LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

llip postal authorities advise that the s.s. Malieno, which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on August G, lias on ooard an Australian mail, also an English mail via Suez. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express on Monday. One of tho New Plymouth public vaccinators received the following.note from a Maori resident of Waitarn, who was recently vaccinaVtl by him"Auc. 1, 1913 pleas Dre' You son my tivesget"— tfhicli being interpreted means:. "Please Dr. — will you send my certificate?"

A return, presented to Parliament yesterday shows that G8 members of the Royal New' Zealand Artillery left tliat force in. the period from July 1, 1911, to July 15, 1913. From tho return it appears that two of the artillerymen died, one deserted, and nino wieiro superannuated. The service of others was .terminated, voluntarily or otherwise, as follows:—Own requmt, 18; by purchaso, 12; appointed to permanent fctalf, 10; appointed to Civil bervice, 5; unlikely to become efficient soldiers, 3; medically unfit, 2; servioes no longer required, 2; rejected in, final medical examination, lj on conviction by civil power, false answer to attestation, 1; misconduct. 1. Tho retiring artillerymen ranged in rank from gunner to quarter-mastar-s:Tgeant. T'lie • longest service Tecordcd in the. rpturn is that of Gunner T. W. Bonner, who terminated a.SErviceof 31 years and 203 days on March 13, 1913. At the other extreme the connection with the force of a candidate who was rejected in tho final medical examination lasted for only three days. The return was obtained by Mr. A. 13. Glover.

Dr. A. K. Noiyman, M.P., has given notice to ask tlio Postmaster-General in tho House of Representatives whether, now tliat a cable has been put underground to tho Oriental Bay tram terminus, ho will order that 2d.-in-the-slot telephones be erected at Courtenay Place, Oriental Bay, and Roseueath,. Speaking yesterday on the subject of hoardings, the Mayor (Mr. J, P. Luke) said that while the City Council had no drastic powers for dealing with the placards, it had certain powors of regulation, ■and these it exercised. Only a few days ago a placard which was considered objectionable wag ordered down, In view of the prospects of an early spring, judged on the forward state of tho season, the Wellington Master Butchers' Association has clodded not to increase tho retail price of meat, though tho wholesale price lias been increased. It is anticipated that the drop in the wholesale price which usually comes with the spring will be early this year. Regarding Mr. Sladden's statement that Mr. A. Cheeseman (scoreta.ry of tho Master Butchers' Association) had quoted prices in excess of what were being asked, tho latter states that tho trouble was that the butchers of Wellington were being charged first qual--1 ity prices for second quality meat. Mr. Harold Beauchamp was asked yesterday if anything definite had been done yet respecting tho establishment of a second patent slip. lie replied that the company had recoiyed a letter frqm the Wellington Harbour Board calling upon tlieiui to orect a second slip with tho least possible delay, but that'notking definite had been dono by tho board so far. "In tho meantime," he added, "the Slip Company are making tho fullest inquiries as to tho cost of a slii> it will lie necessary to erect to comply with the Act." In a question addressed to the Minister for Railways, Mr. Q. Hunter, M.P., suggests that, as up to tho present time all efforts to indiuco the Railway Department to provide an improved time-tablo for tho Wellington-Napier express train have proved futile, the Minister should instruct, Mr. Hiley, the new General Manager, to doal with tho question wlien lie takes over the' management of tho railways. A speci.il meeting of tho City Counoil will be held on Wednesday evening next to consider the question of increases in Hilary, and transact any general business whieii needs attention.

Some inquiries have been mado at this offico as to when the tenders for tho City Corporation insurances will bo dealt with by the City Council. 'Tho Mayor said yesterday that the tenders were dealt with an Thursday night in oommiltee, but that no decision had been arrived at. Tho tenders required analysing, ami would bo brought up again at the council's meeting on August 21. In tho moantimu tlio existing cover has some weeks to ran.

Tho Mayor was asked yesterday when tho work of improving (lie Nairn Street grounds would bo commenced. He replied that operations would begin as early as it was possible to got them under way, but lie declined to express' an opinion as to tlio approximate date. However, it I is generally considered that a, beginning [ will have been, made before the advent of summer. Mr. C. J. Parr, Mayor of Auckland, called on Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, at tho Town Hall yesterday, and discussed municipal matters. Tho directors of tho. Wellington Mariners' Meat Company ato (says our Masterton correspondent) obtaining information concerning the manufacture of margarine, with a view to ascertaining whether it would pay to put in a plant at the Waipawa works.' The Perpetual Trustees Estate and Agency Company Act Amendment Bill, which was read a first time in tho House of Representatives yesterday, on tho motion of the Hon. J. A. Millar, provides that at least two-thirds of'tho whole number of shareholders of the company, holding between them more than half of the whole number of shares in tho company, shall always be poisons domiciled in the Dominion of New Zealand. Under the auspices of tho New Zealaud National Schools' Defence League, a deputation of educationists and others opposed to a referendum on tho question of Bible-in-sohools, will wait on tho Prime Minister and .Minister for Education at 10.30 this morning. The 1 Minister for Mines (the Hon. W. ii'mser), in response to representations by Mr. H. J. H; Okey, M.P., has consented to afford facilities lor tlio display of specimens of crude and refined Taranaki oil in the Mines Department's court at the Auckland Exhibition. At tho annual meeting of the Wellington City and Suburbs No-License League, at which Mr. 11. G. Denton presided, the following officers were elected:—President, Mr. E. G. Denton; vice-presidents, Hcvs. G. I£. Smith, W. S. Potter, E. H. D. l'eryman, Wm. Miller, Drs. Whyto and Hughes, Messrs. W. H. Helyer,' Pearson, R. Kennedy, A. J. Bennett, R.' A. Wright, and A. R. Atkinson; committee, Messrs. H. Nirnmo, Cheeseman, Trcgar.tha, Hoare, Lang, Cox, and Fear; treasurer, Ifr. Harold Miller; secretary, Mr. Geo. Potherick; assistant-secretary, Mr. 1\ M'Goldrick. A resolution wws carried expressing disappointment that tho Premier did not definitely promise legislation to tho Temperance deputation that waited upon him last month.

