LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 649, 28 October 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A peculiar recognition has been'offered of tho merits Of the, Hon. James Carroll. The Maoris of a; certain district ,in the Wairarapa are erecting a new church, which they expect to open about the middle of nest month. : In connection with this ceremony they have,sent an invitation to- Mr. Carroll asking if he .mil.accept the position of honorary bishop of tho Native Church of New Zealand! ■ At tho Labour Conference 'yesterday,' Mr. D, K. Pritchard (Canterbury) condemned in strong/ terms.the notion of Ministers ;of the Crown in " associating' with' spielers of the racecourse." "Is . not the moral character of the Labour party abovo that sort of thing?'' exclaimed, the delegate. " I hop? so. I hope no one here, would contribnto one iota> to a party that: countenances that sort of thing,. If wo cannot expect morals.from our public exemplars where are we ■to find tbe'mf". . '

'The discovery of some human bones was made yesterday on the beach' about a couple of mite from Cape Terawhiti. "■ It is' supposed that the bones are those' of: a victim of the Penguin'wreck. Tho police are investigating the matter. ■ ' : . ~ °

A danger to health, in cheap imported clothing was touched upon by: Mr. P. Cooke, when speaking on behalf of the working tailors at a; deputation to the Hon: Mr., Millar last night. He alleged that in foreign workshops, where' insanitary conditions ' obtained, consumptive tailors moistened tho clothing they their saliva, when moisture was required. The germs, of course, remained, and were a menace to the health of the wearers 6i the clothing. :' ".-,, i-,;'■ •'■'-.. ■■■■■;•■

All the arrangements with respect to the Parliamentary trip to Blenheim in connection with the Marlborough Jubilee celebrations,havo not yet been definitely fixed. It has been decided,, howover, that the Tutanckai shall leave Wol. lington at 10 a.m. on Saturday. She will prob. ably leave Pictori on thp return iournoy 1 about 7 p.m. on Monday. It is expected that at least 40' members will take part in the trip. , : That.cven'the best pf/Oamaru building stone readily discolours is well known. Some people say that it perishes, very slowly, perhaps,'but it perishes. Tho locpl Customhouse large y consists of Oamaru stono—smoke-begrimed, and the weather, yet once. a. pure white stone. Some littlo time ago some of tho stone was found to bo "flaking," i.e„ small pieces could easily bo picked or knocked off. lo try and check this gradual erosion, which is attributable to exposure to tho weather, a gang of men are now engaged in painting'the stone-work with a patent solution (specially manufactured crystals dissolved , in. water) which is calculated to harden the surface of tjie stone.

A West Const mining syndicate is still very dissatisfied with the .regulations framed by the Minister for Minos In connection with tho use of ■ irater-power. , - It is' urged that the rent proposed is excessive, that the timo limit of .41 years without right of renewal will not be accepted, nnd that the absolute right of ex propriatwn at any time within the 42 years, at the hands, perhaps ,of some enthusiastic Sociajistio Labour Min stry, is an effective bar to any now mining enterprise.', "V'' ■."-..; ')'-\ * ;; ' t D Vi K V iß^t;fl C :^K^™^'w M ; ' : tke shipper, qf 1$ draught horses toMelbourne by the Huddart.Parker Co.'s Ulimaroo. which soiled .via southern porte on Thursday last "'

to a deputation -lest' night, the Hon. J. A. Millar said there ought to bo a Shoddy Act,_ to prohibit the importation of clothing that contained more than a certain quantity of cotton. That, was about the only thing.that could do much good.to;the woollen industry The Hon. J. T. Paul remarked that MP n .W v * as y»ry badly needed. Mr. Millar: ies, it is. .. ■ • ...

