DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 408, 14 November 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

' (From our own Correspondent.) , Mr. Bradshaw's successful legislation in the Assembly with regard to the curtailment of the hours of, labor in the factories and other places where labor is largely, employed, has . hitherto been very little regarded by many whose works come under the operation of the Act' ; but in future employers of labor will have to pay more attention to the law's demands in this matter. The police have received instructions *£rom head-quaters to enforce compliance with -the requirements of Mr. Bradshaw's Act, and this week reports have been made by employers concerning their employs, their hours of labor, &c. ; so that infringements of the provisions of the 1 Act can the more readily bo detected and dealt with. The National Insurance Company held its half-yearly meeting in Farley's Hall on Tuesday, Mr. W. J. M. Larnach, Chairman of the Directors, in the chair. With good reason, the shareholders wore congratulated in the report of the Directors at the very satisfactory balance sho,et they were able to present to the meeting. The large business which the Company is doing was demonstrated by the fact that the premiums for the half-year amounted to close upon £30,000, the clear profit remainfrom that sum, after deducting rc-insurancea, losses, nnd cost of management, being a little over £8,000, which added to the previous half-year's balance, showed the handsome sum of £23,000 as profit for the year's transactions. The past quarter showed a satisfactory increase of business, and the success and prosperity of the Company is as evident as it is gratifying to those who have the management of it. House accommodation remains as scarce as ever, and rents have risen to a height that is quite v alarming. It is quite a rarity to see an unoccupied house in the city, and if one iB met with, it may be looked upon as a certainty that a grasping landlord is the cause of its being empty. A few years since it was only an exceptionally good house that brought in a rental of 30s. a week to its owner, but now anything like a decent place to live in commands that modest sum, and rents of £80 and £100 a year are common enough. Many of the immigrants by last vessels are unable to procure house accommodation, and still remain in the- barracks, although they are supposed to leave the Government roof immediately they obtain steady work. The late accident on the railway line at Hillside formed the stibject for law proceedings in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, George Amos, the driver of the engine attached to the trucks, which were run into by the Green Island train, having been brought before Mr. Batbgatc to answer a charge of wilful negligence in connection with the collision. The evidence given by the witnesses for the Government, who were the prosecutors, showed that Amos was not alone, if at all, to blame for the accident, as vcrv culpable negilenee seemed to have been shown by Amos's superiors in not having more careful arrangements in the conduct of the line; "and the Magistrate, considering there was not sufficient evidence to bring home the charge to the accused, dismissed the case. Mi\ aud Mrs. D. W. Bates, an American actor and actress, made bow their at the Princess Theatre last night, to a splendid house in a play dramatised by Mr. Bate 3 entitled "Elizabeth, Queen of England." Mrs. JJates played excellently, and may fairly lay cl.tira to the pniise which has been awarded her in criticisms on her performances in ot'ner places. Of Mr. Bates tho same cannot be said. His acting was poor in the extreme, and he docs not look like one who will improve with acquaintance. Dunodin seems quite unable now to raise a really good theatrical company,.and even when a tolerably fair one was got together some time back by Messrs. Geddes aud Willis's, the patronage accorded those gentlemen was not at all commensurate to their deserts, so that after all we haFe no reason to complain in that respect I suppose. _______________