LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1763, 30 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The undermentioned hours will be ob•ecrved at the telegraph office on Tuesday next. King's Birthday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; evening, 7 p.m. to midnight. The Telephone Exchange will be open continuously until midnight. The cable service will be as usual.

Empire Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 3, the anniversary of the birthday of his Majesty the .Kingi and that day will be observed as a nublis holiday in the Government offices throughout the Dominion.

This question of extending the esplanade ot Oriental Day is being considered by the City Council in connection with this year's estimates, which, the Mayor hones, will be presented at the noxt meeting of the couiucil.

Tepid baths for the city is a question which is jm-t now engaging tho attention of the liaths and Ite=;rves Committee of tho City Council. A report on the subject is being prepared, by tho city engineer, ami when this report is obtained (lie committer will thoroughly consider the nutter. In the meantime inquiries have been made from tho town clerks of Napier, Christ-church, and Wnngnmii for particulars of their baths.

Statistics published in tho Gazette show that 1 * arrivals in (he Dominion during April, IPI3, numbered 21)68, as against ;):W7 ill April, 1012, while departures totalled 8159, as aghast 1205 ill April, 1912.

Tenders are now being called for the erection of tho first portion of the new Parliamentary Buildings. This portion comprises new Chambers for both Houses lind various suites of rooms, (he most important portion of the building held over in the meantime being the library. The date bv which lenders must be sent in is September 1, 1913. Plans are on view at (lie olliccs of tho Public Works Department in Wellington, and the ollur chief centres. PiM'ther particulars are advertised.

The broken water-main underneath llio big slip at Ngahauranga is si ill inaccessible, and it has been . impossible to even moke an attempt to repair it yet. in the meantime the new main is carrying in the city's supply of water.

The offer of the Wellington Orphans' Club to organise the raising of a fund wherewith to provide a clock for the Town ] 1 nil came before the City Council last evening. The Mayor, in reply lo a question, said that ho proposed to refer the matter to tho Finance Committee, which would consult with the city engineer with \-Cijo.i\t to the proposal.

Mr. Homy E. White, architect, of Wellington, lias been engaged by tlio Exhibition Amusements Co,, of Auckland, to plan the lay-out of "Wonderland," in connection with tho Auckland Exhibition, and lias also been asked to prepare sketch plans of a theatre to bo erected in Karangahape l!oad, Auckland. 11l about two weeks' time -Mr. White is to leavo for Australia lo inspect the sites in Brisbane and Melbourne, on which Mr. Hugh Jl'Jii'tosh intends to erect' "Rickards" theatres.

Tho firo at Khnndallah, notice of which appeared in yesterday's issue of Tirr, Dominion - , occurred in Mr. Gilbert Davidson's live-roomed house, situated in Cashmere Avenue. The firo started in tho vicinity of the kitchen at 5 o'clock, and fanned by a strong northerly wind swept through, tlie house in., about twenty minutes. Mrs. Davidson and her two children wereakinein the house.ami, with tho assistance of two neighbours, soino of tho furniture was saved. The house was insured for .£-125 in the Slate Oflieo and the furniture and effects for .1:150 in the Northern Office. Mr. Davidson estimates his loss at alwut ,£2OO.

Mailers concerning the housing of tlie Wellington' Technical School will come up for discussion at tho meeting of the lxiard this evening. One of tho propositions that is likely to be given consideration, it is stilted, is tho taking over bv tho City Council of the Technical School block in Mercer Street (which abuts on the city property on two sides). With the money the city might be induced to pay for {he block) another site (alreadysingled out) would be acquired. That accomplished, tho board, it is stated, would approach the Government for a grant towards the erection of tho new building.

In order to save a trudge from Thorndon to the Technical belied in all weathers, and partly owing to the crowded state of the last-named institution, tho boys of the training sliip_ Amokura will this winter undergo their training in technical matters in tho Tiiorndon Yacht Club's premises, near the Tiiorndon ]3aths. This will enable the boys to get their dinners on board, instead of having, as in tho past, to toko it with them to the school,

All the seasons in a day would describe the weather experienced in Wellington yesterday. Early morning dawned -spring-liko over the rain-washed city, a clear sun, in a sky of blue, gilding house and hill-top with the reflection of its own glory. At noon, there was a sense of summer about the bright sunshine and genial atmosphere, but early in the afternoon clouds rolled up, the gold was turned to grey, anil'the wind, veering sharply round to tho south, brought up sudden showers of rain and hail, bitter with the menace of winter. Although the weather has been distinctly variable, Wellington has so far missed tho meteorological "fits" which Mr. Clement Wragge promised. A broken trollv-head was the cause of about a dozen cars being held up at tho Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, corner at 7.10 last evening. Some little difficulty was experienced in extricating the trolly-head owing to tho network of junctional wires overhead.

