LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 32

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Du.rbg two days last week the Otago School Commissioners held special meetings in regard to certain pieces of land shown as education resoives on the official maps, but which have never been vested in anyone by the Government. The majority of these are .small areas scatteied about the country, and appear to have been marked off with the idea that possibly at some time they would be required as school sites. They are all coloured as education reserves, and from time to time the commissioners receive inquiries about them from prospective lessees, the pnly reply possible, of course, being that the commissioners hay c no power to deal with them. After conferring with the Commissioner of Crown Jjands, the commissioners decided that it would not be worth while moving to have Ihe sections in question in Otago vested in Jhemselves. It was also decided that )teps be taken to have a number of similar ieetions in Southland vested in the School Commissioners. In Chambers, on the 18th in«t.. Mr 'Justice Williams heard an application by Mr A. R. Barclay for an interim injunction to restrain Jessie Thompson, wife of James 'Thompson, of Hindon. from proceeding on a judgment obtained by her against Elizabeth Sutherland, of Milford Sound, boardinghouse-keeper. Mr 11. D. Bedford appeared for the defendant. The grounds of the action to set aside Mrs •Thompson's judgment were— (l) Non-service of the summons in the original place, and (2) ' irregularity in the form of the judgment registered ir. the Supreme Court. His Honor granted an injunction as prayed upon the terms that the usual undertaking as to damages should be given and security for payment of the money into court within one month. The question of costs was reserved. The criminal sessions of ,the Supreme Court ended on the 18th, shortly before I o'clock. When the court resumed in the morning to continue the partly-heard charge against John Mowat, a local Voulnteer, of injuring a dwellmg-hou3e in Castle street, Dunedin, it was found that one of the jury had been taken ill on the previous evening. Another man was selected from the panel, and the jury then heard the evidence over again. A verdict of not guilty was returned. William Booth, who had been found guilty on Monday of assault and robbery in Dunedin, ■was sent to gaol for three years, and Paul Henry Sleiker, who had pleaded " Guilty "' In the lower court to a charge of forgery. was admitted to probation for a period of 12 months. Says the Melbourne Messenger : — " Dr Waddoli, of Dunedin, the poet-pieacher of New Zealand, has, at the urgent lequest pi his people, published a little volume fcf sermons under the title '' The Voyage 6f Life." The little book has all the winsonieness of its author, and that is laying something. Imagination, scholarship, sympathy, and spiritual power are all here. The preacher who can find a terraon — and such a «ermon — in "Coaling'" deserves that we doff our caps to him. Headers will lemember that remaikable volume from the same pen. " Behold the Lamb of God," and if they will possess themselves of the smaller book they will find food for brain and heart, and much ■wise counsel for life- Preachers especially would do well to ponder the sermons and attempt an analysis of their power. Wo leajn that the Minister of Public Works has decided to increase the number of men employed on the Lawrence-Rox-burgh railway construction works, also that the work of piercing the tunnel at Big Hill will be commenced very .soon. Inquiry «.t the local Go\ernment Labour Bureau shows that within the past four days some 25 men have been despatched to thK line The services of a number of good drill and tunnel men are required for the line within a fortnight's time, fiom which it may be fairly assumed that the big tunnel will be put in hand in two week 3or thereabouts. The first election by Crown tenants of a. member to represent them on the Southland Land Goard (under the Land Board Amendment Act of 1907) ha« resulted in Mr James King, of Clifden. being returned. Although the elettior closed on the 14-th, the \otes were on'j counted and the results made known on the 17th inatant, in accordance with the regulation which states that this ohall be done the third daj after that on which all \otmg papers must be in the hands of the returning officer. There . were five nominations, the vote.s being given as follow : — James King (Clifden). 256; John M'Lean (Caroline). 135; Neil M'Leod (Brydone), 132; Nioolaus Niederor (Gorge road). 110; Jacob Alsweiler (Motorimu), 42. There were 1336 Crown tenants , eligible to vote in the present election, so ; that it will be eeen that 628 of them did not avail themselves of the prhilege under , the nnvr act. j It was decided at the meeting of the j Hospital Trustees on the 18th, in accordance | •with notice of motion by the chairman (Mr i S. Solomon), that the visiting hours at the Dunedin Hospital in future be as fol- t low : — One hour each on Tuesday and < Thursday between 2 pm. and 3 p.m. with t two visitor* at one time, and one hour f »nd a-half on Sundays fiom 2 pin to 3.30 i f.m. w.'h four visitors a-t aue tims. <