Who has.got the.contract?" was tho question that loomed biggest in building circles yesterday., flic query, of course, applied to the now General l'ost Office, \ tender for which has been accepted without the name of the successful tenderer being disclosed, i The name of a local hTm of builders was freely.bruited about yesterday as having scoured the contract, ,1L^ U in 1 u ."T bci , n &„ made a Dominion' reporter _was; informed that the contract hod not yet been signed, and Was not likely to bo, signed for two three days. The interest manifested in, tho,sub)cct is justified by the fact that the new General Post Office will ran inw.bjgger figures' th&n any building.that has yet been erected :in the city. It is calculated >y experts, that the foundations alone (which lwvo been put in by the Publio Works Departn'°nt) could not; have cost much under .£IO,OOO, which.sum will have to'bo added to thei contract price in making, up the tofr.l cost. Optional tenders for the erection of the building in Tonga Bay, Oamaru, and Coromandel stone were requisitioned by tho Public Works Department There is a good deal of speculation as to which stone will be selected.

_The Licensed ■Victuallers' Association of New Zealand held its-annual meeting iu the' Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street, yesterdav. Mr. V. M'Parlnnd occupied' the chair, and the attendpjneo, of delegates was large and: representative. The annual report and balance-sheet were adopted, and 'questions concerning legislation, and- organisation were: debated at length. The following officers were, elected for. tho current year:—President, Mr. J. S. Palmer 1 (Auckland)'; vice-presidents,. Messrs. MTsrland, (Wellington),. Barnes (Napier), Rogers (Wanganni), Lavcllo, (Waipawa), Devino (Palmershon North), Sutton (Christchurch), Hole (Timaru), and Kyan (Lytteltoh); local executive, Messrs. Beveridue, J. Dwyer, Quinn, and Griffin; treasurer, Mr. M. J. Donnelly. It-was' decided to hold periodic meetings at more frequent intervals in tlio principal centres, v. ■ Tho news that the Governor'of New Caledonia has prohibited the importation of potatoes from New Zealand, Victoria,- and Tasmania has not (says the Auckland "Herald") come as a surprise locallv. In" New Zealand, Victoria, and Tasmania tho Irish blight, is present in a more or less virulent form.' Some years ago, this country was subjected, to a severe visitation of the blight, which has never been entirely! eradicated,, the dampness of the weather materially aiding tho. disease. Tasmania has jnst had. a severe visitation, whilst tho South Gippsland district in Victoria lias bccn_ affected. The consequence is that the affected countries have been quarantined by others, and in this course of action, New Caledonia is \merely following - suit; ; ■"•;,;.'■•';■.'•;'., "Canada appealed to mo as an ideal conntry," said Mr. G. H. Wilson, president of the Ossett , Chamber of Commerce,, Yorkshire, when interviewed nt Auckland, '' but when we.'visited Australia I; changed my. .mind in favour of that country, Tasmania, then appealed to me as'the "most fertile country I had seen; but now/I shall say emphatically to my friends at Home that.Now Zealand 'offers the ureatest .ottrnction. to visitors and settlers.: This part of;the Dominion is more like our own country,; with the additional ,ad* vantage of a more genial climate. .You'have done wonders in developing tho. country, {jut your population must he 4 0,in ' ett many times before you can. make tho most, of your- resources. If I were young and desired to colonise I should come - to: this part of the country. ■■ The harbour I regaru as one of the sights of the tour." '..''■ ;.';'. .It: is. .reported (says, oiir Wariganui cor-' respondent) that the Patoa Freezing Works nave changed hands. ■■'•■..,-, '.■,'•■; '. According to th'fi'f' Electric Times'" of August 20, -Mr. W, B; Wright who was the engineer m charge'of the construction of tho lqcnlelec-. trie tramway 'system, has been' called in .by the Morecombe Council to report ,on their electrical suDply. undertaking, with .a view to reducing 'the loss on the working, Mr. ;Wrlght has recently returned to England frora',Shanghai, .where he .was-in* charge■ of tho tram, way. undertaking.; " '■ ' ' ..;,.

