LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1845, 3 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Manuka, which sailed from Sydney on August 30 for Wellington, and is duo to-day, has on board Australian mails only. On September 6, 73 years ago, the ship Blenheim sailed from the Clyde for Wellington with 300 Scotch settlers. Out of that number there are, it is stated, still seven living. The relations of Virgin, the supposed perpetrator of the Kaimata murders, are offering £50 reward to the person or persons who within one month from date find his body if dead, or givo reliablo information as to his whereabouts if alive.

The exclusion of girls from tho Public Service entrance examination this year, a matter which has giveai rise to a good deal of discission, is thus referred to by the Public Service Commissioner (Jlr. D. Robertson) in Ms annual report to Parliament:—"lt was considered advisable to confine the next entrance examination to boys, as the probablo vacancies for girls woro few a.nd there were already on the list of applicants a number who had passed the last examination, ajid for whom 'appointments had not so far been available. It was felt that it would be unfair to encourage new candidates to compete under these ciroumstances. In some cases this exclusion h,is been felt as a hardship, but there is reason to believe, and it is indeed frankly admitted by some teachers who havo written on tho matter, th'at tho service examinations havo been used a good deal simply as a test of scholarship and without any intention of tho candidate seeking employment- in tho service. There are other examinations conducted by tho Education Department which amply supply this test, and it is considered that they, and not the servico examinations, should bo used fpr this purpose."

What is a Socialist? A somewhat liazy idea of the term "Socialist" was expressed in a letter road at tlio (Vrey Lynn Borough Council last night (says our Auckland correspondent). It </c----curred in a complaint against a driver. The writer stated that -this man passed as he was "chastising" a boy who Sad spoiled some painting done on his property. The driver of tlio cart '.died out to tlio boy to hit his chastiscr with a stone. "I think ho was a Socialist," added the complainant, "as they believe in the destruction of property." A councillor remarked that that w;<s quite a new definition of a Socialist, and the Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon) added that, as tho driver was not in the employment of the council, they had nothing to do with tho mattor.

Mr. T. M. Wilford, member for Hutt, has received a reply from the Prime Minister (the Hon. W. I<\ Massey) to his representations that steps should he taken to restrain the Maymorn Timber Company from denuding tho watershed of "the Hutt River of timber. Tho object of the proposed restriction was t-o protect tho Hutt Valley from damago by erosion of tho river. The reply of tho Prime Minister is that tho matter will bo given careful consideration.

It was stated yesterday that September 1 was tho last day for receiving lenders for the construction of tho new Parliamentary Buildings. The Public Works Department notify that tenders will bo received until the end of this month.

"Can you speak English?" asked the Police Sub-Inspector of a Nativevat tho Palmerston North Court on Monday. "No," came tho prompt reply. "Oh, bosh," remarked the magistrate, "get into tho box."

"I understand stripping cows to mean," said Sir Robert Stout, in tho Supremo Court at Palmerston North, "that you tako away a little milk before applying tho milking machine." "Oil, no!" replied counsel, very, very gravely, whilo a titter ran round the Court, "stripping takes place after tho machines are taken off."

Tho timber milling plant of tho Maymorn Company—the largest of its kind in the Dominion—is now within a week of active operations. The first of tho log-hauling plants is now in position, and there remains only a little ma-dliinery-fittiing to bo dono, before tho wheels begin to revolve in tlio big Canadian mill. Tho extent of the operations of tho company may ba judged from tho fact that it lias erected a _ substantial .bridge (longer than fhe railway bridge at Silvorstream) across the Hutt River, and has already laid down through its property iivo miles of railway track, wliioli it hoped may one day form a section m the connecting railroad track between tho Upper Hutt and Otalci, which lino is said to tap a large area of land suitable for settlement. .

; Shipping rates on cargo are frequently mentioned at conferences of producers. At the Fril;tgrowers' Conference yesterday, Mr. A. M'Kie, of tlio Tasman Association, who was the New Zealand delegate to the last Australasian Fruitgrowers' Conference, said that it cost practically as inudli to ship fruit as ordinary cargo from Nev, r Zealand to South Africa (a three weeks' trip), as it did to send fruit in cool-storage from Australia to England (a six-week s trip).

The total amount of capital invested in the fruit industry in New Zealand is probably £2,000.000, according to a delegate to the Fruitgrowers' Conference.

Detective Lewis yesterday arrested a man who was wanted on a, warrant issued in Invercargill. Tho allegation is that the man has. failed to make provision for tho future maintenance of an ■ unborn child.

• The committee Bet up by tho City Council to inquire into tho supply of pork to the city met again yesterday afternoon. A report was then drawn up, and it will be presented to the council at the fortnightly meeting to-mor-row.

Labour Day celebrations, so far as the United. Labour party are concerned, are to take the form of a picnio at Day's Bay. Mr. M. J. Reardon states that the event this year will be in tho nature of an outing for tlio wives and children Of the workers rather than the sports gathering that it has ■ been during tho last few years. There has been a feeling of dissatisfaction among members over tho encroachment of other sporls ventures on Labour Day, but the Labour party has decided to maintain its celebration, believing that, if once it sinks its identity, tho day (as a Labour Day) will, be,lost. Even ,as it .is there is "a disposition among a section to disclaim all sympathy with a Labour Day celebration because the mere mention of the word "labour" seems to signify something that is distasteful to them. In Auckland some unions have actually refused to take part in Labour Day celebrations, because.they consider tliat May Day is the propor timo for any demonstration. Although in tho first place, Parliament set asido the day for labour, it is now a general day for other, ventures, and this year there will bo a rival sports venture, the pageant, and tho race meeting. Many members of tho Labour party liavo expressed regret at being unable to assist in the Boys' Institute movement on account of their own celebration of tlio day.

To-day (Wednesday) KirkcaJdio and Stains, Ltd., aro holding- their usual monthly Remnant Day and Special Wednesday Attractions in tlio bargain room, first floor.*