LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 16 October 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postal authorities advise that the AVimmora, with an English and an Australian mail on board, did not arrive in Auckland in time to connect with the Mam Trunk ennress on Sunday. The 'Wellington portion of the mail will not, tlieicfore, arrive here until to-morrow (luesday) afternoon. A nai'liamentary night as a vrind-up to the 'soaiwn'f. tertuigiitlv entertainments given bv the Orphans Club was held in the fc'vdney Street Schoolnom on'fcnturdcty evening. I)r. Izard presided. A \ci> iiue entertainment pvogia-nme was pie«:uted. Among three present was Sir .tames Carroll, who gave a eouplc ot L- . ir r s ono of which was a Maori torsion i-i "11<jim», SwMt Homo." 'the orcnefira v.-a« under tho cojidnotors'.iip oi uJr. M'Cornisli. The gathering was e most enjoyable one. "Your committee feels satisfied that the local brigade now more than ever requires quicker means cl reaching a lire, and with sips end in view waited on the lire Brigade Committee of the City Council and ii;»i'caled for a motor." (This paragraph fvi'iMS portion of the annual report o! tJie kilbirnie Hatepayers 'Association.) Inis so far, has not been granted. This matter is a very important one and shouid to pressed W. Your committee also waited ou the Wellington Fire Underwriters' Association during the year, with a view to having the district placcd on tlv same basis as Newtown with regard to tire insurant rates, but were not successful in obtaining the desired object. The difference is quite ten per cent more in premiums." While the Kilbirnie Ratepayers' Association has not., taken any direct action in the agitation for the extension of the i oii-tabie Street trunline to Kilbirnie during the past year, it would recommend (states the Executive Committee in its annual report), that in view of tho largo aironnt of work under construction at tile patent slip, and the laiyo number of people who use tho bathing and boating facilities in the bay, that action be taken in this direction during the coming year, and steps taken to have another poll of tho ratepayers on the subject. The Hahsitai l'atepavers' Association has consistently advocated tho construction of a more direct route during tho year, and the Kilbirnie Association has supported in overy way. "We are promised," states i the Coiinc.il, "that tlie city engineer's report on this matter will be brought down at the next meeting of the couucil." Fishing at tho Chatham Islands has been ratlin- quiet during the past month, according to Mr. Zohrab, manager of tho Chatham Island Fisheries Company. Bad weather, heavy gales, ami high seas havo prevented tho launch®-from going out much, and there had been only four or live davs' fishing during the three weeks preceding tlio arrival of tho Ilimitangi. While the steamer was at the Islands, however, tho weather was much more settled. Regarding attempts mad® by this company to place consignments of blue cod on tlio market, Mr. Zohrab told a southern pressman that the company had not received as much encouragement as they were entitled to expect. It was strange, lo add id. that while large quantities of smoked blue cod arc sent to Melbourne and Sydney, and even as far afield as Singapore and Manila, there was oniy a small market for it in New Zealand. Three calls were received at the central lire brigade station ou Saturday. Tho first camo before 8 a.m. from 23 Nelson Street, a G-roomed dwelling occupied byMr. Henrv Van aud owned by Ml*. Charles Honour. 'A mattress caught fire, but' the flames had been extinguished before the brigade readied iho scone. Tho sccoiid call was to 28 Thompson Street, about mid-dav. Hero a 4-roomed dwelling, occupied" by Mr. Thomas Baldwin and owned by Mr. Robert Burch, was set ablaze by a defective chimney, but' tho lire was subdued aflcr slight damage had been done to the boarding. At 10.28 p.m. the brigade's attention was directed to 6 Holland .Street, a 4-roomed dwelling occupied by Mr. Kobert Watson. The flames had a good hold when the brigade arrived and the building and contents were badly damaged. The lire was caused by tho upsetting of a kerosene lamp. As tho owner of the building was not known to tho authorities yesterday tho insurances on it were not ascertainable. Iho contents wore not' insured. Tho prospects for tho coming tourist season in Now Zealand aro considered to bo bright bv Auckland tourist agents (reports the '"Herald"). The weather so far has been particularly fine, and there aro alreadv a fair number of visitors in the Dominion. In about a month's time tho season will start properly, and as there aro no counter-attractions of any note in other parts of the world, incoming vessels are bound to have long passenger lists. The Kilbirnio Ratepayers' Association