Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, 16 July 1908, Page 19

Interprovi ncial

-Among the -candidates that passed the final dental " examination at Wellington recently was-. Mr. Francis O'Keeffe, of Hastings. Mr. O'Keeffe intends visiting Pennsylvania College to continue his studies at an' early date. - .-

We have received a- copy of the initial issue-.- of ' The Bluff Press and Stewart Island Gazette,' -whicjh has the distinction of b,eing published farther south than any other paper in the world. It intends to espouse the cause of the Bluff, the gateway to Southland, and Stewart Island as a tourist resort and mining field.

The prospective commitments" and present - undertakings of the City Council (writes the Dunedin correspondent of the ' Press ') total up to the respectable sum of £1,241,000. The present loan indebtedness -of the city is £963,420. To this there has to be added the- following :— Water department, £20,000 ; "King Edward street widening, £25,000 ; Caversham gasworks purchase^El4,ooo ; gasworks improvements,- £70,000 ; and .Waipori power and light department, £15,000.

' It is with much regret that I notice«ihe gradual increase of Chinese into the laundry ' trade ; hardly -a month .passes without fresh application- for the registration of a, new Chinese laundry,' reports the Wellington Inspector of Factories. 4 Now, these men compete with the very poorest of our working women, and therefore this matter should receive earnest consideration. Usually the wash-house and ironingr-rooms of these Chinese laundries, are clean and in order, hut their dwelling r places are frequently, anything but clean. Many of them are, in my opinion, quitp unfit for human haib^tation ; and by the Chinese being allowed to live in this way they are enabled to* compete 'unfairly with European workers. Another way in which they compete unfairly is by employing other Chinese to work for them at all hours and at any wage, ' an>d when called upon to show a. return for wages or " overtime worked they merely tell us that they- are all partners. Inspectors should be empowered to demand deeds of partnership.'