LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1137, 26 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is anticipated that the compreheusivo report upon the working of tlie city tramways, which is to be furnished by the managers, will be laid before the City Council at its meeting on Thursday evening next. The large part the country districts play in providing tho defence, forces of tho Dominion was emphasised by Mr- A. M. Myers, M.P., in responding (o tho toast bf "Tho Army and Navy" at the Farmers' TJniiiri Cotiferctico animal dinner at Auckland on Tuesday. Mr. Jlyers said that talcing New Zealand as a whole 73 per cent, of tho Territorials tind 37 per cent, of the cr.dets were provided by the country districts. In Auckland tho city provided 930 Territorials, and 1579 mulcts, a total of 2500; while out districts gave 2970 Territorials and 3208 cadets, a total of Gl7B, out of a grand total for tho district of BGB7. Tho somewhat startling news was printed in a local paper yesterday that when the Manuka was in San Francisco on her last run, the authorities, in connection with an immigration dispute, seized Captain Nevillo and l'urser George (of the Manuka) and held them in prison until matters wcro properly arranged. . Questioned last pvening, Mr. George stated that tho above was very far from being a correct version of the affair. Tho actual facts are that, when the Manuka berthed" at San Francisco on her last run, a considerable delay occurred while the Immigration Officer subjected passengers to the customary examination. Three passengers, two of whom were bound for Vancouver, did not answer to their names when their turn camo to 1» examined. Nothing was heard of the matter for about a week, during which time tho vessel lay at San Francisco. On the day appointed for departure, however, tlie captain and purser 'were requested to attend nil official inquiry into tho circumstances surrounding the technical breach of the immigration laws which had occurred on the day of the Manukas arrival. Needless to say, Mr. George added, no question aroto of consigning Captain Neville or himseLf to gaol. No attempt was made to-detain them, and they were treated with all possible ..courtesy. The 'whole affair, the. purser .0f..;.th0. Manuka concluded, amounted only to a technicality. The Brenda Quarries Company has contracted to supply the City Council with gravel at schedule rates during the ensuing year. Unsuccessful tenderers wero J. J. Carroll and C. H. Smith. The Land Board has decided to recommend the Minister for Lands that Section b, Block V, in the Kaitiokc Township, containing an area of 1 rood, bo granted to the Church of England at tho price of ,£ll, as a site; for a church. Referring to an application from Mr. A. 'F. Simmonds for an area of the Crown land on the northern foreshore of Lake Wairarnpa, the Land Board decided yesterday to advise the applicant that as the land in that locality is retained for a recreation and shooting u-serve, it was not proposed to dispose of it.

A lessee of one of the sections at Retaruke wrote to yesterday's meeting of the Land Board thanking the board for the steps it proposes to take with reference, to assisting thb K.aitk'ke settlers Id obtain some relief. A correspondent signing himself "Disgusted" writes complaining that there was no artificial heat on tho Main Trunk express which left Auckland on Sunday, May 21. Passengers, ho says, wcro told that this was due to tho fault} , running of the engine, which was unable to supply enough steam for its own requirements and the heating of the carriages. The writer comments strongly on tho. consequent hardship to passengers, and asks whether it is not possible to attach an engine capable of doing what is required to the Main Trunk trains. The Friendly Societies Act of 1903, confers powers of registration upon small societies formed for purposes, generally, of Biutual benefit In addition to the list of such societies scl: out in the Act it is now further gazetted that the powers of tho Act are to be extended to any case where- thero is "co-operation for the accumulation, of small savings and for obtaining temporary advances on easy terms." The Postmaster-General of Now Zealand forbids the issue of money-orders in favour of, and tho forwarding of correspondence to, Frankc and Ciei Iforchhamnversvej 1, Copenhagen V. One of the most useful little books published every month in Wellington is tho "Bradshaw," as it contains all Tram, Train, Hoat, and Mail Time Tables, logether with other .information. Obtainable from news agents for one penny. •