contemplate approaching the Postinaster- . General to obtain an alteration 111 tho point from which the telephone radius is calculated, thus ensuring cheaper rates for tho district. Ik-presentations having been made to tho Commissioner of Police by the Kilbirnio Ratepayers' Association that it was not in the interest of the district that the local constablo should be detailed for dutv in the eitv and tho district left nilprotected, the association was informed that this would in future .be avoided, aud further, that as the district was increasing so rapidly it would bo entitled to another constable in the near future. At a meeting on Friday evening last of the Executive Committeo of tho Wadestown Municipal Association it was stated that a letter had been sc-nt to the City Council, suggesting an alteration in tno tram service, with n view (o relieving the pressure during rush hours'. It was revived to forward a strong protest against • the delay in installing the water service, • tho pipes for which had been lvmg about ! the roads for over nine months. Other . matters to which attention is to be called ! arc tho bad state of tho roads, through the heavy traffic on account ot tramway and reservoir works,* durability of two or three >ignposts for guidance* of visi- • tors; need of n protecting handrail in . ]/.nver Elizabeth Street, where excava- ' tions bv corporation workmen had made ' (he footpath dangerous; and the question • of providing hot water for picnickers iu • Wilton's Busk

The opening of tho Auckland Town I Hall in December next will be marked by the holding of t:ho finest musical festival that lias yet been liehl in Auckland (stales tho "Herald"). Tho Mayor (Mr. C. .1. Parr) is making a big to nchiovo the result, and while in Wellington recently arranged with ilr. J. Maughnn Harnett, tho Town Hall organist at Wellington, to eomo to Auckland for a week, and assist in tho musical programmes at the opening festivities. Tho Mayor propose? to have threo orpm recitals," at which Mr. Barnclt will play, and also that Mr. Burnett shall render a number of selections at tho no 11 versa?,ionn prior to the performance of "Tho Messiah." Mr. J. .T. Boyd, of Tvilbirnio, is taking from Aramolio to Wainono l'ark, Christchurch, two lions, two tigers, two bears, two leopards, two eagles, and a puma; also a number of monkeys and parrots. This interostinp shipment will go south to Christchurch this evening. The modest little note which follows is taken from the "Otago Daily Times":— "Dunedin can scarcely bo as slow and old-fashioned as some of our northern friends would liave us believe, for seldom, if ever, have building operation's been more active in the Queen City of the South, which, it is admitted, already ftrikes visitors as the most imposinglybuilt and solid of tlio 'four capital towns.'" The finance committee of the Sydney City Council recently agreed to recommend council to accept the offer of Mr. George Muigrovc of JiToOO for the residue of land in connection with the Bayswater Read improvement scheme. The Lord Mayor considered the offer -jn excellent one," and had no -hesitation in recommending its acceptance. The eito | was to be used for the purposes of a first-class theatre, which in design and construction is to bo entirely different from "anything in the Southern Hemisphere. During the four financial years last past, 16,150 immigrants received assistance from the New South Wales Government toward the payment of their passages,' and the total sum expended on assisted immigration during the period was .£95,221. The information was given in the Legislative Assembly recently as tho result of a question by Mr. Brown to the Chief Secretary. It was staled further that it was impossible to ascertain exactly the number of assisted immigrants who had since gone to the other States, but, so far as could bo ascertained, the number was very small. The tourist traffic to India next year is expected to bo considerable. The King's visit, and the durbar to be held in connection therewith are, of course, the stimulating influences. The authorities ill India are evidently preparing for the influx, since special Custom House regulations have been framed, the effect of which is io enable visitors to the durbar to enter the country with as little inconvenience as possible. A copy of those concessions hr.s been received by the New Zealand Express Company from its agents in Bombay, and these state that, provided a visitor lands between November 1 anil Dec-cmber 10. 1911, the collector Iras power to allow dutiable articles in free on an undertakin.? being given on behalf of the visitor by a recognised clearing agent—first, that the visitor is a bonaJido visitor to the durbar; second, that tho arms and dutiable articles will be exported Irnm India before tho end of March, IDI2-