LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2153, 20 May 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Prime. Minister informed a reporter last evening that tlie <G«r<orfimeni's programme of legislation for the coming -session was well in hand, a;id wo-«M bo ready in goad time before tar* liainent assembled. So many important i?n-easim?s have already been annoi-meed that it is thought no I unlikely that the ■ session, commencing at the end of June, may hist- until the en£ of October, a : period of four months. This'ivonld leavo about §vo weeks available for electioneering. assuming the elections to be held, as they are likely to be, early in December, <

That some latter-day improvements and eonvtmieiices aro net yet universally understood was escmpli'iied in an experience which recently befell a .gu.est nt ono of tho city hotels. So. was a fisherman by trade, and had lived for many years in an outlying; bay, far from the -madding ■crowd, visiting tho city infrequently, and staying ' for a very brief period when ho did visit it. On'tlio occasion of his latest visit ho departed front his usual custom mid put up at a hotel for tho night. Tho building was illuminated with p.a-s, and when the fisherman sought his bedroom lie blew out the light just before turning in, Before long lie bee.afti® exec editifily uncomfortable, hut ( had not the least idea as to what was ; the- matter. Finally he made for the window, wditeh had benit closed, and threw it- wide ■ <( pp». That savin! the situation, and possibly a life. In any ease, when the hotel people, attracted by the- smell of gas, sought out the room and iwstltisted inquiries, they found the adventurous fisherman still powdering over the problem of his exceeding disoomumvell, but not serious!? tlio worse i'lif his experience. People who wore in flic hotel nt the time are wondering iusL what would have happened. jf i«r liatl gone looking far. tin? cause of his (rouble with a match instead of opening the window. The Telegraph QfiVee advised yesterday inonimg that-only ono wire to Qislioi'iie was working. Several hundred messages were on'hand, , and there was no prospect of further outlets during the day. Tlw adjourned annual meeting of the Wellington frtdttstrkl Association will be held -in tho association'* fopm-D to- . aerrow OVOOMR.

Mr. R. W. Slmjlcrass, the secretary and organiser of the New Zealand Sports i'rutcctiou League, arrived back yesterday from a toor of the south.' In the course of his travels lie visited Naseby, unci was immensely iinisivssetl with the possibilities of that- place as a resort for tile practice of those winter games that are so popular in Europe. So early in the season the iws tin the milting dams had been strong, enough for curling, and sonic gomes Mid -befe-ii played the day before lie arrived. Slier® was also a long spell of good, dra-r leather that was ideal for skating. Air. Shalkms also holds that the terraced i formation of the country ma.kes Nasftby a lino location for slu-img—a sport that is enormously popular ill Switzerland and Noway. ' It was, Ire, said, a sport thai should lie encouraged. bath an ■ Donedin, ami, possibly, on the -stapes of Mount Ruapclm, in lite Nortl^lsland. Plans for the ir-'.v Central Police Station, which is to be erected on tire sec- ! tkm formerly occupied by the Tlwivtro Koyal, >aro being prepared, but liavo not yet beers completed. It is; expected that tlie Lamhlaii IMico Station, wlieii it is vacated by it-s occupants, will be used to accommodate Bdmis sectkvus of the staff of t'he Jostled Department-. The IJult Licensing Committee should according to the Act, hold its meet-in! on Mime 3, but as the King's B-irthda; tails on that date tl-io meeting hai been post-patted fill Jiffio 5, The following are the iwmiiiAtio,iiE for the twelve seats on the Council o! the Wellington Chamber of Commcre-e: —Messrs. T. Ba!iin<r,er, W. J. Bridmu, T. 0. Dawson, W. 0. Dutliie, \V. G. foster, 3. G. Hafkuess, C, W. jolies, James 'Macintosh., i'\ W. Marital, James jVl'Lellan, G. W• Shirt eliffe, W. J. Thompson, and R. W. Waterhonse. 'ilia result will be announced at t-l're annual meetiii!: rf tii-o chamber next week, Twa noiiiinat-ian-s have been received ! for the Vacant seat -Mi the JliTamiit' Bor- ' oiigii Council caused by the Tcsiena- ' tioii of Cenncillor Bell. Mr. Bejtfy Mav--5 tho-rii has been HoWiftated by Messrs. ' G. W. Houcl'.en, 11. K. ■Richards. K 15. 5 B. He-iider.son s H, A. S-ftiifch, and "ft. B> - Ti>mlin, mid Mr. John Telfoid, )»y -■ Messrs. J. M. GecUi-s and 11, N, . M'L'.-od. cmir.at-ioim close at n«on -.■to-day and a -pall will btj taken on Wed-

