Evening Post. FIIIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1905.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 48, 25 August 1905, Page 4

Evening Post. FIIIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1905.

THE "YES-NO" MOTION. We stopped our discussion of the 'Pre- I mier's notice of motion on the land question yesterday at the point where, after a -welcome "No" to the eternal lease and a regrettable "Yes" to the continuance of existing facilities for the alienation of the freehold, he floundered into impotent and incoherent interrogatives on the two questions which have mainly agitated the rural mind during the last few years. Are the holders of leases in perpetuity to be allowed to acquire the freehold of their sections at the present market value? The Premier really does not know^ it is not for him to venture an opinion. AreHhe tenants to be given "the right to ( acquire the freehold of their sections at the capital value upon which they originally selected, and upon payment of 1 per cent., difference between 4 per cent, and 5 per cent., plus compound interest on 1 per cent, from (fay of selection? — or may the said lessee change the tenure to occupation with right of purchase"? Here again 1 the mind of the Premier and the Government is a blank. Lastly, shall these privileges or any of them, be extended to tenants of lands acquired under the Land for Settlements Act? The oracle is still silent. Some of the proposals thus interrogatively suggested are co outrageous that we can only suppose them put forward that their rejection may give an air of moderation to the acceptance of the 'rest. . For instance, to allow a tenant who look up land ten or twelve years ago'tha right to acquire the freehold now at its then value would be to rob the country of al^ the unearned increment which has ac-' crued during the interval, and it is monstrous that when being asked for a favour which in our opinion should not be granted under any conditions, the country should also be asked to submit to such a retrospective robbery as this. An appearance of equity is sought for the demand by the talk of charging an additional 1 per cent, from tile beginning of the term, which would represent the extra rent payable by the holders of lease in perpetuity if they had had occupation licenses with right of purchase instead ; but if these tenants now as>k a. favour, what equity or even decency is there in the suggestion that it should bo made to date back as though their status bad been changed at the beginning of the term? Tho question ns to making similar cancessions to tenants tinder the Land for Settlements Act must be placed in the same category. It can only have been put forward that its rejection may appear to be a concession to the refonneis. Even the freeholdeis on the Land Commission drew a broad distinction in this respect between these lands and the ordinary Crown lands. "Under the Land for .Settlements Act," they said, "thu cuso is very different. The settler has had tho rough pioneer work done for him ; the land is improved, accessible, and a going concern ready to produce. Further, tho main object of the system i^ to render the country more productive by settling a larger population on it« lands, und to enable Bottlers to obtain holdings on suitable lands, ' which they could never do if they had to purchase the freehold of them. . . From these considerations we are of opinion that there should oe no variation whatever in the terms of the contract already entered into between the State and the tenants, nor iiny variation in future contracts under tho Land for Settlements Act." Of all the ten Commissioners only n single one dissented from this ! finding. The one definite affirmation in tho clause of tho Premier's motion dualing with these lands is in the last sentence: — '"If lessees allowed to purchase, . the tuouey« to be expended in tlio pur-

chase of other lands for close settlement." We should hope so, indeed ; even Seddonian finance would stagger at the thought of borrowing money for the purchase of lands, selling them, and treating the proceeds as revenue to swell the surplus. Yet a process not less vicious in principle is pursued when the cash received for the sale of ordinary Crown lands is credited to revenue, as it habitually is. The present is a suitable, occasion for the House to insist that the principle "the moneys to be expended in the purchase of other lands for close settlement," should be applied to every sale of land by the Crown. Clauses, 5, 6, and 7in the Premier's motion do nob call for special comment. The first of these provides a system of deferred payments, to which no objection can be taken if the right to purchase has once been conceded; and the second proposes that if the holders of leases-in-perpetuity arc allowed to acquire the freehold, "the sections and the aieas at present hold by them shall remain as at present, and that no alteration of boundaries, unless it be for cutting into smaller areas, shall be made, unless done by an Act of Parliament passed specially in that