NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13009, 10 January 1908, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A mooting of the Hocken Trust collection. Trustees was held at Dunedin yestorday, when tho deed vesting the colleotiion in tihe Otago University Council wne signed. The treasurer's statement showed tihat the total funds in hand amounted to £5600. ''Don't you thirtk the judge ebould be fenced in from tihe crowd ?" c. member of the ChiistchuTcih Regatta Committee- enquired from hoe fellow-jnem-bore last evening. "Ho was fenced in last year,' ,, one member averred. "Yes, by bookmakers," was the rejoinder. Tiho work of laying down 701b steel rails on the main, lines of the Dominion ie being pushed on by the Railway Department as rapidly as circumstances will permit. Some hundreds of miles of 531b rails Jvave been taken up and laid down on branch lines, replacing the 281b rails which have don«e duty for many yeaTs. Last year 64 J miles were covered with tie heavyweight rails. Thdbe assembled last night at the meeting of contributors to the Samaritan Homo evinced an amount of modesty that is not often noticeable. A chairman was wanted for tho meeting, and the secretary vainly proffered the honour to several of the gentlemen pr©9Rnt, who, however, firmly declined. Tho secretary endeavoured to persuade them by assuring the gentlemen asked that it was "merely a formal matter," "we shan't bo long," etc., but it was no use, and he had to cut the Gordian knot by taking th<© position himself. The executive of the Otoago Trades and Labour Council, im reply to Mr Slater, etete that Mr Slater has, without doubt, dono li'is best, for "t'ho sid© he> has represented, and they have given him every credit for doing so; but if they are convinced that someone else can. do better for them, they consider they ore at perfect liberty to make the change, and it ill becomes irresponsible people to tak*. the workers to task and accuse them of ingratitude towards ■Mγ iSlaier. TJw> workers have aJlowcd irresponsible peopV *o do the thinking for them too lons, and if anything were required to convince the I*abour Unions of the wisdom of making the change, it is the nonsensical utterances of these people. Jt appears to (be tho fashion, to criticise, edrfireely >tihe work of postal dftpartrnfflite. >but the fact is omasionaJ2;,' forgotten that whilst tho department as &low, it is eleo sure. You may h«ve to wait for your letters, but yon will probably z«t them at. pome time—always jmmded tfoet you wnit lons enough. " For irtErance, Mr Ja-mrs M'fimth, of ijawFwn Oreck, in Now Sout3i Wake, ih:)fi just received fit the Mndgre post offico a letter sont m«ny flnw aso —we-H, innny years ago—in ehort. n leitr,r posted to htim by his moitihf.r in Ireland in the year 185G— moro than fifty years ago. ' Mr M'Grath's ni&tJi-er .hoe been , deed for years, and now. ilikp n mesfMgo from thr grave, rotnes thds letter, wiriMon by her in ronlv to one ho liad sent from "Australia. What a-curious tale of wan-dorin-fm over tho faco cf the earth it micrht tell, wore it able to npp&k!—or did it gp-t into n. wrong pigeon-hole? CVlr Sm.itli, J. P., of I-oy, Worcestorehire, wos invited by the HfMr. W. A. Evans to fltteml the weekly meeting of the Wellington Ronovolent Instiitution on Tuesday afternoon. This gentleman tekes considpralßO interw-t in the question of rendering nssnfrtonco to those in the Old Country who. thrcugh or infirmity, ire unable to help themselves. Wliile 1m» was present there was ushered into the room,si nran who, elthoncih he said he wns sixty-four years of did not look moro thoi: forty-five, and wns evidently n "doeeneroto. ,, Aftor 3iis naee hid boon dealt with, Mr Smith re-markfd: "Weil, the iSupprintendent of Police in Aueklond told iw that I wouldn't \>f- <ii>lc to find a fihibbily-<lres6cd jx>rpon in the Dominion : but I've seen one non - . , ' "Yes," said 3tr A. C. Peerce. '•but does that men look as if were starred?" Mr »Smith admitted that he certainly did not. Mr Pearce added that when rewsn-tly in England he had seen children who were evidently feniiehing picking bits of orange peel from the gutters ejid dtvouriiwc them.

