LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 120, 14 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from London that the mails which left Wellington on December 3b, via Panama, arrived in London on February 10.

It is estimated that nearly 11,000 persons attended Saturday’s cricket match at the Basin Reserve between Australia and Wellington. Nine thousand spectators paid for admission, and in addition there -was a small army of boys present who were on the ’’free list,” besides several hundred holders of houmen) bets’ tickets. Friday’s and Saturday’s attendances aggregated 15,000, and the gate receipts for the two days amounted to £B32—easily a record.

A motorist who parked his- car in Victoria Street 1 alongside Messrs. Kcwptliorne, Prosser, and Co.’s building at 8.15 on Saturday night, returned at 9.15 and found that the car had disappeared. The loss was reported to the police, but up to last night no trace had been found of the missing car. The car waS a Ford, No. AC.352.

The chief executive officer of the Dominion Rille Association, Colonel R. J. Collins, C.M.G., stated in Auckland that the arrangements for tho'coming annual rifle championship meeting at Trentham were now in a very forward state. A largo entry was anticipated. It would, fioin all accounts, reach the r.ccord,. GOO. The ammunition was to lx', 'of a carefully selected issue. Messing accommodation would be provided in the building alongside the Dominion Rifle Association’s mess room. Sleeping quarters would be in huts ns before, and every effort would be made to keep members of each club together. Arrangements had l»een made with a, contractor for the catering. Offers were coming in freely from markers, ami the association had practically selected the required number of reliable mon. The prize moirey had been increased to £2OOO. The meeting would open on Thursday, March 3, and finish on Friday, March 11.

In response to an inquiry as to when the new entrance gates were to be provided for the: Botanical Gardens, the chairman 'of the Reserves Committee (Councillor AV. J. Thompson) stated t at, tenders were being called. It was hopw that the new entrance would be provided this year.

Evening classes at the Wellington Technical College commence this week. Students are urged t*o» enrol at the beginnin’g of the course: A wide range of instruction is provided for the lending skilled trades and art. crafts, and in commercial and domestic subjects. Special courses are provided for the public examinations.

The dispute between the. Petone Council and the gas stokers in respect to the payment of the 3s. bonus granted by the Arbitration Court has not yet been settled, and in or/ler to maintain the supply of gas to the consumers the council has found it necessary to employ nn extra stoker.

The Minister of Lands Ilion. D. H. Guthrie) -has been considering plans for the creation of a new land district embracing the East Coast districts, including Whakatane. with Gisborne as its headquarters. He informed a Dominion reporter that the prcliminaiy. aiiangemeats for the separation of this district from Auckland had been made, but he would visit the district himself before a final decision was made. The subdivision of a land district involves an enormous amount of detail work, ami cannot bo undertaken lightly, even when the administrative advantages are great. Mr. James Carney, a Rakaia fishing enthusiast, recently landed a very fine trout at the moutlt-ol the hakaia. On being weighed the fish turned the scale nt 2231 b. The lure used was a gold devon.

The following resoliil ion lias been passed bv the Wellington Council of the Church of England Men's Society and is being sent to the Minister of Internal Aaffirs:—"That Um Wellington Council of'the Church of England Men s Soeiciy express to the Hon. G. J. Anderson. Minr n f Internal Affairs, its satisfaction al- <llO steps recently taken to improve the censorship of moving pictures, and ncsiire Mile Government of the support of the society in any efforts made io raise the standard of moving pictures exhibited throughout the Dominion.

Can you invent a time-saving device? Perhaps you have an idea that will develop into a money-making invention. If you have, protein it by patent right. Consult Henry Hughes, Limited, Patent Attorneys, 157 Fea Iherston Street, Wellington. Write or call for free booklot, "Adrien to Inventors.”—Advd

There is interesting data in tho annual balance-sheet of the Wellington Choral Union, showing the amount of money that is sent spinning round by such societies. The most satisfactory performance, from a box office point of view,' was "The Messiah," which yielded £275. "Hiawatha” produced £177 25.; "Lucia dl Lammermoor,” £llB 65.; and "Elijah” £lOO ss. In addition to these door receipts, honorary members’ subscriptions totalled £403 13s. No less than £419 was disbursed in principals’ fees, and the orchestra cost £9l 6s. Music to the value of £B9 17s. Id. was bought during the year. The fact that the year yielded a balance of £167 17s. indicates sound committee and secretarial work. The excess of the union’s assets over liabilities stands at £7OG ISs. A Dominion Conference of Local Bodies Officers will bo held at the Dominion Farmers’ Institute on Wednesday next to consider the formation of a guild or association.

A heavy fog in Wellington Harbourand iu the Strait prevented the Arahura from clearing the Heads until 4 o’clock on' Thursday morning (says an exchange). Once out into the Straits a fast run of 3] hours was made to Picton, which was reached before 8 o’clock, in time to connect with the morning tram. The comfort of the passengers was not neglected by the. ship’s staff. Although it was not anticipated when sailing that breakfast would have to be serve!, the cooks made an early start and the breakfast gong was sounded at 20 minutes to 8 o’clock, just as the steamer was berthing. Ample time was allowed by the railway management for passengers to finish breakfqst anti get their baggage ashore. Commenting on the passage and arrangements on the trip a traveller from the north said: "I consider you have, one of the finest services in New Zealand here, and some of the smartest officer's, crew, and staff of the Union Company’s fleet are on the Arahura.”

According to two gentlemen who called into the Christchurch “Press” office last week, a suspected case of fireblight has appeared at Lansdown, near Tai Tapu. It is stated that a hawthorn hedge has been affected at intervals over a length of several chains, the suspected parts being apparently quite dead. Other portions of tho hedge are stated' to be alive and green. Tho matter has been reported to the Agricultural Department.

An unusual display of emotion was witnessed at the Supreme Court in Auckland on Thursday (says an exchange), when, at the conclusion of a case, four members of one family were overcome by their feelings. A* lad of 15 years had been acquitted on a serious charge and immediately upon leaving the dock he fell to the floor in a faint. His mother promptly swooned into the arms of a mounted constable, who carried her outside. The pair lay, faintly moaning in the shade while restoratives were applied. The lad’s aunt and sister arrived upon the scene, and, observing the condition of their relatives, exhibited ominous signs of faintness and distress. Finally all were restored to comparative calmness, and the quartette left in a motor-ear.

The annual report of the War Relief Association of Wellington states that during the year ended November 30, 1920, 42 loans were authorised by the Finance Committee, “enabling the appellants concerned to completely re-estab-lish themselves in commercial life,” such advances 'being; supplementary to the assistance extended by the Repatriation Department. Many of the cases were referred direct to the committee by the Department. In addition, 11 soldiers were placed on land, in eases where £750 Crown lands advance was not sufficient to meet the expenditure on stock and implements.

The Auckland Acclimatisation Society, having turned out large grey geese, Canadian geese, English wild duck (mallard), English widgeon. English teal, .and New Zealand white and black widgeon, the Governor-General has directed it to be notified that such birds and their offspring, and every bird of a- like species in this acclimatisation district is vested in the local society for the next three years.