LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1957, 14 January 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■ -Tlio postal authorities adviso that tho s.s. Maranm, which sailed from Suva on January 12 for Auckland, is bringing English and American mails via Vancouver, Tlio Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express ou Friday.

.'-"He keeps ci lamb's .foot," said a witness in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday wlic-n giving evidence against a man who is now in the Terrace Prison-. The. witness explained that a lamb's foot .was a sort of sausage of sand kept for hitting drunks over tho head with. '. '.

In all probability, says a Press Association telegram from Greymouth, work will start at the Stato coal-mines on Monday next.

To a meeting of tho Hntt County Council j-osterday Mr. Jaiiies Brown, "father" of Upper Hutt, Wrote enclosing tho photograph of tho first bridge erected over the fiutt ltivcr, fifty yards below the present -structure Tho photo showed also tho stockado (erected nt tho Hutt at tho tima of tlio Native trouble), which was hold bv tho settlers till troops arrived from Sydney. Tlio troops stayed thero some two years. Mr. Brown's father, tho late Mr. ■\Ylntemaji (father of Councillor Whiteman), and tho late Mr. Edwards (fatjior of Councillor Edwards) assisted to build tho stockado, and wero in it with tho other militiamen when tlio troops took possession.

Practically all the "preference" men who applied for work en the waterfront yesterday wore found employment. The now arrangement with regard to the engagement of labour at various places on the- wharves appears to be working ■satisfactorily, Tho men quietly assenibled at the various points, and no friction was manifested between the old aiid the new hands. When all tho desired labour had been put on a con« sideraulo number of ex-stiikerc- were without employment.

One of tho Harbour Eoartl's divers yesterday msde an csainination of tho liarbour bed in , the vicinity of the wharves, nud roiisoved a quantity of obstructing material. Lengths of jiiijing, which, dropped overboard from slings, had become embedded in tho mud, and tviiich had boon striking the bottoms o f ships, ivere removed from alongside Jervois Quay, while a barnacle-encrust-cd truck was also brought up. ,

The firo brigade yesterday received two calls. At 2.46 p.m. a grass firo in the vicinity of Aliel Smith Street claimed tlicir attention. About an acre of grass was .burnt, but no-damage to pro*perty resulted. At G. 58 p.m. tha brigade was called to a fire nt No. 9 Sydney Street, caused by a curtain catching aiight. Damage to tlio extent of £10 was done. The house was occupied by Mr. C. Collins, and the contents werp insured , witli the Phoettix Office for £IT5.' ■ The. building was owned by Mr. V. Jensen; pixon Street.

What might easily have been taken as a piece of delightful sarcasm drifted into tho meeting of the- Wellington Cricket Association last night. The Hawke's Bay Association wrote asking to bo obliged with a sketch aiid details of Wellington's cricket scorinß board. Hawko's Bay is evidently unaware that a Bcoring board is ono of the chief wants fn Wellington cricket circles.

\ ■ Detective. Mo sou yesterday arrested a man, who will appear leforo tho Court this morning charged with tho theft of a dross basket and contents, valued at £5, the. ■ property of Ja.B. Turner. ■'■■ ■

■ ■ Wellington harbour is fortunate in bw'nt; able to meet tho requirements of tho largest vessels plying the oceans nf tho work!, and flan safely ho classed as. an Ktnpiro port. An Empire poH, ac-(xii-ilinij to an opinion exiJifssijil j)}* Lord Piirio in bin inoniorandiim on tli'o work of tho Empire Tracfc Coijiraissioi), should have a niinimnm depth of 45 fort- of water. -Wellington harbour contains an area of about 20,000 Acres, having depths varying from six to fourteen fathoms, and, rM lias boon officially stated, is of snfTieient capacity to cnablo the vvholo British fleet to br* safely aecoiumojlated and ninnoeuvrcd under eteum within its limits.

Tho Labour Department has granted registration to the following new unions :—The Blackball Coal Sliiim , Union,..tho West port Waterside Workers' Union, and the Wellington United Storemen's Union, which is the Storemen's Union undor a cow title. ~«.; . .

Tlio United Federation of Labour is settling down'to tlio prospost of a busjtiine during tlio early months of this year organising. Meetings have boeu held at which various matters hi connection with organisation worn discussed. A plan of work will be outlined for a future- meeting, and mcetinge will ho held fortnightly. Am endeavour will bo made to 'hold a Dominion conference afc Easter. _ Advice has been received from the National Directory of tho Hibernian Society in Australia that it is arranging to chftrtor vessels in which to convey Hibernians who arc desirous of attending the opening of tho Irish Parliament on College Green when the Homo Eulo Bill becomes iftw. It is expected that a .largo manlier of the New Zealand members of the society will avail themselves of tins opportunity. In a review of tho industrial situation at Monday's mooting'of the main branch of tho United Labour party, tho chairman, Mr. D. M'Lanm, emphasised the fact that tire workers wore, now rcalismcr that the best means of improving tlwir conditions were in the direction of politico] aeiion. It was tleerded that as tho trades and Labour Council was disposed to concentrate upon industrial work, the branch should devoto its attention wlioHy to political organisation. A recommendation was made to the Dominion Executive that the constiution of tho New Zealand Labour party be reverted to, as tlittt constitution hnd worked well on the line of increasing tho Labour vote.' The president stated that between. 1808 and 1911 tho Labour vote at elections hnd increased by IfflO per <cnt. Additions were made to tire local osccutivo and arrangements completed for frequent meetings. The Dominion Executive is to be urged to eftll a conference- of tho party in Wellington at Easter. Plans have been entered Upon for simplifying the constitution and platform, and for carrying out n sclicmo of organising work.

