LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 151, 26 June 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In terms of the application made by the Reefton miners for direct asaißtancfj, on the grounds that their trouble should not be bracketed with the Waihi strike, the Seamen's Union, Wellington, voted a sum of £25. This was done unanimously and distinctly on the Understanding that the Federation of Labour was not concerned in the matter. It is reported that there is dissension in the ranks of the Auckland Waterside Workers. The men are divided into three sections and in the near future it is very likely that a ballot will be taken on the question of seceding ftom the Federation of Labour. Some interesting references to "squatters" were made by the Prune Minister (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) in his lecture in aid of the Boys' Institute last night. The squatters, he said, had performed most important functions in the agricultural settlement of this " country. Of course, now that they were passing away, one should not forget their useful work. They had braved many dangers and had gone through many exwerienccs and hardships. They introduced Capital and men of experience in stock and agriculture to the country, and they radiated round their runs a considerable amount of settlement. In the North Island, Sir William Russell had told him, he had often to sleep with his rifle near by, and if now the squatters had to give way we should pay our tribute to the men who had carried on the work of colonisation. Giving evidence before the Cost of Living Commission at Auckland yesterday, Henry Green, representative of tho Waterside Workers' Union, set forth figures showing the increases that had' taken place in the prices of various commodities in five years. Bread (21b loaf) had increased from 3d to 3£d, potatoes from 4s to 9s 8d a cwt, mutton 4d to sd, steak 7d and 8d to 9d, beef from 4d and 5d to 6d, pork 6d to Bd. bacon lOd to Is and Is 2d, milk 3d to 4d. Touching on the price of coal, witness said thai it waa possible to get coal ut HenderBon for 2s less a ton than it could bo procured in Auckland, where, Baid witness, "the ring" had control. • Fish had increased from 3d and 4d (snapper and flounder) to 6d each for much smaller fish. In 1906 bricks were sold at 28s and 30s, and now their price was £2 6s 6d. A four-roomed house five years ago cost £172 10s to build, whereas now the contract price for the same house was £305. Land at New Lynn, which five years ago cost £30 an acre, now sold for £100 a quarter-acre. Rents for small cottageß m various parts of the city had risen from 7s 6d to 12s 6d, 9s fo 12s, and from lls 6d to ißs 6d. Indignation was expressed by Mr. A. H. Vile at yesterday's meeting of the Wellington Education Board at the criticisms offered by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute in regard to the need for a local classification scheme and the canvassing of members of the board when a desirable position was vacant. Mr. Vile wished to move, without notice, as follows :— "That the Wellington Education Board has no knowledge of members having been interviewed or canvassed by applicants for positions under the board." Mr. Aitken interpolated that members had knowledge that they had been so canvassed. The chairman (Mr. R. Lee) said he was very doubtful who* ther he could allow this motion to go forward. The mover believed it ought to. The only person, ho added, who had approached him in connection with the I Education Board was the mover of the resolution which had been adopted by I tho institute. A deliberate insult had been offered to members of the board. When the chairman moved Mr. Vile's [ motion out of order, that gentleman gave notice to move it. The Chairman : You mean that seriously ? Mr. Vile : Yes, very seriously, because I consider the whole thing a gratuitous insult. Members generally were amused, and tho chairman's last remark waa t You have a nice task in front of you. At a meeting of the 'Wellington Letterpress Printers Machiuißta' Union, held on Tuesday evening, it was decided that a sum of money be voted to assist the wives and families of the miners in Waihi and Reefton, also that two lists be drawn up inviting voluntary assistance. The board of manage ment i'a to decide on the amount, and cause a ballot to be taken. Mr. Roes addressed the meeting on behalf uf the Federation of Labour. The City Council has accepted the tender of ■ Messrs. Brown and Johnson at £317 for the erection of the municipal fish market. The unsuccessful tenderers were i' — Mace and Nicholson, £360: Jones nnd Cameron, £359; Murdoch ami Wallis, £346 : Isaac Clark, £329 ; Meyer and 1 Illinjrworth, £167 IDs; L. L. McMillan, £300 ; U Driecoll, £445 ss ; J. W. Ransort, £360 j and H. H. Knight, £426. Brown and Johnson's tender— at £283— has also been accepted for tho alterations to one of the City Council's chops in WiHis-etrwt. The other tenderers were •. Murdoch and Wallis, £420 ; H. H. Knight, £380; L. DrUcoll, £469; F. K. Cooper, £527; Mace and Nicholnon, £350 (Hlternative £322). A start has I>myc niiido with ihe creo tu.u of llio Driiry slut navy to be iww.l foi> tht> adornment ol" Hie main ohlrutico to tho new Pobt Ofllco Building. Yesterday afternoon the floral shield, which carries the Royal monogram in relief, waft raised to it* place. I [air bandeaux aro very populur, e«-juH-ially for evening weur. inicT Kh-keul-die ami Stains, Ltd.. (in* offering a smart utfcorluiuut of th«>e goods.. Doluils aro .ud vcrtiaed.— • AdvU t