behalf." Residential conditions are to 'be observed by the freeholder 36 by the tenants, and no Land Registrar is "to register any transfers that contravene this express condition," — which means no doubt the condition as to area, for the question of residence would not arise in a transfer, nor could a Registrar be asked to take cognisance of it. On the main point in this sixth clause tho Premier can rely upon tho support of Oppositionists if they are true to their repeated declarations that, while advocating the freehold, they are prepared to guard against the aggregation of large estates by imposing restrictions on the title of land so alienated which would prohibit such aggregation. On the more drastic px - oposals of clause 9 the Opposition cannot be expected to look with so much favour. This clauso declares that "it shall be unlawful for any person, or corporation, or company holding 5000 acres of first-class rural land or 10,000 acres of second-class 'rural land, to purchase and acquire the feesimple of any more land, or to increase the aroas owned." This may be a bitter pill for the monopolist to swallow, but it is only by some such drastic course that tho interests of close settlement, upon which the salvation of this young, country depends, can be maintained, and the clutch of the land-grabber evaded. It is to bo noted that the limitation only applies to first and second-clars rural lands ; there is properly no restriction attempted upon the application of capital to the development of laVger areas of inferior laud. l THE SUBDIVISION PROBLEM. Further reflection does not tend to weaken the first impression of di.smay which was created by the recent decision of the Court of Appeal on- the law of subdivision, and the amazing thing is that owners who have ruin or disastrous loss staring them in the face should as a rule confine their indignation to private muttenngs, instead of focussing it in a manner that would" compel the Legislature to listen. If the interests affected had the same capacity for making themselves heard as shopkeepers or prohibitionists, for instance, when their toes are trodden on, the Legislature would have listened long ago. A Press Association message informed us on Wednesday last that Dunedin has been roused to action, though Dunedin has probably not half as much at stake as this city. At a meeting of land agents, solicitors, and others in the southern city a resolution was passed declaring "that the position of the law regarding subdivision and dealing with land is intolerable, resulting in the paralysis of settlement and sale and purchase of land," and a strong committee was formed to report upon the whole matter. If simi-, lar meetings were held all round the colony to give general expression to the alarm which in generally felt,- tho Ministry would not be able any longer to affect the indifference which they still continue to parade. Their complacence is largely based on the assumption that it is only the speculator and the "fat man" who are hit by this legislation, but such an assumption is entirely erroneous. The small owner suffers more than the large one from the present position, and the nftn who is too poor to own land at all is just as much concerned as the wealthy to see it cheap, since upon jts price depends the rent which he has to pay. Some rich men will of course be rendered poorer by what makes a ppar t-osf s their estate unsaleable, but tho man ot moderate means whose whole savings may have been invested in one of what wo may call the prohibited areas will suffer far more severely, while so far as classes go the poor, as usual, i will have to shoulder the greater part of the bu£ den involved in dearer land and higher •cost of living. The answcT 'given by tho Minister of Public Works on Wednesday to Mr. Alison's question shows that tho Government continues to ignore ithe very elements of the pToblem. Ho disposed of the difficulties -which his various amending Acts Jiava created by ascribing them to the •grted of landowners -who " do not wish to give up so much as a chain wide of a 'road or street, " and to ■the parsimony of local bodies which object to paying compensation. The problem is unfortunately not quite so simple. Tho landowner with whom wo sympathise is tho jnan whose section is so shallow that fcho dedication of the necessary Bljce of frontage for tho purpose ,of whivt may ba a -worse 'than useless addition to tho street, may 'render the balance of his land absolutely unsaleable; and there are hundreds of such cases. Wo are also in entire sympathy with tho local body that objects to paying compensation for strips of land dedicated here and there in a sporadic fashion that makes them .neither useful nor ornamental ac additions to the street, but im unmitigated nuisance. Even if the dedication were simultaneous and continuous a local body would never be so foolish aa to pay voluntarily for the frontago on both sides of -a street in order to widen it. This .aspect of the question has been well brought out by the Mayor of Wellington and Tiis predecessor, -Mr. Aitken, in the interviews published by ua, which we have pleasure in commending io the attention- of the Minister of Public Works and his ■colleagues. The Mayor also anakca Ihe excellent suggestion, Which is independently urged in our correspondence columns to-day, that ithe true criterioh should bo tho enlargement not of " a dust-producing, uninteresting roadway," but of the space between the building lines on either side of bhe street. An applied, at any "a'tc, to the residential portions ol the city, this proposal is an -admirable one. 