LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1865, 26 September 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities udviso that tilio sis. Victoria, which sailed from Sydney for Auckland on September 24, has on board an Australian mail.' The Wellington portion is duo per Main Trunk express on Monday. All Government olficea throughout tho Dominion will bo olosed on Monday, October 27 (Labour Bay). To-day is really the sixth anniversary of New Zealand as a Dominion, for, at the hour of noon, September 26, 1907, the proclamation was read by the Governor rrom tho steps of Parliament Houso. Summer sports and the Basin Reserve were the subject of discussion last night, when representatives of the Wellington Cricket Association met a subcommittee of the Reserves Committee of the City Council. The conference was a private one, but Councillors Frost, Luckie, and Buddie afterwards informed a reporter that suggestions had been put forward as to the control of the Basin Reserve, and as a result it was expected that Tjetter conditions would prevail during' tho coming summer. Mr. F. W. Colley has painted a lifesized portrait in oils of the Hon. T. W. Hislop, of Wellington. Tho picture is on exhibition at M'Gregor Wright's premises, Lanibton Quay. _ Mr. Colley, who is by profession a picturo restorer, is an English portrait painter as well, and as was recently soon in ono picturo of Mr. D. M'Laren (painted in his Mayoral robes) Mr. Colley is capable of catching an admirable likenesß. That is also tho first thing that strikes one on seeing tho portrait of Mr. Hislop. Ho has not only caught Mr. Hislop's features, but he has secured'his expression, and in doing so has shown artistic discretion in tho use of flesh tones. They may be a little too bright at present, but time will subduo them to proper harmony. Mr. Colley has not been so happy in the figure 'and chair. The sitting 'figure is always difficult to draw, so as to got a natural poso and fore-shortening, and Mr. Colloy seems to have failed in tho lower half of the canvas just as much as lie has succeeded with tho head.

Tho question as to whether a rock swimming bath should .be constructed at Island Bay was discussed at the halfyearly meeting of tho Island Bay Municipal Electors' Association on Wednesday evening. Tho chairman (Mr. A. Odlin) read a letter , from Mr. W. Crow advocating _ the scheme, and expressing the opinion fhat tho bath could be built for £300. Tho amount of £150, he suggested,_ could bo raised by' means of entertainments, and a £ for £ subsidy could bo asked from the City Council. Mr. 11. G. Hill forwarded £5 towards the Bath Fund. During tho discussiou, it was mentioned that the site would probably bo in the vicinity of the fishermen's huts near Happy Valley. The consensus of opinion was that the bath would cost something like £500 or £600 to construct, and it was to approach the City Council with a view to secur-. ing a subsidy for tho project.

A conference representative of master sawmillers throughout tho Dominion, to tho number of about 30, was held in tiio Chamber of Commorce yesterday. Mr. W. G. Haybittlo, president of the Rangitikei Association, was in tho chair. Many remits of an important nature were dealt with, touching on railway regulations, housing accommodation regulations, income-tax in its relation to sawmillers, timber regulations under the Land afforestation, etc. A number of committees wore.set up to deal with the resolutions carried, and a deputation from tho conference will wait on tho Prime Minister at tl.oO a.m. to-morrow to lay their views before him. It was decided to hold the conference annually.

Inspection of porlc in the_ city will bo discussed to-morrow morning before the Prime Minister by members of the committco recently set up by tho City Council to inquire into tho matter. At the interview the committco will place its findings and recommendations beforo Mr. Massey.

The Minister of Finance acknowledges the receipt of £2, being conscicnco money forwarded to the Railway Department from Petono. A further sum of ss. has been received by the samo Department from "Some person. unknown."-

Tlio Postmaster-General has forbidden tlio delivery of any postal packot addressed to J. Stelliu, Box 430, Wellington. The Miramar Council decided last night that the committee appointed for the purpose should meet the Financo Committee of tlio Wellington City Council this afternoon to discuss the question of tlio amalgamation of the borough of Miramar with the City of Wellington. At last night's meeting of the Miramar Council! Mr. It. L. Mestayer, consulting engineer, ivroto with regard to the oil store and tho electric power schemo, offering to obtain prices. from three or four local contractors for taking down and re-erecting tho shed at tho corner of Princes Street and Broadway. Tlio levelling and formation of tlio site was finished, and as they had tho necessary timber and materials on tile sito for tho conoroto foundations, tho work should be put in hand at once, so as to be ready for tho erection as soon as tho contract was let. The council agreed to tho course suggested. At last night's meeting of tho Miramar Borough Council permission was granted to tho Wellington Motor Cycle Club for holding speed trials on Matai Road, Miramar, to-morrow. Condemned as unfit for consumption was tho fato of 10 cows, 17 bullocks, and 45 sheep, which were slaughtered at the municipal abattoir during tho month of August. Tho percentages of animals condemned wereCattlo, 3.63; sheep, .74. The monthly report of tho manager states that during tho month thoro were slaughtered at the abattoir 64 cows, 678 bullocks, 1 bull, 6043 sheep, 27 lambs, and 42 calyos. As compared with tho samo month of last year tliero was an increaso ill tho number of stook slaughtered at tlio abattoir of 748 sheep, 123 cattlo, 48 lambs, .and three pigs. The stock slaughtered for tho month was of prime quality with tho exception of 3 cows, 1 bull, and 20 sheep, which were slaughtered for boning purposes Control of the Hutt Road is to*.bo vested in the City Council, according to the Railways' Statement presented to Parliament on Wednesday. Questioned yesterday in regard to tho matter, tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. I/uke) said the only intimation which the council had had of this was from what had appeared in the statement. Ho did not know what tho mind of the council would be on tho matter,_ but he, personally, could seo no objection to the city controlling the thoroughfare, provided tho various other bodies interested had' to bear their sharo of tho upkeep. Five prisoners will appear before Mr, Justico Chapman in tho Supreme Court to-morrow morning to bo sentenced for offences to which they have pleaded guilty. James Leonard l/Omax and Phillip O'Donnell aro to be dealt with for breaking and entering and theft, and William Collino. \YaJtei Wakefield, and William Frederick Letheby nre to answer for being jointlj concerned in an offence of a like nature.

Tho Miramar Borough Council were informed last night by a letter from Messrs. Watson and Meredith, of Wellington, that no prosecution would lio in the case of a wandering horse, the property of tho Crown. The letter pointed out that the Crown was not subject to tho operation of any statute unless the statute specially so provided. Tho same exception would apply, to a servant of tho Crown, and there wore further provisions in tho Dofenco Act protecting the horses of tho Defence Department. The letter added: "It certainly seems a most inequitable position that no remedy can be obtained against the Crown, but wo think if the ease contested that tho council would fail." It was decided that under these circumstances no further action should be taken against Major Brown, to whom the horse belonged. A. suggestion that all tramway vehicles should bo required to carry lifting jacks for the purpose of raising such vehicles in case of accidcnt is advanced in a question placed upon the Order Paper of the House of Representatives by Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P. The. Minister for Labour is to be asked by Mr. H. J. H. Okey, M.P., in the Houso of Representatives whether, in order to assist a number of workers, he will amend the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910, in the direction of purchasing land and erecting homes on land provided by individual workers', provided the amount required would not be over that allowed under the Act —namely, £600.