NOTES FROM OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 6

NOTES FROM OTHER CENTRES.

, AUCKLAND. November 4. The electric light and power installation for the city of Auckland proper is neariiiß completion, and it is expected that tho first 500 horse-power will bo turned on in about a fortnight. " Tho power for the current will be supplied conjointly from tho waste steam at the city destructor and from the separate boiler now nearly ready for use. The destructor at present generates over 600011). of steajn per week, and this will be led directly to the engines, except such pressure as is required for auxiliary purposes. ' In connection with the destructor the erection- of tho plant is proceeding at a most satisfactory rate. The engines have been placed, and bedded, and the steam and exhaust pipes are connected, while the dynamos arc partially erected. The switchboard is in position, and the instruments are being adjusted. The accumulator is completed, .and the booster for feeding tho, current to the wires is arriving from England. ■

Rotorua. liesMitiful weather is being experienced at Rotorua, whore devotees of tho rod and line are having excellent fishing. Large numbers of tourists are flocking into the town and viewing the many sights. A monster carnival, extending over a month, is to be held there between February next and Easter. Already over £300 has been raised towards the carrying out of tho project at Rotorua. . -

Rainfall. For tho ten months just ended 47.94 linches of rain have been registered in Auckland, '.while the average for the past 42 years has only been 42 inches. This year has therefore already exceeded the average by nearly six inches. The heaviest fall recorded in any ono year was in 1893, when the total was 53.81 inches. If tho average rain falls during the remainder of this year the latter total will be exceeded. During October 5.02 inches of rain fell on 18 days, the heaviest downpour occurring on October 9, when 1.08 inches was registered. Tho average fall for Octobor for the previous 40 years has been 3.35 inches, so that last month exceeded the average by 1.67 inches. The heaviest full ever recorded for Octobor was in 1890, when 10.21 inches was registered locally, or more than double last month's fall.

Post Office Proposals. Commenting editorially upon the Government's post office schemes for Auckland and Wellington the "Herald" says:—"The decision of the Government to erect a new post office in Auckland is nono_ tho less acceptable because it was slow in coming. Possibly wo might not have obtained what is ovidontly regarded by the PostmasterGeneral as a great favour were it not for the desire of the Government to proceed with tho Wellington Post Office, and of the obvious advisability of securing peaco by attaching an Auckland post office to tho scheme." Wellington has a, site, and if its building costs no more than the estimated £80,000, the : iutonded loan of £200,000 leaves £120,000 for Auckland land and building, additional to tho valuo of the present -post omee mid site This should bp enough to givo a building which will not only be croditablo to the Government 'anil an ornament to tho city, but will allow sufficient room for tho huge, business now carried on in a cramped and confined space.

Exhibition Medals. Tho " Herald " comments scathingly upon tho Christchurch Exhibition medals recently distributed. It says:—Somo of the medals nwa'rdcel by the executive of tho Christchurch International Exhibition have been recently received in Auckland, and speak well for the economy exorcised in the ■ matter by tho oxecutivo or Government, whichever is responsible. The , medals, which can hardly bo, regarded as," things of oenuty," arc exactly the size of a two-shilling piece. However, they are " official awards," and ugly or not will, we suppose, he appreciated by the recipients. Wo have been shown several of these medals, which have heeu gained in the art section by students of the Elam School of Art and Auckland Art School, together with n gaudy and very commonplace-looking certificate '*of the first order or merit" awarded, to the school for the whole exhibit-.

Big Deal in Arms. The biggest deal in arms ami ammunition in the'history of the Dominion has recently been completed by an Auckland firm. Under the late Government policy it, was customary .to store arms, not in keeping with up-to-date •patterns, as a reserve supply. The result was that an immense assortment of obsolete small arms and ammunition accumulated in the Government stores. It was recently decided to dispose of a .quantity of these by contract, and an Auckland firm thus'camo into possession of 18,000 rifles, mostly of tho Ronrington, Lee, Snider, and Martini-Henri pattorns, and a million rounds of ammunition. ' Half a million cartridges were sent homo to be broken up, but the rifles and remainder of tho ammunition are being disposed of locally.

