LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1379, 4 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Wimnicra, with English and Australian iimils on board, arrived in Auckland at 10.30 last night, too Into to connect willi the. south-hound express. The Wellington mails will therefore not arrivc here until Tuesday afternoon. Owing to the extremely stormy weather on Saturday all outdoor sports were declared off. ' The only fixture of the sort that went on as scheduled was the rifle meeting at Trentham. The Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott) held an ordination Jit SI. Paul's I'ro-Catliodral yesterday morning, when Air. William Croii and Air. Basil Aslicroft wore admitted to the order uf deacons. Tim candidates were presented t<l the Bishop bv Archdeacon Fancourt. The liev. A. 11. '.fclmson (Vicar of Si. Paul's) sans the Litany, and the liev. 11. Watson (Vicar of Alastorton) preached an earnest and appropriate sermon, his text bring John XV, Hi, "Y/o havo not chosen mo, but 1 have chosen you, «nd ordained you, that ve should go and bring: forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever"}-© shall ask, tho Father in my name, He may givo unto you." The Bishop was celebrant nt tho Holy Communion, '.vjiich forms part of tho ordination service. Visitors to the Wnnganui Racing Chib's recent meeting, who returned to Wellington yesterday, had rather a stormy trip. The little vessel left Wanganui at fl p.m. on Saturday, and shortly after departure ran into :i heavy sou'-westerly gale. She, however, kept on, and had an exceedingly rough time, and arrived at Wellington at 5 p.m. yesterday. The unknown man who died at tho TTospital on Friday night as the result of injuries received through being knocked down by a tram-car in Willis Street on Thursday evening, has now been identified as Michael Walsh, a miner from Burnett's Face, near Deiiniston. He is said to be the father of eight children. An inquest will be held this afternoon. Mr. AV. 11. C. Phillips, wireless operator, did some good work with the _ Marconi instrument on board the Alnitai on the run down from San Francisco to Wellington last trip. From noon on Wednesday, February 7, the day on which the vessel" left the Golden Gate, until i a.m. on Sunday, February 11, he held communication with the Marconi shore station at San Francisco, the distance being MOO miles. 31r. Phillips also spoke Suva at a distance of 1200 miles and maintained communication for three nights. Wellington was spoken and communication maintained, at a distance of 050 miles. On one occasion the Alaitai communicated with the Aarangi at a distance of ISO miles in daylight. This is considered exceptionally good work ns the maximum distance for a 11 kilov.-at machine to work in daytime is put down at about 2.50 miles.

Tho 'Wellington Licensing Committee will meet at tho Mngistraie's Court at noon ou Monday.

As was the rase with K.M.S. Tahiti on her first trip up to Smi Francisco from Wellington, so it was with the Maitai when she visited the California!! port last trip. It will he remembered that when the operators at the United Wireless Company's shore stations found out that the Tahiti was fitted with the Marconi telegraphing apparatus they "closed down," and would not receive message? sent forward. Tho reason given for tlipse proceedings was that the United AVireless Company was a little sore at the Union Company taking their machines out of the San Francisco traders, and putting in Hie Marconi gear. Precisely the same thing happened to the Maitai this time. Ik'i' wireless operator got into communication with a station named St. Louis Obispo, on the American coast, at a distance of 150 miles in day time. The land operator asked: "Who are you."" .in reply, the Ma.itai's call-signal was sent out. Back came the answer: "You're a Marconi station, this is a United Wireless station. Good evening",• and no moro communication, could be had. However, before the Maitai left 'On the return trip to Wellington the Marconi wireless station, 'recently erected at San Francisco, was completed and in thorough working order, and there was no mot* trouble with the United Wireless people. A contestant in the motor-cycle trials on Saturday reports witnessing . an accident on tho Johnsonvillc fioail on Saturday night. A man was coining along tho Johnsonvillo Uoad on a motor-cycle, through the township, when he collided with a cart which, it is stated, was carrying no lights. As the motor cyclist was endeavouring to avoid the cart, his machine, skidded, and his head struck the step of the cart, making a nasty cut on his eyebrow. Mo further particulars are available, but other contestants state that they counted about twenty-two carts without lights between l'orirua and Jolinsonville. Matters of some moment were discussed at tho conference on Saturday of the Amalgamated Society of Kailway Servants. A long discussion, took place on the constitution of the Appeal Board. Keference was made to the diversity in tho ruling in tho North' and in the South Island Boards, and especially to the ruling of tho Judge in tho South Island that tho board could not givo a ruling against the decision of tho General Manager in promoting members over the heads of others higher in tho classification list without giving reasons for his action. It was decided to make strong representations on the matter. Tho conference decided to instruct tho incoming executive to appoint advocates to conduct cases before the Appeal Board, though still maintaining that, outside independent advocates should be allowed. A decision was also come to that tho society should continue to strongly protest against tho Minister's veto. It was further decided to represent to the Department that all engine-drivers in the service be supplied with stationary engine-driv-ers' certificates from tho Machinery Department, free of charge; that sick pay bo allowed as in tho first division; that accident allowances l>o paid on the first railway pay-day after tho accident, and that tho allowance commence from tho date of tho accident.

A Press Association telegram from Christohurch states that no action has yet been taken with regard to the collection of unpaid fines imposed in the Defence Act prosecutions locally. An unfortunate incident occurred at tho Opera House on Saturday evening. Mr. Joseph Blaschcok, who is an exceptionally good elocutionist, had announced in Ms" usual pleosant manner that ho would recite ''Mark Antony's Oration over Caesar," from "Julius Caesar," and had got as far as "Friends, Romans, Countrymen!" when there was a loud and derisivo chuckle from the gallery. Tho reciter paused momentarily, and thon continued: me your ears!" Again from tho gallery came a guffaw. This was too much for tho entertainer, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and turned his back upon the audience as ho walked away. After a few moments' reflection lie returned to the footlights, and, without making the slightest reference to the ill-mannered interjection from above, said in tho nicest possible manner that ho would substitute another piece, which he did. This, too, was a serious recitation—a dramatic sketch with more than a trace of real tragedy. It showed the audience at once that Mr. Blasclieck was just as brilliant in serious work as in lighter vein. Ho followed up his success with "Mark Antony's Oration," and gave a telling and magnetic reading of tno subtle speech. The yearly meeting of the Church Missionary Association of Now Zealand will bo held in the Sydney Street Schoolroom to-morrow evening, at 7.45 o'clock. Tho Anglican Bishop of Wellington, Br. Sprott, will preside. The annual report and an address will bo given by tho Kov. 0. J. Kimbcrloy, of Kelson, organising secretary to the? association. Tho Kev. H. Q. Blackburne, of Kilbirnie, will speak on mission work in China, with special reference to tho Chinese in New Zealand, many of whom jt is thought likely will return to China in view of tho great political changes in that country. Miss Florence Smith will address the meeting on her eleven years' mission work in India, and will describe- many of the difficulties met with in tho propagation of Christianity in that country. The association extends a. cordial invitation to all interested in missionary endeavour to lie present.