The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1896.

Evening Star, Issue 10182, 8 December 1896, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1896.

Under date 2Sth October the Now Zealand Shipping Company Boycotting issued a notice to shippers tlie Tort, in London in which it is stated that the increased size of the steamers employed in the New Zealand trade, and the reduced depth of water between Port Chalmers and Dunedin, “ render delivery of cargo at Dun- “ odin impracticable. In future, therefore, “ steamers will discharge at Port Chalmers “only, and consignees will bo required to *• take delivery of their cargo there. “ Notwithstanding the general advance “in outward freights, it is not intended at present to make any other “ alteration in existing rates to New Zca- “ land.” It is hardly necessary to point out that this action of the New Zealand Shipping Company is of very serious importance to Dunedin, amounting, as it docs, to an attempt to boycott the port. The mercantile and trading community, in defence of their common interests, must needs rouse themselves to a sense of the position and take immediate and energetic steps to counteract the mischief likely to be done by the notice we Iflivc quoted. The Chamber of Commerce should at once take the matter into consideration, with a view, in conjunction with the Harbor Board, to placing the true state of the case as to the facilities for bringing vessels cf large draught to the Dunedin wharves before shippers in London and other Home ports. It may he noted that our London correspondent refers to the subject in his letter of Gotoher 81, which appeared in our issue <*f yesterday. The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company have, it seems, taken concerted action with the New Zealand Ship]ting Company, and ho intimates the general idea in shipping circles that the object of the companies is to increase their profits on Dunedin cargo by discharging at Port Chalmers. However this may be, the cifect cannot but be damaging to the good name of the port, and this on grounds altogether unsubstantial.

The Harbor Board have been and are quite alive t" the necessity of maintaining a sufficient depth of water in the Victoria channel to admit of vessels drawing 18ft o ailing up to Dunedin. The big dredge is now kept constantly at wink, and is supplemented by the Now Bra, lilted with a sand pump. At the meeting of the Board on October 2!t a letter from the Union Steam Ship Company was read stating that it was intended to employ in the intercolonial trade the new steamer Waikare, as well as tire Mararoa and Moiiowai, and, “as they are largo vessels,

"it is important there should bo no didi- " eulty in the way of their coming to “ town. We would, therefore, urge upon “ the Board the necessity of seeing that “ the chanied is kept at sufficient depth " for these vessels to work it at high water “ without trouble." Mr Bonix was able to assert with confidence that if the sand pump did the Work which it was expected it would, do there would be plenty of water in the Victoria channel by the time the Company's new steamers came out. At the mooting on November 12 a report from the inspector of works relative to the sand pump dredge was submitted, being generally satisfactory. In the discussion which ensued Mr Korns mentioned that he had that day paid a visit to the dredge, and from what he had seen and what the engineers had told him he had no hesitation in saying that the pump would do all that was expected, and would prove a distinct success, The Board, in fact, have every confidence, and reasonable confidence, in the result of the dredging operations in active and constant operation. At the present time the in'■ Hmurn low water depth in the Victoria channel is 12ift, as compared with lift Sin in January last, and it is anticipated by the Board, on the information of their officers, that at an early date a minimum low-water depth will be attained, so as to render it possible for vessels drawing 191 ft to come up to the Dunedin wharves with ordinary tides. It is imperative that a depth at least closely approaching this should be permanently maintained, and the Board, wo feel sure, recognise their duty to this effect, and will nut allow considerations of what would indeed be false economy to stand in the way. The shipping companies, if credit be given to them for acting bona lide in issuing their mischievous notices, are, it would certainly appear, crying before they are hurt. The “reduced depth of water in the “ dredged channel between. Port Chalmers “and Dunedin”' to which they refer is entirely a fiction, and they have either imperfect information or there is ulterior purpose, if not nu/lkv prepense. During the present year the following large steamships have berthed at the Dunedin wharves, and it will be scon by the particulars given that at high water the depth of the channel, even at present, admits of vessels with a draught of 18ft coming up to the City wharves at favorable times of tide ;

Itei. nape. Draught. of Tide. Jan. 3, Mt, Sirion.. 2,111! 17ft Oiu High water Jan. 27, Hainan ... 2,312 17ft 2iu High water Fell. 15, Chilka ... 1,450 Itift Sin Quarterebb April 23, l Raraina.. 2,450 Itift Ilin High water May 28,1’akeha ... 2.542 17ft Sin High water July 21, Tekoa ... 2j!4li 17ft loin High water Sept. 4, Maniari ... 2,342 17ft Sin High water Sept. 7, Kultalla ... 2,iK2 16ffc Tin Three-qrlid Dec. 3, Matatua ... 2,190 18ft lin High water

