IN OTHER CENTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 224, 15 June 1908, Page 5

IN OTHER CENTRES.

(DI TELEGRAPH—SrECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.) n ■

NEW PLYMOUTH:

CHRISTCHURCH. June 13. Spoaking at the capping ceremony at Canterbury College yesterday, Mr. J. W. Joyiit, Registrar of tho, University, referred to'the errors niado in cabling the results of examinations, and _ stated that there was nothing so distressing and painful as to have to reverse, on fuller information obtained by letter, favourable information sent by cable. This had occurred in connection with two candidates in other parts of New Zealand, and lie had expressed to them his feelings on the subject. At a subsequent, stage m the proceedings Professor Scott, after remarking that the high position which New Zealand degrees now held was, in'very large measure, duo to tho fact that examiners from the Old Country had conducted the examinations, said it wou'd be folly to break down sueh a desirable connection; but at tho same time they must recognise that both students and. professors had a real grievance in the way in which examination results had come to hand. It behoved the Senate, if. the system was to be retained, to put its house in order—at all events that portion which was represented by its London'office. Professor Scott also referred to the question of the retirement of professors. Ho pointed,out that in almost every branch of the public service there was provision for tho retirement on pension or superannuation of tho omployoes. The University professors and lecturers stood alone with no retiring allowance to fall back upon. The result was that they might be induced to continue lecturing after old age or illness had deprived them of their full capacity. This was not fair to either tho student or the professor, nor was it fair to the governing body to ask it to choose between taking away the livelihood of an_ old and faithful servant or tolerating a in the way the work was done. Municipal Baths. ■ The municipal tepid bath is almost "too popular, and tho City Council has had to take measures to restrict the enthusiasm of the patrons. To enable the caretaker to clear tho bath at tea-time of persons who are in tho habit of remaining 111 the bath for a very long time, th.ereby causing overcrowding, tlio Council decided last evening to convert the bathing hours on. Mondays and Thursday evenings into two sections, the bath being cleared in tho interval. Councillor Taylor said that amendments were required all along the line, and tho baths wore only in their infancy. The caretaker would have some difficulty \in collecting a second fee frt>m 300 or 400 young men. Something should bo done limiting the time that bathers should stay in the bath. He 'thought that staving in tho bath for over ; an hour was not conducive to good health.

AUCKLAND. June 13. ' A meeting of the City Council in committee was held to consider the Town Hall plans. The Mayor, Mr. A. M. Myers, presided. A lengthy discussion took place with regard to the, tenders that have been received for the erection of the Town Hall on plaiis prepared by Messrs. J. J. and EJ J. Clark, ,of Melbourno. It was resolved that tho premium for the first design 1 should hot be paid to them, seeing that tho tender price for the erection of, tho building exceeds the stipulated amount of £60,000. Tho committee recominonded, however, . that Messrs. Ferguson and Malcolm's tender for tho whole work (conditional on such modifications as may bo determined on by tlio Council being allowed) bo accepted, expressly subjcct to the ratepayers' approval by a poll 'to'be taken forthwith authorising a further loan of £30,000, and on tho oxpress understanding, (1) that Messrs. Ferguson and Malcolm hold , their tendor open till such poll betaken, and (2) that tho Council on its part take steps at once to place! the proposal for such additional- loan before' the ratepayers! It wa§ resolved that the \ sanction of tho ratepayers bo sought for a further'loan, not exceeding £30,000, at a rato jof interest not exceeding 4| per cent, per annum, and on a guarantee of 21 years secured on the Town Hall building and sito and on the revenue' of the City subject to existing loans, for tho piirposo of providing funds.to comploto the work.. In making tho recommendations, 'tho 'Committee omphasiso tho facts, viz.: That tho , working plans of the Town. I-lall provide additional accommodation to what was shown in the original design; that been substituted for'brick on tho Crcy Street front of tho olfico block; that the price of' both labour a.nd material has considerably advanced since tho designs were invited r that further land lias sinco been acquired. Undor this new proposal tho proposed loan allocation as recommondod at last Council incetiiig has been altered by tho substitution 'of £20.000 instead of £32,000 for various street works, and,by tho addition of £3000 for tho Town Hall, making a total of £118,000. No .Creditors Present. . The unusual incident of what was.intended to be ■ a first meeting of 1 creditors lapsing through the, absence of creditors occurred on Thursday. Tho bankrupt was William T. Parker, a sawmill hand from Manunui. Insolvent stated that ho had been sued for rent of a. shop at. Taumarunui which was carried on by his daughter, insolvent guaranteeing, the rent, ; Tuero wero no .creditors present yesterday at tho timo tho . meeting was called fpr, neither was insolvent present. In tho circumstances the Official Assigneo (Mr. Gerard)' adjourned the meeting sine die.

. ' . June 14. Two cases of unusual interest were heard hero in.the S.M. Court on Saturday. They had thoir origin in an anonymous attack upon 1 a candidate for New Plymouth Mayoralty at last election. A letter, purporting to . be, written by " AVater Dog," in the ".Auckland Free Press," having been re-' printed' on slips and distributed m the borough.; These slips bore no v imprint, and-' the police proceeded .against two residents for breach of the Printers and •Newspapers. Act, 'IS6B, in dispersing printed papers without impriiit. Gottlieb fioch, for two copies, pleaded guilty,' and was fined £10 and costs. In the case against John Mynott, counsel pleaded ■. that delivery of one copy did not' constitute . "dispersing." The magistrate said there was : not much in tho, contention, but agreed to look'into the matter.