5 The supplies of apricots and peaches I coming to hand from the Tcviot die3 tuct are showing a gradual diminution owing- to the advancing 1 . season and consequent shoitening of crop*. Prices are accordingly advancing, and this week ha\e firmed to !, the extent of from fully 25 to 50 per cent, wholesale.' Generally, the season has been a very good one, and prices have been 5 lower than for some considerable time pact. It is anticipated that within a few . months from now the south-going trains [ will be run on the new line — that is. on > the overhead system— as far as the Caver- | sham Gasworks cutting, thus avoiding the . le\el crossings at the various points. Further, it is highly probable that in about 18 months the department will be in a ; position to run on the new track as far as Burnside, which means that the big double I tunnel will have by that time been com- > pleted and in U6e. During the past four weeks over 200 men i have been sent to employment, both Goc lernmpnt and private, by the local Govern- '■ ment Labour Bureau. Men are still wanted l for the various railway lines under con- : ft ruction. such "as Catlins (to which ' 60 men have already boon eont) the Law1 lence-Roxburgh, and the Gore-Waikaka lines. Having regard to the compla-ints which were made some time since, and ventilated in our columns, of the number of stags i with malformed heads which were found in the Hawea. district, the Otago Acclimatisation Society has decided to employ three expert stalkers (one of them a resident in the district), who will occupy themselves for a month from February 21 to March 21 in shooting off " malforms." Hearing that Mr Lea t ham, the well-known decr-slalker. was in the vicinity of Queenstown. Mr R. Chisholm (pre.-ident of the Acclimatisation Society) wrote to him with the object of enlisting his assistance, and on the 18th received the following reply. — "Delighted to help with malfoims. — - Leatham."' There is, therefore, cv cry likelihood that it will be found when the season opens m April that the grounds for complaint will be removed and the herdo much benefited. An interesting little incident in which Lady Plunket was the central figure happened at New Plymouth last week. When the Governors paity was visiting the oilworks, Lady Plunket quickly detected that the manager of the works, Mr Simpson, was a native of Canada. At the first opportunity Lady Plunket informed Mr Simpson that she, too, was a native of that lan.d of the maple, being a daughter of Lord DufFerin. a whilom Governor-Ceneral of Canada. '" Well, well,'" exclaimed Mr Simpson, in his breezy, frank s'yle, " I took my hat off to you as Lady Plunket ; I take it off again to you as daughter of the grandest man that Canada has ever had as Governor-General." Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P.. has received a telegram from the Minister of Lands stating that it has been arranged that Mr Blackmore, Government Pomologist, will judge flij fruit at the Horticultural Society's show on March 11. Speaking at the last meeting of Ihe Education Board regarding the School Journal, Mr T. Mackenzie. M.P., said that one got an idea from it of the appreciation which the editor was evidently prepared to accord to poets*. On the first page, for instance, they found a poem by William Pember Rcev&s : nev.t one by Sir Walter Scott; then one b> Longfellow: and, last of all, one by Shakespeare. If the Government were to produce books of a uniform character, the piobability was. he thought, that they would rank other authors very much in the same manner. Apparently there is an impression in certain quarters that a prohibition order applies only to the districts specified therein, but this plea proved abortive at the Poit Chalmers Court on the 19th when advanced by a flefei.dant, who appaiently relied upon it as a good defence. Mr Widdowson stated clearly that when a person was prohibited the order extended from Auckland to Bluff, so far as the prohibited person was concerned. When certain districts were specified it simply meant that formal notice of the issue of a prohibition order would be sent to hotelkeepers in those distiicts. As thu defen dant referred to was mulcted in a fine of £2 and costs, the penalty will no doubt act as a wa-rnintr to others who may happen to be labouring under the same delusion. The passengers booked by the Railway Department for the Wmgatui races on the 19th numbered 1981. as compared with 1768 for the same day of last yoai. The following telegram was received ' on the 19th by Mr X, Tamblyn. -ecrerarv of the Lawrence-Roxburgh Railway League. ' from the Hon. W. Hall-Jones. Minister of '. Railways, in respon-e to the request of the league that more men be placed on the railway construction works: — '"I have to acknowledge receipt of jour telegram ] i conveying resolution passed by the i I>a.wrence-Ro\biirgh Railway League in ' reference to the progress of the works, and in reply have to in- < form you that instructions have been ( given which it is hoped will result in i greater progress being made in the direc- ; tion indicated." ; During a short discussion at the Eduea- ] tion Board on the 19th anont the over < crowded condition of the infant room at I the Forbury School and the pressing need < for more accommodation, one member i vouchsafed the opinion that there was ~a, s danger of the Government ignoring the I t

s lepresontations of Educaiton Boards in these ■- matteis in favour of applications in the same direction made b\ membeig of Pai- ;■ hanient. The Chan man (Mr T. Macf kenzie, M P.). however, dissented fiom this expression, and sia'cd that the present 3 Minister of Kdunnon sfron<->h his face . against the practice which had been sugi gested, and discountcnancpd members of i Parliament going behind F.ducation Boaids by approaching the department or himself 7 direct with leijUCs-ts for improvements for s paiticular schools. Other members of the y board agreed that this was greatly to tho Hon. Mr Fow lda's credit, one of them j adding that it was a distinct departure from the methods of some previous Minis- |. ters of Education. i The members of the Wanganui Rner ; Board, who control the improvement of > the upper reaches of the nvcr and the preser\ation of the scenery on the Crown lands atutting on the -river, ha^e just lefurned from a trip of inspection (says a Pres3 Association telegram). They speak in terms of, high commendation of tho way the river service is being maintained, despite the dry season. Further improvement works are to be expedited. The 1 rumour circulated in the Hot Lakes district that the service was to be suspended 1 by reason of the low water is quite unfounded. The river has only fallen sin i since January 27. ' At me last meeting of the Qisa'jro ' Education Board a communication was ' received from the Secretary of Education stating that complaint had been received that the board was in the habit of employing ordinary labourers to do painting ' work instend of employing tradesmen at 1 current rates. The Minister thought it was right that the board should be in1 formed of this, and he would be glad if it would take it into consideration. 1 The Chairman (Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P.) sad that any such complaint was quite unfounded. The men and apprentices employed by the board doing painters' work were all men who had devoted all their time to the trade, and the wages paid were the rates ruling- in the trade. Wherever the depaifment had got its information from he did not know, for the fact was that he knew no body of men who were better treated than the board's outside employees. The Ashburton Mail points out in connection with the sale of a part of the Lagmhor Estate on the 15th that the average price realised for the sections h £2 5s per acre in excess of the figure at which Mr Buckley offered the estptc to the Government a few years ago— namely. £7 per acre. The commissioners or Land Purchase Board declined to give £7 per acre for the land, in consequence of the reservation of about 8000 acres of the best portions of the estate for the beneficiaries under the will of the late Mr John M'Lean. The land offered on the 15th, however, includes some of the poorer soil in the estate, while the remainder nmy be considered the most fertile. It is fair to state that land values have risen since the property was offered to the Government. A Bluff correspondent points out that since the introduction of the handy and inexpensive oil engine a menace has arisen in the navigation of small coastal craft. Motor boat* are now largely used for excursion trips, and at present are employed indiscriminately, no one being empowered to interfere, however flagrant may be the abuse. Thoie may be no wish to see these craft hampered by unnecessary restrictions, but in the public interest there should be some sort of surveillance. Take Stev/art Inland, for example. This class of sailing has become very popular. There ' is no maritime authority on the island, and there is nothing whatever to prevent ; overcrowding or crafts defective in machinery and gear from being so employed. It was only the other day a mischance of the kind occurred, and although . unattended by serious consequence*, it : might have led np to a serious catastrophe. 20 or 30 lives being at stake. The sug- 1 gestion is that some person should have discretionary power to intervene. j A Johnsonville man ( c ays the Dominion) when out with a gun a clay or two ago, ' ' shot an animal which is peihaps unique. ; It was. if appearances are to be trusted, a ( cross between a rabbit and a feirct It 1 had the head, eais, hindquartcis. and tail 1 of a rabbit, and the small forelegs and t comparatively long, thin n"ck of a feiret. j The sportsman, not realising that such a J "freak" had a money value, thiew it to . his dog a , who quickly made an end of i it. ] I At le.ist one cyclist in Chri*tcburch - has ] good reason for keeping a respectable dis- t tance between his bicycle and an eleetrio c car. While riding down the Ferry road < on Monday (;=a\s the Press), he caught c hold of the hand-rail of an electric car. in i I order to comerse with a passenger on tho I platform. Suddenly his bicycle lost its ,j balance and inclined towards the tram, j with the result that the trailer struck the a back wheel, and the i ider was shot over y the handle-bars on to the*road. He \u', „ however, little the worse for his mi«hap, v though no doubt wiser for his experience, j During one of his lectures at the school d of instruction at Wairoa (the Mail states), p Colonel Ba-uchop mentioned an interest-ing t fact. He was referring to the British C Intelligence Department, and stated that t; although Wairoa might be- a very isolated d portion of New Zealand, it was not left i. out of consideration by the War Office, d Not only did the Admiralty know the ri •depth of water in every harbour and bay ti in New Zealand, but it knew how far a a boat of any particular class could go up d the Wairoa River; kne>y the he'ght of all d

