LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A movement is on foot to establish a club for ex-soldiers and sailors. A preliminary meeting; to consider the matter will be held in Armit's Rooms at 8 o'clock this evening.

At a meeting of tho South Wellington School Committee, hold on Friday last, tho resolution passed by tho Petonc School Committee, disapproving of tho Education Bill now before Parliament, was ininnfliiously endorsed.

"Can Mr. Masscy tell me," asked a questioner at the Opposition Leader's meeting at Palmerston last night, "what has gone wrong with this country ? (Laughter.) AVo havo all tho pests imaginable—human, animal, and vegetable—(loud laughter)—and on top wo havo an army of inspectors. . If things go on like this much longer we shall .have to live ill a refrigerating chamber or emigrate to tbo Alette regions, find Hi in Is what you null 'God's Own Country,' " (lienewed laughter.)

Tho mails which left Wellington per s.s. Ulimaroa, and connected at Sydney with tho Brindisi mails per R.M.S. Macedonia, arrived in London on tho night of September 19, ona day early.

The Referees' Association held its final mooting for this season last evening. Only routine business was transacted. At tho conclusion of the meeting votes of thanks were accorded tho press, chairman (Mr. F. Laws), and tho secretary (Mr. L. Siovers).

The lecture which was to have been given by Mr. M. Chapman; K.C., to the Law Students' Association last night had to bo unavoidably postponed to a later date> and will probably not bo given before the law examinations are finished in November next

A few minutes before midnight last night tho Fire Brigade received a call to an outbreak of firo in a small shod in Hanson Street, used by Mr. G. H. Baylis for storing purposes. Tho contents' were severely damaged. Tho cause of tho firo was not known.

Councillor Luke has given noticd that ho will move at tho next meeting of tho City Council That the city engineer be instructed to proceed with the formation of the proposed recreation ground at Kilbirliie in accordance with tho allocation of funds for tho purposo."

A deputation, consisting of Island Bay residents, will wait on the City Council at its next meeting, to urge tho advisability of issuing weekly or monthly tram tickets to residents of the bay. A petition, is now in circulation, and will, no doubt, be presented by tho deputation.

The first public meeting in connection with the recently-formed New Zealand Natives' Association is to be held at Godber's Rooms to-niglit, when it is expected that a large number will be prosent. All New Zealanders and Australians over 17 years of age aro eligiblo for membership.

"How many drinks docs it take to mako a man drunk?" was a question put to a witness at tho S.M. Court yesterday. Witness, who stated that he did not drink, argued that one drink was sufficient, adding, "if a man didn't take the first glass he would never got drunk."

In tho course of his remarks at Palmerston North last night, Mr. Massoy, Leader of tho Opposition, reforred to tho delay in tho submission of the D 3 railway classification list to Parliament this session. He did not know whether the delay had anything .to do with the discontent in tho service as the result of last year's list,' but he understood there was dissatisfaction. ,

The Kaikoura Interdenominational and Brooklyn Methodist Societios liavo Keen affiliated to tho Wellington Provincial Christian Endeavour Union. Mr. T. A. Bell has been elected general superintendent of junior societies. At its last meeting the oxecutivo council of the union decided to place 011 record its appreciation of the services of tho president (the Rev. Macdonald Aspland), who has not missed a meeting during his term of office.

No sitting of tho Compensation Court was held yesterday owing to the absenco of tho president. The caso set down for hearing was that of Alfred Luscombo v. the City Corporation. This is a claim for £4135 in respect bf the taking of land at tho corner of Sydney Street and Thorndon Quay for- tho purposes of tramway offices. Mr. C. B. Morison, assessor for tho respondents, adjourned tho matter until September 28, at 10.30 a.m.' It is not unlikely that the claim will be amicably settled.

