LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mnheuo, with English and Australian mails aboard, arrived at Auckland at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The southern portion of the mail will reach Wellington by (o-dny's Main Trunk express.

Just before 3 p.m. on Saturday a traincar (No. 77), bound from Seatoun to the Lambtou Station, was partly derailed at Stewart Dawson's corner. Tho cars were delayed for about twenty; minutes as tho result of the mishap. Dr. R. A. Cameron lias donated a guinea to the Citizens' League Fund, in aid of tho legal expenses of Mr. Fuller, late ticket inspector on the Wellington tramways, and now transferred to another branch of the service as the result of tho recont strike.

The Public Work 3 Department has accepted tho tender of Messrs. J. W. M'ifillau aud Co., of Wellington, for the erection of a two-story brick building, in Sytliicy Street, which is to house the Stamps Department, tho Native Lands Department, and the Native Land Court. Tho contract price is .£19,030. Tho Stamps Department is at present in temporary quarters, and the Native Land Court is also without a permanent home. Tho new building will contain a Court-room, a large public office for the Stumps Department, accommodation for the heads and officials of the Native Lands Department, from the Minister down, and various other apartments. Provision will also bo mado for the safe storage of records, and of tho npplinnces and materials of the Stamps Department.

The drapers' assistants of Wellington— or a soction of (hem—have formed a union under tho title of the Softgoods .Assistants' Industrial Union of Workers, which has been duly registered at tho Labour Departnicnl. Originally these workers wore included provisionally in the Amalgamated Society of Merchants' Assistants' Virion. The drapers' assistants then conceived that their interests would be better served by having a union of their own, and a petition was passed round, which was signed by ■Kμ out of a possible 500 names. All drapers' and mercers' assistants are entitled to join tho union, the first meeting of which will be hold to-morrow evening.

Two minutes before midnight yesterday the Fire Brigade received n call to an outbreak of fire in a six-roomed house in Graftoii Uoad, Roseneath, owned and occupied by Alexander Walker. The fire originnted, it is thought, in tho diningroom, and the house was very badly damaged, The building was covered by two policies—X'2lo in the Liverpool, London, and Globe office aud £150 in tho Atlas Company—while tho Yorkshire ofßco had a risk of JCIOO on tho contents.

During tho voyage from London to Wollington, tho Athenic, which arrived on Saturday evening was, except for a period of fourteen days, in constant wireless communication with tho outsido world oil tho time. At this timo sho wns crossing tho Southern Ocean on her way from Capo. Town to Hobart. Tho longest distance at which communication was maintained was 114G miles, with R.JI.S. Otranto, when the Athenic was two dnys out from Hobart. At that time the Otranto was in tho vicinity of Brisbane. A message was sent to Wellington at a distance of 7GO miles, and communication effectively established at a distance of 270 milos.

A deputation from tho Executive of the Dominion 13oy Scout "organisation waited on his Excellency tho Governor on Saturday morning regarding; the arrangements for Hie visit to Wellington on May 29 and 30 of Lieutenant-Gene'ral Sir It. S. S. Baden-Powell. His Excellency sin ted that Sir 11. S. S. BadcnPowoll will l>o liis guest, and that probably his Excellency will attend tho Scout review in Wellington on the afternoon of May 30.