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Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 198, 19 August 1908, Page 4

The following is Capt. Edwin's weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this dny:—"From between north and we.s|, and south-west; moderate to strong wind. Glass little movement, but fall after sixteen hours/ A conference of representatives from Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, and Otorohanga native townships was held at Otorohanga, Mr. G. Ormsby, of Tc Kuiti. pre-' siding, to discuss the present position of native township tenure, and to formulate resolutions to be laid before the Government, with a view to placing the township on an equal footing with European jentres. The following resolution was :arried unanimously:—"That, after full ?onsideration of all the difficulties met with in endeavouring to establish local loveniment in native townships, this conference is of the opinion that immediate -ieps shoula be taken for bringing before the Government the urgent necessity for an alteration in the land tenure of the native townships of Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, and Otorohanga. and recommend as a first step the removal of all restrictions from native owners in dealing with township lands, that all lands in native townships be made liable for taxation for all local public purposes, and that power be given to lessees to sublet, subdivide, and transfer township property held on lease." It was decideu lo appoint delegates from the townships named to proceed to Wellington to place the resolution before the Government. At a meeting of the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr. VV. V. Jacobs, referring to the Shearers' Accommodation Bill, stated that it was of a most drastic nature. It simply meant that the employers would have to find a five-roomed house for shearers it a cost of over £200 for a few weeks each year. They would require to find a dining-room, sleping-rooms for shearers, a sleeping room for a cook, bathroom, and kitchen. He moved a motion strenuously protesting against Lhe bill, which was carried unanimously. The barque Polly, which is ashore below the 'Whangarei Railway Wharf. is practically in the underwriters' hands, and a pang of men was set to work to-day to unload her cargo of timber. Capta-in Petersen entertains little hope of salving the vessel; as he feajs her hack is broken.

There has been, much speculation in Sydney as to what should be done in the way of providing liquid entertainment •for members of the battleships' crews w&en in Sydney. From America it was reported that the Admiral had expressed a desire that strong drink should not be offered to the men, as they were not accustomed to it and it therefore did them no good. The "Daily Telegraph" says : "In connection with various functions in Sydney the necessity for providing drinks gave rise to the question, 'What shall we give them?' Some people suggested iced-water as the favourite American tipple, others inclined towards spirituous liquors, and those who took a middle course suggested that the limit of strength should be drawn at lager beer. To put an end to the difficulty and uncertainty, Commander Pethebridge was commissioned to find out what drinks the Admiral preferred that his men should be regaled upon, and he yesterday cabled Admiral Sperry's reply. It was: 'Whatever are good enough for Australians are good enough for Americans.' This will relieve the doubts of many who may wish to exchange greetings and 'Here's how!' (the American equivalent of 'Here's luck!' with the visitors." The Westport correspondent of the Lyttelton Times " reports that the operations in connection with the reflating of the Taviuni, stranded l on the South Beach at, Westport, are proceeding slowly but surely. The timber required', about 150,000 ft., has to be brought a considerable distance, and across heavy ground. Twelve and fourteen feet lengths of timber are being riveted on to the sides of the steamer in a vertical position, wit'i ; about eight or ten feet space between the lengths. To these, jacks with a lifting capacity of 2000 tons will, in due course, be attached, to enable the vessel [to be placed on a ekidway yet to be constructed. The vessel will then have to he drawn some considerable distance up the beach with winches, swung round with head towards the river entrance, and l launched through the western wall. It is a big task, and it is too early yet to predict that it will be successful. The Fiordland of New Zealand has been so frequently illustrated in the Press that the public have become to some extent familiar with its main features. .It is only, however, to those who visit the West Coast Sounds that their real beauty and grandeur aro brought home in a manner never to be forgotten. Once a year only is the opportunity given to visit the most beautiful of these Sounds, to spend days exploring every .inlet and to find .ime for sketching and photographing the marvellous scenery. This year the cruise will take place in January as usual, and the Union Steamship Company call attention to this in our advertising columns, so that those who intend to proceed may have ample time to make their arrangements. Berths are usually taken up by the majority of the passengers some months before the steamer' leaves, and it would therefore be wise for those who have any thought of taking the trip to make their inquiries and socure their accommodation as soon as possible. The bakers on "strike" in Wellington (remarks the "Wairarapa Age") can continue to strike for as long as they like so far as the employers are concerned. For once the employers have gained a victory, and the public convenience, totally disregarded by the Etrikers, has not even been disturbed. It is true that the misguided