TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 11

TELEGRAMS.

'•CARDBOARD BOOTS." A GREAT SHOCK. [BY TEMtGBAPH — SPECIAL TO THB 205T.1 CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The assertion of Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., during the last session of Parliament that boots were being made in the Dominion virtually of cardboard was mentioned last evening at a meeting of the Industrial Association by Mr. W. W. Charters, who said that hitherto he had prided himself on the fact that New Zealand manufacturers used the best of material and workmanship, and that local buyers were safe in supporting them. It had come to him as 'a great shock that New Zealand was descending to the tactics of the cheap manufacturers of other countries, and the association should not let the matter pass quietly. He felt the matter very keenly, and it had been thrown up at him frequently. He did not care where the boots were made, but the association should set to work to find out the truth or otherwise of the statement, and he would propose the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter without fear or favour. If the boots were not made in Christchurch the association would be cleared of the stigma of sup porting shoddy local manfacturers. If they were made elsewhere other associations might be induced to take the matter up. The suggestion was adopted. PALMERSTON NOTES. [Ey TELEGRAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.] PALMERSTON N., This Day. Mr. Victor Fitzherbert, who has always been greatly interested in the stage, is now fairly launched with an Australian company as the Mysterious Messenger in "A Message from Mars." At a meeting of the committee of the Manawatu Caledonian Society, a programme for the sports gathering on Easter Monday was framed. ' Last year's piogramme, with several alterations and additions, was adopted. The Borough Councillors visited the waterworks at Tiritea yesterday, and were greatly impressed with the beauties of the road leading to the dam. This is one of Palmerston's premier beauty spots, and "the councillors discussed the possibility of forming & road up the bed of the creek through the bush from the bridge, by way of getting anothor means of access to the beauties beyond. The council, after visiting the intake, decided, to place before the ratepayers a loan proposal of £6500 "f0r raising the dam another 50ft, in spite of the fact that a recent meeting of ratepayers decided against the proposal. CHARGE AGAINST A BOOKMAKER I [at IHUSGEIPH — SPECIAL TO THE V 051."] DUNEDIN, This Day. A 'case against a bookmaker of betting with an infant at the Clutha races is to bo heard' next week. PBESS ASSOCIATION. INTERESTING TESTIMONY. EXTERNAL EXAMINERS FOR NEW ZEALAND DEGREES. CHRISTCHURCH, 27th Jan. Interesting testimony as to the value of external examiners for New Zealand degrees is given by Mr. J. G. Lancaster, M.Sc, 8.E., Canterbury College, who recently returned from th» United States of America with several other graduates of the engineering school at' Canterbury College. Mr. Lancaster took the electrical course with the Westinghouse Electrical Manufacturing Company at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The course is a two years' one, and is open to graduates from recognised engineering schools all over the world. At present Mr. Lancaster estimated there are about four hundred graduates taking the course. The conditions upon which admission to the course is given are that the candidate must be a graduate from some recognised engineering university, and his diploma must be recognised by the company. The Canterbury College School of Engineering possesses a status that easily tills these requirements. Speaking to a Press representative ; to-day, Mr. Lancaster said that jfc appeared to him and his fellow graduates from Canterbury College that it was a distinct advantage that they had been examined by the external examining body, for while New Zealand was comparatively little known, due weight was attached to the fact that the examining body was in London, a fact that appreciably raised the status of their degrees. MUSIC. PROPOSED CONSERVATORIUM. CHRISTCHURCH, 27th January. The Senate to-day received a report from the Mu6ic Committee regarding tho establishment of a Conservaterium of Music. The committee reported as follows :—: — (1) The Recess Music Committee, ac directed by a resolution of the Senate at its last meeting, communicated with tht affiliated colleges, to ascertain what encouragement they or any of them would give to the establishment of a Conseivatorium of Music. Tho Auckland University College is the only college that Teplied definitely, and submitted to tin? committee a practicable scheme with a gratifying offer of encouragement. (2) The scheme submitted by the Auckland University College for the establishment of a. Conservatorium of Music merits a subsidy from the Government) and that the Senate recommends its eetablishment at Auckland. (3) The committee recommends : "That the Music Committee be a recess committee, with power to confer with the Auckland University College as to further details of the scheme." Mr. L. Cohen, who moved the adop' tion> of the report, explained that thb Auckland University College had acquired the Choral Hall in that city, and proposed to turn it into a Conservatorium of Music. There was already an organ in the hall. It was proposed at first to appoint five professors, and there would | be complete courses arranged in prac- | tice and theory. It evas hoped that in a I year or two the conservatorium would be self-supporting. The committee felt that the scheme was an adequate one, and were thoroughly justified in making the recommendation to th» Senats. It was felt that th« conservatorium, once established at Auckland, would never be allowed to die, bnt would expand and flourish. Sir Maurice O'Rork* said there wae no desire at Auckland to monopolise the teaching of muaic, and he hoped tosee similar conservatoriums established in connection with the other University colleges. . Alter a short discussion the Senate approved of the report. CASE OF EX-CAPTAIN KNYVETT. AUCKLAND, 27th January. There is a likelihood of the Knyvett Defence Committee waiting on the Prime Minister while in Auckland, and

urgine that something should be immediately done by the Defence Department to enable ex-Captain Knyvetfc to secure a fresh trial. An application was made some time ago under the terms of the "Knyvett clause" in the Defence Act (as amended last session), and the whole matter was referred to Major-General Godley, together with a request for a new trial, and a fresh statement of the charges The Commandant has now had the papers before him for some time, and the Auckland Committee ia waiting for an official intimation of what is to be done. If no information is received before the Prime Minister leaves Auckland next week, the Defence Committee will ask permission to wait upon him as a deputation. "SED6WICK BOYS." CHRISTCHURCH, 27th January. The "Sedgwick boys" for Canterbury and Otago arrived by the Mararoa this morning. They were accompanied by Mr Proctor, of the head office of the Labour Department. Consequent on the late arrival of the Mararoa, and the time necessary to pass the Customs, the "boys~ for south of Christohurch were not able to leave by the second express, and consequently are staying over until to-morrow. The "boys" are a fine manly lot, and appear to be just the kind of material wanted by the fanners of the Dominion. RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE. GISBORTSTE, 27th January. At! a meeting of ratepayers last night a resolution was carried unanimously that the time had arrived in Gisborne •when iti is desirable that the basis of rating shall be on the unimproved value. A poll on the question will be taken on Thursday. WELCOME RAIN. GISBORNE, 27th January. Very welcome rain has fallen. CYCLING RECORDS LOWERED. CHRISTCHURCH, 27th January. I. J. Orlowski, a local cyclist, to-day lowered the one, two, and three-mile motor-paced Australasian records on the track at Lancaster Park. His times are: One mile, lmin 42 3-osec (previous record lmin 46sec) ; two miles, 3min 35 3-ssec (previous -record 3mini 46£$ec) ; three miles, smin 21 3-ssec (previous record smin 26sec). All the previous records were held by "Plugger Bill" Martin, and were made at Leeston on 2nd April 1902. SCOTTISH COMMISSIONERS. ' DUNEDIN, 27th January. Mr. James Keith and Mr. James Dunlop, members of the Scottish AgriculturaF Commission to Australia, have arrived in Dunedin in a private capacity. They are investigating agricultural matters. Mr. Ritchie, Secretary of _Agriculture, will meet them here to-morrow, and he and the Hon. T. Mackenzie will accompany them on visits to the country. They will probably leave for the North on Tuesday.'