AUCKLAND ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1060, 24 February 1911, Page 3

AUCKLAND ITEMS.

. SWIMMING, BATHS. •, IBy..Telegraph,—Special Corresnondofltl • , ' Auckland, February 22. •The providing of suitablo public. swimming baths for." Auckland seems as far off. as, ever. ,The Mayor (Mr. J. Bagnall), speaking to a reporter to-dnv, eaid. he doubted'if any satisfactory solution'of tho diffibulty would bo arrived at - for another two or three years. Personally, no was/oi the'.opinion that a site off tho reclamation would, bo tho most suitable, amr.it the. Harbour Board had agreed to, the setting, asido of. that site .. lie had no douht that the City Council would havo spent .upwards of XIO,OOO without delay in providing ' up-to-date accommodation for bathers. Tho Harbour Board,"however; declined: to grant any .suitablo site upon, tho water iront for this purpose, and so, in Mr. Bagnall's opinion, the city would havo, to wait a few years longer for'swimming baths, pending the completion of the esplanade and other harbour improvements. In ' tho meantimo. the Mayor, thinks tho. best thing to bo dono is to erect a number of dressing sheds, on Sholloy Beach; nnd so niako even, mor? popular this excellent bathing ground. With the pronosal to erect-, swimming baths (it Shelley Beach/Mr. Bagnall docs not'agree, as h& belicve-s the majority 01 j the peoplo would prefer "bathing. on tho open beach, provided that satisfactory commodation in tho way of dressing sheds is provided. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. . * Tho method of'making'up.tho agricultural statistics of tho Doihinioii has .apparently .'.not, given , satisfaction to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, as tho report of that body to bo submitted to the:-annual' meeting to-morrow mentions that as much dissatisfaction had been expressed, at tho unreliability of the figures published -. under Government s present system of collecting, agricultural and pastoral, statistics, the council applied to tho Minister to have an amendment made. Tho Minister courteously replied asking for. suggestions, and after consulting, representatives, of. those interested, tho council' conveyed its'.opinion .that tho only reliable method : of.- obtaining . tho heccssajy data 'is-to issue a return to grain merchants and farmers, to be compiled on November 30' and' December 31 of each year. . ■ • ■FAKM LABOUR. , " : : -The schenio for" importing, farm labourers from tho United (Kingdom, which has been set on foot by ; tho Auckland Farmers' Union, is meeting with widespread, approval. . Mr. Josopli Flanagan, a member of tho executive, who has been deputed to represent tho union in England, has beeii making a very successful canvass of certain districts, and the,arrangements in' view of 'his departure, which wiir bo at tho end of March, nre well forward. The Auckland '-provincial., secretary (Mr. A. Schmidt), has received a letter from'tho acting secretary of-tho. Labour Department, ill which it is. stated that the Department will givo all•,possjbjo assistance in. nlacing any farm" labourers who, may be brought out. and v;ill seo that they aro taken to their "destinations' at the usual reduction on the . railway. Local aeents will also-be instructed to look out for the men.' The' Dominion secretary has also written stating that Jlr. T. E. Sedgwick, who brou'gli, out 50-boys • undcT tho auspices of the Labour will shortly bo in Auckland, and is-willing to assist , Mr. Flanagan, with, letters of : introduction andiin their-ways. j

! -. MR.' TAYLOR'S POLITICS. ■ ' Mr. ,T. E. Taylor has already declared that'he intends to throw in his lot wholly 'or; partially with tho Labour party in New Zealand politics, his reasons being, to use'his own words, that ho hopes more from the:new;and active force of Labour .from' "tho palsied hands: of . the other two parties." :A "Star" representative'. met him ni tjijs. 1 ',and' asked him to "discuss politics, nrid.his owii position, in the party struggles of the future, but Mr. Taylor- had nothing to say: "I don't want to say, anything on the, subject not for publicity, :• nt . any rate," ho said.' "I have no authority to speak for the party, and . I am-net sure that I should be wise to speak on luy own account.. There nre so many sectional strifes nnd jarring interests just how. . Tho little differences are all slowly working themselves out, and the party is becoming slowly united into ■ tho nucleus of a powerful organisation. I hopo the internal troubles will all lie settled, arid I prefer to refrain front' saying anything ,which may disturb ''tho.'..peace afresh." . ;; '■' • .. PLAYGROUNDS. . The chairman of tho Education Board 'Mr. C. J. Parr) has always beon a strong advocato for extensive playing grounds for schools in the city. Lately,, in . company with other' members "of the 'board, he visited all tho schools, in tho city; and the visiting c'ommitteo' found many of Mie.playgrounds hopelessly small, even ,to the. point of: being l insanitary. ' All outdoor games were absolutely impossible. At. the meeting of'the board to-day lie moved .that a schedule and plans of the city and suburban playgrounds be prepared and 6ubmitt<vl to }ho Minister for Education, and that'tho Minister; bj psked for a special grant of .£SOOO for tho purporcof enlarging'such' playgrounds as may bo found to bo inadequate. '"If we don't take these: playground sites now," said. Mr. ■ Parr, "in ten years' time the values put upon land in localities where we want, it will bo siich that even a wealthy .community will hesitato befAro deciding 'to buy it." The motion was carried.