LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1775, 13 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There in nothing new lo roporl concerning tlm stranded fiteamer lndrabarah. Tim weather was reported to be favonrubln for salvage operations in tho Rangitiliei Hight yesterday. * "I understand from tho chairman of tho fly-laws Committee that ho is making a vigorous inquiry into tho licensed vehicles in the city/' said Councillor Flelchor at the City Council mooting la-st night. "It has come to my knowledge Hint thero aro quito a number of plying in the city, mostly after dark, which are unliconsod. X. should lileo to ask tho chairman of tho comniittco to go into litis matter." An ordor for payment of a debt of altout JCS, for milk supplied, was asked agaimit a debtor in the Magistrate s Court yesterday morning. Debtor gave evidenco that lie was a Post Offico messenger, earning .£2 14s. a week, and had a family of night, only two of whom were helping to support themselves. Dcbtor liad no privato means, and under the circumstances th& magistral* said that he could not mako an order. The chief librarian of tho Parliamentary Library notiuos recess privilege holders that tho issuo of books has ceased, and that borrowed books must be returned by Saturday next, June 14. - In futuro (says onr Wangnnui correspondent) all teachers § entering the services of tho Wanpanui Education isoara must submit to medical tho board having dccided to effect at last night's meeting. The decision was in consequence of many teachers havinir tto obtain sick leavo within a brief period of taking up dutr. Tho expressmen are not, at'ter all. to bo removed from their stand in L Street. Thoro was a supgestion that tney should b& taken away from such closo proximity to tho new post office,, aim located near the bond store in Jervois They made vigorous protest this chaiiffo at tho last meeting of the bylaws Committee, and as a result tho committco recommended to the council that owinp to tho difficulty of finding another suitablo stand tlio expressmen bo allowetl to remain in Grey Street. Tins recommendation was adopted by tho council last night. Councillor Fuller asked at last night's meeting of Uis City Council that an amount should be put oil tho estimates for providing name-plates for tho streets. Tho Mayor considered itwas only proper that a sum should bo put on the next estimates, so that the names of tho streets could bo plainly shown for tho convenience of visitors. Tho Keserves Committee pf the City Council last night recommended to tho council that the Wellington Rugby should bo allowed the use ot Newtown I'ark, with a right to charge, for tlioir matches New Zealand v. Wellington and New South Wales v. Wellington. Discussion ensued on tho proposal, and all amendment'was put forward to extend the number of d&te3 to four. It w®3 pointed out that the park could only bo eranted for use on thirty days dilring the year, and it would be unfair to other bodies to grant more than two days to tho Rugby League ni} thero were manv applications tii consider. Councillor If'ltcnzio Said that tho Rugby League would draw a bigger crowd than any .body but the Rugby Union, who did not help tho council at all. For this reason he considered the League should receive inoro consideration. Ho asrreed with the proposal that tho matter should be referred back to tho - committoo so that dates for the games could bo fixed. Councillor Fitzgerald was in favour of more consideration being shown to tho League, but he was not in favour of granting indiscriminate dates. The matter was eventually referred back to tho committee.

The annual conference of the Hotel Employees' Federation will be held in the Trades Hall, Wellington, on Monday, June 23. Delegates will be present from Auckland, Rotorua, Gisborno, Dunedin, Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston, and Wellington.

