General News.

Owing to a dispute the State mine at Rapahoe was idle yesterday.

Lectures at Canterbury College will re-commence on Monday next.

Mr J. McNair. District Railway Engineer, will leave for Greytnouth this morning.

Duplication of the telephone service to the West Coast and the installation of carrier "apparatus" is contemplated by the Telegraph authorities. The City Council last night passed a resolution making the general rate, the water rate, and the sanitation fee as agreed to at a previous meeting. It was reported yesterday that the Waimakariri river was a foot higher than normal at White's Bridge. The river was running dirty and the rise had been constant for a day or two.

Work is now proceeding on the roof of the steel waggon shop, the last of the new buildings to be erected at the Addington Workshops, and it will be completed in a few weeks. Raymond Michael, aged 14 years, who resides at 386 Hills road, Merivale, was admitted to the Christchurch Hospital yesterday afternoon with abrasions to the face, and internal injuries through being thrown from his horse. His condition is reported to be satisfactory. Last month saw a big increase in the value of the buildings authorised by the City Council, as compared with August, 1928. Permits were issued for construction work to cost £66,140, the total for the corresponding month last year being £53,069. In cases where a new line is likely to cost more than a certain sum, the Telegraph Department is now giving private contractors an opportunity to tender. Already several such undertakings have been dealt with in this manner.

Commercing yesterday, the public telegraph office at the railway station is being conducted with the railway enquiry office ; instead of in the bookstall. Facilities are now provided for the use of the office for toll calls, as well as for telegrams. Already tho Railway Department is receiving applications for special trains and accommodation for school excursions and arrangements have been made for one or two at the end of the present month. It is anticipated that the year will be a record one, and school committees will be well advised to make application early, ay the Department's supply of carriages is limited.

Traffic has been very heavy lately on the inter-island telephone, especially after 8 p.m., when the reduced rates commence. As many business firms wait until this hour to put through their calls, there is naturally some congestion at night. Since the system was inaugurated very little trouble has been experienced with the lines, and no serious delays have been occasioned.

Cr. E. H. Andrews stated at last night's meeting of the City Council that he had heard that within the last three weeks a considerable amount of tar patching had been done in Selwyn street and now the street was being scarified and relaid Tf this were 550. it was a waste of public monev. Cr. F R. Cooke (chairman of the Works Committee) promised to look into the matter and report on it later. The following cases of notifiable diseases were reported to the local Health Department Office for the week ended at noon yesterday : —Canterbury • Scarlet fiver, 16; diphtheria, three, tuberculosis five, pneumonia two, puerperal sepsis one, pneumonic influenza two. lethargic encephalitis one. West Coaat: Scarlet fever one. diphtheria six The deaths reported were as follows : —Canterbury : Tuberculosis four, pneumonia one, pneumonic influenza one, cerebro-spinal meningitis one. West Coast: Diphtheria one.

Page's road, between the City boundary and the New Brighton bridge, is to be reconstructed in Portland cement. o contract for the job having been secured by Mr T. Pheloung.

Work is well forward in regard to the preparation of rate demands and it is probable that these will be ready for posting before September 11th. A large number of the demands are ready for posting.

The street in the new Ricearton subdivision on Mr John Brown's property, which runs off Deans avenue near the salevards, was named Godley avenue bv " the Ricearton Borough Council at last night's meeting.

The Christchurch Rotary Club has been granted permission to take .p a street collection on Friday, December 20th, for the benefit of orphans and children of the poor to provide them with Christmas comforts.

The digging work in connexion with the ribbon border of flowers in the Gardens, which will run from the Museum to the Hospital grounds along Rolleston avenue, will be finished this week, and a start will be made with the planting. These flowers will bloom later on in the year, and will make a fine display.

Mr Frederick Sineock, and a little girl, Peggy Harman, who were seriously injured in the motor accident at Clarkvilie on Sunday evening, are reported to be making satisfactory progress in the Christchurch Public Hospital. The girl had her hip reset, and yesterday her condition was not critical. Mr Sineock is suffering from injuries to the jaw and fractured ribs.

During question time at last night's meeting of the City Council, Or. E. Parlane asked whetkw the Council would consider releasing iU employees an hour or an hour and a half earlier on October 14th for the Earthquake Trotting Meeting. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) stiid that it was a matter that would have to come before the Works Committee.