its mountain peak*, the direction and state of its roa<K, how far it was to Tinnoto or to Xapier, and how Jong it would take the Tmiioto men to junction with the Huramuas, and how soon the force (to be reinfoicod by the Mohaka wing) could be m Napier. How all this information «as obtained he would not say, but it was all filed ready for use in case of need. The Indiiirnbbcr World sa\ s the name '" Murae " has been given to a commercial pioJuot resulting fiom the treatment liv a aew chemical process of the latex or white, milky juice, elaboiated sup of certain plants of the Sapotaccce family, s^i'd to be abundant along the Amazon River, in Venezuela, and the Guianas, as well as in some of tho West" India Islands. Africa. Madagascar, and Australia. These trees are said to yield latex freely, so that the supply is piactically inexhaustible. Thus far, howetor, the process is understood to have been applied to batatas, yielding a kind of gitttapercJia. Murac is referred to, not as a substituto for indiarubber, but as being serviceable for use in lowgrade qualities of rubber, bvingnig them up to a higher standard. Users of rubber tyres of bicycles can fully appreciate the ■\ .u.1i.16 of suon a.n iniprovemeni; sltica Au<lirton to the supply of reliable rubber for their machines. Certain rubbers are mentioned as having been more than doubled in value by the addition of a few pence worth of murac to a pound in weight of the rubber to be improved. Murac, however, is vulcanisable alone, presumably in the usual way. by admixture with sulphur, and ma.y he used for many mechanical purposes without the employment of other rubber, under treatment similar to that given to guttapercha. Murac is also capable of being used in a liquid form, particularly for waterproofing. A discovery of considerable interest, both scientifically and commercially, has (says the Press) been made on a farm at Clutha. the property of Mr F. Quaife, of Halswell. A seam of fossil resin has been discovered, with brown coal and clays tisually associated with brown coal. The resin is of the kind of which small quantities .ire fourd in most coals, both in New Zealand and elsewhere, and which is known a-* amberite. Submitted to the market experts in Auckland, it was accepted as kauri gum. ard valued at £30 a ton. Mr S. Page, of Canterbury College, to whom specimens of the amberite have been submitted, thinks the evidence points to the resin having existed in a considerable seam of coal, and that the coal has been gradually disintegrated, and perhaps washed away, leaving the resin in situ. Prior to opening in a divorce ease in , the Supreme Court at Christchurch on Monday (says the Press) counsel for the petitioner made an application to his Honor to make an order directing that the evidence should not be published. He stated that the case would deal with family matters, and it was undesirable that certain details should, be published. There was a newspaper circulating in the Dominion which printed extended reports of these cases. His Honor remarked that | the rule was that cases might be conducted in camera, should the court so decide. It was, however, looked upon as the exception rather than the rule to take cases in camera, and he was not going to lay down the general rule that because a case dealt with family matters it should be taken in camera. His Honor added that he knew what counsel was referring to. and it might be that he would have to lay down a general rule. At present the press of the Dominion exercised discretion in the evidence published, and he would be reluctant to lay down the general rule referred to. The statement was made at last Mondavi meeting of the Trades and Labour Council that some of the factories in Dunedin were in anything but a heaHhy and sanitary condition — in fact, some of the members present referred to certain factories as being filthy. The council passed the following resolution :—'" That the attention of the Inspector of Factories be drawn to the fact that several factories in Dunedn. are >n a ver\ unhealthy and insamtarv condition, and that lie be requested to take immediate steps so that the provisions of the Factories Act be complied w ith." The following resolution vva<s passed by the Trades and Labour Council on tTie 20th: — '"Tins council, after close investigation, considered the aigumenrs put forward by the Chief Inspector of Schools for Otago and the members of the Otaso Education Board b3' way of opposition to the proposed introduction of i uniformity of school books are most puerile nonsense and ad\i->es the workers to strongly advocate and woik for the uniformity of school books throughout the Dominion."' In the Supreme Court on ihe 20th in^t. < his Honor Mr Justice Williams do- < livered his reser\ed judgment in the 1 action hiought by the Charitable Aid . Board against the Benp\olenl Trustees, in ' nhich the court was called upon to decide s ivhich of the two bodies held the power of ; distributing charitable aid over the united < libtricts of Otago, Central Otago, and Tua- i r>eka. In giving judgment, his Honor 6aid i hat it was open to the plaintiff (the i Charitable Aid Board) to take upon itbelf ] :he control of the outdoor relief in the i hstrict, but he was not of the opinion j :hat the plaintiff board could compel the i lefendant institution to distribute outdoor t •elief in any particular part of the dv,- t rict. If the outdoor relief was to be idministered in part by the plaintiff and J lefendant jointly, each in one part of the t district, it must be by mutual arrange- j ]

