LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An unfortunate error occurred in a news paragraph published in last Saturday's issue. The..heading of the. paragraph in question conveyed the impression that tlio adjustment of thebusiness nffairs, of Mr. A. G. Ehodes was tho result of bankruptcy. Sucli. of course, was not the caso, and We regret vc-rj; much that through inadvertence eii sur part some annoyance may bare been caused Mr. Rhodes by tho error referred to. . The postal authorities adviso that the s.s. TJlnnaroa, which sailed froiß Sydney oil X r obruar.v 14 for Wellington, and fs duo on Wednesday morning, is bringing Australian mails enly, . Clouds of sniolse rising from the south end of Ivitmbtoh Quay at 3,45 p.m. yesterday attracted a big crowd of people- to that quarter, under tho impression that one of tho buildings in' the neighbourhood was oh fis-e. Tho actual site o,f tho ecmflaßTatioJi, hewever, W!)s the street itself.' Tarring operations were being carried out by' a Corporation, goiig, and while several drums of tar which had been brought in a dray were being emptied into a boiler, some of tho tar got into the fire* j box. Ah immediate blafco resulted, which quickly sprend for n distmjen I nlong tho newly-tarred Wood-blorifs, ami heavy clouds of smoke arose, Tho tiro brigade was called out, and tho firp-ni-Gil soon smothered the flames with wet sacks. 'i'ratnftars were held tip for n tintc while the blaso was in progress, tmel ivhen they resumed running tho far : and snnd which had fun into thf> rails gave rise to friction., riiieh rtiarto the underbodies of the curs blaze with oloctric sparks. At niuhi tlio sparking made quite a brilliant spectacle, Tfc j burning tar did Ho great amount of damage to the street. The Newtowji Zoo has received an addition of two Australian fesos, and, incidentally, Wirtli's Cir«iis menagerie lias been augmented by two nioro Monkeys, t]'« two principals concerned, liav-. i'be ■effected ail exchange of animals. This is_ ths seootid. poeasion on which the visit of Wirtli's Ckeus has resultffl in additions to tho collection at the Wellington Zoo. _ A' kingfish witli what is so far tho record weight was caught by Mr. A. D. Campbell off I'eercy Ismtid t *Bussell, on Buturday (says our Auckland correspondent). The length of tho fish was sft., its girth was 3Cin., and it weighed 911b. The weight beat that of the next largest fish known to have been caught (one taken by Mr. Barry, of Waihi) by sjlb. ■ The fish showed great light, and had Mr, Campbell cmito exhausted by the time lie landed it. Tho operation took 85 miiU'itos. Tliu Garrison Artillery companies of tho Wellington const defences go into utunp on Friday cveiiing next for their annual training. They will bo manning Forts Dorset, Balhnce, sind Kolbtiruo, rtnd will remain i« camp till Saturday of the following week. Shortly .beforn 8 p.m. yesterday tho sound of niarthj ntusio was to bo hoard in Lambtou Quay, and tiio usual "What's iip" crowd gathered. Tfro Inve'rcargilt Hibernian Hand, ft-osli from vintpry at tlio Auckland ilixliibitipsi baud contest, inai'chcd tlirougli the streets playing the lively contest march on their way to join tho Maori far smith. A suggestion was inade to Bandmaster Wills to play a. few selections on board tlie steamer prior to her departure, and tho request was readily responded to, inucli to tho delight of tho largo crowd of people that had gathered at tho ship's side. Tim baud played tho march agaiti, mid then a quartet of cornet players rendered a pretty air. just as the Maori was drawing out from the wharf a cornet player played "Say Au Revo jr." The music sounded beautiful acrosl the water, and loud cheers frsie given for the- departing bandsmen, ' I

Mr. J. H> Estill, Commercial Superintendent ef tlie Port of London Authority, will address members of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce and business men in ttio Chamber of Commerce at 3. o'clock this afternoon. On Friday evening next, February 20, Mr. Esfcili will give a public lecture entitled "London, the Imperial Port and Market of the World," illustrated by lantern slides, in tho Coiicort Chamber of tiio Town Hall at 8 p.m. Tho chair will b& taken by His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. P. tukc).- There will be no charge for admission.

Their Honours the Chief Justice and Sir. Justice Hosking will sit at 9.45 a.m.' on Friday to fix the order of busi- , c«es in the ensuing civil B.p.i.sioias.

At the Trades Hall to-night a ■conference will be hold of delegates from various unions in the Wellington district with a view t<l strengthening the local ■branch of the United Labour party, In December last, it may bo explained, tiio District Gouucil ef tho tfnited Labour party was dissolved, and in its stead two bodies wore created—tho Trades Council, to attend to industrial matters, and the Labour party branch, to guido tho political forces. Conferences to strengthen fiach of these bodies Jja-Vo ftow been, summoned, add the political conference will bo held to-night. Mr. D. M'Lai-en, chairman of the Wellington Maiii Branch of tho United Labour party, will preside.

• It is rumoured that there will shortly lie further interesting developments in connection with tho Customs Department in Christchureh.—Press Aetiociu* tion,

Tenders for the motor-buses <rf which the City Council has authorised iha purchase will be dqa.lt .with by the City Council at Hβ meeting to-morrow night. It is understood that tto bodies will not : be of tho longitudinal seat type adopted by tho Itolbunio Motor Bus ■Company, but will have transverse scats of tor the manner of the motor charabanc. It is considered that these wijl better stiiit the special purposes for which tho City Council requires the buses-— opening up new districts as feeders to tlio tramway service, and also as , observation cars for a moving survey of such parts of the city as aro not accessible bv tratn-oai. These induce tho Queen's Drive, Happy Valley, Upper Soseneath, and Wilton's Bush.

Prior to his sermon at St. Joseph's Church, Oliakmie, last Sunday tho Hev. Father Maillard announced that after n full inspection of the town and its surroundings tho Sisters had decided to open a convent in Ohakune next February, after tho Christmas holidays.

Tlio pHponga Coal Miners' Union was registered yestefctay under tho Arbitration and ConciMafcibit Act.

It lias been formally arranged: that tno wages and working conditions of stage employees in Auckland shall bo in lino with those- obtaining in tho other New Zealand centres' says <ui exchange. Tte matter was broached at a meeting of the _ Concilia tioii Council iii Auckland some time age, and iii was decided that the award, arrived at jn Ch.risieb.ureh, at which sitting Auckland was to bs represented* should bo accepted as a Dominion awn*d. The resuit- is an improvement all round for ■stage-hands in Auckland. ■'■"•■ '" ''• '■ ■ •'• ~