LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 842, 14 June 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which left Wellington on .May C by the Ulimaroa, and connected at Sydney with the Brindisi mails by Ii.M.S. Mooltan, arrived in London on tho night of June 10. The postal authorities advise that the 5.!.. Maitai, which left Sydney for Wellington direct on Saturday last ; has on board an Australian mail. She is due to reach Wellington on Wednesday morning. • A deputation representing the Foxton Harbour Board will wait on the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Railways, at noon to-day, when the question of the purchase of the I'oxton Wharf by tho board will be discussed. The deputation will bo introduced by Mr. E. Newman, M.P. . Influenza is stated to be very much in ovidenee amongst horses at present. According to a local driver, there must bo something.over 100 horses in Wellington suffering from the complaint just now. The effect oh horses is stated fa bo very much the same as on human beings. Having delivered judgments this morning in tho cases of Skinner v. M'Guinness, and Sargood, Son, and Ewen, Ltd., v. Brndlce, the' Chief Justice will preside at a Chambers sitting of the Supreme Court, to be held at 10.30 o'clock. Tho divorce petition, Glover v. Glover, will also come before tho Court to-day. Tomorrow there will be a Banco sitting. At the Police Court, Palmerston North, yesterday, two Chinamen were fined 20s. each for opium-smoking. Tho Wellington City Council's proposals for welcoming tho new Governor. Lord Islington, on his arrival next week were endorsed by tho Petone Borough Council last night." Mr. T. P. Martin, solicitor to the Municipal Association, has advised the Petono Borough . Council that it has power to prevent tho removal of a wooden house from the back to the front of a section, when such section is within the brickbuildini;; area. Tho current revaluation at Petono does not meet with the approval of some of tho borough councillors. One of them, at the meeting last night, described it 'as being slipshod, while another described what he believed was the modus opernndi. "They just lake JHO a foot ■oil' all sections in, Jackson Street," ho said, "and .E2 10s. a foot oil' all sections ou tho side, streets." "Did you tirenm thai;?" inquired a fellow-member amid laughter, wliilo one or two voices were at once raised in deprecation of "this yalwngrdo.wn process.':

Mr. 3d". Laracy, secretary of the New Zealand Shearers' and Woolshed Workers' Association, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that the executive council of that body had advised shear- , ers to accept engagements, wherever possible, at not less than £1 a hundred for tho coming season. A case, for the shed hands would be brought before the Arbitration Court. .-Resolutions had been passed at some meetings of shearers to the effect that shearers should not accept engagements until an award was made f or the shed-hands, but such advice was unofficial, and did not represent the policy of the association. Mr. Laracy goes to Gisborno to-day in. order to form a branch of the association. Two foreigners—a Dane and a German— arrived in Wellington by tho mail steamer Arawa yesterday.. Both satisfied the Customs authorities as to their right of admission to the Dominion. They intend settling in New Zenland. ■ A total of 231 passengers arrived in Wellington by the Arawa, from London, yesterday, including 221 in the third-class, of this number 95 were assisted immigrants—C4 women, six men and 25 chilOf this number '95 were assisted immigrants were nominated by relatives in New Zealand and 42 wore approved by the High- Commissioner. Occupations of the new arrivals are stated variously as U domestic servants, three farmers, two farm hands, tind 12 are wives coming out to rtjoin their husbands. -Two brothers of tho new arrivals have'-£2-150 capital between them and two of tho domestic servants have MOO each. The newcomers are, according to the immigration officer, Mr. Danby, of a good standard. Seventeen of the domestic servants are going to Napier to employment offered by a Hawke's Ray syndicate, and tho others are going to positions iu various, parts of the Dominion. The District Officers of the 1.0. R., with representatives of the Tents' in Wellington, met last evening at the Kechabite Chambers to consider the invitation of his Worship the Mayor to take part in a public reception of -the Governor. It was unanimously resolved that the Kechabites should accept the invitation, and take part in the reception of his Excellency on his arrival, in Wellington. It was resolved that the District Secretary notify the membership by advertising in the three local papers. Brother Burton, Chief Ruler. of the Perseverance Tent, was ' appointed Marshal. Efforts are to bo made to secure a band to head the procession from the Kechabite Chambers to tile wharf. Tho premises occupied by the "Direct Supply Company, Auckland, have been purchased for d£79,000 from L. D. Nathan and Co., Ltd., by Jno. Court, Ltd., who intend transferring the -businesses from their central and lower shops in Queen Street. The premises, which will be vacated by tho D.S.C. on July I, have a frontage of 90ft. on Queen Street, 91ft. on' Victoria Street, with a right-of-way, to High Street. There is, perhaps, no hner business site in Auckland, and the threestory brick building was specially designed for the class of business which the purchasers will conduct upon an extended scale. Included in the purchase prico is an item of . over .£20,000 for buildings, fittings, etc., which leaves a sum of .£6Ol per foot for the ground. Tho West Coast "Times" states:—We learn that the Hokitika Police Gaol is about to go the way of the former. gaol here, and shortly will bo dispensed with altogether, /and that before the end of the year there will in its stead be a police gaol established at Greymouth. Tho authorities, it is understood, have already taken steps in this direction, and a tender of over £Wi for the erection of the Greymouth Gaol has been accepted by them. The structure will probably be erected on the Greymouth" Police Reserve, and on its completion the Superintendent of the present gaol ■ here will' proceed to the northern town to take over the management of tho institution. It ie also understood that Dr. Hayward, of the Health Department, has decided to have tho local gaol buildings made into an addition to the Sea View' Asylum. An epidemic- of influenza, of rather a severe form- is prevalent in Wellington at the present time. Statements have recently appeared in various newspaners>to tho effect that the Government hod decided to greatly extend its operations in connection with tho tree-planting area at Waiotapu. Upon inquiry at the head office of the Laud and Survey Department yesterday, a reporter was infor.med that the additionalareas to he planted are Crown lands between Waiotapu and Galatea"; on the Kaingaroa Plains. It was further stated that tho area which was tho scene of operations at present would be completely planted, probably within two years, and then it would be necessary to shift., the present camp to deal with the very much increased area of new land.. AVhere the central camp would be placed would probably enable operations.to extend over 15,000 to 20,000 acres without the necessity for it to be again removed. As a result of the recent Native , gathering at Waahi, tho Waikato district is to bo brought under the Maori Councils Act. Since the Act came into forpe that district has been the only one which has been uncouncilled. Upon this subject the Hon. J. Carroll informed a reporter yesterday that up till ■ now Mahuta and -his peoplo had been determined to administer their own affairs through the medium' of their own nominated bodies. It had,' however, now become clear to them that this kind of administration was futile, as they required- the clotliing of law to give force to their demands. Hβ was therefore pleased when Mnlnyta, ou behalf of his people, intimated to him that they desired that the Waikato district should come under the Act, liko all other portions of the Dominion.' One of tho greatest benefits which would arise from their decision would be the establishment of a system under which the sanitation of tho various villages would be secured. .Mr. Carroll added that the district would be proclaimed under the Act without delay. Competition on the Eotorua-Taupo Road has commenced in earnest between the Eotorua Motor Coaching Company amd their competitors, the Graham Brothers, of Wairakei (writes our Auckland correspondent). Fares have been'cut down by tho Kotorua llotor Ccachiug Company to one-half of the old rates, and the travelling public are, of course, reaping the benefit - of this competition.'

