LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1933, 16 December 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

£s : Tluy : pbst:ii ii.ntborit ios adviso'thii tube j which sailed from S.vd- ; | iiioyjlor''Auckland on December ■■ 12, s.. | (m- boiira Austniliim mails, also an ling-1 "ii -ii - nuiil vi:> isiicx. The.,, Wellington | : Cjhsi tioM■■.i.ik ".duo.; on'. Thursday. next per I -Mniii Trunk express. Tim -mails which :-Hl •.'Wellington on j .November B,'!;'ppiv*''s.s'.vHanganui,. eon-, j 'ltectocl£tritli^'tho;-'-N aplos .fi«spatch,> per | 11.M;5.-.Otrniit<v S and part .arrived ;in j Loudon on J)eepmbw t 5 lj} t iaiid r tlie ,ba£ ar.ee on: 1)< wmlc r 1-1. '. r - ; . It 'is, reported on-good .nilth'ority;that_- : tho Government has : iit . contemplation' the granting of'increases in ■ pay.; to : -the' members'of the Police Force. 'A roturri'presented to Parliament/yes-.] t-erday shows that..tho Public. Service, j Commissioners, siiico assuming' control' | have dismissed ill State employees,-.of | whom a majority wore tcmporarvem-.j ployces whoso .services were no ' longer j required. During tho' same period fio3 : j appointments were made to the Public Service, of whom 121 arc permanent cin--plovees' and tho remainder temporary. According to a, return presented to tho.. House' of Representatives yesterday, .tho judges of tho Supremo ..Court were paid.'tho following in salaries'and travelling allowances last year: —Chief Justice (Sir li-obert- Stouts),> £2271 _ (salary £2000); Sir Joshua Williams, £i.'271 (salary ■ £1800) :■■■ Mr. Justice Dcnniston £2275- (salary. £1800); Mr. Justice Edards,- £'2357-" (salary £1800): Mr. Justice Cooper, £2-118 (salary £1800); Mr. Justice Chapman, £2132 (salary £1800); ■Mr. ■ Justieo Sim, travelling expenses ami-allowances, £220. ■ Thr: Judges' as- { soeiates wero each paid between £200 and £300. travelling, allowances and expenses. '...' •■ A committee-meeting'of the Welling-* ton. Operatic. Society was held last evening, when certain accounts in connection with t.he ■ recent production of I "Tho Geisha" were passed for payment. 'Although- all. tile financial_ matters in connection with the production have not been settled, a reporter was informed that ."The Geisha" had been a financial success. The question of staging some other work was discussed, but nothing defmitoWas decided. The council of the Zoological Society met last;evening, the Key. j. Crowes presiding, and dealt'with tho proposed purchase of animals from the collection which will shortly bo passing through Auckland on tho Niagara. Tho chairman reported that the recent appeal of tho society 'for funds had in a 'very fendays met with a gratifying response.. A proposal iu connection with the purchase of animals had been made to the City Council, and approved, and tho curator of tho Zoological Gardens, Mv. Liingridge. had left for Auckland. _ As soon as tho result of the negotiations was known a report would be issued. It was announced that the following had become members of the society as a result of tho recent canvass: —Mr. and Mrs. F." Sidey, Hon. . F. M. 13. Fisher - , Dr. H. Hardwick Smith, Mr. W. Ferguson, Br, Albert Martin, Dr. H. A. Cameron, Mr. John Gallie, Dr. F. T. Bowerbank. . Replying to a question by Sir. H. G. El! in the llouso of Eep.vesentat.ives yesterday, the Hon. It. 11. Rhodes (Post-wastor-Gcneral) stated: "Tho question of the transmission of fish through tho Post Office has recently been reconsidered, with the result that it has been decided to raise the weight limit of a parcel containing a single trout' to 2Ulb., at a'cost of'ii Id', per lb. above, the'ordinary limit -of 11 lb. This has been arranged as a trial until March 31 next, when it. is hoped that tho Department will be iu a position to plaeo the question of the transmission of fish generally by post on a satisfactory footing for Roil oral and uniform application throughout the Dominion. A return for June, '"July, and August of. this year showed that the daily average of parcel:; of iish forwarded from Dmicdhi for placcs in the