TIMARU NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 971, 18 August 1903, Page 4

TIMARU NEWS.

By Tolegraph—Press Association,

Timaru, last night,

Tho Timaru High School Board to-day docided to advance tha salaries of the whole staff, tho whole addition amounting to £l7O. It was also decided to reduce pupils’ fees, seniors from £l3 to £ll 10s, juniors from £ll to £9 10s. The Board’s finances are in a very flourishing condition.

The second and third engineers of the s.s. Isleworth refused to go to sea on Saturday on the ground that tho ship was unseaworthy. A survey was made by the marine surveyor, who certified that the ship is quite seaworthy. Both officeas were imprisoned, and the case is proceeding at the Magistrate’s Court today.

Britain has now 150 newspapers known as Times, 160 Advertisers, 140 News, 70 Guardians, and 48 Standards. An American paper writes The tide of steerage travel across the Atlantic is not all this way. There is an outward movement to spend the proceeds of prosperity, as well as an inward movement to participate. One of the big ships that left New York carried over 1000 steerage passengers, largely servant girls, apparently bound on a visit to homes in Ireland and other parts of Europe. Advantages attaching to tho use of turbine engines on ships are the absence of vibrations which shake hulls and fittings ; tho great saving of weight in machinery ; increased stability due to the low position of the centre of gravity in the engine ; less danger to engine-room crew from fastmoving parts, and a much smaller engineroom force is require d.

In view of the fact that the Govern! ment are about to obtain the services o* two experts to enquire into the best methods of utilising the water power of New Zealand now running to waste, an effort should be made to widen the scope of their enquiries so as to include this district, says the Wairoa Guardian. If it be contemplated to make any use of tho Port Ahuriri ,tidal inflow why not see what could be done with tho outflow from Waikaromoana and Te Eeinga Falls ? The one fatal bar to tho construction of say a railway to Waikaremoana or Waikokopu is the cost of running it. But in the Te Beinga Falls and tho Waikarc-taheke there is probably enough power going to waste to run several railways. It is therefore to bo hoped the local authorities will ask the Government to send Mr Alloa or Mr Hancock to report on the water power of this district and the possibility of utilising it for the benefit of the district and the colony at large. As ratepayers we shall have to contribute to the cost of the experts’ visit to New Zealand and every effort should be made to secure all the information to be had on the questiou. Since the above was written it will be seen by a special wire from Napier that Mr McMillan, engineer in charge of the Boads Department, suggests that the expert be asked to report on tho feasibility of harnessing Waikaremoana for electrical power instead of Huka Falls. The County Council should not fail to take up this matter at its meeting and move the Government . on this important question. There might be a big thing this district for us if Waikaremoana could be so utilised,