LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2348, 2 January 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The gate receipts for the "Wellington ' Zoo for the month of December totalled £109 4s.—a record since a charge was made for admission. From yesterday, (January 1) the Tramway Board became: dissolved through effluxion of time, and Mr. \Y. H. Morton added to his many duties those of General Manager of the Tramways and Electric Lighting Department, a position to which he was appointed some sis. weeks ago. On the tramways side ho will have Mr. M. Cable as Assistant Manager " and Engineer, and on the electric light, Mr. Geo. Lauchlan • as Electrical Engineer and Assistant Manager. It is probable that the change will'mean that Mr. Morton will concern himself less with the smaller details of the City Engineer's department, and that Messrs. Morice and Paterson will .'be given, greater responsibilities, and assistance to enable them to bear them. Later on the office quarters may he altered, so as to give the Engineer's Department the room its growth demands. Yesterday overcast weather mitigated against the harbour ferry steamers being so well patronised, as they wore on Boxing Day. Despite this fact, how- I over, the steamers engaged in the Day's Bay service carried large numbers of passengers, and the holiday passed off successfully. The Hospital authorities reported last night that Trooper David Gunn Leckie, who suffered serious injury while attempting to escape from ' the Mount Cook Barracks on Monday, was in much' the same condition as on Thursday night.. On New Year's Eve tie Salvation 'Annj Band travelled the city playing musical selections. As a result of the collections taken up at various parts of the town the War Emergency Fund Will benefit' to the extent of £15 175.-Bd. The beach at Point Chevalier (Auckland), since the hospital reserve grounds have been thrown open to the public, has proved a very popular holiday place for. people in the western part of the city, and excursionists there enjoyed a novel and picturesque sight on Thursday morning, reports the "Star,'.' when a party of about 500 Maoris from the Avondalo military camp marched over to the beach, and the whole battalion engaged simultaneously in a swim. These men of picked physique were almost all expert' swimmers, and their evolutions in the water attracted the admiration of tho pakeha excursionists who were fortunate enough to be at tho beach at tho time to enjoy tho spectacle. 'A curious defect in the Now Zealand Compensation Act was pointed out to tho Right Hon. Andrew Fishor by one of the Labour representatives who accorded him a public welcome at Auckland on Tuesday, roports the "Herald." Tho clause referred to was tho "domicile"- clause, which provides that if a man comes to this country and is killed whilo working' in New Zealand, his wife will only bo entitled to compensation provided she is domiciled in tho Dominion. Mr. Fishor said that tho-law . should be altered, but remarked that it was purely a matter for tho Now Zealand Govonimonfc and was not a ques- > tion of reciprocity. When told that tho law was the samo in Australia, ho replied: "I ani glad to bo placed in pes- ! session of this information, but it ' Rstounds me. An appeal to the common ! sense of the people would surely justifv j the action which has been'suggested.' - ' Kirkealdie and' Stains, Ltd., announce , to their customers and the shopping ; publio generally that they will close at 1 ' JW», tedftv. M XWAUnMvt. JU

One lady in Balclutha complained (says the "Clutha Leader"), that the; ballot boxes were put too high up on' tho wall, and, on inquiry, it was'discovered that she had deposited her vot-t; iug papers in one of the wooden bosv, ventilators on the wall instead of in the ballot box. r

Nearly every sailing vessel trading re-| gularly to Lyttelton has at 6ome time! of its existenco been reported as havingj foundered, states a Chriatchurch.paper.j ITio latest vessel to be the subject of Well a rumour is tho schooner Morning Light, whioh trades between Lyttelton end the Sounds. During the past few..' days it has been persistently reported; that tho vessel, which left for Waitapu ■ at tho beginning of tbo present month/' had not yet reached her destination. Inquiries made from the local agents, 1 however, elicited tho information thatthe Morning Light loft on her return j trip to Lyttelton some days ago, and is expected to arrive before tho endi o? th«i weoi.

That Australia was more coneerva-'; tive than New . Zealand 60 far as theplumbing trade was concerned, was a statement made to the Australian Prime Minister on Wednesday by Mr. J.. Clarke, secretary of the Plumbers' and Plasterers' L'nion, and a member ofc a party which accorded Mr. Fisher a wet* come on behalf of Labour. Not only,! he said, had tho plumbers' organisations' in Australia turned their facea against" New Zealand representations for «. mutual recognition of certificates, but even", between the States there was no reciprocity in this matter, and plumbersi travelling from ono State to another' had to secure fresh certificates. In the' Dominion, the position was that certicates issued in one centre were recognised in ail'the other centres. Mr, 1 Fisher (explained that the Federal Par-i liament could not deal with the matter, "You will understand when you are as! old as I am," he added, "that every; section of labour in;every country has; its own peculiar little prejudices. They;-, believe-they will be better, Conservatism does not apply, only to the parties that are opposed to ss."—rY Auckland "Herald." ' j

What is deemed to be a record catch' of fish, by Mr. C. C. B'uckland, of Monarch) Cambridge, and Mr. _A. C< Wilshire, of British Columbia, is re-< ported by an Auckland paper. The two( anglers fished all day on Monday last,; and landed between them 85 trout,_ aver-' aging 51b. The biggest rainbow in the; catch turned the scale at 101b., and the-' biggest brown trout 81b. One way in which reciprocity between!," Australia and New Zealand might baj extended was suggested to the Bjghtj Hon. Audrew Fisher at Auckland this, week by Mr. W. E. Parry, member of' •the executive of the Federation of La-j hour. It was pointed out that in the New Zealand Workers' Compensation! Act no provision was made- for miners'-!' complaint, it being argued that it was? ■not fair that this country should pay,;, compensation to a miner who may have- 1 contracted the disease in Australia. Ip.i reply, Mr.' Fisher remarked that the; Federal Parliament had no power to: deal .with thus matter, which was pure*; I,' one for the State Parliaments toj .tackle. He agreed, that /the arguments! was sound, and that the matter was: one for. reciprocity.—"Auckland Heraid."

I Mr. J. Langridge will leave for Auckland on_ Monday next to bring down &■• young lion, which Mr. J. J. Boyd, of, the Onchunga Zoo, is lending the local institution. Mr. Langridge is expect-' ed to arrive with his charge on Wed-* nesday next. \ The annual exhibition of the New) Zealand Academy _ of Fine Arts closest at the .end of this week, and wall hai' open free to'the public on Sunday next.{Sales have been very satisfactory considering the war, and the commission/, resulting therefrom should result in an, goodly sum being handed to the Belgian Relief Fund. The drawing of the second art union resulted as follows':—?; First prize, £6, Miss Eeanish; 2nd' prize, £5, Miss Olive Gore; third prize* £3, Miss Gyles. 'An error crept into the list of petition prize-winners published last Wednesday. In the Radium Boot Pol- 1 ish. Competition the winner should' have read/Lionel Abbott, Lawrence Street, Auckland. A complete list of winner* \. will be published' next Saturday.