LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 64, 12 September 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ministers' answers to members' questions kept the House of Representatives occupied during nearly the whole of yesterday afternoon. The principal topicß were the sitting hours of Parliament and the scope of the State Fire Insurance Department. The night was consumed by private members' Bills. j Mr M'Callum pushed through committee his Marriages Bill, to validate the unions of widows and widowers with deceased husbands' nephews and deceased wives' nieces, respectively. A similar Bill, introduced into the Legislative Council this session by Sir William Steward, was rejected by that body. Mr. Sidey abandoned his Mean Timo (Daylight Saving) Bill, and sentence of death, was practically passed on Mr. Hmdmarsh's Legislature Amendment Bill (providing for tho signing of certain political articles in the newspapers during election campaigns), The House rose just before 12.20 a.m. Various county councils have decided to co-operate in approaching the Minister of Public Works with the object of having prepared, for the use of those bodies, a standard Bet of bridge plans from, say, wtt to 100 ft spans, adaptable for all classes of bridge work. There is no award fixing the hours at which member's of the Arbitration Court shall work, there is no provision for overtime, and the list of holidays is liable to be curtailed. Mr. M. J. Reardon yesterday asked for a fixture for the soft goods employees' dispute, a matter likely to occupy two days. "Monday, 23rd September," said Mr, Justice Sim. " May I remind your Honour that is Dominion Day?" said Mr. Grenfell, the employers' representative. "We do not observe the holiday," said his Honour, and the fixture was made. "The idea that is behind all modern methods of education is to make the teaching more the life of the child." This remark fell from the InspectorGeneral of Schools, Mr. G. Hogben, last night, when introducing Mr. G. H. Archibald, extension lecturer of the Sunday School Union. Mr. Hogben went on to say that it was the tendency now to go back to the heart of things, and not to give so much attention to externals. He hoped that not only Sunday School teachers, but also all teachers of public schools in Wellington would come to hear Mr. Archibald. "I appear for the plaintiff, but my client has mysteriously disappeared," said Mr. P, J. O'Regan, when the compensation action, Hiegins v. Goldfinch, was called at the Arbitration Court this morning. ,"I cannot account for his disappearance ; it is the strangest case I have ever come across." "Do you hope that he will return?" asked Mr. Justice sim. " I am afraid, from what I hear, there is no chance of his coming back. I shall have to ftsk the Court to strike the case out." The case was struck out accordingly, costs £10 10s, and witnesses' expenses, being allowed defendant, on the application of Mr. C. H. Treadwell. Matters referred to it by the association were dealt with at a meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Harbours Association, held in Wellington yesterday. Messrs. R. Fletcher (president), Connett (New Plymouth), Moore (Lyttelton), and Rolleston (Timaru) were present. The Chairman reported that as a result of interviews with the Government, he had had an assurance that an 'amendment of the Local Authorities Superannuation Act would be made, to place local bodies on a proper footing in regard to the scheme. This would enable harbour boards to go ahead with proposals, already drafted in some instances, to provide superannuation for their employees. The Napier Daily Telegraph attacks the Auckland Railways League with regard to the Napier-Gisborne railway. The Auckland League asks that half a million be voted for works connected with the main line and with branch lines in that province. "We do not object to this," comments the Telegraph. "It may be, seeing that the North Island has been so long bled to construct lines in the South Island— to such an end that at last we have two-fifths of the population in the South Island boasting of three-fifths of the open lines in the coun-try~-that Auckland should have an innings. It may well be that Auckland 1 is entitled to half a million on tho Estimates this year, supposing the money can be spared. This is a fairly open proposition. But the league is not content to push its own barrow. To convince the Government that half a million can be found, it suggests that work on the Uisborne-Napier railway 'can well be suspended for a year.' . . . That is a combination of greed and impudence." Much interest was shown in the proceedings at the sale of opossum skins at Dunedin on Tuesday. About 160 were offered in various grades. One, a dark blue of exceptional quality, fetched the fancy price of 15s. It is doubtful whether another Bkin like it could be got in New Zealand, and an expert present said that in Australia, the home of the opossum, the millions of skins marketed each year would probably not include 25 such skins in any single season. The average price for the whole sale was about 4s. This- is an advance on the last quotations in Australia, and the bulk of tho Bkitts were not of first quality. It takes about forty skins to make a rug. The authorities in Australia have found it necessary to declare a