The boquust of £20,000 by the late Sir John Logan Campbell, for the establishment of a Choir of Agriculture by the Auckland College Council, was re« forred to by the Prime Minister (the Hon. 1. Mackenzie) in his address on farm life at the Town Hull last evening. The gift, ho said, would bo greatly appreciated by everyone. (Applause.) Further particulars of thif, benefit show that it w&a mode becau»e Sir John Logan Campbell behoved that agriculture will for many years be the main bow-co of wealth in the Dominion of NVw Zonlund, at foreshadowed by him in tho yew 1877. As tho special climatic conditions of the Auckland provincial district iNiquitc* special treatment. Sir John was of opinion thai it is most, dcbirablo that our young settlers should bo taught through tho university of Now Zealand to carry on the calling of farmers and gmiers on a scientific basis. Ite directs that the said sum of £20,000 shall bo invested so as to form an endowment for tha maintenance of a professor of ugricul' ture, and that such professorship shall be called "The Logan Campbell ProfesBorship of Agriculture." t Several hotels which were included in '"dry" districts in various parts of the Dominion will lose their licenses, as the result of alterations in electoral boundaries. A deputation, representing Porirua, Pahautanui, and W&itaki districts, asked the Prime Minister yesterday that, as a matter of justice, and one affecting the public convenience, legislative i relief might bo afforded these districts, in accordance with what waa practically a promise made by Sir Joseph Ward before last election. In reply, the Prime Minister said it was not possible to put anything through, even if Cabinet so decided, within the time that was required before the expiration of these licenses. Regarding the general policy of the question, lie personally thought that licensing boun« daries should be fixed and also electoral boundaries. The tehtperance party were ftlfio wishing to have licensing amendments carried,' but anyone acquainted with the condition of the House knew that they co.uld hardly got a licensing Bill through with the majority behind either party at the present time. He did i not think it was the slightest use taking up any legislation of this kind, oven if Cabinet wore to agree to it. He promised to lay the matter before Cabinet at once, and he would immediately let the deputation know tho decision. With regard to the business of Brown, Campbell, and Co.. the benefits and advantages thereof are bequeathed s by Sir John Campbell to Mr. Alfred Seymour Bankart, but Sir John directs that no one shall have the right to uee the name of Brown, Campbell, and Co., or any modification thereof; therefore (says an Auckland telegram) the firm founded by Sir John Campbell in 1840 ceases to exist under that well-known name. The residuary legatees are tho' child or children of Sir John's daughter, Mrs, Murray. Failing issue of Mrs. Murray, his trustees are directed to hand over the whole of the proceeds of the residuary estate to the trustees of Cornwall Park, to bo invested by them, and the net annual income arising therefrom to be distributed annually during the twelve months immediately following the twelve months in which it was earned, in assisting charities, objects of public utility, or any other purpose having for its object the relief of distress, the alleviation of Buffering, or educational, which in the absolutely unfettered discretion of the Cornwall Park trustees may be considered to carry out his intention, which was to assist every, public movement of the aforesaid character in the provincial district of Auckland which, if he were alive, would, in tho opinion of tho Cornwall Park> trustees, have a claim upon his sympathies. During his journpy rjs through. America. Mr. T. M. Wilford made a special study of water-power schemes, and he told an audience at Upper Rutt last evening that he was more conviuced than ever that the Akatarawa scheme for supplying the Hwtt i Valley and Wellington with electricity should be gone on with. He first of all pa-id a tribute to the Government of the lime, which decided to develop the powers on its own account instead of handing the rights over to private syndicates, who would exploit the public as they wore, doing hi the places he had seen. But, in giving effect to ite rwsulution, tho Government was timid, frightened, nervous, and weak. Ho might say that it was frightened of its own shadow. And the reason was because in New Zealand we knew nothing. ' The big Waikaremoana scheme was ridiculous, and in Canada would be laughed at in derision. Instead of one huge scheme, tho smaller resources should l bo availed of. Mi Canada and the United States all towns of any size had their own separate schemes, and ample power was obtained where there was a Tall only a quarter, of that obtainable at Akatarawa. If ati American engineer came to Now Zealand, and wae told that the Waikarb-. moatut scheme was going to supply Wellington he would ridicule the fdoa. "Let ub send someone to ccc what is being done, or let us import an engineer thoroughly versod in water-powor. I was very disappointed to ccc that the Akatarawa proposal had been practically dropped, and 1 am going to set a light to a fire which is almost out. 1 am going to make this one of tuy fights, and I hopo for success. " The Mission to Leperß in India and the Eabt. on tho subject of whose work Mi. C. Douglas Green, the deputation secretary, is lecturing in Wellington on Thursday, is carrying on a valuable work amoim close upon 1,000,000 lepers in India, China, Japan, and Korea. 