bakers' employees in Wellington exercised a sort of natural right by going on strike, but the circumstances surrounding their action did not render it creditable in the least. The Arbitration Court did not give the employees' union all they wanted, so, ignoring the award of the Court, they sought to force the employers' hands. One can imagine what a howl of indignation there would have keen had the employers endeavoured *w set aside an award of the Court, and. compelled employees to accept their terms. Tito unfortunate strikers, in the case under notice, are, however, to be more pitied than blamed for foolishly believing in leaders who have led them to destruction, metaphorically speaking. A further communication from the New Zealand' authorities has been received by the New South Wales Minister for Agriculture with reference to the regulations under the Orchard and Garden Pests Act of 1903, in regard to the importation into New Zealand of fruit and plants. It is stated that it is now decided that pineapple and pussionfruit will be allowed into the Dominion if accompanied by a modified certificate from the inspector that the fruit, to the best of his knowledge, is clean and free from disease. It is further notified that it is not intended to formally alter the regulations already in existence, but they will be relaxed in the case of passionfruit ailld pineapples, as stated above. The well-known firm of Nelson, Moate. Ltd., tea merchants, have lately moved into their fine new warehouse. Situated at. the corner of Victoria and Blair street*, Wellington, the building presents an imposing front, easily distinguishable from the central and northern ends of the city, as well as from the harbour. The construction is unique, being the first entire reinforced concrete building in the city, and the absence of amy wood other than doors and window-sills in the construction makes it entirely fireproof. The space within the building is capacious, and provides sufficient room for the handling of 4.000,0001b of tea per annum. It i s Nelson, Moate, and Co.'s intention to eventually supply the trade in all parts of NVw Zealand 'direct from Ceylon and Wellington, instead of having branches at the various centres, as at present. Some person much concerned of the well-being of a score of ballet-dancing children, who hides his light by making his missive anonymous, has written to the Department of Education, stating that about twenty children, between the ages of six years and twelve years, were being toured through New Zealand and used as ballet-dancers. These little ones would be away from Sydney about six months, and during that time would receive no scholastic education She anonymous perturbed one wanted the matter righted. The communication to the Department being referred to the Auckland Education Board, that body to-day referred the matter to its truant officer. To the meeting of the Education Board to-day. the Finance Committee reported that the Minister for Education had authorised an additional grant of £401 10s. for extras upon the contract for the building of the Auckland Training College. The committee recommended that application should be made for a further grant of £63 for fencing the front of the building. The recommendation was adopted. The fleet, has gone. Your opportunity is also going. Last three days oi sale. Balance of remnant* in all departments must be cleared out George Court and Sons, Ltd., "Bis Store" Karaagahape-road, near Pittstreet.—"(Ad.^

The extent to which some students carry tbeir jokes (so called) approaches .< the incredible. At a meeting of the ' Otago University Debating Club, a num- ' ber of the guests and visitors less cxperi- i enced in tlie peculiar subtlety of the i students' faculty of humour were un- • wise enough to leave their coats and < hats in the entrance lobby, and at the : conclusion of the gathering at a late i hour liad the experience of rescuing their belongings from an adjacent tree, whi- • ther they had been cast by some joker. A more glaring case of student diversion of wit was afforded at a social gathering in Dunedin some weeks previously, when the guests of the function—some 200 odd—were reduced to the task of extricating their personal belongings from a mixed heap of coats and miscellaneous hats at the hour of 2 a.m. On this occasion the jokers bad even gone the length of transferring the contents of one person's pockets to those of another, thus rendering doubly difficult the task of establishing ownership—in fact, some still possess coats other than their own. A Dunedin carpenter informed a "Star" reporter that over a hundred carpenters from Great Britain have reported themselves to the local branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners during the past two years. The informant spoke well of the immigrants both as regards their competency as workers and their qualities as men. He mentioned that the men were eager to work, and anxious to "se+tle down" in New Zealand. As the rules of the society stipulate that 10/- per week shall be paid to unemployed members, local carpenters were ready to help the arrivals to find work. From an old settler the "Wanganui Chronicle" learns that 'possums are proving a great nuisance in the Fordell district. These little pests, he says, are literally swarming all over the place. If his recollection served him, he added, it was about twenty-five years since the first pair of 'possums were introduced into the district. As proof of the extent to which they have multiplied, he mentioned that a couple of young men "bagged" seventeen on one tree a few nights ago. The 'possums are playing havoc in the orchards, rendering successful fruit-growing well nigh impossible. Vegetables from Japan are to arrive in Wellington this week (says the "Post"), a peaceful illustration of the long-foreto!d