LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

» — The mails which, left Wellington on let December last, per c.c. Moana, and connected at Sydney with the Brindisi mail per R.M.S. Moldavia, arrived in London on the morning of the 6th met. The Postal authorities advise that the s.a. Maitai, winch left Sydney at 5 p.m. on the 6th inst., has on boa-rd an Australian mail. She is due to arrive here to-morrow. The Moeraki, which left Sydney at noon on the 6th, has also on board an Australian mail. She is expected to-morrow. Outbreaks of fire at a drying 6hed owned by Mr. P. Hutson, in Rolleeton- ! etreet, and at 236, Riddjford-street, ] caused the City Fire Brigade to tuv* out last evening. Littlo damage wpa laone^at either place.

Good progress is being made with the Otira tunnel contract. The Minister for Public Works (tho Hon. It. M'Kenzie) dated to a reporter of this paper to- ', day that over two miles havo been pierced, and of that distance about a. mile and a-half has been lined. For tho lining concrete is being , used in lieu of brick. The material required is being obtained from ihe Bealey Rivor at one end and from the Rolloston Rivor at tho other. Rumours of Cabinet reconstruction were falsified' by the Prime Minister yeethorday. "No reconstruction yet," he said in reply to a query. "I shall meet Parliament with my old' colleagues." He added that he had no desire to hang on to office, and that he would leavo Parliament to decide the position.The demands of the cooks and stewards of tho smaller coastal eteamea's are to come before the Conciliation Council al Wellington next Friday morning. It may not be generally known that I anything in the nature of a eide-show is not permitted at the Basin Reserve. Prior to the recent' athletic champion' ship meeting a troupe of performers applied through theN.Z.A.A.A. for permission te run a side-show in conjunction with the sports. The Oity Council, however, refused permission. " A Press Association telegram from Napier states that at an inquest' concerning the death of Mrs. Houldsworlh,, of Wellington, who died' aboard the Mokoia on the journey from Gifiborne, a vordict wae returned that death waa due to cerebral hemorrhage, resulting from a congested state of the blood vesseis. A novel by Amber Reeve*, daughter of the Hon. W. P. Rteves, hag recently been published by Heinemann. It should reach here shortly. The Athenaeum says that the book is ""a remarkable achievement for a first novel," and gives a column of criticism and description of the book, which it suapecte of being autobiographical. A conference of all the Plasterers' Unions throughout the Dominion will be held in Auckland on 12th February next for the purpose of forming a federation to try and obtain uniform conditions for all in the trade in New Zealand. At a special meeting of the Wellington Plasterers Union, Messrs Sievwrighfc and Burton wer<> appointel delegates to represent the local union at that conference. Tho dispute of some months' standing between the union and the employers will probably be referred to the Council of Concilia tfon. Australian aeronauts are now eligible for appointments in the Federal I)efen<;« Department, at £400 a' year. This in the salary fixed by Senator Pearce, Minister lor^ Defence, for his new aerial staff, and it is to include all allowance* except travelling expenses. The Government will accept no liability for accidents. The Minister has been advised that well-trained aeronauts aro available at the figure— if not in Auetralia then in Europe. He has accordingly directed that applications should be called for throughout the Commoiiweath and in Great Britain for two positions. ' The practice of giving caps and badges to athletes reaching the standard in championship events is to be discontinued in the Dominion. At a special meeting of the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. ' last evening, it was decided, wi the motion of Mr. A. Davies, to amend rule 13 as follows: "Any competitor who reaches the standard in any championship event shall be awarded the association's standard certificate. In distances under 440 yds this rule shall apply only to the winner ot either v, heat or, a final." In moving the amendment, Mr. Davics remarked that bftdgeh and caps were not valued by athletes j in factj they were quito out of date. The highest tribute ever paidr to the Melbourne rat was that which came recently (writes "Woomera" in the Australasian) from Mi>. Donald Melville, M.L.C. He was talking tcra witness in the Legislative Council about the foundations of the cool stores which the Government intends to build near Victoria Dock. "Do you think the rate could eat through it'/" he asked. "It" is reinforced concrete, 15 to 18 inches thick! Up in North Queensland they will gravely spin you yarns that the white ants eat iron rails if they are given a littlo time allowance, but they go shy. on rat yarns, , I have heard ant stories and fish stories, but 1 *»cc that the rat story in going to beat them ail. Satisfactory agreement haa been arrived at in the dispute between the Wellington Building Trades Labourers