LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The fortieth annual report of the Colonial Laboratory is to hand. It contains, many dotailed analyses • of important minerals, waters, and manures, the exact knowledge of .which should bo valuable. The report states that the most notable featuro 'of the year's work was in connection with the laboratory erected by the Department in .the Exhibition grounds at Christchurch. It was opefl to the public-on two evonings a week, and attracted large numbers oi sightseers'. During the daytime analyses and essays were made, including the analyses of ninety-five samples'of New Zealand coal (the result being embodied in the report). general work'of the laboratory has increased enormously, 1135 samples having been received as against 629 the previous year... ; ■' ■ The statement mado that it is likely that the Tiirakina will be docked at Lyttelton before leaving for London is not 'correct, primarily for the reason that the dock mentioned could not take a. vessel of the Turakina's tonnage, and, in the second place, because it is not considered necessary. Her meat cargo has been discharged, and a start is boing made to discharge the general cargo from the after-holds. This, with' the butter, will be forwarded to London by the Ruapehu, leaving Wellington on October 24. The Turakhia will go on the loading berth noxt month, but it is not expected that she will get away until early in December. The reinsulating of the vessel will be attended to in London. Councillor Fitzgerald has given notice that he will ; move at the next meeting; of the Onslow Borough Council:~(1) That the ratepayers of the borough be asked to sanction a loan for the purposo of acquiring suitable land for recreation purposes, the engiueor, and Councillors Plimmer, Keirnan, and the mover to report on a suitable sito at noxt mooting; (2) that tho ratepayers of East Ward, or a special area to bo defined by the Council, be' asked to sanction a loan, for tlio erection of a public hall at Kaiwarra, the engineer and tho councillor for tho* ward to report on a suitablo site. , .* After a meeting of tho Star Boating Club last evening, Dr. M'Leati gavo a lecture to the mombors on " Health and Training.';' Tho lecture was illustrated practically with tho aid of one of tho morabers, especial attention boing given to the work and value of each of the arm, leg, and body muscles brought into play in rowing. At the conclusion of tho lecture a hearty vote of thanks was given to Dr. M'Lcan for his interesting and instructive discourse '-; There was a good attondancb at the New Zealand, Academy of Fine Arts interesting show both yesterday aftornooh and evening. The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7.30 p.m: to 10 p.m. daily; Tho show is woll worth a visit.. Mrs. Ethel E. Do Costa, LL.B. (neo Miss Ethel K. Benjamin of Bunedin), after practising for some years in that city, has-com-mencod practico as a barrister and solicitor in No. IS Nathan's Buildings, corner Groy and Foatherflton Streets, Wellington. Mrs. Do Costa has tho distinction of being tho only lady practising at tho Bar in the Dominion. . Intending clients can depend on prompt and careful attention at Mrs. Be Costa's hands. . ■. •

Tho pumping station at the.head of Epuni Street, that contains tho machinery that is i to elcvato water from tho city mains to tho ] new surface reservoir at Brooklyn, is a neat ] little power-house in itself. There is the i powerful Mather and Piatt multi-stago tur- ] bine pump, also tho littlo motor that is going | to supply tho necessary energy. Several , "turns" liavo already'been taken out of tho motor, hut it will not bo asked to tako the '- load until "things are dried up," as the on- '• gineer puts it.' But one day this week the ' reservoir at tho top of Eitchott-tdwn will re- | ceivo its first fill, and then it is only ■&' matter of a few weeks before residents will be able to be connected up. It is the < Council's' work to tap the mains hero and there for tho purpose of carrying the water to conveniently placed cocks, but from there the house services will have to be' taken . through by a licensed plumber. The walls and floor of tho surfaco reservoir.,for the .■ supply of Kelburno have already been completed, and tho concrete roof is now being built. The.pumping station for this.reservoir will he near the .Polhill Gully distributing basin, and will bo attended to during 1 tho night hours (when the pumping will bo done) by the same man that attends to the lyu station..'. . ' \ \ The ceilings of the Town Hall offices are ' showing ugly patches here and there, where great-lumps of white cement have fallen away, leaving the concrete flooring exposed to view. This disfigurement is not confined to ono part of the building, as patches of comerit have fallen from the ■ ceiling, of the City Engineer's office, at the southern end of the building, and similar defects aro noticeable in the Town Clerk's sanctum and the rates office at tho opposite end. Tho places where tho plaster has fallen from in most cases' aro those where a cavity in! tho concrete exists. It is still necessary to burn' heaters' in/tho Town Eall strong-rooms; to prevent tho records from.going mouldy. ■'~... - It was stated at last'night's meeting of the Unitarian Church that the philosophical class, conducted on a week night by tho Rev. Dr. Tudor Jones, has a membership of sixty-two, and that the average .attendance'over a period of fire months was fifty. ','■... Advice received by the police states .that a man named Cameron, alias Douglas, alias Arnott, has been arrested at Taihapo on a chafgo of cashing ono of the Bank of -Aus-, tralasia notes which have gained circulation since the fire on the steamer Turakina. Mr. H. N. Holmes, local secretary of, tho Y.M.C.A., has received advice from Auckland to -the .effect,that the sum of £700 was. subscribed towards tho'building fund of the: Association in that city yesterday. " Tho amount subscribed in Auckland to date has ■■ reached £12,500. Mr. Lyman R. Pierce,. 1 tho national secretary for Australia,'who has beon concerned in the Christchurch, Dunedm, and Auckland campaigns, states that, the response to tho call of the Y.M.C.A. has been so ready that it is unique in.;the hjstory of tho movement in any part of the world. ■ Thoro.was a very good attendance of members at tho Garrison/ Officers' : Club' meeting last night, when Colonel A. W. Robin;- Chief of Staff, delivered an interesting lecture on the subject "General Ideas. Loading up to a Garrison Touivor. Ride, for.all Arms." A ' force iu'full marching order;• with twentyfour hours', rations and. forage,^and 150 rounds of ammunition per rna : h, was taken for. consideration. Tho lecturer then:; submitter' certain 1 problems regarding tho /disposition of tbjs- force,.on a "inarch .from Ngahauranga to Mitchell, due .west of tho > -West. Gorge "Trig l ." These were afterwards worked out, the whol'o' being aii excellent preparation for tho-forthcoming "Rido'for all Arms." ',- -.•',; ',' A very thin audience, out of all proportion to the merits of the-occasion, assembled in the'concert room, Town Hall, last evening, to hear a lecture by Mr. W. S. La Trobo, director of the Wellington Technical School, on "The Relationship of' Sciences \ to'the Arts." The lecturer, who was introduced by Mr. T.' H. Hustwick,>gave a highly interesting and instructive address, in the course'of which ho traced tho evolution of the modern steam turbine and the dynamo, as remarkable 1 instances of tho co-operation of Art with ' Science in industrial progress; A number 1 of excellent lantern-views were shown. 'A ' hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lee-' 1 turer at the close.' ■•■' ■' y .' ■' "y The Education Board has accepted the tender of Messrs'. Sanders Bros, for the erec- . .tion of the cookery and woodrwork;room.for ( the South Wellington Centre. ; The building is to bo erected on the Rintoul,Street fro'n : j tago of the.South Wellington ■ School, and will bo completed by the. end of tho. ChristI mas holidays. -The contract price is t £1186. The cookery classes are at present being conducted at Newtown District High School; and b the wood-work.classes iii temporary promises. l '''_______—