: A- proposal tp purchase a piece of loud on Thorndori Quay from'the Wellington and Knna. watii /Railway Company will be considered at to-morrow's special sheeting of the City Conned.''. ■ It: ig.-.u«derßtoodj,ilint.,'tho ■:land -is. idquired for: a site, forfa ( car shed. The pre! sent ,site' will,only' enable .a. shed holding 12 cars'to •b'o l ercc^d, Jr 'wHe'rKig ! 'tliii l ,iicw''sito will allow of a' more convenient 'shed' being built and one which will hold 24 care. .■■.,.:.,

■ The suggestion made yesterday- bv'a'corre. spondent to the/effect that the City'Tramwaye Department, should,' enter- upon: the,' business of.-cairyiin coal and other commodities to the outlying'districts in wfem cars, and thereby' work up a'remunerative; distributing business per medium: of : the tram-cars, was brought under the notice of the-: city authorities yesterday. It appears that .the matter Ims.been the subject;of discussion- between the heads of the Tramway Department And the Mayor, hut the idea is not a new one." The carriage of goorls is done on the trams in various largo English towns where special arrangements 'aro, also made fT the carriage of luggagei, If it were decided. to undertako such work here, it appears that it would hare, to bo-done at night so as not to-interfere, with the passenger traffic and-as there':;is also plenty of snare.nowcr at night; It is considered prob. able that the matter ' will como. before, the council when- tho plan has been further considered,; "■'■.:":.'' ■ . . :'.!,'':■'.■;'■ .':'-.' • ■■,:-.V". •■:•■•'•' Mr. A." W.'Hogg, M.P.,'in acknowledgingtho welcome accorded him at t|io Labour Confer r ence yesterday,' spoke, on the land, andicurrency questions, pn the lines of his recent addrtssos. and urged.''the.' workers to form, one solidS union, by means of which they would bo able* to bring about .such, a condition of prosperity as Now Zealand liad never.known before;. Genuino prosperity, he insisted, meant.comfort in the', home.:.- '.. .■.■'■'•

Mr. F.. M... B. Fisher, M.P.,' has arranged for a large deputation of members of Parliament to wait on the Prime Minister with a view to ■ Securing legislation during the present session which will relievo'., clubs.'possessing bona Mo sports, grounds from'.the severe penalties'of iTating. pn tho system'.of unimproved.values. ",] With respect to tho representations made on behalf of the-settlers near Moiling, by Ml. Wilfprd, tho Minister for ltailways has ordered the erection of a shelter shed there for the convenience of passengers. ' ~,-■. The. Akaroa" Mail," states that the wellknown ''Napoleon Bonaparte "willow, planted by tho late Mr, F.Leliovrc, senior., in a proparty now occupied by Mr. Jacobsen, was finally.uprooted .during Saturday's storm. For the. last: ten years the tree has boon gradually .breaking .up, and for Borne time it has only been the ghost of its former self. On Saturday tho trunk, with the two remaining limbs, was torn out bodily by o severe gust, of wind, The story of this willow is a romantic one. The ardent Epnapartist Lelicvro landed at St Helena in a .whaling 'ship on which he was cooper, and took three slips from the willow: at ;Longwood, where the .great general was buried, It was hard, to abstraot slips from this much-watched trco, but ho did so, and ; managed to get water to keep them alivo although water, was , pot very plentiful'on whaling ships. He landed at,Akaroa in 1637' and planted his tree-slips where the old willow has just fallen. One-died, and one w?s afterwards transplanted to Gorman. Bay where it died some years ago. Many slips have been taken from tho last of the three. The annual conference of the' New Zealand master buildors is to commence next week at Christchurcli. Mr. ,W.- H, Bennett, of Wei-' Ungton (chairman), will represent the executive, and-Messrs. Leonard Humphrey? and Donald M'Lcan aro. the, Wellington Master Builders' Association delegates, ~W. A. GrcnfelJ (secretary) will &1«> attend the conference. One of tho chief subjects to be debated will be the vexed question of ■ the apprentice, ■ It is Btated, by people concerned in the trade that builders do not employ enough apprentices to provide for the futuroj indeed, it is rare, nowadays, to find a boy employed-in any eg. pacity about a building in course of erection; unless it be the plumber's'boy. This, it is i argued, ■■ is ■ not good for the country, for as soon as work comes along, in any quantity there will bo a shortage of. meu; the news goes Home, and tradesmen begin to pour; out by every steamer, whereas, if there was a,steady stream of apprentices developing into journeymen each year, there: would bo no need for i such an influx. v. ■•....: ... ",:■•'.'"•' \A Chinese lady arrived in Wellington by the Mooraki yesterday, and, on the usual' bond being entered into, she was allowed to Jand i for. three years. \ ■ , .-■■.-;