The North Beach and Waimairi Progress League has written to the New Brighton Borough Council asking it to use its section east of Uncle Tom's Cabin as an entrance to the golf links, and suggesting that the section be used as a parking pla".e for players' cars. The Council decided last night to inform the League that it cannot see its way to comply with the request

At last night's meeting of the City ■Jouncil, Mr William C. Sanders wr-te asking the Council to hold over hi? application for' a license for a bus service to Brooklands pending settlement of arrangements with the direetoin of Scafield, Limited, which he had not been able to complete The request was agreed to, and it was decided to aotify Mr Sanders that \e would be required to pay the extra expense involved in adjourning the matter. On Sunday night a battery-charger was stolen from the New Brighton Fire Brigade Station. It was stated by borough councillors at last night's meeting that the theft had been cqm mitted by someone familiar with elec trical equipment, as several wires had had to be disconnected. Apprehension was expressed by one councillor that damage might be done to the fire engine, as the place, for obvious reasons could not be kept locked up. When the City Council had before it last night the question of passing a resolution making the rates for the current year. Cr. A. W. Beaven stated that so far as he could see no provision had been made for the outer areas of the City to pay back to the central areas capital. sums taken from them. Cr. D. G. Sullivan (chairman of the Finance Committee) stated iu reply that such provision had been made. The outer areas paid full interest on the capital moneys in respect of which there was also a sinking fund. "Full justice is being done to the central area," he concluded.

With a view to placing before the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) the position regarding the fellmongery industry and to suggest a remedy for I the depression of the past few years a ! deputation representing fellmongery interests will proceed to Wellington and meet Sir Joseph on Thursday. The New '"Zealand Freezing Workers and Related Trades Association will be represented by Messrs H. Eevell and A. McLeod, secretaries of the Canterbury and Wellington Unions respectively. j The Railway Department has advised the By-laws, Finance, and Departmental Committee of the City Council that it intends to erect a 10ft x 20ft trellis hoarding on its property in Moorhouse avenue, alongside the existing hoarding. The advertisement when in position will face Madras street. At last night's meeting of the Council, the committee reported that following its previous policy it had again written to the Minister for Railways, making a further protest against the erection of more hoardings on railway property. The report was adopted.

The parking space on Deans avenue fronting the Canterbury Saleyards has now been fixed by the Ricearton Borough Council. Parking is allowed on the Deans avenue frontage except for one chain in front of the main gate. No parking is allowed on the junction of Deans avenue and Lincoln road, or on the side of Lowe street, adjacent to Matson's wool store. There are no other restrictions for parking in the streets adjoining the yards except that the portion of the avenue between the main gate and the first gate is reserved for taxis.

In avoiding a funeral procession on the Gmoto road, near Greymouth, Mr A. J. Sloss, traffic inspector to the Greymouth Borough Council, had a narrow escape from precipitating a car which he was driving over a steep bank into the Grey river. The incident took place at a 6harp bend, which prevented any warning of the approach of the hearse, and when the motor-car, which contained several people, came to a standstill, it was clinging perilously to the side of the bank at an angle of 45 degrees Fortunately the mishap resulted in no more serious consequence than, an anxious few moments for the driver and passengers. To mark the great advance which has been made in telephonic communication, it is the intention of the Post-master-General to hold, for the first time in New Zealand, a long-distance telephonic conference, which will be presided over by him in Wellington, and which will be attended at the respective centres by mayors and presidents of the Chambers of Commerce of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch. and Dunedin. This event will be one of considerable interest to business men and the private community, and indicates the great strides that are ' eing made in connexion with the art of communication. The PostmasterGeneral will address the gathering, and short speeches will be exchanged. The conference will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Your child is growing out of recollection. Preserve the memory of dimpled cheeks and saucv, laughing eyes by having Steffano Webb make a portrait now. Studio. 252 High street. —6

The Tramway Board is thinking of scrapping the trams and buses because the new taxi film's prices are so low that the Public prefer a Gold Band Taxi and they k<*»- on 'Phonina 9257 or 9413 _2

A sa7our> subject— hot lunch ot the Tudor or Cooke's Luncheon Rooms. High street vSeveral socials and a roast meat and vegetable dinner on the menu daily. _Q