IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 111, 3 February 1908, Page 9

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(ar tei.zgrai'll—3i'Eciir, cor.itrsroxnr.NTS.) AUCKLAND. , February 1. AVitli reference to the Suez mail question, the Chief Postmaster at -Auckland (Mr. Holdswortli), wl») was seen by a ''Herald" representative, stated that the mail .was duo to arrive at, Sydney on Tuesdays and Thursdays in alternate weeks. The mails duo on Tuesday, ho said, always caught the Auckland boat on Wednesday, and those duo' on Thursday had almost invariably, by arriving a day before the .schedule time, also caught the Wednesday boat for Auckland, and had thus arrived hero on Sunday, whereas, according to the time-table, the mail was not actually due at Wellington till tho following Wednesday, and was therefore, .not duo at Auckland till Friday. The public had thus been roceiving their mails on alternate weeks ahead of tho duo date, \yith the exception of tho present week, and one or two other occasions when tho mail duo at Sydney on Thursday had not arrived in 'time to catch the boat leaving on the previous day. Tikltaiiu. Mr. Guilfoylo, Director of tho Melbourne Botanical Gardens, who is at present at Rotorua, says that, although ho had seen tho famous Bluo Grotto in tho Island of Capri, off Naples, and tho bluest parts. of Lako Coino in Northern Italy, ho had never yot !Mn' uny bluo water to compare-' with that of Tikitapu. Even tho marvellous' bluo of tropical seas could not company with Tikitapu. Ho thought it was wonderful. - Railway Duplication. Steady progress is being rnndo with tho Auckland-l enroso railway duplication works. The earthworks-of-tho approaches to tho bridgo at Penrose will bo completed in about three reeks. The material for tho bridgo itself procured, but the erection of tho bridges at tho racecourse and Gladstone Street is-being delayed to some extent by the non-arrival from England of some of tho special portions of tho material ordered. Some of the. material for the Itemucra bridgo has also not yet arrived. ! The./number of men employed at tho various points at which work is proceeding is aljout] 150.' Mr. M'lntosh, district engineer, states that .the number would be .increased' but for-the fact;that there is a, scarcity of men suitable for this class of. work, A contract' for. the erection- of tho new-; Paniell bridge has heon let to Messrs. Anderson, of Ohristchurch, but that work has riot yet been commenced. Messrs. .Anderson are still on-, gaged on the .construction of the Makatoto viadiiot on tho Main.Trunk- railway line, and it-is.intended, when that work is completed, to remove the plant and useitjiri connection with tho construction of the Pamell bridge, j When-the nw half of tho:bridge-has.'been orcctod,.the traffic will bo diverted to it, and the present bridgo will then |bo ,dismantled and re-ercctcd in accordance, .with . the now design.

Dslaysd Town Hall. - v ! Tha delay in' the erection, of' Auckland's Town Hall' has already furnished material for topical songs. A humorous reference was made to' it last night 1 at tho City, .Council mooting. "I am getting to ho an old m-an," said Mr. Court, "and I would like to know when \v»' are likely to. make a start with tlio town hall. 1 would like to seo it in my time/' Tho Mayor!said ho.sent a telegram to the architect'lnst week,. asking-'him when , tho plans and specifications woiild be ready','so that tenders' might ho called. ,Hp hoped'they would be available on .Monday. "The architect is certainly not in a hurry,'' added the Mayor. • Natlvs Tawnships. , /

"The ; Native townships which , the Government. hnvo boen short-sighted enough to allow to spring up along a portion of tho Main Trunk Jino are-likely to proyo R source of perpetual trouble unless something is done to place thorn on a mora satisfactory fo.ot--ing,". says the "Her: l .ld" in its, loading columns.' After reviewing-, the-position, tlio. writer conolndos:. "Tho,-'Government must now recognise that- a grave mistako tras mado' in'permitting these townships' to bd' croate<i; How it is to bo remedied is'for them to decide. It hits.been suggested: that the lessees should bo given, tho right to acquire the froohold, ov that tho Government'should buy, out tho Native owners; but whatever course is,adopted it is accessary 1 to put an to the present highly undesirable state of affairs, and in this connection it may bo pointed out that in many cases tho land,round tho harbours and;on the banks of rivers whero thoy,enter tho sea on tho West Coastj is still in the hands of Natives. As 1 these, various localities aro likely to grow in importance a3 tho interior becomes more thickly settled; it is . expedient that tho .Government should •take measures to acquiro the land, thus preventing on tie Coast a repetition of what has occurred in the King Country,

DUNEDIN.

■ February 1. , The Marine Fish Hatchery Board havo been trying to acclimatiso in Otago tha English lobster, and it looks as if. thoir efforts arc to bo rewarded with aucceas. Ono of ten lobsters recently imported has, produced oggs, and another. one seems to bo coming to the samo condition. This is the: first authenticated case of a lobster bringing forth eggs during captivity, though tho Scottish Fishery Board, which is, the'groat authority, have succccdcd in getting eggs froro a, lobster brought in in spawning condition. - Tho Duncdin Whnrf Labourers' Union nro to hold a meeting on Monday night to considor tho question of cancelling their registration under the Arbitration Act. Tho workers say they have endeavoured to arrange an smipablu agreement .with- the' employers,- but without success. Tho delegates who attended tho confcrcncc with tho employers complain that the.', other side .would not lot thorn know what,they disagreed! with, and it"is now felt that .tho time has arrived when tho Union must consider what other means they can adopt to got proper industrial conditions. :

NELSON.

February 1. 1 Iu most'parts of the distribt tho hop crop is very light, and rain is badly needed in tho]- raspberry gardens. Lack of water is a most'serious inconvenience to many Dottier*. •Wells are nearly all dry, and in sOmo "places water has been carted from tho rivers for weeks past. The rivers thomsclves have reached their lowest point, and somo aro iu places altogether dry. , , The now Girls' Central School was opened on January 28 by Mr. A. T. -Maginnity, Chairman of tho Education Board. Tho school building is a haudsomo ono, erected on tho old gaol sito in Shelbonrno Street, arid getting the full benefit of sun' and air from its position on tho hill. It has been secured' as the result of a long agitation; in which the. Bev. J. H. Mackenzie was the chief' mover. Tho old sohool in the Toi Toi valley' was regarded as insanitary for a long time past, its situation being damn, cold, aiul sunless. Tho new building was designed by Mr. A. R: Griffin', .and. built' by Messrs. .Robertson, Bros., Ltd. At tho conclusion of. tho opening ceremony, tho Rev. J. H, and Mrs. Alackenr.io entertained a largo uuraber of visitors at aftornoon tea. •■ • Tile first annual, meeting of:-the- Nelson Scottish Society was held in tho Oddfellows' Hall on January 27. ' There wero about 100 persons present., and the chair was occupied by Mr. Roderick M'Konzio, M.P. An address was given by Mr. G. Stewart on Robert Burns. Mr. R, Allen , was electcd Chief of tho Society, aud, on n ballot being taken for three chieftains,- Messrs. F. W. Hamilton, W. Brown, and D. N. Hood .were elected. Mi:. William Murray and Mr. Thos. Brown were respectively elected secretary and treasurer. During the evening there were several songs and recitations, and Mr. W. Mu'rrny gave a. selection on tho bng-

pipes. . • -.. At a meeting of the Truncation Board held nn January -'5, Mr, William Lock moved: " That in the opinion of this Hoard tho Governor.) of Nelson College should he elective, and that, the. Government lie recommended to pass the necessary legislation ro meet the views of the Board." After discussion tbo resolution was carried unanimously.