LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1040, 1 February 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Latest advices arc to the effect that the French frigate Kersaint will arrive in Wellington on Friday afternoon.. If time should permit ceremonial visits will be exchanged by the civic authorities and the commander of the Kersaint on the same afternoon. The Mayor, and councillors with the Town Clerk will represent the city and Jlr. R. Fletcher (chairman), and other members the Harbour Board. Following on the visit of tho shore party to the ship, Commander Tiereelin will pay a return call at the Town Hall. • The Government ..has accepted tenders, subject to minor fjualincations, for the erection of two high-power and five lowpower wireless stations, but which company has besn successful will not be announced until Sir Joseph Ward returns to Wellington on Saturday. As previously stated, the two high-power stations will bo located at Doubtless Bay and the Bluff, and the other stations at Gisborne, New Plymouth, Christehurch, and Wellington, ( Petone's niiich-agitatecl-for High School is still "in the air," so to sneak. The subject appeared on the order paper for yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education'.Board, but was again deferred for further consideration. Tho Auckland correspondent of The Dominion telegraphs that as an outcome of the new law regarding the disqualification of members of local badies, the Onoliunga Sawmill Com pan v, of which Sir. K. T. Michaels'(a City" Councillor) is a director, has decided to refuse any future orders from any of the Auckland municipal departments. It was announced yesterday (says our Palmerston correspondent) that a poll is to bo taken on the question of raising a loan of ,£61,000 to provide a tram service for Palmerston. Instructional practice with the.big C-i«. gnus at Fort Dorset was carrjed out by the Wellington Navals yesterday, as a preliminary to tho service comrany test which' tho gunners will bo nut through this week. Yesterday morning eight rounds were fired at n towed target of tho type, at 4701 yards range, good shooting beiug recorded. Further instruction, in night-firiug was given last evening by searchlight. The Education Board having been offered two acres for' a school site at Norlands, subject to the condition that the building is erected within a year, has decided to make application to tho Government for a grant for'the erection of tho school.

In view of the general misconception which has arisen in the past concerning the expenditure of tho annual Government grants to Education 'Boards for maintenance of buildings, etc., tho Wellington Education Board, upon receiving at its meeting yesterday an' intimation from the Education Department to the effect that the nniount o£ its grant for tho current year would bo <£G503, decided to refer the question of the expenditure of the same to its Finance Committee for a report. ~.,,.. Tho vital statistics for the city for the month of January wero ns under, the figures for-January last yearbeingi,gij;pn, in parentheses:—Births, 180 (220); deaths, 62 (7D); marriages, .90-(68). The number of marriages solemnised in tho Registry Office- during the month was 21 as against 15 in January last year. A sitting in Chambers will bo held at 10.30 on Iriday by his Honour llio Chief Justice. The case of Hn'mmond v. A'Court, an originating summons, has also been set down for Friday. There was only ono bankruptcy in Wellington during tho month ended yesterday, as against two for January last year. ■ ilr. G. Maughan Barnett has returned to Wellington after a month's holiday' at Kimbolton in tho hills at'the back of Teilding. He is to commence duty as city organist on Saturday evening when the first organ recital in tho new year will be given. The Municipal Orchestra, a good many members of which have been absent from Wellington on holiday during the- month ended yesterday, are to string tho lyre once mora at .an early date. Tho first rehearsal of the year will tako .place at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening next and the initial concert of the 1911 season towards the end of tho present month.

At tho last meeting of the Harbour Board the chairman (Mr. H. Fletcher) was authorised to obtain a report from tho engineer upon certain proposed alterations which, if carried out, will considerably improve tho main approach to the wharf. Part of the ground floor on the street face of the general offico building is now utilised as a public convenience. It is proposed that this space should be used for transhipping offices. A low wall fronting tho building will be removed as well as a number of advertising hoardings and a crossing-keeper's box which is no longer required. The result would bo an improvement in the approach outsido tho gates almost as groat as was lately effected at the head of the wharf by the removal of the old book-stall and other hindrances to traffic.

The total amount , collected in fares on the city tramways last week . was ■£31-20 25., an increase of ,£4GI 6s. upon tire total collected during the- corresponding week of last year. Amongst the amendments to the Harbours Act passed last session was one permitting of an annual allowance being made to the chairmen of boards. Mr. J. H. Gunson is desirous that the Auckland Board should take advantage of this provision, and ho has accordingly given notice to move at the next meeting of the board that the chairman ho voted an annual allowance of *200, such allowance to date from January 1 of this year. At the opening ceremony of the Mokau brides (says tho Auckland "Star"), Jlr. AV. T. Jennings,.Sl.]?., in referring to the manner in which settlers wore being treated in not being allowed to travel by goods train, stated a very painful case which hail been brought under, his notice that happened at Ongarue. A woman there, lie had been told, was suffering from blood-poisoning, and had bcoir refused permission <o travel by tho goods train, with tho result that she died two days later. Jn response to a request by tho Forirua eoUego Trustees, the Wellington Education Hoard has agreed to give consideration to the question of establishing special classes in wood-wnrk and agriculture at the Maori school controlled by tho trustees. In connection a conference representative of the trust,, tho Education Board, and the Education Department, will take place shortly. It is well known that New Zealand lian moro cyclists per head of population than any other country in tho world, and. confcnncntiy tho tyre question is of tho greatest interest to them. The rubber boom created material advances, and it wilt be welcome news to know that tho state of the market now permits of material reductions Ijeiua: made in cycle tyres. A reference to tho announcement by the Dunlop Company in another column will show what these reductions' msnii to cyclists, inasmuch as they will now be cnahled to cot 25 nor cent, more usago out of their tyros by comparison with the nrices which have been in forco up to the present. With the season of Weddings, sociaip. nnd otlisr hapny functions right upon us, ladies who take a pride in tho good finisli of their sewing will bo interested in the fact thr.t for the present month Oscar Hcwett, Ltd., 5C Cuba Street, are offering very special inducements on all Sewing Machines, of which they hold a large and attractivo stock in Wertheim, Jones, Wilcox aud Gibbs, etc.*