LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 15, 19 January 1910, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In Our issue of Monday last there appeared a paragraph stating that a reunion took place on the premises of Messrs. Warnock and Adkin, Lambtonquay, and giving a brief report of a speech by Mr. Warnock. The para- . graph was sent in to The Post in the usual way, purporting to emanate from Thorndon House. It was accepted and published in good faith, but we now learn that it had absolutely no foundation in fact. We regret that Messrs. Warnock and Adkin should have been made the victims of what was, it appears, a pure invention. Further improvement in regard to unskilled labour is reported by the Labour Journal, issued to-day. There has, says the Journal, been no difficulty in placing skilled men and others in the country districts, and even hands who have not had any previous training have been in demand. Most of the immigrants have had no difficulty in obtaining country work, and from reports received they seem to have given satisfaction to the employers. There does not seem to be much demand for unskilled labourers in town, but a very large number have found employment in consequence of the increased activity in the building trades. During the December period 144 married and tingle men were assisted to employment; of that number 111 were sent to private employers. The Council of the New Zealand Fire Underwriters' Association meets at tha Government Insurance Buildings to-mor-row. By the Arawa, which is due at Wellington from London on Tuesday next, there are coming 325 third-class passengers, of whom 129 are for Wellington, 99 for Auckland, 42 for Dunedin, and 53 for Lyttelton. H.M.S. Pegasus, third-6lass cruiser, which arrived in Auckland harbour from Sydney on Sunday, was to remain at the Northern port till to-day, when she goes out lo the Hauraki Gulf for biggun practice. Afterwards the cruiser will come on to Wellington and Lyttelton. From the latter port she will probably return to Auckland on the 28th inst. The foundation stone of the new Church of England building at Eastbourne is to be laid next Sunday, at 3.30 p.m. The ceremony will be performed by the , Bishop of Wellington, Dr. Wallis. Much interest is being taken in the event, not only by church people, but by others. , The Eastbourne Church wilJ be the fir# example of a camerated concrete. building in the Wellington district. No. 406, French kid glove, with two patent fasteners and with plain points, in black, white, brown, tan, beaver, grey, and peh-rl. Price 4s 6d per pair. Kirkcaldic and Stains, Ltd.,-~Advt.

The construction of experimental motor trains will probably be put in hand shortly by the Railway Department. A house-to-house inspection of the city and suburbs has been commenced by the recently-appointed sanitary inspectors jyf. the city. The Tongoio estate, Hawkes Bay, consisting of over 8000 acres, will be thrown open for settlement on renewable lease 011 the 17th February. By April next the reticulation of Northland will be completed, and the residents will cease to be dependent on the rainfall for their domestic water supply. Many houses have been connected with the pipes already. A gold medal has just been awarded to the Te Mata vineyards, Hawkes Bay, for New Zealand wines exhibited at the Imperial International Exhibition, London. This is in addition to the gold medal awarded to the same wines at the Franco-British Exhibition. The Government is not favourably disposed towards the proposal to establish a telephonic connection between Auckland and Rotorua, owing to the cost of installation and the expenditure for maintenance. It will cost £7000 to make the connection, and to pay expenses and interest there would nave to be a revenue of £1000 per annum. T t is understood, says thp Ashourton Guardian, that the serious irregularities alleged to have occurred in connection with the last Timaru-Christcliurch road race are to form the subject of a most searching investigation by the North Canterbury Centre. A large number of riders who competed in this race have been summoned to attend and give evidence, q,nd the centre's decision will be awaited with no little interest. Colonel Knight, chief executive officer of the Salvation Army for the North Island, will leave Wellington for Dunedm to-night to meet Commissioner Hay, who arrived in New Zealand from Australia on Monday. Brigadier Bray, of Wellington, who is at present in Christchurcli, will also go on to Dunedin for" the same purpose, and both he and Colonel Knight will come to Wellington with the commissioner on Ist February. A 500 candle-power metallic filament lamp is to. be installed near the Te Aro Railway Station by the Electric Light Department of the City Council. A tightening of the metallic filament lamps in their holders is being effected just now, with the idea of minimising the risks of injury to the filaments, and it is anticipated that