LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1744, 8 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities adviso that the Niagara, which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on May 5, has on board English and Australia!! mails. Tho Wellington portion should reach here by Main Trunk express on Saturday next. At a meeting of Cabinet yesterday it was decided to raise the limit of advances under the workers' dwellings scheme from .£3OO to -GIOO. Tho subject of advances lo local bodies has not yet been, dealt with. Tho Forestry Commission has been granted an extension of time to May 31. Originally it was instructed to report on May 1. Several more Court of Appeal judgments will, it is expected, be delivered before the sittings conclude this week. Jt is not likely, however, that tho judgment in the Sugar Case will be among them. The boardmghouso-keepers of Auckland have dccided to raise the tariff by Is. a day for casuals from June 1, with fl further rise of lis. per day, on December 1. This, says a I'ress Association telegram, is stated to be due (o the increased cost of foodstuffs, while tho coming Exhibition also probably influences the step. Gorso fires in the city have been sufficiently numerous to call for some remark by the Fire Brigade Superintendent in" his annual report to the City Council. "I would call your attention,'' he observes, "to the large number of gorse fires, sow of which were of considerable extent, and dangerously close to neighbouring property. There is a largo quantity of gorse both iu and around the city, which is a constant source of danger, and should bo eradicated." Wireless stations are now in operation nt Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Svdney, Brisbane, l'ort Moresby, Thursday Island, Mount Gambier, Kocldnunpton and Gcraldton. The two latter stations are undergoing tests, but they are said to be capable of transmitting and receiving business in tile meantime. They will be officially opened to tho public on May 17. It is expected that during this month stations will be completed at Cooktown, TownSville, Fsperanee, and Flinders Island. and that before the end of June the stations at Darwin,. Wynclham, lkeburne, and IJroome will be in working order. The number of passengers booked by (he new I?.M.S. Niagara from Australia and Xcw Zealand for Suva, Honolulu, and Vancouver easily constitutes a record. The ves-el sails from Auckland on Saturday morning, and. according to (he Auckland "Herald," she will leave porl-witli almost (he whole of her extensive accommodation taken tip. In Ihe first saloon some 22<l people are booked, while about 170 are travelling iu tho second saloon, and over 200 in the third class, making a total of close upon GOO people. Almost (lie whole of the first and third-class accommodation has been (aken up, but (here ore still a number nf berths available in Ihe second saloon. To give some idea nf the great carrying rapacity of the Niagara,'it may be mentioned that (he liner will lake on board at Auckland 0200 oitnrlits of beef, which is equivalent, to l. r >ofl head of ealtle. Amongst other cargo to l)i- loatied here will be 200 carcasscs of veal. !0-'i sacks of frozen meats. .100 carcasses of mutton. GIW lioxes of butler. .W of (lax. and large line- of wool, jam, unions, kauri gum, and other cargo. The vessel will also takp oil board several hundred t'ons uf'coal, and a large HianUty of AtorcJi

"Personally, I am not desirous of seeing Dastbourne develop esactly on city lilies," said Mr. W. J. Organ, Mayor of that borough, in his speech at the installation meeting yesterday. "I believe Unit residents have been attracted to Karlbournc who desired to gel away Iroin tbe oily, from the stone walls and flawed pavements and the greyness and confinement of city life. I believe that it is our croon hills and open _ spaces, our splendid beaches and our air of country life that keep people in Eastbourne and will induce more people to take up their residence there in the future. 1 recogniso that the place must develop, that certain conveniences are necessary, but my detire is (hat it should develop, as far as possible, im country line?. We should preserve those aspects of country and seaside life, that are in point of fact, responsible for tho existence of tho borough." "In February last," states the Fire Brigade Superintendent (!Tr. H. Tait), "a scheme was broujht forward for (ho reorganisation of the appliances and proposed dispensing with the present Newtown station, and replacing tho handreel at Kilbirnic with a motor engine, the wholo to be housed in a station situated at the top of Constable Street. By (his means the districts of Newtown, ICilbirnie, Untaitai, Alaranui, etc., would bo more efficiently protected than at present. These districts have now grown to very large proportions, and I would ask that the recommendation of tho late council oil this matter will have tho serious consideration of the new council; also the hosa reel station proposed for tho protection of Wadestowu be considered, as this district is entirely without protection from within itself." 'I'.vo of tho cables across Cook Strait were seriously damaged during the recent heavy weather, and telegraphic work between Wellington and tho South Island has been delayed as a consequence. _ Five cables across the Strait are still intact. One of those whicli lias been damaged run* from Otcrangi, near C-ape Terawliiti, and White's Bay, and tho other from Lyall Bay to White's Bay. The Tutanckai, which has been acting as a lender at Auckland in connection with the visit of the battleship New Zealand, lias been ordered to return at once to Wellington in order that she may be employed in the work of repairing the damaged cables. She will'reach lierc to-morrow, and will go out into the Strait as soon as she lias taken tho necessary gear on board, A mail who recently stole a pair of boots from a boarder in a house in which ho stayed the night was found tO(be wearin? three pairs of seeks, This, he told thepolice, was not to keep out the cold, but to make the boots fit. His size was eights, anil