LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13480, 3 July 1907, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tin? new regulations relating to the examination of engineers in the mercantile marine are gazetted. Clause 4 states that certificates of competency will be granted to those persons who are British subjects, and who comply with the requisite conditions. For this purpose examiners have been appointed, and arrangements have been made for holding the examinations at the following places, viz. : At Auckland, during the first week in January, May, and September; at Napier, during the first week in February, June, and October; at Wanganui, during the first week in February, June, and October; at Wellington, during the first week in February, June, and October; at Nelson, during the first week in February, June, and Ociober; at Christchurch, during the first veek in March, July, and November; at Timaru, during the first week in March, July, and November; at Dunedin, during the first week in April, August, and December; at Inverairgill, during the first week in April, August, and December. The examination will commence on Monday in each case. '

The report of the House Committee presented to the Thames Hospital Board yesterday referred to the legacies which had been received from the trustees of the late Mrs. McDonald, and which were for a children's ward, £50; fever ward. £25; and for the benefit of patients who were unable to pay hospital fees, the sum of £50.

Four new tramcars, similar to those which have recently been placed in commission, have arrived from London by the Rakaia. They will be fitted up at the Ponsonby bain without delay and placed on the lines.

A letter was read at the meeting of the; Auckland City Schools Committee last even-: ing, from the secretary of the Auckland Education Board, notifying the committee that the Minister for Education had voted a grant of £800 towards the cost of a separateinfant department at the Beresford-street school. The Board's architect had been instructed to confer with the chief inspector (Mr. Petrie) and to submit a scheme for providing new accommodation for the infant classes. The chairman of the committee (Mr. P. M. Maekay) said it had taken the committee three years to get a new infants' "department for the school, but their importunities had' at last prevailed. The £800, however, would probably not be sufficient to complete the new infant department. Mr. Petrie and the architect had visited Beres-ford-street school to report to the Education Board, and it had been reported to him (Mr. Maekay) that Mr. Petrie still favoured improving the old '. department with the £800. "This committee would not stand that, for one moment," said Mr. Mackay, amid cries of " No, no," from the other members of the committee. Mr. M. J. Bennett : It would be absurd. The Chairman: The £800 is given for a ••separate" infants' \ department. Whatever Mr. Petrie may recommend to the Board about the old department cannot be done out of this £800. The committee then decided to thank the Minister for the vote.

An invention of interest to carters and carriers has been patented by Mr. J. Whelan, of the City Council staff. For a J long time the difficulty facing carters and contractors has been to find a satisfactory principle upon which a four-wheeled waggon might be constructed so as to tip, after the manner of a wheeled tipdray, thus saving the labour of shovelling out such loads as coal, metal, sand, etc. Mr. Whelan formed an idea of such a vehicle, and a specimen waggon was constructed by City Council employees in the Council's workshop, and is now on view at the Corporation yard. It is a full lock waggon, fitted with a brake, and has so far come through every test imposed upon it to entire satisfaction. The patentee does not claim to have brought out any new principle, but he lias adapted certain well-known devices and applied them so that the body of the four-wheeled vehicle may be tipped as readily and as simply as that of an ordinary wheeled tip.dray. - .

The AWKUMIj WKKK..Y N EWs , .' cd to-day, contains a iar K e number of f" terestmg and hi,),,,,,, il h!rtmfi ;- ■;,;; Among the most prominent, of tl,o«* of r« teat events will be '•»»"' the champs " - »hip running match, Day v. \ld «,•!,' ~' m the Auckland Domain: return of th . -V& Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) t„ \,, v Jfe.'" land ; official opening ( >i the hanUni „-!* ■ son; dlirtMtronß Sire at Wnikinoj o lj' of .Parliament: wine effects of the recent heavy weather: the barque Was-iii, jury rig: and Wellington's new motor ft«. engine, now on its way from RngtaA Th* ' miscellaneous illustrations, which are e ,. - ocedingly varied, include a splendid *«». of the largest twin-screw British It ?r - afloat: whilst the double-page is dcvotM '' to a fine panoramic view of Invercwil? and two beautiful scenes at Wh'anjawt.' * Diphtheria has broken out at R»w*« e and seven patients are in the local hospital 'lire district health officer (Dr. John a' Purdy) will leave for Kaweno, ti.. Whs«: garei, to-day. Every effort is being truit* by the authorities at Rawene to prevent a further spread of the disease. A report was circulated in Auckland last week that the three-masted schooner ■' Korora had missed stays and gone on the rocks at Mangonui. The vessel arrived at Auckland yesterday, and Captain Cor- V bett, the master of the vessel, states that when going into Mangonui the centreboard was down, and the vessel took the | ground. The anchor was at, once. drop, peel, and brought her up, but no damans ! was done. A fire broke out yesterday morning in \ the house occupied by Mr King, baker, Poiisonby Road. On the alarm being given the City Fire Brigade arrived quickly upon the scene, and extinguished the flames I*.. 1 fore any, serious damage resulted. The lire originated in a wardrobe iii one of the - : bedrooms. The business of Messrs. K. H. Bennett \ Limited, of Auckland, lias beet* purchased I by Mr. Charles Short, of the Thames,, , I'aeroa, and Rolorua. The purchase in- , eludes all the plant, etc., the property of ; the company. The work of cleansing the city and* out* > lying districts is still being act itchy ; con- • tinned. The district health officer ; (Dr. John S. Purely) has expressed himself 1 j well pleased Jit the action now being taker by the various local bodies. • m The cutter Eleanor, which went ashore ,fat Squadron Bay, Wailieke, during the I gale on Wednesday last, was floated off . yesterday. The vessel loaded up with shingle, and arrived at Auckland yestcr- ■ day. She took tho ground on a shingle\ bottom, and sustained no damage. Mr. Bivunio is inquiring from the V I Acting-Minister for Railways what steps , are being taken to remedy the, great in- ' convenience caused by the shortage of , railway trucks in the Auckland district. He is also asking the Minister for Justice what is being done by his Department in respect to the question of a new courthouse at Auckland.

