LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities adviso that the Mararaa, which 6ailed from Sydney for Auckland on June 2, has on, iward an Australian mail, also an English mail, via Suez. Tho Wellington portion is duo hero per Main Trunk express to-day. Tho public welcome to the Hon. James Allen, Minister for Finance and Defence, which is being arranged by tho local branch of tho Reform League, will take jriaco on Friday evening nest in the Town

To work steamers in port at Timaru yesterday, says a Press Association telegram, tlie Union Steain Ship Company employed only members of the new Waterside Workers' Union (lately free labour) which is now registered under tho Act. It is stated, the telegram adds, that tho Fcderationists are receiving strike pay from the Federation, and also that several of them will join the new union whatever tho majority may say. Information received in Wellington yesterday from very good authority states that the Union Steam Ship Company have decided that employment will bo given on their vessels ut Timaru to members of the new union. The civil sitting of tho Supremo Court stands adjourned till 10.30 a.m. on Monday. The number of men out of work who call on tho Mayor of Wellington from day to day in search of employment snows no signs of diminishing. "I regret exwcdingly,' Mr; Luke said yesterday to a Dominion reporter, "that tho council is not in a position to do something towards assisting some of tho very needy cases, but _ the money available for expenditure is limited to tho incomo from rents and rates, and tho number of men we can employ is therefore limited. I sincerely hope tho Government may do something to meet, tho present distress. There are works up country. I believe, at which some of the able-bodied men could be employed with good results, but there are a number <Sf men out of employment who aro not phvsdcally fit to tako bushfelling or even heavy road work." Yesterday afternoon Detective-Sergeant Rawlo, and Detectives Camoron and Dcmpsey arrested three men on a chargo of stealing from tho s.s. Paparoa, at Wellington, four scarfs, on® pair of gloves, and five pairs of stockings, valued in all at 335. 6d., the property of tho Now Zealand Shipping Company. Tho accused persons appear at tho Magistrate's Court this morning. A general conference of tho beekeepers of New Zealand is to bo held in Wel-

lington oil Juno 18, 19,_aaid 20, under tho auspices of the National Federated Beekeepers' Association, which at present has its headquarters in Dunedin. At tho conference papers will be road on "The Ripening and Marketing of Honey/' "Tho Development of the Home Market," "Foul Brood," "Tho Control of Out Aviaries," "Tho Apiaries Act and its Proposed Amendments," "Freight Rates and Breakage Claims," "Consideration of Propo.scd Regulations Controlling Hie Export of Honey," and "Queen Rearing." Spring flowers are beginning to mako their appearance on the looal market, and are realising high prices. At yesterday's sale, hold by Messrs. George Thomas and Co., Is. 6d. per dozen blooms was realised for jonquils, which is believed to bo a record prico for Wellington. Some 50 dozen were sold 1 altogether. These are mostly the product of forcing beds. From this out the numbers aro expected to continue to increase, until some 7000 qr 8000 dozen stalks per day will bo offered.

Tho following letter, which is self-ex-planatory, has been forwarded to tho Minister for Railways by tho secretory of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerco:—"At tho quarterly general meeting of the Chamber of Commerco, complimentary references were made to tho manner in which tho railway traffic has been managed during tho visit of tho battleship Now Zealand, and I am directed to convey the appreciation of tho Chamber of tho admirable manner in which tho immense amount of traffic was dealt with without ono single accident occurring. Tho Chamber feels that every man in tho service entered heartily into the immense amount of work involved." Mr. A. T. Bato, ono of the owners of tho now theatre which is being erected next to tho Dtiko of Edinburgh Hotel in Manners Street, states that tho theatre has not yet been named. The Municipal Association Conference does not meet this year, and in order that any matters requiring attention 6hall not bo held over until the conference meets nest winter, tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) lias convened a meeting of the executive for .June 24. Acclimatisation topics were touched upon by tho Hon. H. D. Bell during a conversation with a Christchurch reporter. Mr. Bell said that tho present High Commissioner himself resolved, when Prime Minister, that Paradise ducks should be protected, and Mr. Mackenzie had asked him to see, unless ho thought the decision was wrong, that tho protection should bo continued. Mr. Mackenzie had written to him since on the subject, and ho (Mr. Bell) had refused to allow tho paradise ducks and native pigeons to be shot. And, he added, as long as he was Minister, ho would adhere to that decision. "It lias been represented to me," added tho Minister, with a smile, "that the paradise ducks were attacking turnip crops, and should, on that account, be shot as pests, not as game." What charges of destruction would bo laid against nativo pigeons ho did not know yet, but ho was waiting with some curiosity to see what these birds havo been doing.