"Ploughing is the easiest work in the world. 1 coukl take a boy off tho streets aud teach him to plough well in three weeks.' , t>o said Mr Maelin when giving evidence, before ttye Conciliation Board at Geraldine yesterday. The Dental Conference, which has been sitting at Auckland, closed yesterday with morning and afternoon sessions. At the former, various members pave demonstrations in special modes of practice, and the latter was occupied in the reading of papers and discussions. "You farmers must not run away with the idea that the Board are so dense that they cannot grasp the I>ositions yoti put before them. We have one practical farmer on the Board, i was brought up on « farm myself, and wo are all able to grasp the evidence before us," {.aid the Chairman or the. Conciliation Board at Gcraldino yesterday, when Mr W. S. Maelin was giving evidence, and when he was going into explanations that were rather too minute to please Mr Mineon. The revaluation o!" xhe inner area of the City of Christchurch has Keen completed. *and that of the. outer area is at present in hand. It is anticipated that tlio item- valuation roll will be ready by April. As indicated by the. new valuation of the Bank ofNw Zealand's premises, -which according to the Mayor's statement at tho mooting: of ratepayers on Monday evening, has risen from 1:10,000 to there has been a great advance in city values since the previous valuation. Tho oroction of the fish-ouring works on Hangawai Island by tho Salvation Army is stated to have> proved successful from every paint of view, and arrangements aro now being made to erect an additional smokehouse, and a largo freezing plant, costing over I'liU'O. The enlargeine-nts. according to Brigadier Albistou, are due to tho demand in Auckland i'or fresh and smoked fob. As a result of tho erection of tho fish-curinig plant on the island, a means of livelihood has been provided for tho Maoris resident there. Mr J. K. M.nrch, ohief immigration officer, returned from Wellington yesterday. He has been to the north to receive'tho arriving by iho Athenic. Mr March sayu that nearly 600 arrived by tho steamer, tho majority or whom brought money with them. * They were qiiiipkly absorbed. Tliey wore "all of a very excellent stamp, and Mr March in of opuiion they will make good colonists. Twentylive domestic servants came out also, but all to i'riends in tho colony, aaid their arrival, tliere'fore, not reliovo tho acute, dearth of servants which exists in tho Empire City. "A Pmss Association telegram from Wellington states that the delnmtures mentioned in tho Press cable messages as being put on tho London, market by tho Wellington City Corporation are in the possession of tho Electrical (Syndicate, which accepted them in payment tor its Welliwgton business. At tho time of the sale, to the City of Wellington some months ago, there was no passing of money; the City Council simply handed over £150,000 in. debentures, upon which it will pay interest as agreed, aaid it is the greater part of these debentures that is no\v being floated hs the Electrical Syndicate. The fortnightly meeting of the Oak of Sydenham Lodge, No. 15, U.A.0.D., was'held m the Friendly Societies' Hall, Hazledean road, on Wednesday, A.D. Bro. Hole presiding. The roll of officers was called, ail boing present. The District President, Bro. Didkio, installed the secretary, ,treasurer, A.D. bard, and V.A. bard in their respective' offices for the ensuing term. He also presented to Bro. J. Puddle, on behalf of the lodge, a P.A. diploma in. recognition of his past services to the lodge. Bro. Puddle suitably respon-ded. Tho bards reported visiting the sick brothers, and siok pay in i'ull was passed for payment. (Some New Zealanders returning to the "land of the blest" encountered quite recently an Anglo-Indian and a shock (says the "Otago Daily Times"). Hearing tho name "New Zealand," the person • from the land of the pagoda tree became vaguely interested. The words seemed somehow familiar. "New Zealand," she repeated pensively; "I was nearly going there." "But why rot?"- chorused the others. "Oh" (languidly), it's rather rougli over there, isn't it? The hotol accommodation in thoso outlandish'places would be rather trying after India, you know; so I'm getting off at Hobart!" During an awful .silence people were busy remembering tales of archaic fowls massacred and curried on the spur of the moment for the delectation of the traveller at tho unspeakable Dak Bungalow; of weird messes served in steaming refreshment rooms by turbaned "savages"; of endless nighte of punkahs, prickly heat, and other horrors, with the off chance of meeting a cobra in the bathroom next morning. And New Zealand "rather trying" to one accustomed to all this! It was too much. They could only go on deck and gasp and wonder who it was that saKi New Zealand was over-advertised. Tho search for IMaori Telics on the historic Miramar Peninsula is being continued by a few