For years past tho children oi the I'ahiatua Stato School (which includes the District High Sohool) havo been in tho habit of arranging visits of the children to Napier, and now the Napier Thirty Thousand Club is proposing to systematise the visits in connection with a proposed "children's week." Last evening a ; lotter was read before tho City Council, addressed to Councillor l'lotclier by Mr. J. Thomas, master of the I'ahiatua District High School, and enclosing tho circular of the Thirty Thousand Club, Napier. Tho tetter stated that after considering the circular bol'oro the School Committee tho writer had been authorised to' communicate with representative men with a now to ascertaining whether a visit from children from the Forty Mile Bush to Wolliugtoil could ba Arranged. "As you know,' stated the lotter, "we consi'der ourselves as belonging to Wellington, and not to Napier.' Our schools are .in tho Wellington education district,, and we naturally look. to Wellington as headquarters. I think that a 2 days' visit to Wellington would bp a spJ'c-ndid thing for ouir scholars, for tliero aro so many tilings to ;seo there that aTe not-to be found at Napier. I think that all the schools in our district would be gla<!,to .join.in such a visit. There ar? difficulties in the way, but I think that they'could be romovod, provided that tho people of Wellington are willing to exort themselves. Such a visit following on the agitation that has recently' occurred in eonncction with tho, proposed railway connootion between tho Wairarapa and Wellington would help to cement tlio bond of unity. I understand that the carnival held at Easter is to bo an aanual affair. No doubt the committee who undertook, tho duty ot catering for tha school-children at the time would .bo available, and perhans vrillj ing, to undertako such a proposition. It was resolved that the letter be received, and that it bo taken into consideration at a later date. ■

Tho following report by the Legislation Committee of the City Council was adopted at Thursday night's meeting:—"Tho committee have to report that they have considered tho Now Zealand Inst'tuto of Architects Bill now before the House of Representatives, and are of opinion that tho Bill in its prosent form will seriously affect local bodies in carrying out their work. They accordingly instructed the city solicitor to present to tho House of Representatives a petition praying for complete exemption for local bodies from tho provisions of the Bill; also, that provision should be made in the' Bill to tho effect that satisfactory servico under a local body ehall bo equivalent to practising privately observing apprenticeship as tho case may lie, and also prayinp that 'architects may bo defined, and a lino or demarcation drawn between architects and engineers. The petition, has been presented without the authority of tho council, owing to tho .urgency of tho matter, aiul the committee ask that tho council ratify their action." Mr. Harold L. Bevan, an English scenic artist, is at present engaged at tho paintframe of tho Opera House, oainting tho act drop, and soreral sots of scenery for the new Grand Opera House. • The subject selected for the act drop is a scene on tho Wanganiii River, a picturesque bit showing thei bush-clad hills, 'and their replica shadowed in opalescent tints in the' placid wtters of the river. In the foreground is a low shelf of rook,' to _ which is moored i. Native canoo, containing a Maori girL . Tho painted framework of tho picture (which measures 16ft. x 14ft.)' is 'ft faithful imitation of oarved Maori woodwork, broken in tho centre by a hideous likeness of somo forgotten god. Thq side-columns aro also elaborated with replicas of the old stumpfigured three-fingered gods. Across tho top and draped down either 6ide will bo painted voluminous blue curtains, looped back as though to show the picturo. This picture, which is .at present only to bo seen in miniature, 'will bo painted oil tho asbestos act drop, j A Parliamentary inquiry into tho recent railway collision at New Lynn is asked for in a petition which was presented to tho Iloueo of Representatives yesterday by Mr J. Bollard, member for Eden. Tho petition is signed by Archibald Grandison and 23 others (residents ■of Aow Lynn, Henderson, Avondal!, and Auckland), who stato that they aro hot satisfied with tho train aramgeroents at Now Lynn Station as regards the safety of the travelling public arid therefore desiro that an inquiry should bo hold. Some time ago tli'o 'Hon. W. H. Berries (Minister for Railways) stated, in lesponso to a request for a public inquiry into tho New Lynn collision, that ho had no power to grant Kuoh an inquiry in th* ordinary; way, but that if Parliament were petitioned to institute a committee inquiry he would do what lie could to facilitate the request. Tho Vonorablo Airchfieacon of Taranaki, R,ev, F. G. Evans, will, prcaoli at St. Thomas's Church, Neivtown, to-morrow evening, at 7 o'clock.