■In' tiro-report.of some remarks made by Mr. -1. Long lit the' labour. Conference on luesday regarding tho vag« paid by the Govorniuent at Itotorua, ho was ra'ado to say that one workman was getting, a- week bef fore ■ the 'government assumed' control; ■ This should have read X 2 9s. n..week. : • . -

. Mr., 8., Pearson wrote to tho Labour Conference yesterday suggesting that the delegates should endorse Jus opinion that a'measure like the i English Small Holding Bill; would bo much more favournblo to tho workers than tho -and hetteuient Finance; Bid, now: before Parlament, Ihe letter was referred to the incoming exeoutive. ■-". ..

, Although tho'City Council has had very lares' of' money ottered to -it on deposit, as a - ' result,of the resolution passed at'last Thurs-', day s.meetine it is stated'that the council will probably not take' half' the' money offering. J he: money is being obtained at n low rate of-'--'-interest,: and: it .is. stated; that., the '.city will .'• save several hundred pounds per year under ■ tho new, scheme. The debt of the cityisnot being-increased! but the money takenonrdc- %; posit merely repays 'moneys borrowed n't a 'i' higher rato of interest. So much has been' '••' offered to tho-city that it hos boen able to V get tho money on even better tornis tlian.waa anticipated. . ■ ■; ...

An interesting effect of the British. Old' Age Pensions was mentioned to n reporter' vester-'-'■■ ■' day by Mr H. Nelson (of Nelson, Moatc and.'■ Co.), who has just returned from a visit: to ■ i'ceyion. 'The pensions," ho said, "have" in-:' creased the demand for tea. Many of'tho Brit, isn poor were unable to buy it previously, but now they are able to.enjoy the beverage, and' the old people arc frequently to be seen pur-' chasing it in small quaiilitis."

u > ls Practically settled; states Lieut.-Colonal Jiuglies, Commandant of the New Zealand Rifle ream (who returnedUo Wellington from Sydney by the Moeiaki), that coni. petitors will bo prosaut at tho Trcnthain Cham.' pionship Hiflo Meeting next March. Victoria ana ; Ne\y South Wales > will send teams over, <wl° ls j als l oa Probability'that General Hoad,' Commandant of tho; Commonwealth Forces, Major Tayne, secretary to the commonwealth kiuo Association, and .Captain"- Dak n, eccrowry of the New South Wales Rifle Assocbv won. will also be over than.'' ■".-•.

,rhe Minster for has notified tho education boards of the dominion that next year free school books will: be . issued to children up to Standard III;

-.Numerous applications are being made to th» office;. ODniniandine the cadet forces of the ( *H° r '"'Donald) for the establish,: Si n m . riflo.'.:ranges"'at primary schools, These applications are being subraitM to tho education boards for their approval. A cheap.form of portable tare* His bewTnvented by. a resident of Wellington, 'a; trial, ot which is ,to bo given, in the course-of. » day. or two, in the Lower Hutt Drill-shed. : Complaints'aro being made by residents of tlio overcrowding : of. the ■ local school. The Education Board, it appears,-has made application to. the Department for. a grant-sufficient to erect two additional Tooms, out,,for isomo reason or another, the provision ot increased accommodation- is not in- sight, it-is not; improbable that a question will bo askod in. tho House of Representatives on tl«' subject.. I--. -. .-■"■.