enthusiasts, and not without Tesult. During recent weeka (.says tbe Wellington "Dominion"), tiki buttons, parts of Maori necklaces, and pieces of greenstone implements have been found in different parts of the district. What is a more important find was the discovery quite recently on the Monorgan Block (east of Lyell Bay) f tho bones of two moa toes almost complete. These, •when pieced together, measure about eight inches in length, indicating that when covered with the horny flesh of the extinct bird, and armed with claws, the length, of tho foot must have been quite twelve inches. The formation of tho bones has been closely compared with those in tho Museum, proving conclusively that they are moa toe bones, and'that the- great bird oiu-e lived at Miramar, and probably stalked over the site of "Wonderland" in search of food. Numerous, pieces of moa egg-shell wore fotind during the recent holidays on the same, block, and, estimating the length by tho curve of the pieces, they must have been about eight inches long. Tree-planting is an industry well calculated to meet tho wants of the 1/abour League and furnish work for unemployed (.says tho "Dominion"). Our timber resources aro rapidly receding before th* advance of settlement, and for future years a local scarcity of timber is generally predicted. Two years ago the Chief Forester out i ma tod that Now Zealand was v.sing thirteen times as much timber per annum as the artificial State forests ooiiM produce }>er annum when mature, forty or sixty years hence. At the present time about f>Blo acrra of trees have been planted by the Government, with a total of just over fifteen million treos. The extension of the area, largely by moans of prison labour, is proceeding at tho rate of noi more than five million trees on 1800 acres per annum, and creator activity eculd well be displayed if necessary. A great pa.'t of tho labour of treeplanting is done during the winter months,-when tho demand for labour on ordinary farms is least acute, and the work b. such as could fluctuate* with varying supplies of labour without damage to stock. In providing wages for unemployed in this way to give them a more start, the country would have the satisfaction of knowing that it was accumulating a eouroe of much revenue in tbe years to como. The Chief Forester has estimated the yield of milling timber from the artificial iStnto forests, when mature, at about 20.000 feet por annum per acre. Tho value at present markot prices, when milled, works out at over £100 per aero per annum. i

A sitting of the Assessment Court wiM bo held at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, February. 12th, for tho purpose of hearing objections against tho ei>ecial roll prepared by tho City Council in respect of tho St. Albans Ward Xo. 3 Loan specie] rating area. As showing how confined are tho capabilities of some farm hands, Mr AY. S. Maslin told tho Conciliation Board at Geraldine yesterday that he ' knew a man who had been on a farm for 29 years, nnd when asked to catch some lambs while another man tailed them, he could not do it, saying that he had never been used to it. The ballot in Otago for tho biennial election of tihe general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was held yesterday. Tho voting resulted as follows:—Mr Mack (Auckland) 700, Mr Edwards (the present secretary) 101. Mr AY. T. Hanrnlian and Mx D. Wilson were appointed delegates to the annual conference. Tho Commissioner of Taxes etates that tho income tax this year "will yield £300,000. an increase for the year of £22.131. The land tax will amount to £550,000. This is £102,658 more than last yenr. The increase is chiefly due to tho new scale ot graduated land tax. "It was a sorry day for tho colony ( when the Conciliation and Arbitration Act was passed," said Mr W. S. Masliu before the Conciliation Uoard at Geraldine yesterday, "for instead of wttliiifi and improving matters, it has been tho cause of raising strife and strained relations, disquietude, and unrest," An especially interesting feature in connection with the Southbridgo Horticulural Society's exhibition held yesterday was tho success obtained in tJie coo'kerv division by a boy competitor. This "boy— H. McMillan l>v namealong with Roveral ot-lwr.s attended cookery classes recently held at Southbridge, and entered specimens of his cooking a'bilitv at tho exhibition held yesterday. The a-ptuess ho has displayed lor tho culinary art k shown by tho fact that the judges awarded him first prize for jam tails and firwt prize for i*cod cake, there boinj; no lower than iivo lady competitors against him in the seed cako class. Mr J. A. Ehwin, M.P. for Inxercar#ill, xaye:—"As tho result of my Kfcay in Taranaki, and from observations and enquiries I made, I am bound to cay. that thu allegations regarding childshivery are exaggerated. Instances of the undue um> of children in working oairy farms are to bo found ; but, Hβ a. whole, there is nothing .to