LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tolegraphic advice received by tho Postal authorities yesterday stated that tlio Hudua-rt-rarker steamer Victoria tos expectcd to arrive at A tick laud from Sydney at. 8 p.m., witli English (via Suez) <ajid Australian mails aboard, liic U'ciliiis>i'on portion of those mails should rcach. Wellington' by tho Main Trunk express this aitcrnoon.

As the "ivco short hour".was approachuh» on' Saturday moram?*. Mr. Herrics,' mom bar for' Tauranga. made a spirited protest against tho action of Sir James Carroll, then in charge of tho House, in determining to tako the Estimates of the l>f;-avtment cf Internal Affn:rs under civetuustancos which made proper scrutiny and consideration almost impossibje. When "Class IX. Department cf Internal Affairs, .£3:'5,118," was called upon there' were fewer than twenty members in the House, and the bell had to be run to bring in a quorum. The member for Tauranca spoke with evident indication ns he directed the attention of Sir Janus ! Carroll to the fact that he had proposed to put through this class, amounting to ,£3i5,000, at a quarter to one in tho morning, when there was not a quorum in tho •Hou.se. This, he added, was tho usual method of tho Government in forcing business through. 'There were about twentv-cisht members in tho House when it sottled down again to business. According to complaints which havo been made by Ohalcuno village settlers, there appears to be a screw loose in the conditions under tfhich these people took up tho land from tho Government. Tho sections, which range from ono to five acres, situated in the Town Board area, were balloted for some two years ago, and taken up by fully forty successful npnlicants. Some of these people state that they were led to believe that {hey would rcecivo advances from tho Advances to Workers Office on their ■ improvements. A largo number of tho settlers have built on their sections, and one in particular spent fullv .£SOO in buildings and improvements. Ho repeatedly, applied for an advance, but this was refused, and ultimately lie was compelled to file his schedule. It appears that the creditors havo 110 legal claim on the buildings, while tho Government cannot, turn the tenant out so long as he nays the rent. Tho position is that although he could easily pay his debts if ho were allowed to realise on his estate, he remains in the position of an undischarged bankrupt. Tho case is regarded by residents here generally as another striking instance of the weakness of leasehold tenure under tho present conditions. The owning of the fishing sco-son yestordnv drew me.nv followers of the gentle craft out of t'lid city in search of sport in tho brown streams near and far. Some fair baskets were recorded. The woadier was delightful at MaMerton, and a large number of anglers were out (vires our spccial correspondent), and good baskets , of fell were obtained

' Tho foftrth anniversary of fef- l)o>li.viok i\;ajs celebrated on .Saturday evening, when'" tho literary staff', and lioaderot' departments were entertained. at 'dirioer ait' tliejloljtl Windsor by tho editor.. A very pleasant iivciung was passe'd with, gossip, niiecdotc-3, and toasts appropriate. io, tlio Dccasion. 'fhe staff seiisal tho oppoi+un-. ity to present tilio editor and Ill's.' Ea.rlp Willi mementoes of tlio nmiivf'ivxLry of tllio iwper, Mr. ;M. C. Keane, assistant editor, remarking oh-the tino feolinK wliicli buid prevailed amongst tilie sUilf of. . I'JIK Dominion during tfio \vht>!o period, of its existence. ( , Tho Prisons Board, which deals with tho eases of. prisoners sentenced for' indeterminate- periods, held a sitting in Wellington 011 Saturday afternoon. ;Tlio Chief Justice (Sir liobert Stout) presided,' nnd there were, also present Mr. I\ G. Wnldegravo (Under-Secretary for Justice), Dr. Hay (Inspector-Cieneral of .Mental Hospitals and .Prisons),, the Hev. J. _ L.' Kayll, and Messrs. .T.'.R. Ulair (Welling.ton), G. I'emvick (Du'nedin), and P. 0. Hwington (Auckland). Nothing was made public aa to tho nature of tho business transacted. Tbo sitting'lasted from 2 p.m. unti.l 5 p.m. 'flue close proximity of a body of street musicians to Ills Majesty's Theatre caused ii temporary halt in (ho progress of Mr. i/oonurd Borwick's recital at Auckland 011 Thursday night. The programme was half completed, and Mr. Borwick's Upraised hands were about to' commence Schumann's IT sharp "Romance," when instrumental eoands in presumably another key to that in which the programme number was written obtruded in such a penetrating manner that a start was obviously out of tho question. Mr. Borwick looked helpless, and after intimating to tho audi•enoa that lib would tajie steps to eecuro tho removal of the itinerant quartet to a few streets further on he left the stage.. After a few minutes luid elapsed, tna necessary silenco was obtained, tho programme without iurther interruption." ■ A highly successful '.'Parliamentary Night" concluded tho season s uoron» ot tho Wellington Savage Club. Chief Savage Sir James Carroll was Chairman.ol tlie proceedings, and thcro was a very, largo attendance of club members. Among tho visitors were the Hon. J. A. Miliar and a number of parliamentarians, and Major-General- A. J. Goto. C.B-. *1» relieved the chairman of his duties lau.r on in the evening, when Sir James Carroll was called away. Tho Yorkshire Society of Now Zealand will hold its sixteenth annual dinner at Godber's, Cuba Street, this evening., i-his year's function gives evpry promise ot twin" one of tlio most successful ot Its kind! The society is one of tlio most nourishing of those associations which have from time to timo been formed in the Dominion, with a view to keeping alive'the rccolloction of tho custoius, dialect, literature, and folklore generally connected with the County of York. Each year the "Yorkshire Dinner is looked forward to by tlie members -of tho so- • ciety, their guests, and friends. Among the guest* this evening,will bo the Kignt Hon Sir J. G. Ward, Bart., Sir James Carroll, K.C.M-G., Archdeacon Harper, M.aior-Uoneval Godley, and Mr. H. t. Tewsley (chairman of tho Cliambca 1 01 Commerce). An interesting experiment in entertain" meat—which might very well bo a sign •of tho times—was tried at the, annual birthday dinner of The Dominion faiuit twi the Hotel Windsor on Saturday evening. Through fcho courtesy of Mr. M. J. Brookes, manager of tho Dresden Piano Company, Ltd., who very lundly lent a wiry fino concert-rooni Xonoplionio (CTaniaphone) and a programme of records, tho company was entertaiiijfid with excerpts from grand oporcu by Aladamo Totrazzim and-Signer Oaruso, a taste of Harry Lauder, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and old' English-madrigals. No bashful- amatoura had to J>o ooaxed. Tho gramaphone obliged Without even a conventional "If yiiu please."