c | ment. It was hoped that some sucK r arrangement would be arrived at. The c plaintiff was held to be entitled to an ■ order declaring that it had the general - control over the- distribution of charitable :i aid within the united district, but waa s entitled to no further order against tho 1 defendant. Tho judgment of the court accordingly gives the Charitable Aid Board 0 the whole control of the distribution of 1 charitable aid, and leaves it to make such. j arrangements in regard thereto as it pleases. z We understand that the Government s has decided to demolish the building in 1 Rattray street long known as Court'e i Hotel, and erect thereon a^large structure . for the purposes of an office building for s the Government Life Insurance Depart3 ment. s Loyalty is at all times a fine attribute, 3 and it would seem that Dunedin railway * servants are nothing if not loyal. A wholesome pride in his business is good for «.. > man, and has Biblical authority for ito justification. "In none of the four n centres," declared Mr D. Wallace (goods r agent) at the opening function of the new 3 clubroom for the railway servants last ■* evening, "does the office accommodation, r housing for men, and railway yards to work in, approach the appliances of Dun3 edin. Dunedin is as close up to date as any place in existence as fax ac railway r work is concerned." s , A most unusual spectacle— that of a j witness drinking beer while giving evidence g —was seen in the Magistrate's Court (says the New Zealand Times). It was during 3 the hearing of a case in. which a man was f charged with having illegally sold a bottle , of beer to another. The bottle wae'produced in evidence, but apparently there was no one in tho court expert enough to " say from its appearance whether the liquid * | in the bottle was beer or not. Mr Riddell, S.M., suggested that Mr Toogood, counsel for the defence, should taste it, but Mr J | Toogood was not thirsty. Then Sub-inspec- * ' tor O'Donovan produced a corkscrew, and the court orderly was despatched for * glass. A few seconds later the unaccustomed sound of a popping cork wa3 heard in the chamber. The witness giving evidence (a probationary constable) poured some of the beer into the glass, and, under a battery of envious eyes from the crowd of spectators at the back of the courtroom, slowly poured it down his throat. \ He .solemnly pronounced it to be genuine I beer. | Speaking of the cash system, which- has now been given a six weeks' trial, a local baker (says the Gisborne Times) stated that it proved all right to tho bakers, and apt peared to be giving every satisfaction, \ Sometimes it was a little awkward if a. ' person did not hate change, but on the whole it worked very w&ll. Its great . benefit to the bakers lies in the fact that there are no book debts at all, and they, have tho satisfaction of knowing that every * loaf of bread that left the shop was paid for, saving endless work in the matter of I bookkeeping. All seem to be treating it as a matter of course, opposition having almost disappeared, and the people are falling into line with the new order ot things. One redeeming feature ie that ife makes a man live within hi 6 means. The Compensation Court (his Honor Mr Justice Williams and Messrs J. F. Woodhouse and T. Chalmer, assessors) on th« 20th inst. delivered judgment in the case of Jolly and Pollock v. the Dunedin City Corporation, claim £400, for alleged loss sustained by deprivation of water from claimants' property by the City Corporation. Mr S. Solomon, K.C., and Mr Stephens appeared for the claimants, and Mr W. C. MacGregor for the respondents. His Honor said the award of the court wa» ■that the City Corporation pay to the claimants the sum of £65 damages in full satisfaction of all demands. The assessors' fees were fixed at six guineas each "for two days, each side to pay its own assessor. It is rumoured in Invercargill (says our own correspondent) that the Government Land Purchase Board is inspecting the Five Rivers Estate,E s tate, with a view to ite purchase by the Government. The estate confcists of 40,000 acres of freehold and 15,000 acres of leasehold, splendidly watered, and bounded on thice sides by railways. Those who recollect the running of tho first train from Port Chalmers to Dunedin are a rapidly diminishing band ; and those who were on the engine are still fewer. Yet one of them was present on the 20th at the opening of the new clubroom presented by the Railway Department to the woikers of the railway service, and an inquiring piessman, in the course of * few minutes' conversation with Mr John Matthew .-on (retired), the oldest ex-member of the railway sen ice, endeavoured to obtain some early recollections. Ihe first engines were, of course, imported, and the* | first two landed at Port Chalmers were tho Josephine and the Rose. The first run was a non-stop one, and the time was such as is still good, being 14 minutes from station to station. The old station in Dunedin was then in the Triangle. The line went northwards along Castle street, and southwards past Messrs Reid and Gray* foundry, and along the present Anderson'B Bay road. At the first surveying of th» route there were employed with Mr Simpson (the surveyor) two cadets, one of whom was Mr Hay, now a well-known figure in this city. Another recollection of Mr Matthewson's was the accident to Mr Conyers, which was lately brought to publio recollection by the appeal of that gentleman to the Government for compensation. Mr Matthewson was on the engine behind that

«5n which Mr Ccnyers was standing, when hie head struck the water tank by the roadside near Gere, and he was rendered insensible.

