LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1851, 10 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

aut , h ?" tlea ad-rise that tho s.s. Willochra, which sailed from Sydney on September 6 for Wellington, and due to-day, is (bringing Australian' mails only.

"The joints of the arrow aro going in between the harness"—a mixed metaphor with which Mr. G. W. Russell convulsed tho House of Representatives last evening.

A Strang experience befell two Wellington police constables, and a Wellington chemist last Saturday evening A man staggered into tho shop, and the chomist at once; formed the opinion that ho was drunk. So did tho police constablo who arrested him, and so, also, did a constablo who was' on duty at Lamhton Police Station, when ho was taken in. .After a wh ; le the man s conduct becamfi such that a doctor was sent for. To the utter astonishment of tho police constables, tho doctor said that' the man w-as not drunk, but .suffering from epilepsy. The charge of drunkennes which had been made agamst tho arrested one was withdrawn. It transpired that tho man had been stabbed in the face on Saturday afternooiij and tho doctor was of opinion that sliock had had something to do with his subsequent condition.

Three young men were arrested by Detectives Cameron and Mason. They arc charged with having broken and entered the dwelling of Samuel E. Taylor, at lorirua, and taken property to the value of £6.

An instructor who gave evidonco beloro the Royd Garlick Committeo yesterday stated that they found it difficult at times to get children to "ntimji° r 001 " rec tly at drill, especially when they had to "number" only alternately as "one, two, 0110, two, etc." Tlioy therefore got the children to say alternately, "cat, dog, eat, dog," and then gave the orders: "Cats to the front; dogs to tho back." It was found that tlie children .understood this much better than numbering. The extra Main Trunk train between Wellington and Auckland is to commence running at the beginning of next month. ' 1 A boy of 15 years was ordered to pay court costs (!)s.) yesterday respecting a ehargo of having negligently and furiously ridden a motor cycle along Molesworth Street. Ho iras'dealt with iu tho Juiouub Court, ' j

Now Zealand Rugby footballers have often been praised abroad for their gentlemanly behaviour. Speaking at tho farewell tendered' Messrs. J. M/Kwitfio and T. Lynch, of tho All-Mack loam, by the St. Patrick's College Old Bn.yn Just liight. Dr. Cahill remarked Unit tlio Maori team which wont to England in the eighties "left a name as gentlemen which has never boon excelled."

Epidemic: Tho District Health Ofiicor, Auckland, reports as follows:—Ono case, a malo European, in Auckland city; ono case, European malo. at To Akau, Woodleigli district; ono child admitted to Kaikoho Hospital; nineteen discharged on Saturday and Sunday. Four now cases-arc notified from Mongonui, and 0110 caso at Sandspit. Tlio total number of cases admitted to tlio Point Chevalier Hospital from tho commencement of tho outbreak is 102— Europeans, 35; Maoris, 68.

Messrs. J. W. Byrne, D. Mahony, and M. J. Reardon, representing tho General Labourers' Union, mot tho City Engineer and tho chief and second engineers from tho destructor on Monday ovening, to confer with regard to tho conditions of work at tho destructor. Tho report 'of tho conference, with recommendations from tho City will bo forwarded to tho council.

Tramway returns for tho Seatoun line havo benefited considerably by tlio faros of thoso who journeyed out to view tho wrecked steamer Devon. Tho takings on tho lino for the weok ending September 1 were £101 16s. 4d., and the car mileage oliargo £43 17s. Bd. Tho profit is therefore £52 19s. Id. Two spaces at tho forthcoming Auckland Exhibition had not filled as they were expected to, and the Exhibition authorities communicated with Mr. H. F. Allen, Wellington agent. The .latter was able to arrange for exhibits for both of tho spaces. Two small boys and a Winchester riflo fell into the hands of the police at Lower Hubt tho other daj;, and yesterday tho lads were charged' in tho Juvenile Court, with being possessed of this gun while they were under the age of 16 years. Penalty: forfeiture of tho rifle. •

Reward amounting to £25 is being offered in New Zealand by the Tasniauian Government for tho recapture of Robert Carter, who. escaped from Launoeston Gaol recently while serving a sentence of two years' imprisonment for false pretences. Tlio New Zealand Government's offor of £250 for information leading to

tho conviction of tho person or persons who caused tho fire at MacMahon's

stables, Roefton, during which five racehorses wore dostroyod, is still placarded. A. deputation from the Karori Borough Council-waited upon the : Secretary for Agriculture (Mr. F. Pope) last week, and called attention to tlio spread of noxious weeds in tho, district, and asked that tho Act should bo. enforced wherever possible. Mr. Popo promised that in futuro the inspector, would make more frequent visits to Karori, with the object of compelling farmers and section-holders to comply with the existing law.

• For .thirty years or more the Post and Telegraph Department has been privileged to occupy a large block of railwayland on AVaterloo Quay (near Pipitea Point) for the purpose of stores . and yards for the storage of telegraph, telephone, and cable goods of all kinds. The site has been required for, some timo by tho Railway Department, which finds itself hampered by the existence of the old storo, and now that Department has served a notice upon the Post and Telegraph Department,, informing the secretary that the sito is required for the purposes originally intended. Tho Post and Telegraph Department has for years been cramped in the old store and yards; and 'a new'and commodious storo on the reclaimed land at

Waterloo Quay is now approaching completion, so that there will be little or no inconvenience to anyone; As soon as the old store is removed, new sidings will bo laid i down thjit will, facilitate shunting operations in the station yard.

_ Work in connection, with tlio installation of the machinery for tlio Jlfiraniar power-station has been commenced by the contractors, Messrs. Nivon and Co. The bulk of tho machinery has arrived, and is boing carted-to Miramar.

Tho reported protest of the Paciiio Cablo Board against "New Zealand's action in discontinuing tho Fanning Maud service" was referred to the Post master-General (the Hon. R. H. Rhodes) yesterday. The Minister stated that so far as New Zealand was concerned tliero had been no discontinuance of any contract. Tho matter referred to

in the cablo message, ha said, had really very little to do with tho Now Zealand Government. It was a,matter between

the Union Steamship Company and the Cable Board. All tne Government was concerned in was to see that the mail Bteamera left and arrived" at tho various ports on schedule time. So long as this was done, tho steamors wore wolcomo to call in at Fanning Island if it was desired that they should do so. Asked what the position would be should tho Cablo Board decide to purchase a vessel to make periodical voyagos to Fanning Island and' Honolulu, Mr. Rhodes said that in that case the Now Zealand Government would have to bear its share according to the mail contract. Under that this country pays 2-18tliB, England 5-18ths, Canada 6-18ths, and Australia 6-18ths. There was no clause in the contract providing for a call at Fanning Island, though tho Minister believed that a call used to bo made there.

An amusing incident occurred on Sunday afternooa in Ohristchurch during tho courso of an address by tho ltev. W. Ready, on "Christ, Politics, and Business, 1 ' in'tlio Grand Theatre (says tlio "Press"). 'Die Bpeaker in dealing with tho necessity for tho carrying of Christ's teaching and principles into politics, said that there were representatives in Parliament that were a disgrace to the people. Ho was speaking with particular, reference to the - 1 —- district. At this point a little child sitting ivit.li its father, which was too young to understand tho tenor of the speaker's address, and which was probably tirsd of sitting quiet' i)i unusual suroundings, piped in a shrill voice, "You'ro saying too much!" An audiblo titter rippled through tho audicnco.