a rigidity will result that will justify the substitution of filament lamps in all places where the larger and more expensive arc lamps are at present used. A spark from a grate was the cause of an outbreak of fire in a four-roomed wooden dwelling in Queen'e-drive, Kilbirnie South, at 0.33 this morning. But slight damage resulted to a sitting-room and its contents, the Kilbirnie Fire Brigade coping successfully with the blaze, which was under control when the Central Brigade arrived. The house, which is owned by J. J. Boyd, and occupied by Charles Fynes, is insured in the Victoria office for £250, and the contents in the Australian Alliance office for £100. Persistent rumours have been flying about both in Auckland and Wellington concerning the behaviour of certain members of the Wellington representative cricket team which lately visited the Northern city. At last night's meeting of ithe Management Committee, Mr. T. H. Wilson, after briefly referring to the reports that • were going about, moved that the matter be ventilated in open meeting without any names being mentioned. _ The chairman (Mr. M. If. Luckie) considered that such a proceeding was inadvisable, and he said tfcat the matter had been dealt with in. com,mittee at a previous meeting. The -motion that the circumstances should be made public was negatived by five votes to four— Messrs. Vance, Parton, Brice, and the mover comprising the ayes, and Messrs. Laws, Stevens, Moore, Hales, and Pearce voting against the motion. The_ chairman was prepared to give his casting vote against the proposal if necessary. Later it was announced that as a result of the deliberations ' there was nothing to report to- the press. The Tourist Department has justoompleted a track which will enable tourists to make the journey from the head of Lake Te Anau to Lake Wakatipu. The track commences near Glade House, ana, after bordering the lake for a few miles, diverts eastward, until it joins the present Martin's Bay track, in the vicinity of Lake Howden. The distance from Glade House to the Martin's Bay track is, approximately, 23 mHes, and after reaching the latter route, tourists can proceed to the head of Lake Wakatipu either by the Greenstone Gully or the Eouteburn Valley. The department has, -had three sets of tents erected at equal distances on the track. The opening up of this route will ful£l a long-felt want, as tourists who previously visited Lakes Manapouri, Te Anau, and Mirford Sound, via Lumsden, which includes a coaching journey of fifty miles, had no alternative but to .return by the same route, whereas the opening ud of the new track between the head of Lakes le Anau and Wakatipu now permits them taking a rourtd tour either way, in addition to opening up some very interesting scenery between the two lakes referred to. The question of charging for admission to the reserve at Whakarewarewa, was discussed last week by the Rotorua Ohamber of Commerce. Mr. M'Lean stated that to make a charge was inimical to the interests of the district, and caused a lot of growling. Mr. Raw concurred with Mr. M'Lean, but did not think there was any chance of the charges being discontinued. He had had a conversation with the director of the lourist Department, and had pointed out to him that this charging was a suicidal policy. Whakarewarewa h n A hitherto been the one place that visitors coulc* see free of charge, and had been a great attraction. Now a trip there was an expensive thing for a man with a family. Mr. Gardner had also seen Mr. Robieson, who had told him that the department expected to make several hundreds a year out of the toll. The money would be spent in Rotorua. Mr. M'Lean pointed out the disappointment caused when Wairoa was soaped and did not erupt. People then thought they had been taken in, and considered that they should get their money back. He referred to other tolls in the district, and the friction caused by them. He moved that the chamber write to the Tourist Department, strongly protesting against the toll at Whakarewarewa. The motion was carried. Get the N.Z. Express Company to check your baggage. It ensures prompt delivery at your destination, and costs no more. — A«lvt. Events of every day occurrence are photographed by our outdoor operators. Private sittings may be arranged at the "Zsk" Studios, Manners-street, any rtny between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. — Advt. The prosperity of New Zealand is in the advance. The record wool clips have ■brought record prices, and now the big cheques are coming to hand, and* the valuable effect of these large sums will soon be felt. Another big revenue to the general public will be the great season sale now bemg held in Cuba-street ab the -well•known store of C. Smith, Ltd. Though ■the sale is earlier than usual the bargains are records of low price. With the summer weather still ahead you cannot afford to let this opportunity go by. If out of town wail yauv orders at once.~A.drt,