'One serious drawback of tho unimproved va.lue Tating, of which in general we strongly approve, is that it has tended to abridge tho intervals between adjoinsing houses and to abolish gardens and open spaces. Even in Thomdon, houses may now bo seen huddled 'together and close on to tho street, and anything that would check thus tendency would promote both tho health and the beauty of the city. Olio hpccial absurdity of the present law, which is well brought out by one of our correspondents to-day, is that even in a hundred yeari it will uot have given

us anything better than irregularly-notch-ed and saw-toothed streets. Hundreds of sections fronting the narrow streets are already so small that further subdivision is impossible, and these will stand out like rocks against the erosive action that will set back the larger properties adjoining when they are subdivided. But a. regulation which forbade the erection of any new building within a stated distance of the street would have enforced the required minimum of air-space with absolute uniformity throughout the residential quarters long before the century was up. Another strong point made by the Mayor was as to tho impossibility of applying any one hard-and-fast mathematical rule to overy street and subdivision in a city like this. Provision is, of course, supposed to be made for exceptional cases under the present law by the discretion which is given to the local body .with the sanction of the Governor-in-Council. In the answer from which we have already quoted tho Minister of Public Works referred to this provision as an ample safeguard, but his candour was not equal to the task of stating how often the exercise of this dispensing power had been applied for, and how often granted by His Excellency's advisers. The Ministry is not a suitable body to be entrusted with a discretion of this kind, and a, more unsuitable body than the present ' Ministry to bo entrusted with any arbitrary power over the rights and interests of Wellington could hardly bo devised. Nevertheless we are unable to accept the contention ot the Mayor and Mr. Ait Ken that local bodies should be given an unfettered discretion to suspend the operation of tha provisions relating to subdivision. The nonsense which Mr. Ell in his unsophisticated way, and Mr. Seddon after another fashion, have been talking about the Wellington City Council creating slums by granting a 20ft right-of-way to a few half-acre allotments must not drive us too far in the opposite direction, or blind us to the facts that while our City Council is manfully betting its face against slums and cleaning up the city, jobbery is not unknown in our local administration, and that the smaller local bodies are especially susceptible to influence. While, therefore, we object to political control of a local body's discretion, we also ob- ' ject to no control ; and our suggestion is that a system of judicial control be established. The matter is sufficiently important to justify the intervention of a. Supreme Court Judge, and under his guidance we believe that the intolerable harshness of tho present law could be mitigated for exceptional cases in a strictly judicial and satisfactory fashion. LOCAL AND GENERAL. • « _ Hopes of peace have again receded, and the internal condition of affairs in Russia, increasingly indicate crisis or catastrophe. A number of locil Bills were dealt with by the House yesterday. The remainder of the sitting was taken up in discussing the Electoral Bill in Committee. The Marriage Validation Bill was the chief* subject considered by the Legislative Council. Tho statutory special orders covering the loans of £50,000 (for extinguishing overdrafts, etc.) and £255,000 (for water sivpply, destructor, etc.) are notified in this week's Gazette by the Wellington City Council. Five tenders have been received by the Haibour Board for timber staging at Waterloo-quay North, and tho lowest is to be accepted if found in order. The City Council has decided to grant no permits to romove turf from' the Town Belt, and to prosecute all persons removing turf therefrom. An additional passangeT train will leave Petone 'to-morrow at 1.36 p.m., in connection with the football match. Regulations covering the registration of acclimatisation societies under the Animals Protection Act of 1903 are gazetted. . City Councillor Biss stated at the City Council's meeting last evening that the Reseives Committee has not forgotten the "eyesore" in Kent-terrace, and at next meeting will bring down a scheme for fencing and