1 ncsdaj,- May *27. f: The. Australian Minister of Defence r (Senator. F.. I). Mitten) stated 011 Tiksj day of last week tluii an invitation had heon received from the jfew Zealand * Government for one or morn of the sli.tys ~ of the Moral Australian Xavy to visit ° the Dominion, "This Govonnnsni," 3 paid Senator MHlon, f 'has given a most • cordial reception to the suggestion, and i' tt is now most probable thai svich a visit 1 v. ill he arranged towards the end of the > year." It is hoped that the whole fleet, with the- esseptfcm of this sivbmai'in.c-5, X may Ci'Oiss ±l>.e Tiisma-n Sea. There is nc . doubt (says tho "Sydney Morning Her- „ rtld")'that an enthnsiasiic reception will , be- givr-n to the- fleet in New Zealand, v v:l;cr<? the new -policy of Mr. Sfossey's Government. for t!;« establishment of ? -* local nnvy on Australian lines lias beer "■ received with growing approval. it is 0 felt by both Governments that the pro V posed visit would do much to ctfnviuet . the- people of Xe.v Zealand as to tlx ''.iimnr.iiiity of interests ill defence tnai o t. rs_ which exists between the two Do minions, and to foster -the same hcalt h' v »«v-ni SwT.timeiit 5 iit New whirl

lias been treated in the Commonwealth. 4 . opening tho Supreme Court sessions at New Plymouth, Judge' Edwards congratulated the Graild jury on the' continued 'mninmty of the district from serious crime t'savs a Press Association telegram). Oiily two criminal cases wcr'o i ; oil the list—against William Ogier, for embezzlement.,- ami. against Amok! Vic- < tor Smith, for breaking and entering j and' theft. la bfftli cases true bills were j returned. ■ '' ' , A big experiment has been made by ' Messrs. W, I). ai:d 11. 0. Wills (a < branch of tho Imperial Tobacco C 0.),: 1 and 100 acres more have fen. put tinder, i tobaceo by them at Raleigh (named ! after Sir Walter I'ateigh, who first in- 1 t reduced tobacco in England), live miles ; from Texas. .Messrs. Wilis desire, to ■ make tobacco a white man's industry; ; to .get the most improved methods »t : cultivation., and of handling, tho leaf. : Tire? ar-o, therefore, importing British people to carry cn ilie industry, will) i a guarantee of a standard wage. Already sixteen bouses have been erected | for these immigrants, and tho whoio scheme, provides for fifty families, and 600 aerc-s tinder tobacco. Irrigation is ; , being provided far, aiid. steivm traction ■ for ploughing, go tihat the prospects " of a successful qrop will ho made '®s i sAire. as possible. Mr. Jennings, tho ; 1; expert, of the company, who has had i ; considerable experience in tobacco grow- . ii'.jt, bftth in Australia, and England, is 1 in ehargo of th« new scheme-. i A ballut for eleven sections in tho • rural warkcis' settlemwit at Sokay r was taken to-night. The ballot was conr fined to married men, most of whom - have employiheiit, in tho district, tells- » rtrnr»li.S our ATnsffrrrrin nrfcT^Acftn-i-wln'ivf