LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

; ' 'The postal authorities advise that the toi-ia, Which left. SyHiiey on vWfcdiiesday for Aiicklaiid, has on board an Australian mail, which is due here 6ri'M6nday afternoon.' ; : A SSall fire bfblie but'about 4.10 p.m. yesterday at' No. 148 Abel Smith Street, in' a building owned by James Wall, and occupied by Wright) Ranish arifl Co.■'■: The dttinagd was slight, amounting to only _£1;' the outbreak being suppressed without difficulty. ...•■■'•. " "'..

"When the Rifle Battalion returned'to the. Garrison Hall after doing ,outpost ..dity-.oii tile" Hills last 'evehing, aiia the'nieh. paraded (370y all rauks), for inspecbionii CoMel fiuthte too'k tlie oppo'riullity of breBeiting Corporal Meek, of thp College RiflcS). with tie , battaiibii signalling etip,' Won' by the signalling detaphmeat.' of his company/. , Yesterday' afternoon, Detbbtivo,Lewis., mot an old acquaintance iri Tory.:Streeti,and the said old.acquaintance being; habited inane* coat caused suspieio'rie to arise' in tho detective's tninSi .He ahestcd the . raa'ii, 'arid oii inquiry it._ was found that, 1 the coat was the property of Michael Levy, a eecdiM-hand'. dealer. The old acquaintance will be charged with/.theft at the Magietrato'a Court this morningi '.' .-_;. '.'■. j- .- - .'' ' ' ■','.■

The. annual social gathering,- of the scholars of All Saints' Sunday School, Kilbirnio, and the Maranui Suilday School was held in O'Dpnnell's. HalK Kilbirnie, ■. on-,' Thursday evening last.;'' About oho hundred arid fifty children, .were present, besides,adults;' . A. scrios of lantern, pictures, , very kindly shown by Mr; Driffield, .were much appreciated. Opportunity was . taken, ■ on , ■ behalf . of ; thS teachers. and scholars of both schools, to make presentation's to the Hev.' and Mrs. J. A., M'Nickle, : : who are leaving, shortly, for; Otaki, after nearly five years'; residiaico-.in Kilbirnie.' Tho articles, consisted; of a valuable iravelliiig "nig- and hamlsbmc pair of vases, witli an. iwlditionaJ pair of silver vases-from Mrs. Ji'Nickle!s class of girls, Miss Price, tho senior. teacher, expressed in a fow wcll-choseji words 'the feelings of thdso present, Tho vicar, in returnirig thanks, attributed tho regular attchdaiico find largo roll, ntimbpr to -the .solf-denyihe'.work, , and loyalty of tho teachers, and hoped tho schools vould to grxrar* . •

At the Mount Cook Folico Court yesterday raorniiiß, before Mr. W. Matthews, J.P., Clarence M'Aller was sentbneed to two months' imprisonmejit for drunkenness. One first offender for drunkenness was fined' 55., in default 2-1 bows' imprisonment, and another first offender was convicted and digcharged. , ■ ; ; ' Rather notable is an item forVardcd by Jur Wangamii correspondent. Ho states: — "An interesting exhibit' from the Wahgaiiui Museum collection was requisitioned last evening for the musical programme at a local show. This was tho oldest organ in New Zealand. It is at least ]50 years old, and was brought out to the colony in 1823 by the veteran missionary Archdeacon Williams,' then, stationed at tlio Bay of Islands, The organ, which has been in tbo local'museum for several years* is a pipe instrument, and, notwithstanding its age arid lack of skilled attention, it was found to be in good order, and its tone, though not loud, was sweet and truo." .'. ■:■'■. ' ■

. With regard to the representation's tliat were lately made to the Hon. J. A.. Millar (Minister for Labour) as to the alleged inequality of conditions as between Europeans nnd ,Chinese in. the laiiiidry business; tho "Otago Daily Times" remarks!:—"lt is difficult to hold that the honours of tho argu■nient do not lip with -Mr; , Yung-Liang Hwang in liis'vindication of thoso of his countrymen who aro engaged 1 in tho laundry industry. Mr.' Millar indicated thlit a draft clause was being .prepared, which, ho thought; might, if included in tho Factories Act, remove the grievance of Wellington dbpiitatioii; and if tins'should prove really effective in'onsiirthe law , "shall bj>- observed in' tho spirit as well as in letter while operating at the same-time with absolute fairness , as bstreenEuropeinsandChinesoit sbould boi acceptable. W« nr6;hot very sanguine. on the'subject,: however, ■: unless Sir Joseph Wardshould be able to bring to bear on the difficulties of the situation' some specinl light bern of lus association with the Chinese- Ambassador in Ltndtn."- . .. .:

