LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 84, 10 April 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Easter holidays at the schools in the Wellington educational district will' begin on Friday. The children are to re-assemble on Wednesday morning. Mr. A .L. Herdman, member for Wellington North, addresses his constituents in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall this evening. During the period 3rd to 7th April inclusive, the Wellington Post Office received 3957 bags and 384 hampers of letters, and despatched 3121 bags and 4ko hampers. This is the heaviest work which has been recorded since Christmas. Tho country biirrounding ths springs at Puriri, 12 miles from the Thames, from which the well-known mineral water is obtained, has been found to ba eminently suitable, for fruit growing. The Agricultural Department has just selected seven lots oi apples grown by Mr. Charles M'Liver in that locality for exhibition in London during the Coronation. A telegraph messenger named R. Daniels, residing in Nairn-street, had a lucky escape from a s&rious accident yesterday. He was riding a bicycle ou. Evans Bay-road, ' and it is stated that he crossed over in front of an approaching motor-car, with the result that a front wheel of the car passed over his body. The car was stopped before the rear wheel reached the lad. The. boy escaped with some severe bruises about the body, and a injury to his right knee. He was taken to the hospital, where he is now recovering. From reports received monthly by tho Labour Department from the Sedgwick boys and their employers, tho experiment, in the vast majority of cases, appears to have been eminently satisfactory. The boys are, making ' good progress seom to be contented. Only in about four instances out of the fifty is there trouble, and, it is understood, this is likely to be surmounted. Ac the young colonists become more proficient in their knowledge of farming,, it is expected that their employers will I raise their wages correspondingly, so that a boy will not be employed at lese than his market value in labour. It, is only in this direction that trouble is likely in the future. " On several occasions your council has urged upon the Government the necessity of providing in Wellington an adequate central railway station," remarks the Council of the Chamber of Commerce in its annual report. "Again last ■sesaion representatives of this chamber joined with representatives from the City Council, Wellington Harbour Board, and other local bodies, in a deputation! to Sir Joseph Ward to urge the need iov immediate steps to be taken in this matter. _ Your council did not ask for a palatial or ornate edifice, but asked for serviceable buildings, with adequate provision for the requirements of tfae travelling public, and feels that this qutction shoujd not be allowed to resb until reasonable provision is made for the comfort of the large number of people that daily enter or leave the city by either of the lines of railway." The local dispute between the Merchant Service Guild and the New Zealand Shipowners' Federation will be considered to-morrow before Mr. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner. Mr. R. C. Renner and Captain M 'Arthur will represent the federation. On the 24th inst. representatives of the Merchant Service Guild will confer with the Union Steam Ship Company's authorities at Dunedin on matters affecting the conditions of employment, limitation of working hours, and rate of wages of the shipmasters and deck officers in the company's -service. The movement is a direct result of the award recently made in Australia. Captain D. J. Watson, secretary of the guild, will attend the conference. The Union Company is not concerned with the hearing before the Conciliation Commissioner here to-mor-row. Although nothing definite has yet been settled with regard to the movements of the Terra Nova (says tho Christchurch Press), the vessel has been taken in hand by Mt. M. J. Miller's shipwrights, who have made a start with the work of overhauling and repairing the ship. The bulwarks, which were damaged by heavy seas shipped during the Antarctic voyage, were stripped of their planking on Friday, and will bo renewed and repaired. The starboard knighthead, which was badly smashed by a sea. on the southward passage, has j been removed, and will be entirely renewed. A start was also made yesterday to recaulk the vessel's topsides, and as much of this work as possible will be done before the ship goes into dock. Although the bows of the vessel, which were repaired last November, are perfectly tight, the vessel has been making v fair amount of water, requiring pumping out every day. It was suspected that most of the water was coming in through a leak in the- after end of the ship, and this defect was located on Friday, and the place temporarily plugged. ■ The rabbit-trapping season opened throughout Otago and Southland on Monday last, and tremendously large consignments have been coming to hand, states the Otago Daily Times. Unfortunately, however, the great bulk of the rabbits being received are in a very bad condition, a state of affairs which is caused, in the first instance, by careless handling on the part of the trappers, and, secondly, by the warm weather and the cai-ca-ses being too closely packed when sent forward over the railway. By way of indicating the seriousness of the position, Mr. R. S. Black stated to a reporter that out of a consignment of over 7000 rabbits received by him from the country, nearly 4000 had to be rejected owing to their rotten condition. In fact, the condition of the carcases was even too bad to permit of skinning them, and they had to be sent to the bone mills. In another instance, where* the consignment comprised 713 rabbits, only 13 carcases were in a sound condition, and in still another instance only 21 rabbits wore saved from a consignment of 1063. The position could bo very much improved if trappers were tp bleed the rabbits immediately they aw* removed from the traps, and if greater care were exercised by those responsible for the collecting and packing of tho rabbits. Added to the losses which exporters are experiencing as a result of the condition of affairs above stated, is the fact that tho London market, as indicated by advices just, received, is in a very gloomy condition. The outlook for the rabbit-trapping industry this season is therefore anything but promising. Imitation cashmere gloves, lined with coloured imitation suede, two patent fasteners. In black, brown, beaver, and grey, at Is 6d a pair. Kirkcaldie and Stain*, Ltd.— Advt.

