LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1745, 9 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"It appears to me that this business of giving trophies iu New Zealand is being entir.-ly'overdone," said Mr. G. 11. Mason, of Canterbury, at the meeting of tlie Ncw Zealad Kugby Union. "If wo get up any kin.l of competition nowadays it is always a question of what value is tlie trophy you are going to give for it. I slio<i|<l like to make an end of these trophies. I can assure you that if you give a flag for school football, as we do in C'hrislehurch, and allow tho winning team to have the name inscribed upon it each year, tho boys will appreciate it belter than a big leaden cup." An amusing incident occurred at a recent sitting of tho Native Land Court in Wellington, during the hearing of a i.asu concerning tho partition of tho Porangaraliu Hlock, about which the family who wero tho owners were in nowise agreed. One of the Native owners, an old man, retired from tho proceedings, sat himself down in u remote corner of the Court, and went to sleep. While ho slept the other brothers and sisters settled all their differences. After two hours' rest, the sleeper awakened, walked up 'to the : Judge's table, and, pointing to a map, asked, "What .this map?" Judgo Gill'edder replied jestingly, "Oh, that's a map of Tasmania." The old Maori retorted, "I want to see about caso cutting up Porangarahu." The Judgo replied, "Oh, that's all been settled. We've-all made peace." Then, pointing to the map on the table, the awakened sleeper saiu, "Then cut off my piece." Of course, the assemblago in tho Court was convulsed with laughter. At the. conclusion of the samo case another member of the family returned thanks to the Judge. "1 thank his Honour very much," ho said. "I hopo his Honour live a long time. I hope lie live to see another nian-o'-war." A good many complaints arc being mado by travellers on the Main Trunk line, says a correspondent, relative to tho fact that heaters have not yet been put into commission in tho carriages. The complaints state that it is bitterly cold travelling nowadays, and urge that provision should bo mado for tho comfort of those who aro obliged to travel on . tho Main Trunk line. Of the eighty-four applications for the post of City Organist for Wellington, sixty-two are from Great Britain. The applications have been opened and arranged in order for Ihe first meeting of tho City Council. As the council as a whole will not havo the time to go through all tho applications the task will probably be relegated to one of the Standing Committees, or a special committee, which will sift the applications before advieo is sought on the iiual selection. The Forestry Commission has been provided with quarters in Parliament Build- ■ ings and will commence tho taking of evidence in Wellington next week, on a dato to be advertised. This will bo tho final sitting. In the meantime some members of the Commission are away inspect-, ing forest reserves along the Main Trunk line. The Commission has been instructed to report by May 31. Tho Nelson Harbour Board have .adopted Mr. Leslie H. Reynolds's recommendation for further improvement to the harbour at a cost of and purposo placing tho matter before tho ratepayers immediately. Tho General Manager for Railways (Mr. T. : Eonayne) has accepted the following tenders lor the carriage of parcels (at scliedulo rates) in tho various centres:— Wellington, Henry Innis; Auckland, Cunningham and Co.; Christchurch, James MTerran; Dunedin, N.Z. Express Company; Invercargill, N.Z. Express Company. ' The Minister for Public Works (Hon. W. Eraser) has acceptcd the following tenders:—Cross-arms in connection with tho Lake Coleridge power scheme, P. and D. Diiucan, Christchurch, .£512; erection of a Nativo school and residence atPultehina, F. Overton, Tauranga, ,£861; erection of a bridge over tho To Karao Stream, Win. M'Gcchie, Kohnßohii, oCSIO os. In vesponso to a requisition from the parties interested, tne Minister for Labour (tho lion. W. F. Massey) directs that tlie occupiers of all house, sign, and decorative painters, paporhangers, and picture-framcrs' shops in the borough of Petono shall, on nnd after May £T. closs thtir premises at tho following hours:— On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday n't 6 p.m., on Friday at 9 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. It is provided that on tbc night (other than Sunday) before. Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Anniversary Day, Labour Day. alid tho Sovereign's Birthday, that the closing hour shall be D p.m. \ Notico has been given by Councillor Burn of his intention to move as follows at tho meeting of tho Karon Borough Council next Wednesday:— I "That tho fare of ono penny for children between tho ages of thrco and ten years now charged for the tram journey between tho Botanical Gardens and Johnston Street, in either direction, bo discontinued, and in lieu thereof the charge for children between the ages named bo one penny for any part or tho whole of tho journey from the Botanical Gardens to Karori Park." An outbreak of measles lias developed amongst the boarders nt the Wellington Boys' College, three students being at present affected. On that, account tho collego closed down yesterday and will not reopw until Wednesday, Hay 28. Tho term holidays were to have commenced oil Thursday next. "A child's brain," Dr. Truby King stated last evening, "increases as much in tho first twelve months as it docs during , the wliolo of tho rest of its existence. It should increase in the first twelve months by three-quarters 'of a pound, and it will not further increase by any greater hmonnt if its possessor lives to bo a hundred." Speaking incidentally of tho South Polo disaster, in tho course of his lecture last evening, Dr. Truby King- said that a, lack of fresh food material was tho great, curse of tho situation which overtook tho explorers and that the same factor always had been the great, curse of people placed in such a situation. Nelson asked for two steamers to be sent I,hero by the Government, in counoctioii with tho reception of tho battlecruiser New Zealand. Tho Hon. H, D. Boll's reply was; "Impoisiblo to promise more than one steamer. Three Cook Strait cables requiro urgent Tcpairs; will liavo two if at all possible.—H. D. Bell." Mr. John P.: Luke, Mayor of Wellington, announces that he will bo in attendance nt his office at tho Town Hall daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Monday to Friday, when ho will be pleased to meet all desirous of interviewing him with regard to municipal matters. Those persons who may hold stocks of stamps of certain dies tho use of which has Ijeea discontinued by the Government will I>2 interested in a. notification this announcement the Minister for which appears in thi9 week's Gazette. In Stamp Duties (tho lion. A. L. llcrdman) gives notice that stamps, envelopes, and postcards being tlw portrait of her lalo Majesty Queen Victoria, the Christchurch Exhibition stamps, law court fco stamps, and land and <lecds fee stamps cannot be lawfully used for tho payment of any postage or revenue duty after December 31, 1313. The stamps can, however, bo exchanged for new ones by application at any post olEcc before the end of 1911.

A notice in this week's Gazette prohibits the forwarding of money-orders or postal correspondence to Peter Grant, of Christchurch, or Barnctt and Grant, of Christcliitrch. ; The pangs of remorse have been troubling some person unknown, who has at some timo or other got tho best of the Customs Department. Tho result has been the receipt by the Collector of Customs at Wellington of the sum of M posted at Kimbolton. The following sub-committees were elected at jesterday's meeting of the Reserves Committee of the City CouncilBaths: Councillors G. Frost, J. W. Thompson, 11. Buddie, and M. ]?. Luckie; Zoo: Councillors G. Frost, L. M'Kenzie, W. H. P. Barber, and I?. A. Wright. As a result of tho poll in'favour of Saturday closing, says a southern paper, the various sports clubs in Christchurch are tiuding already that w-ith their increased number of members who wish to take advantage of the afternoon for indulging in sports, that their accommodation needs to be extended. Tho tender <tf Mr. D. Andrews for tho cartage of State coal in Wellington (at schedule rates) has been accepted. The only other lender was from Messrs. Munt, Cottrell, mul Co., Ltd. For some timo past much troublo has beeiA experienced with telephones at Petono and Lower llutt. ' Some subscribers state that all complaints that have been made receive only a promise, and there the matter drops. Subscribers at Lower Unit linvo forwarded a joint Idler lo the officer in charge, in which they state ithat they suffer inconvenience, and suggest that, on occasions when tliey cannot get through, provision should be mado to allow them to use the bureau wiro without charge. ' The letter concludcs by "trusting that tho officer will issuo instructions to this effect .without delay."