Japanese invasion of Australasia. There is a shipment of Japanese onions now on the water, and they are to reach Wellington, via Australia, next week. The present wholesale price of oversea (Victorian) onions is from £12 to £12 10/- per ton, and there is said to he nothing superior in quality, so if the Japanese article proves as good as advance notes claim them to be, the invation should prove profitable for the brown nies. The "Lyttelton .Times," referring to the visit of the American fleet, says: ■ —"There has been rather too great an insistence on the possibility of the fleet becominjr the protector of New Zealand. Some of«the Australian journals have gone so far as to declare that without American support there would be small hope for the 'white Australia" policy. If it is necessary to emphasise that side of the fleet's voyage it would surely be better to regard the Americans not as our defenders, but as our allies in the pursuit of a common ideal. The fleet's presence in Australasian waters is evidence of the American determination to maintain the supremacy of the white man In the countries of the white man. If this voyage was intended as a demonstration, it was made in the interests of the United States, not in the interests of these colonies; and we do not suppose for an instant that if the Japanese cared to quarrel with Australia the Americans would interfere on Australia's behalf. New Zealand's welcome haß been entirely disinterested. The citizens of Auckland certainly deserve the congratulations and the thanks of the whole Dominion for the manner in which they rose to the occasion in extending to the visitors that hearty hospitality upon which New Zealam'.crs are prone to pride themeslves in connection with the visits of strangers to their country. Some interesting light is thrown upon the effect of the recent severe snowstorms upon the sheep in the Rock and Pillar district in a letter received yesterday by a Dunedin gentleman from" a bro--ther resident at Hyde. In the course of his letter he says—"The sheep and cattle are looking fairly well, and should get over the spring satisfactorily. More sheep will be lost in the snow, however, than was anticipated. From one particular drift in a basin on the sunny face of the Four-mile Spur I extricated about 20 sheep a few days after tho snowfall, and though 1 searched diligently I could find no more. But about a fortnight later five or six sheep'which I had missed were taken out of the same hole alive by other members of our party. Again, „a fortnight later. 17' dead sheep were counted in the same drift, and there are probably more, as the drift is still very deep. ' The storm seems to have come up from the south, and driven the sheep to take shelter in the cavities In the face, where the snow I drifted over them. I rescued 25 sheep | from one drift of this sort by tramping a track through the soft snow to them, making a really deep track, and you will imagine my surprise on visiting'the spot after a thaw some 10 days later to find that. I had driven the' rescued sheep over the top of another little mob, which were still alive, and able to scramble to a safer place. However, even after all losses are taken into account, I consider that the good done by the snow and rain will more than equal any damages." The Ponsonby vShakespeare and Rhetoric Club announces a reading of 'Hamlet" for to-morrow evenina, at the Leys Institute, commencing at 7.45 .p.m. The G.F.S. choir, of St. Matthew's, gives a concert in the Parish Hall to-mor-row evening. Including eighty-eight half-time schools there were, on June 30. 1908. 497 schools in the Auckland Education District an increase of five on the previous quarter There are 958 teachers, as follows- — Adult males, 388; male pupil-teachers, 42; adult females, 410; female pupilteachers, 118. These represent ail increase of seven adult teachers and seven ' pupil-teachers. There are on the rolls 18,317 boys (259 increase), and 16 487 girls (increase 231). The average attendance of boys was 15.983 (increase 304), and of gl rls 14,103 (increase 301).' Passengers by the s.s. Clansman for Russell, Whangaroa, and Mangonui, will note the alteration in time of departure to midnight this evening. Picture Postcards.—Real photos. US.A. battleships, the fleet in Auckland Harbour, photos, of warships-sonic ! splend* Rpreckley and Com- i pany, ngnfi-vwxt Post Office.—(Ad ) j

The New Zealand Industries Brhfrif. on the Town Hall site attracted tendances throughout yesterday and Si day. The last day of the exhibit are now announced, and those who ha not yet inspected the fine display 0 f *fe* Zealand manufactures should do so * once. Besides the main sights, there ail many side shows and amusements whil' a musical programme is dispensed di&> by the Auckland Garrison Band.' t£ exhibition is open daily from 9 ajn. ta '" 10 p.ni. ™ At present eight half-day attendance/ at school a week —that is, eight attend, ances out of ten —are compulsory TH/i Wellington Education Board proposed that the whole ten attendances should be compulsory-. They argue that we are working under a system of compulsory education, and at present only eighttenths of the attendances are eoinpulaorr The Auckland Board's feeling, to-day, was that the Wellington props, sal would be quite unworkable, and the* as matters were at present in this jj. rspect the Act was satisfactory. j* - was resolved to reply to the Wellingtoß Board that there was no need to altei this portion of the Act. The monthly advertisement of tin Auckland Co-operative Terminating Building Society appears in another cor umn of this issue, announcing thai £4400 will be distributed by ballot and sale at *St. James's Hall on Wednesday nest,-20th inst., and notifying memberi' that the necessary payments must be made not later than Monday, 24th insL at 5 p.m.