justify statements which'have been mado regarding tho ill-effects attending the employment of young people in the dairying industry. Generally speaking, tho children presented aa healthy and robust an appearance as could 'lie seen in tho Dominion. It is true that the work does tell on somo of the youngsters, and cases coujd bo cited of young children being mentally tired during school hours; but as regards the elder children, no injurious effects could bo noticed." Very, very indignant (seys the Wellington '-Post) is the ''Pelenis GuaTdian" about the Government's subscription of £1000 to tho cost of the Antarctic expedition. Darkly the 'editor sees tho possibDity of an earldom for ifaho Premier out of the venture, and ho wants to know , whore the rest of the. people come in. Gradually the writer lashes himself into a semiand he has horrible visions of "political double-shuffling." At lest ho quietens down. "Thore is no question of parochialism in a protest of this nature," he declares. "The point of view we take is that charity should begin at home, and that the Government has no moral right to give away tho people's money unless the people as a whole aTe to participate in any benefits that may accrue." The "Pβlorus Guardian" does not seem to-know any more - than Polorus Jack knows that "the people as a. whole" may benefit to the extent of considerably moTe then £1000 by the Antarctic expedition. It is c generally-accepted fact that bud-ness must not be allowed io interfere with bowls, ia nd the Mayor of AuoldaJid (Mr A. M. iMyers) emphasised this fact, in extend ing c -sveilcome to the visiting bowlers the other day. Mr Myers recently anet waih an accident in playamg tennis, and iho sent a fetter apologising for his albsence- from tlho official reception. "It is with sincere .regret that I Jiev© to <ask you to apologise for my absence to the assembled bowlora," iho wrote. "I had been looking forward' io the pleasure and privilege of extending a hearty woicoine to them, .but, unfortunately, on Thursday last, instead of dorimg my duty -and pleyimg ibowls, I allowed myself to be hrred aiway from the rightt path, and played tennis, with tho reKul't that I sustained an dnjury to my leg which wall confine mc to tho house for wmo day's. Atobough we all recognise that business nwst not inter* fere, witti bowls, lam afraid-I cannot ignore the doctor's orders." Sydney papetrs to band by yesterday's mail record that a man named Adolphits Sydney Thomas, agod 26, who ihad been arrested charged with a criminal offence upon, a girl at Kayuga in August last, shattered Jiis head with" a dynamite cap in the ceil at Huswellbrook on Monday of last week. A letter in pencil was found in- the cell as follows:—"Whon'you discover that I was as smart as yon two gentlemen with all your searchiiig. and that I happened to dodigo you right in front of your eyes—l suppose yon two brave men thought you did a great stroke by taking mo yesterday. You played vonr card -\roll_: now I pljy mine. Yb'u havo enough money to bury mc with. Tell to sco thnt J geft a deexmit burial. What I possess I lcwvo to him. There aro £10 owing to mc, which' I wish to go to . You may all think I am mad, but I am as levelheaded a-s tho judge who would try mc. I am not afraid of death. I am quite calm and collccte<l, aiwl know exaotly wliat I am doing. So farewell to all. We have to die only onoe. Kα a man may as well be de<id* as branded a criminal for the term of his natural 1i.f0." An inquest was held and a verdict of suicide returned. T!w> question of mexlical men molding pa* Trortem exa mi nations without the fliithority .of the Coroner cropped up ot tho inquest on the body of o.n infant (saA-s sui Auckland -tsfegrain). It transn>ire<l that Dr. Herdie N«l_, wlio was <rilied in at Ihe death of the child, was reked by tfc© mother to Oficertnin the cause of drath ! by taking tl«> Ixhlv mrey and holding a poet mortem. Tho doctor, in total that thero were, or were h'kHy to ariee. aaiy *nis-j.-irioue circuir?-tancee in connection with the corns conpontetl. Rummirs then renched the ears of the, police, which rendered it Jiwpwn r> - to inform the Coroner TM.r (*resham) of the death. He thereupon ordered'an inquest, and rwnies'tecl Dr. Bull to «> post mortem. Dr. Neil, in the m«vintpme had comm**ncerl hrj> examination, but suspi*>nd<xl t.he wme on 'being rnform«l that there was to be «n inquest. T/m> Chroner during the I>roo<H\lin,Es brought out these facts, and took ccoaesion to point out that in med'ice-l l*w ifc wee improper for a 'body to l>e removed for po»t mortem p-nrposes if there were any eusT>idoiis oirainwtencees. Ho was aware that in the pr<«eirt case Dr. llardie Neil did mot know* «ny mispician had ■been arouse<l, «.nd he iv-ae eetisiied that that gentlemen would do nothing to defeat the e-mb of justice. If, however, he (Mr Gree-k-am) were to allow tliJe removal c-f « | body to 'be *i precedent, them wos a risk tfcit ex>n)f* anwlirel practitioner nrizht, vitlioirt j unification, destroy ell traces of a crime

