THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 215, 12 September 1888, Page 5

THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

AN • OPEN DAY.

The Hon. E.; Mitchelson, .the Minister for Public Works, was in attendance at the office of Mr Hudson, railway manager, this morning for the purpose of receiving any deputations on public, business. The firs one received consisted of Mr George Fraser and Mr Duke, the patentee of " Duke's Patent Spark-Catcher," for use in locomotives, steamboats and portable engines. Mr Fraser explained the working of the patent by means' of a small model that the inventor had constructed. The object of the deputation ,was to try and obtain a trial of the patent in one of the locomotives on the Government railway; The sparks cast out by the locomo:, tivea have been a frequent cause of complaint and actions for damage, and great attention has been given to means to prevent the sparks from getting out of the smoke stack of engines, but with some coal it is almost a matter of impossibility. The present invention, as explained by Mir Fraser, consists in an arrangement' of cylinders^ by which a double roll of fine wire netting is kept in place over the exhaust pipe of the engine, This netting is made to move slowly round lj>y the action of the engine itself working j on the cylinders, and two brushes placed i I in. a convenient position clean the netj ting from all sparks and smut. He contended that the double netting and the revolving prevented- the "sparks from getting through, while it did not interfere with the draught. Mr H. J. Jackson, the local locomotive engineer, and Mr Hudson, the District; Manager, asked several questions as to the details of the invention, which seemedto be very simple. Mr Mitchelsbn said it was evident that its usefulness could only be tested by a practical trial, and he asked Mr Jackson if that could be done on one of the local engines. Mr Jackson replied that it could; but would be a matter of some difficulty. His own opinion • about the invention was that while it would prevent the exit of sparks, it would also prevent the engine from steaming, thus destroying its utility. Finaliy the Minister directed Mr Duko to leave%his model with Mr Jackson and 'the matter would" be further considered with the idea of testing its practicability.. The deputation having thanked Mr Mitchelson for his courtesy, then withdrew. "

Mr. J. Newman waited on the Minister in reference to the erection of the new prison at Mount Eden. * He said it was very necessary that the building should be completed at as early a date as posssble, both for the comfort and. accommodation of tho prisoners. He did not consider that it was the correct th ing to remove the prisoners to th c deferice works at Fort Cautley arid elsewhere.' Mr Mitchelson promised to look into the matter and arranged with Mr Newman to visit the Mt. Eden prison on Friday and see what could be done. ( . ...

Mr E. T. Dufaur interviewed the Minister for Public Works in connection with certain native lands. It appears that there isa strong desire on the part of a hapu of the Ngatiraukawa' tribe to set apart 60,000 acres of land, the pick of the Rohepotse Blbcki situated towards Taupo, for the sole use of the late Maori King Tawhiao and hisfollovvera. MrDufaurhas been instructed by the natives,"who number nqarly 400,, to draw up; the necessary deeds, but that gentleman rinds that it he proceeds to do this, he will render himself liable; under the present laws dealing with native lands, to J a penalty ,of several-hundreds of pounds. ! AB,4t is for the cotiiitry's good that provision should be* made for Tawhiao and' his' followers it would be father a hardship" on ; thelawyer if he was mulcted in the penalty j ttfHsri he was' wdrliing for the public good ; and in a spirit not opposed to the laws? He wished thd Minister to see if soinetbing could, not be done to have .the matter settled wibhout incurring the ponaltyi and I Mr* Mitchelson--promised to :> do this. Mr Dufaur also brpached the; subject of: the Orakei.: native reserve. Paul Ttibaere had had a Bill introduced into the House! giving the natives power to lease thiß liand, as it was at.present almost useless, but the Bill had failed to pass. Mr Dufaur pointed out that it was a great hardship to tho • natives, who were put to considerable expense over. ;it. Mr Mitchelson relied that there was no; desire to prevent the natives getting what they wished. The reason the Bill had been rejected was that some • thirty years, ago provision was made fora church" reserve within the native reserve, and no mention of this had been made in the Bill. He was sure that if a clause was inserted dealing with this church reserve then there would be no difficulty in its passing. ' Mr J. M. McLachlan, deputy Chairman of the Financial Reform Association, and Mr R. t J. Duncan, tho Siicretaiy, called on the Minister for Publfc| Works in connection with thediscrepahcy in the revenue roliurns au suppliedjiby-the: Collpctor, olti'Custbirna and in the Gazette. Mi?' Duncan laid tho whole particulars before Mr Mitchelepn, and stated; as has already appeared in our columns, the particulars of their seeing the Colonial Secretary on the; same subject. Tha Colonial Secretary liad wired for information regarding the discrepancy, but the reply received did not alter matters in the slightest degree; Mr Mitchelson straightway wrote Sut a telegram to the' 'Collector of Customs; desiring^ him {to reply how it/was, that the Gazette Avit;ußt " cave the Customs revenue for the quarter'ending June; 30th at £302^000, whereas in his telegram in reply to the Colonial Secretary it was etatedrtb be £324ib00.i Mi- McLachlan also spoke about the trial of the Vaile system on the Auckland railways. Mitchelson stated very pointedly that the-countrymustjbe protected frbm losn: in any such trial, and" not before the dollars as required were laid down would Mr |Vaile or .anyonp else be alIdwed to make'any ti'iais" that: might end in loss to the colony.' - --* ,