LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In consequence of Monday noxt being a holiday, tho outdoor patients department at tho general hospital will be closed. Urgent oases will bo treated at tho main hospital.

It is reported on good authority that tlio Public Sorvioe Commissioner doos not intend (o enforce univorsally tlio provision regarding retirement at tlio ago of G5 years, which is contained in tho Public Servico regulations. In silpport of this opinion definite cases aro cited. For crumple, it is stated that Although tho Under-Secretary for Crown Lands (Mr. J. Strachau) is over tho age-limit, his retirement is certainly not in immediate prospect. From such facts as aro available at the present tirno it is a reasonable iuferonco that, under tho neiv regime, attainment of the age-limit will not constitute a bar to the continued service of a highly qualified officer'or export. but that the l'otiring-ago provision is to be enforced in tho case of officers not so high in tho servico who can be moro easily replaced. Tho full policy of the Public Servico Commissioner in this connection, howevor, as ho stated sotno time ago, Trill only bo disclosed in his report to Parliament. Destination boards on tlio oity tramcars nro (as most citizens know) not so clear as they might bo. They havo often boon criticised, and a few more brickbats wero thrown ut them at last night'B meeting of the Northland Municipal Electors' Association. One member stated that very few cars which run to Northland had the fact slated on the front destination board. On some cars tho destination board showed Tinakori lioad, and on tho glass screen (whore tho motonnau stood* was tho lotter "N." Residents of Northland know what tlio "N" meant, but tliero wero many peoplo who had been misled by tlioso inexplicit signs. Ho was, howover, pleased to hear that the word "Northland" was boing placed in front of •tho Northland-bound cars. Following tho usual evening service, at SI. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, lho Terrace, to-morrow, the choir, assisted by friends, will render Stnincr's. sacred cantata, "The Daughter of Jairns. -lho soloists will bo Misd M«ry Pickerell and Messrs. Oakoy and J. Searle. _ Mr. Herbert Claughton will bo organist and director. At n special meeting of the Wellington General Labourers' Union, held lost evening, the following members were elected to tho cominttteo tor tho ensuing six months;— Messrs. G. Frasor. W. U. Southern, I!, Stmvurt, W. Ktohords, and T, J, iffilUama.

Tho report of tho special commissioner (Mr. W. S. Short), who was appointed to allocato tho cost of tho lLutt Road amongst tho various local bodies concerned, lias been sent in to tho Minister for Railways. Tho Commissioner has notified tho local bodies that tho report has beon so delivered, and that ho has allocated tho cost of the road without stating a caso for tho Supremo Court, in order to obtain tho guidance of that tribunal, as was suggested by oounsel for somo of tho parties at tho inquiry, which was held Ijeforo tho Commissioncij niado his final assessment. Tho Hon, \V. 11. Berries told a reporter who questioned him on tho subject yesterday that probably ho would not make tho terms of tho Commissioner's report public until ho had laid it on tho table of tho Houso of Representatives.

Tho caso of Williams v. tho AttorneyGeneral and others, in which tho amtrol of the Missions to Seamen building in Wellington is in dispute, was mentioned by Mr. T. Neavo in tho Supremo Court late yesterdav afternoon. Counsel stated that ono of fiio witnessos wa9 desirous of leaving for Nelson to-day, and asked if it would bo possible to have tho evidence taken this morning. His Honour tho Chief Jnstico promised to hear tho witness at 9.30 a.m. to-day provided counsel on tho other 6ido agreed.

Tho Hastings Borough Council has received ovor 80 applications in rcoponso to its advertisement for a town clerk and for an onginoer. Tho council will meet in a fow days to consider tho applications. On account of the lengthy discussion on insurance matters fit tho City Council mooting on Thursday evening, the estimates for tho year woro not reached, although the Mayor had hoped that they would bo dealt with by tho full council at that meeting. Now they aro to M considered by the Financo Committee, and will bo brought before tho council at next Thursday's meoting. Recognising that particular works specified in tho cstimates had. to ho pushed on with, to keep certain of tho staff of workmen employed tho Mayor has authorised the prosecution of certain, work notwithstanding tho holding-up of tlio 1 estimates. One of tlioso works is the wood-blocking of Lower Cuba Street from Winder's Corner to tho Town Hall.

