OTAKI NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 25, 30 January 1908, Page 8

OTAKI NEWS.

[By TELEGr.Afn.— Special to The Post.] The meeting called for last night to consider the advisability of forming a bowling club lapsed owing to poorness of attendance, only halt-a-dozen enthusiasts being present. At tho annual general meeting of tho Otaki Library subscribers the balancesheet was considered satisfpxtory. Mesdames .Jennings, O. D'Ath, Messrs. Booth, Perm, Smith, and Eagar were appointed a committee, and Mr. Eagar secretary. Sir. A. E. Anderson was elected auditor.

Ml<. J. B. Harcourt and his two daughters will leave by the Marama on 6th Maich on a trip to England. Sir Robert and Lady Stout, the Hon. Dr. Findlay and Mrs. Fmdlay, and Mr. J. B. Harcourt and the Misses Harcouxt (2), were the guests of the Admiral at lunch on the llagship to-day. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward have extended their patronage to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's championship gathering on Saturday afternoon. The Hons. J. A. Millar, J. M'Ewan, Geo. Fowlds, and T. W. Hislop (Mayor) have also intimated to the management committee that they will attend the Basin Reserve to witness tho championship sports. Last night, at the Sydney-street schoolroom, Mrs. W. H. Levin, who is at present visiting New Zealand on a pleasure trip, entertained the officers of His Majesty's warships now in port. About L'so people were present, and ths gathering was a very enjoyable one. Though tho polling at Kaiapoi, taken under the Fire Brigades Act, 1906, was in favour of the election of a Fiie Board, the Government has decided that, under tho Act of 1907. it cannot recognise the poll, md since the population of tho district is under 2000, tha Governor cannot declare the Kaiapoi borough to be a fire district under the Act The amended plans for the city abattoirs are likely lo bo ready for submission to the City Council at its meeting a fortnight from piessnt date. Thecity engineer and his staff are now engaged in perfecting them, and it is hoped to go on with tho work as soon as the City Council approves the plans. In the New Zealand Fir© and Ambulance Record, published on Monday last, comment is made upon the Evening Post's interview with the AttorneyGeneral relativo to the appointment of nn Inspector of Fire Brigades for Now Zealand. The Record says it fails to be impressed by the arguments put forward by Dr. Fmdlay in favour of his decision to delay "the appointment, Tha paper consideis that the boards already constituted should be granted the immediate benefit of an inspector's services, which are- especially necessary in the early stages of a board's existence, when important matters concerning plant ar.d appliance? have to bs uettled. The advice of an expait would be of very gTeat assistance to tho board in such circumstances. The system brought into being by the Act calls for thd- appointment of an Inspector of Firo Bnuades or it do?s not. If it does, he should be appointed ; if otherwise, the Act is worse than, useless; it is injurious. Under the Act the inspector is a State functionary, paid by tho State, and his iinst duty is to the State. One of his duties would be to act as valuer, or assessor, in ie»ard to plant taken over by the boards from local bodies. Should the boards appoint their own assessors'' concludes the Record. To aek the question ifi Jx> answer it.