The proposed Parliamentary tour over the Main Trunk rail way route has beet) fixed to commence on Friday, July 19, the Premier having decided to grant the necessary facilities. The trip, which is being organised by "Sir. Remington, is expected to occupy four days.

The tickets issued for the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section of the; Government railways during the four weeks ended May 25 totalled 198,371, us amipared will] 199,750 for the eorrespocil% period of last year. The total for -'lift May was made, up as follows :—Single first, 12,220; single second, 49,884; nJlstrti first, 26,970; return second, 109,300. The revenue- amounted to £54,152 :'. Is Id, as compared with £51,623 15s 9d in May of last year. May's total was made up as follows : Passengers, £20,552 5s 3d; parcels, luggage, and mails, £3795 13s lid; goods, £28,233 16s 10d; miscellaneous, £1000 5,s 3d ; rents and commission, £750 5s lOd.

Speaking at the l'almer&ton valedictory gathering held in bin honour on Thursday night, Mr. 11. F. Gibbons, late local manager of the Bank of New- Zealand, said that just at the present time Palmerston North did not possess the host of names in other parts: of the colony. This was entirely; due, however, to the fact that a, number of small traders, attracted by hearing of the business being done in the town, settled there, and then, for various reason?, failed. As a matter of fact, he considered that the town was becoming one of the safest in the colony to deal with. In 1900 the bank's daily turnover was £19,000, while now it was £50,000, and his opinion was that this rise would continue.

The recent surfeit of bushranging plays and pictures in Perth, West Australia, led to three lads arming themselves with pistols, and tiring at a train. The shooting caused some alarm, and a constable chased the lads, who went toward Mount Lawley, repeatedly firing the pistols at random. The officer arrested them, but- was some time in establishing their identity, as they gave wrong names and addresses. The pistols were small ones, but the polio? found they were capable of -putting a buhVt through a half-inch deal board at 10 paces.

: At a recent meeting of the Redfern !(Sydney) School Board', Mrs. E. Banner, one of the lady members, drew attention to the fact that on last Empire Day, British patriotism was strongly displayed by thousands of school children carrying " rnado-in-Germany" miniature Union !Jacks. She expressed the opinion that it was hardly the thing for British patriotic demonstrations to be represented by means of cheap German handicraft. Some of these " madc-in-Germany" Union Jacks were attached to the stick wrong side up, which in naval signalling denotes "in distress."

Mr. W. E. Johnson, M.H.R., writes to the Sydney Daily Telegraph :—'* At intervals during tho past live years I Have called attention to tho need for affording'.^ reasonable measure of protection to tie drivers of our electric trams from exposure to the elements during the winter months. Unless it can bo conclusively shown tla* such exposure, is absolutely necessary to the efficient performance of their duties, it 1* » gross reflection upon the humanity of the authorities of the Tramway Department *« no attempt is made to minimise the risk i° health incurred by those who have to earn their living as tram drivers. . Many of these unfortunate men, I am informed, are suffering severely from chest and throat complaints, due to continuous exposure for long periods of duty to the rain and the keen biting winds which have lately prevailedSome months ago I suggested that the risks of pneumonia, bronchitis, and pleurisy, might be considerably reduced by the erection of a, detachable" glass front projeotw.il from the end of the car, somewhat in the form of a bay window. This would be light and inexpensive, and half-a-dozen can might be so fitted us an experiment, when if found satisfactory -the'rest of the trains putd be similarly provided with shell" screens as opportunity offered. It is somewhat lute to make i\ start, but better l»». . than never.'- ' I