Sinco the conference and amalgamation of tho churches of tho Wesloy Methodist persuasion, it has been decided to abandon tho missionary meetings presided over by "Sister" Annio. At tho end of this month tlio "sister"* will leave for her homo in tho south. At tho Wednesday afternoon mothers' meeting, a handsome travelling bag was presented to "Sister" Annio as a mark of tho esteem of the contributors, and on Thursday night tha Girls' Biblo Cla63 tendered her a silverbacked hand mirror.

Asked yesterday if it would not bo expedient to appoint a secretary to. act throughout the year in connection with Easter Carnivals, the Mayor (Mr. J. F. Luke) said-emphatically that it would bo necessary to appoint a secretary, wlio should bo an outsido nia'n—outsido tlio officers of the City Council. Tho employment of Mr. M'Bain entailed a certain dislocation of tho ordinary detailed work of tho council, and further, ho thought it best in tho interests of all concorncd that tho secretary should bo an outsido man. Mr. Luko also suggested that it was a mistake to have so many sub-committees, in connection with tho carnival, and instanced cases whore the work of somo sub-committee overlapped that of others. An oxamplo of tlio world-wido publicity given by kinematograph pictures (says tlio Wanganui "Chronicle ) is to hand by tlio last English mail. Two erstwhilo Wanganui residents, ono at the timo of writing in London, and tho other in Manchester, in letters to a Wanganui friend both stated that they had seen pictures of "A wood-chopping oontest at Wanganui, New Zealand." Both correspondents remarked on tho splendid picturo a wellknown Wanganui competitor made, and how pleased they were to soo a glimpso of homo "while away from homo."

Tortuous, twisty, and very long is tho oar lino which runs down from Karon past Northland to tho city.' Naturally onougli the long route, winds; aiid curves find small favour with "Northlanders." At last night's meeting of tho local Municipal Hectors' Association, - Mr. Gapes asked what nas being done towards shortening the line. The chairman (Mr. L. A. George) replied that ho understood that tho new route would bo via Hill Street, but owing to tho tightness of money the City Council wore not desirous of undertaking the exponso at present. Ho further stated that tho City Council were endeavouring to obtain an Order-in-Council to have tho whole of the council's tram service terminating in front of the ■proposed site for tho flew central railway station in Bunny Street. Tho matter of shortening tho present tram route to Earori and Northland via Hill Street would then bo considered.

At Wednesday night's annual meeting of the Wanganui School Committee's Association, a motion was under discussion setting out that more history should be taught in the schools, and the speakers oppressed many opinions as to tho ignoranco of tho children regarding historical events. The "Chroniclo' says tho discussion was at its height, when tho president broke in iritli tho query: "Can anyone, toll mo what day this is the anniversary of?" There was no answer, and dead silonco reigned for 6ome moments. Tlio president had to answer tho question himself: "To-dav is the anniversary of tlio battlo of Waterloo," ho said. Tho motion was passed without any further discussion, tho members no doubt realising, their weakness in delaying further with auch a subject.

"Tho Town, Clorls does not act for me— the wholo tinio I'm jn the chair I'll act for myself," declared tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) at yesterday afternoon's meeting of tho City 'Council. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) was seem yesterday respecting tho sharp commcint made by certain city councillors regarding tho insurance underwriters' deputation being taken in committee. Mr. Luko said that there were certain matters of a delicate dharacter mentioned that mado such proocduro unavoidable. For .very obvious reasous matters of an, intimate diameter, botli as regards tho underwriters and tho City Council, which could not very well bo talked about in publio, had to oonio up in dealing with tho whole range of our insurances, and specific instances had to be mentioned involving quotations which woro too delicato to bo discussed 111 tho, open. The idea was to get. to bed-rock by oxhaustivo inquiry, and bring down Bomer thing definite to tho council, but there was no intention to burk discussion. What they wanted to do was to get at 110 root of the matter and arrive at n B0 ™®" mont that would bo in tho best interests of tho city. In practically all tho city suburbs, steps nro being taken with a yiow to bcautiflcation. Whether anything w»b being done in Northland cropped up» at tho annual meeting of the ' cipal Electors* Association last A mombor stated , that ft. groat d "d?oi bo dono towards .improving » nd J^ h ( s «i«t tlio surroundings wid ©nfcrAiico to tlio , Gardonß.' Tho proscnt on ranco nnt the sneakor in nnna of an cntranco £> a stubla, so irntidy w its appearand. ffioiiirlit tliat the cntranoo snonld bo H 2 „n g imSg Olio. Tho association Tould idnTy with tho Townplanning Comniittoo, and lmvo tho intoreste of Northland considered. Tho matter was left in the hands. of tho Executive Committeo -of tho associahon.