LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Victoria arrived at Auckland yesterd'ay_ afternoon in good time to conjicct with south-bound express'. An Australian mail came by tho steamer, and the southern section of it will reach 'Wellington this afternoon.

Tho Minister for Railways (the Hon. W. H. Hcrries) informed a reporter yesterday that the running of tho wcond express to Auckland would probably bo resumed on tho Monday immediately preceding or following Octohor 1.

"Drink dono it," observed a convicted thief ill the Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning, by wliicli ho meant that lio ascribed his lapse into tho path of dishonesty to his abuse of tho cup that cheers. "You appear to bo going on tho rocky road," retorted Dr. M'Arthur, S.M. "I am not," his Worship added, "one of those who bcliovo that drink is responsible for overything. There must be something else wrong, too. It does not follow that becauso a man lias too much liquor lie will steal." The prisoner: "Give me a chance!" Dr. M'Arthur: "A chancel You'vo had it, and thrown it away. A chance —to do tho same again! One month's imprisonment!"

Questioned by a press representative regarding .his standing as a candidato for tho Otaki constituency at tho next election, Mr. Pirani stated that ho was giving the matter favourable consideration.—Press Association.

During salvage operations on the Devon on Saturday a kinematograpll operator was on board taking moving pictures of all that was happening. One particularly interesting photograph was that ot a four-toil cass being transferred from tho hold of the Devon to tho dock of the Awaroa.

The Public Trust O/fico Debating Society hold its third debato 011 Friday. Mr. \v. A. Fordham presided over a large attendance. The subject concerned tho repeal of laws restricting Asiatic immigration, the affirmative being led by Messrs. King and Makehum, while Messrs. Cunningham and Alien opposed. Tho motion for repeal was lost on the voices. Mr. A. C. Uretborton acted as judge, and placed the first five speakers in tho following order i—Mcnors, Mnkohtim, Baird, King, Cucjuii!£iia!£j and AUeiii