Tho Chief Commissioner of the \ ictorian police (Mr. Sainsburv) inspected tho silent pistol used in the play, "\\ lthiu the Law," at the Melbourno Theatro Koval, prior to giving his permission to make use of'this weapon with such dangerous possibilities. The undertaking was given (hat tho greatest care would bo taken to .prevent it being taken outside of the theatre, and that one member of tho staff would bo held responsible for its safe enstodv. Since tho announcement in the daily papers regarding the introduction to Australia of the pistol with tho Maxim silencer, the J. C. ANilliauison management have been inundated with poouosts from persons to allowed to examine'it. Its inspection, however, lias licen restricted to members ot the police force and the military. The Defence authorities aro keenly interested in tlie weapon, which, when smoking cartridges are used, makes noither smoke nor sound. Tho Unity Congress Committee lias issued, through tho Press Association, tho following notice signed by tho chairman, Mr W. T. Young, and secretary, Air. I. 11. Hickey"lt has come to our knowledge that tho last circular issued by the Unity Committee is being misrepresented and misunderstood; therefore, wc deem u essential to malto this final and plain explanation; Bodies adopting tho basis ot unity subject to any. amendments which tho July congress may adopt, will bo entitled to full representation at tho .My congrcss, and will also be entitled to fully discuss, amend, and adopt the constitutions. industrial and political, formulated in accordance with the basis of unity. It may also be stated that tho basis is only the foundation upon which these constitutions are being drafted. In oilier words, congress will have full power to adopt, amend, or reject any proposals submitted by the January conference :>r fho Unity Committee." , According to a report presented by the city engineer all' the meeting <51 the City Council lust evening, tho corporation .employees at the Ctiy Destructor receive nine davs' annual leave; liouso refuse collectors, nine days; stablemen, fourteen days; and broom-men, nine days. Tho chief turncock gets fourteen days; assistant turncock, nine days;, and the pump attendants, fourteen days. Tho above employees, with the men engaged in street cleaning, should not, considers the city engineer, bo given casual holidays. "It has always struck me as most improper, lie said, that men who nre required to look after the sanitation of the city should be allowed casual holidays. Should annual leave bo granted all casual holidays should be stopped, and not more than six of tho statutory holidays should bo given. It may bo necessary that some variation shall be made in the various agreements, in order to ell'ect this requirement. Tho remainder of tho men, in my opinion, are at present receiving 100 many holidays for me to recommend that they should receive annual leave in addition."

An application by the Central Mission Band that the corporation should utilise tilt- services of tho band for week-day perfonnances on tho same terms as the other bauds secured for their schedulo performances was declined by the City Council last evening. As the Mayor (Mr. J. I. Luke) put it, the council had to put questions of sentiment on one side and treat all the bands on the same basis.

A proclamation in tho Gazette makes tho annivsi'saxv day of the foundation 01 Taranald a Customs holiday at I'atea.

The following new regulations are gazetted, fixing the travelling expenses of councillors under Section 13 of th'eMumcipal Corporations Act:-The council may, out of its district fund, reimburse to the Mayor and to every councillor the actual travelling expenses incurred by him in travelling a distance exceeding three miles (counting one way only) to attend to any business of the council to which he has been authorised by the coune.il to attend. Ko expenses shall be reimbursed to any councillor incurred in .travelling for the purpose of attending any meeting of the council or any committee thereof.

From June 1. tOl3, I'art II of llic Fisheries Act, 190S, relating to fresh-water fisheries, will be ill charge of the Minister for Internal Affairs, and will be administered by the Department of Internal Affairs in lieu of the Marino Department, which latter Department will continue to administer Part I of the above-named Act relating to sea fisheries.

The whole question of iho district scheme in connection with local cricket is to be gone into once more at a meeting of the Cricket Association, to bo held this evening.

MOTOR-VAN AND MOTOR-CARS FOR SALE. Twelve-twenty h.p. Argyl van, suitable for currying company or carrier. A chance for a suburban expressman obtaining a r.awcrfnl motor-van at a low price. A good hill-climber and fast on the llat. Kconomical to run. Price .£3OO, reduced lo .t'JiO during our stock-taking sale.Any trial given. Eight h.p. light delivery motor. The cheap means of delivering light goods. Punning expenses under HI. per mile. Suitable lor any delivery business. Can be handled by a youth. Price Kighi-ten h.p. Dumber two-sealer, hood, shield, lamps. ,Suitablo for traveller. Price .1:151), reduced to .1:1-o. Ten li.p. Ren, two-sealer, hood, shield, strong runabout. Price .£75, reduced .Clij. Twelve-twenty h.p. Dumber, four-cylinder, cape, hood, wind-shield, five-scalor body, back portion detachable to make twoseater car. Price .1312,5. .lust unpacked, fi-12 h.p. Clement-Bayard, traveller's car. Petrol consumption 40 miles per gallon. Total running expenses for a year under ,05(1, including tyres, petrol, and depreciation. Price .£295. For further particulars, apply Adams, Ltd., Tun in Street, Christchurch. Branches: Palmoretoii North. Watmaiiui,—Adtt.