An Accident Averted. A serious accident, if not a fatality, was averted in Street West on Saturday night at nine o'clock. Patrons of the Opera House were outside, in the interval wlieh some one shouted " Hj, look out." A l'onsonby car was coming, down the hill, with the motorhian sounding his gong furiously. All eyes were instantly turned to the tramway' track, where, about ten yards in front of tho car, an aged man was painfully wending his way across the track, obviously oblivious to his imponding peril. The motorman saw the danger, and, putting on the emergency brake, brought tho car to a standstill a fraction of an inch from tho man, who then made one spring and got clear. Thero was a largo number of people in the street at tho time, ami they accorded tho motorman an ovation, cheerii?" him wildly for his timely action. .

Surveys. The delay which exists in securing the survey of Native and Crown lands in many parts of tho country has led to the supposition that there is a dearth of surveyors. Jj'or the purpose of correcting this erroneous impression a meeting of tho Auckland Committee of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors was held, to bring before tho Native Affairs Committee the reason why surveyors will not undertake the survey of Native lands. The lack of any guarantee of payment for the large amount of labour and out-of-pocket expenses attending this class of survey is one of the many financial difficulties with which the surveyor has to contend, and a survey lion is not a negotiable security when acquired. Tho Auckland C'ommittoo'decided to urge upon the members of the Native Committee ( thc necessity of cmbodying in the Hill now before them a recommendation that power be given to tho Surveyor-Genera , ! to employ licensed surveyors at fixed rates to execute all Native land work. A numbor of other suggestions dealing with the present difficulty of obtaining approval of plans, etc., were also forwarded to the Native Affairs Committee.

CHRISTCHURCH,

November 4. The " Times " on Saturday somewhat prematurely discussed election prospects with special reference to Canterbury. In the city, it says, Mr. Ell and Mr. Davoy may be counted safe, in spite of tho political labour leagues tbcro aro to oppose them. hi North Glinstcbureh probably Air. Gray will be opposed by n more progressive Liberal, and might' have some difficulty in retaining his seat. Lyttelton is perfectly ( safe for Mr. Imurenson. ilunimii, it is understood, will lose tho services of Mr. Rutherford, who, it is believed, will not stand for election. The Kaikoura paper mentioned that Mr. W, T. Robinson, of Cheviot, may bn asked to contest U\e seat in the Liberal interests: at all events tho "Times" is satisfied that the constitinmcics' inclinations are strongly Liberal. It thinks that Mr. Buddo may have n keen fight with his old opponent Mr. R. Moore, hut regards Kiccarton as safe for Mr. Witty. Courtenay disappears from tho map. In tho

cvont of Mr. Rhodes not contesting Ellcsniero again, an event which is probable, the "Times" thinks Mr. llennio should have little difficulty in leading the constituency hack to Liberalism. " Mr. Hardy's intentions, , continues the "Times," "are uncertain. His personal desire, wo believe, is to retire, but his party would have considerable difficulty in saving the seat with any other candidate, and wo lire tempted to draw conclusions from the fact that Mr. Hardy has been showing considerable activity and a good deal of earnestness in Parliament of late. Mr. Flatinan's decision to stand for Ashburton should secure the Liberal position there, and Geraldino may be trusted to remain loyal to the Liberal cause. Sir William Steward, of course, commands the moro southern constituency, and his recent activity in tho House suggests that his threatened retirement has been put off for another decade. As for Timarii, there is a possibility, almost a probability, that Mr. Hall-Jones will follow his strong personal inclination and retire fnom politics. With an earnest Liberal in the Beld, however, the Conservatives will have no liopnof capturing the constituency." The only serious danger to the Liberal party in Canterbury will arise from vote splitting, and the "Times" expresses some anxiety to know what has become of Mr. M'Nab's Absolute Majority Bill.

