LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Riverina, which left Sydney' on Wednesday for Auckland, has on board Australian mails 1 , and also a small English mail, via Suez. _ The Wellington portion is due per 'Main Trunk express on Monday afternoon. Plans have now been prepared by Mc-ssrs. Creighton and M'Kay, architects, for extensive additions to the promises of the Wellington Publishing Company. The Jjuildings will include a three-story structure at the rear of tho present premises, aiid also an additional story will be added to the bulb store, facing Boulcott Street. Tenders .will bo called next week for the carrying 'out of tho work. A huge plate-glass window, .valued at £10, was blown in at the Wellington Gas Company's offices, ill Courtenay Placo, at ail early hour yesterday morning. Tho wind was not alone responsible for the damage. The police havo received information that: a man under tho influence'of drink cracked the win--dow badly late on Thursday night. Tlio lioavy southerly gale which raged yesterday did further damage to the window, and a new pane was inserted yesterday afternoon. The demand for farm hands in the Wellington district nt the present timo appears to exceed tho ■supply, reports tho Labour Department. During tho last few days over 20 applicants for farm work havo been dealt with by tho Department. , The conference of the respective committees of tho Wellington branch of tho United Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party regarding the proposal made by the latter bodv at a recent meeting of tho United 'Labour. Party of endeavouring to stop the splitting of tlie Labour vote at future elections, will probably take placo. at tho latter end of next week. It is. confidently toped to have tlie matter settled as tlio result of this conference..

During tho Municipal Conference, wluohf ended yesterday, two papors (printed) wero circulated amongst dele-' gates dealing with matters of municipal moment. One paper, entitled "The Consolidation of Local Bodies 1 Loans," was bv Mr. James Anderson, City Accountant, of Christchurch, and the other, "Municip.il ' Book-keeping Simplified,'' was by Mr. Alexander M. Owen, city book-keeper, of Christchurch. The London "Times;'.' in its summary of the recent Salvation Army International Congress, says that "next to the' Americans, the New Zealand group of delegates _ made _ the "deepest impression with their, plain, solid, undemonstrative faith.'' Some of the New Zealand--delegates, who are on their return jour*' t ney, reached Suez yesterday. Two new unions have been registered uy the' Labour Department during the past few days—the Ross Gold Mine limployees' Industrial Union of Workersand the Green Island Coal Miners' Industrial Union of Workers. The Labour_Department has arranged to dispatch 25 men for employment in ihe I'ahiatua District nest week. Messrs. Baldwin and Rayward, patent attorneys, of 215 Lambton Quay, report that they have filed the following applications for patent of New Zoaland, recently:—J. A. Heskett, Wailii, magnetic iron ore treatment preparatory to smelting;-A. C. Murray and W. W. Snutli, Timaru, tin container; H. G. lilfborg, Chicago, auto rail creeper; A. v.- Murray, Timaru, combined' handle and detaching lever for 'lids of containers; G. N. Jensen,i Okiwi, improved non-refillablo bottle; E. J. Rand and .- G.-H. Baker, Wellington, liair, thread; y and fluff-gatherer; G. D. Jury,' Tomahawk, Otago, improved means of stoi>-'' pmg steamships; C. H. Fisher, Wellington, improved device' for "holding letters; A. A. Armstrong, Cheltenham, N.S.W., improvements in wire-woven, mattresses; D. Harvey, Box Hill; Victoria, improvements in ploughs and the like.. , ; ; Writing to a friend in Wellington, a Commonwealth official who has recently returned to Australia from a visit. to • the East states that he noticed whilst at Manila that the Americans in public offices were being gradually supplanted - by Philiponos, and to him it seemed as if Uncle Sam were preparing to "let go." _ Japan surprised the visitor by the amazing evidence in every town of the influence of Western ideas, "which were < robbing the cities,\ at all events, of their old-time picturesqueness. ■ He -was an eye-witness of the funeral of • the late Empress of Japan—a most impressive spectacle.. The funeral procession left tho Royal Palace at' 8 p.m., the gloom of the night garishly • lit ; by. , torches, lanterns, etc., borne by those . , forming the long cortege, adding to the awe and solemnity of the sight. When the writer reached Hong-Kong-bubonic plague was raging, with a gha6% toll to the tune of 200 deaths -weekly. At the Dominion Museum' on Tuesday next an exhibition is to bu held of water-colour paintings and sketches done by General. Robley' at TauraUga and in that district in the years 1864-5. - General Robley was at that time a lieu- ■ tenant in tie 68th Regiment; and in liia.; leisure hours made numerous. sketches , of Maori life, of Tauranga, Maketu, To Kanga, Matapipi, and the famous fight qt Gate Pa! The<-whole collection is extremely interesting for many reasons,.and should be of particular interest to Army veterans resident , in: Wellington. . A deputation, consisting of Mr. W. Lock, chairman of the Nelson Educa- 1 tion Board, and Mr. B.'J. Scantlebury, ■ a member of the Board, waited upon, the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. Allen) yesterday and complained that the capitation,''6d. : anco, was ii'ot sufficient for the paymentof relieving teachers, and the board was £GOO -in arrears. A more prompt payment of technical education'grants was .asked, and ;it was 'recommended -'-that- -v the teaching 'given-;in tho / Westnort ! Technical engineering classes should-be recognised by the Marino Department,: . as part of.the necessary fivo '-rears' training required before certificates were granted.. It was pointed out that , the work done in the classes \~aa particularly good, and tlio students learned more than they would under a private employer. In repaying Mr. Allen said that it was nevef intended'that the capitation fee of 6d. -should wholly', relieve the boards, of some responsibility in tho payment of relieving teachers.. It was only to assist to that end. He promised to look into the matter of technical education grants, and said , that he had no desire to withhold payment. With regard ,to the Westport Technical School he would be pleased toihave the Marine.Department recognise the work done in the engineering classes, lit was a matter for the, Minister of Marino with whom he would confer. . * There is every indication of a return of prosperous, times to Masterton (■writes'our special correspondent). At the present time buildings to -the value of over £10,000 are; in course of erection, and others are in contemplation. The erection of municipal buildings at a cost of £10,000, and the expenditure of £16.000 in extending the water service will create a good deal of further • employment. For some months past houses have been at' a premium, and trade generally has been showing improvement. ' Many a time younger ians, have been informed tbnt +be earlier residents used to catch, fish from th» steps of , tho building which in those days occupied the site on which is now built, tho Empire Hotel. At, the town-/ nlinhinu lecture, last night, Sir Robert Stout said that when he first-landed iii .Wellington'lie landed on the beach .which ran up to this same site. ,It is understood that there is unlike-; 1.7 to be any appeal against the judgr«ont of the Sunreme Court 'in the libel case. Fairb ; ;rn v. "OtaTO Daily Times," saya a Press Association message from Dnnedin.