LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 557, 12 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

1 American and English pails will reach Wellington by the'Main-Trunk-.express, this afternoon; The. steamer Invertay, .which'arrived in,the stream ut Auckland yesterday morning, brought some American, mails, arid this Week's Sydney boat, the Victoria, reached-.'the-' northern . port >at '5 ..p.m. .'last evening, with-the Australian and : Brindisi mails! on board. ; ;', -';;" :/ - ".""■"'■■ ■'.;'•".'■'-.

Mr. 'Alfred Hill, the'.Wellington musician and composer,'has-completed another Maori cantata,, (Which in' his opinion is bettor than anything be has done m the'past. ; If Mr, .Hill's latest effort can bo ranked better than his "Hinemoa": then,it will bo admitted,that he must have written something..remarkably. 'fine. ; .■'■''.'.■ :'?•'■• :,-:.-:■ ■ > ■•'•■. ■;.';'.■'■ y.V-',.;' 0 ,-■/;> :

■■ Shares to the' value of .over £20,000 have already, been; applied::" for'in "the 'proposed Wairarapa arid West r Coast; Freezing- Company. Mr. J. C.: Cooper, of Tane (Pabiatua); who is chairman..' of, the provisional directorate; was in Wollington last week, and visited one or two sites that aro under offer for the works.; It is expected'that the coil' pany will,shortly be registered. • '■•■:V.v;\'--;'

;■ 'Among the matters which will-be brought before tho Hon. J. A. Millar.;Minister for Railways; towards the end of the month by a deputation'appointed at, the recent, ognferenoe of < delegates of Chambers of Commerce in the'country centres, will' be the question of,'the train 'service's between Wellington and Napier and' Wellington and * Palmerston North. ■ ■■',' .;■'"■" '■.■■'- "■ .■'■:' ■■'"-.'■:.,■,%■.-„"

-•' The draughts tournamerit,' carrying with it the Wellington, draughts championship, is now drawing,to a close,- only four,oo'mpetitors'now being in the running; viz,',;.Mess-rs. Leggatand have .lost no gaines yet, and Messrs. Darling and, Butler,,who have each lost one,' and who meet on 'Monday' night to play off, Tho-frrjst-mentioncd pair alio meet on that evening to play their ; tie. ..' . '-:• ■-•",'.,." ,: ;:' - ',-.'

A.meeting of the Maranui Sooial Club was held on Saturday; evening, when; a oonstitu-' tion was drawn up providing ; for literary and debating evenings, 'and .musical arid, other social gatherings,' .The following pffioe-bear-era. word elected:—Patron; Mr. J; P. Luke, M.P,: ban. president,. Mr, W. H. -Morrab; president, Mr. Bono; vice-presidents, Messrs.' Carman and. younger';' secretary; and .treasurer; Mr, W..S, Bruco; committee, Messrs. Itaven, Sinclair,• Nickerson, .Sendall,. and, :StrutheTs.r\ It was decided tbat' ; ,tbo club' should meet every evening in |he Marajjui Hall, which .has beep,- placed at the'disposal of the,members by, Mr. H. M. : Hayward,:- ;-'-i. . ' ■■:• -.'.,-.'•-,'.'. ■ •;.

; Residents of the suburban districts along the Manawatu line will be pleased to learn that in future a train'will leave the city for Johnsonville at 6.20 p.m. on Saturdays. During the period that this train has' been drop--pod residents have suffered great inconvenience as ,thcre has, been no train • between 4 p.m. and; 9.20 p.m; The/time of the return of the train has not yet been fixed.' But one. thing is fettled. According to- the Hon.- J.: ."A'. Millar,-Minister for .Railways, it is im-,. possible to make Khandallah a stopping place, lor the up-mail owing to the inadequacy of the traffic The request for' an additional train to leave Johnsonville at".2 pirn, for Wellington is still under consideration.

Last Friday evening; by a large majority, St. John's Debating Society decided '.'-I'hat'.it is necessary for Great Britain to maintain 1 a two-Power naval standard," P. Redgrave and 1 L; Andrew upheld this view; and Jilessrs. 0. Redgrave and 'H, - Thompson protested. These gentlemen,were followed by seven others, six of whom \vero for the motion j Mr. Boal, a member of the team,' reserving the right to reply. Dr. Gibb, in his placing, did not judge tie defenders, they being, St. John's representatives against Victoria College next Monday evening. Therefore the five most effective speakers, apart from those, w«re Messrs. H. Galloway, fI.V Dowdy, L, Andrew, K. Newberry, and D. Patterson.

, That volunteers may have their periods of relaxation from the dutios of the service was evidenced qn Friday evening, when, after their usual parade at Buckle Street Drill Ha]], the, Cjvil Service Rifles entertained sqmo honorary members and : friepcls at a social evening., The toast of "the King!' having been duly proposed, the. following toast-fiat was honoured'.—"The Battalion Staff," proposed by Captain Marshall, and replied to by Lieut. Hawthorne; "The District Staff," proposed by; Lieut., Rundle (of the Napier Guards), Lieut. Hulbert responding; "Old Members," proposod' by' Captain Marshall and replied to by Mr. Fisher (of the Land and Income Tax Department)— one of the original mombors of the company. In toasting "The Visitors," Captain Marshall stated that ho hoped to soo somo of them shortly wearing the uniform of the Civil Service Rifles, and reminded them that thoir duty as citizens demanded that they should serve as' volunteers. Staff-Sergeant-Major Rose nbly repliedi During a break in the proceedings Corp. Abbott was presented with his certificate (corporal's), and was complimented by his cjtptain ■ for his enthusiasm. A good musical and elooutionnry programme was rendored, the following contributing itcniß:—Corporals Johnstone and Ahbott, Private Israel, Messrs. Hodges, Nichol, and Rundle. Tho singing of the National Anthem concluded the proceedings.

Wo have to advise that wo have tnten up the sole agency for New Zealand for the Burgon and Ball Sheep Shearing Machines. Writs for quotations for : installations. ."Andersons, Limited, IS Bonk r.hnmhmrg. siaj

Several teachers in the employ of the Wellington Education Board are 'shortly to be retired on superannuation. '

Mr. A. H. Vile lias given notice to move at' the, next meeting of tho Wellington Education Board:—"That in future appointments of teachers by this' board, the 'list' provided, far'in the.Education Act, 1 1908, to bo-sent to school committees, contain tho namo of one teacher only, • unless, in the opinion of tho inspector, there are special circumstances which warrant tho forwarding of more than ono immo."

It was stated at the gathering in the Town Hall on Friday'last, when prizes were presented to the juvenile ossayist? in connection with .Industries Week, that a Bill would bo introduced at the next session of Parliament to enable the City Council to dispose of a" Certain section of land for tho purppses of a technical school. It may bo mentioned that,, the director of the Technical School (Mr. La Trobe; libb already prepared elaborate plans , for a now building, the cost of which, it is estimated, 1 would bo between £20,000 and £30.000: The Auckland Education Board, which has tho control of technical education in the northern city, is also clamouring for a grant of over £80,000 for a new technical school. The. Minister for Education would appear to have a rather stiff proposition before him.: .. ■'..-,'• \