tho boots wcro tens. •' The Reform party organiser (Mr. C. P. Lindcgrecn) has just returned to Wellington after a northern tour, in tho course of which lie visited Pacroa, Thames, Putarurus Ngaruawahia, and Iluntly. : New branches of the Reform Ifaguc were formed at I'aeroa, Putaruru, and Jluntly. I'n, addition to this, strong Native branches of tho league havo b«?eii formed at I'aki Paki, ,Te Ilnuke, Waipawa, and I'utangata. Mr. Lindegreen iotind that the Heform movement, so far as organisation is concerned, is progressing very satisfactorily, In tho country districts, particularly, lie states, the farmers are very keen that the present Government should retain office, so that it may give effect to its development policy of land settlement. A meeting of the Dominion executive of tho lteform party is to open at Wellington on Saturday. During the year (states the Firo Brigade Superintendent in his annual report) the street lira alarms havo worked satisfactorily, and aro in good repair. Alterations, additions, and improvements to several of tho existing circuits have been carried out, and five new points added. The great majority of calls .received aro by this system; even whero calls aro credited to the telephone exchange, street alarm signals 'havo also been sent in, thus indicating what aneasy and direct means of communication this system provides tho public with, in caso of fire. It is proposed to place an amoulit on- the estimates for the "coming 1 year to allow for tbo extension of theso systems. Tho Victorian railway workshops at Newport aro now busily engaged in the const-motion of carriages of the approved type for uso ill connection with the electrified suburban railway service at }lelbourne. When the electrification schemo is completed, towards the end of 1918, the carriage stock in the suburban service, the Commissioner states, will consist of over 700 cars. Lawyers practising in' the city met last evening -to consider the position in regard to Mr. A. H. Hindma-rsh's proposed Bill to prevent K.C.'s from practising as solicitors. The meeting wus a private one, and it was agreed that the proceedings should not be disclosed to the press. , For tho past two or three days representatives of tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Union and the Wellington branch of the Shipowners' Federation havo been in conference regarding the hours during which labour may bo engaged on tho Wellington wharves. A settlement was arrived at yesterday, in which it was agreed that the hours of engagement shall bef roin 7.45 a.m. to 10 a.m., aud 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. -Mondays to Fridays inclusive, and from 7.45 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays'. Tho Waterside Workers' Union made a strong point of retaining the hours 7.15 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, but eventually conceded the extra hour. It is stated that the agreement will bo sigucd to-day. , It was 72 years last Saturday (says the "Sydney Morning llera»d") since New Zealand became a emony, the LieutenantGovernor of the then New South Wales dependency being on May 3, lbll, appointed governor ol the inuependent colony of New Zealand by virtue of her Majesty's proclamation, 'i'lie charter giving effect to the suggestion tllat New Zealand should bo detacued from New i South Wales was signed by her Majesty on November 10, 1810. But even bad news travelled slowly in those days, so it is not remarkable that this should have taken within a fortnight of six months to.reach the peoplo of New Zealand. On May 3 tlio ceremony of declaring New Zealand a separate colony, with himself as Governor. was performed by Captain Hobsou, at Auckland, with befitting display. Tho charter also defined tho methods of conducting the affairs of the colony by the Governor and two councils. Tho first session of tho Legislative Council met on Queen Victoria's 22nd birthday, ntld as all the needful appointments had pre-, viouslv been made the affairs of the newlycreated colony were by that time in full swing. It was the Kev. Samuel Marsden, of Svdnev, who pioneered the' mission work'among the Maoris in 181-1, and in 1833 Mr. ,Busbv was sent from Sydney asthe first British Resident, the houso ho occupied near Russell, built by New South Wales workers, and largely of •Yustralian timber, still standing in an excellent state of preservation. Tho proprietors of tho Three Castles tobacco and cigarettes announce that, owinc to the great demand for tho picture of II MS. New Zealand, printed in ten colours,'which they are presenting for the return of the Three Cast es tobacco and cigarettes labels, tins, and fronts, as adverted, that further editions had to be printed, which has delayed sending out the pictures to the persons who have sent in the Three Castles tobacco and cigarette Ulbels, tins, and front. No time will bo lost, however, in posting the pictures ns soon as they are received. • CAR ECONOMY AND TIIE BAYARD. A keen demand has arisen in late years for a light, moderately-priced, economical small car. Such a car fills the requirements ol the commercial traveller or of the motorist who, owning a big pica, sure car, requires a small, reliable, chcaprunning car as a town runabout. The 8-1'? h.p. Clement Bayard is the car that fi!| s tho bill. Its price is 0:295, luclusivo of hood, wind shield, and five lamps. It scats three persons. Its weight is llcwt., and its nominal h.p. 12, practically a hundredweight to the horse-power. Ifi petrol consumption is one gallon to 40 miles; lubricating oil, one gallon to 500 miles. Tyres to last 10,000, cost. .Cl 7 2s. for four covers. Speed, -10 miles per hour on tbe flat. Hill-climbing ability: car can climb the Paekalcariki Jlill on tho 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 .C 52 per annum. It o,an be bad finished in either green, dark blue, or J-'i-cncli grey, and we can give delivery in five, minute. Adams Limited. Agents for Clement Hayaid cars, Garage, Tuam Street, Chrislclnirch. Depots at Wangainii and Fnlinerston North. .Agents, Tour, iet Al'oter C 0,., Hastings, -Advt t