Referring -ft- the. recent statement ef. ■■■the .Hon.; T:. Mackenisio (Minister for Education) i that:; at Lincoln • College ; /scientific instruction 'at • present , over-rides the practical ■ hiie, the 'Tress" says • that. tlie, Minister' evidently' spoko from sheer lack of knowledge. It goes on to say that, if has generally recognised that the college course:is of- a strongly practicalas well as scientific nature. ' Of the 780 acres comprising the college farm'.-proper,' SDmo-450 acres were in crop lristyear, while the. stock included over : 2000. sheep, some. 70 or.Bo. head of cattle, besides pigs aiid' horses. As outside labour has bceii reduced to'a minimum; ,the students necessarily liavo plenty of: actual work to do.- As a matter of fact, there is rip. process of farm labour that they are not called upon to undertake. .Members of tho,Government, speaking generally, have iiever shown .the interest in , tSe college that it;., deserves; and their attitude of neglect is reflected in'their ignorance of the nature of the training that it , supplies. .; ; ; .- \ Remote from the fitness of things; apparently,, was. the prosaic, form assumed by the presentation to Colonel .Collins to; tho. mind' of, the Hon. ijsincs Carroll, Actihg-Primo Minister. Tho formal, prese'ntatiou iin cold daylight -.amongst the '. sober' Treasury..desks was to have been a bright smoke concert in the gloiy of light 3 and glasses.: But a com-, ' mittee-.raeeting .was-held;-.at..which.-it-'.waa agreed that a snieke cehcert would be' impossible 'f« ih« ladies/of 1 the Department, and possiVly not-good-fertile cadets. ;-.The' pmn was changed accordingly, and tho Honi James\Carroll; -speakinj; aftir this '.explanation' had.beeii giVjSii ycss:fday, : could hpt : c6rir peal.' his disappointiiient,' arid even appeared momentarilT to forget his gallantry.;: :The' ehaiiM had. been made, he said, owing to '.'sundry, impedimenta.in the way." There was, niuch (aughter at this. plain : speakirig, and Mr. Carroll w&s' 1 encouraged to rovert later to.his grievance. Ho hoped; he said, that that• would not 1)* the end' of their' gratulations: .to .; Colonel , Collins;' but that' there, would - bo.'a , , seejuel. to the. pfoschtatibn, wheh',tjve due pr* rainfcn.ee.' After jfurtber ;-,'spccch-making : nad" tal\<iijpla J 9ft[Mr,,&i;w)J don't see 'i\;hy.)ye ■ Social dance by .the Treasury: Department"— a'; suggestion somi applause. ■-, -.r , '-. .•,-'.- ■:!■ ; .v-' ; '" ■' ' ■•■■■■