1 remission has now fifty homes, for tht> lepers in the above countries with 4000 lepers under its euro, entirely dependent upon the niiwion for fowl, shelter, medical relief, and Christian teaching. One of the mont encouraging departments of the suck-tv'.s work is the rescue of the untainted children of leprous parents. The disease of leprosy though conta-gioiis i& not hereditary, and therefore" it is possible to rescue the untainted children of leprous parents from the disease altogether. ( For these untainted children the mission has now twenty separate homes with between 600 and 700 children under its care. In addition to its own work, the mission is a*si'Ming. indirectly, some thirty other stations where work among lepers is carried on. by grants of funds, by Christian leaching, or by support of ( lepers. In its character the mission is international and interdenominational, and i» now working in co-opera-tion with twenty-eeven different Protestant missionary sociellcn. Mr. Green ha-s spent over nine years in missionary work in India, and mj bpcakb with personal knowledge. Tlio owner of (ho projwnl extension school site at Taueru is to be offered £50 for the land. Travellers by train or boat can avoid all discomfort 'by checking their baggage through tho New Zealand Express Company. Tels. <32. 2410, 1333, 306&.— Advt. Leb us Pay a word in explanation of tints KDoiuingly vcoklOM tsftcrifioe jji the prices of the KOitson'B etoow. This in tho one ond only nn]o that, C. Smith, JM(I, liold during lh(> winter biwmn, and wo havo tlin »oputati'ui UiiU H'i\v« [our in Ulin mv!<> by tiui 1 tt.\e<l policy Hint, it, U hotter to w»duo« mWs and Ml kuohod'h Block* Mian c*mUiPtn tln-oogli *toeUtftkh»B. If you l»io anxiouH to economise, ami to tfot tho henefil of tliPtio low jn-icpw, vomo novt ►Saturdny morning, 291h Juno, ut 8 o'clock, to O. HinithV. Ltd., tfl'L'at nmmal winter Koali\ Snr< full-patfo lulvcrtfccmput in Fiiday b I'tint. I( out uf town, write hi onco for luu-o-lihl to O. Smilu, Ltd., Cuba-at., Wellington. —Adrt.

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A poll of Upper Hutt Tatepayere is being taken to-day on a proposal to borrow £600 for the purchase of land and water-right® for the district. The poll doses at 6 o'clock thk evening. The Wellington Education Board deckled yesterday to sanction the payment of 2d per head extra— from 6d to 8d —j-tor three months more, for the carriage of children to school in the Levin district. Evidence was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday in the case of Eaaßon, Limited, v. William James, a claim of £45 4s Id, alleged to be due as balance of account for timber supplied. Mr. T. C. Hislop was for plaintiffs and Mr. A. W. Blair appeared for defendant. Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiffs for £22 7s 5d over and above the sum of £5 12s, which had heen paid into Court. At the Sydney Water Police Court, on 20th June, Alfred Henderson, a trimmer employed on the c.c. Rakanoa, was prosecuted by the Master (Mr. J. Carey) for refusing duty. The man said that he wanted a day off, and, in defiance of the master's commands, he ■walked ashore, and absented himself from duty. A warrant was then taken out for his arrest, and, at subsequent proceedings at the Court, Henderson received fourteen days' imprisonment with hard labour, and £1 0s 6d was ordered to be deducted from his wages for costs and to meet the expense of a substitute engaged in his place whilst ho was absent from duty. It has been stated that on arrival of the Fire Brigade at the fire at Mr. Gibbs's house at Hataitai last week, its operations were hampered by the discovery that a fire plug had been cemented up. This report appears to Lave been exaggerated. There ia a plug immediately in front of the scene of the fit©; it was intact, and wae at once available. Highci* up the street a second plug was found to be blocked — it is very doubtful if it had been deliberately cemented — so a ping lower down the etreet was utilised^ and very little time, we are assured, was lost in making the change which brooghfcwith it the advantage of tapping s different main, and thus interfering Jess with the pressure. "New Zealand is a small place. Ob, so email! You can't realise how small this land of ours is till you travel. This country has a public debt of £ M.OPO.IIOQ, •which is only four million pounds nioie than Carnegie, Rockefeller, Gould, and Vanderbilt have given away hi charities, and we are so little known. Why,. in all my travels I did not meet one public man who knew of any , of our politaians by name except the Lite Mi. Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward. W© are not thought to be any bigger than we fere indicated on a 'map of the world. We talk here of our cifcke^ bat my son has just entered an engineering establishnwut at home which employs 66,000 workmen— almost the total population of Wellington. Yes, we are small indeed. We are insignificant."—Mr. T.^ M. Wilford, at Uppfr Hutt, last evening To a Gisborne Times reporter, a member of the local Borough Council stated that at least another £200,000 would, in his opinion, be required to finish all the works which are at present in hand.