The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1903.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 228, 24 September 1903, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1903.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong thai needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the ooad that ice can do.

OUR NEW FOREST LAWS

The question asked by Mr Baume in the House of Representatives as to the new kauri forest regulations deserves much more attention than Government seemed disposed to give it. It is true that wide-spread dissatisfaction has been roused in Auckland by the change from the old to the new system of selling kauri reserves, but the reason for this discontent is not to be found, as the Minister for Lands suggested, in the selfishness of interested companies or disappointed capitalists. There is a very serious question of principle involved in the change lately made in our forest

regulations, and the sooner Ministers clearly understand this the better for them and the country. The old method of disposing of our standing kauri timber was simple and straightforward enough. The bush was valued by the Crown ranger and his estimate was the upset price. The timber was put up for public auction with this limit, and subject to any conditions as to the time of cutting which the Government liked to impose, and the highest bid secured it. Everything was fair and above-board. The buyer who was prepared to give more than others for the timber got it, and the colony enjoyed the great advantage of securing the best possible market, value for its assets. Every individual in the community was afforded an equal chance to compete for property which is the common heritage of the people in an open market without favouritism or resorting to back-stairs influences. Not merely big milling companies, but bush contractors had a chance of obtaining sections. Hut now all this is tq be changed. Instead of full publicity and open competition we are to have private applications to the Crown Lands Commissioner and sec-vet communications with the Minister for Lands. By Order-in-Council Government has decreed that in future. no standing kauri timber shall be sold except in

accordance with the new regulations. Any person or company wishing to cut kauri must apply to the District Crown Lands Commissioner, stating his requirements, capacity of mills, average of output and stock of timber on hand. The value, of the timber will be fixed by Crown valuation, and the Minister for Lauds Avill, if he thinks lit, then allow the applicant to buy what he wants at the upset price. The bargain is subject to a variety of minute and vexatious regulations, which do not affect the main issue; but the effect of the new regulations, plainly, is to withdraw this immensely valuable property from the sphere of public scrutiny and open competition, and to leave the Minister in charge in a perfectly irresponsible position with respect to its administration. It should be borne in mind that although ordinary Crown lands are administered by the Crown Lands Board in each Provincial District, the State forests, which contain the greater part of the stand--•sr kauri, are directly under the control of the Government.

It ought not to be necessary to point out that such a measure is open to exceedingly grave objections. The essential principle of our political system is that the country's business shall be subjected to open public criticism, and that Ministers shall be responsible to the people for everything in their charge. The whole trend of Liberal legislation has been consistently in the direction of limiting the independence of Ministerial acliop, and reducing the scope of Ministerial patronage. In the interests of purity of administration it is necessary that this should he so.

It goes without saying that no relleetion upon the character of any individual Minister can possibly be implied in such criticism. One might as well argue that laws against theft and burglary arc an insinuation against every honest man. But the experience of other countries and the unvarying record of history prove that the surest way of demoralising and corrupting the public service is to offer Ministers opportunities for the exercise of unchecked personal control or the distribution of official patronage. From this point of view the new forest law stands condemned beyond redemption. It would leave to the absolutely . irresponsible judgment of the Minister for Lands the decision as" to whether public property could or could not be bought by any given applicant. The many conditions to be fulfilled by the purchaser would each and all of them afford an excuse to an unscrupulous Minister for rejecting one application and preferring another. In brief, the change in the regulations which the Government wishes to enforce throws the door wide for the worst forms of corruption by which our departmental administration could be threatened and this alone should be sufficient to ensure its condemnation. Apart from the main principle at stake, there are many minor Objections to the new regulations. The limitations imposed on the output are drawn ap-

