LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1862, 23 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first examinations under tho now police regulations were commenced yesterday, when candidates for promotion in tho Wellington district attended at tho Supreme Court building. .Examinations for tho following promotions aro being held: —Constable to sergeant; sergeant to senior-sergeant; senior-ser-geant to sub-inspector. Inspector Hendry .is acting as supervisor.

"Tho Hon. the Minister for Internal Affairs recently announced tho intention of tho Government to make special arrangements for tho protection and perpetuation of tho tuatara," writes Mr. J. Orewos, President of Wellington Zoological Society, "It should bo gratifying to readers of The Dominion, therefore, to note that the Government's intimation, givon to a deputation representing my society, and published m The Dominion, is moving thoughtful men to inquire how they may co-operato with the Government and with my society to accomplish such a commendable purpose. One reader of The Dominion has, since ho read tho report in this paper, been inquiring among Maoris who visit certain islands to get mutton-birds, whether thero are tuatara on thoso islandß, and has been told that there aro; but that tho Maoris have been killing them, not knowing tho Importance of them, or that they aro protected. Tho society will forward a copy of the letter to tho Government, and I hope that great good may result from the application of tho very practical hint which it contains."

Captain Taylor, representing Lloyd's at Brisbane, and Mr. A. Walker, local representative for Lloyd's, completed a survey of the oxterior of tho wrecked' steamer Dovon yesterday afternoon. Their report will bo forwarded to Messrs. Dalgety nnd Co., local agents for Lloyd's, for transmission to tlio London office. It is anticipated that a decision will bo arrived at in regard to tlie wrecked steamer to-day. Captain Caunco, the chief engineer, and chief officer are still in Wellington awaiting this decision.

• The appointment of _ a manager for the Bristol and Dominion's Producers' Association will bo dealt with at a meeting of tho Board of Control, which iB to 'be held in Wellington during the week. In addition to tho representatives on tho board in New Zealand mentioned last week, it is now stated that Mr. F. H. Wise, of Eketahuna, has been appointed one of tho representatives on the committee for tho control of dairying matters. Eaoh of the other districts has authorised; tlio Board of Control to make a selection to represent them. It is intended to have two boards, one for dairying and tho other for sheep. -

The Legislative Committee of tlie New Zealand Municipal Association is to meet at the Town Hall at 10 a.m. today to discuss matters of 'municipal moment. These include a remit from tho Christchurch City Council on proportional and preferential voting for the election of Mayors and councillors.

With Tcsjiect to a Pioneers' Memorial, which is to be erected in connection with the jubilee of the West Coast goldfields in January next, tho Government lias agreed to grant a subsidy of £ for £ up to £200, towards the cost of tho 'memorial. The memorial will consist of tho figure of a miner in tho early-day garb, standing on a pedestal. . Tho figure will bo of marble and life size, and will be erected .on a granite pedestal—the .total height of the monument being nearly eighteen feet.

For somo iimo the work of dismantling the old electric lighting machinery originally installed in the Harris Street power-houso has been in progress. The old dynamos have beeu broken up for the scrap-heap, and together with a lot of gun-metal and copper armatures and coils are being sold. A Mordey alternator is also boms dismantled for sale. Two of the smaller dynamos, one a Mordey-'Victoria four polar typo, have feen presented to the Technical School by tho City Council. The value of tho gift is about £100, and will bo of value to students of electrical engineering in demonstrating the stages through which Cl-ergy-producing engines have passed within a comparatively few yeaTS.

Saturday, November 1, has been fixed as a, campaign day throughout Westland to raiso funds for tho provincial jubilee.

On his return to Sydney from. England a fow days ago, Harry Pearco, the Australian sculler, spoke in glowing terms of Barry's sportsmanship, but reckoned that be (Barry) was a much better man on tho Thames than he would bo on the P&rramatta (Barry, by the way, has never rowed on the Parramatta). Poarce freely acknowledged that Barry was the best man on the day of tho race on tho Thames.

Nothing definite has as yet been decided upon regarding tho new agreement between tho Merchant Service Guild, representing tho captains Mid officers of tho coastal trading service, and the Wellington Branch of tho Shipowners' Federation. The wholo question is in abeyanoo.

A well-known Maori chieftalness of the Ngatiwhatua tribe died at Rewiti last week, namely, Hoaua Waata. Sho was well advanced'in years, and had ljeon residing at Waitakeroi. On the Snnday sho announced that sho was about to die, and left for her old home at llcwiti. there, sho addressed her people in the usual style,_ telling what sho wanted done, and having thus sot her affairs in order, calmly lay back, and her spirit passed to her ancestors.