planting. The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Papanui, now on the East Coa6t, and due here early next week, 'has on board a, Hereford bull and a JieifeT consigned to Wellington. .Both animals were in perfect condition on the arrival of 'the vefsel at Auckland. With -.egaTd to tho Miramar .boundary question, the City Council 'has consented to the necessary stops being taken by the Mdramar Borough Council to have ■the boundaries between .the boroughs altered, .as agreed upon, all coj>ts incurred to bo borno by the Miramar Council. A contract has been let to Messrs. Murdoch and Wallis for thp erection of a brick building of two stories in Aitkenstreet for a. gentleman recently from England. The lower part will be fitted up for business purposes, while the upper story will be used as a residence. The architect is Mr. James O'Dea. The sum -of £160 per annum is to DO Bet aside uy tho City Council " for tho purpose of subsidising performances by 'tha various bands of .tho city, tho Town Clerk to make arrangements as necessary and report."' This proposal -was adopted by tho City Council last aiight, on tho recommendation of tho Public Works Committee. A meeting of churchmen and church* women, convened by tho Bishop of Wellington, is to be held in St. Peter' 3 Schoolroom to-night to consider what flteps shall be taken to perpetuate the memory of tho late Bishop Hadfield. Two suggestions have already been made to that end — viz. (1) a theological college at Wellington, and (2) a scholarship to bo held in one of the theological colleges. A. deputation, consisting of Mes«rs. Roadley, Reerc, Caroline, and M'Cardlo, was intioducod to the Premier last evening by the member for Pahiatua, Mr. Hawkins, from tho Rakaunui and l'onguroa ridings of tho Altileo I'mmty, and presented o. petition signed by upwards of 200 settlers requesting tho (iovernmeut to complete tho metalling of the MakuriAohang.a nnd Pongaroti main roads, as well as widening tho Waikoreru-Waioki road to itn full width. The Premier ndmitted tha necessity of tho works asked for, and promised to give the matter his. earnest consideration when framing tlio Ektiiniiletf. Jupp's Band will give i!s first performance of tho ceason nt Bellevuo Gardens next Sunday. One item of their programme- will bo tho piece which was played at the Auckland contest, Members are notified to meet as advertised. • Never in tho history of Wellington has there been a boot sale that has created excitement like tho five sale now going on at J Kirkcaldie and Stains. Ltd. It is, ■however, not surprising when you consider the great reputation their goods have for wear, comfort, and appearance, tho enormous stock to selset from, all goods offered being in perfect condition, and tho fneb that 'they are allowing 4a in the £ discount off every .pair of men's, women's, .misses', snd boys' boots or shoes purchased for task until Saturday, 2nd September.— Advtt

[ The question of municipal abattoirs an Wellington still hangs in the balance. The Abattoirs Committee of the City Council asked the Council to affirm the principle of establishing municipal abattoirs, but the question was postponed pending certain expected amendments by the Government in the Slaughtering and Inspection Act. The matter came again before the Council last evening, but as the legislative alterations have not materialtasd, tlio question was, on the motion of Councillor Murdoch, postponed for another month. Councillor Murdoch's resignation from the Abattoirs Committee is meanwhile held over. An announcement was made yesterday by the Chief Justice that judgment in the case of Warner v. the Lyttelton Times, recently argued before the Court of Appeal, was not likely to be ready for delivery for some time. The Judges wished a conference on the matter, and there was no likelihood of that being held until the Judges assembled in Wellington on the 9th October for the coming sittings of the Court. A deputation from the Trades Council waited .upon fch©\ Secre-taTy of the Labour Department (Mr. Ed. Treg-ear), and pointed out to him that the, notes on the condition of 'trade published in each month's issue of the Labour Journal were not a. true indication of the state of ■trade from the workers' point of view. A more c-a refill and accurate system of reporting was urg-ed upon the Secretary. Mr. Tregear promised to forward a circular letter to all unions requesting them to furnish him -with monthly reports of the state of their' respective 'trades. This was the- substance of tie deputation's Teport to the meeting of the- Trades Council last might. Beer was discussed at some length by the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union last evening. At a recent meeting it was decided that beer would not be brought in at local football dinners. This resolution was rescinded last night, when it was decided that one toast should be honoured with beer. The general tone of the meeting was that beer should not be supplied in quantity, but there was no reason why a man should not have a glass of ale with his dinner if he chose to. One speaker, who