IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 139, 6 March 1908, Page 9

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(OX .TEI,EQBArH—SrECIAI. COBRESPOSDENTS.) AUCKLAND. . /' ..' March 5. : Mr. Massey, when ho readied Hamilton on *,'discovered that'tis bag 'had .been left behind at Otnh'uh'u, and.iiMbo bag wcro; all the notes he had prepared ready for his speech on Monday, night. To tho ' sympa-

thetic' remark's, of friends upon the position; Sir.'"Massey responded/ ;in his/breezy' stylo, "Ohj'it doesn't matter. I'll, think .'of some: thing to say all right." ' Tho big aiidichcp w/iich so cordial a that ■ night was Unaware of the circumstance of the Ibst bdg,-. but it 'nevertheless. listened to ,a/ remarkably fiiip,- clear,; and decisive speech', whi6h ; -riiuclr favour, 1 being; applanded;;to ! the echo;;: Subsequently Mr. Massey. was warmly /congratulated ' by .a. ! number''of ; thoso present,' the opinion being expressed' by several who have' known him many years, that' lib was'never in better 'fighting 'form/ aiid 'that the spcech was : one 'of tho best' they had yet heard him deliver. Prolitablo. Poultry. , , . - ' Mr. I). 1). Hyde,-she Government poultry expert, - states that' while'at tho present time : th6 l cxport ; of' ! p6ultry.froin' Auckland is' not. large, the 'local .consumption' exceeds '.all. the' previous records. 1 He-states that the poultry siibmitted-'for sale is of ■a- superior quality.The advance;in quality, lie .considers duo in. no' small measure to tho efforts of &oy'ornm'ent''to"'prdv6 that , rrtising can. be juiade ; a: profitablp ifidtiStry. . Local Vagaries. , . " .

■' The writer'of' a--.special: article 'on, Greater Auckland in .the, '.!.He'rald.'.' / makes_ sorao cutting , remarks about small -looal bodies-and-their' vagaries.., -He.. says that if tho .rate-, 'payers were only cognisant-of: the methods of '.procedure, tho procrastination, and. ..tho; circumlocution of some of tho Borough Councils, and kiiidred bodies, they . would: plump for a' Greater. Aiicklaiid.: ' Tho/'w;aste of/time.; . <,nat. goes bri; at/some of the . fortnightly meetings is appalling.Small matters aro .. magnified-/ and discussed... ad .nauseani. Business which/should 'be disposed of in an hour if businesslike"methods'were in vogue occupies tlireo times as long to" bring ;to : a .conclusion. a .minor: .importance is , before the ' ineeting .practically every Councillor or v.iember round ithe. • table'rises and gives,'his. opinion at/ somei. length.' "No time limit 'is' imposed,.: and thus whero- a.'.siniple.'voto .either way would effect precisely','the sanie;' purpose,, valuable ; time slips- by/ in conversation, so that, frequently important:, matters", on the' 'order ' paper... are" reached' too Into; for' proper'"' consideration.', They' are/'consequently either rushed through l adjourned,' and 'so the' policy of dilatoriness and delay. goes on. A curious, .fact is .that,' whilsfc'/soniolmembers '. of , these ; minor'municipalities,exaggerate the .'importance of, 'their'.o®ce..anfl*'ina^i^Hhe''i^iM v 'at.stakp/: others prone td •.undcresfciniato; 'their'duties to;.the .ratepayers. - ,In' tho latter. respect could anything bo more glaring than the'case of-ascertain cbmmittbb of/a certain; Borough/Council, which •,neVer'.vine(r,.fbr;- three; months",or!; soi"-;tfioilgli'- tlie-jjlSt'tters;- under its ;carp,'cried/oiit/'for'/attention!.- This, was' the; i samS. , /,Co'iincil'/:t , R : tl\eir s'i'ats-because they./had'.Med;to attend 1 four consecutive; meetings.;' ;•'', j ' Auckland Wharf Accommodation. . v ■/. Terfectibn 'in /, tiib.. matter' of /.wharf ; accom? mudation in Auckland is yet : a long way/oft'.' .Thb desirableness., of;, providing', without : any avoidable delay a deep-water berth at thp ;.wliarf siiitablo/for steamers^drawing, up to' :30ft. of. water 1 , was repfbsehtPd tb. the Board 'iiiva\"ijoint letter.-from ' the -localf fepresentatiyes of tho' Shaw, Savill, and Albixni Company and the New Zealand' Shipping Company. ';. It';'' was','' .stated that .' it ' was understood."that ' : . thb railway : wharf berth, could not -at '_ present /' accommodate 'a" 1 's'tQamer : drawing • more " than;2sft.' r Thp .letter/' stated: " ■ "hope';:to !arraiige(.'for''steamers to■' nialfe',this ■ the' final jwrt 'of/ Ibadiu'gi at reasonably, frequent iiH, tervals,-.aiid' it Is by ; such'steamers, that wo' look for shipments: of frozen''meat. Frozen meat can; best bo shipped at the railway • wharf, as,- if/carted' from , the railway -to the Qiiec®; Strcbt' wharf;' tho; "meat' suffers in ! .temperature, and there is -isorious incidental biponse and ioss of .time..'.Owing to/the, railway wharf- nbt 1 suiting' 'ocean'steamers 1 ap-proiiching-i themi on full; draught,' -wd havp: idiffioulfyi/in Inlaking 1 nuituaily-isatisfactory.' arrangements '.with' thb Auckland, Farmers' Freezing Company.": ' i .. Tho Chairman (Hon. .E./.Mitchelson)' said that -'this ildtter'; was.the oufceomo. of »a vessel: ;recently,/ makings Auckland her, final ■ port/of, shipment,'. ,'lt ;.was, thought '.that this/'vessel /could ~ have,/(been/, berthed - at■--the •: railway. ' wharf, but/, : ,on' her. arrival, itjwas ifound-that tho cargo' sho had . .to /. talc©;, iii... addition .. to bunker coil would f iricreaso, her' drau'ght up to'/nearly/'SSft., ./Thd Harbour Master considered. .that th'ero- was/,riot. Vator to enable her. to--berth with safoty. i Hp moved'.that;.tho,; letter-/bp, Referred .'to'/'the' Board in .committee. :: .' --v Mr. \Y. J. Napier said it would, bo nec&s- ---; 'sary'/, ( tb.: hay,b//.the ' -railway, -.wharf '~,berths dredged to/, a: depth >pi ,30ft." :| or 32ft.. ■He wished/,tb/kripw iwhpther this,would.be clone by the time that tho sheds;, wjsro comploted. . -The Erigineer ;(Mr; W.,-H.;;Hamer) said lib : did riot', think , soj; but tho dredging, work-was being/piishbd. fonvard as rapidly, as.possible;. Mr./11./J.. Braderiey./thbuglit' it ho over two years, before ,they , 'got, a./.uniform depth of/30ft;-/at tho railway,,wharf; / . The Chairman's . motion I Was' carried/; •.,//-..'