"Wo secondary school teachers (declares tho Executive Committee of the Secondary School Assistants' Association in its annual report) have in every way as good a claim for consideration as 'our yoke-fellows in affliction'—tho primary school teachers. We spend three or four years in earning a University degree, and aro appointed (some of us) to positions the salaries for which, in some cases, do not afTord a living wage even for a master carpenter or a tram conductor. From statistics gathered less than two years ago, only seven secondary school teachers out of 120 obtained a salary of over £300 per annum —twelve received £300 per annum, thirteen received salaries ranging from £250 to below £.300 per annum, thirty-one received between £200 and below £250, and fiftyseven received below £200 per annum." At a meeting of the bishops of the province, hold in Wellington on August 20 (says tho "Church Chronicle"), tho following resolution was passed: —"That in view of the divergence between tho marriage law of tilio State and that of tho Church, tho bishops horoby declaro that tho law of tho Church remains unaltered, and desire to impress upon tho clergy that they aro not at liberty to solemnise marriages within tho prohibited degrees." Mr. It. C. Hamorton, a well-known citizen had a heart- seizure and collapsed •on Saturday morning. Ho was taken into tho ofiieo of Mr. J. T. Horn, where he received attention from Dr. Ewart, fortunately with the result that he pulled round.. Tho annual meeting of the Secondary Schools Assistants' Association will bo held on Thursday at Wellington _ College. Amongst papers to be read is ono by Mr. F. Martyn Renner on "Tho Speech of School Children." Now Zealand's wireless system, which is a very perfect one, is now practically complete. I'lio now 30 kilowatt station at tho Bluff lias been undergoing tests for some weeks now, and so far these havo proved satisfactory. These tests, how-: evor, will bo continued over tho next three months, time being an important factor in arriving at a correct estimate of the working efficiency of a sot under all manner of conditions. If those' testa prove to be satisfactory, tho new station will be formally taken over from tho Australian Wireless Company in November. Now Zealand will then havo a station capable of sending messages for a distance of 1200 miles in tho daytime, which should mean, under favourable conditions, a night radius of at least double that distance. Mr. A. Sawyer, the'ivircloss expert, who has been down ,at tho Macquaries for the past , twenty months, was able to talk to Port Moresby (in Papua), a distance of 2800 miles, with a' Ikilowatt set, under good conditions. What distance then will a 30 kilowatt set bo able to speak under similar conditions? Tho quarterly meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committeo will be held on Monday. Tho quartorly meeting of tho, Ilutt Licensing Committee will bo held at tho S.M. Court, Lower Hutt, on Wednesday. A man who purchased a suit of clothes a few days ago left his parcel just inside a hotel doorway for a few minutes, and on returning discovered that his now raiment had vanished. Tho police restored it to him later in tho evening, and on Saturday morning the purloinor of tho v suit, who had been found by tho polico in wrongful possession of tho parcel, became tho guest of tho State at 'Mount Cook for a month. A nieetmg of tho Board of Governors of tho T. G. Macarthy Trust was held on August 30, at the Cabinet rooms, Government Buildings. Thoso present wero his Excellency, in t)ho chair, the,' Prinio Minister, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of tho Aroli-Diocese of Wellington, and tho Mayor of the City of Wellington. Tho Public Trustee was also in attendance. A statement of .tho financial position of tho trust was mitted, and all applications for grants were referred to tho Advisory Board to investigate and report on to tho Board of Governors within six weeks from date. When the report is prepared another meeting of tho trustees will be held. Some 750 assisted immigrants are at present en route to' Wellington, and aro due to arrive by various vessels between next week and tho middle of October. In addition to this number, many immigrants aro coming hero at their own expense. The first batch (five in number) aro duo here on Tuesday next by tho Westmeath. Other batches are duo as follow: lonic, 224, to arrivo from London about tho end of next week; Ruapehu, 94, to arrivo about September 18; Athenic, 282, to arrivo about tho end of Soptomuer; Morayshire, 15, to arrivo about October 7; and Dorset, 123, to arrivo about October 20. It is interesting to note that the number of assisted immigrants coining by. tho Athenic is the largest that lias' embarked for Now Zealand in any one steamer for a considerable time. Tho numbers mentioned comprise a good many .farm labourers ana domestic servants, and people coming out to join relatives that have already settled in the Dominion. • His Honour Judge Chapman gave a' resume of tho Maori Wars in tho Supremo Court when it was mentioned in a will easo that a beneficiary, whoso death was presumed, had come to Now Zealand during the Maori wars. "Tho first Maori war," said his Honour, "broke out in'tho 'sixties, but was limited to Taranaki. Then in- ''63 there was a second outbreak in tho Waikato, which spread all over the country. Imperial regiments wore sent here for that war, but I do not remember any Imperial troops being sent for thoTaranaki outbreak. I well recollect a regiment being hurriedly sent across from Melbourne for tho smaller war, however."

It is stated by tho "Nelson Evening Mail" that Messrs. Kirkpatrack and Co. Ltd., have purchased the plant of tho'Frimloy canning works at Hastings. ExtOnsivo additions, are to bo made to the "JC" factory at Nelson in order to accommodate tho additional plant, as well-as tlie now labour-saving machinery just imported from Australia and AmericaAfter tho ceremony of tree planting at Kelburno on Saturday had concluded, the Hon. A. L. Hcrdmau . and Mrs. Herdmaii paid an informal visit to the Victoria Collego grounds, where the students wcro busy planting trees. AHvantage was taken of t>uo visit of t/iio Minister, and two native trees wcro planted oil tho hill in tho college ground, in front of Mr. I-lordmwi'B resiowico. Tho Plunket Society is to take up a street collection in Wellington on Saturday next. A meeting of those interested'lias'bccn called by tho Mayoress (Mrs. J. P. Luke), to bo held iu tho lowir. Hall at 4 p.m. to-mdrrow. Tho auxiliary schooner Echo, which was returning to port last evening with a, quantity of salved cargo from tho wrecked steamer Dovon, was compelled to seek shelter in Worser Bay owing to tho lioavv northerly which prevailed.