MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 996, 3 April 1891, Page 33

MISCELLANEOUS.

During the discussion on the charitable aid expenditure at the meeting of the United District Board on Tuesday, Mr Haw* kins enquired of the Chairman whether there was any chance of the expenditure being reduced now that the times vtfere improving* The Retf H. Van Staveren, whilst admitting that things were improving, explained that as prosperity increased bo did the number of poverty-stricken people. This was owing ,to the fact that people oitt of work were flocking to this city in search of employment from all parts of the Colony. TiTr Fraser corroborated the Chairman s remarks, stating that as soon as one lot was expunged from the books others took their places.

On Monday night the watchman at the Government railway station discovered a youngster of about ten years of age, named Astwood, asleep in a first-class railway carriage. The little fellow was taken to the Police station, where he explained that having missed his nhtile, whom he had expected from the Hath, he had crept into the carriage and {alien to sleep. The father bf the child, Who was at once communicated with; arrived on Tuesday afternoon and claimed his son; , who appeared to take his troubles very philosophically. The Woodville Examiner Btate3 that it has it on good authority that the Government purpose appointing a committee to investigate the working of the Government Insurance Department.

The following nominations have been received for the office of Chairman and membership of the local committee of the Public Service Association t —For Chairman, Messrs H. W. Robinson, R,M., 'Wellington ; E. Tregear, Surveyor, Wellington* For Secretary and Treasurer, Mr H. Thompson, clerk, Public Works Office; For Membership of Committee (10 to bo elected), Messrs G. Allport, clerk. Marine Department; W. H; Butterworth, clerk. Railway Department ; j. Carson, compositor, Government Printing Office ; S. Coalall, accountant, ditto; J. H. Davis, Clerk, Railway Department ; j. W: Davis, draftsman, Land Traußfer Office , E; T : Greville; clerk, Audit Office ; H. J. Knowles, olerk. Property Tax Department; H. MeCardell, draftsman, Survey Department; F. T. O'Neill, liecord

clerk, Crown Lands Office ; H. Pollen, chief clerk, Colonial Secretary’s Office; E. P. Warren, examiner, Public Trust Office. The voting papers are to be returned to Mr E. G. Pilcher (Railway Department) on or before Tuesday next. A supplementary Gazette Was published on Tuesday, in which notice is given that for the Civil Service senior examination of January, 1892, the period of literature will be the period of the Commonwealth, and the books will be Shakespeare’s King Lear and The Tempest. The Gazette also contains a notice as to the removal cf the re strictions on the alienation cf land by Natives. Sir Maurice O’Rorke arrived here on Tuesday from the South by the steamer Brunner.

Several members of the Canterbury cricket team returned to the South by the steamer Hauroto, which left at 6 p.na, on Tuesday As the steamer moved away three oheera for the visitors were given by the local team, Who had assembled »t the wharf to see their opponents away. The Canterbury men then gave three cheers for “ Wellington,’ and the Crowd, which was an unusually large one, dispersed;

Tbe majority of the local Volunteers and the Nelson and Marlborough corps, who took partin the Easter encampment at Palmerston North returned to Wellinetonby special train on Tuesday morning. The Nelson and Marlborough contingent left for their homes by the Government steamer Hinetaba at noon.

A correspondent writes, complaining of the disgracefully dirty state of the closets at the Government local railway station, aod expresses an opinion that the Inspector of Nuisances should pay a visit to them and judge for himself as to whether their condition is such as it ought to be from a sanitary point of view.

The annual meeting of delegatee of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Society was formally opened, at the Royal Oak Hotel on Monday, on which day the whole of the representatives from other parts of the Colony had arrived. The names of the delegates are—Mr W. Young, President of the Society, Mr W. A. Oxley, General Secretary, and Mr A. MoLoughlin (all of Dunedin), Mr W. Beawick (Wellington), Mr Andrews (Christchurch), Mr Coffey (Auckland), Mr Henry (Napier), Mr Hay (Blenheim), and Mr White (Dunedin Poet office, After the formal opening, the meeting was adjourned to Tuesday when some preliminary business was done, and another adjournment was made until the Post-master-General had been interviewed.