IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

AUCKLAND.

. " ' May 30. "" Dr. Mason, Chief Health Officer,, accompanied by Dr. Pomare, Native Heaith Officer, arrived ill Auckland on Thursday on departmental business. Dr. Mason stated that tho Karero Camp for patients recovering from consumption was now in full, swing. The eight mon at present there were in good health, and in pursuance of the 1 plan for employing patients at the" homo these men were rtow engaged in tree planting,, which was not too laborious ah occupation for them. Accompanied by Dr. Pomare, Dr. Mason will visit the Waikato, and will subsequently, go on to. Rotorua , Tarawera, and Napier. Tho object of the visits is to ;meet the Natives of these districts with regard to matters of improved sanitary conditions, and the prevention; of consumption among the' Natives. This is in pursuance of the Government's scheme for improving the health conditions 'of the Natives by getting them to co-operate . with' the Health Department to this end. Several big meetings of Natives have been arranged to meet Dr. Mason and Dr. Pomare in conference, and Dr. Rangihiroa will also take part in tho proceedings. ' Lack of Facilities for Communication. - The wreck of the s.s. Muritai on the .Hen and Chickens rocks 011 Wednesday morning has drawn attention to the lack of facilities for communication between Auckland city and the different settlements and stations along the coasts of both North and South Auckland. In the daytime it is possible to open up communication with a good many places by telegraph and telephone, but after five o'clock they might as well be in Lapland as far as obtaining any news is concerned. For instance, after five o'clock Whangarei cannot even communicate with Marsden Point. Any sort of disaster might bo liapjjenjng through storm or shipwreck, but no information or appeal for help could bo got through. Again, stations are too few and far between on all tho Auckland coast lines. When the Kia Ora was wrecked at Terua Point it was a, day's rough journey ovar almost impassablo bush' tracks to a ■telephone station at Kawhia. In America the cheap telephone system has placed almost every farmhouse in communication day or night, and the country is'a network of "telephone wires, but in New Zealand,' although tho agricultural and pastoral associations have repeatedly urged the importance of the mattor, nothing has yet been done to enable country districts to provide themselves with such facilities.

Market Gardena "My executive is of opinion that the Goi t crnment is not serious in , its proposal 1 establish market gardens in connection wit 3 the gaols,"'ran a letter froln tho seeretar .-' of the Auckland/section of the Farmer: . Union to the Markot Gardeners' Associatio . read at tho meeting of the latter body yes terday; but'the gardeners all the same ai j a littlfe bit afraid that this plank put forwar ill Sir Joseph 'Ward's policy speech ma j accidentally get nailal into position i j that mysterious thing called •' the plal , form," aud satisfied that. tho bland, an j the child-like Celestial is quite, tough en'oug t a competitor at present, they have'petitione , ' the Prime'Mjnister to reviow his platform ' and; knock out the prison- gardens' plan!* j iThey have also asked him'to havo a tal . with them about it when next he comes t Auckland. . The Prime Minister is'ready -1 look'at both sides of the question, and ha Teplied that he will bo pleased to receive deputation' on tho subject, and. will notif; the vegetable-growers when he will be like]; to arrive hero again. Wellington Cab Fares. The "Herald" states Wellington visitor to Auckland are apparently fond of makini comparisons between the facilities in the tw< cities for traffic, etc., of course to .tjio ad • vantage of Wellington; but an; Aucklam : gentleman,' who has returned from a visi to tho South, puts'in a counter-claim. Hi says:—" The Government. Railways Depart mcnt,;in its official time-table; sets out -the legal- cab Auckland, Christchurch Dimedin, and. Invercargill, but omits Wellington's list, whether by . accident or desigr I do not know. ■ At any rate, tho Wellingtor ' cabbytakes full advantage. Arriving ir Wellington by the Now Plymouth' mar steamer, and, having some luggage, I hired s cab. Perhaps the driver' recognised me foi a. simple 'north- countryman',' but he asked ss. for that drivo of> less than ten minutes. .On my return I had my luggage put on an express labelled 'Manawatu Railway Station, 1 tyid that operation cost me a, shilling for the steward. Othen passengers piled their- lug- . gage on the same vehicle. Mine included a small gladstono. bag, a dressing bag, arid a suit case, with-two small parcels. I went up ,to the station by car, and had an.hour to spare; but the express, just, caught the train, and I. was oharged "3s;. by - the expressman. I reckon ho must have mado £2 for that one trip out of the passengers-for the mail train. I took his' number for reference. Coming up from Rotorua the other day 1 had more luggage than at. Wellington, and my wife had joined mo with her baggage, and : yet . that lot' was conveyed from' Newmarket to the other side. of Mount Eden, threo times tho distance of that-from Wellington wharf-to the Manawatu Station, by an expressman who-only asked Is. 6d. Next time I go through Wellington I will carry only a tooth .brush and a cigar-cutter, and take a: car <5r walk between, the train and tho wharf."

DUNEDIN. • May 30. Mr. W. G.'P. O'Callaghan is retiring on September 30 next from his position as '-Mef clerk of the Magistrate's Court, ..but lias been granted the. usual three months' leave as from'.Tune 30. He commenped' his cnrc-or. as cadet in the British Navy, and served in the Russian War in 1855 in the Baltic, and subsequently. in the China .War,; including the taking of Canton, and thereafter on the Australian Station. On leaving the 'Navy he camo to Nciv Zealand, and his 'first duty was to bring a gunboat over for service on the Waikato River. Ho then became attached to the Taranaki, Military Settlers and the Wanganui Hangers, remaining until the idishandment in 1868. Following this came service in the New Zealand . 'Constabulary, after which, ■ some thirty-six years ago, he was appointed clerk in the Magistrate's Court at Papakura, ,in the Auckland district. Since then Mr. O'Callaghan has done service in all parts of the colony. , •. CHRISTCHURCH. - May 30. The death is announced; of Mr. Hugh M'Crostie, an old and esteemed colonist, and one of the pioneers of the Greendalo district.