and the employers. At a first conference between the parties, and presided over by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr P. Hally) .the chief points at dispute were settled, with the exception of wages and suburban work. The union was asking Is 3d per hour, and Is 4d for scaffolding work, the old rates running Is lsd and Is 2^-d respectively. A forty-four nour week was also sought as against forty-five in the old award, and tune and a-half for first two hours overtime, double time after that. A later conference saw all the debatable points adjusted, and tiie new agreement provides for wages at Is 2d and Is 3d — the latter for scaffolding work. This agreement will in course of time Jje embodied in an award of the Court, probably about 16th March next. It will remain ih force for two years. The secretary of the union, Mr. E. Kennedy, states that while there is littlo work doing for plasterers in this city, Auckland is very busy. A little building is going on at Kelburne and Island Bo,y— at the latter plaoe in connection with workers' dwellings. It is expected that in s a couple of months' time there will be a brisk revival in the trade. Plenty of work is offering in the country. Apropos of tradesmen being fined yesterday for selling light-weight bread, "M.J." writes te the editor to the effect that the practice of giving ehorl weight ie not confined to tho bakers, but that grocers are equal offenders He quotes a case where he went to a baker's shop to purchase bread, and selected a 2lb loaf from many on the counter, tendering 3id. Tho baker would not let him have it, but brought, one from the bakehouse. "M.J." asked the baker lo weigh the latter loaf, but this request met with a decided refusal, "and when he saw I was determined to get my proper weight he gave me back my money. - It seems to me a] bo that, bread sold from the window is different. to bread sold out of carts, in regard to both quality and weight." As to th© grocers, the correspondent says he has seen more 1 than 0110 deal unfairly by children. "A child goes into a shop for a pennyworth of biscuits, and is given loz of inferior quality, such as 4d wine or 6d mixed. Now that works out at Is 4d a pound." "M.J." also complains that many bakers do not keep scales in their shops. He suggests that "bread should be sold as in London — 2lb weight for the price"of 21b of bread, and be weighed on the counter, with a piece out from another loaf' to niake up weight, and that small rolls should be taken round in tho cart®, and one given with each 21b loaf purchased afc tho door." He alleged thai he could quote several cases in respect to coal and milk, and Bays tho inspector can, if he «o desires, get his name and .addrebs from Tho Post, and "if he writes to m© or calls upon me I will givo him some idea where to find unscrupulous tradesmen." To-morrow {Wednesday), Kirkcaldi© and Stains, Ltd., will offer at special prices cotton and linen dresses, drees skixle, kimonos, und duet coat*.— Advt.

The Cambridge dairy factory paid ov«r £7000 lo suppliei* during the month of November. U'he Somerset, which arrivcvl iv tho \ ¦stream yesterday evening, brought 261 passengers— 2os in the third class, 17 iA th« first class, and 39 assisted pasaeu§oi'fl. The immigration officer (Air. A. . Dauby) states that tlia nowcoinora are of a, vwy good claeb, a«d include domestic servant*, farm labourer*, carpenters, iron moulders, aud inmerib. Tho list included a number of taaueiß, and si,x.wiv*s who have oomo out to rejoin tliGir liusbatidij. Mr. W. J. Howard, who has been appointed Ttiemanitin Bhodes Scholar for 1912, has just pasted his second year in. tho science examination r0 tho Unrwr* fcily very successfully, and has played senior cricket ami football in both La^i. ceston nnd Hobart. lie reprcsoiit(|l Tasmania ab baseball. At the Masterton bailis a few days ag« a revolver bullet came whizzing past a woman and several children, and lodged in a,pi<?<>B of woodwork within a lew inches of tho carolak«u\ Police investigation*, revcr.W that an old mm in tho vicinity had fired at a bird and tho bullet wonf through the iron fence surrounding the butlis. All tlia cranes at the Addington Hailway Workshops aro now being woiked by electrical powor. 'Hie preliminary trm 'j of JK^rtme thi> cr<mes afc milsido Workshops (Duuedin) has also been done, md it U hoped that in abowt a month s time tho cvatw plant, at Fotone will also be electrically operated. In the caee of (Jhrifitchurch and Dun edin, power is available from the traftv ways supply, bul at Polono a. ga* nlant will be installed to generate the, ne««. eary power. All of the mi ions affiliated to th* Trades Hall have beon circularised W Messrs. D. T\f Laren and \Y. T. Milk, with a view to promc-tinj!; the latter.* scheme of federation propounded 5u ha unity campaign, The circular ackg th» union to. furnish, data in reference ti> membership, scopa of organisation. ek. ( so that the "grouping" formulated ii\ the scheme may be proceeded with. Tho holidays have interfered considerably with the routine work of the various unions, but meetings" are now being r«. 