LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1881, 15 October 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tile Postal Authorities advise, that B,s. Moeraki which sailed from Sydnoy 011 October 11, lias on board an Australian mail. She is duo at Wellington to-day.

Lord Liverpool lias evidently noticed that not many colonials wear top-hats as a general rule. Many members of local bodies have been known to whisper an aside to the marshal of ceremonies at vice-regal receptions: "By Jove I Didn't know this was a top-hat affair. I didn't bring mine." The Governor evidently dislikes those little white lies, for ho officially notified the Mayor and Borough Councillors'of Stratford that he would not wear his topliat oil the occasion of his visit there, and he trusted these gentlemen would not trouble to do so either.

The New Zealand Roman Catholic Federation has now entered 011 practical operations, with a Dominion headquarters in Lower Cuba Street. To quote from the published constitution of the federation: "It is not a political party organisation, and does not seek to'touch politics except wliero politics touch religion, or where the civil rights and liberties of Catholics are affected." Mr. Girling-Butcher, who lias retired from the Government Servico, after seventeen years in the Mines Department, has- been appointed secretary and organiser, having resigned the presidency to accept this office. Mr. F. IC. Reeves has been elected president of the council and executive of tlio federation.

A jubileo reunion of those who arrived in Lyttelton by the ship Lancashire Witch ill 1863 will be held in Christclnirch 011 Friday next. About fifty of the passengers are alive and most of them. will be present.

The Crown Agents for the Colonies are inviting tenders for a license conferring the exclusive right to occupy the Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands and Gough Island for whaling, sealing, and getting guano. The islands in question are a small group of which Tristan da Cunha is the principal, in the Atlantic, midway between the Capo and South America. The licensees have to undertake that whenever tliey dispatch a vessel to or from the islands it shall touch at Tristan da Cunha for mails and goods, aiid that they will maintain good order on the islands. This should not bp difficult, as the population of tho chief island, Tristan da Cunha, is only at the most probably 100 souls, while, according to tho Colonial Offico List, "there is 110 strong drink 011 tho island, and 110 crime." Tho people live tinder tho moral rule of their oldest inhabitant. Tho population consists of descendants of thojxsmnant of the military force which held Tristan da Cunha in the days of Napoleon, certain shipwrecked sailors, and wives who were imported from St. Helena.

Tho first of this season's wool received by the Wellington Harbour Board's stores came to hand yesterday. It consisted of ' a lu-balo lot from Frankton Junction and Feilding. As tho season is early, the spring having been unusually mild, there is every prospect'of'a busy' time during the next few weeks.

There are still a number of parcels of swimming certificates for local schools unclaimed at Mr. T. Shield's premises in Willis Street. These include certificates (issued by the New Zealand Swimming Association) for successful swimmers in tho following schools, viz.: St. Patrick's Col logo, Marist Brothers' School, To Aro, Hoseneath, Maranui, Mt. Cook Schools, and tho Wellington Girls' College. The school authorities are asked to claim thorn. '

Mr. W. F. Barraud, the Wellington artist, has presented the National Gallery with a valuablo painting which he secured during a visit to London. The painting is ono of a couchant lion (50 inches by 36 inches) ; by C. E. Swan, the well-known English, painter of animals, who has succeeded in infusing a ravo degree of life into tho picture.

Sheep aro being sold on forward delivery in the Ekctahuna. district. One stock firm is reported to have turned over 14,000 to date. Several deals of tho.same character are said to have taken place in tho Pahiatua district.

Last year the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church took the initiative in requesting that the second Sunday in December bo regarded as Biblc-in-State-schools Sunday. This year tho executive of tho Biblc.-in-Schools League is requesting tho observance ' of the same Sunday, December 14. It is expected thero will be a larger number of churches co-operating on the coming occasion.

_ A special meeting of the City Council will he_ held to-morrow at 7.30 j).m., ( to deal with Councillor Atkinson's motion re the leasing of portion of tho Town Belt to tho Lawn Tennis Association. This motion was set down for consideration at tho last ordinary meeting of tho council, but had not been leached when tho time, for adjournment arrived. • At 8 p.m. thero will bo held an ordinary meeting. Councillor Trogear has given notice to propose the following motion: "That any municipal officer who has deceived tho City Council by drafting or approving specifications for drapery and other trade advertisements being hung outside the city tramcars be nt once suspended from diity, pending official inquiry." Councillor Tregear will also move the rescinding of a motion carried by tho council on September 4 last, authorising ,the acceptance of the tender of Messrs! Chandler and Co. for advertising on I tramcars.

