LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 819, 17 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho three Wellington daily papers will not publish next Friday, which has been declared a day of mourning throughout tho Empire. Tho mails which left Wellington on April 8 by the a.s. Moeraki, connecting at Sydney with tho Brindisi mail by E M.S. Marmora, arrived in London oh tlio niglit of May 13. On Friday next, May 20, the Post and Telegraph Offices will observe tho following hours:—All offices to ho open from 8 a.m. till 10 a.m., for tho transaction of business in all branches, and from 7 p m. to 8 p.m. for tho receipt and delivery of telegrams, delivery of correspondence, and sale of stamps. Lettercarriers will mako one early delivery in tho morning. Telephone exchanges will bo open as usual. ■\s tho result of an exceptionally high tide yesterday, the collar of one of the warehouses situated between tho intersection, of Feathei'ston Street and Lamblon Quay was Hooded. The water rose several inches on tho cases on the. connote floor and tho staff spent tlio afternoon paddling about with bare feet and baling ont the invading ifatnrs.

Another toy mannikin was produced for purposes of demonstration by another witness in the Duco ease yesterday afternoon. The witness on this last occasion claimed to show that tlio l'omicr one (who occupied the witness-box one day last week) had grievously erred when he professed to illustrate a question connected with the equilibrium of a floating body by means of an object resting on a hard surface. The mannikin which the first witness had produced was so shaped and weighted that when it was laid Hat it immediately sprang upright, and this was supposed to represent the behaviour of a properly loaded ship. Its successor of yesterday had no such power of recovery, but when its owner put it into a vessel of water, which he hod brought into Court for tho purpose, it floated very satisfactorily, head upwards. The other one was dropped in beside it, and ignoininiously sank to the bottom. The general appreciation of this object lesson did not prevent one of the barristers from jocularly interpreting it as showing that a sailorman asnore who finds it difficult, for no uncommon reason, to maintain his equilibrium in tho street may manage pretty well when he gets afloat again. A committee was appointed by the Presbyterian General Assembly at its !ast meeting to consider a course of study for the Theological Hall, punedin, and other matters of reform which have been suggested from time to time. Ihe committee will meet and go into the whole matter in Dunedin on May 22. The Rev. Dr. Gibb is a member ot the committee. A meeting, promoted by sympathisers in Auckland with Captain Knyvett, has been fixed to take place in Wellington during tho first week in Parliament. The eclipse of the sun on Hay 9 was clearly visible to the passengers on Jio White Star liner Corinthic as she approached the Tasmanian coast. At 1.10 p.m. (ship's time), the first contact took place, the efi'ect being visible through tho thin edge of a mass of clouds. As the time advanced the clouds cleared away, and tho sua was observed to be totally eclipsed at 2.14 p.m., the entire obscurity lasting for four minutes. The effect ot the eclipse was to make it dark enough for tho stars to be seen shining brightly in the heavens. The ship's position obtained by stellar observations was latitude 45.03 S., longitude 132.50 E. The last contact was at 3.35 p.m., at which time the sun was obscured by clouds. A very good photograph of the eclipse, was taken on board. Closely examined, tho dark sphere of the moon can bo seen in the centre of a glowing mass, which throws out shafts of light in every direction. The photograph is being copyrighted by its owner, who is of the opinion that ne las secured a unique negative. The tender of the Paparoa Coal Company has been accepted by the Gear Meat Company for the supply of coal for the ensuing year. , , Ever since April 24, the police Have been, following the trail of two young men, Henry Gardiner, aged 18, and Albert AVilliam Footp, aged 20 who mode their escape from the Burnham Industrial school. The escapees were tracked through Kaikoura to Flaxbourne, and across tho back country to Havelock. Subsequently supposed traces of the runaways were found fhrongh. the Pelorus Sound, where a rowing boat was missing for a time. This boat was subsequently found on an island in the