has been in touch with the Australian team since it arrived here, stated that both iihe manager and trainer of the visiting team are setting their faces against smoke concerts, etc., in the South. At the meeting of the City Council last evening Councillor Murdoch asked who was to blame for laying the electric lighting wires in the Town Hall. He alleged that the work had not been properly done, and stated that it would cost an enormous amount of money to put matters right. The Mayor replied: "I do not know." Councillor Murdoch : "The blame has been put on the Clerk of Works, but he says it is not his fault." The Mayor stated that he supposed it waa nobody's fault. A good dea-l of int-ereet is being taken' in the" 1 - Swiff Cy-ol© Road Race, which takes place on Saturday, tne 9th September, entries for which close on the let September. The distance, seven miles, •has been decided upoin in order to encourage Mie younger members of th© cycling fraternity to enter. A number of entries have already been received, and it is expected that a good field will iace- the starter. The- race is the first of a series promoted by i>he Adams Star Cycle Company. Another disappointment last evening awaited City Councillor Morrah in connection with his motion "That the bylaw regulating the width of tires to be : used on draya in the Melrose Ward be immediately enforced, and that the same bylaw be made applicable to the whole j city." The Mayor ruled that the motion stand over till the Bylaws Commit'- | tee has dealt with the same subject, a j report by the City Engineer being now before that committee. The Trustees of tho Kilbirnie Recreation Ground have discovered a difficulty in transferring the ground to the City Council, and repotted last evening to the Council that an Act of Parliament will be necessary in order to free the ground from the local trust. They proposed that, as a statute, will be needed to authorise the Council's reclamation work at Kilbirnie, the same Bill do for both. The Council could, the Trustees added, go on levelling with any spoil they had. Councillor Biss said there was an agitation for a wharf at Kilbirnie. The Harbour Board should know of the Council's contemplated reclamation. The Mayor: "The Board knows. The wharf will not be near there.'" The Mayor moved that it be left in his hands to take any steps fouml necessary. He said he was not personally satisfied that a Bill was needed. The motion was carried. Returns covering the working of the Government railways for the four weeks ended 22nd 'July List are published in yesterday's Gazette. There were 2382 miles open for traffic, and the total revenue for the month was £164,337, the expenditure £120.666, as against £155,419 receipts and £110,327 expenditure for the same period last year. On the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section (484- miles) the latest returns were:— Revenuo £43,289, 'expenditure £35,027, per csntase ,of revenue 73.75, revenue per mile of railway £1254, expenditure per mile £925. The returns for the same period of last year were : — Miles open for traffic 466, revenue £40,705, expenditure £31,071, per centage of revenue 69.97, revenue per mile £1213, expenditure per mile £849. There was an increase of 22,106 in the number of passengers cairicd on the Wellington section during the four weeks ended the 22nd prox. over the number carried during the same period of lost j'ear. The attention of Dr A M'Arthur, S.M., was occupied during .the greater part of yesterday hearing a claim by Mary Forth against Agnes 'Murphy for iho recovery of £47 Is for loss of goods, damaged ■while- in possession of 'defendant, rent due and -efund of payments made by plaintiff on account of a piano which was taken over by tha defendant. The last two items of the claim were- admitted. After hearing evidence- at length his Worship reserved 'his decision. Tda Maxtod proceeded against Alfred Davis for the recovery of £5 10s balance owing for services rendered -as a nnrue. His Worship gave judgment for plaintiff for £2 ]os,- with £1 193 costs. Mr. R. B. Williams -appeared for plainli-1, -mid Mr. Weston for defendant. John Moffat, represented by Mr. Graham, obtained judgment against Harry Jleid for £26 and £3 12s cost 6. Tho claim was in respect of i,he lease and erection -of -a hoaiding in Cnbaetreet. The proceedings at the annual meeting of tho Missions to Seamen to-night will bo of an interesting character. Addresses will be given by the Bishop of Wellington, the Hons J. Carroll and C. H. ! Millq, and oth<T3. The Governor will present Royal Humane Society certificates and medals. Songs will be given by Mrs. Glover Eaton and Mr. J. Duff, and instrumental selections will be played by Miss Hennah and 4 he Wellington Banjo, ■Mandoline, and Guitar Club under Mr. J. G. Turner. Tho first meeting of the Trades Council's Labour Day Dmonstration Committee -is to be hold next week. Munt. Cottreil, and Co., general carriers, Customs and forwarding agents, Storage a speciality. Furniture packed snd removed. Office : Queen's Chamber*. Telephone Ko. 23. --Advt,.