" I am hunted round the streets bj l the polico like a dog," asserted a man in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, just as lie was about to receivo his sovonty-eighth conviction. Among tho passengers by Sunday evening's Main Trunk express from Auckland were two naval potty officers in uniform, with tho letters " H.M.A.S. Australia " 011 their caps. When asked jrhy tliey were travelling in New Zealand when their shipmates were being; treated so well in the homo port, they said they were tired of receptions, and had obtained, leave to come over to the Dominion to enjoy themselves. They arrived in Auckland by tho Riverina on Sunday. 111 response to ail advertisement call' ing for 25 handsome and prepossessing young ladies and 20 girls for the Genoa season a company of about 10 assembled at the stage-door of His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, at mid-day 011 S'at-i', urday (savs tho "New Zealand Herald.") Usually tho theatrical mana-l gers have an easy task in their selcc-' tions of "supers" because of tlio large number of stage-struck maidens who apply, but 011 Saturday the manager liad 110 choice. Having decided that he did not want any girls, he was left with an insufficient number of ladies who claimed t« bo beautiful. The first selection of ten included a young mother with a baby in her arms, and ini order to appease the others the manager Explained that tho first selection was made, not because tho ladies chosen > were the most handsome, but becau6of tho clothes were more likely to fit them. I Ho afterwards took the names of all present, and then sent a messenger out into the arcade to see if thero were any more aspirants. Tho latter returned with four more, and the manager then intimated that the final selection, would be made later., A request fop' 12 young men attracted nearly 50 ap-\ plicants. As preference was given to "regular", hands a large number weva ■ disappointed. It is not often that a vessel arrives < at Auckland with a crow aboard that . cannot muster up anything of an Eng-! lisli vocabulary. But the Italians in charge of the ship Loch Garve,' which was towed into port on Saturday evolving, according to tho "Star," cannot speak more than a few disconnected words of our language. As a rule, for-' eign seamen can talk some English, and some amusement was caused recently, when the German'steamer Rheinfels was in port,, by the fact that the Teutonio officers had to direct their coolie crow by the use of "pigeon" English. Free organ recitals f.or children are the latest experiment of the Auckland City Council.' The first of these recitals will be given by tho Auckland City Organist (Mr. J. Maughan Burnett) in the Town Hall to-day, and the • second will bo given 011 October 29. It is expected that about 6000 children from the primary schools will be pre-'' sent at the two recitals. Questioned regarding the cutting up of Crown land at the Motu township, and the reservation of a portion of the magnificent bush for scenic purposes, Mr. R. T. Sadd, Commissioner' of Crown Lands in Hawke's Bay, informed a. Gisborne pressman that a surveyor had been selected for tho work, but the Denartment was waiting n decision respecting tho Motu railway line. As soon as that was given tho work would be proceeded with. The Commissioner said representations had .been made to ; him. as to the desirability of setting aside a scenic resorve in the Wniooka, Valley, and added that he had brojighfc tho matter under tho notice of tho ,oc-. partment. V A petition signed by 178 residents 0? Onslow Borough was presented to thcT, House of -''Representatives yesterday' The petitioners''sot forth that they coiw sidored it "to 1 - be essential to tho interests of the Onslow Borough, and tho convenience and comfort of the persons residing or employed therein,' that a, tramway service be established between Kiiiwarra and the present terminus of tho Wellington City Council's tramway service, at tlio southern end of the Hutt' Road." They therefore ask that the statutory provisions prohibiting the establishment of the tramway service bd repealed or amended. A middle-aged woman had a remark-! ably narrow escape from serious injury!' as the result of an accident in Lambton Quay shortly after 7.30 last night. She was running across tlio road _ to/ get on tho loft side of,an oncoming car, with tho intention of boarding it, but she did not notico a motor-car coming along iii the same direction 011 the left of tlio car, and sho rushed straight in its way. Thero wes 110 time for the driver of the car to pull up, and tho •woman was knocked down, but, as it happened, was thrown clear from tho path of tlio motor. Apart from ,a, < shaking and a severe shock she escaped" unharmed. Mr. H. Graham, of- Dannevirko, showed a "News" representative an interesting document- on Saturday. This was his first milk statement received fiom the Dannevirke dairy factory in 1900. Tho statement was for Slay, and the price per lb. for his milk was 6|d. A farmer who also saw tho document expressed the opinion that a dairyman receiving that price at present could not possibly live. Some valuable records of early New! Zealand have been presented to tho Leys Institute by Mr. W. T. Jennings, formerly M.P. for Tauniarunui. - Tho , books presented comprise Seffern's "History of Taranaki," "Auckland Directory, 1866," "Boole of Psalms" printed l in Maori, 18-18, "Journals of the Auckland Provincial Council, 1844-5," and tho report of tho Auckland City Board of Commissioners, 1864-5. Tlio papers iu- , elude early Auckland, Wellington, Lou- 1 don, and' Sydney newspapers. Thesei books and papers were formerly the pro-< perty of Mr. H. J. Seffern, one of tho best-known New Zealand journalists in' tho early days. About 27 years ago an elderlv French! lady, who was a- resident of tho Bright} district of Victoria, imported a few seeds of a plant precious to her by reason of its alleged medicinal properties. Tho seeds were carefully sown in a box, and, when germinated, transplanted into the old lady's garden. Like all other ill weeds, these plants grew apace, and to-day the St. John's Wort (for that was the ill-starred curative plant) h.vj taken possession of extensive districts in that State. It is estimated that its eradication will ultimately cost the Government upwards of £1,000,000, while the havoc wrought by the plant annually, both 011 Crown lauds and private property, is enormous. A young man named Smailo sufferedserious injury by reason of coming_ in;; contact with a live wire at tho Waihi Company's Ilora Ilora electrical works 011 Friday, says.the "Herald." A largo hole was burnt in his thigh, and his hands were also burnt severely. Tha patient- was brought into Cambridgo foe medical attention. Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, patent! attorneys, report that they have recently filed the following applications for l letters patent of Now Zealand:—H* Henderson, Auckland, washing boiler-, stick; W. C. Harrison, Colac Bay,N.Z., luggage label; V. Buck, Hastings, coli, lar; C. Leech, Kangiora, flax-stripping) r apparatus; J. A. Hill, Sheffield, England, machine gun; A. Sturrock, Melbourne, box; J. Aston, Wellington, calendar ; T. Taylor, Timuru, raising water* apparatus; S. Johnston, Auckland, firelighting apparatus; C. Dressier, CheU soa, tiles, pottery, etc,, kilns, etc.