LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1039, 31 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the s.s. Marama, which sailed from Sydney nt 2 p.m. on January 28, has on board an Australian mail. She will arrive here on Wednesday morning. A deputation consisting of Messrs. Coradino (.Mayor of Masterton), Loasby (Mayor of Ureytown), and F. \V. Carey (president of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce) will interview the Minister tor Railways to-day at 11.30 a.m. relative to the Wairarapa train service timetable. Mr. W. 0. Buchanan, M.P., will introduce the deputation. The survey of Auckland Harbour will probably be commenced this week. Lieutenant Jackson, of H.M.S. Fantome, was expected to arrive by the Maheno from Sydney yesterday. The Harbour Board has engaged several competent men to assist in the work, and will provide all tlip necessary gear, such as launch, boats, etc. It is expected that the work will take two or three months to complete. ft® me eting of Cabinet it is probable that: regulations will be approved governing the registration of barmaids, aI M, a ' so new regulations in connection with the Workers' Dwellings Act. Important changes were effected last session m the last-named measure, and the newregulations will be awaited with interest, ( %, l L pl ' iut ? r ' s crror . 15.," instead of XO6 Is.,' appeared in the following passage in the news article in our paper of yesterday on the .£5,000,000 loan: "The net cash received for the bond would therefore be .£97 10s., less S-Oth of £1 15s. or >.96 Is. In respect of tho whole loan,- tho cash received would be 50,000 times the amount, or X 4,802,500." The misprint was evident from the context, ana could therefore cause no confusion. At the last meeting of the City Council Councillor Csrmichael called for a return gmng particulars as to plant sold by the City -Electrical Department and the price that it had brought. . These particulars aro now available. The Mayor told a Dominion reporter yesterday that plant discarded by the department over a period of about two years had been sold for an aggregate sum" of ,£1036 15s. Following are details;— Three Davy Paxman econoboilers, «£44 i 55.; two Davy Paxoian. horizontal engines, one Tangye feed-pump, filter- and ejector, ; one Davy Paxman. horizontal engine and three unit pumps, ,£192 10s. Tho city electrical engineer reports that the prices, .taken all round, must be regarded as very satisfactory. The plant was valued in 1900 by Messrs. S. Kichardson and R. T. .Turnbull. The economic boilers sold for J3444 ss. were then set down as worth .£450. Tho remaining plant was sold for .£592 10s. It was valued in 1906 at about ,£9OO. Every sale was sanctioned by tho Tramway and. Lighting Committee. The displaced plant, Mr. Wilford remarked, was sold in order to make room for newer and more effective machinery. There stifl remained in, the power-houso machines which would be replaced lis time went'on.

Tho retreat of the Roman Catholic clergy of the Archdiocese of Wellington, which includes Wellington Province, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Marlborough, and tho greater part of Nelson, commenced at St. Patrick's College yesterday evening, and will continue until Friday morning. , There aro about SO priests from the Archdiocese of Wellington taking part. Exercises are being preached by tho Very Rev. Father Hunt, of the Redemptorist Order.

It has been decided to discontinue tho quarterly , examinations of . Territorial officers for certificates of rank, and to hold these examinations twice a year, in May and November, in future, about tho same time as tho "C" and "D" examinations of officers of the Permanent Staff. The Wellington branch of the Labour party has appointed a canvasser for a week, to beat up support for the Saturday half-holiday petition now in circulation. "We are beginning to realise that tho collection of the four or five thousand signatures required involves an ardueus task," said Mr. B.' J. Carey, yesterday. • It is not intended to hold' .any.-..<ofEoial ceremony in connection with the ,- eompl4tion of work at the new Solomon's linob dam. The reservoir is now . being slowly ■ filled; i . The Mayor is to meet the secretary of. tho local Tramways Union on Wednesday, with a. view to arranging an opening, dato for the conference at. which a sub-com-mittee of the City. Council is to meet and confer with representatives of the men in connection with the demands of their union for a new award. The early commencement of - woodblockin" operations from Willis Street to Customhouse Quay and Featherston Street, will necessitate an almost immediate removal of the Queen's Statue to its new site at the end' of Kent Terrace. Tho Now Zealand Club will hold a luncheon gathering in the Y.M.C.A. Hall to-day, when the guest of honour, will be the Hon. George Fowlds, Minister for Education. ' _ Our readers are informed that the sharelist of the Papuan Products Co., Ltd., will positively close, on the 31st inst. Tho capital of the company is .£75,000 in 750,000 shares of two stilling each, 3d. per share on application, 3d. per share on' allotment, the balance in calls at intervals of not less than three months. The company has an area of 2000 acres, most suitable for rubber-growing. The directors are well-known Christchurch business men, and the company's head offico is at Christchurch. Rubber shares are amongst the most' popular form of investment in England to-day. The XI shares of the Dominion Rubber Company (a Dunedin company) are in demand to-day at a premium of 12s. Prospectus and illustrated booklet may be obtained on application to the Secretary, P.O. Box 56, Christ- ! church, or to Irwin and George, brokers, ■Wellington.—Advt.