A return published in this week's Gazette by the Railway Department shows that the total cost of the opened railway lines in the colony is £21,701,572, and of the unopened lines £1,302,132. Letters of naturalisation were issued to 28 aliens during the week ended 23rd inst. The following recommendation of the Fire Brigades Committee was befors ths City Council last evening : That a Merryweather combined chemical hose and ladder motor engine be obtained at a cost of £840 f o.b. London, in accordance with specifications and photographs laid on the table. The Acting-Chairman of tho Committee (Councillor Godber) remarked that tho Superintendent of the Fire Brigade had stated in his annual report that motor engines cost little for maintenance (compared with horses), and the driver was released for active service at fires ; the initial weakness of the propelling machinery had now been overcome. The Chairman added that tho engine | would como in duty free, and j £840 would be the total cost except for freight and insurance. Councillor Cohen said there would be a saving of £75 a year in fodder. Councillor Godber said tho engine was guaranteed to go up a grade of 1 in 6, and could therefore go up to Brooklyn. The Mayor : These engines consume a good deal of petrol when they are runnjng. Councillor Cohen: They don't when they are not running. The recommendation was adopted. Arrangements for the celebration of the centenary of Trafalgar Day are being perfected by tho Wellington branch of the Navy League. It is intended to celebrate the event on Friday, 20th October, instead of 21st October, the proper day. This is being done so that a full holiday solely in honour of tho event may be observed. A letter has been received front the Private Secretary to Admiral Fanshawo, staling that Captain Robinson, of H.M.S. Phoebe, senior officer in New Zealand waters, is being communicated with iv respect to securing tho presence of a warship in Wellington on 20th October. The celebration will consist of a naval and military display, in which squads of men-o'-warsmen and volunteers will compete against each other.* The men from tho warship will give a field-gun display, and the volunteers will demonstrate the working of the Maxim guns. There will also be exhibitions of cutlass and bayonet exercises and physical drill. His Excellency the Governor is to be asked to attend tho demonstration. At an entertainment to be given in the evening the Hiawatha Musical Society will sing Hugh Blair's cantata "Trafalgar," and several patriotic choruses will be sung by a choir of schoolchildren. Last night a deputation from the Trades and Labour Council waited on tha Premier on behalf of the Wellington Bookbinders' Society to urge upon him <flic undeeirableneas of tha policy prevailing in connection with the Government Printing Office of importing poc-k-stbooks, nolebooke, and other bound j stationery. These books, it was urged by tho speaker 3, used to be 'made -by j the Printing Office, and the adoption of the new policy had resulted in a limitation of employment which was undesirable, as there were a large number of men out of work, while workeTs an the trade were arriving from England and | Australia. If the Government manufactured instead of importing, -it could manufacture nearly as cheaply as it ' could import — there would be -more hands employed than were employed at tho present time. Tho deputation mentioned that the position was rendered more acute by the increasing adoption of the loosa-leaf ledger system. The Premier expressed his entire sympathy with the deputation. He believed the colony should be self-contained, and that the Government should show an example. He was 6urpris3d that there had been a change in the policy of the Department, and would have the- matter looked into. Anything in reason that could be done would be done by the Government. There was a short discussion on tha totalisator and its accessories during tlra hearing of the Johnson appeal case yesterday before his Honour the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice CoopeT. The discussion 6eTved to establish that Mr. Justice Cooper -would be> a better agent for procuring a totalisator ticket on a horse ■than the Chief Justice would be. The question of " horses coupled on tho machine" came up, and the Chief Justice was puzzled to know -why a horse in such case appeared out of its sequence in the weight adjustment, while the others were