LOCAL ANDGENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1270, 27 October 1911, Page 4

LOCAL ANDGENERAL.

Tho postal authorities advise that tho s.s. Victoria, which left .Sydney at noon on Octubiir 25 for Auckland, has on board an Australian mail. Thc> Wellington portion is duo to arrive hero by Main Trunk on Monday next, October 30.

Tho new dam at Waimii for tho city water supply was filled on Wednesday, and it overflowed the same evening. Tlio construction of this dam was actually completed some, time ago, but when an attempt was made to fill it a leakage was discovered, which the contractors we.ro required to remedy. These repairs have been satisfactory. There is still a slight KX'page round the western end against the hill, but it is 100 small to be of serious consequence, and tho contractors expect to be able to put it to rights without having to empty the dam again. Tho new reservoir has a capacity of 120 million gallons.

Tho trams to Wadestovn aro now running to the terminus, tho short length of track from l'ilt Street to tho end of the line having been inspected and passed by the Public Works Engineer. Uμ till the present all ears havo run to Pitt Street only.

T\to men will appear at tho ' Magistrate's Court this morning on a charge of unlawfully betting at Trentham.

Mr. Caleb Wood appeared at the mooting of the. Auckland Lauds lioard yesterday morning (stales our Auckland correspondent) in connection with tho application of his son, .Mr. LJord-on Wood, Holder of pastoral run 79, Tar.iwera, to surrender about G(H)0 acres of tho southern portion and to obtain a fresh lcaso for :!1 .years of tho icinuining portion, alto to l:e allowed to purchase 'JOOO acres of the portion whero tho improvements had been made- That application was refiisi'il at a previous lncetiuj;, but Mr. Wood now urged additional reasons why it should bo recommended. ]lo ])oinuil out that Hie land could bo made good, but it would take time. He was ijnito filling to surrender a pcrlion of tho lease and pay eijual rent lor tho balance, i'ooplo wanted land, and he was pj'epaivd tu let them have a portion of tho liOH) acres. It was a shame that tho land should bo unoccupied and unused when it could be made productive. .Mr. Kric (.iold Smith (Commissioner) reminded Mr. Wood tliat 111 , .* land wa.s not unoccupied as long as lie held the lease, and said it was ojK'ii to him to surrender Uie wholo lease 11 ho was not pleased with it. Mr. \>ood at once jumped from his chair and said indignantly: "Thank yt>u, sir; 1 have to tliaiiK you for the consideration sliuivu me. it is not worth tpeakiuy of. Tliank you. Tliaulc you.".

p Tho rife in the price of horso-feoi] | s mul ttio increase, in the wa#es of carters > has brought about an advance in the a cost of cartage in Wellington. Tho nou s> tariff, which operates ora , three city l<: area,--', is tu come into force on Wodncsa- day ik'xl. The charge-! liavo increased 1c , Is. 3d. and Is. Gil. jxt ton (according t<: the radius), with wool 3d. to 111. per bale; These aro net charge-s. Tho animal inter-sectional drill cornl- petition of the Wellington College Cadets it; will be held in the college grounds at «• " p.m. to-ilay. The competition i.yill _ i«i cludo rille exercises, musketry, skirmishj ing, and .squad drill. Y A quarter of an acre of Crown land in ' tho (own n! Shannon at tho corner of Plinimo-r Terrace and Stout Street Iras lc been reserved from sale, tho infenlion be- ? 3 in? to utilise it later as a silo for n post is oflico. 's An improved tramway scrvice i to Kil--10 birnic has been commenced this week, , r to provide a regular seven or eight, minl, ute service through the tunnel. Certain cars running every thirty minute now !l ' make their terminus Wellington ]?oad, 11 oppo?ito the old Kilbirnio Hotel instead il of running on to' tho junction. The.'o .I cars, marked "W. Road, run via Willis S-'tTPrt and the nov; Cuslomhouso Quay u, route to (ho G.P.O. The Featoun t-er- '" vice has bi-en made more frequent, and >r the cars also run via (he fi.1'.0., Willi 's the object of shortening the time for the ~ run and allowing of an accelerated «')'- vice. All cr.rs passing the Post Office and '' travelling on tin's line boar u white disc y in front, but the department are not i- satisfied I hat this marl; is distinctive h enough, and a new one may be introduced ,t later. The slack hours' serviee to -.liramar also run via the Vest Office, but in : e (ho "rush" times tho cars go through is Lambi/m as hitherto. " Wording to the Government Statisti--0 cian, tho percentage of deaths to populaG tion during the mouth of September lor :C tho four centres were: Wellington lJ)t ,„ per 1000, Auckland .OS, Christchurch .it, , and Uunedin .05. The death rate*, for 1 " cities without ilio inclusion oi suo5, urbs were: Auckland l.'-'li, Wellington r 1.00, Christchurch .79, Dunedin 1.01. The election of one member to represent o the combined districts of the county o r Makara, Johnsonvillc town district, aim v (he borough of Onflow, on the district ot ; (ho Wellington Hosnital and Chantablo i Board, will take placo on Noveiu- '■ berS. n Jlr. T. Parata, M.P. for tho .Southern 2 Maori District, has l»en a uiemljer of 3 the Native Atl'airs Committ'ee for 20 sesn Kions, and has signified that he will not t sr-ek re-election to Parliament. The Cqmri mitteo has pas?«l a resolution recording (heir high appreciation of his services. '' When this was reported to the House o yesterday Mr. Uorries said that Mr. Pail i-ata wan one of the brightest oruaments c of the l\o\\;s, and though rather quiet, . was always in his place and doing his • ' work. The Committee, extremely regretted l " "flis departure. The Hon. A. T. Kfiata I- said that when special Maori representa■f tion v.'as done away with a.s it eventually s would be, the name of Tame Parata , would bo ]<Ml;ed on as one of the most '" honoured of those, who had represented tho Native race in tho House. .Sir Joseph Ward spoke in a similar strain. Ho also echoed a hope expressed by Mr. llerrics that in time to come the country ; " would not lose tho benefit of Mr. Parata's i- experience and knowledge. Mr. Massey, [- the Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Mr. It. Scott and i. Sir J. Carroll expressed hi;,'h esteem for , Mr. Parata. and regret for his impending retirement. JUr. Hemes afterwards nien- ! > tioned that Parata had attended S every meeting of the Nativo Affairs Coin!i luitt'eo this session—an excellent example j. to younger and Minister men.