LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1100, 12 April 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two columns of our space are taken up to-day with an advertisement giving particulars of Hip. railway arrangements for the Easter holidays. This advertisement, which necessarily is one of ivide public concern, is published at our own cost, in order that our readers may not suffer from'the boycott instituted by the Government against The Dominion in the matter of State advertising. This boycott has now been maintained for nearly three years, despite the fact that by advertising in The Dominion the Government would secure, for the expenditure of Ihe taxpayers' money, a far larger circulation for public announcements than can be given by any morning paper in Wellington city or province. "What about the King's Road business?" said a councillor at the meeting of the Miramar Borough Council last evening. "S-s —sh!" said another, with an apprehensive glance at the press table. "I move, , ' he said, "that the next man who mentions 'King's Boad' shall be shot." Silcnco apparently gave consent,.for no one else spoke about it, and the council passed hurriedly on to the next business. In regard to the Government's decision to acquire land for a highpower wireless station on the Tinakori Mills, a reference to the speeches of the Prime Minister before his departure for England enables no discovery to be made of any decision to establish a high-power station at "Wellington. Tho two places selected for these stations were Doubtless Bay and the Bluff. Just before his departure for England, Sir Joseph Ward said at Auckland that it might be found advantageous to select Auckland instead of Doubtless Bay as one of the stations. His statement then indicated that the whole matter of tho high-power stations still required "a final decision. The Government has accented a tender for the erection of the new St. Helens Hospital in Coromandel Street. There will be no sitting of the Magistrate's Court on Good Friday. The Court will sit at 0 a.m. on April 15, 17, and 18, and also on Monday, April 2-1.

Tho Hospital Board yesterday accepted the tender of Messrs. George and George for the simply of drapery and clothing at the Wellington Hospital for the ensuing year. No contract has yet been signed in connection with the leasing of advertising rights on the city tramcarc. Bay View and Lake Merced are the rival sites at San Francisco for the groat Panama-Pacific International Exhibition to bo held in celebration of the opening of the Panama Canal in 1915. Mr. \V. W. Maughton, a, prominent San Francisco pressman, who arrived here yesterday, states that there is yet another site in the running—Golden Gate Park—which he thinks will ultimately be selected. There is great excitement over the selection, and special trains are conveying thousands of peoplo to inspect various sites every Sunday.

Mr. W. T. Berry, wireless operator ,on board H.M.S. Aorangi, has had a busy time since he left Wellington, and some very good work lias been done with tho vessel's instrument. At tlie time of tho Aorangi's breakdown Mr. Berry was able to acquaint those on ■board the Maitai, then 500 miles away, of the fact. Communication was maintained with San Francisco at a distance of 1000 miles, and, when that distance increased, tho Maitai was used aa a medium for transmitting messages to tho C'aliforuiaii port, 1319 miles away. At a distance of 1400 miles from Wellington, H.M.S. Encounter was heard talking to H.M.S. Pioneer at Auckland. When ncaring the New Zealand coast messages were, sent out repeatedly, but no response was heard. It will bo remembered that, some time ago, a message was received from Sydney stating that the Aorangi had met with a'mishap to her machinery when about two days out from Papeete to San Francisco last trip. That was the only breakdown reported at the time. On the vessel's arrival at Wellington yesterday it was found that there had been two breakdowns during the up voyage. The first occurred wnun the steamer was. between Parotonga and Papeete The engineers set to work, and repairs were effected, and the Tahitian port was made at about 5 p.m. on February 18. -When the steamer was two day's out from Papeete the second breakdown occurred. This time a pin in the crankshaft carried away. Again the engineroom staff had to cope with the emergency, and, after twenty-four hours, temporary repairs had been effected. The suggestion was made that the vessel should put into Honolulu, but the weather being fine ami the break holding well, it was decided to go on to San Francisco, which port was reached five days later than time-table date. At tho American port the engines were overhauled and repairs effected where they were found necessary.

Can it be that the names of our public men arc not household words in all parts of the Empire? The "Westminster Gazette" the other day wrote of Lady Stout as the wife of the "Lord Chief Justice of New Zealand," and the "Daily News" not long afterwards mentioned as one of the New Zealand delegates to the Imperial Conference, "Mr. J. 0. Findle.v (sic), Attorney-General and Colonial Secretary."

The City Corporation offices will be closed from Friday until Tuesday next, inclusive, for the Easter vacation, and will reopen for business on Wednesday morning i.ext.

The track, points, crossings, etc., in and adjacent to the new tram-sheds at Thornclon arc now practically completed. Rapid headway is being made with the remaining work, which includes the erection of an office and the installation of an automatic ticket-collector. Tho shod will bo available for use about the- end of next week.

No action is being taken by the authorities of tho Ha'ihvay Department regarding tho proposed duplication of the Parnell Tunnel at Auckland. The general manager of the New Zealand .Railways (Mr. T. Ronayne) told a reporter that tho condition imposed by the Prime Minister that tho need for duplication sbould bo affirmed by a committee of ten business men bad not been fulfilled, as only seven had endorsed the opinion that tho duplication of the tunnel was necessary. Mr. Ronayne also stated that as there was no urgent need for increasing the existing accommodation nothing was being done at present in connection with the construction of additional railway yards.

It is understood that the new offices for the Wellington Military District Headquarters Staff at Palmcrston North will be situated near tho Square, whoro a. building of eight rooms, belonging to Mr. Sutherland, and suitable for office, purposes, has been secured at a moderate rental.

From the W/anganui area group comes tho report that for tho first week of registration under the new defence scheme- tho total number of applications was 20(5—Wanganui, 64; Huntcrville, 43; Feilding, SS; Palmerston North, 41.

At S o'clock last night the fire brigade rccoivnd a call to a five-roomed dwelling in Lovina Avenue (near Ilio Oliiro Home). The dwelling was well ablaze, when tho brigade arrived, and it was seriously damaged before (lie flames were suppressed. It is owned by Mr. William Adam? and occupied by Mr. .J. Evans. Tlv.vn is an insurance of £200 on the building in the. Phoenix Office, but. tho insurance on the contents is not known.