0110 by 0110 the old landmarks of the city —links with the past—aro disappearing. In Buoklo Street is a cluster of little red buildjngs,_ which are over sixty years old, but it is with buildings as with living species, the march of years is a perpetual struggle in which only tho fittest survive, and so the hand of man has been laid upon these liuildings with a deadly purpose—their extinction The first of the buildings to fall a victim has boon the old Army hospital on tho Garrison Hall side of Buckle Street, and its walls toppled dismally down yesterday afternoon.

A meoting of persons interested was held at Mrs. Nattrass's residence, Webb Street, yesterday afternoon in order to witness a demonstration of a churn patented by Mr. Nattrass, and which is about to be placed on the market. It is claimed by the patentee that the churn will make butter in ,five minutes in any climato, and this was borno out by tho demonstration, as we are informed that but-, tor was procured in less than tlio time stated. Tho patont is simple, the wholo sccrdt being compression and suction. Similar demonstrations will .bo given at different places later on. A company is being formed to place tho churn on tho market.

A ballot for sections in tho Eangitatau Crown' Lands Block, Waitotara,'will be lidld about Christmas. -Tho block, consisting' of 11,000 acres, will be divided into sections of 300 to 500. acres. The Kuatiti Block, South Waimarino, will be thrown open • for settlement in tho winter. The Carrngton Estate, of 5000 acres, at Carterton, is virtually ready for offering, but possession will not be obtainable till March. The Upper Pohangina Block, of 15,000\acres, will be opened up soon, and two blocks of the Hawtrey Settlement, at Johnsonville, together with 'tho Pitt and Waiwetu Settlements, at Lowor Hutt, will bo availablo for settlement about December.

It is understood that when tho "through" railway seiTico from Wellington to Auckland is commenced in November, the journey will occupy two days, and part of the line will still be under tho control of tho Public Works Department. It is stated that a section of ten miles of the lino, on this side of tho Makatoto Viaduct, is still in a. very bad condition. The line is unballasted, cuttings are unfinished, and there have been some fairly bad slips during the recent rough weather. It will probably be-January beforo the ultimate express servico can bo run. Three trains will bo required for the service, and of tho 40 carriages specially ordered for this line, eight were used for the special Parliamentary train. It is expected that tho last will be turned out of tho Petone Workshops about Christmas. Eight 90-ton engines for tho line have been under construction in the Addington Railway, Workshops, and tho tenders for theso arc being made at Petone.

In a letter to The Dominion yesterday, Mr. Edward Newman took exception to some statements by the Hon. TV. Hall-Jones (Minister for Railways) as to the comparative cost of railway travelling in New Zealand and other countries. It appears that the Minister's statements as to the fare from 1 Wellington-to Auckland had reference to the rates which havo been determined- for the through service after tho completion of tho main trunk line, whereas Mr. Newman's comparison was based on the present published figures, which include the combined Railway Department, Public Works Department,' and coach service fares as charged at the present time. Wo understand that when tho line is 'completed the faro from Wellington to Auckland (426 miles) will be 395. Id. first-class single and 218. 2d. second-class single. Tho fares from London to Edinburgh (392 miles), which were quoted for purposes of comparison, aro 575. Cd. first-class single and 325. Bd. second-class single.

Mr. Bartolo Russo, a resident of Rona Bay for tho past 24 years is convinced that the Harbour Board will not bo acting wisely if it decides to spend money on' repairing the Rona Bay wharf, so severely damaged in a heavy westerly blow a few days ago. He states that for so long as he can remember tho boacli has been changing as tho result of tho strong undertow that is caught by the point of'land from which tho present wharf projects. At times ho has known a good depth of water at tho spot and at others its placo has been taken by a bank of shingle, a changing condition that is always likely to exist. Ho considers that tho wharf should be erected in tho centro of tho Bay (as was the case in Day's Bay), whero thero is good wator and an immunity from the dangerous undertow Vhicli at times is strong enough to affect any such structure as that at present doing duty as a wharf at Rona Bay; Objection was taken to his proposal before on the ground that the site is Ino far from Muntai, but ho points out that it is not more than a minuto difference in time from the main road as compared with tha proonnt oito, and a guarausomotJikig.