The usual monthly meeting cf the Soeiotj for the Protection of Women and Children was held at the Town Hali on the 20th inst., the president (Rev. W CurzonSiggers, M.A.) in the chair. The report of work done showed an abnormal incivase in cases of affiliation, desertion, and cruelty, come very sad cases being dealt with. Four cases shoTved that the committee was justified in urging that the act allowing a charga to be preferred against a man in relation to girls under 16 years should extend the time for laying an information to six month*. Unfortunately the th«n Prime Minister only accepted half the time suggested by the committee, the result being that these four men, who should be punished, get off scot free. The cases of desertion of a special kind support the urgency of another of the committee's proposals — viz., that a farm colony should be started by the Government to which husbands who will not work shall be committed and compelled to work, the proceeds of their labour, after paying for the expenses incidental to their position, to be passed on to the support of viivt'M and families. Until this is done, the State •will have to continue to support wives and families whilst the husbands leaf about. The report of the money expended on the consumptive cases was laid before the committee, and the action of the secretary approved. This money was originally raised through an appeal per favour of the Otago Daily Times.

The Bruce Herald says: — "There was a ©lose thing to a tragedy on the 19th inst. at Criehton. Ac the express to Dunedin passed the road crossing before getting to Criehton Station, a large motor car, with four cocupants, coming round the corner and down hill from the Milton side, looked like colliding with the train. The train promptly~~stopped, and the car was pulled up just in time to avoid a crash. The lady occupant of the car got a severe fright, as also did the other occupants."

At the Lyttelton Magistrate's Court on the 19th an old-age pension was asked for an old and almost deaf man, whose age had been certified by Lord Charles Beresford as over 71 years. The old man (says the Liyttelton Times) 'came to New Zealand, it was stated, in the ship Latoka in 1869, and it -was thought that he had been employed in England as groom to & member of the Beresford family. He was granted «. full pension.

When a postmaster happens to miss putting his mail bag on the train it is due (says the Timaru Herald) to be sent by it sometimes answers to follow up on a bicycle, especially if the train is a long and heavy one, and there are stiff grades to be mounted not too far away. Someone at the Fab-lie Post Office, failing to oatch the Pa irlie -Timaru train on the 18th instant, despatched the mail bag per boy and bicycle (so states a passenger) to where the train was struggling in vain to ascend a rise near Cricldewood, and the mail bag was safely delivered to tho keeping of the guard. The train men's troubles were heavy that morning — the train was a long end heavy one, and several attempts were made to climb the grade before succeeding, the job being finally accomplished by hauling the train, in two lots as far as Cricklewood Station. The difficulty was thus got over, but the process consumed much time and the train was late all down the line to arrival at Timaru.

The Otago Trades and Labour Council on the 20th passed the following resolution: — "That this council strongly protests against any scheme of immigration by the Government, on the ground that many men and women in our factories are unable to obtain anything like constant employment. Further, the council considers- that it would not only be unjust to the workers of the Dominion, but unjust to the immigrants, who would have to compete with our fellovr workers, thereby reducing wages and^prejudicing the national condition."

It is no uncommon thing nowadays for a girl under 20 to be the proprietress of a large boarding-house, either on the mountains or -^n some seaside suburb (writes " Rex " in an Australian paper), so that the (proverbial "old landlady" is rapidly dying out. Complaints made to & freshlooking girl, with the air of a schoolroom still hanging about her, lose half their threat, and boarders are less exacting when they are confronted with a youthful landlady. Lately two girls of 19 and 22 respectively purchased the goodwill of a large boarding-house on the Blue Mountains, and have had a houseful from the New Year. A " permanent boarder," a middle-aged bachelor, who was included in the " goodwill " of the establishment, and described by the previous landlady as "tiresome and faddy," became a willing slave before the month was cut, and offered to act as "message boy." With a girl to help in the kitchen work, and an extra hand when required, the two young- hostesses manage their establishment, and say they prefer to " work like nigger 6*' during the season, looking forward to a six months' rest afterwards.

Professor Korte, of the Berlin Municipal Hospital, delivered a lecture last month at a meeting of the Berlin Medical Association on his experiences in surgical Operations on the lungs of patients. Professor Korte said that until quite recently medical men were averse to operations on the lungs, but great progress had been made in this respect during the last year or tw«. He himself had carried out many

operations on patients suffering from ulceration, gangrene, and other diseases of the lungs. Out of 28 operations on paTients suffering from ulceration or gangrene, 20 had been completely cured. The results of operations on patients suffering from other lung disea=es were, however, less favourable. Out of a total of 15, only four were completely cured. Dr Korte also described how in one case he extracted the entire lobe of a diseased lung, after which the patient (a boy of eight years) completely recovered. This boy was presented to the meeting. Professor Krauze, of the Augus f a Hospital, read a detailed report of a^ operation in which he remo\cd the lobe

of the right lung of a patient, who was afterwards restored to complete health. Reports of similar operations performed by thiec ~ f hcr German sorgeons — Drs Gluck, Lenhan,. "->d Karewski — were also read to the mectiii o .

Tho Daily Telegraph (Sjdney) reports that Mr Austin Chapman, the Federal Postmaster-general, says* that when he stated in Sydney the other day that the Government hoped to provide farmers with telephones at Is a week, his remarks were received with amused incredulity. He has since received information that in Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and other States in America there are hundreds of farmers' telephones. They are nearly all owned by the farmers themselves, and are operated for their convenience, and not primarily for revenue. It is estimated that there are 500,000 miles of telephone lines owned by farmers' companies. In some instances as many as 20 subscribers are connected on one w ire. There is a news service, Mr Chapman finds, in some of the States. At certain prearranged times each subscriber takes his receiver off the hook and hears a summary of all the news of the day. As soon as the use of the telephone is popularised in the Australian bush, no man, he says, will be without one.