The piece of land the subject of the compensation case to-day adjoins the cattle yards on the southern side. Mr Harry Arthur Reynolds was yesterday elected to represent Second Ward in the Morniugtou Borough Council. He polled 39 votes, as against 23 polled by Mr James Farquharson, his opponent. One of the deputy returning officers in the Waiapu electorate was a lady, Miss J. L. Grey. She was stationed at Waerenga-o-kuri, and presided over the licensing poll there.

At his final meeting at Timaru the Hon. Mr Hall-Jones said that an elective Executive would have his support if Ministers were given a certaiu tenure of office ; otherwise there would be continual intriguing to obtain and keep portfolios. That was his objection to Major Steward’s Bill. Speaking at Eltham on the education question, the Premier said ; —“To thoroughly teach the children they must first have the teachers educated. Whether they are taught in a private or public school, their parents should know how they are progressing. The Government are charged with being averse to higher education. They were not so. The higher schools were kept up by the revenue of grants, and it was only the well-to-do classes who could attend these schools owing to the high charges made for education. His idea was that all boys and girls who had passed the Sixth Standard should go up for an examination, and those that passed successfully should receive three years’ university schooling free of charge. All the brains of the world were not centred in the heads of the well-to-do children.”

j The University Council met formally j yestetday tpr the purpose of assenting to a fresh lease of the Museum Reserve, Judgment has been reserved in the election petition against the return of Mr Cotton for Waipori Riding in the Tuapeka County Council. The Dalrymple Testimonial Committee have invited Mrs W. H. Reynolds to unveil the portrait of Miss Dalrymple that is to be presented next week to’ the Girls’ High School,

The Otcpopo Committee have nominated Mr F. B, Fraser and the South Oamaru Committee Mr J. White for the Education Board vacancy. Mr Fish has to-day been nominated as councillor for South Ward by Mr James Hazlott and Mr John Moloney tof Messrs Secular Bros.). The returning officer, Mr James Taylor, in another column publishes the official declaration of the Dunedin poll for members of the House of Representatives. The second count did not materially change what was arrived at on Friday night. Then the numbers were t M. J. S. Mackenzie 7,816, J. A. Millar 6,202, H. S. Fish 6,068. These numbers in the official declaration are increased to : M. J. S. Mackenzie 7,821, J. A. Millar 6,286, H. S. Fish 6,067At the annual meeting of the Sanitary Institute in the Town Hall to-night, Dr Ogston, who is to preside* will submit a report giving a synopsis .of what the Institute has done and of the evidences of the growth of the great subject of sanitation in the City and adjacent boroughs. The attendance is expected to be a large and representative one. Mr Christie has been rt quested to show Dr Pasteur’s filter in operation, and he has agreed to do so. In addition to this the subjects of the new abattoirs, drainage and sewage, the removal of insanitary houses, the prevention of overcrowding buildings, and North-east Valley sanitation will be considered. Sis months’ imprisonment for wife assault was inflicted by the Melbourne Bench on the 2-lth ult. on George Mintern, laborer. The wife, a scantily’ clad, emaciated young woman, had a three weeks’ old child at her breast, both la lore and after the birth of which she had been subjected to shocking ill-treatment. On the previous day the prisoner, in a stale of drunken frenzy, kicked her in the stomach and threw her into th'e street. As she ran off’ with her baby he overlook her and beat her to the ground. Complainant slated she hail not tasted food for nearly throe days. The inhuman husband accused his wife of neglect of household duty, and said everything would bo right if she would only turn over a new leaf.

Tlio 10 p.in. train for Port Chalmers tomorrow will be delayed until 10.10 p.m. Wo have to thank the f'-oyal Exchange Assurance Company for thur bandy office calendar and almanac. A sale of work in connection wiih the Ladied lowing Guild of St. Michael’s Anglican Church will be held in the Anderson Isay Presbyterian School Hall, commencing to-morrow afternoon. An error crept into our report of Miss Freeman’s address at the break-up of thoGirton College pupils yesterday. She spoke inter alia ■ i the need of abolishing habits of inaccuracy and thovuhtUfmr.'s