Sounds. When the boat was found on the island it was supposed that the escapees _ were caught in a trap, but a search failed to reveal them. Foote, however, was arrested a day or two ago at the Croixelle=. where he was found in possession of a quantity of rugs. Gordon was arrested at Havelock yesterday. Both young men are to be brought before the court at Havelock.. Mr. Justice Cooper will deliver judgment, at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, in the case of Bell v. Sample. The Wellington Immigration Society has inaugurated an active service of help among the people arriving in the Dominion direct from Home. Arrangemonts have been made for tho distribution of informativo literature among the passengers on tho steamers' arrival at Hobart, and on reaching Wellington they are met by Mr. W. H. Walton, who heads the mission work in Taranaki Street in connection with St. Peter's Church, who .dispenses local knowledge, questions the new arrivals as to their present and future intentions, and endeavours to tho best of his ability to put them in the way of achieving the best results. Mr. Walton met tho Corinthic passengers on that vessel's arrival yesterday afternoon, and besides personally interviewing between 30 and 10 passengers, distributed cards giving his address and office hours, in order that inquirers may obtain the full benefit of his local knowledge of tho avenues of labour in town and up country. A movement is on foot (says the "Herald") to commemorate the reign of King Edward VII by tho erection of a children's hospital in Auckland, to bo known as the King Edward VII Memorial Children's Hospital. At the present time no special provision exists at tho general hospital for the treatment of children, tho result being that many little ones are unable to obtain admission and treatment. Tho sum of about .£2OOO is already m hand for that purpose, arising from the bequest of the late Mr. Saul JfDermott. It is estimated that an additional sum of at least .£3OOO will he required, which, with the Government subsidy of 245. in ■tho £, would be sufficient to enablo a suitable hospital to be erected and equipped. H.M.S. Pioneer, . drillship for naval reservists, arrived from Auckland yesterday morning, and berthed at tho Wool Wharf. The cruiser left Auckland at 7 am on Saturday, and during the run across the Bay of Plenty her boilers were opened out for a period of four hours, during which she averaged eighteen knots. For the following twelve hours speed was reduced to three-fifths, and then a gale springing up she was cased down to 10 knots. Officers of the Pioneer remain unchanged since her last visit to Wellington, with tho exception that Lieutenant G. G. H. Cook has replaced Lieutenant J. J. Brewer as navigating officer. Drill will commence on Monday. There are vacancies on the vessel for seamen and stokers. A new Cossar printing press has just been erected in the Greymouth, "Star" office by Mr. John Lowe, mechanical expert to tho Wangatfui "Chronicle." The work occupied three weeks. Mr. John I/owe is a son of Mr. Lowe, head storeman for Messrs. Bannatyne and Co. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister in ohargo of the Tourist Department, accompanied by tho secretary of the Scenery Preservation Committee, Mr. Eobieson (head of tho Tourist Department), and Mr. Hatrick, arrived at Wangamii at noon yesterday from Taumarunui, via Wanganiii Eivor. The Minister went on to Wellington.—Press Association. Out of a total of 230 passengers who landed in Wellington from the Shaw, Savill. and Albion liner Corinthic terday, 77 are classed as "assisted," 51 wero "nominated by friends in New Zealand," while 2G came out under the approval of the High Commissioner for New Zealand. They included ten domestic ser-, vants. one housekeeper, one farmer, and 1C wives who had come out to rejoin their husbands. A meeting of the secondary school assistants will bo held at tho Wellington College this afternoon. The Picton and Sounds Promotion Society is moving to have a committeo set up in Wellington to forward the Captain Cook memorial fund, and the Mayor and a number of citizens in each town known to be interested in the matter are being asked to assist in the lecturing campaign upon which Mr. B. M'Nab is to embark shortly on behalf of the movement. Mr. M'Nab's tour will commence at Jnvorcnrjrill on July 1, and will conclude at Blenheim on July 20. Tho suggested date for ' the lecture in Wellington is July 15.