LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Everything is in readiness for the third attempt to float the Indrabarah off the Kangitikci beach: Tho last ailchor ivas connected up on Friday. Nothing can Ix 3 done till to-morrow—tho day on which tha tides begin to make -until high spring a few days later. It is proposed to heave on tho lines on each succeeding high tide from to-morrow onward. Mr. W. Earnsha.vr's advancement to the Legislative Council brings to mind an incident in his carter that, so far as we know (says the Duncdiu "Star"), lias not till now got into print. At Naumann's liall, in South Dunedin, he was speaking as a candidate. Ho waa obviously nervons. The two reporters working: immediately beneath him saw him sway about on the ledge of the platform, alia feared that lie might pitch headlong upon thenr. Mr. Warren, then a strong Labour man, began to heckle olid interrupt, and Mr. Enrnshaw grew more unsteady. Swldenly he. stopped, in a faint, and had to be helped to tho side room. Tho reporters rushed to his aid. One took a wass of water, and when partially revived ho said, "It's no use—l'D givo it up." "Don t you/' said tho scribcs, "Go back and lash out and give your answers." "So I will," replied tho candidate. He returned .to tho platform a now man, lashed out at his questioners, and finished up determinedly. That was the beginning of Mr. Earnshaw's political life. "Johnnie" Summers, the English boxer, caino in for mention in the Wellington Polico Court on Saturday. A man who was being charged with haying used certain language stated that whilo ho was in a hotel on Friday niglit a stranger entered and informed him that he was a brother of the noted Summers. Tho parrator doubted the stranger, and, also, refused him a loan of a shilling. Narrator's friend did likewise, and received a little muscular persuasion from tho alleged Summers. Bad language, arrests, convictions, and fines was the order of subsequent events. The subject, of tenders for automatio telephones 'was before Cabinet on Saturday, and tho Postmaster-General subsequently informed a reporter that ho would probably make nn announcement on the subject within a few days. A sling of railway iron caused eonie damago to tho decking of tho Queen's Wharf on Saturday. It appears that the sling was being landed from tho Now Zealand Shipping Company's Remuopa, when tho iron slipped out of tho chains and crashed through tho planking into tho harbour. The general result was a large, gaping hole in the wharf. Tho Anglican Synod of the Diocese of Wellington meets hero this week. On Wednesday evening a meeting will ho held in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street, in conucction with the social and reformative . agcncies connected with the Anglican Church in tho diocese. His Excellency tho Governor is to preside at tho meeting, The Wellington Shipwrights' Society, which has been in existence for many years, is about to disband. The society is to bo formally disbanded at a social to bo held at Godber's Rooms, Cuba Street, oh Saturday evening next. The bad condition of tho main arterial roads in Auckland is engaging the attention of somo of tho local bodies there. Schemes of improvement to the Great South Road, in the way of widening it and taking out some of tho bends, havebeen decided upon by tho Otahuhu Borough Council and tho One Treo Hill Road Board for the portion of this road running through the two districts. Other local bodies, says the "Herald,' have apparently not yet made a movement m this direction. Tho Unity Congress meeting in the Opera liouso Inst evening was remarkable for ths (low of rough-and-ready pleasantries to which it gave Tise. At ono staco Mr. ITCnrthy, a Dunedin delegate, denied that tho Fsderntiou of Labour had jwnllowsd th» United Labour party. What th« federation iwalloviod, lie dsaliiriid, wm th( collstitut?on of ths Unit»d Labour party. Later 011 Mr. Sample, tho fodftrution organiser, who is tall «nd rather slim, r«iE-jd a laugh by telling th« members of tho attdienw that they could all coo that h« had not »wallow«d anything. Numsroui itorisi w«re told during tho «v»ning, and Mr. R«h, of I'aildine, turned the fact to account when ho paid s "A« it few ptories have been told, I may tell this one, bscausn it happens to be a true ono." Tho implication thus cast upon the vcraci(y of his associates provoked hearty laughter. The competitive designs for the proposed Training College and Normal School will he on exhibition at the Wellington Education Board's offices betweeu 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to-day.

