NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 397, 5 January 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

■j ■ fBX TELEOEAPB—rEESs'ASSOCIATION.) >■'■': :'■' ' —' . ■* - "'' . .'.- ■ ""I-.' : WORKMEN'S HOMES IN AUCKLAND. ; :" : /A MUNICIPAL SCHEME! 1 -f'? . . . tBY TELECBAEH— SEWS; ASSOCIATION.) '■■■" • . 'Auokland, January"4. . - On several occasions recently reference ha been made, to ' the ; question How best"td utilise thet large blook of land at- present occupied by .{he old abattoirs l : at Richmond. , The Mayor. (Mr;, A.: M. Myers).-stated'to-day that the council would probably use if for workmen's It afforded, he said;''a' splendid opportunity for doing'something of 1 a practical naturW. towards endeavouring, :if-not-to solve," at : any: rate to, diminish, the' pr f( S ? c ingestion that existed in. .the city. , ... ;■•! feel'sure that' very' few-people, con-' ceive the conditions that now.-prevail among a • section's of :tho:- Auckland: tinued Mr,,Myers, many instances two or . even "three ■' families ■' are :■ now- occupying. houses'of five or six: rooms. ,1 have'■reasonto believe,' and lamhopeful that, within: the next,month or so, :the present will evolve-a practical-scheme^to use a large the,old-abattoir, site forthe:purppse of erecting •worlunen's. homes oh: sue! and'-.,conditions'{as -will appealVto Mt, class desired .to" be: beriefited^nfalready v iri- : been:giyen: to, Have the , land surveyed for; thatipurposp. ' ■; ■ -- ' ■:> .The-details -of the scheme will be'submitted as.soon as the,committee has had:att' opportunity of consideringHlje question" r

THROUGH THE; UREpRA COUNTRY.;. •, ~ ■V- "' ' cils ' JOl ' n3 i ;r January 4< ._IVo , Aucklanders,,, Messrs.. -Moore; 'and Moodie,' arrived at Waikafemoana. dn;Satur. day .evening on. a .walking; tour: from ■ Whakatane. They, deviated- from; the ;usual ,'track going by way of Waimana Valley. It rained every day of the journey, which occupied a week, during which they fcaw T no white man. They found the Maoris veiy hospitable, and made a call at Rua's camp r, f f The two travellers are coming on to Gis« borne to catch a steamer for Auckland.

OPERATIVE BOOTMAKERB. L , CONGRESS IN CHRISTCHUBCH. ' Clirlstchurch, January 4. A congress of delegates of the New Zealand Bootmakers' Federation nas opened at tho Trades Hall to-day, the following delegates being present.—Wellington. Messrs. A H Cooper (chairman), W. Tees, and E. H. Mayall, Auckland: Messrs. W. L. Rowland, dlacU, and W. T Barton, New Ply. mouth Mr W. Sadler, Chnstehurch: Messrs. J. Ballantino, 'J. Young, and D. Pntchard, Dunedin Messrs P. Logan, J. Watt, and A E Richards, InvercargUl: Mr. M. Scully. Mr. R. Whiting (Chmtehiirch). general secretary of the federation, is acting in that capacity for the congress Tho proceedings weie opened by Mr. F. M Robson, the president of the federation, who cordially welcomed the delegates to Chnstchuroh. The principal business will be • the consideration of proposed amendmentsHo 1 the existing Arbitration Court's award. These amendments are to be submitted to a conference of six delegates from the Boot, makers' Federation, and a similar number from the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Federation, which is to be held here on January 13. After the election of Mr. Cooper as chairman of the congress, several committees were set up to report on various subjects, and the congress adjourned till to-morrow, ' HOLIDAY TRAFFIC STATISTICS.' V Christchurch, January 4. The holiday passenger tiaffie on the railways and on the tramways during the Christmas and New Year holidays appears to hav been quite up to that of the oorrespondini period of last year. The figures relating t* the traffic on the railways arejiot jet avail«i able, but; ;t ( is "stated that the express tram traffic has been especially good, and the returns regarding the holiday tra&c generally arc expected to be quite up to last year's results. The following figures show the extent of the holiday traffic on the tramways, > passengers and receipts -—December ' 16. • 32,675 passengers, receipts £394;'Decembei ? 14, 49,383, £383; December 25, 24,273, £251] December 26, 62,476, £905; December 31, 40,606, £333; January 1, 65,635, £774; total, 265,048 passengers, receipts £3,040. The number of passengers carried on Box-' ing Day was not so large as the number carried on "People's Day" at the Metropolitan' Show, when 78 5 360 wore carried. '

CALEDONIAN CHAMPIONSHJ» MEDAtS, Dunedln, January 4. The following championship medals wen awarded in connection with the Dunedin Caledonian Society's Sports:—Piper—A.* S, Duncan, 18 points; dancer—R, M'Kechme, 33 points, runner —R. D. Chalmers, 13po)nts) hammer, caber, and ball—F. Forde; lj points, wrestler (border and catch-as catch can) —M.Forde, 9points; Governor's meda? for best all-round athlete—Won by F. Fordo, 25 points; Premier's medal, woodchopping competition— J. A. Kendall, Hon. J. A. MiE Jar's medal, most points in handicap run. ning—R. D. Chalmers. ,