LOCAL AND GENERAL,

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 582, 10 August 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the Mariposa, which left San Francisco'for Papeete on, August, 6, bas ; on board an American mail, which is duo here by tho Manapouri on. September 2. -. ' „ The Ulimaroa, which left Sydney on Saturday for has on- board an Australian mail, which' is. dtio hire to-morrow morning. '. •;. On ra turning from his visit to Mbiimahaki, the Minister for Agriculture, (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) expressed himself as very pleased with the appearance of,the,farm, which, he said, was exceedingly well kept. Ho mentioned tho experimental grass plots as features of special interest. It is estimated that the cost of protective works which will make the corporation endowment at Mangahao 'safe from encroachment by the river will require an .expenditure of from £100 to £120. . The Gas Committee of the 'City- Council and tho Wellington Gas Company's representative will resume negotiations this' monying in reference to the matter, of' the company being allowed to carry its mains from Constable Street' to the .new gasometer at : Miramar. , - •' ' , • It is stated that the working of the tram-' ways for the four months ended July 31 has been affected by tho prevailing depression, and shows a falling oa of about £1000. The greatest decrease has been on- tho Nowtown section. The "Wallace • Street section lias, the credit of the largest increase, Kilbirnie and Constable Street, coming next, while all the other linos, are said to show.decreasos. V; The sum of £10 has been donated to the gymnasium fund of the Victoria' College by Mrs. M. A. Williams, to whom so many institutions in Wellington are indebted,. The debt now stands at £69, and an effort is. to be made to raise that sum amongst the pre-sent-day students; The equipment audi furnishing of the gymnasium comprise the next trouble that faces the students. An interesting lecture on "Phrenology" was" delivered by the Rev.' J. .Crewes' last evening at the Sydney Street . Methodist Schoolroom under the auspices of the Sydney Street and Northland Mutual Improvement Society. A good audience attended, arid at tho conclusion, of tho lccturo some of those present stepped on to the platform and demonstrations were given by the lecturer. The report of. the' City Electrical Engineer,' Mr. Stuart Richardson, on fares and sections, which report was referred back from the last meeting of the City Council, was before the Tramway Committee of the council again yesterday afternoon.' Mr. Richardson explained his suggestions further, and, it is understood, recommended that the report should bo carried out in its'entirety or dropped altogether. The Y.M.C.A. will- hold their,- seventh anniversary celebrations from September 19 to 23 inclusive. Mr. J. J. Virgo,' general secretary of the Sydney association, will be a visitor during the festivities. . It, is in-, tended to hold meetings for men, receptious. a New Zealand Secretarial Conference, and a great public demonstration in the Towu Hall. A large number ;of ,ladies are enthusisastically preparing for a "monster, Dutch tea." AH'the waitresses will be. oostumed in Holland's national dr.ess. Speaking in_ reference to the fever hospital contribution at last night's meeting of the Hutt Borough Council. Councillor IT. de ■ J.. Clere' remarked that while passing along Adelaide Road he had taken somo notice of • the Nurses' Homfi; which ! is toppod by towers. He said: "It makes one feel that there might be a little oxtravagance in the design. The Hospital Trustees come to a decision, call for tenders, and We simply have to pay. It seems that there is no supervision over the class of building put up." On information as to the loss of the Maori reaching London last Thursday, Messrs. Jno. Duthie and Co.'s office telephoned the makers to. ascertain when the lost plant for the Dunedin Drainage ' Board could be which information was cabled with their account of the wreck. A meeting of the Dunedin board was promptly convened,- and was held yestorday (Monday) morning. ' The meeting approved of reshipment, thus enabling the order, to bo cabled, which, with the difference .of time, would permit of it being issued' to the makers by tho London people also on Monday morning. ' ' ..

Following on the resolution passed at last week's conference between tlio local bodies in reference to the Hospital for Infections Diseases, at which it was resolved that tho eonforance was, of opinion that tlio estimated cost of £17,000 for tlio erection of building and equipment of a fever hospital for tho treatment of 39 patients'-was excessive, and represented to the . Hospital Trustees the desirableness of their reconsidering this, estimate, tho District Health Officer has informed the Hospital Trustees (1) that it is undesirable that any amendment should bo made in the material'in which plan No. 2— tho administrative block —is to'Wbuilt; (2) that as tho trustees were previously informed, tlio Department will not declino to approve plans for, treatment wards if the material decided on be wood, provided tliat a sufficiently aseptic lining to tho wards is secured and maintained; (3) that amended plans will bo approved with the'exclusion of plan No. B—tho destructor block.

The Mayor and members of tho City Council have beon invited to attend the opening of tho new Te Aro Post Office to-morrow.