Tho Master Butchers' Aeodatieii which was - recently formed ia g£ borne, lias decided to allow orit weekly credit. ™v , Private letters received this *•«* : dimte that the New York finiirij crisis w being very keenly fefc fa g£ *ranc«ep. Kmlding operations fa 22 " city aro greatly effected, ajid it « timated that 0.000 carpenters H. been thrown out of employment. Tho Now Zealand-Australian ConfJ enco ol tho Seventh Day has boon opened at Cambridge «S I will be continued for a week. \']«!!t number of delegates from' the JM ventists recently purchased large nnL perties at .Cambridge, and have er««+ <vl a training school and health f«w* factory. ™ Nearly threo hundred Civil scrront. " have already made application to U 'included in. the superannuation scheni (says tho "Dominion"). Many otfc«! express si 11 intention of delaying apnlL ration till towards the termination of their six months' opportunity, so tjj»t the deduct ions f rom t heir salaries, wliii form the solo unpleasant feature oftS scheme, may not <-onunence tod soobT^ Thero i.s no truth hi a rumour tfc»i I lias gained currency that the erwtton I oi the. new "Wellington Post Offiw^jS' I bo delayed, as a consequence of tho*»tensivo building programme which the j ("Jove m mc lit will have on its hands. J|» i J. Campbell, Government architect. btates that working drawings for the now Post Office aro now being prepay e<l, and tho matter will bo pushed for* ward with all celerity. A No pier liress Association telegram - etiatcvs that tho ltev. J. Hobbs Anglican Vicn-r of Hastings, tr}m for «iiue time, has intoneiai himee-lf in the, Mtciol welfir e : of tho youths oomiected with the r«y I ing fr.iiWee, has been given £300 by thestewards and others interested in racing, <;s a gift to form tho basis of a build ins fund for a club room , for tJio youths of Heatings. The rector was told he was doing more than tin Gaming Act to purify sport. Some timo ago tho Domain Board wioto to the Government with reference to the rernorai of the stones of tho Fernery, which wero buried in the Park as a legacy by Mr Munro before shaking the dust of Christchurch off his feet. The Hoard passed a ranfa. tion to tho effect that the GoverniMat bo requested to remove tho stone at once. However, no reply has been received from the Minister-in-Charge. A meeting of tho Board is to be held o'a Monday, when no doubt Borne refer, fence will bo made to tho matter. Tho work of draining the Pjako swamps, in the Auckland province, it to bo pushed forward immediately (sajp the "Dominion"). slr W. C. Kenamg. ton, Under-Secreitary for Crown Lands, will leavo "Wellington to-day, Jβ visit that district in connection witit tho scheme. Uy proper drainage it is hoped to convert £0,000 acrea of Crown lands, at present worth less than £1 an ocro, into bind worth £5 or £6 aa acre. ' It is probable that Mr Kensington will also visit Waiotapu, where it is proposed to extend the area for tree-plant-ing by prisoners. .< Two pereone were β-rrested yesterday, i n exceptional ciroumstanoee, on ohargel • of having been found drunk. One, ig. tending to ooun.te.ract the Jieat of tit" day, got on board a oanoe, but in a comparatively short space of time found himself in the river, and tho cooling process was much more rapid than he originally bargained for. The other, -, who was also overcome by the heat," fell asleep on tne river bank; but hit •• slumbers were ovidently disturbed.. f« "- when iio »woke he was in the riWt the nightmare for day-ma.ro) he had -' boon riding in his sleep having pre- ( cipi.tated him into the Avon. Both victims of tho high temperature we»~ lescued by constables and taken totte v police station., in tho yard of wltich ■" their clothing -was hung out to dry. A number of exciting rncidwii* occurred duriirg the lifo &m*B »« - high-divang competitions neid at on* gail a at New "Brighton yesterdey. Th« ' first competitor in the former cm-' potation got into serious difficulty in the deep -water off the end of the pwr when attempting to rescue hie dununj, ,- and a Jifebnoy hod to be thrown to - him. Hβ. managed to keep hold <W , this till Mes&re V. Drake end. HWilliams, two of the other oomwa- r ;. tore/wemt to his rescue, and aeihore. Not long after thie incident/j anotiher of the oonteebwrte became «• hausted, and -was oo3y able <j> te*gf;- rjtcrra firm with t!he eid of MeMjß.'i" Williams afnd' H. Wauchop. . A later iinrvtfcor competitor wae brouwt? to eafety by Mr H. Wancihop, end, W-'ri lowing oloeely on thas episode, Mr^V.y? 1 Drake was instrumentaJ an aawwpgyy ashore a ewimmer wfe) had ..oeeVjf seized with cramp. '^'0' • A meeting of representative of tw-4 Ix>wer Hutt and Petone borough*, ako reeidents of tho Hutt Valley, *•»,*(, held last evening (says a Pceee **°rS ciation telegram from Wellington;, W y -§. consider the prospects of instaUiiif evstem of electric traction and to serve the Hutt Valley. A