LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1844, 2 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Tho mails which left Wellington on July 2o per s.s. Jlaunganui, and connected wit.li tho Urindisi dispatch per Ii.M.S. Maloja, arrived in London on August 30.

"Somo candid friend" recently whispered into "the ear of Mr. O. W. Jones that on account of tho latter's connection with the shipping interest ho was not a suitable person to lill the chair of president of tuo Wellington Chamber ot Commerce. Jlr. Jones deemed the matter oi : sufficient importance to mention at yesterday's meeting of the council. He stated that lie resented the imputation, because it implied that one would make his own business interests subservient to thoso of tho body over which ho presided. 110 was sorry that thero was not a larger attendance yesterday, so that ho might get _ an expression of opinion on tho question. Ho was quite prepared to stand aside if members of the chamber-thought- that his position disqualified him for tho office of president, but lie failed to seo that a shipping man stood in any different position from one connected with, say, the wool industry, the butter industry, or tho hardware trade. Sir. E. G'. Pilchcr thought the president had attachod "too much importance to some man in tho street." Ho (Mr. Jones) iiad filled the oifico of vice-president with credit, and had tho fullest confidence of the chamber, and his expert knowledge was of value to tho body. It was to be hoped that ho would not let the matter trouble him further. Mr. l'ilciier's remarks were endorsed by the other members present, and Mr. Jones expressed his thanks.

Densencss on the part of parties to a caso to follow a lead or direction given by the Bench ill the Magistrate's Court is common enough. On one occasion yesterday the Bench asked a defendant if he had any questions as ask a witness. Defendant's irrelevant *oply was: "It stands to reason that a young man would not take a match from an old man." ■ "Havo you any questions?" repeated his Worship. Accused: "I am not guilty." When another defendant had been asked tho same question three times in succession, he climbed the heiglit of irrelevanco by replying: "I was sober." .The laughter which rippled round _ the court was switched off by tho voico of the orderly calling "Silence!"

, Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes (PostmasterGeneral) told a reporter yesterday that the installation of automatic telephones in Auckland, Wellington, and other centres, under the contract recently let, would not bo put in hand for some months yet, as material had, in tho first place, to bo obtained from England. The work which is now being carried out in Wellington, however, of placing the telephone cables underground, is permanent,, and these cables will continuo in use when the automatic telephones aro installed.

Yesterday was tho last day for receiving tenders for tho construction of the first portion of the now Parliamentary Buildings. Tho tenders will go in ordinary course to the Tenders Board, and t'liat body, after considering thorn, will malto a recommendation on the subject to the Minister for Public Works. The matter is 0110 to bo finally determined by Cabinet/

The Vancouver service was uncjer discussion at yesterday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. The question arose out of a" letter from Mr. A. E. Mabin (late president), who urged the council to continue tho efforts that had been mado to improve the service, and, if possible, to got Wellington mado a port of call. The secretary reported what had happened when a deputation of Wellington business men recently waited on tho Union Company. Tho only concessions which exporters had received as a result of tins had been better arrangements in regard to spaco Tho president (Mr. C. W. Jones) was deputed to seek a further interview with tho company, and endeavour to get tho coastal freights on Vancouver cargo removed. .

Insulated wire in fairly largo quantity was recently required by the City Corporation, and a contract for tho supply has now been signed J)y P. B Baillie and Co., tho price.being £120 i! Is. Bd. Other tenders received wero: Richardson, M'Cabo, and Co., £1247 17s. 4d.; Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., £1250 10s.; A. and T. Burt, £1354 15s. lOd.; and Lawrenco and Hansen, £1307 15s. 4d. A contract for the supply of A. C. Watt meters has also been signed by P. R. Baillie and Co. at a pricc of £543 19s. Other tenders received wero: Lawrence and Hanson, £554 10s.; Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., £612 155.; the National Electrical Engineering Co., £6G7; and Grey Thorno George, £744 4s. 2d.

Messrs. Blake, Carlisle, and Co., gen-' oral carriers and Customs agents, wore the successful tenderors for the cartage of mails for the various Government Departments for the year ending August 31, 1914 Says our Auckland correspondent: The petition presented by Mr. Thomas Cotter, K.C., and 3200 citizens of Auckland as to tlio reinstatement of the coroner will he heard by the Petitions Committee on Thursday morning. Mr. T. Gresliam leaves for Wellington by to-night's train. By an inadvertence 'in the final paragraph of the report of tho Ohakune libel case in Saturday's Dominion it was stated that the non-suit actioir had been unsuccessful, whereas tho opposite was the case as appeared from rno preceding paragraph.