A Visitor. Present visitors to Christchurch include Captan Dorrion Smith, son of tho owner of the Scilly Isles, where such vast quantities of early flowers and vegetables are grown for the London market. Captain Dorrien Smith is an enthusiastic collector, and is stated to bo using his present Colonial trip to gather a large number of plants from Nev Zealand. Already there are a large number of Now Zealand plants in the islands, including veronicas, and others suitab'o. for shelter, and these form a large proportion of tho hedges that protect the narcissus bulbs from the wind. The New Zealand trees in the Islands include tho northern rata, pittosporum, crassifolium, and flax. Veronicas, cabbage trees, tree ferns, kowhai, olcarias, coprosmas, and ti tree (nianuka) grow in great profusion. In all there was on the Islands a collection of about 2000 species of plants, some eighty of them coming from. New Zealand. Captain Dorrien Smith regards as the best of the plants ho has collected on his present trip the rare pink spring flowering rata. from the north. Ho has also picked up tho native honeysuckle, the ' akeake, and the aristotelia racemosa.

An Old Colonist. Mr, William Buss, ono of the oldest residents of( Ilaugiora, and a prominent stock and station agent and '.auctioneer/ lias sold his business property, and comet'to livo at Papanui. Mr. Uuss took up land at Rangioru forty-eight years ago, and started business as an auctioneer a year or two lator. He says tliero was a time .when he know every family, and was concerned closely in most of the financial transactions of the district. He has known sheep down to Gel. p*r head,/and recollects selling from the rails a line of 500-prime lambs at that price, He was president of the Rangiora weekly market, and has always taken a loading part in the affairs of the lnn.il A. and P. Association and tho North Canterbury Jockey Club.

DUNEDIN. f~i November 4. Mr. C. R. Smith, president of the Otago Cricket Association, has been in Sydney, and in conversation with Victor Trumper ho mentioned that as a rosult of the last English cricket team to tho Dominion tho Otago Association had to faco .a deficit of £199, which- they are trying to wipe off through an art union. Truniner said: "Why don't you ask prominent encketors hero to give you a souvenir of their trips and sell thorn." Mr., Smith acted on the suggestion, and has written to a number of leading Australian players.

Y.M.G.A. / When the Y.M.C.A. collection for their building fund reached tho £15,000 mark they must have cleaned the community right out, for they are still £2000 short of tho £17,000 they set to got. Tho canvassers tried tho country districts, but the agricultural community did not display much enthusiasm in the matter of building a Y.M.C.A. establishment in Dunedin, and the amounts raised outside the city. arid suburbs were trilling. , Cost of Living. It is said that one or two of. the largeif boardinghoiises are' raising their tariff in consequence of increased cost of the principal articles of diet, but this is hardly, likely to come to pass unless some sort of concerted action can be agreed upon by those who run establishements. It is obvious that if a minority of proprietors took action in the direction indicated boarders would retaliate by transferring their ' carpet bags to other quarters. A trust or combine of boardinghouso keepers would be a novel but rathor difficult undertaking to arrange. Building Trade. The building trade in Invercargill is vory brisk, and as there is a scarcity of carpenters in the southern city application was made to tho Labour Department, Dunedin, for tradesmen, but up to this afternoon no applications had been mado for work.

NAPIER.

Sir Robert Stout arrived here this afternoon froni Gisbbrne. He will, while in town, transact some business in Chambers. A Test Case. Some 19 charges wore bi ought against Napier bakers to-day in connection \vith the alleged selling of light weigiit bread. A charge against H. Cook and Sons of selling a loaf which weighed lib. 14oz. 4 drachms as a 21b. loaf,. and of failing to stamp tho loaf, was' taken as a test case. Tlio loaf was described as barracouta, andMi\ M'Lean, for the defence, argued that it was fancy bread, and did not come within the Statute. Sub-Inspector Dwyer stated that a recent decision under section 4 of the Adulteration Act, ISSu, had shown all fancy bread to be cut out from exemption, and bakers were liable for this class of goods. Mr. Cutten, S.M., said lie would reserve his decision on the point, and the remaining cases were adjourned till the 25th inst.