: ;xho Wiiikanao Dpfcnee. P.iflc Club has boon' disbanded. . ..•- " ! ■■ . .'... :,

« Hi'W attendance- of '.the members of ' we .Wellington Accountant Students' Society ■-'"'' assembled in'the Chamber of Commerce .last [ * evening to take part in a mock meeting of'." shareholders in a company. The directors : submitted, a 1 balance-sheet; that ■ was* 1 subjected '.I toa most sejohhing .criticism. .The struggles :• of the directorate to satisfy the shareholders caused n«ch amusement. A vote of thanks to '. ;• the directors.:. was carried, ojutho motion of Messrsi Day. and,Robertson, ; ;. •-;',';?, : By the lonic, duo here, from London on Monday next.theroaro 675 persons coming out to the ■ Uomtmon. There 37 in the first saloon; 98 in the second, and 510 third-class passenom. Of these, 173 are for Wellington. >v . ■■.■.....•-■•

■ ■ According to Lieut.-Colonel Hughes,' who commanded the. New .Zealand .riflemen;at tho recent Commonwealth riflo' meeting at Sydney, tho crack Australian shots had the best of; tho 6hoohng. i Strango; conditions, time, . weather, and the shooting ground—the Rand wick range: is avery difHcult. one—were.factors that, told against the/New Zealanders in their efforts to "scoop the pool") and though tho'men did not exactly carry off their anticipated- "scoops," they, did very, well-generally. ■'~. '■■'.'.' ...,•..'

:. The, contracts are bigger arid (the building! aro of a more permanent'character in Sydney than here," said' Mr. W. K. Bennett, chairman of., the exeeutiyo of the: Jv'ew, Zealand Master Builders", Federatiou,i 'who ; ' returned ;froni' attending a conference cf 'the' Australian Builders Federation ■ by: thoMcoraki yesterday.' "Work is' plentiful—New South •Wales and Queensland are booming, aud ; tha')jood times aro reflected in-(lie ; building that is going on everywhere,' particularly in' 'Sydney.Ttw Sydney Corporation, is resuming a lot y of '.prik • perty. for streetwidening purposes, and tho!rebuilding on the new frontages' is v running' into nearly'a quarter-of-,amillion sterling.-'At the conference they dealt; with, such questions 'as labour- conditions, conditions of contracts! . and the apprentice, question,; which.-,wo aro to tacklo in Chri6tchurch;'nexb week. 'They had done a- good dcalj. and ;thcir fino Technical College '. is full .pf apprentices, but still they say, there aro-.ttotj.enough.':^apprentices,;to tho, s.bpilding. trades'to provide fpr" the. future" of the country.,' .Still there s no denying they oro'bettor off than wearo in that re6pect." ' ','.'M.' .-'J) 1 -' ' 'i,:.

