THE TERRACE GAOL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 95, 24 April 1911, Page 8

THE TERRACE GAOL.

MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS. Under Gaoler Millmgton's management the Terrace Gaoi seems likely -to pay its way by the ij:.. ruction of factory enterprise. General work of a more or less useful nature has always been provided for the relaxation of the inmates, bm under improved conditions genuine industrial work, involving skilled labour, is becoming a feature oi the prison system. The number accommodated in the Wellington Prison fluctuates continually, yesterday there were 139 males and 27 females. Movable cards on a record board show at a glance who the prisoners are and where they are to be found. Every prisoner has his number and locality indicated. The wings, wards, floors, separate and solitary divisions, padded cells, and hospitals are all specified, and a description of their occupants appears on each card. Under Warder Brown a couple of journeymen boot and shoe makers with an apprentice aie using up the product of our tanneries and turning out boots by the Jiundred. The machinery introduced is simple, but Mr. Brown and his staff are practical experts, and both as regards quantity and quality the goods they are turning out will bear close inspection. Most of the boots are riveted, ■with elastic sides, but there are firstclass hand-sewn men's and women's boots made of the best material. The leather used comprises calf, japonica kip, black chrome, and French calf. With the exception of the last-named, the whole r of the material is made in New Zealand — mostly in the local tanneries. One institution alone — the Porirua Mental Hospital — absorbs a great - deal of the output. Rabbits are evidently becoming a menace to the settlers in the vicinity of Pongaroa. East Coast. They have formed a Rabbit, Trust Association with a vie\/ of endeavouring to effectively deal with the nuisance. The settlers interested, who number 73, have agreed io pay a rate of one penny per acre and to engage a- rabbiter, who will be employed continuously. /A feature of the Licensing Act which does not appear to be generally appreciated was referred to by Mr J. Thornton (the president) at the recent conference of the Young Maori Party in Hawkes Bay. Under the new Act, he said, the Governor may, on the recommendation of the Maori Council of any ! district, and after a poll has been taken in which a majority of the electors vote against th& liquor traffic, proclaim such arda a prohibited area. It will then be j unlawful for any person, whether a licensed person or not, to supply liquor to any native. "Breaches of the law involve hea.vy penalties. 1 think- it highly necessary that the V.M.P. should' take steps, not onlyj to make the law gene- j rally known, but to explain it cleanly, and above all to impress upon t.he Maori J Councils their responsibility in the matter. 1 feel sure we shall all rejoice when at length some one of our councils deems that the time has arrived when the Act shall be applied to the districts under its control and makes formal application for a poll. . Since coming into this room I have been informed that two such applications have been sent in. The experiment will be watched with intense interest by every friend of the Maori race." The" General Manager of the New Zealand Railways, in the course of- a letter to the liorowhenua County Council, which communication was read at Saturday's meeting of that body, stated that, in regard to the provision of overhead bridges, near Tokomaru and at Buckley's Crossing, 'it 'was the general practice in connection with works to be constructed either partially or wholly at the cost of local bodies to put the work in hand on receipt of the contributions to be made by the local bodies con-v cerned, and after giving the matter every consideration the Minister of Railways regretted that he could not see his way to make any exception in the case of this council. The Chancellor of the Otago University (Mr. James Allen, M.P.), states that he has now no doubt about tho money required to erect the proposed new university building, including the much desired accommodation for the students. When the public were recently appealed to for funds (says the Otago Daily Times) a little over £2000 was still required, and this was reduced to rather over £1500 by a donation of £500 by Mr. Wolf Harris. Since thei* subscriptions totalling £418 have gone to the fund*. Furthermore, the City Council has authorised the payment of £150 for this year, and has promised, subject to confirmation by subsequent councils, £150 a year for the next two yeaa-s; making a total of £450 from the City Corporation. There is yet required a sum of about £650, and towards this amount Mr. Allen has received several promises. In answer to a complaint about the height of tram steps, the manager; of the Adelaide Tramway Trust (Mr. Goodman) reported to the City Council that the steps did not exceed the recognised standard. In order to provide for thi convenience of ladies on the large metropolitan cars the platform at the saloon end was lowered Sin, thereby reducing the height of each step 4in. the arrangement was made at a great sacrifice in seating space. When Mr. Goodman's letter was read in the City Council Alderman Downs remarked : "The hobble bkirts have been all the trouble." The curator of the Southland Acclimatisation Society considers that it would be absolute folly to libeiate rainbow trout in South Island rivers, as they would in all probability be washed out to sea and thus be lost to angkrs j (says the Southland Time 1 ). In Canlcrbuiy it was found that the only sue- j cessful expedient was their liberation in i land-locked lakes. As Lake George, in the vicinity of Round Hill, is the only lake in Southland easy of access, the piesident of the society is of opinion that the rainbow trout now available might be set free there. It was stated, by Mr. W. Johnson at the meeting that j the moose liberated at the Sounds had recently been seen. His informant had told him that the animals were in such :i poor condilion that he could have hung his his hat upon them anywheie. They were quite, quiet. Very little food was available, and there was every indication that they could not have been liberated in a more unsuitable spot. first aid pnd home nursing classes under tho jurisdiction of the St. John Ambulance Association will begin early next ironth. The secretary, by advertisement 111 this issue, requests those desirous of joining to send' name and address to him this week. If sufficient indueemenr offers, an afternoon class for ladies will be established. Mr. W. H. Bowden, who is a Candidate for the Onslow Borough Council, will address the electors thit. eveniug at the Kaiwarra Hall. Messrs. Miller and Rutter, advertise a revised list of city and suburban rcsidenlial properties for sale: also five acres in oreharu, at Levin The firm al*o give a list of houses to lei. Mr. W. L. Robertson will sell by auction at his rooms, Manners-street, to-mor-row, household furniture and sundries. Applications are_ required for the position of probationers at the Wairau Hospital, Blenheim. Tho railway time-table in connection with tho Trontham races is ad%-ertised in this issue. Tenders are^ invited by the Railway partment for 'the supply of ironwork for