LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1197, 4 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

By the end cf Ihe presont month the slonewcrl: in connection with the new Gt'iK-.'nl l'o s t Office will pretty well be completed if the weather is reasonably fine Th? parapet is now in course of construction on the Feathcrston Street frontage, anil a very good idea can now l;i' formed as to tho goiier.il appearance cf the structure. The now building is net a stone buildin.T propel—it is really a building faced with Toraa. Bay stone—a vfi-y fine building stono or granite which cxi<U in lar.vs quantities at Tonga Kay, mar Nelson. The stonework bears no v/eisht but its own. the weight of the girders and floors hm\j borno by Hiu brick lining wall, the interior w.ills, and s-teol srnnchioais. Xoarly a million bricks havp Iwcn used in the cov.*tn\ction ol tti? building. The cmiIract time in November, but owing to delay, ;:iuswl by a sjisppnilpd decision on the part of tho Public Works Department's officials as to exact form of reinforcement to l.p u.'cd in the flat concrete roof. Hip bui'idin.E! is not likely to be available for occupation until tho Now Year.

The announcement that Mr. W. I\ Jfrn-'sey, Leader of the Opposiiion. will deliver i\ political nililrcss in Mnetcrton 011 .Saturday, August 12, will I,m> received with satisfaction by a larie section of the community (stnlts tli? "Arc"). Apart from the fact that he is the leader of a party of reform which has made marked progress in the rural eonslitupncics ilurinsf recrnt ytars. Jlr. Jlo??oy is a powerful and impressive platform speaker, a man of strong personality, and of hijh ideals. letters ci naturalisation were issued last month to thiity-oiie persons, mostly in the Auckland district." When breathing through the noso is difficult as the result of a cold or nasal catarrh, then speedy relief can be obtained by inhaling "NAZOI." for a few .moments. The effect of free breathing after the stuffiness is delightful.—Advt.

'"he report presented to Parliament on tho inspection of machinery states that very Few prosecutions were inisiU* during Hits year, and there were mostly ugaim<t owners for employing uncertificated en-gine-drivers to take charge of engines awl boilers that rcquiri'd to be in charge of certificated drivers. In wjmc district?, it is stated, it is difficult for an owner to replace » certificated driver who kaven his position hastily, as there may Ins no iinaliiicd unemployed drivers available. The engineering trade has not been very busy during Mio yenr. The gas and oilengine, and the gas-producer engine, it would appear, are displacing the steamengine, except where steam is required j for manufacturing purposes. Host of the engines referred to, says the report, are imported and are sold at prices against which it would Iμ almost impossible for firms in the Dominion to compete. The gas-engine has evidently come to slay, and in Great Britain a-nd the Continent the experiment of using gas for the propulsion of ships is beiag tried. I During tins year llfiti ifolwts were discovered ,in boilers and their fittings. Of this number 21 were very dangerous, and if not discovered by inspection would no doubt have caused serious damage to life and property. The increasing use of the oil-engine, where work is of an intermittent nature is commented upon. It is used in farm work, especially for many power purposes. No boiler explosions have occurred during the yoar, and the Department takes some of the credit for this. During the twenty-one years that Chief Inspector Duncan has been connected with the Department, only two boiler explosions, so far as he knows, have occurred. Fcrty-seveu of the vessels surveyed were fitted with new propel 'er shafts, ouo had new engines installed, two had new high-))reEsure cylinders fitted, and three new Ijoilors were provided. The total number of surveys mode during the year was 3G2, the fees for which amounted to ,42058.

.Shortly after 9 o'clock yoslorday morning, the lad Cornish, who has been sent to the Terrace Gaol for refusing to register under the new defence scheme, was liberated from custody, and was welcomed by a small crowd of his friends and sympathisers as he stepped into Woolcombo Street. It had originally been intended that he should be liberated at 10 o'clock, and a little demonstration of welcome had been arranged to take place at that hour. But the prison authorities allowed him to leave before tho appointed time, so the proceedings fell rather flat. At tho Socialists' Hall this evening, Cornish will be presented with.two medals, one brought up from Christchurch by Mr. Howard, a delegate from the AntiConscription League in that centre, and His other, a gold medal, from the Rnnnnga Miners' Union (presented per Mr. R. Semple).

"Have you any property?" a solicitor asked a man who was before the Magistrate's Court yesterday, to undergo an examination as to whether or ,not an order" should be made against him in respect of a debt. "Only my wife," came tlio reply. Hearty laughter from the Bench and the Bar rang around the court. "I thought slavery was dono with," chuckled Dr. M , Arthur, S.M. His Worship also remarked, "Slio might think you aro her property!" After various thrusts from tire lawyers, the debtor assured the Court that what ho had said was correct, observing seriously. "Well, that's all I have." Tho Executive Committee of tho Orphans Club is to pay a fraternal -visit to the Savage Club to-morrow evening. Tho postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Victoria, which left Sydney at noon ou August 2 for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail. The Wellington portion is duo here by Main Trunk on Monday next, August 7. In a letter received by Messrs. Watkins and Fox this week from (heir London correspondent, it is stated, says tho Taranaki "Daily News,"- that they may expect shortly in New Plymouth geologists who are being sent out to select sites for drilling in connection with tho operations of new companies. The Imperial Government Railway Bureau has (says tho "Japan Times") decided to provide a library in passenger cars for the use of travellers. As a first step, it will furnish express trains in the Tokaido line with some eighty books to make a test of Iho desirability of the plan. Remarks, serious and jocular, which fall from magistrates at odd times are to tho effect that a good many lawyers have n genius fov being a minute !ale. Yesterday, when the Magistrate's Court was ready (o hear the civil cases a good number of the solicitors engaged were r.ot on view. Notwithstanding that the hand of tho clock had passed the appointed time, they were still oul.'idc, where they had foregathered. Dγ M'Arthur suggested overcoming the trouble by ringing a bell.