LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1861, 22 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mahono arrived in Auckland yesterday morning from Sydney with English and Australian mails on board, the AVellington portion of wliicli will reach Wellington this afternoon.

To-day is Dominion Day—the anniversary of the date oil which New Zealand was officially designated a Dominion. Nothing very particular is being dono to mark the occasion iii Wellington, other than tho observance of a close holiday by tho Government, banks, insurauco and legal , offioes, and tho municipal offices. . Tho municipal libraries in Wellington, and Newtown will be closed during tho day, and opened at 7 p.m. Tho first day of tho Otaki Maori Racing Club's Spring meeting has been fixed for tho holiday, and this evening tho Early Settlers' Association will celebrate the day in characteristic style. House football matclios will bo played on several of the sports grounds.

" People often come to me and ask mo for tickets for tlio. gallery. They say; ' Look here, doctor, give tliem to me on the niglit there is going to bo a scrap.'"—Dr. Newman, M.P., the railway smoke concert.

Noxt Saturday afternoon thoro. Is to bo a whole-day parade of tho Wellington Battalion (except G Company) with band and drums, and those Territorials who liavo Wednesday half-holiday will parade on the following Wednesday instead.

Tho annual reunion of early settlers, tlieir descendants and friends in the large' Town Hall this evening should bo I a very interesting function. The executive is desirous that there should be no stiffnoss and formality about the gathering, but that tho, spirit of comradeship that so predominated the social functions of tho 'forties and 'fifties should prevail, and with this end in view ifc is intended to spend tho first halfhour, from 7 to 7.30, in sooial_ intercourse, to give tho pioneers timo to iiiovo round and renew old acquaintances, to recall tho days of "the beach" and "To Aro flat." From then to 9.30 p.m. will bo occupied by speeches, reminiscences of tho early days, and vocal items. After refreshments have been dispensed the evening will wind up with a danco, in which several of tho oldtimo dances will be revived; several ir.ddorn dancn will bo included in the programme for tho younger generation. "Tho most difficult position is that of Railway Minister," observed Dr. A. IC. Newman, M.P., at tho railway social gathering on Saturday evening. " Tlio public liowl to him to make tho trains go quicker, then they cry to him to make tho railways pay, and then tho staff calls out to him to raise their wages. Some people thought that tho end of the world was coming when tlio team 1 am playing in (tlio winning team now) took office, but wo passed a Dill last se-ssio.i which didn't hurt you, and soon wo will pass another."

A donation of £2 L's. has been made to tho recreation fund of tlio Fir© 13rignrlo by Messrs. S. S. "Williams, Ltd., in recognition of the services rendered by the Drignde at the firo in the firm's .workuluto on Thursday kaU

Tho first meeting of the new executive of tho Citizens' Carnival Association will bo held on Thursday next at tho Town Hall, when tho matter of fixing tho date of the next carnival will bo amongst the business to bo dealt with.

In oonnection with the sensational caso of tho "pearl necklaco" robbery, it was mentioned in Friday's issue that the news ot tho find caused a sensation at Lloyd's. Tho "crier" mounted the rostrum, rang the Lutine bell, and announced: "Qentlemon, the rumour regarding tho recovery of tho necklace is correct." According to a southern paper tho position of "crior" recently became vacant, and the following particulars of tho qualifications necessary for the position are somewhat interesting:—The official needed requires to possess the voice of a Caruso and the stamina of ft soulling champion, for the crior is calling names continuously from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ono of his duties is to ring the famous Lutino bell, set at the entrance of tho underwriters' room, whenever news is received for an overdue vessel, and ■when' definite news comes of a wreck. At its tolling brokers suspend operations until tho messago is road by the crier. Tho bell used was recovered from the wrecked British frigate Lutine, which was lost with a cargo: of coin and Bpeoie, valued at £1,200,000, off tho Zuydor Zee in 1799.

Captain Taylor, Lloyd's representative nt Brisbano, and Mr. A'. Walker, Lloyd's survoyor at Wellington, are having the wrecked steamer Devon resurveyed, with the assistance of ■ a diver. A full report is to bo mad© in the course of a few days to the local agents for Lloyd's.

"Our new General Manager'of Railways arrives on Tuesday," said Mr. A'. E. Dawson at a railway social on Saturday night, "and I prophesy that before ho is here long he will find that ho lias men and officers behind him who would do credit to any English railway. (Applause.) He will find he has loyal men round him who will help him —men from the bottom of the ladder to tho top."

Steps are being taken by settlers at Waiau (Canterbury) to bring undor the notice of the Hon. W. F. Massey and the Hon. W. Frasor (the desirability of bridging the rivers on tho Waiau-Kai-koura Road, as it is considered to be much tho safest route for direct transit between Kaikoura. and' Cliristchurch. The route, it is stated, will be further improved by tho extension of tho railway from. Culverden to Waiau. i The bridges (according to tlio "Press" correspondent) will be much cheaper to build than on the existing route, and the road is muoh. more roliablo owing to the insecure nature of some of the formation via tlie coast. Representations'are to be mado to the responsible Ministers, who will bo asked to send an engineer to report and inspect tho road themselves. It is the intention of the Amuri County Council to proceed with the building of the Lottery Bridge witli tho assistance of the Government, this being the first unbridged _ river from' Waiau north. The bridging of this river, together with tho recently-erected Mason bridge and the road deviation in tho Upper Mason district, leaves only a few bridges to bo built to make the through road safe and open to all kindß of traffio at any time.

An invention which commends itself to consideration is credited to Mr. 6. Magnus Manson. This is a patent seat, with on automatio baclc which closes down on the seat immediately the latter is vacated by its occupant. The inventor is of opinion that his seat would bo of advantage to those theatres which at present do not provide separate seats in the gallery for each patron. It has been argued that seats with backs in a gallery would be an obstruction to the people getting out of tho theatre in an emergency, but with tho Manson scat the back of every one would close down immediately the audience rose. It also make'it possible, for, managements to book seats in the gallery. Tho seats ore sanitary, and could be upholstered if necessary, which makes them suitable for any part of a theatre or hall. It is also adaptable to nil classes of vehicles, and ensures a dry scat in wet weather. It is probable _ that a company will bo formed to introduce the Manson seat to tho world.