LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1131, 19 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Arrangements have been pretty wll completed by the Post and Telegraph department for tho opening up of a wireless' telegraph office in Wellington, and within a. few days an announcement win be made as to the rates to be charged. Tho existing station under the clock in the Central Post Office will bo used for the transmission of messages to vcswls within working radius for a start, but later this plant is to bo transferred to an elevated site on flie T nakon Hills, from which point it is calculated vessels travelling under the lee of the adjacent consiS will be more readily communicated with.

Savs our Fcilding correspondent: An applicant from outside the district lora headmastership in the uistrict described himself thus •-"Married j nineteen years of age; present salary £15." "The principle of moving pictures was worked out thirty years ago, .ff' d ,?™: lessor Laby in a lecture last night and I suppose that those who worked, it wit never dreamed that eventually half the population would be spending their evenings watching picture shows-still less that there would be t. new complaint called 'moving-picture eye. A recommendation was made at last night's meeting of the City Council that tho Defence Department be notinerl that they are committing a breach of the law in posting notices on tclograph and electric light poles throughout the city, and that the immediate removal ot such notices be insisted npon. The City Council has decided to deny liability in connection with a claim for damages alleged to have been sustained by a lady through her dress being torn through the sudden stoppage of a tram car. Lake Hakanoa, Huntly, Waikato, has been declared a sanctuary for imported and native game. Experiments for the improvement of tho acoustic properties of the Town Hall i are to be carried out and the result reported to the City Council. The report will be on the question of whether or not wire or screens would improve the conditions. Councillor Hindmarsh suggested that something shoul'd. also be done in regard to the ventilation of tho hall. T,hc Mayor Isaid this would be dealt with in the City Engineer's report on tho office staff and improvements. Tho City Council lias decided that a remit be forwarded to tho Municipal Association of New Zealand for consideration at the next conference that all contracts and bonds of local bodies bo exempt from stamp duty. The Git}" Engineer has been empowered to purchase a street-flushing machine for use in the city streets. Silt from the Kent Terrace culverts has settled in the vicinity of tho Tarnnaki and Clyde Quay wharves, and some 2!)00 yards has been removed from the snippine berths at these wharves. The Harbour Board has requested (lie City Council lo take steps, under legislation of 1908 to prevent a continuance. Hie matter 'has been referred by. the council to the Finance Committee. That hard racking cough at. night can be wonderfully relieved with a few drops of Nazol on a piece of loaf sugar and allowed te dissolve very slowly between the eheek and Rums, and repeated freauently.—Advt.

The report of Mr. Lβ Soeuf on tho Noivtown Zoo is to be considered at the next meeting of the Reserves Committee of the Cily Council, and will be brought up before tho full council a fortnight hence "I regret that the council did not sec fit to place me on the lie-serves Committee," saiil Councillor Barber at last evening's meeting of tho City Council. If there was any committee to which he could be of service it was tho Reserves Committee. It was well-known he took a keen interest in horticulture. Ho went on to suggest that instead of tho proposed expenditure of .£SO on the seal pond at Newtown they should take into consideration the question of establishing an aquarium at Lyall Bay. It would be a most suitable place for the sea-lio:is. Tho proposed new air-space bylaw was not diecussed at last night's meeting of the City Council. The mutter has been held over for a fortnight.

Tho nether garments of the Jlew South Wales police force are to be white no longer. The practice of wearing white duck pants (which has always tickled the sons* of humour of -Vew inlanders visiting Sydney) durhift summer has caused frequent protests, among other reasons, because they are not deemed as cool as they look, and if they collect any spots they, proclaim tho fact with uncompromising conspicuousness. It is now decreed by tho Acting-Chief Secretary that white trousers shall no longer be worn, and the ideal of a man-in-blue shall bo preserved intact all tho year round. It is rlso understood that the dress tunic (rarely used) is to go out, and that a new pattern of jumper, with two breast pockets, is to come in.

At its next meeting tho Wellington Harbour Board will discuss the following motions, notice of which has been given by tho chairman (Mr. R. I'lctcher):—"(l) That the time is now opportuno when a revaluation of the board's real estate should be made, and that the chairman, secretary, and engineer be empowered to make the necessary arrangements to give effect to this resolution; (2) that it is desirablo that a scheme of superannuation for the employees of the board be established, and, with this end in view, the board obtain an actuarial report on the whole question, showing what respective contributions from tho board and the employees are necessary to afford reasonable benefits to the contributors, as well as making tho tund financially sound." Our report of last Wednesday's meeting of tho Victoria College Council contained an error relating to Mr. C. H llson. What should have appeared as portion pi his speech in accenting the chairmanship was the statement that ho entered tuo Willis Street School 29 years ago as assistant to Mr. Watson.

A Gazette notice states that tho Pyramid Lodge, No. 5, situated at Wanranui, been registered as a branch ■I :no Independent Order of Oddfellows of New Zealand Friendly Society, under the Friendly Societies Act, and the Wellington Corporation Tramways and Electric Lighting Friendly Society has also been registered under the Act.

Strong exception was taken by Councillor Fletcher (who is chairman of the Harbour Board) at tho City Council meet, in" last evening at the sum which the council has charged tho board for its share of tho cost of tho recent elections. Tho amount was given as .£l5B, and Councillor Fletcher said tho sum the board paid in 1908 was ,£ll9. He declared that the board would not pay the amount, but would take tho matter, if necessary, to tho Auditor-General. Tho Mayor said tho new franchise entailed extra expense. The council were only asking tho board to pay a quarter of tho total cost, and ho hoped no reduction would be made. No alteration was made in the charge. A vote of £100 has been passed by the City Council towards celebrating Coronation Day locally. The proposal as outlined by the' Mayor last night is that the Town Hall proper be thrown open to the children of Wellington and a free picture'show given in (he afternoon, with a free concert at night. Tho programme at tho concert, said the Mayor, would bo made up of tho best performers to bo obtained so as to mark the Coronation by some form of entertainment for young, and old. The hall will hold abbnt'4ooo people. ■■■:.-..■

The Miramar Borough' Council has offered to erect a tramway.'shelter at tho city boundary on Conlls Street, at. an estimated cost of .£SO, provided this council will contribute tho sum of £20 towards tho cost. The council decided last night that the offer' be 'accepted.

The Government ha.s, as requested by the City Council, adopted regulations limiting tho time in which tramway appeals fhnl! be lodged. The council's recommendation was for a 10-days limit, but the Government has fixed a limit of ouo month.

Permission was given to the Wellington Boxins Association by the City Council last owning'to hold a professional boxing tournament in the Town Hall. The voting of councillors was as follows:— For the proposal—The Mavor, Councillors Cameron. Fitzgerald, Fletcher, Frost, Fuller, Hindniarsh, JfKenzio, M'L'areu, nine. Against—Councillors Atkinson, Barber, Godbor, and Sliirtcliffe, four.