Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 112, 12 May 1900, Page 4

LOCAL jIND GENERAL. • From the beginning of the term of his office as Mayor, Mr. J. G. W. Aitken has been negotiating with the proprietors of the City Tramways foi the acquisition of the service by the Corporation. Negotiations have so far proceeded that a deed of arbitration has been drawn np under which Sir James Prendergast and Messrs. John Duthie and T. G. M'Carlhy, as arbitrators, are to decide the terms upon which the Corporation may acquire the tramways. It was expected that the documents would be signed by both parties to the arbitration this morning, but owing to the City Solicitor being engaged in the Plague Hospital site case before the Supreme Court, a delay has arisen. The bright sunshine to-day has broken up the long spell of wet weather the city has experienced this month, eight of the twelve days having been wet. The total rainfall for those days was 1.90 in This is a light fall compared with that registered for the first twelve days of May last year, eleven of which were wet, making a record of 4in, the total for the whole month being over 6in. The average rainfall for May during the last thirty years is 4.88 in. In the course of four or five months, one of the periods at which the New I Zealand Electrical Syndicate is entitled to myke an addition to the price to be paid for its works in the event of acquirement by the City Council, will have arrived. In view of the importance to the city of securing the electrical power plant, alike for tramway and lighting purposes, Councillor Luke has given notice of his intention to move at the next meeting of the City Council "That the Council take the necessary steps forthwith to municipalise the lighting of the city, and that all arrangements be made with the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate in terms of their contract before the period of option has expired." We understand the position to be that twelve months' notice must be given on or before the Ist October if it be intended to take advantage of the present opportunity. 1 The City and Guilds of London examinations are now in course of progress at the Central Technioall School. The subjects of carpentry and joinery, electric lighting and power distribution, and principles of plumbing, were held on Thursday and Friday nights. The practical examinations in electric wiring and plumbing are taking place to-day. The supervisors are Messrs. T. Bee, A. Erskine, and F. Adams. In the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr. Haselden, S.M., the bail in connection woth the charges against H. A. Eversleigh, of the Wellington Roads and Survey Office, was reduced from two sureties of £200 each to two sureties of £150 each. Richard Page, • charged with stealing a pair of boots from one of Mr. A. Lindsay's shops, was sent to gaol for a month with hard labour. A suggestion having been made b/ a newspaper man that the Conciliation Board should sit at night, when members of the Union might be able to attend, Mr. G. F. Smith, Acting-Secre-tary of the Harbour Board, stated to the Board this morning that he would be strongly opposed to evening) sittings which would mean bringing blankets down, and making disputes endless. Mr. Young, representing the Wharf Labourers' Union, said the Union had no desire to hold night-sittings — it was a system he did not hold with. The Chairman of the Board thought the papers would be doing better if they agitated in the direction of getting Parliament to sit only in the daytime, and aot at night. If Parliament did that the &<ts it passed would be more intelligible than they were at present. Mr. Smith said he did not wish to cast any reflection on a brother body, but he might point out that the Harbour Board met once a month in the daytime and tin>shecl it? business in an hour. The 'Jity Cnvncil, however, met at night, sat till 12 o'clock, he believed, and then did nothing! This criticism of our City Fathers was greeted with considerable merriment. In connection with the question of a ferry service for the Miramar i'eninsula, Mr. Townsend was yesterday made to say that he would guarantee to lave a steamer running by the time the wharf was up. Mr. Townseud, of course, did not give any such guarantee in the ordinary sen3e of the term. What he sa-d was in the nature of a figure of speech indicating that he had no doubt that a steamer would be available as soon as the wharf was ready. The Committee of the Wellington Cycling Club last night passed a resolution disapproving the action of the New Zealand League of Wheelmen in regard to Sutherland and Reynolds in connection with the charges laid against them for alleged breaches of the rules, and it was decided that no conntribution be made towards the expenses of the riders to Paris