\. : " The question', as■'to. whether/ the' carpenter* .'■' on tho building works -at Porirua -, Mental " Hospital shOuld.be paid Is. Id..'dr. Is: 6d. per. . hour was again discussed by a deputation from ■ the, Tradps. and Labour/, Council and \ the Hon. last night. It will bo remembered-,' that); the .'workers claim ,tli*t they'should bo-.. paid Is.'--Gd-j'as':the work is "country,work/' ■ ■ whilst the -Departrhcnt hplds that the engage-- ;.' raciit of the workers, in'town'was dnlyvdone .', r for their convenience: -On- behalf, of the .-■'•'. workers,- Mr. : M'Laren j M.P.t said that the principle ,was important, to trades: iiniojiSsts. The" Minister-remarked, that it was ahomiilpus l ; . that a Wellington' employer 6hould be' required to pay.the higher rate jii'respect of work at Porirua whilst a Palmerston North employer '"•■-. would only havb to pay the lower rate. Reply.' ing. to an interjection, Mr. M'Kcnzie subsequently stated-that ho, did'not believe a.-cor.. poration should have any advantage over: a private employer.' i After i urtluT discussion ;: \i 'the Minister .'said .ho was prepared to make a ■: compromise. Until tho Government 'let'-.the..';, contract for'thoerectionof a new wing nt the.,.' '•'• institution the .men would'be paid Is. 6d. per.'v hour. If it was .found that the contractor-": :,; was required to pay only Is. 4d. per hour, then ■'. .tho carpenters -employed by. tho Government. : , would'have' to -'accept,'the. .same rato.r'-Mr. :' : . Stobart: But supposd; tho contractor l . cornea from, l'altricrston North? The Minister! You will have ty.take your chances about that. ';■■', The 1 Consumption. Sanatori.um, built' on » somewhat' windy spur of..;the. Cashmere Hills,' ~" and still unfinished, came in for tho full-fury of'the gale on :Friday-night and Saturday: : (writes, our Christchurcli correspondent). At yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board,-the '■■ contractor-, for' the, shelters' at tho 'sanatorium >. .:■ wrote' stating that those shelters which were : .ready to receive, the slates were "wreckedou • Saturday 'ujorhing. He asked, if the boardcould meet Mm in the unfortunate position inV :which he had been placed through no fault ■ of his own., The Mayor said that .beyond the r destruction of thp'shelter, a great.part'of tho'-V clay bank had beep washed away and a con-.: siderable portion of the retaining wall, had come down.; 'Tiles had been blown off' the roof of - the nurses' quarters, while tho win- "•■ ' dews of tho main building and the tower,-' leaked badly.' It'was decided that the', board's'/ 1 ' architect should report upon what was ucces-, • sary to rectify the damage that had been dono'i ' by the late storm. ■ Mr. Wolfe said tho trouble:i was that they, had built a house o'u tho sand." If they had a.fow bad storins like - that of "■.; last, week they .would find the. sanatoriuin- ; slipping bodily down the hill into ..the: gully.. Thp mistake, was,putting the building,on the v ' .lull nt all. . l'hey should have acceptc-dj a, - ,ycry gpodofier of a site.bchvoen'Rolleston ahdv...'' Burnham,; Mr. Horrell said it was a question '^ ! .whether thore was much good'in. spending any more money on the buildings until the trees ■•'.•' had grown. If they had not m a weak moment : taken oyer the. place,, tho Government would probably have found. some use for it.

'Weird, picturesque, and sanguinary" wero the adjectives employed by the Harbour Board engineer (Mr. W. H.Hnmcr) at the last meeting of tho Aucklaud Harbour Board, in do- 1 scribing the language which; the board's iuspee. ; tor "as ,t6lput up wiUifromsome of the wen' engaged .oft. tho. Queer Street .Wharf. Works. .■•• i airly strong language was, therefore, required : at times as an antidote. It was-essential that the inspector should be'given a frco hand in dealing with such men, and he (tho engineer), would not iolerato, interference, at any ■" price Did one of the mcjmot.can you a>-r: some ; .little nmongof asked engineer of. tbcin-' ' spectpr,■, i *' Yes ,, was tM iif.satisiiod response, ■■■:■ . and I,promptly on his back." ,"■•■■ Mr.-G. Pailisor Martin", one of the com. merce delegates/in'addition to strongly mSvo. cating trade with Bristol, had a word to U? ns: a flax merchant oh; the possibilities for the ' growing of European flax"... in "this cotthtrv " (writes our Auckland; correspbndont).'nibre wns r an expanding market at Home-for jN'ew Zealand; hemp,, but ho was of. opinion: that oui valleys and gullies wcro peculiarly adapted to the growing of the European linseed flax plant : . been experimenting with soma griwi in ■ Victoria; and had, sent : : producU.;-. The flax.produced.in' '■ worth from XiO.to £& per.'ton, and the clirontt was .-_ not nearly; M suilnblo - for \ growing the . plant os that pf, New Zealand. /The Home murkct drew supplits fro B) India, ; ■Belgium, ■'■-v and Southern^ltiiKia,. bu{ hie.firm "(which used from '500-tons; to '1000 : tons of good Has pet annum),: and.others would ' beploased to draw from other sourcoa. Mr, Martin added;thai: the' Minister for Agrjcul. : ture (tho Hon.T. Mackmie) had expressed hir mtentionof .trying to .indutA-Sew Zealand agriculfunsts toi experiment in the growing of ; European flax. .. ...:...-■.. "° . , .