LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 123, 21 November 1911, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities advise that English and American mails via Vancouver ore due in Wellington to-morrow. The s.s. Manuka, which left ■.'Sydney at noon on the 18th inst. has on board an Australian mail. She is duo to arrive here to-morrow.

The ballot for the election of new officers for tho Wellington Wharf Labourers' Union is in progress to-day. 'lt closes to-morrow evening, when tho result will be announced.

Mr. P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, will be in Napier on Thursday hearing the industrial dispute between the Painters' Union and the employer*. The demands of the freezing workers in Hawkee Bay will also be enquired into.

Three additional sections have been acquired by the Wellington Education Board in connection with the proposed training college for teachers at Kelburue. The extra area will enable the buildings to be more suitably disposed than was possible with the original site.

The successful tenderers for the marble work for the new Wellington and Auckland Post Offices are Messm. W. H.' Edwards and Son, Wellington. The amount of the 'tender was £455. The other tenders were Messrs. Jobsten and Murie (£499) and Messrs. Mayes and Vass (£697). '

A-shipment of glass and china to the order of a Haweva merchant some time ago had a chequered voyage. Tho boat' on which it commenced the journey went ashore and the goods were transferred to' another steamer. This second was wrecked near Durban. The cargo was, however, got out and put on still another, on which it reached its destination. Despite the rough treatment arid many handlings, the stuff arrived with actually less than the ordinary amount of breakages.

In railway circle** (telegraphs our Dunedm correspondent) it is rumoured that the Locomotive Superintendent (Mr. A. L. Boattie} will retire from the railway service early next year on pension, and that the first of the reforms to be initiated by the Minister in accordance with the promise to the Bail-' ways Committee will be the selection 6f Mr. C. A. Piper> Traffic Manager, at Dunedin, to fill tlio position of Chief Traffic Manager for the whole Dominion, with his. headquarters at Welling J ton. '

Mr. F. Reyling, secretary of the Wellington Trades Council, has been appointed an Vaseessor in the dispute between the painters and tho masters in tho Taranaki district. Tho Conciliation Council, under Mr, Harle Giles, will meet in New Plymouth next Monday to hear the demands of tho union. Mr. Peter Muir, secretary of tho Wellington Tailors' Union, has also been appointed an assessor in the dispute' between the Taranaki tailors and the masters, which is to bo heard at New Plymouth on Friday. In the Magistrate's Court, beforo Dr. Ml Arthur, S.M., yesterday, Trillo and Mouat, engineers, Wellington, recovered £l2« 6s f from T. M'Dowell, leather and grindery merchant. The amount recovered was for bootmaking machines, alleged to have been sold and deliverd to defendant in June last. Defendant contested the claim on the ground that the machines were not perfectly satisfactory in their action. Judgment was given for plaintiff for the amount claimed, together with costs. Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon appeared for plaintiffs and Mr. C. R. Dix for defendant. The Veterans' Association is incensed at the nature of the Military Pensions Act parsed last session. Last evening the WejJington branch passed the following resolution :—-"That tho Wellington branch of the Royal Now Zealand Association of. His Majesty's Veterans endorses the resolution passed by other branches of the association respecting tho Military Pensions ' Act of last session, namely, that the Act was a direct insult to the veterans of the Maori War; and that intending candidates for Parliament be asked to support an amending Bill giving justice to the veterans during tho next session of Parliament.''

The position, regarding the unapproachable Hutt pipe bridge remains tls.9 earn©, and it is imderetood that the issue of the warrant authorising the construction of the approaches is still very uncertain. There has been a great deal of criticism in Petone and other districts interested on account of the delay. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. M'Bwan) states in reply that the City Council is solely to blame. Complications, he said, might have arisen in connection with the negotiations, but it was evident that the city authorities were in no hurry to see the bridge completed until it was actually needed by them to carry the pipes across. Mr. M'Ewah repeated, that Petone was quite willing to do its share as soon as possible.

