LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2213, 28 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Makura, which sailed from' Suva on Friday for Auckland, is.bringing im%lisli and American mails via Vancouver. The Wellington portion is due per Main Trunk express to-morrow morning. The. Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Messey) will attend the opening of the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies' Conference this morning, and ho will deliver an address to the delegates. A slight disturbance was 1 caused in a local picture theatre last evening by tlio apprehension by the police of a young, well-dressed woman, who, in a state of pronounced drunkenness,: l!nd a baby in her arms. Both were made comfortable'for the night at the Lambton Quay police station." A collection of £45 10s. was taken up at the Biblc-in-State Schools League's demonstration, in tho Town Hall last night. , ' . •, ■ . Tho warship Psyche and Py ramus left Wellington for Lyttelton at 3 p.m. yesterday. Their .departure from port attracted ■•' considerable interest on tho watorfront. A few minutes before the ■appointed sailing time all was bustle on board H.M.S. Psycho, as she lay alongside the Wool AVharf. Punctually at 3 p.m. Captain Marshall mounted the bridge, nnd a second or so later tho cruiser was obsorved to move slowly astern. Beautifully handled, she backed well out iu front of tho Queen's Wharf, 'and with a graceful sweep,moved down tlie harbour. The Pyrnmus, lying out in the stream, fell into line astern, and the two warships,, in that order, steamed out to sea. Tho meeting of moderates to be held in , the Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall to-morrow evening is creating considerable interest. The objects, which aro framed on comprelmnsivo lines, appeared in our "advertising columns of Friday last. It is understood that a very strong platform for the reform of the liquor trado from tho public point of .view has been/prepared. Ladies are specially invited to attend. •In connection with the Saturday foothall matches at Petouo, the Railway Department is to bo asked to put on a "sixpenny football train"- to that suburb as an extra inducement to"followers of football to extend their patronage to ' the Petene matches. A special meeting of tho Miramar Borough Council is to be held before tho ordinary meeting on Thursday, to consider, and, if approved, to adopt, a resolution by way of special order that the surpluses of sundry loans bo cx.pendeil on deforced payment drainage work, on wa'tor supply'connections, and on electric undertaking. At the meeting of the Legislation Committee of the City Council, to bo held to-day, tlio Motor Regulation Bill is to be considered in regard to those nspocts of tho measure which concern local bodies.!,

At the headquarters of the Defence Forces in Wellington, there will open this morning a conference of representatives or area groups for the purpose of going into the question of carrying out the recommendations of tho lnspector-Uenoral (Sir lan Hamilton) with regard to tho system of keeping records in the group offices throughout the Dominion. The conference will endeavour to arrive at a decision as to tho most suitable method to adopt.

Ihe Westport Harbour Board has decided to obtain an opinion from Mr. fakerrett, K. 0., as to tho-amount which it could charge for salvage in connection with the refloating of the Union Company's steamer Kauri. Tho board's tug Mana was, it is'claimed, largely instrumental in getting the Kauri afloat again, and-the chairman expressed tho opinion that the board should claim £10,000, -leaving:it to the Admiralty Oourt to make ail award. It was reported at,the board meoting that the Union Company charged £5 per hour lor the-use of its salvage steamer.

■ Mr. Scott Colville, representative for .Messrs. J. and N. Tait, has been adVised that owing to a rearrangement or his aiiairs in America. Mr. Harold Bauer, the eminent pianist,, will havo to return to that country sooner than anticipated. Consequently his tour in New Zealand has.had to be curtailed to appearances in Wellington and' Auckland only. Mr. Harold Bauer is one of the soundest of living virtuosi of the pianoforte, and is a much-revered artist by the really musical. 'He is a pianists' pianist, a consumate master of tho art he professes, without any of the "irritating affectations of the showman.' '

Professor Prince, the Canadian Fisheries' Expert, who was loaned to the Is ow Zealand Government, has now completed his touring work, havingmado himself as thoroughly acquainted with New Zealand fresh and salt-water fash and the conditions; ■ under which they exist as time would permit/ This has meant a cruise round the coasts on the Hinemoa, with trawling nets, and a .comprehensive tour of New Zealand m company with Mr. L; F. Ayson, and a series _ of-interesting internows with acclimatisation societies, professional fishermen,' and fish- salesmen in all partsof the Pominion. Professor Prince is at engaged, in framing his' report, which may be ready for the; printer next week. As soijii as .that work is over it is the visitors intention to leave on a trip to Sydney and Melbourne prior to returning to Canada. . ■

. The. annual dinner of the Yorkshire Society is always an interesting function, tut this year it- promises to be of quite unusual importance. The dinner will take place on Monday, September 7, and will he attended by Mr. Joseph Blamires,.Mayor of Hudderefield, who was recently in Wellington, and it is hoped by all the Yorkshiremen included in. the British Association's party that is -to'.-visit Now Zealand.- As the arrangement at present stands the members of the British, Association - are to leave here for the south on the Saturday night (ll p.mi boat), September S, but a strong effort is l being made to get the Yorkshire contingent to stay in; Wellington over Monday night to give their countrymen iu Wellington an op-portunity-to extend their hospitality to distinguished "tykes." .

A cablegram has beon received from London by Mr. J. Gill, local representative of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Ltd., stating that the Courts have decided in favour of the Marconi Company in its aotion . against', the Helsby Wireless: Company for an infringement- of 'patent.: Some, time ago the - Marconi Company took action against the Helsby Company, the patent which' was alleged to have been in•fringed''.being a turiirig.apparatus known as the 7777 patent. ,

By the, s.s. Rarawa on , Saturday hiorniug there.' arrived at Onohunga a somewhat gruesomo specimen from New Plymouth'. It was the head of what is believed_to have been one of the.big-' Rest octopi ever seen in New Zealand. The octopus was washed ashore at New Plymouth, and the ' tonacles' '< reached over an. area of 35ft., and were six inchos through at the point of juncture with the body. -The head of'the octopus was secured by Mr. Williams, the third engineer of the Rarawa, and will be. presented by him to the Auckland Museum. ' . ' .

A ivharf labourerwas arrested yesterday by .Detective-Sergeant Rawle and Detective Cameron on a charge of theft of three bottles'of .schnapps, valued at 155., the property of Messrs: Turnbull and.Co. The accused will appear before the Court this morning. ,'. ■ ~

The ; eccentricities of Petone's town clock wore: again accorded brief reference at last nigh;'s ■ meeting : of • the Petoue Borough Council. "I want to know what's wrong with the.clock?" inquired Councillor Jones. The Mayor: "We .have : some material to come to hand—new batteries, otc. I think it will be all right laten" A councillor: "I think we had better sell it." Councillor Brockelbauk: "I think it is one big sell as far as we ate concerned."

The valuation noticos now being issued by the Valuation Department as the- result 1 of the latest valuation of the- Cityj are being sent out in a new form devised by the Public Service Commissioner./ Instead of the old heavy glazed paper forms formerly used for this purpose, the new notices consist of a strip of thin white paper two inches in depth on which is neatly typed tie name and address of the owner, and the description, value, and area of the property. ~ The rie.v notices state that the valuation'takes effect as from March i last, and ,that' objections should be posted to the Valuer-General ; so that they may be received not later fhan August 4. As in some cases the values have been substantially increased—in the: case of 'some mid-city properties as much as 30 per tent.—the notice regarding objections is considered in some .quarters to be rather short, as owners who do not happen to be in Wellington, have to be consulted by post. ;