propoplJS was submitted to tho > n « et > a S»,. mating the oost of the joint at £80,000, and providing for «nkwg| ; fund and contingencies. An oner made by a number of gentlemen uHJc tcrested in the district that if W|| scheme, as outlined, were undertaKei p . by the corporations interested, tMffji; would be prepared to' guarantee up_"»* £20.000 to provido for any loss incurred |,r during the operations of the first years. After the matter had been d»-JK oussed, tho meeting decided to'™v"f. the proposal to a joint committee, power to obtain expert advice, and report to a subsequent meeting to held within three weeks' time. ..Jβ,, Tho vinbtors to the Hormft-V, «gt> at Mount Oook mon*ih inrfudexl Mr and M»> r < Holdsworth (Dunedin), Mr and M* Garrick (Cliristch-urch), Mr and K. G. Rhodcs,,Mi.ss and Master Rbottetr(Christchurch), Mr and Mrs LiiW«l-Q (Melbourne), Mr and Mrs Taoon, and Mrs Maodoneld, Dr. and Mr» ereon, Dr. and Mrs Bowo, Mrs •Oβ -j 3ILsB Anstcy, Mrs and Miss ham, ProfesHor Spenoer c Dr. Barclay, Messrs Murray, Sargent, s ; -, Ward, W. A. Moore. Rollestoer. Moly-: ,; nenx, and Hugonin, Jteedamcs j Barker, and Matheson, and AIK» -, MoorlM>u&e, Mieees Pitt, Gibbs, chinson, and March. The total forV November and Deoombcr was twM» »s , many as last year, and six or seven • times ac many as in tho best ee«en '- fi in tho coaching days. Ami the booK* s ings for January already promise »' busy month for tho cars. Tn an interview with a "TiroeW/ Herald" reporter., the Hon. Dr. Findlay, who was on his way to Mount* Cook, in reply to a question ac vrhether it hud really l>ecn dotcrmmea to erect a new accommodation house •* j Mount Cook, and to complete thebridging of tho streams that are eoine- , times torrents impassable to motor cars, replied in the afßrniativo, and stated that he would during his present vii,it fix: tho 6ito for the new bouse. ~ Gliiis would pmbably \x> built of staae- *> and contain 40 rooms, and cwt Pip* „ or nine thousand pounds. It had be-; t» cenw necessary to provivle more and < better accommodation to meet the increasing traffic; and the improved accommodation would again increase thr , traffic. The streams would be bridjpA'* too, and he hoped to havo the ront - made nood for an easy one-day motof trip. l'ro-i>cl;\v tlie- work would be don* kl s-) that the new nrrangementh would be ready for next season. Admiral Fawkes. who was making n noint of going up to Mount Cook, would bo able to compare our Alpine scenery with J , that of Kwitßerland. "I have l«on to \ Switzerland twice." said Dr. F'indlay> "and 1 can fay that the scenery intl climate aro fur buperiur to thoiO of Switzerland." , 3 s.

The insurance companies have, it is nnderstood. elected a successor to Mr t F Grierson— who resigned some little "time ape-as their representative on the Fire Board. The rerv work of ehanneli;A aP d cenernilv putting in order the ■ Stiol w- from -Madras street to nfrbadoes'street has been put in hand, £id will cilu-t i gr< :u improvement. The Drainage Board have written to .i Council with reference to the Juisanw arwinp m Taylors Lane, in Aberdeen street, owing To the absence cf drainapo facilities, and stating that the Boird int'iid to by a twfr in the lane. -In elderiy woman, who appeared at the M3£>tr'atcO> Court yesterday, on a charge of insobriety, pleaded guilty. rikl urged in extenuation that, she had Jied a lot of trouWe. Her husband died recently, and she took to drink to drown her sorrow. The Magistrate di&missed the charge, with a word of odvico not to indulge in liquor agnin, as it was no cure for trouble. Another first offender, <i man, w<is fined os, in I default 21 hours' imprisonment. A Pres-s Association te]o.grnm states that tie -it the Oamaru Court yesterday fin«l Thomas P-re*>n. h stock dee Uγ, charged with cruelty to »niniaK 2<V β-nd os-ts for crow-ding ""1 rov\6 an & * bull** into a 'T" waggon, for conveyance to Diinodin. The charge ajoinst James Howard. Jicenfi m of the Georgetown Hotel, for selling liquor to take.n into a noliconPearea, without civingsatisfactory 'notice, was dismissed. From this month the "Journal" issued by the Department of Labour will be on new lines. In future tho "Jouri,al" will not include d«xr:sions of th" Arbitration Court or tho recommendations of tho Conciliation Board. In place of these it will contain, ns formerly, general articles taken from the (ending magazines and periodioals of the norld, together with legal decisions in all parts of the globe affecting the interests of employers and employees. The reports and records under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act will be published in a separate vol- . iime as occasion requires. The Supremo Court returns for the Otflgo District show that during last vror. 30 mem and 3 women were indicted, of whom 31 men and 1 woman ' wero convicted and sentenced. Twen-ty-five men and 4 women were sent up from the lower Court for eentenee.. In 1006, the figures were 30 men