I parcutly without any regard for the

fact that in many cases a very heavy outlay is needed before a single foot of timber is brought out of the bush. The regulation that ail timber, either standing or lying, on tho. reserve after a specified time shall revert to tho Crown must surely have been inserted by someone who had never seen a kauri forest or heard of a "drive." Everybody except the Minister for Lands probably knows that it is impossible to say how long the felled timber may have to wait before there is enough water to bring it down the creeks to the booms. If the new regulations are ever to be carried info effect, they will need to be very carefully overhauled before they are even workable. But these are minor points compared with the great objection which we have already raised. No enactment should ever be accepted by a democratic people which plainly and inevitably tends to weaken that sense, of direct, responsibility to the country which is one of the strongest safeguards of our publicliberties. It is a mere detail that the country, as in the ease of our absurd land ballot, will be robbed of the difference between the upset price and the figure that would be reached at a public auction. It is significant that this change in the regulations has not been submitted to Parliament, but was made by Order-in-Council in virtue of powers conferred by the State Forests Act, 1885. Such methods of legislation should be rarely and cautiously employed, and in •this instance we believe that if this question were laid before the House in the ordinary course the new regulations would speedily be consigned to the oblivion that they deserve, and we trust that. Mr. Baume and the other Auckland j members will push this matter further.

Something was said in the course of the discussion in Parliament yesterday about the danger of a comer being made in kauri and the price raised to an excessive amount. The new regulations will certainly not prevent that.' The most simple method of coping with any attempt of this nature is to remove the duty on imported timber. Owing to the rapid exhaustion of our kauri forests it is a matter of serious consideration whether the duty ought not to be abolished at once on timber in log.

There are a great many purposes in house building for which kauri is being used that would be equally well served by a cheaper timber; and while the Government are beginning to realise the need for reforesting the country, and are spending considerable sums upon that object it seems unwise to -maintain a restrictive tax which tends to hasten that final extinction of the kauri which under the most, favourable conditions, at the present rate of cutting, will almost certainly be accomplished within a very brief period.

The following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast for 2-I'hours from 9 a.m. this day: "Moderate to strong southerly winds; glass rise." His Excellency the Governor, who left Auckland for Wellington yesterday, is not expected in this province again until November, when he will come to the city with the object of opening the Veterans' Home. It is so far his intention to leave Wellington for Auckland as soon after the Countess of Ranfurly's departure (November 12) as possible. The home, it is hoped by the authorities, will he ready for the inmates by the middle of next month, and the old people will he installed as quickly as possible, so that they may be comfortably settled there in time for the official opening, whi-h will be held somewhere about November 17th. Lord Northland, by the way. has decided to take charge of a ladies' hat-stall in the Veterans' Home Bazaar.

To prevent over-crowding, the One Tree Hill Road Board yesterday vesolw o <l_l. "That in the opinion of the. One Tree Hill Road Board legislation is desirable in the interests of the public health: (a) To give district Boards adjacent to large cities powers to regulate building operations similar to those vestin municipal corporations by the Municipal Corporations Act, 1000; (b) to prevent the creation of slums in suburban areas by fixing the minim am ?'i7,e of the building allotments at not less than a quarter of an acre." 2. "That this resolution be printed, and copies be forwarded to the Government, and to members of both Houses of Parliament, and to the Auckland suburban local .bodiea, ■with a request, that the latter will assist in bringing the matter to the notice of tbe Government."

One of Auckland's loafers appeared in the Police Court, this morning, John McKough • being charged with wilfully smashing a pane of glass at the Central Hotel. It was shown that he picked up a stone in the street yesterday evening and threw it through' a large pane of glass upon whihe was some letterimr. I'fe saic he preferred being summoned, when, a waiter ran out to give him in charge of the police, and in the Coiirt he asked the witnesses some extraordinary questions. ''What did you do when I smashed the window?" he queried of the waiter. "I ran after you," was the reply, and MeKough then wanted the witness to say what he (MeKough) did. Mr James St'iehbnry, the presiding magistrate, said MeKough was a dangerous man to be at large. Only a few days ago he was before the Court, and the Bench would now commit him for three months, with hard .labour, as this would do him more good than loafing about the streets.

WePington Education Boa"d is being threatened with proceedings by the contractors for fencing at the new school recently built at* tbe Hutt, and for recovery of £2G 0/4 due on the contract. A firm of solicitors has also asked the board to nominate someone to receive a writ for £272 S/ in respect of the contract for the Epnui school. The board admits liability, but has no funds to meet either claim, and unless the Government comes to its rescue wili next week figure as defendants in a", action in respect of the first-named dairn. The pressing claims of the board rota! £2253.

