LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2263, 24 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It Is worth noting that in Victoria, where the general elections fall due at the same time as' the New Zealand general election, there has not been the • slightest indication of any intention to postpone tho contests on account of the war. On the contrary, the idea does not seem to have occurred to anyone that such a course was necessary. At latest advices tho date generally regarded as boinp; likely was November 20. The Victorian Parliament expires by effluxion of time on December 4. As a guide to the public of Wellington, and us an indication to local authorities elsewhere who may be contemplating the establishment of fish markets, it is interesting to note the average price that has been asked for certain kinds of fish throughout the first year of the Wellington market's existence (which ends on October 4). The prices are as follow:—Flat fish (soles and flounders) and 6moked fish (any kind), 6d. per lb.; trumpeter (in slices), 4d./ per lb.; butterfisb, blue cod, hapuka or groper, 3d. per lb.; round fish, (schnapper, hake, king fish, moki), 2Jd. per lb.; warehou, trevalli, John Dory, ■conger eel, gurnet; 2d. per lb.; barra? couta, ljd. to 2d. per lb.; kahuwai, horse mackerel, Id. to ljd. per lb.; garfish (according to size), 6d. to Is. per dozen; oysters (rock and Stewart Island), 4tl: per doz.; trout (from Lake Taupo), fresh, 6d. 'per lb.; smoked, 10d. per lb.; whitebait (in season), ranging from Is. to 2s. per lb. The Postmaster-General announces that cable telegrams for places in Great Britain written in plain, language will be charged for at ten lettors to a word, irrespective of the actual number of letters contained in any one word. Groups of figures will continue to be counted as at present—five figures to a word. , ' Any'surplus group of letters occurring immediately before a group of figures will be counted as one word. Tho telegrams aro to be written as at present, and the words will be telegraphed in their usual form, and not broken up into groups of ten letters. The alteration being one of charging only should prove a substautial concession and saving ill the cost of cable messages to England. A hardy and serviceable littlo volume is the City Corporation's year-book for 1914-15, just issued. Year by year sees some improvement in this informa. tive little hand-book, which giVes all essential facts in regard to tho city from a municipal point of view. This year thoro is published interesting _ information about the city's loans, sinking fund investments, debentures, and (with interest and dates of maturity). One oan obtain a deal of knowledge about the tramways and electric lighting utilities, and the schedule of charges for the city halls is set out in full. There is also much information about our reserves, abattoirs, libraries, fire brigade, cemeteries, water supply, etc. Among the many excellent illustrations which brighten up the little volume are new pictures of the re-cently-acquired Williams Park (nt Day's Bay)', the f'Zoo," Botanical Gardens, and the reservoirs. The personnel of all the principal local bodies is also included in this neatly-compiled book of reference. . V ■ Of twenty-three centenarians who died last year in the Commonwealth, eleven Tvere residents of New South Wales and seven of Victoria. The oldest centenarian, on the list which ia included in a return issued by tho Commonwealth Statistician (Mr. G. H. Knibbs), ivas a grazier of New South Wales, who had the misfortune to meet his death through a. fall when 112 years of age. Ho had lived in the Commonwealth for ninety-six years. Two -women, aged respectively 108 and 102, succumbed to bums. One of them had resided in Australia for ninety-three years. Tho longest residence in the Commonwealth was 107 years, by a groom, who Tvas born at eea, and lived all his 107 years in Australia. Of two Australian natives, the oldest was 110 years. The total number of years of the twenty-three centenarians was 2364, "but only in thirteen cases was senility given as the cauee of death. An application has been made by the Wellington Wharf Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers "to the Hnrbour Board to allow them the use of X Shed to hold a meeting for the purpose of deciding oh a contribution towards the Huntlv Disaster Fund. Tho Harbour Board last night granted tho Use of tho shed. During the little function yeeterday afternoon at ivhich Mr. Frank Hurley, of the Shackletan Expedition, was presented by the Mayor with a New Zealand flag, Mr. John Fuller said that feiv people over stopped; to consider the great enterprise and courage which the kinematographer displayed in getting out-of-the-way pictures. It had always been a mystery to him why tho kinomatograph was not put to more general use in the preservation of pictures of historical events. His firm had tried to get a series of records of the work going on lin connection with tho troopships, but it did not matter whether you woro Liberal or Reform (in political colour), they could not for love or- money fret permission to take the pictures. Ho had thought that the Government would value the possession of a copy of such an event. On his return from Antarctica, Mr. Frank Hurley, tho official photographer and cinema expert of tho Shacklcton Expedition, intends to tour New Zealand with a convpleto kineinatographic storv of tho crossing of the great wliito continent. Ho is to ho one of a party of six, who with Shackloton will mako tho long dash.