indicted, I9~convicted, and 11 acquitted The increase of crime lat-T year wan in cases of theft and dec<3t, the mori> serious doss of offence being about equal to 100 G. In civil coses, judgment trae recorded for £2299, et> against £1898 during the previous year. Tho City Council have on more than ono occasion called the attention of the Tramway Board to the obstruction of Cathedral square, caused by trams standing there. The Town Clerk has now received a letter from the sec-ro-tary of the Tramway Board, stating that the TVaffic Superintendent has been instructed to minimise the inoon-%-enience as much as possible. The secretary of the Board expresses the hope that the new arrangements which the Board proposed to shortly put in hand in connection with the car-shed purchased at t!ho rear of Balgetys will considerably assist in a satisfactory settlement ~of this matter. Mr G. M. Thompson, at the instance of tho Dunodin Drainage Board's engineer, has subjected glazed earthen- • ware pipes and cement pipes to a Geries of tests, and forwarded the results to the Board's meeting on Monday night, says the "Otago Daily Times." His report stated that he had submitted the articles to a series of tests in hot 'water, an alkaline solution, sulphuretted hydrogen, and for absorption of water. Having set out the results in a set of tables, -which he explained, Mr Thompson reported that, taking-all the points into consideration, ho thought the cement pipes compared favourably with the earthenware, and that the probabilities were that they woidd withstand the corrosive action of ordinary drainage in a satisfactory manner. An interesting point was raised in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, during tJie hearing of a. civil case, Jessie iMayer (Mr Wilding) v. William Mayer (Mr Johnston), in which the plaintiff sued the defendant for £17 6s 8d arrears on a separation order. It ajjpearo that the husband had obtained a decree absolute in divorce proceed ings, and lied lodged a. petition in tflio Supreme Court, preying for the cancel lotion of the separation order, under whioli he was required to pay lQs a week to■warde tihe support of his *vrifo. The granting of the divorce decree had not. it appeared, finally absolved him from liability under tie separation order, but Mr Johnston contended that ne the matter was to come before the Supreme Oourt, the magistrate should not deal vitiJt. it at ell. as such acticn might prejudice the husband's position. *Mr Wilding submitted that the Court should deal witih the case at once, as the deed of separation wps binding, iwyfaritiustending the decree absolute. The magistrate adopted the vioTv advanced by Sir Johnston, amd adjourned the cece until the new proceedings shove been heard in tho Supreme Court. Harvesters Trill find tne Farmers' Co-op, their he&t shopping centre. We hare just navr all tihxngs needed by and wearing apparel, and our prices are right. 6 To-day is the opening day of Graham, Wilson, and Smelliete Annual Summer Sale. and_ in this iesue you will find a sale circular giving particulars of the splendid bargains offered by this reliable firm. Its perusal is bound to please prudeirt buyers. 6 F. Wells won the £30 Oamaru Wheel Race on his speedy Rndge-Whitworth Cycle. W. E. Hyslop and Co., agents. 6 The Great Inauguration Sale at T. Armstrong and Co.'b. Limited, continues its successful course. After-holi-diy quotations are lower than over, and v the firm decidedly leud tho soft goods trade in big values and email prices. G For the hot weather Messrs Hastie. Bull, and ore offering n n<>w quick-action low Cream Freezer. leee can be produced in three minutes, and a small or large quantity can be made without waste. Granulated ice for iced drinks can also be made._ Oil view to-day opposite Ballantyne's. 13 Dr. "Einil Kwnig, recognised bb one of the highest, authorities in Germany, declares that statistics show heart weakness in all its forms to be wicroasinff. As a matter of fain, heart weaklie.-"; is the cauet» of most of the ailments which afflict, people to-day, for when tho hrart ceases to work regularly, th« full supply of rich, rod blood. frf> necessary for every organ, tissue, and nerve cell in thn> body, is lacking, nnd ■ ill-health is the result. People «})o suffer from hewrt weakness generally feel instinctively tnat such is tho case, and certainly in such cases no time should ta> lost in commencing the riclit treatment, for delay ie. dangerous Tho bert treatment known for all form* of heart nihnonts is Dr. Hay's Hrart-help. This reliable ro«ierne jjradnally strengthens the heart, and lias brought bat-k health to thousands of MjfiVrers. Ji' you nro troubled with pains in tht> rtgion of the heart, palpitation, faint in i; spells, nervous < ie.. start a course- of Dr. fay's Hoan-hflp i-o-ilay. New Zealand chemists ihiw Ml! it in larg»» size tf»rt at i s ( k1 j, pi . TjettJ»>. 0 Millinery Ss lid. Lad ice' l-oeg Ce*u lU* od. Arnwtrungfa iiale.