• Entries for the Miramar Golf Club's next competition (men's medal) close on Thursday next, and not on Thursday week as was stated yesterday. The New Zealand 'representative rifle team, ' which is to compete at the ' Empire rifle nsntcli on Randwick Range, Sydney, in October, will leavo Now Zealand oil September 24. The foundations for the now four-bod shelter at the Otaki Sanatorium have been laid, and the work of building is now in hand. When the new shelter is completed there, will be accommodation for 34 patients at the sanatorium. The tender of Mr. D. Neos, of Manakau; at £323, has boon accepted for the crectioii of tiho Nurses' Home at tbo Otaki Hospital. Tho excavation work has been completed under the Hospital Board's overseer, and the foundations are already laid, so. that an immediate start can be made , with tho building. • Cooked wares of the kind which figure' in the ordinary butcher's window seem to have appealed to a hungry Hastings man, and' ho seized them. Our local correspondent states that he told tho Bench' at the Court that "he was not going to starve as long as he could-lay liands.on the stuff." But the laying-on of hands cost him a £2 line. A Winton enthusiast cabled to Sir J. 0. Ward in London that Winton had won the Southland football premiership, and promptly received the following reply:—"Bravo Win-, ton.. Congratulations. l —Ward." "it- is this contemptible cock-a-doodlo spirit about i contemptibly small'things that is rapidly making New Zealand a by-word, and New Zealanders a laughing-stock.—"Ashburton Guardian.". ' 'A. correspondent, ''Ahuru," writes' drawing attention to what he terms the disgraceful state in wet weather of the footpath botivoeri Ophir Lodge, Hawkestone Street,; and the Shamrock Hotel. The writer points out that the path was cut up for the purpose of laying down' wires, etc.,'and has never bean put ui proper order again. Tho complaint was referred to the City Engineer's depart-' ment, and a reply i was forthcoming to the effect that the street had certainly/been cut up,, but nothing in the way of renewal work .could be undertaken until the trenches got solid again. As soon as the path was 'ready' it would be put in order, but no work could be'done until the trenches settled. ' . ' Owing to a landslide near Ohakune tho Main' Trunk express from, Auckland was nearly three hours late on arrival at Wellington last night. It appears that as the train was traversing a bend the driver noticed a tree which had been brought down by tho slip lying diagonally x across the'lino. ' Before ho could pull the train up the engine had crashed into the obstacle, with the result that portion of the'gear on the right-J hand side was badly damaged. After a delay of half an hour, the-train proceeded to Ohakuno, where si,delay of over two hours was occasioned consequent'upon another, engine having to bo dispatched, from Taihapo. Among tlio passengers were his Excellency tho Governor and party. • ~'Mr. G. F; B.; Livesay, architect, has accepted tho tender of Mr. A. Robertson for the erection, of new tea-rooms ;ind dwelling for Mrs. C. E. Fabian, of Seatoun, whoso place was destroyed by fire a'few weeks ago. The building,, which will stand on the old site opposite the tram terminus, ■I at the function of Dundas and Stafford l Streets," will occupy an area of land; 60ft., by 72ft., and' will bo constructed in bungalow stylo, i It will contain a commodious'and comfortable tea-rpom .(36ft. by 20ft.),; also a glassediu verandah, an old English ingle-nook, and a small tea-room for'private parties. The building will bo surmounted with a roof of Marseilles tiles, 'l'fio contract pric6 ,8 about £1000. .. -v. • The occupants of Her Majesty's Hotel, in the same, buildiiig as Her Majesty's Theatre,' Sydney, had: a rather exciting experience during the. fire on August 1. The smoko foimd..itS;.way. .into,.,the bedrooms upstairs, arid the. occupants, who were enjoying ; the"luxury of'a ' Sunday morning nap, n lady, who .'be? lioved -that the hotel /itself was on fire,, forgot.all about,her own safety, and had no thought ofJier property; Instead she,rushed ; out',into the passagc'aiid'screamed "Save my parrot I-'. And she was not satisfied until the bird, a big green African parrot, was carried : out into tho' street. Outside large numbers of spectators had gathered, and the parrot, . unused to'its surroundings, repeated one of its lessons that happened ,td be applicable: ''What's the matter,, anyway ? 'What's the fuss?" lie'said. .. '■<; Somewhere in his .writings, Bret Hart©, (in tho person of Bill Nye) asks in a moment of perplexity, "Do we sleep, do' we dream, or is visions about?" In similar case was a resident vof . ..''Wellington,;:, (whose • personal habits-'will survive close inspection), as. no. stood on tho water-front last night and gazed across the haxlMur'in the direction of Day's Bay, where a mysterious light, not on tbo. astronomical ohart, was to be seen flashing intornfittently in the sky. He mentioned nis discovery to some passere-by, who, unanimously , relieved him of any doubts he might have had as to the state of his'eyesight. Was it an airship ? No • (with emphasis). • A star? M—no—just a light. He oould say nothing more: dofinite. In the interests.of the public state of, mind the sooner this mysterious something is defined,' one way or.another, the better. ' '