LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9788, 3 March 1910, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

- It i,s reported that tlie Arbitration Cotfit will Bit in ChiistdHirch all (lay on Saturday. A Chamber sitting -of the Supreme Court will be held on -Monday, beicire Mr Justice Sim. The two branches o 1 the Y\ aimakariri were the only rivers reported to be clear this morning. Late this alternoon . tlie lelegraph Office was advised that it was. still raining at the Bealey, and the. river was risiily. Mr Paulin's forecast, telegraphed at noon to-day. was as follows: —Squally to gale, nortli-west to north-east winds and electrical rains in about twentyfour hours. Barometer fall fast. The Post and Telegraph Department received a telegram at W o'clock this morning to Kay that the River Bealey was three feet above the normal, and was rising. Rain was still falling heavily. A Cheviot settler, who is in Christchurch to-day, Mates that the rain which is falling over a large part of Canterbury, will be welcomed in the Cheviot district, but it has not been looked for anxiously, as there lias been a good rainfall in the district this season. At Hamilton this morning George Mullensen, on charges of arson and theft at Waihi, received a- sentence of three yoara" imprisonment. Naomi .Adttle. Dey Peacock, a married woman, of Waihi, charged with arson, was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. A special train conveyed a large number of Lyttelton people to Leeston to-day, to take part in tho High School picnic. A public holiday is being observed in the town, and nearly all the shops are closed. To some extent' the population is readjusted by the fact that two big picnics arrived from Christchui'ch. Air J. Glanville, Mayor of New Brighton, intends to contest the position lie now holds against all other candidates at the election in tho last week of April. He has formed a platform of the mixed bathing question, which he has vigorously discussed during the past few days, and of improvements at New Brighton. He reiterates his intention to " sweep the beach clean " if he is elected again. The Clerk of Awards in Christchurch has received tho award of tho Arbitration Court in the dispute between the Canterbury Confectionery, Biscuit and Fruit Preserving Employees' Union and Messrs Aulsebrook and Co., the Atlas Confeotionery Company, the Dainties Company, Guillermo and Co., and Whittaker Bros. The award is on the lines of an agreement entered into between the parties. The Feilding Chamber of Commerce this morning arranged for the visit of the Hon J, A. Millar next week. On Monday the Minister will be officially welcomed 011 arrival, and then taken to the Aorangi Settlement, and shown the fruitgrowing and dairying industries. 011 Tuesday a motor-car trip will be made through t-fie surrounding districts, and Mr Millar will be entertained at a public, dinner in Feilding in the evening. On Wednesday another motor-car trip will be made. A very impressive requiem mass for the repose of the soul of the late Bishop Lenihan was celebrated at the Catholic Cathedral this morning. There was a large congregation. The Rev Fatlfer Price officiated, assisted by Fathers Hoare (St Mary's) and Drohan (Lincoln). FatherrHnnt delivered a funeral f>anegyric, extolling the wo'rks of the ate Bishop, and afterwards the VicarGeneral, Dean Ginaty, gave the absolution at the catafalque. At the conclusion of the piaes the Dead March was played. By an arrangement in connection with special motors, it will be possible during the Easter holidays to leave Christchurch by the second express 011 Thursday March 24, and arrive at the Hermitage at 2 a.m. on Good Friday. On the return trip, motors will leave the Hermitage at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 28, in time to catch the first express from Timaru to Christchurch on the Tuesday morning. Bookings right through to Mount Cook may be made at the Christchurch office of the Tourist Department.

A deputation of I'apanui residents met the Hon D. Buddo, Minister of Internal Affairs, at Papanui this morning, and advanced representations in support of the petition forwarded to Wellington some time ago, asking that the district, which is at present under the jurisdiction of the Avon and Riccarton Road Boards, should be proclaimed a borough. Tho members of the deputation discussed the matter with the Minister in an informal manner and the discussion was cut short by the arrival of the train by which Mr Buddo was travelling to ltangiora. Arrangements were made for tlie deputation to meet the Minister again on Saturday. The work of erecting an enclosure on the New Brighton beach for a shrubbery and plantation ie in hand. The enclosure, which will be made of a close paling fence, bound at the bottom by boards, will be 213 ft by 95ft, and will contain a band rotunda. The sum of £4OO, obtained from the Government through the member for the district, Mr G. W. Ilussell, will be spent on the work. A committee of the Borough Council will meet to-morrow evening to consider plans for dressing-rooms for bathers. There will bo two sets, on each side of the pier, and about four chains from it. Tlie re will be nine rooms, 7ft (Jin square, in each set. It is expected that these will be used largely by bathers on the beach. At noon to-day the wind, which in the morning had been blowing steadily from the north, swung round to the south-west, and at about half-past twelve a "heat shower" fell. During the shower the wind shifted back to the east, and the showor became a steady rain, which continued during the afternoon, the wind varying. Tlie side-channels in Manchester Street, from Gloucester to Armagh Streets, were speedily flooded, and men had to be put on to keep the sumps clear. The weather report issued at 9 a.m. today showed that steady rain was falling at the Bealey, nnd that from Christchurch as far south as Dunedin the sky was cloudy and there were indications of coming rain. Passing showers were recorded at Invereargill and the Bluff. Unsettled weather was reported from North Island stations.