A Palmerston North message states that the Queen has acceded to the request of tho Palmerston North Hospital Committee to style the new women's ward the Royal Alexandra Ward for Women.

A poil of the ratepayers of Roxburgh was taken on Thursday on the proposal of the Borough Council to raice a loan of £800 to in=tal an acetylene gas plant. The voting was: For the proposal, 19; against the proposal, 25.

In regard to tha statements made at the meeting of the Trades and Labour Council on Thursday night that certain factories in the city were in an insanitary and unhealthy condition, tho department of the Inspector of Factories disclaims any knowledge of such a state of affairs existing. Since March of last year up to the present time, our reporter was informed, no less than 2700 official -visits have been paid by the department to factories in Dunedin and suburbs, and in practically every instance tho conditions prevailing wero found to be in compliance with the provisions of the Factories Act. In a few eases where conditions were not deemed to be what they should be, the faults were rectified immediately by the -occupiers thereof.

Word was received by the Tourist Deuartment on the 21st that the Government steamer which runs from the foot of Lake Te Anau to Glade House had broken down and the service was interrupted accordingly. It was expected that the steamer would be running again in a few days.

The rateable value of the City of Auckland for 1908-9 is £506,252, as against £474,690 for the year 1907-8. This represents an increase of £31.542, against an increase last year of £34,112. The Assessment Court may reduce the figures.

The award delivered by the Arbitration Court, in the dispute between the Dunedin and Suburban General Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers and the employers of labour, of whom 233 were cited, 6tates, in brief, that all labourers en-gaged at piok-and-shovel work other than those engaged in connection with building operations, shall be paid not leas than Is per hour, while all labourers employed on any other unskiled work shall be paid not less than 10id per hour. Sanitary work and street cleaning, also the cleaning of channels (but not ditches) not involving work of construction does not come within the scope of the award. This award is really supplementary to an award of the court made in No% ember, 1906.

A meeting of the General Committee, Otago Diamond Jubilee celebration, held in the Board Room. Agricultural and Pastoral Society's office, on the 21st, was attended by Mr D. M'Pher&on (in the chair), and representatives of the Early Settlers' Association and assisting societies, the Burns Club, Caledonian Society, and Gaelic Society. Apologies were received from Messrs Donald Reid, Robt. Chieholm, G. L. Denniston, and Geo. Brown. Resolutions passed at last meeting were dealt w ith, and reports from sub-committees were considered and approved. There is no doubt that the day (23rd March) will be celebrated in a fitting manner, everything so far pointing to the fact that the arrangements made will bo eminently suocessful. The formal opening of the Early SettJei-s' Memorial Hall will be the first part of the day's programme.

Tho Supreme Court case P. J. Casseiley v. M. Henderson and "William Gray, a claim for £1000 in respect of the death of "William Ca&serley, who was accidentally killed while in the employ of the defendants at Milburn. has been provisionally fixed for hearing on the 16th March. It ifi probable that the case will be tried by a special jurjgc

: The a,\\ard made- by the Arbitration I Court in the- dispute between the chemical | manure workers and the employers, seven | jn number, state, principally, that the week's work shall consist of 48 hour", that the wages paid to workds cmplojocl in and about chemical manuio works shall bo at i the rate of not loos than Hid per hour, i that overtime shall be paid for at th" rate ' cf time and a-qt'aitcr for the first three houis and thereafter at iha rate of time and a-lulf, and that double time shall be paid for work done on Sundays. Good Friday, and Christmas Day. The i-ate of i pay for jouths is fixed at £1 per week during the firat year, £1 l(b per week during the second year, and thereafter the minimum prescribed by the awaid. The usual conditions obtain in regard to underrate workers, while preference is to be given to unionists. The award is to apply only to employers carrying on business within a radius of 10 miles from the Chief Post Office in the City of Dunedin. An Oamaru message states that owing to the dryness of the pasturage and i stubbles in the district a considerable numI ber of fires haie been 'started, in most I cases presumably by sparks from railway engines. The Waitaki Acclimatisation Society has followed the example of the- Otago body in making a movement to weed out stags with malformed heads. An Oamaru Association message says the Acclimatisation Society has decided to send out two stalkers to their deer countrj in the Waitaki district to shoot out the malforms. This is being done at the request of stalker?. The Bruce Herald understands that it is proposed by the Lands Department to oubdivido the Cairn run, the lease of which falls in shortly, into three. This run is i one of the Clutha River Trust endowments, and comprises 13,300 acres, its carrying capacity being about 5500 sheepThe opinion has been expressed that the run will bring in more rental in one lot than if it we^e cut up, and that the revenue will suffer if the subdivision is carried out. The Clutha River Trustees held a meeting on Saturday, and this is the conclusion they arrived at. They have referred the matter to the Ruer Board, which meets on Friday. In a speech on the naval and military defence of Australia at Sydney a few nights ago, Mr G. H. Reid, M.P., said that the true solution of the problem of compulsory service was to be found in the school playgrounds. " Compel our schoolboys," he said, "to be taught the rudiments of military drill. You will do it at a time when they arc not fighting the battle of life, when you are not taking anything out of their pockets, and when compulsion would be the greatest, possible pleasure in the world. I quite agree that our young Australians want building up. I quite agree that the Australian of the future wants Australians who will giow up ready to come into line when the time of emergency arrives. You have hundreds of thousands of young Australians at school who can be thoroughly drilled, and after they Jcave school there are thousands of them who, with a little management, will take their place in the ranks of the Volunteer forces of Australia. In 10 yeare. under such a system, you will have from 300,000 to 400,000 joung men who have been thoroughly trained in the elements of military drill, and you will get from them 50,000 or 100,000 who will voluntarily pass into the military forces of the Commonwealth." , Mr W. C. Gasquoyne, general manager of the State Coal Department, and Mr T. H. Hamer, Under-secretary for Mines, are at present on a visit to Dunedin with a view to selecting a site for the establishment of a State coal depot here. During last week 25 patients were admitted to the Dunodin Hospital, whilst 23 | were discharged. The number of patients in the institution last^vening was 108. A practically complete suit of clothes was noticed on the Jetty street wharf on Sunday afternoon for which there was apparently no owner, and as they remained there for come time the police were informed. On a constable making his way to the wharf he found that the clothes had disappeared, and was told by two boys that an elderly man had taken them away. Some apprehension existed that there had been a drowning fatality, as the man who removed the clothing is not supposed to be the rightful owner, but as no one appears to be missing 1 ifc does not look ac if there was any ground for alarm. The members of the Arbitration Court left for Alexandra- on Monday morning. The building which the Government has decided to erect in Rattray street on the site on which Court's hotel now stands will really be. an extension of the present Government Life Insurance Building. It will be four storeys high, and will be built of brick, with Oamaru stone front. The frontage will be 64ft and the height 56ft. Large shops will be placed on the giound floor. Judging by the plane, primary consideration is to be given to solidarity, for there is very little about the building in theway of embellishment or ornamentation. The building will be known as the Dominion Chambers, and practically the whole of the space offering will be used as Government offices. Wo understand that at the conference ordered by the Arbitration Court between the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and the engineering firms of Otago and Southland the 6ociety practically accepted the terms of the Auckland engineers' award, the only difference being in regard to the minimnm wajje. The Auckland award pro-