in avoirdupois order. Knowledge of the reason for this procedure was ovine-ed by Mr. Justice Cooper, and he later on showed cognisance- of tills method of ibadlcing & horse iby the number allotted to it that would stand j 'him in good stead if ev-er ho became a j "punter." During argument, Mr. H. D. Bell addNssed to his Honour -the Chief Justice a remark beginning: "If your Honour ever backed a_ horse," but Mr. Bell immediately withdrew the phrase and substituted : "Tf I backed a horse, your Honour." Tho' judgment of Dr. M'Arthur> S.M., which is being appealed against m the casa betrays a racy knowledge of turf practices, and Mr. Ball, .a-ddT-essing tho Chief Justice, obSDrred: "There are a great many facts with which the Magistrate is acquainted which it would possibly De disrespectful to attribute knowledge of to your Honour!" The question of whether a racebook was printed from manuscript or from proof slips was discusred during progress of -the case, and Mr. Justice Cooper's early experience of a- printing office enabled him to pronounce definitely as to what 'was tho probability of the event. ' During rough weather, the Te Aro baths have fiom time to time suffered, and it has become recognised that some further work is needed. Last night, the City Reserves and Baths Committee recommended to. the City Council: "That the City Engineer be instructed to strengthen the outside fence afc the Te Aro baths by fixing a double line of walings on tho bed of tho harbour afc an estimated cost of £150." Councillor Biss said the Committee would have liked to see a concrete wall erected to prevent rubbish coming in ; but made the present s recom mendation so as to take advantage of thb coming summer. Councillor Trevor thought tho walings would not stand the heavy seas; ho thought railway iron could be used to bettor advantage. Councillor Morrah thought the lime had come for the concrete wall, and for extending tho baths. ' At present refuse collected, and about four days a week the baths were not fit to Übc. The revenuo would treble if the work were done. He moved as an amendment that tenders be called for an outer concroto wall. Councillor Winder seconded pro forma, and wanted to know the cost. The Mayor said a concrete wall would cost £750*, but it would J take a great deal more to enlarge the baths. Councillor Qibbs said the Committee looked on tho wall as eventually nenocessary, but not financially possible at present. The amendment was lost, and the Committee's recommendation was adopted. . Tho annual meeting of the Star Boating Club -n ill be held in the boat-house to-night. Members ot th© Independent Political Labour Leajrue are notified of a poH tomorrow emmig to cftkct candidates for tho fcenoral ekotuu^ ,

The dispute between the Palmerston Noith Gas Stokei'6 and Coken Industrial Union of Workers and the Palmerston Noith Grais Company, liearing of which by the Conciliation Board was fixed for 29t'h October, has been referred direct to the. Aibitration Court by tho company. Cn a charge of theft of a pocket-bool: and contents valued at 355, belonging to R. Layers, two young men named Win. Brown and Michael Regan, alim Ryan, were brought beforo Dr. A. M/Arthur, 8.M./ this morning. Mr, Herdman appeared for one of the defendant^ and obtained an adjournment! of the case until Monday. A charge' of theft preferred against James Jackson, who was alleged to have got from a Chinese laundry three shirta belong- . ing to John O'Connell, was dismissed. A lad named Henry Taylor, 15 years oi age, was charged with having wilfully destroyed at Wadestown on ( the 13th August a horse valued at £10, belonging to Wm. Bell. The defendant entered a plea of not guilty, and the caso was) adjourned, on the application of Chiei Detective M'Grath, until Monday. There is quite a hum of oxcitoment per vading 0. Smith'B establishment in Cubastreet just now. Ndw goods are fiowinj; into every department. The fashions a«t' styles for tho Spring and Summer Seasonsare exquisite. ' It would, take columns of . space to attempt to describe tho merit* o' the mutiludinous lines that are now on view. Wo are, however, confident of being able to meet the demands of tho most exacting connoisseur of fashion at pricen that absolutely defy competition. New shipments every steamer; goods pouring in. It would be highly advisable to make an early call and thereby secure tho benefit of first choice. 0. Smith, Cash Draper. Cuba-Blreot.— Advt.