A result of tho recent disastrous floods at Gore, says a southern contemporary, has been that tho Houso of Keprctentutives has been petitioned by Ihrco tobacconists of that town—Messrs. C. Straus, A. G. Heywood, and G. Khuvc— to grant a relunu of the duty paid on tobacco destroyed to tho total amount ol' ,£lls ss. Gd. During the last century and a quarter, it wag stated by Air, \V. It. l'\ Alexander at the Brotherhood meeting in tho New Theatre yesterday, well on towards 200 questions'arising between nations had been submitted to arbitration, and in not a single instance had coniplianco with the award of tho arbitrators been refused. Between thirty and forty barmen employed in Wellington hotels met in tho Trades Hall yesterday to consider tiio altiludo of tho secretary of their union (Mr. E. J. Carey) in relerenco to tho bare majority voto ut licensing polls. Mr. Carey was present by invitation of tho conveners of the meeting, and was asked to state his personal opinion on tho subject of the bare majority. Ho replied that, as a Labour man, lie supported majority rulo on all questions submitted to the people. It was a question of supporting majority or mfliority rule, and upon such a question lliflio could be no two opinions. The meeting for an hour, in Mr. Corey's absence, discussed hi# reply, and, it is understood, decidcd to protest against his attitude, and to arrange that he should be opposed when next standing for ro-cleclion as secretory. Tho power houso in connection with tho Lalm Coleridge electrical supply, which is being - erected about half a nulo on tho western side of tho Addington Railway Station, is stated by an exchange to bo making good' progress towards completion. Tho power will bo generated at tho lake, and will bo distributed from lite Addington power houso by means of undergrown conduits. _ Tho building is being constructed of reinforced concrete. It is expected that tho building will be completed in about three months. The training of teachers under the new schemo of physical education in Stale schools will begin, so far as the Auckland district is concerned, at Hamilton on June 7. Subsequently groups of teachers will assemble for training at Auckland, Whangarei, and Thames. In all, somo CIO teachers ar© to bo trained in tho Auckland district during tho ensuing two months. Groups of schools will bo closod successively for a fortnight, in order to liberate the teachers for a training course of that duration. At Thursday's meeting of tho Auckland City Council, tho City Schools Committee wrote asking if tho council could recommend that fire alarms should bo placed at the corners of certain streets. 'Had ail alarm been at tho corncr of theso streets (Beresford and Howe Streets, and Wellington and Howe Streets)," the letter stated, "very little damage would have been done to Beresford Street School. As it was, a boy had to bo sent to warn tho firo brigade, and valuable time was thus lost." Tho fire at the school will 1)0 tho subject of a coronial inquiry by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., on Thursday. An effective precaution is employed by the Customs officials in Auckland to guard against such an unpleasant discovery as was mado on Monday during the hearing of charges against a clerk of embezzling over £600 belonging to his employers. Tho account-tint iu tho .Auckland oflico inform" od a "Herald" representative that unless the olerk making a payment has an order in writing from his employer to receive the excess above the amount actually payable, tho change is withhold, and on tho next payment a cheque correspondingly reduced is accepted. Kahupukoro, tho well-known Taratiuki chief, at a meeting hold at Te Aioha pa, near Hawera, moved that tho Taranaki Natives should also havo a member or members among tho 48 Maori members (representing both islands), of whom it is intended to form a ill/tori Committee, and whoso duty it will be to discuss different matters before placing them bofore Parliament; but.tho subjoct irad to be dropped, tho Taranaki Natives strongly objecting for several reasons. Puhoi, one of the most interesting settlements in, the Auckland province, is celebrating the jubilee of its establishment fo-<lay. A grand banquot is to be held. Commencing at noon, and the gathering will afterwards assemble in tho Public Hall, where tho story of the mI ception and subsequent history of .the settlement will bo told by various pionoeTS. A ball will be held m the ovenlug. Puhoi is practically a. German settlement, and a feature, of the evening will be tho revival of some of tho oldfashioned German dances, the music for which has been in active rehearsal for somo time, r , Mr. W. H. D. 8011, member for Wellington Suburbs, will; meet hia constituents at the Town Hall, Khanda lah, at 8 o'clock to-morrow evening. ' Railway and other matters will be discussed. AVith tho intention of taking time by tho forelock, the Wellington Orphans Club will hold a meeting at the Grand Hotel this evening to discuss what measures shall bo taken tio raiso the £400 necessary for the ereotion of a silent electric clock in tho tower of the I own Hall. The club does not intend to ask for any assistance from tho Government or City Council, bciug confident that it can do tho job" unassisted, and do it within eight weeks of the commencement of the campaign. To celobrato the event, it is proposed to hold a public entertainment in the Town Hall. Representatives of transport workers, embracing tramway men, railway servants, carters, storemen, and wharf labourers met at the Trades Hall on Saturday morning, and conferred in private for over Hyo hours, llic object of the conference, as stated by - tho convenor, Mr. George Davis, secretary of tho Drivers' Federation, was to decide on somo common understanding to watch tho men's interests at tho Unity Confrrcßs» SeoTi at tho conclusion of tho conference, Mr. Davis said it had been decided to make no communication to the press relative to decisions arrived at during the morning. Delegates for the "Unity Congress have nearly all arrived in Wellington by now, and sovcral meetings take place to-day, prior to the opening of the oongrcss to-morrow,