Tho annual meeting of the Presbyterian Association was field in Kent Terrace Schoolroom yesterday. There was a fairly large attendance, over which tho Itov. A. C. W. Standage, M.A., presided. Tho report and the bal-ance-sheet wero adopted as presented. An interesting address was delivered by Dr. John Kirk, of Canton. In describing tho missionary operations in Canton, Dr. Kirk said that while there was only olio Presbyterian missionary there eleven years ago, there wero now seventeen. He said that New Zealand, was specially interested in this particular field of missionary work because many of tho Chinese in New Zealand were from Canton. Christianity was spreading in China: the loader of the Republic was a Christian, <uid many of tho public men, too, wore Christians. The fortnightly meeting of the Miramar Borough Council was held on Thursday, the Mayor, Mr. F. Townsend, presiding. Tho following wero present: Councillors Smith, Underwood, Bell, Telford, Tracey, and Stone. A letter was received from tho Worser Bay. School Committee stating that it was imperative to liavo a proper water supply, and also inquiring if it was tho intention of tho council to proceed with tho high-level water scheme. The report of tbo engineer (Mr. Mestayer) on tho scheme in question was read to tho meeting. Tho engineer submitted two statements showing tho estimate cost if "A" with tho reservoir on a site adjacent to the signal station reservoir, and, "B " with the reservoir oil Section 70, Scatonn Heights Road, or high ground above tho present reservoir. The difference in cost between tho two schemes after deducting tho cost for materials m hand amounted to about .£027. in favour of the Seatoun heights site. The amount required for "A" scheme was given at .£lBOl, and that for "B" scheme *£1234. Alter n short discussion, 'tlio council decided not to proceed with the schemo for tho time being.

A meeting of tho executive committeo of the \\ elhngton South Progressive Society was trchl at Mr. Wylie's (rooms, R-id-diford Street, last evening, when Mr. Castle presided- over a' good attendance, A deputation of members of the society was appointed to wait on tho City Council and plead for certain improvements noeded ; in tho district. Another deputation was appointed, which Mr. Hindmarsh, M.P., is to bo asked to introduce, to submit certain matters to tho Government with regard to telephonic communication and postal arrangements. It was resolved to call a general meeting of the society at the earliest possiblo date.

Another opinion to the several recently uttered re exchanges of land was added by Judge Chapman yesterday (says our Wanganui correspondent), during a case which has occupied the Supreme Court for two days. Ho said: "As I Lave remarked from this bench- over and over again, and as other judges have pointed out, there is always utter confusion arising out of land exchanges. It is a bastard form of land agreement, and no end of mischief arises from it, and more mischief will ariso before wo are very much older." From the point of view of obtaining exhibits the executivo committee of the Auckland Exhibition, which is to open on December 1 next, appears to have no reason to complain. Somo weeks ago, all the spaco for tho buildings as originnlly planned was absorbed, and an additional structure had to be provided to accommodate the applications in hand. All this space has now been let, and Mr. IT. P. Allen, tho Wellington representative for the Exhibition, has been notified that he is not to boolc any further space. Some trouble with the firemen and crew of the Union Company's Pateena occurred at Wellington yesterday afternoon 011 account of which tho vessel was detained flt Wellington for an hour and a half. It appears that tho m*n alleged certain grievances in connection with the cuisine. A new cook was procured, and tho vessel left port for Picton and Nelson at 3.15 p.m. Tho second of the two twopence-in-tho-slot telephones at the main entrance to tho General Post Offioo was completed yesterday, and was opened to tho public. I'.' A man ' was 1 arrested' yesterday by De-tective-Sergeant Cassells > and Detective Mason on a charge of stealing a whip, valued at 155., the. property of somo person unknown. By special request, Mr. Joseph M'Cabo has consented to deliver one Sunday evening lecture upon a subject other than scientific. Ho has chosen for his theme, "Prophets of Modern Europe: A Study of the Advanced Movement of To-day. ! ' Tho "Prophets" at© men ljko Shaw, Aiiatolo France, Wells, Maeterlinck, and others, who aro moulding tiio thought of their generation. Mr. M'Cabe's locture is expected to be doubly instructive, for in addition to a complete understanding of tho trend of modern thought, he num-, bors among liis close personal friends the modern "Prophets." Church services for to-murrow aro advertised on Page 2 of this issue.