Diuicdin postal district was only 8 ]-(st-h. These months may be regarded as the most .favourable for ibis class of business. For tho month of February, 1913 (a summer month), the return showed a total of only 105 parcels dealt with, or an averago of about four a day. Up to tho present tlie whole trial may be considered as disappointing." _ Since 1012 the Government has lifted the reservation from scenic alid forest reserves, totalling 65,M9 acres, distributed as follows: Auckland Province, .17,159 acres; Hawks's Ba.v, 352 acres: Taranaki, 0518 acres: Wellington, 17.225 acres; Nfclson, 4130 acres'; Marlborough, 713.") acres; Southland, 3130 acres. This information is contained in a return presented to Parliament yesterday. .A party of Mastcrton people had an oxc-iting experience on tho Kimutaka Hilt a few nights ago. says our Masterton correspondent. . They wore returning from Wellington in a motor-car, and. a portion of the road collapsing, their ear was precipitated over an embank-, nient. Tho fa'l was fortunately broken by a stump, and the occupants of tho wir escaped with bruises and scratches. They walked from tho summit of tho hill to Foatherston, where they telephoned for another car to bring them some. A man named James Murdoch Miller was arrested yesterday by Detectivo Mason on a cliargo of stealing £7 lis. Gd., tho property of tho Colonial Mutual Lifo Insurance Society. Olio teacher to twenty-throe boys is tho average at King's College, Auckland, and tho chief inspector of schools in Auckland, Mr. E. K. Mulgan, congratulated tiie eollcgo on this fact at the annual prize-giving ceremony. His experience in tho under-staffed primary schools (says the "Herald") caused him to appreciate tho position. "In tho primary schools," lie said, "wo cannot hope to do tho work as wo would liko to, unless the authorities give us higher staffing than wo havo at present." "By the way, is it intended to keep tho Exhibition open on Christinas Day?" asked Mr. Robertson of tho president at- tho meeting of tho executive of tho Auckland Exhibition on Friday last. Mr. Elliot said that was tho intention. "And tho amusements?" queried Mr. Robert-son. Tho president replied in tho affirmative. Mr. Robertson said lis was afraid ii good many people would be offended if that were done. The president said ho did not think there was any harm in it, and they had to recoup themselves for a good deal of bad weather. Mr. Whitney agreed with Mr, llobcrton. Several of tho other members said there could bo no objection to opening tho amusements on Christmas Day. There would bo a sacred concert, and the band would play appropriate items, and those who objected to the amusements need not- go near them, Tho meeting approved tho proposal to keep the Exhibition and amusements open as. suggested. Tho Government has, says our Tailmpo correspondent, offered to purchase the Mangaohano Block, comprising 30,000 acres, from the Native owners. The land is at present, leased by Mr. G. P. Donnelly, but tho term of the lease has expired. The Native owners conferred wilh the members of the Aoteft Laud-Hoard at Taihape on Saturday, hiit-no decision was arrived at, and the matter was deferred for a month. ■ It \is .understood I hat the Government vnlui :ition is much lower than that placed on r,the'. ! prpporiv by an independent valuer. rb'nd Unit , tho owners arc not-satisfied I i villi iho price offered, :

l&iVjpViigforh they development' ' of the j ,;was;' put. for- I jvoatfrdaypb^Dr^^ tlic ; Es!i- | for imv Park; and Dr.Wwman I fepressedjaMiojia that'.'at', least more 'oil .-.the"; £2. j piy\t}j'-l£iSt®S^t>a- "■■A. * j ':'.-Tluvs<('ret:ii'v: jo (lie Wellington Hos- | f|)italj'rui'd; Cliaritalikv Aid Board desires j 'fthanks, tho folflowingydonalioiis to tlio Christmas' fund at the Wellington . Hospital:—Anonymous,' : £3 ;Js.;'.!, Lysaght, .Simmons and Usborne, Neilson, Hurray, and Frederic, "\Y. Campbell, £1 Is. each ;'Umpire Box I Co., 11. ;i>u] E. Tingey',v'Kaiapoi Woollen.Co.,. I).- Anderson and. Son, E. M'Par T . land,... City Printing Cn.,;;losi. Gd. each.'