vides for three classes of worker — namely, a first and a second class and an underrate or incompetent worker. In the agreement arrived at between the two parties locally, and which will be embodied in an award of the court at the sittings on March 2, only two classes of worker wiU be recognised — a competent and an incompctont.

The ElcctriS 1 - Power and Lighting Committee of the City Council has recommended that the services of the city electrical engineer be granted to the Gore Borough Council to report in connection with that council's electric lighting scheme, it being understood that the engineer would not require to visit Gore and that this services "were to be paid for.

The traffic returns of the Duredin electric tramway service for the fortnight ended February 15. 1908, as compared with the same period of last year, were as follow : —1908— Receipts, £2548 7s lid; mileage. 42.560 miles 12 chains; 1907 — Receipts £2360 16s 8d; mileage, 41,515 miles 29 chains.

It is stated unofficially that Mr G. S. Munro, the late manager of the Exhibition, has been given a substantial grant by the Government in recognition of his services, but there has been no public announcemet of 6uch a grant. Dr Findlay and the Hon. W. Hall-Jones were asked by a Lyttelton •Times reporter on Friday whether a money grant was being made to Mr George MSnro in consideration of his services. Dr Findlay said that he was unable to give any information, and Mr Hall-Jones said that he knew nothing of any such thing.

Mr \V. S. Short, tho commissioner appointed to adjust the liability of tho Bruce and Tuapeka, Counties with respect to construction of the Waitahuna-Green-field bridge, sat on Friday at Lawrence. The commissioner, on taking his seat, stated the objects for which the commission had been set up and read his appointment and authority from the Governor to hear and determine the facts in regard to the matter in dispute. After outlining the questions that would ariae out of the inquiry and their bearing on the matter under consideration, he said there were three things the Tuapeka County, at whoso instance the commission ha-d been appointed, would have to prove — (1) That the bridge is an advantage to the inhabitants of the Tuapeka and Bruce County ; (2) that It is reasonable that the Bruce County should contribute to its cost ; (3) that the Governor should be satisfied that the Bruce County Council should pay half the cost. Evidence was then taken, and Mr Short will visit the locality before deciding.

Following are the rain statistics for the pa«t week as supplied by the Drainage Board officials: — February 17, .280 i n; 18th. .4AOm; 22nd, .530in ; —total, 1.250 in. Total for 1908 to date, 2.990 in.

A Press Aosociation telegram from Auckland Ptates that the ceremony of dedicating St. Patrick's Cathedral was performed on Sunday by Cardinal Moran, who afterwards preached a sermon on the mission of the Roman Catholic Church. The collection taken up at the end of the morning ser\ ice amounted to £571.

The petition to be presented to Parliament praying for the establishment of a new county, embracing the Tapanui, Heriot, and Crookston districts, appears in the Tapanui Courier. Paragraph 2 delineates the boundaries of the proposed new county, which practically includes the whole of the Tapanui and James Ridings of Tuapeka County, the upper portion of Clutha. County, and a slice of the Southland County, the total area being estimated at between 300 and 400 square miles. The ground on which the separation is asked for are fully set out, the chief being the inequitable treatment received by the ridings of James and Tapanui in the matter of expenditure of revenue and the want of community of interests between that part of the county and the balance.

That a passenger train should actually lose its way and go completely astray sounds almost impossible, yet one has done co in the northern line of France, and had a narrow escape in consequence. The train left for Amiens at 6 p.m. All went well until after leaving Creil, where the line to Brussels and Germany and Holland branches off. Owing to a mistake of the riignalman's, which yet remains unexplained, the Amiens train was switched on to the Brussels line, and, in the dark, the engine-driver did not discover the mistake until the train had proceeded a mile or two on the line to Brussels. Then, remembering that the Brussels express wae only a. few minutes behind him, the driver decided to put on full speed and go right ahead, and, rushing through the stations, it ran on to the junction at; Pont St. Maxence Here the driver quickly explained the matter to the signalman, and was shunted on to a siding two minutes before the arrival of the expre=6. At last the train wa6 cent back to Creil, and resumed its journey to Amiens a couple of hours late.

