LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1035, 26 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In our advertising columns will be found advertisements calling for tenders for grass seed and for a' railway tunnel contract. These are official Government advertitements, which, in pursuance, of Sir J. G. Ward's policy of boycotting The Dominion, despite the fact that its circulation is far greater than that of any nioniiiig paper within 400 miles, have been, refused to us. They are, accordingly printed at our own cost, in order that the public at any rate may lose nothing from the Government's abuse of its trust ns the custodians of the public's money. The lioness which was introduced a few days ago. at the' Newtowh Zoo has already made- friends with King Dick, who is to be her mate for the next two years. . For a few days the animals were kept apart in separate dens, lest on a too abrupt introduction they might do each other grievous bodily harm, but the dividing partition has now been removed, and lion and lioness appear to bo on the best of terms. The New Zealand United Fire Brigades' demonstration is to be held on Coss Square, Hokitika, on March 4, 6, and 8 next. There are eleven events on the programme. - The annual election of members of the Wellington. Harbour Board jias" been fixed to tako place on Wednesday, April 26. The State schools ;are to jeopen after tho long vacation on Monday next. There- is an abundance of fruit now on the Auckland market.. In the streets yesterday delicious plums wore offering'at 2d. per lb.; nectarines, 3d. per lb.; tomatoes, five pounds for • a "shilling; peaches at 20 for a shilling; apples of the Irish Peach variety as low as eight lbs. for. a shilling. Tho Auckland Government House is .now in the hands of a small army of carpenters,- plumbers,- drain-layers, , "and l other workmen. The building is" beingoverhauled and renovated throughout. Owing to the very sound condition of the' building-there is .not a great deal for tho carpenters to. do tin retiairs, despite the fact -that the Minister for Public Works not so long ago declared that the building was in a state of such decay that it needed pulling or burning down. Tho Minister will be , in Auckland in a few days, and doubtless ho will havo the pleasure of eating his.words, if he has not already done so. On tho. voyago of tho Atkenic from London to Wellington, tho death occurred at sea on January 13 of the four-year-old son of Mrs. Ml Denning, whe with 'her family were passengers from 'iondon to Hobart. '

Arriving from London, via way ports, last evening,- the. Shaw Savill and Albion Company's steamer Athenic brought a lnrgo number of assisted immigrants besides ordinary passengers. Altogether there were 30 first saloon,'l3 second, and 521 third-class passengers on board the liner. The .number of ■ "assisteds" was made, up'-by-167 adults and 34 children. Those nominated by relatives in New Zealand numbered 37 adults and 31 children, making a total of 63. The High Commissioner in London approved '80 adults -and 3 ..children, .making 83. Together with the boys brought out by. Mr. T. E. Sedgwick, these totals make 201. Tho occupations of the new arrivals are described as follow:—19 domestics, -24 farm labourers, and 8 farmers. Twenty wives are rejoining their husbands.. Miss A. M. Black is in charge of the domestics, on behalf of the British Women's Immi-' gration Association, and Mrs. Kay, secretary of the Christchurch branch of the Y.W.C.A., has arrived in' Wellington, to take charge of 17 girls ivho are to be employed in Canterbury. Mr. Danby,' Chief Immigration Officer, states that all except two or three of the domestics have been successful in obtaining employment. The Harbour' Board last evening decided to open business at its ordinary meetings at 8 p.m., instead of- 7.30 p.m., which has hitherto been the hour of meeting. To the Wingatul racecourse now Tielongs a glory all its own (says the Dunedin 'Star"). A baby was there christened on bunday-a girl baby. . Let it not bo supposed 'that the parents were putting to-the test some theory of tho vaccination kind and trying to inoculate her with speed so that hereaftov she may not be■coniß ."fast." The explanation is simpler than that. One of tho rooms at . the course is by permission of tho D.J.C. used by the Presbyterians for public worship, and the child's parents attend the services. The Rev. Mr. Kinmont baptised the baby. The. members of tho Wellington Land Board are still touring tho back-blocks in tho vicinity of the head waters of the Wangnnui River, and will not complete their investigations until tho end of tho month. The Wellington Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. James ; Mackenzie) is not dub in Wellington until Monday next, consequently tho meeting which in the ordinary'-course'would have been held today will' not take place until Thursday next. .