A special meeting of the Miramar Borough Council was held yesterday to pass tho statutory resolution striking the rates for tho current year. In terns of the resolution, tho general rate is inoreased from 1 13-16 d. to 2d., and the special rato from 1 11-16 d. to 2Jd. Both rates ore assessed on tho unimproved value. A mooting of tho committee of the St. John Ambulance Society was held jesterday afternoon. It was decided to as,k the lion. E. H. Rhodes to preside at tho annual general meeting, which is to- be held on June 17. Tho Wanganui Education Board has received a letter from the Education Department stating that it is intended to amend tho Act so as to provide payment of a honorarium for ohairmen of the Education Boards. Mrs. James Hannah and Mr. J. M. Clark, encouraged by tho success which attended tho Oscar Wilde readings, recently given in tho'Conoert Chamber of the Town Hall, have decided to give tho entertainment in Auckland at an early date Arrangements' to that end are now being made. • _ The contract for the erection of a large printing factory for Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., at tho rear of the firm's retail premises on Lnmbton Quay has been let to Messrs. Campbell aiid Burke, whoso price was in the vicinity of X 9500. The building will bo a block 110 ft. by 70ft., with a flat roof. It will be erected of brick and steel, with reinforced concrete floors. The building is to be completed (in sis months' time. Another generous Rift has been made to the Wanganui public in the shape of an addition to the reserves. Thß trustees of tho Hogg estate, atAramoho, have Riven six acres, comprising somo native bush, .is a scenic and recreation reserve. Tho land will be vested in the Borough Council as trustees for tho public. Tho Commissioner of I'olico notifies in tho Gazette that u quantity of property lving unclaimed at various stations throughout the Dominion will bo sold by public auction unless claimed by June 21. The articles unclaimed include: Bicvcles, watches, jewellery, purses, articles of clothing, umbrellas, tools, etc. The tender of Messrs. Ross and Glendining, Wellington, for the (supply of night-duty coats for the police force at ,£2 12s. per coat has been accepted for a period of three years from May 27, 1913.

The salary of tho Curator of tho Zoo waa considered last night by tho City Council, when tho Kesorves Committee recommended an advance of salary fiom £3 10s. to JC3 15s. per week. Councillor Fuller moved that tho matter should bo referred back to tho committee, with a view to tho question _of increases of salaries of all corporation officers being considered on bloc by tho finance Committee, and a report being made to tho council. Tho amendment was lost, ond tho recommendation for tho increase agreed to.

Mr. .T. Cullon (Commissioner of Police) will loavo for Auckland to-day, in order to transact Departmental business in that city.

A notion in tho current "Ofiwtlo intimate* tlml the Governor hni reappointed Mr. Joseph .Dav/win » rufiinl/cr of tho Wellington l-and 1 Uinnl from Jurifi l'». Tho re-election of Mr. 11. T, ('.llioKhf ro «'< a memltcr of the Wird Is Particulars of the t#oll hms fi-Uwl/ )>!cn published.

At 5.58 p.m. yesUirrlny the f'i.t-sr firs Hrf» pade was called out lot/« dti break of firo in N't. 1'; Hjreef, (off Roxburgh Street), a tH't'smw owl* ling occupied by Mr. 0"»ri(e M, Jiiigtf™., assistant librarian, and owrc-il b? Mi'i'J Abbott, at present in Knglawl. i'he hre was caused by a child holding a candle too near a wurdrobe curtain, ihe houso and contents were badly damaged. Tho latter wore covp'red by a policy of .£IBO in the ltoyal Insurance Oflice. Tho insurance on the building was not ascertainable lost evening.

Tho City Council decided last night that tho tramway be extended along Mansfield and Boy Stress to a bolloon loop near the Zoo gates, as recommended by the Tramways Board of Management, and that steps be authorised to bo taken to obtain the necessary urder-in-council; and also that authority bo granted for ihe taking under the provisions of the Publio Works Act of the land required for the above purpose, 'i'he oificers of tho council were also authorised to take the necessary etep3 to provide for the proposed deviation of tho tramway rendered necessary in connection with the new railway station at Bunny Street.

Tho Finance Committee of the City Council last night recommended to tho council that tho offor received to coyer tho corporation insurances at a reduction of 10 per cent, on tho present premiums, in tho removal of the average clause, and other warranties now imposed, should be accepted. Tho Mayor intimated that tho underwriters in Wellington desired to bo heard, and ho moved that tho clause should be referred back to tho committee for this purpose. A deputation from the underwriters will wait upon the M tt J'° r this afternoon, and oil members of the council have been invited to attend.

Next Wednesday, July 16, will be observed as a public holiday in the Governracnt offices throughout the Dominion for the celobration of Arbor Pay. In order that the movement xnay. bo mad© as suecessful as possible, it is stated m the Gazette, tli© Government hopes that tho Mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of locol bodies will place the matter prominently before tho people of the Dominion, and do all they can to encourage tho planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public and private, with trees suited to tho locality. A lengthy list of notices,of motion was down on tho order paper of tho City Council Inst night, but 11 o'clook arrived before these could bo considered, and tlioy were put off for consideration at a special meeting to be held on Thursday next.It is notified in tho current "Gazette" that the registration of the Wellington Shipwrights' Society Industrial Union of Workmen is cancelled.