Tho Wellington delegates to th© Trades and Labour Conference 'to ba held at Cliristchurch, at Easter fcimo will leave for tlie South on Friday. An unusual catch was made by a fisherman oft" Seatoun wharf yesterday. He hooked a skate, and assistance ha<l to be obtained to pull the large tish to shore. On being weighed the sk.ite turned the scale at 1031b. " The need for this work has long been felt, and its completion should result in considerable improvement in tho train service on that line being effected," remarks the Counc'B. of the Chamber ot' Commerce, in its annual report, regarding tho Wellington-Hutt railway duplka-* tion. The Hon. D. Buddo and Mr W. H. Field, M.P., left Otaki early to-day, with a party to scale Mount Taungata,. Since leaving the weather "ha-s been unfavourable in the township, and it is expected the party will meet with hoavy] weather, telegraphs our Otaki corres-, pondent. Two men in the Rakaia district, by ; the use of bird traps, earned a naverage of £5 10s per week between thorn, over a period of three months, selling the heads to the Ashburton County, Council. The largest catches were generally obtained early in the morning, the record for one pull of the trap being 750 fully-groAvn birds. This one cntch. realisad the sum of £3 2s bd. | According to country papers, some new caves have been discovered in the vicinity of Kaipororo, in the Forty-mile Bush. They are on the private property of Mr. H. Renall, are fairly easily; accessible, and tie beautiee of the stalactites and stalagmites are simply wonderful. The caves .extend for some distance, and in places are very large and roomy, while at others there is only room for one person to walk. "It. is pleasing to note," says the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in its annual report, '"that steady progress is being mact-e with tha extensive additions to the Chief Post Office. As a very considerable amount of inconvenience liae been caused to the general public for some years past by tho various departments of the Post Office not being housed in one building, with adequate at-cmnmodauon for the public and tbe officials of tho service, it, is hoped that this work will be pushed on with all possible expedition, and that before very long tho Post Office will bo one worthy of the Empire City, and! where tho community will' b& able to conduct its business with reasonable comfort." During Easter week (says the local Chronicle) events important in the history of the Wanganui Collegiate School will take place. Tho chief event will take place on Tuesday, at 2.15 p.m.,' when the new school will be opened by, His Excellency the Governor, Lord Islington. On. Sunday the Bishop of Wellington will lay the foundationstone of the new chapel, this probably, being His Lordship's last public function in New Zealand. On Monday tha usual sporibs meeting will be held. On, Tuesday night the Old Boys' ball will be held in the new assembly room aft the school. In addition to the above, the usual festivities — shooting match, rowing, tennis, swimming, etc., will< take place. A plea, for better treatment for the horse took the place of the usual Bible lessons at the Terrace Congregational Church yesterday. Tho Rev. J. Eeed Glaeson, who read a touching appeal foa« the alleviation of the suffering of horses, spoke interestingly of a movement in America \ that is gaining ground every] day. ' In a few words this movement, which owes its origin to Miss Dow, ;« wealthy Cincinnati lady, alms at "a, square deal for tho horse ; also t-hreel meals daily, water frequently, a blanket in cold weather, and two weeks' vacation annually. 1 ' Finally, every lover of .tha horae is advised to "throw away th« whip!" After reading "the horse's prayer," Rev. Mr. Glasson remarked tb»\t there were some human brutes irt Wellington who should not be allowed' to own horses. Where there were three! convictions for cruelty a man's horses should be confiscated by the State. You actually save money by checking your baggage through us. A small fee for cartage at either end is all you pay. For that we collect., check, and deliver tho baggage. Enquire. N.Z. Express Co., Ltd.—Advt. The people in the know may hare a clear understanding as to what is beinof dono in connection with tho tramway advertismg, but as far as tho general publio are concerned the contract is one. that 'is difficult to follow, and the question is whos« is the successful tender? This matter, how. evct, may be left to the City Council, and we turn to , something of a less complicated nature. With tho winter coming on the boys must have! suitable clothing. Here are a fow instances of tho values to be obtained at C. Smith, Ltd., Cuba-street i, Boys' Jersey Suits, with caps to match, size 18in, 9s lid; 20in, 10s 6d; 22in, 11s; 24in, 11s 6d, stocked in all colours: 1 Boys"' Double-breasted Reefer Coats, for winter, wear, all sizes, 6s lid, 9s 6d, 10s 6d, 11b 6d. BoysN 'Varsity Suits, in strong serviceabla tweeds, for school wear, size 00 to 8, 8s lid, 9s 6d, 13s 6d.— Advt.