A case for a fresh award will bo brought by the Hotel 'Workers' Union at tho next sitting of the Arbitration Court in Wellington towards the end of February, unless in tho meantime tlio union executive is able to arrange a settlement of the tanditiotts milsiile tho Court. At Monday night's meeting flf the. union tlvc secretary (Mr. E. J. Caroyj.repGttfid thai}, during tho holidays, sixty engagements had necn made through tlio unitui without chargo to either employer or employee, and this executive intended to maintain this branch of the union's usefulness, Congratulations were received from.kindred unions in Australia on tho cass put forward by the local uiiion and the Sfcrc» tory in favour of the six-day weok lejrielatlvfl provision. It was stated that there was every prospect of tho Victorian and West Australian < Governments nßroornpc to similar proposals.

The Wellington representative cricket team, which has been touring the South Island, is to arrive home this niorni«R.-

The first civil sitting of the \YeUinc;toft Magistrate's Court in 10M is to bo held to-morrow.

At a special moeting of the Hutfc Count; Counoil yestefdaj, Wednesday was fis-ed as tlio day on which tho weekly half-holiday shmild be observed within tho county boundaries.

: A nninber of land agents' licenses wero granted by Mr. ,]. S. Evane, S.M., yesterday at a sitting of tlio Court held for tiro purpose of hearing apptwant-s for such licenses. The foU lowing arc. those to whom licenses nero ttrantod;-—H. E. Leighton, J. H. uetliuno a.ud Co., J. Brodie and Co., Maii'ey and Moadoii-s, New Zealand Loan and Moreantiio Agency Co., Ltd., Levin and Co., H. A. Shepherd, Dalgety and Co., Miwray, Roberts and Co., New Zealand farmers 1 Ce-onera-tivo Association, Lid,, J. T. Horn, LM., William-s; Hunt and Co., P. A. Zohrab, and IV. C. Remi?r.

Messrs. ttoldwin a.ml Raywavd, patent attorneys, Lambtou Quay, report that they have filed the following applications for patent eE New Zealand recently.— Frederick Rawliiis, London, mud-guard for motors, etc,; W. H. S. Brewer, Wellington, saucepan; J. Abt, Sydney, fluxing conviMsition for list; in brazing cast iron rod or cast steel with cast iron; A. H, Byron and A. B. Sffiyrk, Melbourne, harvesting machine; 31. P. Nav.ghton,' Wellington, safety guard for Iramcars, etc.; I. Far!:-, Auckland, printinc and registering tickets; H. Reynolds, Christeluifeh, apparatus for starting races; 0. W. Shailov, Palmef,ston North, container covers; H. Knn"ders, Auckland, swi aglet reo end; C. E* Hogers, Tnraiiaki, sprayer; 11. C Wilke, Sydney, clip specially adapted for use as a paper holder or the lilt*; L. 0. Paget, North Sydney, relwiser for milking machines; E. J. FawccU, ■South Australia, maillsafr fastening: F. T. P. Evans, Auckland, tine wa tripod harrow; P, Hermann, J. H. Windier,, antl H. A. Twiby, Sydney, improved mn.chitto belting.

Tho circumstances connected with tho defeat of tiro Hon. Goo. Fowlils at tho last, Parliamentary election in Grey Lynn were referred to in the speeches made by Mr. Fowlds and some of hie leading supoort-ers at a social gathering in Auckland on Saturday evening, say's the "Herald." Mr. Fowkls said that, nnart from an unprecedented Combination of unusual conditions, tho main secret of their failure was the fact that during tho six years that ho had been a Minister— and', therefore, for tho most part absent from his tjOJistitflcney—-» new and younger generation lnd sprung un, wliiclt "knew not Joseph." Mr. W. ,T. Holdsverth, in liis subsequent speech, said, amidst laughter, that 1m thought a nwe likelv cause was that the people did not fciioff tho other man.

A prominent Canterbury sheep-farmer mentioned to a "Pfnss" feprosontativo on Saturday thai bo had lately attempted to dispose of ii valuable farm property in South Canterbury, but offing to ihr- 'present stats of affaire no reasonable bid could be procured. The conditions of pntninit wew refy easy, and there were s'tandins crops on tho property, which would be. sufficient to cover the deposit required.