LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10198, 6 July 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The weather was fin© generally m the dominion this morning, light southerlies being reported from most stations. . A "Wellington Press Association telegram says that the judgment of the Arbitration Court m toe Merchant Service Guild case, m which the Conciliation Council sought the opinion of the Court on the question should.captains or masters of vessels ?fficers be dealt with in the saiae dispute, states that the dispute was originated, and the Union is entitled to "have it disposed of on its merits. In view, however, of the peoubar position of the shipmaster with regard to his officers, it appears to Court desirable that the dispute should be divided into two branches. A block of Oamaru stone, weighing about two tons, fell from near the top of the new Wellington Post Office buildSt? Grey Street on 1W, 7 »or»inS The block was being hoisted by means of a crane to the top of the building and was some seventy feet from the ground, when by some means it slipped from the iron dogs, and in its fall narrowlv missed a lady who was passing. It fell close to the letter-box entrance, but, fortunately, at that time .—about 8.30 a.m.-there was not a great many people m the vicinity. The. stone however, broke the aerial telephone cable, and struck the roadwaj so heavily that it broke a four-inch water main. The syllabus of popular kctures t< be delivered at Canterbuiy College ou Thursday evenings during July and August is as follows "Whales Mr E. R. Waite; July 20, "Historic Cities of Hindustan," Major Andrew; July 27, -Hid Passion Play at Ober-Aminergau, Mr Vr. H. Tri.-r,r S ; August 3, "George Borrow. the~Gentleman Gipsy/' Mr H. J. Bath, <rat«- August 10, ''Chemistry and thff Motor-car?' illustrated by experiments, Professor Evans; August 17, "Origin and Development of the Organ/ Dp Bradshaw; August 24, "Modern Fiction" Professor Wall; August 31, "Travels in Palestine and Syria. ' Rev J. Mackenzie. A peculiar position has cropped up in 'regard to the Springvale Road, just outside Wanganui. concerning the width of which the Waitotara County Council, under whoso jurisdiction it is, has been put to a great deal of trouble, savs the Wangauui correspondent of the " Dominion." A search ot titles discloses the fact that in the onginal grant of land adjoining, a chain wide road was provided for, but the persons tvlio bought from the original owner conveved, it is stated, only half a chain' strip to the public body administering tlio road. As time went on tii© land was subdivided, and further owners bought, and fixed their fences on the assumption that the road was only half a chain wide. The Council, however is determined to have the mistake (dating back about forty years) rectified, and has ordered a survey of the proper road-line, with the view of compelling owners to shift their fences back.

His Worship the Mayor has consented to take the chair at the meetm- to be addressed by Sir James Carroll Acting-Prime Minister, in the Choral Hall to-morrow night. The recent introduction into Victoria and the successful cultivation of Peruvian lucerne are regarded by t-ho State Minister of Agriculture ns ot great importance for ensuring a supply ot green fodder in winter. Unlike the other varieties grown in. tbo btato, it thrive.* in cold weather and develops a good growth all the year round. The attempt to synchronise the city clocks having failed under tlie present management, the CjAy Council lias decided to take the work out. of the hands of the contractor, and place it in the hands of the city electrician, who, it is expected, will be able to put the clocks in satisfactory working order. Probably the work will be commenced to-morrow. Definite steps have been taken to place the well-known Australian Church, in Flinders Street. Melbourne, on .the market for sale. There is a heavy debt upon tke_ property. Although the congregation is small, it s very liberal, and the collections have averaged nearly £ICOO a year, even recently ; but this does not suffice to meet the cliurcli's financial responsibility iu a progressive manner. The trustees who represent the creditors have given the congregation the option of acting as rendors, in preference to realising on the building themselves, and if the price obtained satisfies the debt the congregation will be at liberty to appropriate all surplusage. It is possible that this would be applied to erecting other rhurch premises in a more central situation, or to renting a suitable building wherein the Rev Dr Strong could continue to conduct services. It is said that there is some likelihood that the church may be acquired for a. picture show.

A new method of laving _ tramway lines is being adopted in Wellington. The big 951b rails are being_ laid upon sleepers of concrete (laid sft, apart), which are reinforced with five lengths of quarter-inch iron steel bars. These sleepers are fire inches in depth, and hare a broad base, which gives them • solid rest on the earth. The rails are attached bv means of a grip-pin of frteel, whicli passes through a hole in the sleeper and toegrips the base ofthe rail above and the sleeper below. When the whole is trued up by tamping ehingle beneath the sleepers the track is knitted together with six inches of solid concrete, rising an inch above the level of the tops of the concrete sleepers. It is calculated that depressions cannot develop with a track laid in each a manner, and that the extra cost is amply justified by the saving the method will make in the cost of maintenance. The surface is made up in the usual way; in the work at present under construction the surface is woodMocked. The Victorian Game and Fisheries Department has come into possession of a swivel, or punt, gun of an old-time pattern. It is well over 10 feet in length, so that the barrel easily exneeds the maximum length of 3 feet. 6 inches allowed under the Game Acts. From its appearance the. officials consider that it may have been in use for the destruction of water fowl on the Gippsland lakes for the past thirty years. Many such guns are known to be in use in various parts of the State. Fired from a boat by the pulling of a lanyard, the gun is capable of killing from fifty to ono hundred ducks. From information received, the Department learned recently-that the gun was being employed illegally for the destruction of game on Lake Victoria, and eventually the weapon was discovered by a constable* hidden carefully in the scrub on the shores oi the lake. The discovery was only made after a search of four days, in which the officer was assisted by local residents. The ownership of such a gun involves a considerable penalty. Yoa cannot hope to succeed when ■yoOr health is always poor—you must have enthusiasm—to have that you must have energy—Stearns' Wine of Cod Liver Extract supplies it. 16