At eight o'clock last night, when the shop of George R. Lindsay, bootmaker, Lambton-quay was closed up, everything was apparently safe, but seven minutes later a call was received by the ]?ire Brigade. A room at the rear of the shop, .used as a living apartment, was found in flames; but the brigade quickly got to work and did not have much difficulty in suppressing the outbreak. 'J ho room was badly damaged, and the shop stock affected by heat, smoke, and water. The offices on the upper floor escaped damage. The building, which belongs to the Woodward estate, is insured for £ISOO in the Northern .Union office, and the contents for J3ICH3O—£6OO in the Now Zealand office and £4OO in the State office.

The monthly "rally" of the Hutt NoLicense League last evening was attended with some show of rowdyism on the part ot a section of the crowd. It did not last long, however, for the president of the league (Rev. A. J. Seamex) addressed 6ome straight talk to the interjectora. He described the disturbance as a "put up job," and he threatened to t name the offenders. The threat, coupled' with the appearance at this stage of a policeman, had the desired effect, and the speakers, who included the Rev, J. J. Northy had an attentive hearing, A little time ago a paragraph appeared in The Post stating that there was not much pick and shovel work offering in the Petone .and Hutt districts, while there was a superabundance of that class of labourers looking for employment.' Since then the position has not greatly improved, and the officers'of both Borough Councils are frequently being asked for work. In reference to this matter the Mayor of Petone has received a letter from a resident at Wairoa, who''refers to the Mayor of tliat borough for a confirmation of hie statement. After noting the position as outlined in The. Post, the writer states that things are the; very-reverse at Wairoa. There is, lie says, a great shortage of pick and shovel men—"so short are we that the men are getting lis and 12s lor a day of 8 hours, for ordinary labourer's work." The Writer concludes by saying that work is likely to continue plentiful, as tne borough will be spending between £130,000 and £140,000 during the next 24 months.

Dr. Karl Kumm, F.R.G.S., will be entertained by the Now 'Zealand Club at the Y.M.C.A. to-morrow. Beginning to-tuorrow and continuing until Saturday, 2nd December, Kirkcaddie and Staine, Ltd., wilt offer ftt reduced prices footwear .and men's i clothing, <etc.-r-Adv^

A quartermaster-sergeants' examination waa hold at the Buckle-street Drill Hall to-day. There wore about thirty entrants.

The mails which left Wellington on the 13th October, per s.s, Ulimaroa, and connected at Sydney with the Naphvj mail, per 11.M.5. Oraiuz, arrived in London on the morning of tho 19th inst.

' Large Christinas consignment* of Mediterranean .dried fruiti, ex the steamer Berlin, are due at Wellington on Wednesday from Sydney by .the Manuka. The fruit totals 500 tons, and comprint 17,750 packages. Nearly aIT the Sedgwick boys hav-a earned sufficient money to enable them to repay their passage money to New Zealand, and their earnings will, now L he banked to their credit by the Labour Department, under/ whose control the, lads will remain until they are twentyone years of age. On, the first Sunday in December, fivo students of the Meeanee Seminary will bo raised to the priesthood by hia Grace Archbishop Redwood, S.M., &t the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Thorndon. Their names are* Revo. Tho*. Segrief, S.M., and Cullen, &SI. (Wellington), Fraher, S.M. (Groymouth), Montfglian, S.M. (Sydney), and Herring, S.M.* brother of Row Fathetf Herring, S.M., of Wellington South.

Timaru builders are complaining of a shortage of bricks. One prominent man in the building trade informed tho local Post that people were educated to the fact that a brick kouee is more de. sirable than, one built of destructible material. At present one ' brickyard, with a daily output of 8000 bricks, is endeavouring to cope with the requirements of ,ten brick buildings, find these include several big buildings nojy in hand. With .the average work of a, bricklayer in eight hours set down at 1000 bricks, it will be seen that tha present state of affairs is absurd. .

