand is rapidly increasing, llie steamers Wlmkatanu ami Kin Ora, which ; aro duo to arrive this week, are bringing between them 303 Ford cars for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, am Dunodin. These aro all imported by tho Colonial Motor Company. Ltd., ol lini'ton. Tho groat majority ol these tuo live-sealer touring' cars, and lucre also a few two-senler runabouts. I {'» cars are all Canadian. lUsslaledbv the Colonial Motor Company that nearly a these two shipments are already sold, an that during tho past six months the co - panv's agents throughout £ew Zealand have placed no fewer than laO lord cais. CAE ECONOMY AXI) TJII3 BAYARD. A keen demand has arisen in Into years for a light, moderately-priced, economical small car. Such a car fills tho requirements of the commercial traveller, or of tho motorist who, owning a big pleasure car, requires a small, reliable, cheaprunning car as a town runabout. The S-l? li.p. Clement Uoyard is tho car that lills tho bill. Us price is JC2OS, inclusive of hood, wind shield, and fiyo lamps. It seats three persons. Its weight is llcwt., and its nominal li.p. 12, practically a hundredweight to the horse-power. I( s petrol consumption is ono gallon to <10 miles; lubricating oil, one gallon to 500 miles. Tyres to last 10,000, cost £17 2s. lor four covers. Speed, 10 miles per hour on the Hat. Hill-climbing ability : car can climb the i'aekaknriki Hill on the second "ear at 15 miles an hour. It is built by A. Clement, Paris, the celebrated French automobile engineer, and its running expenses including allowance for depreciation, do not: exceed .C 52 per annum. It CAn bo had finished in cither green, dark blue, or French K'"V, and wo can give delivery in live minutes. Adams Limited, Agents for ('lenient iinvaid cars, Garage, Tuam Street, Cliristchuich. Depots at Wangaiilii and t'abuerston North. Agents, louribt HoWr Co.i Hastings,—Advt,