The Bctiicia Disc Plough is a dandy for working out twitch. S\. Baeeet and , Co., Sole Agents. 6 The genuine Clearing Sale ot Moss'e, in the RoyeJ Exchange Buildings', etiJi continues. Ho is wiling the beet qualities in men's mercery at exceptionally low prices to effect a clearance l>rior to opening novelties. J. t>. Clarke. D.8.0.A., F.S.M.C, F.T.O. (London). Opthalmic Optician, lately returned after two years' special study in London in reference to eye defecte. Latest appliances for grinding all kinds of spectacle lenses. Every frame made to fit each individual face. Speciaily-built testing rooms, fitted with latest instruments for sight-test-ing. Charges strictly moderate. Telephone 2321. Address: 148 Colombo street (adjoining S. Clarke and Co.. jewellers). G Grass seeding will coon be in full swing. Armstrong and Co., Limited, are equipping harvesters with Overalls Ife 3d, 3s Gd; Hats 9(1 to Ls 3d; Bush Rugs 3s 3d, 3e lid, os lid; Sox od, Ud, 9d. 6 Mr .1. Boyd, who has been associated with the ojdo trade in Canterbury for the. lust liv years, has taken over the old-PSTfI-lilislifd business ot Messrs T. Boyd and Son. Cydp. Manufacturers, which he will continue tr> carry on in the old premises, 11H Gloucester street, where he will bo pleased to welcome both old and new customers, who may rely upon receiving every attention. 6 Toys that are cheap and yet to bo of good quality Ls whot everyone requires at Christmas. These can be procured at John K. Procter's, Oculists' Optician, ISO High street, CJiristchurch. Mechanical Engines from 9d to £2. Clockwork Motor Cars from ls to 16s, Steam Engines from 2s 6tl to £G. Water Pistols at 2s and 3d 6d, and othtr Mechanical Toys from ls upwards. 6 Importers c<ui save time and money by bending their documente to N.Z. Express Coy., Ltd., for clearance through Customs. All transactions treated as strictly confidential. 6 Erno&t M. Sandstein, F.S.M.C. D.8.0.A., (London), Consulting Optician, may be. consulted on all cases of defective eyesight. Fifteen years' special study and experience. The most complete and up-to-date optical parlours in the colonies. Consulting rooms, Cashol fetreer, W. Cnext Ballantvne's). Uonre, 9.30 to 5.30. Telephone 397. 6 A choice assortment of holiday fashions at moderate prices ere now showing at the D.I.C. These goods include a smart lot of costumes, jackets and knock-about hats for sea and riverside wear. The prices are arranged to meet the, demands of the present holiday season. 6 Lubricating is essential in all machinery. The best oil can be supplied at H. McClelloud'e, 224 Oeshel street, Ohristohuroh. All oils guaranteed good. 1 That idea of yours. Why not patent it? Consult Henry Hughes, Patent Agent, 183 Hereford street (oppocite United Service Hotel). No consulting fees. 2

AN OLD GUN" AND A WOODEN LEG. One of the old men who are beneficiaries of the Wellington Benevolent Institution met with bad luck the other day. His case reminded one (says the "New Zealand Times") of that of the Auckland militia man in 1861. The involuntary soldier had served out to him one of the old Enfield rifles with which the British troops were- then aTmed. He was warned that lie must keep it clean in ©very part. The man took it to his home, and having borrowed a ecrew-driver, took the rifle to pieces. That was easy enough. But when he started to put it together again he found the task entirely beyond his cunning. And ko he rammed the -whole "lock, stock, and barrel" into a Maori "kit," hoping that that particular weapon wotiM never be called in requisition in defence of tho Empire. Later oil there came tidings that Rewi and his warriors were likely to pay Auckland a hostile visit, and tho militia men were called to arme. This man with his "kit" of "artillery" formed up with the rest of them in the old Albert Barracks. Whon the officer came along the line, a peremptory demand as to his stewardship in regard to his gun was mot by the innocent reply that he had tried to keep it ac clean as he was told to do, but it had been lying under the house for three months and Tie couldn't get the rust off it. And similarly with the old man who has received assistance from the Benevolent Institution. He had been supplied with an artificial leg. No doubt the "timber toe" served its purpose well enough, but whether from curiosity or with a desire to improve upon ite mechanism, he took the thing to pieces, and then found he couldn't got it together again. That artificial limb •will have to -be taken to a mechanical leg-doctor.

1 FOOTBALL AND HAKAS. "The people responsible for professional Rugby football in Sydney," writes the Sydney agent of the Tourist Department to the Wellington office, "are trying to complete arrangements for a visit next season' of a team of Maori footballers, who will also give displays of Maori hakas." This extract from a recent New Zealand paper (says the "Sydney Daily Telegraph ,, ) will be interesting reading for followers of Rugby football in this State. It is doubtful, however, whether the promoters of the scheme will bo able to get a native team of any greater strength than those which played , the "picnic" matches against the British team and the Australian visitors nt Rotorua. Ithas to bo remembered that of the few first-class native players, the majority belong to To Autc College Club, and there is very little chance of inducing Ihem to play professional football. There is, .however, no doubt that little difficulty will bo experienced in securing a band of coloured gentlemen to play for il to hoot"—which, it may be explained, means money. If tho promoters were able to wcure a native team with a few players of the type of tho Taiaroas, the Warbricks. the Wynyards, Ellison, Wi Hape. Hiroa, Oago, Uru. Asher. or the wonderful ''.Tames," they would provide an exceptional treat for the Sydney Rugby public. But native players of tho riuality of those mentioned belong to n time that has seemingly crono for ever in New Zealand. Tho Maori has failed in th»» contest with tho sturdier white, and in athletics, ns in other things, ho is dying out. There was a time when n team from Te Ante tould l>eat the lx\*.t clul«s in Xew Zealand. Now it is hard to find a Maori player of r.oto anywhere in the Dominion, although there are still n number chasing the •'}>utepiirii" (football) about the fields of Hawke's Bay. But when it comes to liakas. the Maori is still all there, and while he may not j*>t the town ablaze with his football, he tiV.oiild completely fill the bill in the wild, weird, rhythmical orgie of tho liaka.