LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 485, 19 April 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The.Victoria, with ,a Brindisi and Austra lian mail, was duo to arrivo at Auckland from Sydney at a few minutes after 8 o'clock last'evening. The postal authorities advisb that the southern portion of the mail should just' about -'catch"-the* express leaving at 9.16 p.m. If successful in this the- mail should arrive hero this .evening. L \.' ..-■■' ~.' Tho Onslow Borough Council's poll to raise £19,700 for waterworks, £1100 for drainage , , and £1000 fora hall will .be. held to-day.-.-.., The Miramar Ratepayers' Association are to hold ameeting on Monday next, for. the purpose of making Hoininationß for the coun.cilatthe,forthcoming election. Our Napier special correspondent ' tele-graphs:—The-Rev. Dr. Kennedy, of the Meaneo . Observatoryj ( reports that the first frost .of , tho year was recorded horo (Friday) morning, ..tho temperature, being 31 on -'the ground and 37 in. the thermometer screen, 4ft. above the ground;: In 1908 the first frost was on May 11, in 1907 on; May 21, and in 190.6 on April- 14. .. '.-. .

Members of the Wellington. Society for the : Prevention 'of Cruelty to Dumb Animals have'frequently drawn attention to the fact that vehicles' are's too heavily loaded, causing" distress to the horses attached to them; Callous drivers perched on the heavy loads do not tend to improve things. A policeman stationed on the Queen's Wharf on Saturday : morning, observed two horses attached to a lorry, licensed to carry,five tons, making exceptionally hard work: of drawing their load over ; the comparatively even surface of the wharf. The policeman hailed the driver, and after, some discussion compelled him to hare the load weighed on the weighbridge. Tho scales showed that ;tbere -was no, less 'than 11 tons.Gcwt.. gross weight. A prosecution will follow; .-• ■■■.'■■!■ ■■■ .', ■ . ' ';.'.. '■ ' A' few years : ago Tierra del Fuego "was., about tho last place in the world any person would mention as suitable for industrials settlement of any kind.- -Yet to-day (says the "Timaru Herald") Mr. A. N. Williams, a New Zealander, who has just returned from Punta Arenas, oh Magellan Strait," states that there arc five important, factors dealing with meat products within a few miles of that towni He states that the country has a wonderful future- for the production of both wool and mutton. Tho wliolo of the Argentine territory of Ticrra del Fuegb and; the southernmost provinces of the Chilian Republic, in spite of-their high latitudes, are admirably adapted for sheep-runs.-. Indeed, one of the largest runs owned by • a singlo company in the world is closo to Sandy Point;- '.".- .-.■.:': .'■' ■ :" . : .'. '..-..■ :• .-';•. ;■:::■;■;; ,- Mr.. James. Thorn'tells the "Lyttelton Times" that tho conditions of work on tho Wellington wharves aro "absolutely deadly. ,. After 8.30 o'clock in the morning when hands aro engaged,, between 400 and 500 men sit about waiting for a chance to work. As :eon as a shipping company's ; 'agent comes there is a "beastly rush,"- and tho men flock round him, in hundreds; Ten or twelve might bo engaged, and all the others display deep-dis-appointment. '..Mi. Thorn'says, that, owing. to ".(■he; , fact' that onocompany will; not engage men' omploycd by another company, out of the 1800 men who attend only 1400- aro employed.: and there aro always practically 400 out of work. With proper organisation theworK could bo done by about 1000 men. A typical case on the Wellington wharves is that of'a ■man who, during tho past three, weeks, has earned 255;, 275.,'-. and. 325. a: week, ■ mostly by night.work. He pays 16s. a week rent, and has , a wife and three. children. 'There are hundreds of other men on tho wharves in much the same position. ':■" ■:> •_ ■ . -; Very slowly the petrol-fed electric-sparking motor is chattering its way into the sphere of commercial transport in Wellington.' One or two of the larger drapery warehouses have instituted a motor parcel delivery servicetho Post Office collects its mails in the city by the same means, and a. laundry, utilises a j motor vehicle to collect soiled clothes, but there has been no/.impetuosity on the part .of local business ■ men to substitute mb lor power for the horse. ' We havo now become used to the steam wagon for coal;and metal transport, but last week, what is claimed to be the first genuine • motor wagon for heavy loads was seen about tho streets of Wellington. . This was a 20 horse-power Argyll,. iif massive proportions, born on heavy wooden wheels, having tyres of solid rubber! Tho wagon carries three tons, and is capable of asconaing fairly stitt. grades. ,'Tho chief factors' against tho introduction' of, .motor vehicles for commercial purposes nro tho big initial cost and the doubt that the cost of upkeep (with petrol at its present prico) is less than that of a horse service

.The March number of "The Navy," the jouxiialof tho Navy League, contains a remarkable .article by > its Berlin correspondent on tho; state of naval feeling in Germany, and how.: it lias been affected by the King's rocont visit to Berlin. Ho writes: ?" n G . e ™ an .Y a totally.erroneous impression ot British ideals has gained ground, solely owing to tho vacillation displayed by Ministers and parties on naval and military policy.. Few .Germans doubt-England's'die-, position to : abandon the historic two-Power standard, and recent Ministerial declarations to.tho contrary arb described here as niero sops to the fast diminishing big navy element in the electorate. The sight of. the favoiirite lagging behind is always an inspiriting one for the next man, and in this particular case the second man has on more than ono occasion demonstrated his ability to close up the gap with remarkablo celerity. Little courage or foresight is needed to predict that in tho event of another insufficient British ship-building programmo this year, tresh naval expansive ■■measures will bo ini troduced to tho German people." • \ Teas grqwn in different localities have different characteristics, aud even the tea from any particular garden is not the sanio in two successive- seasons. Climatio changes, differences of soil, oiorciso influences, and it is in tho art of the tea blender to bring together tho different teas and by combination to produce a particular flavour. Crescent Blend Tea is a choice combination of Ceylon and Indian Teas, and tho flavour never varies. All storekeepers, 2s. por lbi , ■.-."■ '..•-...

