LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which left Wellington oil Oetotar 10 per s.s, Manuka, aiid coil-' liocted wifch t!he Naples dispatch per R.ll.vS. Omral'i, Arrived in Lsndim oil November 1.5. The postal authorities advise that tho R.M.S. Makura, which Sailed from Suva, for Auckland 011 November 15, has an. hoard English and American mails. Tho Wellington portion is due to arrive per Main Trunk express {4.12 p.m.) oil Wed" nesday next. Tho postal authorities advise that the' s.s. Maunganui, which sailed from Sydney for Wellington on November 15, has on board'flil ' Atistraiiait mail. She' is duo to arrive hero on Wednesday nest. Six of the contacts- witli passengers on the Remuera, who were suffering from ■ scarlatina, were brought from Somes Island yesterday by the Admiral. The ■others on the island will be well enough to learo on Wednesday. The Minister of, Marine (the Hon. F. M, B. Fisher) has been advised that tho shipment of gold and stiver fish sent by the Japanese, Government to the Auckland Exhibition lias been very seriously reduced in transit. Gut of a total, of 600 fish 520 died on tho voyage from Japan to Sydney, and eight rfioro died between Sydney and Auckland. A sing* ment of newts: aiid tortoises sent from Japan has had hotter fortune. A fair percentage have arrived safely, at Auckland, but are not in very good condition. . The award under which tho Wellington Tramway Employees' Union has been working for some timo past ex* pired yesterday. The new demands of the Union have been formulated, and submitted to the City Council. They are at tho present time being analysed by ti& members of the Tramways Board, who have been empowered by the council to confer with the, union's representatives with respect to the same'. That will probably be done within the nest week, when a report will be furnished the Tramways Ooiii.mittco before anything is submitted to the full council. The present award holds good until a I new one is registered.

Leaving hefo on Friday next for Sydney direct; tho Huddart-Parker steamer Ulimaroa promises to bo. a very full ship as far as passengers are concerned. At the BlufE, the members <af the Adeline: Grnioo Company, about soventy strong, will join the. vessel, and:\at Lyttekori the list will be swelled by the addition of the whole qf the members of the lloyal Comic Opera Company, who number nearly a hundred souls. The addition of such a !>ig complement of mummers to the heavy passenger traffic common to this timO of iho year should make considerable deniadds on tho steamer's/ berthing accommodation. It is probable that- a quantity of Williamsonian scenory and bffects, which has been held' up in Wellington by , the strike, will bo forwarded on to %<lnoy by tho Ulimavoa.'

Tho Bill before tire House of Representatives to give power to private individuals or companies to build.railways, and to expend upon construction" £8000 per mile instead of-the £6000 permitted under the present law, is to he amended to give this same potter to local authorities. This amendment Was pressed as being desirable by members of tho House wheii tho Bill came tip for sec-* oiid reading. A. system of ctmit dressmaking Was brought under the notice of this Han. H. D. Bell yesterday by a deputation of ladies. It was suggested that tho system should bo examined, with a view to its introduction hi schools. The Minister promised consideration of the request. Subsequently, details of tho system were explained to Mr. 6. Hogb<!n (Inspector-General of Schools) by members of tlm deputation. A special meeting of the City Council was called for yesterday afternoon by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke}. Tho meeting was "not open to the Press, and the particular nature of the business. was not disclosed. In a report to tho Commonwealth Minister of External Affairs, tile seeretary to the British Chamber of Coiflincrco in Paris states that arrangements are being m'ulo to start a Press campaign in tlio interests of the Com--moiftrealth. It was thought that the bust iii.en.us was tins insertion of illustrated articles id some of tho periodic-: als, and even in tho dailies. _ A number of inquiries had been rceoited from , French firms concerning various Aus-{ tralian prodiuits, but tho absence of samples had proved a drawback. Tho report added that there appeared to ho a possibility of having ,-cold storago «c-. commodution at Monte Carlo, thus covering tlio south-easUm region of Franco.

Particulars which aro now available show that already 100 miles of track formation in connection with tho Australian transcontinental railway has been laid down—GO miles in Western Australia, and 40 at tho Port Augusta end. From Kalgooriio 5 miles 62 eliaitts of rails have- been placed in position for the main line, while the ribbon of steel stretches out just 83 miles at tho South Australian end,

Tile difficulty of getting accurate evi-, denco with regard to tho cost of commodities is becoming very apparent to those engaged in the New South Wales cost of living inquiry. Tho thoiif.ht. of • disguising himself and making a descent; on butchers, bakers, rod grooofs, and buying meat, bread, and groceries right and left, seems to .liftvo occurred to Mr, Justice Hoydon, but ho lias evidently been deterred by the thought that ho. would not be much further forward when he had finished his shopping ex-, peditiow than he is new. . _ Aftet the . hint with regard to the disguise had been conveycd to the Court oho. of tho representatives of the Employers' Federation suggested making somo gotoer&l purchases, so that tho Court bo guided by tho prices charged. With regard tr> meat, lie mcntioiled tliat tho cuts purchased could bfl placed in ii cool store, and treated as exhibits. "What good would that do?" asked His Honour. "Wo would Hot bo getting any nearer our goal. We would have to call ladies in to assist Us, and after they had finished battling about prices whore would we be ?" Bo that nothing of a definite character Was decided upon. ft was reported itt yesterday's Dominion that tho dead body of a child iiad been discovered under a house At Eastbourne, The discovery was made by the owner of the house,; Mr. Orachaii, : who frequently lets the place to pco™ 6 desirous of residing at tho seaside, xho body was discovered dressed and mi a box. It is assumed to have 'been buried from eight to teii weeks. A rumour was current yesterday to tho effect that tlio child's throat had been cut, but that proved to bo without foundation. Detective Broherg and his staff are making full investigation into the whole ease,

The fine moral effect; of. compulsory drill on the rising generation is noted with satisfaction in the Victorian Polico Force report. Commissioner SainsbUr.y said that the benefits derived from compulsory drill so obvious that- it was s'uperfluoi.ts to state thorn. _ Tho trainees liad less timo for- loit-eriiip about the streets and contracting bad habits,' and, the whole tendency of Wife drill, was isa make better lads of tiiem. Sergeant A. Tarlotou, officer-in-ctaga of the Russell Street police, who teS had a experience of tho rise and growth of the "push" nuisance, said ho was convinced beyond alt dirubt tliat military training Was. a most powerful element in suppressing lafrikhiism, anil producing a better type of youth physically. "The best ever introduced," was Sub-Inspector. O'Donnell's tribute to the Defence Act, and he was quite at a loss to see why a' single objection should b<3 voiced against compulsory training.