One of the spectators at Avondale races named John Trobbe was suddenly seized wikh a violent fit of coughing about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He •had only been discharged from the hospital two month ago after treatment for lung' trouble, and the coughing resulted in the bursting of a blood-vessel in one of his lungs. He last a considerable quantity of blood, and' Dr. Stuart Reid, who attended to him on the ordered his removal -to the hospital, whither he was-taken by Constable Hinton. lie is progressing as favourably as can ha expected under the circum-

stances. A (ire broke out •at about eleven o'clock last night at the coach building works of Air 1). Flymi, in Elliott-street. Some young men returning home noticed the fire and smashed a fire-alarm at the junction of Queen and Welles-ley streets. This brought the brigade' promptly to the spot, and the fire was quenched in its early stages. Numerous valuable vehicles and implements were, in the buildings at the time, so that the suppression of blue fire prevented . serious lass. The outbreak is attributed to _ a quantity of shavings which were lying near afire-place outside the building. The Thames County Council .yesterday repealed all existing by-laws and passed by-law No. 1 for the whole county, providing for (a) the licensing of pedlars and hawkers; (b) the supply of water '■ from the county waterworks, and the rate and charges to be paid therefor; also, for the protection of the said waterworks, and to prevent trespasses thereon and interference therewith; (c) the regulating of ordinary. traffic; (d) the licensing of vehicles and traction engines for and.the regulation of heavy traffic within the county; (c) penalties for breach of and failure to comply with such by-laws.

The Paymaster-General had a letter before the One-tree Hill Road Board yesterday informing them .'that the 'subsidy/amounting to £209 8/3, had been reimitted 'to the credit of the Board, less £44 _/. which had been retained on account of the balance due for the Infection* Diseases Hospital. After consideration of the matter it was resolved. "That inasmuch as this Board has already paid the proportion asked for as its contribution to the proposed Infectious Diseases Hospital on the basis of an expenditure of £80000 at Point Chevalier, and no outlay hasvxi far taken place (the whole question being in abeyance), the Board considers the action of the Government in deducting the balance of the amount assumed to be required arbitrary and unnecesary, in view of the fact that the Board paid its first contribution without delay, and wov'd have done tbe same with regard to the balance whenever 'the money was required, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Colonial Treasurer."

The Auckland Scenery Conservation Society met yesterday afternoon, Mr. A. J. Allom presiding. Messrs. D. Goldie, J. Birt, W. Parkinson, J. Mitchell and P. Holt (lion, secretary) were also present. A financial statement showed that there was a balance in hand of .£l6 10/. Mr. H. Rees George was elected to the Executive Committee of the society. Two fine trees near the library at the Wellesley-street entrance to Albert Park are in danger of being hacked or spoiled, as the Telegraph Department, has r.un several wires through tbe branches. The matter was brought up at the meeting by a letter from Mr. R. 8. Finch, ahd Mr. Holt, the secretary, will call the attention of the officer in charge t6 the danger of spoiling the trees. Mr, Holt mentioned that they had tried to get tho department to put the wires in cables where they passed through trees, but were not successful. Mr. A. -T. Allom was requested to co-operate with the committee of citizens Which recently waited upon the Mayor with regard to the proposed exchange of sites in the Domain.

Thames High School Board yesterday accepted tenders for leasing certain endowments at Wairongomai on terms that give an increase of £30 per annum to the income. For 300 acres, a rental of £00 per annum was accepted from Mr John Hanks, and for 124 acres, .£lO per annum from Messrs Southey and Glover. The commissioner south of Auckland has reported to Mr. B. B. Hunt, secretary to the North Island Alain Trunk Railway League, that as this is the first winter the men were in the bush, fully 200 left of their own accord. He considers this loss of strength should be at once made up in order to get as much as possible done during the summer, .as there are cuttings -that it is estimated will take two years to put through, besides the tunnels and viaducts. There are very big slips on both sides of Piriaka, and several on the grading up the Wakapapa River. This is very disheartening to all concerned especially to the engineers-in-cliarge. Even the men dislike the job of removing slips. Otherwise good progress has been made. All the bridges over the Ongarue River have been long finished, the line is almost completely ballasted to Taumarunui, where a line platform front has been built out of the local stone, and a handsome station building is now in course of erection, much the finest one yet erected on the Main Trunk. Taumaurunui is expected to be a big tourist station. The Wanganui River Trust are now building a large 70ft punt at Taumarunui, and when finished they propose to start and improve the Wanganui from the Taumarunui end. It is understood that the trains will run regularly on to'Taumarunui in November, and that a daily train service will then be commenced. The Government have had a surveyor and party at work there for some weeks laying off the skeleton of a proposed native township. The Wanganui bridge is still unfinished, and it will be some months yet before it is completed. It is to be also used as a traffic bridge, and the timber for the decking is now being cut-

