LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Speaking for a Hataitai deputation, at tho City Council meeting on Thursday evening, Mr. Leigh Hunt said that rcsidentsin that suburb hoped to secure tho sympathy and co-opera-tion of the Tramway Department in their demand for improved means of access; because, with tho growing population of the -suburbs beyond Mount Victoria, the tunnel would soon be in; adequate to meet tho demands of traffic' A Dominion reporter yesterday' xjue'stioned the assistant tramways, engineer (Mr. M. Cable) on .the subject, and he stated that at present a five-minuto car servico was being run through the tunnel, and he had no hesitation in saying that, so far as tho- tunnel was con. cerncd tho service could be doubled. Even this does not represent tho full capacity of the tunnel. If tho duplication of lines on tho far sido wero extended a still larger number of cars could bo run through tho hill. As to freight Mr. Cable stated that, provided tho necessary rolling stock, etc., were available tho whole of tho goods required by the suburbs on the other sido of Mount. Victoria, could - (easily, ho carried through tho tunnel without interfering with- the-passenger, service'. Freight cars could be run during tho quiet hours of tho day and between niidnight and six o'clock in tho morning when" no. passenger traffic ' was passing' through;the,tunnel at.all. - '

' When tho Police Department was admitted to the. general superannuation schemo last year a by-election was held to 1 give the Department- representation on tho board, and Inspector Ellison, of Wellington, was returned for the position. This year "ho has-again been requested, and has • consented,'- to 6tand for tho samp position at the general election of. members of the board to be held on March 6. Whether: there will bo.further nominations from tho Polico Department will not bo known' until February 14: . At a meeting of polico officors held in tho Lambton Quay Station last nisht in connection with tho election, a vote of .confidence in Inspector Ellison' was' carried unanimously, and a conimitteo was formed to further his election. ... .'."•'■...

Tho annual visit by tho Mayor and city councillors of Wellington ■'. to AVainui wnll probably: bo mado shortly, but no dato has yet been named for the 'trip. ' !

Fifty students from Wellington College are to attend the performance of "A Message from Mars" by the'Plim-mcr-Donnistou Company at the Opera Houso this evening. ', > ?,..>■

The advent of tho Masterton AgriculturaLand Pastoral; Association show. ,grounds'at Solivay will possibly" v iheim tho elimination of tho Kuripuni railway flag station,-in" favour of-one at the newer-site, a" few hundred yards distant. Hero a, very completo siding dias been constructed at the expense of ■tho association,' arid as '< it,- is also" in- , tended to hold weekly stock sales at the show ground yards, ~ commencing on February 22,,Sohvay is likely, to become a very busy suburban sub-contre. The proposed change of thenamo of the place from Kuripuni to Sohvay is welcomed by a large number of people in the suburbj'who petitioned somotwo years ago for. a change from the present Maori name. • ~.,

The "question. .of' suitable for mbto.rmen-.arid conductors has becu-. pied the attention of tho City Tram-' ways Department for somo time. .Caps of various types have been obtained, and it is probable that before long an improved form of cap will be issued in Wellington. Tho insistenco of the department that-caps must constantly be worn by motormen and conductors on duty is in accord with the practice, followed in most other cities. Practically everywhere it-is insisted .that tramwaymen must bo as particular in regard to details of uniform and dress as if they belonged to •' tho military service. • -'..•.

The following paragraph appears in the annual report of the Wellington Commercial Travellers' Association:— "Important matters regarding left luggage and railway fares are\ pending, and it is hoped.that with tho federation of all the commercial associations in the Dominion theso matters will soon be settled with great benefit to the commercial fraternity."

Karotonga is not tho only island attached to the Dominion of New Zealand, tho affairs of which are calling for attention in certain quarters. There is at present a gentleman in Wellington representing vested authority in an : island in the Pacific who has been mado 'to feel that he is. "on tho carpet," so "to speak, and that, for doing his plain :duty. The story goes that in tho island referred to the sale or gift of fermented or spirituous liquors to' the natives" is forbidden by law, yet it came to the knowledgo of the head official that'certain traders were introducing strong liquors amongst the natives, with whom tboy did business. The official remonstrated, and finally warned ono • trader that if ho did not desist he would bo deported from the island. It is further 'related that the trader so warned has "friends at court," and theso.havo ;So represented matters to the powers that :be that tho official in quetsion is at present in Wellington, not knowing-ex-.actly where,he is departmentally. •

One of the proposed new city by-laws provides that no person shall tako any dog into the Botanical' Gardens or Newtown Park ■".•■.. i

Dotcctive . Cassells and Constable Rcddigan yesterday arrested a man, who will'be brought before tho magistrate this morning and' charged with .assaulting his stepdaughter, 11 years and 5 mouths old.

•It is anticipated that.tho now system of concessions to workers on the corporation tramways will not be put in operation 'for a month at least, and possibly later. .

The City Council has received an offer for tho right to display advertisements insfdo its tramcars. Tho proposed advertisements are in tho form .of enamelled iron panels and ornamental glass panels, some of theni in tho form of ventilator fan-lights. Tho decision' of the council in tho matter has not' yet been made public. In. a';iiumber of cities advertisements aro'freely displayed in tramcars; Tho Auckland Company derives a considerable revenue from this source. . .•*

A strong effort is being made in Lyttelton at present (telcgranhs' The Dominion's correspondent) .to secure n general Saturday half-holiday in tho port. A requisition in favour of the proposal has been in circulation 'during the last few days,.and already 'over 200 signatures have been obtained. 'It is understood that sonic of the shqp- ' keepers are in sympathy with the proiccU '