Tlio advice received by the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Industries and Commerce, that an exhibition of New Zealand products was being held at the Commercial Aluseum, Trieste, refers • to a display collected by Mr. E. Langguth, of Auckland, Austro-Hungarian Consul, and, shown under the auspices of the Trieste Chamber of Commerce, which is subsidised by tho Government (writes our Auckland correspondent). The display, which comprises ilax, kauri gum, ores, minerals, tinned meats, wool, several kinds .of New Zealand, woods and copra from the Islands, is on view in one room of the museum. - The products of other countries are shown in other rooms. The Trieste Chamber of Commerce very frequently arranges such displays, in order to promote trade between that port and other- countries. Large harbour works are in progress at that port, which in Ate. Laugguth's opinion is destined to be a very important one. The display of New Zealand goods has rcsulfed in several- inquiries and some business. As there is reason to suspect the presence of plague-infected rats in Auckland (says Hie Auckland "Star"), tho Health Department urge householders and others to inaugurate a war of extermination against these rodents. When rats hove, been killed or are found dead, it is always unwise to'hanille- them with thq naked hands. They should be lifted with a shovel and buried or destroyed by fire. Tlie danger of plngue infection from rats arises almost entirely from bites inflicted by ilens after they have left a dead rat. Care therefore should' be exercised in avoiding these parasites. As a result of his meeting with Sir Joseph Ward, King Mahiita hns sent Messrs. P. Kirkivood and W. T. Hiißhes to Matangi, where a rival meeting is being held by tho followers of Tunii Taingahawii, with the object of laying Maori grievances Wore Kins Georgo and the British Parliament. Mahutn is anxious' that no action should be taken in this direction until Iho question has boen iiKiiin before tho New ! Zealand Parliament. Shampooing, Clipping, Hairdrossim; Manicm-inn, Fnco Massnge, Treatment of Falling Hair, and Dandruff. Combings made up. Natural Hair-pads. Mrs 'Kollestcn (over Carroll's), 14 - TViilia Street. 'Phono 1593!—Advt, I

It is understood that the Prospecting Company, which has done a good deal of prospecting at Terawhiti during the last year, lias abandoned the field as unpayable. Indications of gold hare £rom feme to time been found at Terawhvti, but not in sufficient quantities to warrant the sinking of much capital in mining operations. A new device for military weapons, which has recently been patented in England, and is now passing through the experimental stage, was tested by the Auckland military authorities on Friday. The device is called the Maxim "silencer," and is designed to lit a .303 service rifle. The inventor is a brother of the famous Hiram Maxim, and one model of his new idea has been imported by Major W. H. Hazard. The idea is to reduce to the lowest possible minimum the noise of a. rifle's discharge. The instrument, which is cylindrical in shape, fits on the muzzle of a rifle, and is about Jib. in weight. The idea of the device is that the gases become broken up in the cylinder after leaving the gun "barrel. The trials were carried out with two rifles, one being fitted with a "silencer" and the other being without the appliance. The report from the, rifle fitted with the • "silencer" was reduced to that which usually eman-. ates from a miniature rifle when in a horizontal positioii, whilb •'ho Bound, when the barrel was held in the air, was merely that of a puff of wind. The amount of flame was also minimised. A secondary effect produced by the "silencer" was that the rifle fitted with it had practically no recoil. Captain Richardson, who is an expert in ganneiy, when spoken to regarding the trial, said that it was certainly successful in a measure, and as the time was not far distant .wlien troops would be armed with noiseless, flameless, and 6mokeless rifles, their positions would be so hard to find that they would even baffle the efforts of a Napoleon to locate them.