A meeting of delegates of the Soldiers' South African Graves Guild, representing various parts of the colony, was held in Wellington yesterday. The report submitted by Mrs Seddon showed that £675 had been subscribed in New Zealand. Letters were read in reference to the graves of many New Zealanders who fell in the war. The secretary of the Klerksdorp branch of the Loyal Women's League of South Africa wrote stating that the branch had erected substantial crosses over the graves o* New Zealand soldiers in Klerksdorp cemetery. It wr-s resolved that the executive should decide how the funds should be distributed. Mrs Seddon was re-elected president, and thanked for her past services.

Messrs Samuel Vailo and Sons hold an auction of freehold properties at two p.m. to-morrow, when they will offer houses at College Hill and Mt. Eden, allotments at Remuera, Mt. Roskiil Road, an<3 Onehunga, and S5 acres adjoining the township of Rzasell.

An excellent, suggestion for encouraging the love of flowers by ctuklrenwna brought forward by Mr. David Goldie at a meeting of the Scenery Conservation 'Society yesterday. A beautiful display of anemones is to be seen in the Albert Park, and when the plants stop flowering tliey will be discarded, as the blooms decrease in size in subsequent llowenng. Thcv arc still capable of making a handsome show in smaller beds, and Mr. Goldie moved that the society appeal to the Mayor and the Parks Committee to allow' the discarded bulbs to be handed over to the society for distribution to the children of the elementary schools. The motion was heartily commended, and if the Parks Committee agree to the suggestion the schoolchildren of the. city will be able to receive surplus bulbs or plants for cultivation in their own gardens.

The Auckland Board of Education yesterday decided to allow subscription lists for the Campbell Statue Fund to be opened in the schools of the Board's districts, but expressed a desire that, the contributions should be entirely voluntary, and that the children should not be canvassed in any way.. The seventh annual pigeon shooting championship of New South Wales was shot off at Botany on Friday, September 11th. It was a very representative fathering, as prominent knights of the trigger from Victoria and other parts of ""Australia and New Zealand faced the traps, while Count de Neiva represented Austria, and Mr A. Brown Canada. The conditions of the match were 21 birds each from 30 yards rise, three misses "out" being agreed to, £5 sweepstake and ten guinea gold medal for the winner. Mr Eccles, of Blenheim, shaped remarkably well, and got away with nineteen birds; while Mr E. H. Chavannes, of Wanganui; was up to form, but shot With bad luck. On the last round, -with a kill to win, Count de Neiva wa.s declared champion. Count de Neiva used the Colonial Ammunition Company's "Favourite" cartridges loaded with their patent concave wadding. This is the fourth time out of seven competitions that 27 shooters have faced the traps, and only the third time a shooter has won the championship with 21 kills since the distance was altered to 30 yards.

Mr Watson Bering, who is now in j Christchurch representing an English | company, formed to trawl in New ZeaI land waters, states that a company, j with a capital of £300,000, has been formed, and operations will be begun | about, June next year. Ten trawiors will be used, and *_ree of these, it is proposed, will be built in New Zealand-. Shares will he offered to New Zealand crs. The company. will open fish shops in all towns iii the colony that will take a certain quantity. Works for preserving l;sh will be established at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and the Bluff. After the New Zealand demand has been satisfied, fish will be sent to Australia and South Africa, and also, it is expected, to England. Perahurilmri, Wife of Eepi (native Prince of Wales), daughter of Wherowhero Tawhaio, and niece of Mahuta, died at Wuahi early on Tuesday morning, aged 2S, A big tangi is proceeding. There is a large gathering of natives from surrounding districts. Mahuta is taking part, and;will .-not proceed to Wellington until the period of mourning ceases. The tenth anniversary of the Children's Home, Remuera, will be held next Sunday in the Federal Hall. Services will be conducted at 11, 3, and 7 o'clock, and a tea meeting will follow on Tuesday evening, September 29. The public meeting takes . place at 7.30, when a first : rate programme will be provided. The full report of the work of the institution will be given. The friends and helpers of the home are cordially invited to attend.