The.-present Administration 'contains' one' iliiiistcrMYlio'; cannot- 'jjjialt .pn any.'conceiviblo.subjcpt 'at'a' niomeht's notice;: At tlio' iiinual:social of tho' Civil Seryice , Association ast night at. least four ' Ministers were exbo ;prcsent..:Aft«r'a famine , had .proceeded, for the: best part. of in^iour^Mr^.E.'.Trcgcar , mounted.jtlje plat: orm,/ and■ stated, that' all',th« Ministers;but mo found.' themselves too' busy ; to attend, 'ho Hon., Mr.' Mackenzie,-however,: was prer. ent, arid ./would . address. ; the .gathering. itaTregear/descended: to mako way for'the ilinistcr, 1 there was "a pauso of some mo-., nents, _ during' which., people .settled', them;elvcs in : their' peats resignedly to.'■■' hear ■ tho isiial proclamation of .the bonefits. of, Liberal idininistratiohi..'•'•■• and 'them Mr. vTregdar renountod the piatforjn, withbiit tho Minister,, » mako a most unusual,,: almost 'startling,-' leclaration'i \!,'Jlr.' Mackenziedoes■' not feel, iblo' to 'speak." ■■■ lllne.es was riot aljeged, and ihore w : .!ii); sea-ions explanation of this Jionomcnal inability on thc.part of aLibpral Minister, hut Mr. Tregear dwelt on the'.' sli.vnws: of : * the : visitorj ,h6 said, a^ked , : , thorn \,to excuse '■ him. ; Tho Mr. Mackenzio wasj of '.course, Mr. T. Maciohziei whosjslhiost iin-Ministrrial"seif-effacy fnetit is possibly.attributable to the.fact.tliat li» is qne M. the iieyrwt'' Ministers; and attached 'himself to■ the "great Liberal , '.party late in:his political life. : Apparentl.v ho lias not'■■'yet f)«coine entirely .a-ssimilated, ti ;liis now company;.;'.'.'- y- U,. •'. ■'■■ ■ '-.:■■; '-■' , ! -i'.'.-,'■■•' "How fertuliite . w« 'are as a people, and what: a .future we should' Eeeiire if ire did but use our opportunities aright I" remarked the Hon. Dr. ; Findlay at! the .close' of - hi.k Iccturti last night, i Hβ added: "Biit modern social progress; depcrids; upon two factors, upon intelligent, State-: action, : and,' upon genuine : individual effort. Stato or collective action can do much : more', tian it.. has vet dono ih ; New Zealand to.uplift the level of social life' l and' bring to each willing ; man and woaiuv'a better opportunity of imprtiveirient in its otliical/and' material .aspects; liut .in that; growing partnership (even in the ideal'democr'aey),bbtweon , tho:individual aad.'the StatCj the State must ever be the junior paa-tner. , ; If tKe State does moro for' tho maihtcnanbe. bf'its able-bodied citizens than it asks., them, to, do .for I themselves, it will inevitably bi-epd H :racp of social parasites. Tho aaiinal kingdom (iuchidingiiian)' everywhere, shows that parasitic degeneration soon follows •the of the need'of re«l.exertion.' A genuine.spirit of self-help, must. meet State lielp ■■ more ttian' half-way if-we are to preserve a strenuous-and-im-proving type or manhood. : But granted this genuine iuid intelligent, co-operatroh of . the two .agencies, of. help -and ■ caii Jiirider this;; : coiihtry from becoming,: not the should not be our cardinal: aim—but the/.land whori) want and sqtlalor,'intemperance aid.wasteful , extravagance' are unknown, and whore theoivilisation of Dur nation reaches Us highest level in the widespread comfort to .humanity, and. enlightenment of its people." .. ; ■■'; ■ Tho dissensions between" at'least. two. sec-, tions of the waterside workers at the recent conference lias, apparently, , not. yet', died' out. 'For some davs.it was advertised that: the Hon. Dr; Findlay had agreed to deliver a : piibllo lecture , "at the. invitation, of the officers of tho New Zealand WaterEide Workers' Fedoration." Last night,: when'; tho meeting was holdy Dr.. Kndlay had .nol; sooner taken.the platform than a membet of the audience inquired by whose authority it: had been; ajinouliced that-tho.address was' being 'given'at'the invitation of tho Federation. Ijpon Dr. Findlaj; explaining; that ho> had received the' invitation from the officors' of the organisation, there was no-further interruption. At:-the'.conclusion of tho lee-, turo, however, ■ Mr. D. M'Lafcn (who was. the convener bf" tlio meeting) ' received a' somewhat mixed reception on rising to movo a yote of thanks. '.'You want a. cheap advertisement," and , ''"Wildt'.about tho, conference?":, were, two of ..a , , number..of quostiojis. hurled at him. ' Subsoquontly Miv P: Qreon,i a member of- tho-Wellington/ branch of tho federation, called at Tins Dominion; offico to■ say that Mr. M'Lar/shhad no right to an-, nounco'that iho! federation had invited Dr. Fihdliiy to speak." He prodjiced a communication which ho had received'- from ! Mr.| Voyee, of Lj'ttelton, secretary to the federation,. It. road: —"In reply to yours of the 29th,-I.may say.that I don't know of any; invitatioii haviiig'■■■.' been, extended: to Dr.Findlay to address dny'mbetuig"ui ton* 1 ' - - ' ■ . !