The compulsory taking over of the control' of the Tawuarunui Hospital is proving an item of considerable expense to the Waikato Board (states the Hamilton Times).' The report of the; working of the institution during thet past month shows that during'the whob of that period there 1 ' were onlx four Satients.in tho hospital each for a few ays, averaging one patient for seventeen days. The fees from these amounted to £2 ss, while the wages for the. staff of three amounted to 1)25, in addiction to which is added £l7 for supplies, so that the board is out of pocket to the extent of about £4O 'on tho month'a working. When the Hon. J. A. Millar visited Picton «ome months ago to perform tho ceremony of driving the first pile of tho new wharf, ho was approached by tho member for Wa-irau and the Picton Borough Council on the matter of vesting in tho town that portion of the foreshore at present occupied by the Picton railway buildings, as soon as the new wharf and railway buildings were completed. The reply given by the Minister of Railways was (states the Marlborough. Press) considered to bo highly satisfactory, and a letter from the Minister to the local member, read at tho last council meeting, came somewhat in tho nature of a surprise. Mr. Millar now. states that it will be some two or three years yet beforo the station is removed to the new position, and in all probability the land at present occupied by tho station will be required for business pw* poses. After giving the matter eyery consideration, ho cannot see his way to hand over the land to tho council for public purposes. Further action will probably be taken by the council when the time is opportune. Some smart work waft performed on, the steamer Opawa at Liverpool before her departure for Auckland on 29th September. The vessel was all ready for Sea, when instructions were received for her to call at St. Helena on her way out to pick up the passengers from tho illfated Papanui. This meant the fittibgup of accommodation for 364 people, and a host of carpenters, joiners, ana fitters were at once engaged. The cargo waft removed from the after hold, which was turned into uso by the erection of cabins and saloons, with water laid on and eketrie light installed. Tone of extra stores had also to bo shipped, and the whole of the work was completed in the space of four days, the Opawa sailing up to time. On arrival at St. Helena on tho morning of 14th October, tho wreck of the Papanui presented a sorry sight. Sho lies on the beach, with just the skeleton of her frame left, so fierce was the tiro, which consumed her. She was completely gutted fore and aft, and has already broken in half. ' The passengers state that they only managed^to get ashore in time, and most of them lost tho whole of their heavy baggage. They, were loud in their praises of the splendid accommodation that' had been bo hurriedly provided for them, and prior to leaving the vessel at Albany . they presented Captain Cameron with an illuminated address.

Captain Haines, of the United States Army, who was sentenced to five years' penal servitude for murdering William Annis, a newspaper writer, has been; pardoned by the Governor of the State. of New York, and left gaol last month. Annis, it will be recalled, was involved in a scandal with the prisoner's wife, and Haines, on returning home from the Philippines, where he was stationed, shot Annis publicly while the latter was attending a fashionable regatta. At that time v the " unwritten law," as it ia called,' was a very fashionable plea in similar cases of homicide, and it was invoked with success by the prisoner's counsel, who secured a relatively small sentence for his crime. Since then General Haines, an officer on the retired list, has been securing petitions wholesale asking for his son's release, to which the Governor has finally yielded. Harry Thaw, who is still confined iu Mattewan Asylum, where he acts as-sub-librarian, read the news of Haines's pardon, and immediately issued one of his fatuous signed statements to the mcs*. Thaw declares that, in the case of Haines, the great cause of the unwritten, law has been vindicated by the highest official of the State of New York. Ho, like Haines, pleaded the unwritten law, and is confident now that he has served so long and quietly in a State institution that he will receive once again his well-earned, liberty.. Thaw still enjoys a considerable degree of freedom, seeing visitors pretty frequently, while his duties as sub-librarian are recreational as well a«, instructional. Mrs. Thaw, the mother of Harry Thaw, has expressed her belief that the liberty of her son would not imperil the public safety, and she holds that ho has been punished enough<. for killing Stanford White.

No scrambling at stations, no bother at all, when you check your baggago through us. We collect, check, and deliver baggage immediately. Cheaper, safer. The New Zealand Kxprete Co., Ltd.-Advt.

There is an ever-growing tendency on tho part of many people to ishirk their re« Bponnibility ft* voters m ebnneotion with' tho coming elections. Under the changed conditions practically everyone of age m entitled to vote, una with the important questions; at pieserit before the electors, will mako this ono of tho biggest elections over hold in Wellington. Pcoplo may be slow to take advantage of the vote, but thore will bt> no he»ltation when thoy eco the announcement: 27in Gambol Spot Bilk Foulard. Is 9d por yard, in navy und while, black and white, oaxo and white, Mimeihyst and < White, reseda and white; Win Spot Crystalline Silk, Is 9d per yard, in biowu, so*e, nattier, navy, almond, champ., vieux rose, poach, «tc. Apply early at tho Drees Counicr. C. Smith,