The whole of Lake Ellesmerc (Canterbury) is included in Government Reserve No. 959, situated partly in the Hal-swell. Leeston, Southbridge, and Ellesmere survey districts. The area of the reserve is 75,000 acres, and originally it was nearly all covered with water. By drainage and from other causes the lake receded, and about 20,000 acres have been reclaimed and sold or leased in perpetuity. Under the Ellesmere-For-syth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust Act, 1876, and the second schedule of the Railway Construction Act, 1878, the whole of the proceeds go to a fund for the maintenance and construction of the Lincoln-Akaroa line, which now terminates at Little River.- if tho channel is kept permanently open, as now proposed, it is estimated that about 20,000 acres of. good land w.»U be reclaimed, but the revenue must be devoted to the abovementiohed fund, and the local bodies cannot benefit directly. Docking horses' tails was spoken of at a Wellington meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as being a practice that should be discouraged. Mr W. Watson said the custom was an old one, and very difficult to stop. The way to remedy it was by often calling attention to its cruelty. The chairman (Mr Jamieson) thought it would be well to find out what bad been decided regarding the matter at other places, and it was: resolved that this be done. Mr Seed believed that the practice, was now. made a. criminal offence in England.

j The .secretary of the Auckland Main | Trunk Railway League desires 'to aci knowledge receipt _f the following subscription? towards the • 'funds of the League:—Thomas Coatcs, £1 1/; North | Albertland oraneh League, £1; J. Buck.ton, 5/: Wm. Wharf c, 5/: Wm. Ward, j 5/; Thos. Wharfe, 5/;. A. Toov.v, 5/; A. Vipond, 5/j B. Rook. 5/.The Hinejnoa Cycling Club will hold their opening run of the season from the Ponsonby Reservoir to the Cornwall Park on Saturday Afternoon next. The club is a new one, having been formed last season, and its members include a large number of ladies and gentlemen. At the V.M.C.A. Room, to-morrow evening, Professor Brown, of the Auckland University, will give a. popular lecture on "The Weather," with special reference to the causes of the kinds of -weather experienced in Auckland and neighbourhood, illustrated experimentally and by lantern slides.

Mr. J. Thornes desires to draw special attention to the sale of Rotorua lands by auction at noon to-morrow at his mart, Queen street, when he will sell Waiwera boarding-house, so successfully carried on by the late Miss Graham; and Rocky Nook boarding-house, both close to Sanatorium grounds and the important mineral baths, having long leases at' nominal rents. Also a quarter-acre section in Pukuatua street, with large hall erected thereon, also adjoining Waiwera House; two well-built cottages and large section, and the remaining 12 lots in Utuhina township, long leases and 10-vv ronts.

A fractious horse attached to a lig_t*vehicle came into dangerous proximity with a tram-car in Queen-street day. The tram ear, ou its way u » Queen-street, wa,s parsing the bottom - of. Victoria-street, when it course was crossed by the _hor.se and trap. The motorman used the emergency brake and stopped the car just us it touchy •the shaft of the vehicle, on which it left a slight, scratch. Neither the trap xlor horse was otherwise injured.

Miss E. Yon Meyern has on exhibition! in the window qf Messrs Phillipps and Co.. Queen-street, a fine painting of the late Mr Rayner, father of Dr. RayW r of Auckland.

And they are fashionable! !—AU the latest in hats at Geo. Fowlds'. Panamas straws, hard and soft felts in abund. ance. —(Ad.) A dentist who cannot extract teeth without pain is not at the head of-hi? profession. —Londjon Dental Institute, Queen-street. —Ad. And they are pretty! !-—The nice lofc, of ties at Geo. Fowlds", all the latest designs now to hand. — (Ad.) The cheapest store for good quality house furnishings in town. — Simmonda and Spragg, Newton.— (Ad.) And they are cheap! ! —The best value in men's suits, trousers, working shirt? and flannels, pyjamas, etc., now being offered at Geo. Fowlds'.—(Ad.)