LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 302, 10 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has received a letter from the Gei'ieral Manager oif Bailways (Mr. E. H. Hiley), informing liim that plans for the larger schcnio of reclamation (in the ICaiwarra bight) will be completed very shortly, when he hopes that the Mayor, with the chairman pf the Harbour Board (Mr. C. E. Daniell) will meet the writer, and discuss tho plans with li'.m at r.n early date. Tho Mayor hopes that the planning of tho now area will meet with the approval of _ the three bodies concerned, by definitely outlining tho lay-out of that part of tho city which includes, besides the area proposed to bo reclaimed, the Esplanade and the municipal (Thorndon) baths. It is understood that a similar letter to that received by the Mayor lias been forwarded by Mr. Hiley to Mr. C. E. D/mioll, the chairman of llio Harbour Bon'rdA Press Association telegram from Chriqtchurcl) states that the Mararod, after being in dock yesterday, left for ■Wellington as usual at night. The uucertaintj which prevailed until the afternoon as to whether the steamer would leavo Lyttelton in tho evening caused much perturbation in military circles. It was oventually decided to postpone the departure of the Chrutcliurcli draft of the Forty-sixth Reinforcements unfil to-night, but tho South Canterbury and North Canterbury quotas wont north by the Mararoa. The Boy Scout movement in New Zealand has grown to very large proportions. Lieutenant-Colonel Cosgravo, V.D., chief scout commissioner, stated in Auckland on Friday that about 22,000 boys, under somo. 2500 officers, were at present enrolled. Since the be- . ginning of the year over 300 officers • nad been appointed, 80 _of these having taken up the work within the past month. Apart from their drill, the lads had been assisting the work of the . patriotic associations sinco the commencement of tho war, and also helping the wives and mothers of_ soldiers by digging and planting their gardens. In many centres also they had collected paper and bottles, which they sold in aid of patriotic funds. So great has been the demand for ' tickets in the Copper Trail art union for the Shetland pony that it is expect- ' cd that to-day will see tho last ticket ' sold. Originally it was intended to ' draw this art union on October 1, but " it will now probably be drawn on WedE nesday evening, and the result advertised in Thursday's papers and again - on October 2. ■ ' Writing to Mr. Edward 1 Newman, l M.P., on the subject of tho services i rendered by meicamtile marine men . duri-12 tlie-'war, Mr. laiues lloore, the 3 Sailors' Missioncr, recently said "V'e ; frequently have men with us who have . been torpedoed three, four, or six times. Recently a boy of sixteen was j witn lis who had been blown up 'nice, ; torpedoed once, and was still 'doing ' his bit' at sea." 5 3 Tho Civil Service Club, up till reccnt- . ly located-in Stout Street, had to give . up those premises on the purchase of the building by the Public Trust Of--1 fice. Tho search ifor new quarters resulted in comfortable rooms having i. been found on the first floor of GualV tcr and Co.'s building at the corner 1 of Featherston and Brandon Streets. * The new club rooms are not perhaps so s largo as those just vacated, but they 1 are compact, in a quiet neighbourhood, - and are centrally-situated. The club i- has spent a good deal of money in al- ;- tcrations, with tho result that a fme C suite of rooms has been provided—a f largo sunny billiard room on the corner, 0 with a reading, writing, and newspaper , file room opening off the eastern side, .*, and a cosy card-room on the' featherston Street side. All reasonablo conveniences havo been provided in a very ! ' compact and harmonious wanner. The s opening of the new, rooms took place at 12.30 p.m. on Saturdav in the presence t of a fairly large gathering if members, n Dr. Anderson, the president, in opening tho new club premises. said ( that it was h a very good tiling that there should be a Civil- Service Club. where Governo ment servants could discuss their afh' fairs and develop the, social side of 0 - their characters. Mr. D. Ross, as a foundation member, was humourously [' retrospective in speaking of the vicissitudes of the club, and thought, thai, ' e though they had been kicked out of tlio old place, it would ultimately s be to tho advantage of the club. n Mr. Chittey said that _ the club had ic always heou vcr.v happy in getting good n executive committees, and it thoy i, could always get the members to back 5- them up, he was certain that the sucn cess of the club would be assured. (Applause.) lii —