LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Australian mails and n. small English mail (via Brimlisi), which arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the Moldavia and Makiira yesterday, are duo here by this afternoon s Main Trunk express. The iVictoria did not get away from Sydney this week until Thursday, "owing to delay caused by the reoent strikes. Consequently she is not due at Auckland until Monday, and her mails will not reach AVollington before Tuesday afternoon at the c-arliest.

No settlement has yet been reached in tho dispute between the directors and shareholders in tho Ross Goldfields Reconstructed, Ltd. Yesterday Messrs. l'ethcriek ami Machcll, on behalf of a number of shareholders, forwarded a requisition to the directors demanding that an extraordinary general meeting should Iμ called with the object of removing present board from office. It is siißßestwl that the meeting should be held on Friday, December 8. Jurors summoned to attend the Supreme Court sittings on Monday next at 11 a.m. will not now bo required to attend. Statistics as to criminal and civil cases brought before the several Magistrate's Courts in New Zealand in tho year 1910 aro gazetted. The greatest rainfall registered in the North Island during October last was 10.92 inches at Mangataoki, in the King Country, and tlie lowest was .75 inches at Martinborough. Tho South Island extremes were :'6.40 inches at Otira, and .'U at Cape Campbell. Mr. Evan Parry, Government hydroelectric officer, returned to Wellington or, Thursday from a visit to Raetihi and Whaugarei. His mission at the former placo was to .inquire into tho advisability of making the Hactihi branch line an electric railway. At Wbangarei he considered the value of tho Waoroa Falls for purposes of hydro-electrical power. Mr. Parry will report to the Minister for Public AVorks at an early date upon both propositions. The new picture theatre that is being erected on tho site of Shortt's auction room in Willis Street is expected to be ready for opening about December 20. Ten feet bayo been lopped off the front of that building and thoso adjoining it on tho north side, and the new elevations nre now being completed, and within a few days citizens will have the benefit of a broader highway in that locality. This will leave only two small shops projecting out to the old liligninent between Mercer Street and Old Customhouse Quay. These shops, situated between Cooper's (seedsman) and Morris (tobacconist), are owned by the estate of tho late Mr. Edward Barber. So far the City Council has not concluded any arrangement to resume the front ten feet of that section. This week's Gazette contains regulations relating to widows' pensions, under tho Act ot last session. Tho procedure to be followed in claiming, registering, paying, renewing, and transferring widows' pensions is set out. It is made the dnt.y of the polico and all Government officers fo assist applicants in the preparation of their pension claims. New banking premises aro to be erected iu Queon Street, Auckland, for the Bank of Australasia. Messrs. Atkins and Bacon aro the architects. A meeting of the Wharf Labourers' I'niou was held ou Thursday to instal tho new officers recently elected to tho vacaucies created by ttio resignation of most of the officers in consequence of the decision of tho union to join tho New Zealand Federation of Labour. It was decided that a second ballot between Messrs. George Bruce and A. E. Cilovc-r, for the position of assistant secretary, be taken on Wednesday and Thursdav next. Nothing was done relative to tho dispute as to the rates payable for frozen cargo. That will come before a special meeting of the union next week. At the conclusion of the meeting votes of (hanks and appreciation were accorded to the retiring president (Mr. V. Curtice) and to tho retiring secretary (Mr. T. Smith). Mr. Smith was granted n month's holiday on full pay at tho end of his term' of oiiice, and lie was also voted a bonus of .£lO.

We have received a letter from the Row It. S. Gray, complaining (hat an advertisement published in our columns contained a distorted version of his views on prohibition in Maine, and challenging the publication of his views in full. Seeing that wo have already published over n column report of Mr. Gray's address in the Town Hall, in which he dealt with tho subject-, including the alleged misrepresentation, wo cannot spare (lie space, for his letter save on tbo .same terms as the. advertisement ho refers to.

One hoars of strange wholesale removals of buildings in America, but it would bo hard to beat tho removal that is going on in Dominion Road, Auckland, at tho present time. A large building which is occupied on the ground door by a general storekeeper, and on the atyt floor by a dentist, is bcinsr niovod a short distance away bv me.ins of jacks-. During the whoh ol the operations business by the dentist and storekeeper is going on as usual. Tho dentist is still drawing ami filling teeth whilst the buildnig is moved inch by inch aud customers still go in and out of tho shop. By slackening tho telephone wires even the telephono service is kept going, and it Fays much for tho careful way in μ-lrcli the work is being done that so far cot even a jam tin has been displaced from us vJace on a shoif.

Dwing last month the death rates pei--1000 of population in each of the four, centre* were as follow:—Auckland, !.«,' wpllinsrton, 0.76; Chris'.chureh, O.flG; Dunedin, 0.57. If the suburban boroughs arc included, the rntes are as follow—A ucK-la-nij, 1.23; M'ollin K toii, 0.74; Christchmvh, 092; Duuedin, 0.74. Including the suburbs, the rale at Auckland is the. highest, and at Wellington and Duneclin the lowest. In October, 1910, the results (including the suburbs) ware:—Auckland, 0.88; Wellington, O.W; Christchurch, 0.7(i; Ihinedm, 0.83. Tho total births in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs amounted to f>73, against G33 in September —an increase of 10. The deaths in October were 257—a decrensq of 5 as compared with the preceding! month. Of the total deaths, males contributed 136, females 121. Fifty-frmr of the deaths were of children under five years of age, beins 21.01 per oent. of tho whole number; 42 of these v;ere under one year of age. There were S9 deaths of persons of 05 years and upwards in the four chief cities and their suburban boroughs, as against 110 in .September.

It was noticed that when Mr. llasroy entered Thonidon railway station to take the train for Fnlmerstou he joined tho throng that was purchasing tickets at (he bonking office. Thcro aro of course no U.l'.'s now, Parliament having been dissolved, so that those who wero members cannot now travel on thoir freo railway passes. Ex-members possess no advantage over their opponents in the matter of railway travel.

riio monthly meeting of the Koseneath and Oriental Bay Municipal Association 1V 1S .!, V ln lllt ' schoolroom on Tuesday. , ; V Ward Presided. He gave a report of what took place on the occasion of tho turning on of the water at the new reservoir, a.ud mentioned the consideration shown to those, members of tho association who were present when Mr. Ward presented the Mayor (on behalf of tho Association) with a silver koy to commemorate the occasion. The resignation as secretary) of Mr. Monaghan, who has been connected with tho association for si number of years, wn.s received with regret. Mr. Kowland. Tiiylor was elected a« secretary, and Mr. A, Shakes treasurer.