'" A good example of the conservative nature of the early settler was met with on the coach from Naseby to Ranfurly, on the 24th, sajs passenger. "An old identity, Mr Seth Holding, was on board, and he suppb'ed the following information to the writer : — He arrived in the colony in 1861 and went to the Gabriel's Gully rush at Lawrence, thence he wenfe to Clyde, and from there to the Blackstone Hill district, where he has ever since resided. During all his residence in that locality, 43 years, he had not once seen a train, and although

he had seen the smoke from passing trair%. ho kept away, because the railway had ruined his business of keeping an acconv medation house. 'To-day,' he said, 'is th* first timo I have travelled by coach in New Zealand, and I am also going to have my first railway ride.' Forty -seven years in Otago without once coming into Dunedin or even travelling by coach or rail surely constitutes a record."

The bank rate of interest on fixed deposits in New Zealand has been increased to 3£ per cent, for 12 months' and 4 percent, for 24 months' deposits. The rate for six months' deposits remains at 2 per cent. There is no present indication of the hardening of the advance rates.

For throwing stones and smashing one of the corporation gas lamps in Maitland street, a lad of 16 was brought up before the Juvenile Court, on the 24th, and was fined 5s and 7s costs. The Magistrate remarked that stone-throwing by bojt- was becoming a perfect nuisance.

A number of moa bones have been discovered by the workmen engaged in excavating the tunnel under Thames street, Oamaru (says the Mail). The bones were found in a stratum of shingle 16ft below the surface, in what was evidently at one time liver bed. But an even greater curiosity than the bones has been unearthed in what is apparently a fossilised bone. In appearance this is not unlike a piece of granite, but from its shape an<J certain marked peculiarities there is little doubt that it is a portion of the frame of some huge bird or animal of neolithic times. • The Presbyterian Church at Waipiata will be opened on Sunday next, March 1, when divine service will be conducted at 11 a-m. and 7 p.m., the preacher being the Rev. R. Fairmaid, M.A.

The fact of there being a home in Melbourne kept by a Chinaman for tho rescue and reform, not only of his countrymen, but of his wbite brothers, caused much surprise at the lecture on " Slum Land " delivered on the 24th by the Rev. N. A. Davis.

Cardinal Moran has informed the Catholic Press that he will probably go to Europe this year. He has received a very pressing invitation to tho Eucharistic Congress in London, to be held in October, at which there will be Cardinals from the United States, Rome, Spain, and Germany, besides other distinguished prelates from other parts of the world. It will be the greatest gathering of Catholic ecclesiastics ever seen in England. " Besides," eaid hia Eminence, " I should like to take part in the Pope's Jubilee celebration in Rome, and I am deply interested in the university question in Ireland." His Eminence will be 78 years of age in September.

An interesting novelty will be introduced by the Christchurch Poultry Club in connection with its annual show, to be heldon June 4, 5, and 6 next. It is the club's intention to hold a show of dolls on an; elaborate scale. In all there will be five classes — two open, one for employees of dressmaking firms, and two for public school girls, over an<l under 12 years of age respectively. The prizes will take the form of gold bracelets and brooches to be awarded for correctness of costume and workmanship.

At the Lawrence Court on the 24th, bo fore Mr Kenrick, S.M., F. W. Quaife, a farmer, was charged with failing to destroy rabbits on his farm (800 acres). Mi Fletcher prosecuted on behalf of the Stocl( Department. The defendant wae fined £3 and costs.

In six of the smaller towns of tha Dominion polls have now been taken under the Factories Act Amendment Act of last session in favour of altering the weekly half-holiday for factories from Saturday to the day observed by shops. The towns are Pahiatua, Hunterviile. Timaru, Geraldine, Oamaru, and Lawrence. A poll taken in Gisborne resulted in favour of continuing the present system- of separate weekly half-holidays for shops and factories. Of those places which have decided upon the change, Pahiatua, Hunterviile, and Timaru enter upon tho new system this week, and Geraldine, Oamaru, and Lawrence will do so next week.

At Dannevirke on the 19th a man was brought before two justices of tho peace charged with stealing a suit of clothes. Tho Bench arrived a-t the Solomonic conclusion that " the case was not a theft — it was a loan." They thereupon convicted the accused, and ordered him to come up for sentence when called upon. A local journal, reporting the case, says that counsel for the defence, speaking heatedly, said the judgment wae preposterous, and he would bring the matter before the proper authorities. Me thereupon " left the court in what the presiding magistrates considered a disrespectful manner."

A Christchurch telegram states that tha steward of the Ruapehu whose 48 hours' sleep attracted attention last week was discharged from the hospital on the 24th.

The law, it eeems (says the New Zealand; Times), i 6 not always slow — in fact, one man has reason to complain of its swiftfootedness. At 20 minutes past 10 on Thursday morning he was served with a summons for a civil debt. He at once went to the offices of the solicitors for the j>laintiff, and on arriving there, just before 11 * o'clock, learnt that the solicitors had already secured judgment against him, he not having answered to his name when the case was called in court. Further, he founij that an order for immediate execution was granted. He then consulted another firm of solicitors, with , the result that Ds

M'Arthur, S.M\, will consider an application for a rehearing of tho case. Connected with a proposal to establish a post office at a place hitherto called Oldham's Creek, a few miles out of Nelson, a fact transpires which is worth reCording. Mrs Oldham, the proprietress of the property, is accustomed during the fruit season to leave a large basket full of ripe fruit at her gato for the benefit of travellers. The basket is labelled "Help yourself." It is proposed, in order to perpetuate so kindly a memory, to name Hie new office "Atawhai,'" mean.ng kindhearted, or liberal, if that name be found to be good Maori. /