LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1813, 28 July 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities adviso that tlio s.s. Maheno, -which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on July 23, lias on board an Australian mail, and also an English mail, via Suez. Tho Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk oxpress to-day. A deputation, representative of tho whole of tho local bodies in the Wairarapa, will wait upon tho Minister for 1 üblio Works on Wednesday to urge tho deviation of the Rimutaka railway route and tho prosecution of an East Coast railway. Mr. D. H. Guthrie, M.P. for Oroiia, has been informed that tho Prime Minister has given instructions to his Department to proceed with tho purchase of Riddiford's Budi as a scenic reserve for FoildlnlJ if it can be procured at a reasonable price. Five prisoners will come up for sentence before Mr. Justice Chapman in tlio SuSremo Court this morning. They aro fairy Urbin Coles, incest, at Hawera: Joe Baurri, horso stealing, breaking and entering, and theft, at Raetihi; John Graham Oxley, alias Williams, breaking and entering and theft, at Feilding; Peter John Anslow, two charges of theft from a at Wellington; and Robert llenry bcott, theft from a dwelling, at Wellington.

Hawera is now considering the advisability of submitting to tho ratepayers a proposal for raising a loan (in conjunction with the .£30,000 loan) for building a municipal opera houso. Tho matter is to be determined during the coming week. The building trade in Napier has been slack for some timo past, but there aro signs of renewed activity. Plans for new buildings and alterations to existing buildings aro now being prepared, the ooiir templated expenditure running between .£15,000 and Tho annual smoko concert of To Ruru Social Cruising Club was lie'ld on Friday night, and prizes were distributed. Mr. F. luernan presided. As to the prizes, the Taipari carried off the challenge cup and also tho championship. The Rawen® was tlio only other yacnt to secure a double, having won Mr. Pratt's trophy and tho ladies race. The other winners were:—'Tho Amai (Mr. Clark's trophy), IVixio (Mr. Kiernan's trophy), Isca. (Sir. Bothamley's trophy), Wairere No. 1 (the novel race trophy), Essex (the consolation race trophy). Tho two launch events wore won by tho Phyllis, which secures Mr. Byrnes's trophy. Tho Wellington City Council will meet specially on Wednesday afternoon to consider the question of tho Technical School site. Respecting the historical pageant which is to be held in Newtown Park on October 25 and 27, tho following historical groups, in addition to those previously notified, havet been partly or wholly arranged for: -The Early Settlement of Port Nicholson, by the Early Settlors' Association; Florence Nightingale at tho Crimean War; tho Landing of St. Augustine: His Interview with King Ethelbert and Queen Bertha; King Robert tho Bruce and his Followers at liannockburn; Edward IV Visiting Caxton's Printing Press at Westminster; Translators Presenting the English Bible to Jamea I.

, A case of hereditary lunacy is reported by the Kawakawa correspondent of the Auckland "Star":—A. middle-aged Native named Heta It aw a caused a groat deal of exoitemont at Akorama 011 Sunday by suddenly developing acute mania. His fellow-villagers became alarmed, and Constable Douglas, of Kawakawa, was sont, for, and arrested the man, who was afterwards taken to Whangaroi, and committed to tlio Mental Hospital. Wiiilo effecting the arrest the constable had 6omo trouble with Kawa's son, who wanted to prevent his father from being taken away. News subsequently arrived that the son had also ■ become Insane, was terrorising everyone in the Towal Hotel, and Constable Douglas has gono out to arrest him. It appears that insanity is hereditary in the family, as Kawa's father died in tli© Mental Hospital and his grandfather had to be confined in a whare for a year before his death on account of violent insanity, this being tho only measure his tribe could take. A slight accident occurred in the engineroom of tho Union Company's 6teamer Tarawera on the vessel's arrival at Auckland from southern ports on Thursday morning. Tho Tarawera was manoeuvring to her allotted berth at tho Hobson Street Wharf, when a portion of tho reversing gear of the main engines carried away. Tho steamer was going nstep at the time, and before she could be brought to a stop her stern struck the ond of tho inner western tee, which is being demolished. Tho force of the impaot smashed several of tho comer piles, but beyond the scratching of somo of HlO paint work the steamer suffered no damage. The vessel's engines being disabled, she was subsequently taken to her berth by the aid of her linos and winches. Regimental cooks are tho subject of a notice in this week's battalion orders. The notioo sa.vaTo eneuro that an adequate number of trained regimental cooks will bo available foj tho next annual training camps, it is proposed to hold a similar courso of Instruction in field 000kery to that held last year. Tlio oourso will be held probably in October next, and full particulars will bo published later. Officers commanding: companies will furnish to tho orderly room, not Liter than August 8 next, tho names of intending candidates. The concessions previously authorised in Tegard to parades, etc., of regimental cookis, will be continued, and in addition extra duty pay at the rate of 2s. Gd. per day, in addition to pay of rant, while in camp, is also approved.