LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Postal authorities adviso' that tho Mceraki, which left Sydney oh Saturday, for Wellington, has on board large Australian and English mails, whioh are due'here to-morrow (Wednesday). . v ': ■

A dangerous prank was played by a baud of boys at Hollow ay lioad, Mitcholltown, on Sunday. Tho irresponsible: youngsters throw a nieco of _ copper wire over an electric' light high-tension main, aiid when it bccalno fixed they tethered the loose end to a trco alongside the road. An alarmed citizen. communicated with the City Electrical Department, and informed them that tho tree was giving off sparks. Ou investigations being mado it was found that tho iviro put up, by the boys had eaten through tho insulation of the high-ten-irioii main and an pleotro-molivo force of 2000 volts was operating., through tho Hire, and thence into the ground through tho tree. The danger of the' action docs not need emphaaisiog. ' . . J

lho Police Commission, as originally issued, would have expired on September 30, hut hai been extended to October 31. ■\ mob of bullocks broke loose between Pctone am Ngalmuranga about -scvon o'clock last night, eating dolny to tho train, traffic.. Somo' pi them crossed tho railway liao and found ■their way to tho sea. The Napier express collided with and killed one, and was delayed about twenty minutes owing to tho collision. , A well-attended meeting of ratepayers was Mid ot Paeknkanki on Saturday afternoon for the purpose- of discussing the pros and cons, of severing from theHutt County and forming the .proposed now county. Mr. Whit nig quoted 'figures and reasons for severance, and stated that he considered, it-would ht benoncial tp the ratepayers if. tho new countj was formed. Mr. Welch, clinirman of th« Jiutt County Council, then addressed tho meet, jng, and urged on those present to look before they leaped. During his remarks ho stated that tho,Hutt County was never in a better financial position than at the present time, and he hoped that that position would bo furthei improved in the future. Mr! Lynch,, councillor lor the district, also' addressed tho meet, .ingaiid'Hpoke strongly against the proposed severance: ..'Mr. W.. Howell then put forward, his reasons os to ■ why. tho-new county should be lprmod. After several questions had been put to and answered by Mr. Welch,' Mr. Smith moved and Mr, A. Mackay seconded:- "That this meeting is;not in favour Of severing from tho Hutt -County and forming the proposed new county.' This was carriod without dissent.

Heavy rains during the past three dors are reported by a number of our provincial "corre-' spondonts, but no damage to stock or property appears to have been caused by tho resultant floods, blips, however, have, occurred in the Manawatu Gorge. • . ■ -.'.>■ On Saturday week the Wellington SavagO Club are to pay a fraternal visit to the Palmcrston North Savage Club'.- ; . ■ ' ••-,. ■ ■It is a. custom with tho Now Zealand Academy of lino Arts to hold a competition in connexion with the designing of tho cover of the catalogue for -the annual show. Last year a very smart design was produced by Miss G. C-arnham. This year'thp winner is Miss Beryl Mackenzie,, an art student of tho Wellington technical School, who won from a score of other competitors. It would be a graceful not for the. name of the designer to appear on tho cover, as is tho. recognised right of art designers nil the world over. "'. ■; •■'.'. ' The salo of tho new tram concession during the first.week's working of tho new Mlienuvis said'to have been very satisfactory. Soniething.like 700. tickets, which yielded about AlbO, were sold m the first week,- and the only trouble appears to be,that.the tickets are not available lor purchase at more places.' -'~ I'he balance of the men-employed on the Helief Works concentrated their energy yesterday on a landslip which happened at Anderson •fart on bunday night. . A large quantity of enith camo down, and it will not bo cleared away before to-morrow. , A different viow of the island trade frony that which was given in an interview published in Tire Domikiojj on Saturday is hold by a local merchant,- whoso firm has: been successfully' engaged in .the business. Ho states that both : the import and export trade between Wellington and the islands has been growing slowly hut steadily since: the direct serVito with this port was inaugurated. Tho import trade, in {nut has grown to-such an extent, that on its i™ * rip J ho is said to have refused m tons, for whioh thcro w.as no room. From U? .P. osl t Wll as/a'central distributing station, Wellington presents a better-market for tho island prodnco than Auckland, can- hope to do.. The trade to tho islands-from, this port u a steadily growing quantify, There.is an increasing domand for Wellington tinned meats, and- soap, cases, and other goods have been sent with encouraging, result..: This particular ■ rra , htt ; been,receiving fruit "to tho extent of near.y 1000 .cases • every, month, but what-it has sent away has been of greater value than the fruit -received. ■■• Instead of money going from this town to tho islands for fruit, it is coming hero from the islands after the local fruit rcauireinents have been satisfied. ■ ■-.

