AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 8

AUCKLAND.

•. Mai-ch 17. An interesting discovery of thermal activity lias just been made at Kawau, which shows that the lino .of thermal disturbance extends straight through from the Great Barrier to Helensville inland, touching Waiwera and Kawau en route. It ;is .surmised that there may ho submarine hot springs on this- line; During all the long period that Sir George Grey's famous island has been known to residents and visitors, and though , it has been explored from end to end, 'no one knew of tho presence of this thermal action until two or three clays ago, when a party froin tho yacht Heartsease happened to be inspecting the beach- of Stockyard Bay, onUon Accord Harbour, at low tide. One of the party suddenly noticed water bubbling up through the saiul, and, ,upon approaching it, lie found a springof .hot water.' So. far, nothing of the chemical 'constituents 'qf. the water is known, but the •find is to -bo carefully .examined this week, ■the volume of 1 flow" tested, and. the water •analysed. The presence of copper lodes on tho island has. led .numbers of.peoplo to explore tho country for other mineral traces, ;a'nd at one time a careful search was made to see if any springs existed, but no one seems to have dropped across tho .spring at Bon Accord before. The : AVaiwera , springs likewise occur on the beach. Shortage of Small Vessels. There has been a distinct shortage . of small vessels, especially of tho scow class, for coastal trading /about Auckland for sorno timo' past. In the courso. of conversation with a gentleman' connected with this class of trade a "Herald" reporter was yesterday .informed that though trade was increasing, "tho number of vessels was decreasing. This was to some extent accounted for by a number of scows bmrig engaged 'in ■ connection with'the harbbur improvement works. 'The few vessels not doing.this class of workcan- - not, it is stated, cope . with the ordinary traffic.lt was also stated that no'scows were being built, the reason given being .that the trade for scows, and other-.small-.vessels along, the coast is not now so profitable as it was bofore the present strict. regulations 'were brought into force. ... Research Scholarships. " Wo have frequently urged upon the Government, the extremo desirability in the highest interest of the country. 1 of establishing scholarships_ for, encouragement of re-, search," . says tho New Zealand "Herald.". " The announcement that the Cabinet has decided to make ■ a 'departure in this directionby establishing such 'scholarships!in ; connection with the staple industries of -the Dominion is one which will be received: with very general ajiproval.'Thero is an endless amount of scientific work'- in; connection', with- oVery industry' in• the land, which under-more advanced . conditions of ■ any'- industry. - would largely bo carried'on by private'enterprise; but. under , the industrial conditions that .exist here are practically..left undone. For tho Government to provide scholarships for specialists,' who .will thus bo enabled to .de-vote-their ; abilities 'and energies to the' sdlution of industrial.problems'. 'which'' corAo. within their respective's'plieros, ought'togivo sufficient result- to justify, the experiment, and to'ensure its'.continuation." . >.*•