6iimed, when 'the unity proposition will again be discussed. - ¦ The Hon.' T. Mackenzie. Minister for Agriculture, who leaves tor the South, to-nipht, will during his absence from Wellington make an inspection of the Steak which havo been set apart in Central Otago fov regrnpsing experiments, Owing to overstocking some years ago much of the land in pentral Otago was denuded of native grasses, buf> therp is an jdpa preyaient that, with lengthened " spelling and careful resowing, a good pasture will again bo obtained. Tho result* of the experiments now being carried out are awaited with considerable interest by farmers. Australia as a field for the aviator is attracting a good deal of attention in the home of airmanship, especially sincethe announcement of the Commonwealth Government's intention to foster mechanical flight. A recent arrival in Melbourne is Mr. A. B. Stone, a well-known English aviator, who will land a Blmot monoplane about the 20th January. It is his intention to give exhibition nights and compete in any aviation carnivals thut may be organised. Should sufficient inducement offer, Mr. > Stone' will subsequently bring his machine to New Zealand and fly here. Hie representative in Wellington is Mr. J. B. Clarkson, of J. B. Clarkson and Co., Ltd. * Ten Blieep to the aero and on grass paddocks is (remarks the Auckland Herald) usually regarded in New Zealand a» a farmer's fable, but 'with no special form of intensive cultivation, except top-dressing with dried flax, it is a fact on tho lands near Tokomaru, owned by. Messrs Seifert Bros., the wellknown flax manufacturers. . Not only that, but ib is a further fact, on tho authority of one of the firm! that at present ten sheep to fcho acre are unable to cope with tho fast-growing pastures! and the scythe-blade and mower havo to be brought in, in order to keep tho areas fairly clear for their flax oeds. The reason advanced for tho prolific growth of pass is that the dust from the dried flax, replenished at short intervals, provides a most valuable manure. Between forty and fifty men arG at present employed opening out the ends of the tunnel between Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia River, preparatory to the initiation of the Lake Coleridge water-povm Bclienio. The Minister ol" Public Works (the Hon. R. M'Keneie) to-day informed a Post reporter thai* the tunnel will be about 7000 ft long. From the lake to the riverbed there 15 a fall of about 500 ft. The power-house will &b built near the river. Tender* wore called for cutting 1 the tunnel some time ago, but the only one rweived was considered too high, and fresh applications will' now be invited. The dis^ tance fro.in Chrifctchurch to the site of the power-house is, roughly, sovoMty miles. Tenders are also to be o&lhA shortly for all the machinery required. The Minister anticipate* that th» vwk may be completed' m eighteen months. Mr. M'Keime it. confident that Uw>re will be no difficulty in. transmitting powor a3 far as Timaru. Remarkable discrepancies %re chown in the census figures, when compared with the more recent canvass of Wo«t Australia, made by tho police (eayo tho Sydney Telegraph). This is Ibe firsf> adeoualo check that has be«?i applied to the results of the cenmi«, and a deficiency ie dibcloscd which is causing the l}omu Affairs Department to wonder just where tt elands in the point of knowledgo of Australia's population. The police canve*s was conducted under tho guidanco of tho Commonwealth. Electoral Department, and wa« regarded as thoroughly efficient. Yot thus ia how it turns out : — Census figures of peruone pver age of 21 >ears, 167,072 ; electoral canvass, 151,953 ; diffcionce, 15,119. The weight as to thoroughness is Gtated to bo all on the side of the police canvass. The position created is remarkable, in that oince tha Comwon wealth is to pay 25s per head ot population to the States on the census bafius, West Australia may be getting a little more than her fair share. There is going to be an enquiry. The red spider has again made its ap» pearanco in raspberry crops in. Masterten this year. Kirkcaldio and Stains, Ltd., intimate to their cuetomers that to-morrow, tha 10th met., is the last discount d&y fof the monthly accounts.— Advt. If you value comfort when travelling, check your baggage through the lS<nv Zealand Express Company. Risk of loss is avoided, and all trouble is saved.— Advt. The demand exceeds the supply may be applied to the labour conditions in Now Zealand at tho present time, bo thoro is no excuse for unemployment. W« hear from the various centre* that tho demand for workers lias not beon met, and tho outlook in Wellington ior trade and Is,, bour conditions may bo . considered promising. At this time of tho year wo turn from work to play, tho holiday ecu,son is here, and all ladles who are hob supplied with tho holiday attiro had bettor inspect this lino at onoo. Larhcu' Linen Dresses (blouso and Bkirt), blouse well mado with double collar and poelu-t, skirt well otitched and good style, in amethyst, brown, stroon, sky, navy ; ouo price only, 9s 6d. At C. Smith, Ltd — Cub&*treot.— Adyt.