close season, so as to save tho opossums from being killed out, yet in lace of such a warning the authorities m New Zealand have removed all restrictions. At the sale this action was severely commented on, it being pointed out as very strange that Australia, where the opossum originated, should have to declare a close season, whilst New Zealand, where the animal is only just acclimatised, should have let loose upon him the pot-hunters, who will probably go down and shoob off the whole lot. The temptation to do this is the stronger now that good values are obtainable for the skins. In all probability even the summer skins will bring 2s or 3s each. It is announced in the Mercantile Gazette that the Arthur Hopwood Hardj ware Company. Palmerston North, lias been registered as a private company, I with a capital of £40,000 in 4000 shares of £10 each. The Wellington subscribers are H. M. Duthie, 116? shares; L. Duthie, 1166 shares. A. Hopwood, Palmerston North, is represented by 1667 shares. The objects of the company are to acquire and take over the business of Arthur Hopwood, hardware merchant, Palmerston North, and Foxton. The yacht Matangi, built at North Shore, Auckland, by Mr. Robert Logan, is now en route to Wellington, having been purchased by Messrs. H. E. White and John Fuller, jun. Sho is a fine clipper little emit with a good turn of speed, and, although built many years ago, is as sound as when she was launched. Tho model coats for matrons, now being shown by Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., are elaborate, and carry the impression of matronly dignity.^-Advt. Furniture removals and packing undertaken by the Colonial Carrying Company. Only cxpcii^nced and careful mm employed. Agents everywhere. 109, Customhouse-quay, opposite Bank of N*w Zealand.— Advk

Five Chinese arrived by the Moeraki from Sydney yesterday. All have previously been residents of New Zealand. The Taugoio estate Crown lessees, Hawkes Bay, recently hold a meeting and decided to petition Parliament for a remission of rent owing to their difficulties with the blackberry pest. The little fishing steamer Energy returned to port unexpectedly last night. She was trawling in Palliser Bay yesterday and passed over a reef which damaged the net so badly that she. bed to return to Wellington to get it repaired. She brought, back a quantity of crayfish. " I can't divide religious and secular education," Baid Mr. G. H. Archibald in the course of his lecture to teachers last night. "Is a man nob doing a religious act in keepinp accounts ?— some would be better Christians if they kept oetter > accounts. Teaching a man to read---is not that c religious net ? When you begin to divide the religious and the secular you always get into difficulties. The physician and the minister are brothers. Christ healed men's bodies before he touched their soule." People chgaged in the meat export IndustrY m New Zealand (writes the Syd* ney Mail) are experiencing something in the nature of a snook. Accustomed for so long to the superiority of their country in tho frozen mutton industry, and the higher prices realised, they have lately noted that some of their rivals were creeping on them. Their attention was first attracted by the fact that Argentine mutton has been making very steady headway in the London trad<\ Best Canterbury still stands' for something to conjure with in the world's markets, but the big gap. between best Canterbury and mutton from the Argcntino, for instance, has been much reduced. And now we have a man like Mr. C. H. Ensor, of White Rock, one of the bestknown breeders in the Dominion, who was recently on a visit to Australia, telling his fellow-colonists that "some of the British breeds, bred on Australian soil, are quite equal to those bred in New Zealand. I lielieve that by using the same methods of culture," he continued, "Australia could rival and possibly excel New Zealand in the frozen mutton trade. Although New Zealand undoubtedly stands at the top in producing the best quality of sheep for freezing, the New Zealandevs who are going to Australia will certainly build up a very formidable competition." Two juvenile offenders, boys aged 12 and 10 years, were brought before the Court yesterday— the elder charged with stealing 9s 6d and the younger with purloining 2s, the property of Thomas Reid Archibald. Mr. Riddell, S.M.,' ordered the older lad to receive four strokes of the birch. The younger boy was discharged with a caution. A new theatre is being erected in Cathedral-square Christchurch, for Mr. W. Veitch, of Wellington. Do you want storage for furniture, goods, or, bagga-ge. It's safe, dry, convenient, clean— m brick-built buildings. The N.Z. Express Company, 87-91, Customhouse-quay.— Advt. For variety and changeableness tho atmosphere that surrounds the City of Wellington can easily be ruled into its place m comparison with the lightning attitudes of our municipal and Parliamen. tary artists. Their versatility is only a parody on that of the fair sex, \yho certainly are tenacious when their minda are made up abotft the matter of C. Smith, Ltd., for values in nil department*. Just; opened, n, large shipment o£ sterling values in "Rndiantas," full width, 42 inches, nriceß the lowest in town, Is 6d, Is 9d, 29, 2s 3d, 2s 6d, 2e lid per yard, at C. Smith's, Ltd., Cuba'Street.—Advt.