TASMANIA LOTTERIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 152, 28 June 1901, Page 4

TASMANIA LOTTERIES.

The decision of ihe Federal I'arlin-

ment authorising Mm Poslmastcr-

(leiienil lo i-ejeel letters addressed lo

promoters of gambling lotteries affords

an example of the dominating- control which the Commonwealth Parliament

will exercise over the States' legishl-

tares in many matters that were not

contemplated when the Commonwealth

Act. was passed. The constitution of the Australian federation proceeds upon Ihe principle that all subjects which the Federal Parliament is not, specifically authorised to legislate upon remain under the jurisdiction of th. States, and the federal powers are supposed to be sot out in .';!) clauses. As a matter of fact, several of these clauses arc expressed in such general terms thai ii is impossible to say how far their authority may be ex-tended by liberal interpretations. In the in-

stance under consideration legislation with regard to gambling is undoubtedly a. State function, but the postal

services are entirely under federal con-

trol. Tasmania may, therefore, as it had done, make lotteries within the State legal, but il" the federal post office in Tasmania itself refuses to carry letters the State law will remain inoperative except for local sweeps. This, however, is only a minor instance of the over - ridingpower of the Federal Parliament in relation to State legislation. A more potent power lies in federal control of the purse, which in after year? will, we doubt not, be used very freely to increase the authority of the central government and clip the wings of the Stales. There can. we think, be no doubt about the legalily of the Federal Parliament's present action, its absolute control over all postal matters being perfectly clear. In every State except Tasmania laws preventing the use of post offices for the promotion of lotteries were in force, and that being 'the preponderating feeling throughout the Commonwealth Tasmania must bow betore it. In New Zealand, the Government is less consistent. It penalises the publication in the press of any advertisement of a lottery or betting agent, while at the same time it distributes thousands of such advertisements through the post offices and issues money orders, which the officer's of the Department know perfectly well are drawn for gambling purposes. It is high time that this hypocritical profession of zeal for public morals was put an end to. The post office has no right to stand exempt from penalties which it imposes on every other agency employed in the promotion of racing sweeps.

Captain Edwin advises: "Moderate to strong easterly winds, glass fall, tides low, frost to-night."

Mr Justice Conolly left for Ndw Plymouth en route to Wellington yesterday afternoon in order to attend a sitting of the Court of Appeal.

It appears that by some anomaly of the law a Municipal Council, whilst it has power to remove insanitary buildings, cannot compel an owner to repair his building if it be in need of repair and at the same time not sufiiciently dilapidated to require to be removed. Such was the law quoted by the Mayor at Wellington last night in regard to certain buildings which had come under the notice of the Council. "They are not so bad as to require to be pulled down," said Mr Ait-ken, "said we' can only ask the owner to repair them, otherwise we arc powerless." The Council thereupon decided to seek an amendment to the Act in the coming session of Parliament.

The deputation appointed by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce met at the Council Chambers yesterday afternoon for the purpose of conferring Avith a committee of the Council upon the question of securing effective fire extinguishing appliances for Auckland. Some disappointment was expressed at so few of the Council meeting the committee. The members deputation having already been once put off, expected that something tangible would be done at the adjourned meeting. As a matter of fact, however, only the Mayor and Cr.,Dignan, chairman of the Finance Committee, attended, and after about an hour's discussion the conference was further adjourned. The deputyMayor, Mr A. Kidd, was of course prevented from being present through sickness.

The City Council has received a claim from Mr. S'mythe, father of the young man, William H. Smythe, killed by the fall of earth at the Nihotapu reservqir, for £400 compensation. The matter was last night referred to the Legal Committee. The claim is only a formal one, as the man had been insured.by the contractor.

Residents in the. Arch Hill Road District should bear in mind the fact that to-morrow a poll will be taken to decide whether or not £1500 shall be borrowed for the purpose of draining the district. The value of proper sanitation cannot be denied, and" when drainage can be got for such n s comparatively small sum as £_500 v .here should be no difficulty in getting the requisite authority from ratepayers to borrow that sum.

The railway working' account for j the lour weeks ended 25th nit. show i the receipts for the colony to have 'totalled £1-3,555, and the expondii ture £97,100, the North Island's con- , tribiition- being £49,764 and £37,157 , respectively. On the Auckland section the receipts were £44,_~4, aud i the expenditure -M 7.157. On the I Wellington-Napier and New Flyi mouth section receipts totalled KM,- ---: 261, and expenditure £25,638; on ihe 1 Hum nui-P>l tiff line . receipts were i £ HI. ")•';;., anil expenditure £51,946.

Al the meeting of the City Council last evening', Cr. T. T. Mas. field moved nod Cr. Hannan Seconded, and it was resolved tinuniiiiously, "That Messrs Kidd, Baume and Parr be appointed a sub-committee to draw up a memorial of thanks on behalf of the Council and citizens of Auckland to His Worship the Mayor. Dr. J. L. Campbell, for Ids handsome gift of One Tree Hill as a public park."