Tho following cases will bo heard in the Court of Appeal tc~day:—Rex v. Baker and Poiiigdostro v. Poingdcstro. Judgment in the case of Williams and Kettlo v. Morico will bo delivered by Mr. Justico Chapman at ten o'clock 'this morning. Tho Institute of Marine Engineers, svhich haa occupied premises in the Queen's Chambers for_ sonic years, has decided to provide itself with, quarters of its own. and a site for a three-story building has been secured on the corner of Miilgravo and Aitken Streets. Mr. H. Andrews is tho architect for the building. .... Weighbridge discrepancies between Mastertoivand Wellington have now been rectified. It is. interesting to notioethat, during tho course of tests made in the , process of rectification a cart, weighed on both "bridges, , - , scaled 5 lons 2cwt. 2gr. at Masterkm, but exactly 2cwt. less at Wellington. 7 ••. The adjustment was tho outcome of representations made- by the -A'astcrton Chamber of Commerce. ■ 'J.'ho annual conference of tho New Zealand Railway Officers' Institute opens in Welling, ton on Monday, April.26, and will probably end on Saturday, May 1. Important matters, affecting the officers of tho service, will.bo considered. The following delegates (states tho "Otago Daily Times") have been elected to represent tho Otngo district:—Messrs. A. Beekraan (traffic superintendent's staff), H. P. Staoiaway (Dunedin station staff), and W. A. Marshall (statioumastor,'Duntroon); Mr. A. Grahani, stationmaster at Port Chalmers, will also attend the conference; ex officio, as president of the executive. ■..:. ■. \ ' _ A meeting of tho Society .for;the Protec-: tion of Women and Children was held in the society's rooms, yWillis Street, on Friday afternoon, when tho following ladies were present:— Mr-s. W. Fell (presiding), Mrs.. Jiirkcaldie, Mother;. Mary . Joseph Aubort', and Miss E. M. Brown. It was reported that a number of cases were being investigated and attended to, and that it was found necessary to bring: some into Court. Ar : raiigemonts were being made to havo ■ one child '■,; The following subscrpitions wero acknowledged with thanks:—Messrs. Roberts and Co., Ltd.,. A. Ferguson, Mrs. H.jGihrer, and G.C., 10s. each; Mrs. ' F. Penty, 65.; Miss E.M. Brown, ssi; and n parcel of clothing from.Mrs. Gibbons. The first number of tho new Labour newspaper, "The Weekly Herald," was issued on baturday. Tho paper, which is ownod and controlled by the Trades and Labour Council and twenty-ono other, labour organisations of this, city, consists of eight pages, each about half tho sizo of a of lW Dominion. Illustrations include a photograph of the president of tho Trades . and Labour Council, a political cartoon, which is not brilliant, and several sketches. There is a page of leading matter, written in a moderate tane, and the Other contents include an interesting article (to be continued) on the aliens . question, by Mri J. W. Poynton, a facetious and disparaging review of Dr. Findlay's "Humbugs and : Homilies," labour news, athletic notes, women's notes, and tho beginning of a serial story. .The. "Herald" is not so lively as the average meeting of. the' Trades' and Council, but it promises to bo a fairly interesting journal of Labour. -.-■ : ,•■'■'.. ■'••.- . ~

The movement,. Initiated-at'the conference hold on. March 20 last, in the direction of effecting a reconciliation between-the opposing factious in the ranks of the amateur athletic bodies of New Zealand still awaits con.summatiom . The agreement then- arrived at was, shortly, that the governing; bodies, stationed respectively at Ch'ristchurch and Wellington, should resign: forthwith, • and that each of tho five centres elect delegates 'within/thirty days, such, delegntcs. to' constitute a new council. Mr.. J. B. Callan, jun., chairman of the Dunedin Centre, and tho secretary of the Dunedin, Centro (Mr: Willetty wero authorised to act asa governing/body in v the moantimo, and declare the council elected when the necessary number of delegates had beoii appointed. As thirty, days have now elapsed, Mr. Ca.llan : was - asked on Thursday, (states tho "Otago Daily Times") if he could give the names of the how councilors. : Ho stated that so fai'.only one centro had nominated its delegates, but he did not consider this ,a. matter for serious apprehension. The most important factor of tho situation at the present timo was the failure, as yet, of the Christchurch Council; (of which Mr. Atackis the; head) to resign, in acordanco with tho promiso given at the conference' on March 20 by the delegates from' Canterbury. '~'Until that council rosigned, tho, Dunedin executiv6, v in some degree, had its hands tied.