LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1245, 29 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Victoria, which left Sydney at noon on tho 27th instant for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail, also a.n English mail, via Suez. The Wellington portion is due to arrive here by Main Trunk on 'Monday next, October 2.

Word has been received here that William and Maud Rogers, who wero arrested in San Francisco on a chargo of having stolon a quantity of jewellery from Mr. Kohn's shop in Auckland on March 23 last, are on board the Maitai, a.nd in charge of Detective Scott, of Auckland. The vessel is due to arrive here on October 12.

At the meeting of the Wellington land Board yesterday the Crown Lands Commissioner (Air. James Mackenzie) reported that on September 8 he, with the members of the Land Board, insprcted the liewa State Forest to ascertain the .wtii'.l damage to tho forest through tho late fire. After going over the sretion it was resolved to obtain on appraisement; of nil timber suitable for lr.ifline, and to oflor tho timber for sale by auction. With reference to the land the board was of opinion that tho land should be cut up into suitable sized holdings for dairying purposes, and that the necessary s'teps should be at once taken to lift tiie forest reservation.

The petition to Parliament of several painters, who desired an inquiry into tho administration and methods of tho Public Works Department at Auckland, has been reported upon by tho M to Z Petitions Committee, which states that it lias no recommendation to make.

At the meeting of the Wellington Land Board yesterday it was reported that the Public Trustee, in the estato of the lato Mr. Michael Nolan, had applied to transfer Section 8, Mangamahu V.S., 17a. 3r. 5p., to Mr. Kichard Parley as trustee for the Mangainaku Ride Defence Club. It was resolved to postpone tho matter for further inquiries, as the Crown Lands Hanger had reported that a rifio range would be dangerous to adjoiniiig sutlers.

Parliament did not oppropriafo any sum in 1900-10 for payment of subsidies to public libraries. Last session, however, a vote of' .£IOOO was granted—an increase of v tloflo over thoso of previous ycare. The vote was first granted twculysevea years ago, and amounted to jCIiOOO. In 1886 the amount was reduced to JC-1000. I'or twelve years after this dato no grant was made, but in IS9B a vote of .£2OOO was passed by Parliament. Tho following year it was increased to .CIIOOO, and this amount has been regularly voted each year until 1908. .

The Town Clerk of Sydney (Mr. T. IT. Ncsbitt) bus been giving (lie readers of tho "Evening News" somo more of his impressions on New Zealand. Speaking of tho racing legislation of last session, including the abolition of the bookmakers, Mr. Ncsbitt Miid: "Generally speaking there appeared (o be concurrence with tho provisions as to minors, but in the train, on the tram, the coach, the 'bus, and steamer. I heard many bitter maledictions against the so-called grandmolberly Government which had initialed tho restrictive legislation, and it is universally recognised that the operation of tho Act will bo watched with interest, not only by the sporting fraternity, agnim-t whom it has been directed, but by those social and moral reformers who have been primarily responsible for (ho legislation." .

Jn the Supremo Court this morning, Mr. Justice Edwards will deliver decision 'n die lidlmviug eases:—Sarah Nicholson v, \\'( llinglon City Council, clai m for an ii: junction and damages for alleged nui. •nice: 1). M. I'inlaysou v. T. Honayne. up plication for writ of mandamus; and 11 11. Williams and others v. Miramar, Ltd. a suit for specific performance.

At tho last land ballot, held at Marton, a man told one of the members of the Land Board tlnit he had spent from ,£tiO to c£7U travelling about the country to ballots. The Marlon ballot was about his fortieth, and at that ho drew land at last

At the meeting of tho Wellington Land Bcarcl yesterday it was vosUvcd to authorise tlio Crown lands salesman to hold talcs of Crown lands by auction from time to time when tho Commissioner so directs in terms of Section G7 (d) of the Lund Act, 1808. .

Though the lower reaches of tho Waikalo have boon well stocked with rainhow trout by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society,' angling, owing io tlie vast volume of water ami tho quantity of food in the river, has not proved a successful sport (writes a correspondent to the "New Zealand Herald"). Great hopes are, however, entertained for the coming season, riic.s even at this early period being more frequent than ever before. Near the mouth of Kohunga Creek, a streamlet on the left, bank of the W.iikato, about six miles from the Waiknto Heads, a settier saw a tract of water 10ft. in length, Jtt. or Sft. wide, and fully 2ft. deep, crowded as thickly as it could be with small fish, ranging in size from Din. to Sin. At first he thought tliev were nulllet, but attracted by tho mullet he spent some time in watching tho fish from cover,, and was able to make out the marks that characterise the rainbow trout.

The Trans-Andine Railway—the recent-ly-opened line running over the Andes, in South America—has struck trouble this winter. News comes by the latest mail from Valparaiso that heavy snowfalls have prevented the lines from working properly. Though, with a great deal of trouble, it has been kept open, there have been frequent delays, and stoppages lasting over a week nt a time. Most probably, it is said, in very heavy winters it will be impossible to keep the lino open until the authorities have learnt at what places snowsheds arc most needed. They were built wherever it was thought necessary, but, of course, the snowdrifts could not bo studied properly until the railway was actually opened up. It is reported that a good deal of money Trill have to be spent in order to make certain of keeping everything,in running order during June, July, and August. However, a mountain line that sometimes reaches a height of lfl,0l)0ft. or more, and strikes some furious storms now and then, is not an ensy problem.

Consequent upon the steadily-increasing demand for extra hotel accommodation in Auckland, proposals aro now afoot to rebuild several of the existing houses, and to considerably enlarge others (writes our Auckland correspondent). The owners of the Grand Hotel have decidcd to add another story and a half to tho present structure, while in the ease of the Waverley Hotel, Queen Street, a big extension, the addition of tho four-story premises adjoining, has been decided on, thus almost doubling tho accommodation. Tho projected improvements, however, are not to be confined to tlieso hotels. Plans have now been prepared for tho carrying out of extensive alterations and additions to the Star Hotel, Albert Street, invplving an expenditure of <£15,000 to <£20,000. A well-ltuown Queen Street hotel is also to be practically rebuilt at a cost of from <C25,00fl to ,£30,000. Both those projects will be put in hand in December next, provided tho results of the local option poll appear to warrant this being done. The dispute between the Wellington Tramways' Employees' Union and tho Wellington City Council was filed yesterday with the Clerk of Awards (Mr. 11. Stocker). The assessors recommended to represent the union are Messrs. Robert Faire, William Tomlinson, and Alexander Sutherland.

The Mirarunr Borough Council have decided to adopt an amended tram timetable. Instead of the eighty-minutes' service as at present, cars will run every sixty minutes, with a half-hourly servico at rush times.