The doctor who is accompanying the Royal party ou their tour, in conversation with a representative of a ( lirisichureh paper, spoke in very high terms of praise of whal lie had seen in this colony. He was specially enthusiastic in regard to Rotorua. It had been well described as a wonderhind, he said. From a medical point of view it was v very remarkable (dace, it was one of Nature's health resorts, and only required the expenditure of money to make it an attraction for wealthy people from almost all parts of the world. Americans, especially, be thought, would he attracted to it when the medical properties of the hot springs became better known. The Chevalier de Mattino, the illustrious artist who accompanies the Royal party, is very enthusiastic in what he has seen in New Zealand. InUi".icwed at Christchurch he said he I was much impressed with Auckland lini.bo'.:., and the high opinion he form; d of the colony on first arrival, bos been confirmed as he has gone ftrther south. Speaking as a traveller, he says that this colony has a very great future before it. In order to fulfil its true destiny, however, he thinks that immigration should be carried out on a large scale. "Let ten thousand immigrants come every year," are his words, "and lei them represent English, not England alone, but also Scotland. Ireland, France. Spain and Italy. Let them amalgai mate, and in a few years a new natii ;i will spring up in this part of the world which will accomplish in fifty years more than other nations have accomplished in a hundred."

After we went to press yesterday afternoon the consideration of the clauses of the Bakers' Union statement, in connection with the dispute with the Auckland master bakers, was resumed at the sitting of the Board of Conciliation. In re clause 0, regarding the pay of casual journeymen, it was agreed on between the parties that the pay should be not less than 5/ for half a day's work, and thai the rate should be one shilling per hour. Several other clauses, including clause S (no carter to be employed in a bakehouse, except in cases of strict emergency) were agreed to, and others were left to the Board. The Chairman (Mr Collins) announced that the Board's award would be given next Monday at 2.30 p.m.

The funeral of the late Captain W. H. Colbeck took place yesterday afteroon. The cortege left his residence. Gladstone Road, Parnell, at 2 o'clock, for St. Mark's, the hearse being followed by 30 carriages, in which were a number of old colonists. The sons of the deceased, Messrs J. C. Colbeck, A. Colbeck, F. Colbeck. and W. P. Colbeck were chief mourners. The Auckland Club, of which deceased was for many years president, was represented by Messrs F. Earl (president), S. C. Kissling, G. W. S. Patterson, and W. A. Ryan. The Auckland Poller Mills Company, of which deceased was a director, was representjed by Messrs T. Peacock (chairman), iR. llellaby (director), P. Virtue I (manager). Among the mourners ' were the Rev. George MaeMurray (vicar of St. Mary's Cathedral, Parnell), the Rev. William dittos (superintendent of Wesleyan Maori Missions), Dr. Reid, Messrs Seymour Thorne George, D. B. McDonald, D'Arcy, E. Anderson, F. Hill, W. S. Wilson, A. P. Wilson, J. M. Shera, M. Clark, Wm. McLaughlin, B. Armitage, Jas. Burtt, J. A. Beale, D. W. Duthie, T. J. Steele, Alder Fisher, H. Gillies. The first portion of the burial service was conducted in the church by the Rev. W. Beatty, and deceased was laid to rest beside the remains of his wife. The usual quarterly speed examination of the Auckland Shorthand Writers' Association was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Pitt-st.. on Wednesday, when the following gained certificates: At SO words per minute, Misses E. Baker, M. Beaumont. R. Edwards, M. Protheroe, I. Smith. H. Walker, and E. Watson. At 100, Miss M. Buttle, At 140, Miss A. McKee. The examination was conducted by Messrs Leeee and Gordon, assisted by the committee.

The tender of Messrs. John McLean & Son ( £ 17,433 1/8) has been accepted for the work of laying the first, portion of the electric tramlines, from Ponsonby, via College Hill, to the city, and from the city to Newmarket, via Parnell.

That vigorous old pioneer, Captain Jackson Barry, had to succumb to the effects of the recent cold snap in Wellington, and he went into the Wellington Hospital for treatment.

The Royal Reception Committee have notified shopkeepers claiming on the committee for compensation for loss of trade caused through the. reception platform being erected in front of their premises, that the portion complained of was erected by the general Government. The shopkeepers have replied that the portion of the platform erected by the committee, and not that erected by the Government, was mainly the cause of the loss of trade, seeing that the traffic was diverted by the portion of the platform for which the. committee was responsible. They therefore insist on a settlement.

Messrs Cook Bros., of Whangamumu, secured four large whales onWednesday. The whales were towed into the. whaling station by the steam launch Waiwiri, without which so good a catch could not have been obtained; The take is the largest made in one day from Whangamumu, and the total of five for the season so far is the best to date, so that the season promises to be a successful one.