LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1630, 23 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Victoria, with an Australian mnil only, arrived at Auckland from Sydney at 2 p.m. yesterday, The Wellington portion of her mail will arrivo hero by tho Main Trunk express this afternoon. Year by year tho Chrifilmai rush at tho Post Oflice bocomcfi heavier, and this year it in expected that tho connt ol packages panning through the Wellington fi.l'.O. will show Unit the amount of pwttill matter passing through it has lx*n groatoT than in any previous year, Fortunately tlwro hiw bcon a ecqufinwi of fino days, and people havo byeii abio to do their purcliMing and poM-ing of cord",, and tflo liko, with some regularity, ?/> that up till tho preaont'there has ten n/> special rush on any ono dny, 'i'hfl jKintal officials aro all working nt lop \itfteuro, but aro disposing of tho work with no more than the usual difficulty, Th<;y aro assioted in this by tho fact Umt tli'sy havp not had to handle any English mnlfa in tho Inst day or two, and noun will comt in before Christmas. Peter Young, who on Friday afternoon escaped from the Wellington Public Hospital, where ho had been sent from the forraco Gaol, during tho currency of a term of eix months* imprisonment, wae rearrcsted on Saturday morning. Conolublo Moloney saw Young wandering about near the fruit market at about 9 o'clock and took him in charge. Young will be dealt with by the gaol authorities. Within tho last two yeare 321 fever cases were treated in tho Wellinsjton Hospital and in not one instance were tho results fatal. Tho recont disappearance of the late Mr. R. M'Gregor, from the deck of a steamer, while travelling from Dargaville to Helcnsville, is to be the- subject of an inquiry ordered by the Marine Department, to bo held at Dargaville. Messrs. C. Norgrovo, H. Sankin, G. Baildon, and V. Casey, members of the bowling party ■with whom Mr. M'Gregor was travelling at tho time of his disappearance, left Auckland for Dargavillo on Friday morning,- to give evidence at the inquiry. The late Mr. M'Gregor was well known in bowling circles in Wellington. He skipped n Carlton Club's rink in the Northern Bowling Association's tournament held here in January last, Tho tender of Mr. Henry Mninland has been accepted for asphalting the floors of the Wellington Harbour Board's new "Z" store. The contract price is JE733 12s. Tho unsuccessful tenderer was the Neuchatel Asphalto Co., at .£765 12s. 6d. The engineer's estimate was c£725. A deputation of members of the Westland County Council, introduced by Sir. T. Vj. Y. Seddon, JI.P., waited upon, the Prime Minister on' Saturday. The X'f m -- cipal object of their mission to Wellington was the immediate construction of the Otira Tunnel, but their reouest had practically been granted before they asked it, and they were quite satisfied with the Government's decision of the previous day. They took advantage of the opportunity, however, to discuss certain local county matters with the Primo Minister, and also with the Minister for Pnblio Works and tho Postmaster-General.