It is unders ood that tho City Council will proceed with the construction of tho Charlotte btreet tramway loop,as soon as the Lyell Bay .tramway works have been irot out of hand.. , _A deputation from the/'Mirainar Borough Council waitedl upon tho Tramwaye Committee of too-; City Council yesterday with, a view to gaining certain alterations in tho tramways apoomont between.tho parties.;: It is understood that" the (Borough: is seeking a reduction in the cost,of power,.or failing this, certain alterations m the. time-table. A-report on ths matter is tn-bo submitted to,tho comtntitee. 'Muoh-MntroTersy'.'lias'aHßen Of late in con! ' Motion' with "tile" substitution of .Chinese" for' British orews m ships. of ' tho : hiorcantile marine. -According to statistics just received from tho Boardof_ Trade by, the. Imperial Herchant .faervice'Guild, the number - of Chineso snipped at eighteen of, tho principal- ports in '. ifef, United : during the ■ years ,1906. 1907. and-1808/are 3190/4952, and «3'respect .tively. I'ronrthis.ot.courscfit would appear thatthe new language test for'seamen,-imposed by the Board, of Trado, has'arrested the influx, of Ohinese.seamen in onr ships. An interesting feature in. connection with, this matter has just been brought to.tho notice of the,secretary bv" one of the. members-of the guild relative to icurious law or bolief which-prevails in China.' It is said tiiatif a Chinaman'saves : the life of; another,- ho has,-, by Chineso. law,: to keep him andifced. him for tha-rest of! his 1 life, .mis, the guilds correspondent- remarks.'. ii rather, the reverse of - Western ideas, but explains to. a large extent why, Chinamen are'notof muoh use in ■ oases of emergency.:; Ho quotes the: following ■■ persona), experience :-"In - ths steamer of which I,was chief onicer.-Chinew firemen were employed. -Wo-had the.misfortune to sink another stoanicr, and, altbongh tho boat-drill tos held regularly e'very week, thesa firemen would not attempt in any way to "save life, this being left to the British officers and sailors. I-did not understand their reluctance to take part in the resouc. as there was so very little danger connected with it. I now boliow that tho law, existing,in" China of having', to kcep_n /man on.saving his life]was tho cause of the roluotanco of the firemen-.referred to/ It will: be of interest to watch in the future i whether such, a; characteristic again displays - ltsefj.vf.so it wilH)c;a further illustration of tho dangers ,of Chineso crews,—"Liverpool Journal of, Commerce." ~: <'.':', •■■','• ',-''. .-.An interesting, lecture, illustrated . by' practical demonstration, on' the-hot springs and geysers of the Hotorua'district, was given at the Uys Institute, Auckland, on Friday even, mg -by Dr. Wohlmann, Government balneolcgist- at Kotorun. The. lecturer, who devoted himself to the physical aspect of tho interest. ing features of Now Zealand's Wonderland, had before bun, occupying only the space of an ordinary largo table, a working plasticine model,oi all the thermal phenomena^moluding , a volcano, a geyser, steaming mud volcanoes, and springs and fumoroles. The hissing' noisa so characteristic, of the actual thermal action '' V'aS-not wanting. The.'hot-..water., and 'steam necessary for the demonstration Were- produced by means, of a gas heating apparatus,hidden from view, whilst the volcanic eruption of fine lava was produced by'an assistant.of- the 100. turer-a young man of powerful, lung: power, who, .by.blowing into a glass tube beneath the table, t produced an esculent-.-representation iu miniature of. a volcano in active ond intermittent - eruption.. The theory of the origin of thermal phenomena and the manner in which theiiv action is regulated, were explained by D.r..AVoli mann, anil, with the aid of his models and blackboard diagrams, he'itapurted n great ' deal, of. instructive information on this in-, terosting subject. ■, ,'-.,;..

\ t Th „ 6 o,t e - n i cr ? f Mossts ; -Richardson and Blair at; JJ24a .176.. has been accepted by tho'.. City: Council for i the-supply;, of-points' and crossings for the Lyelt Bay tramway. - The material is to be supplied beforo >.ovcmber 10.' F a £ cr ', .presided at; of. tho, Mount Cook Police Court: yesterday morning. John O'Uagan, was fined'ss,, or 21 hours imprisonment for being drunk. On a similar charge, Johu Clcgg was' fined 10s., or 48 hours; Jamos Keating was fined 55.; or 24 hours i and Chas. Andcison was fined ■ 55.. or 21. hours, fuo first offenders were fined lOs. or 48 hours:; and-one; first'oriondor was eonvicted; and, discharged.' .

That, employers of; labour■''in Hastings have been .unduly harassed of lato by beimr dragged before tho Court ontho. most,trivial infringe monts of tho labour laws is fully recognised (says the "Standard"); and the endurance "ol employers has evidently reached tho limit Jjmployors and.employees have decided to pro-" test'against tho too frequent. interference of tho inspector, and have circulated petitions for .signature, asking that ho be removed from tho district. Tho opinion ■is general that, zoalousncss has outrun discretion. : . A special meeting of the Wellington Presbv; terian Sunday Sohool Association was held Inst evening in St. John's class-room,'-tho presdent (the Uev.W. Shiror) being in the chair. Nim sohnols wero represented. The Rey. -'A.-..T Thomson (Mnsterton) reported Unit tho static tics showed a very largo increase' of scholars in connection' with' tho Sunday ■schools.: It «•« agreed to draw the attention of, superintendent* to the importance of: : Ittichors'preparation classes. An address cm ;• Sunday > school work was given by Mr. W. Gray. '-,