The Evening Star TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1901.

Evening Star, Issue 11453, 22 January 1901, Page 4

The Evening Star TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1901.

DTnrKinjr is to be congratulated upon the

proposal to raise the loan The Tramwajg under the provisions of the loan. Duncdin City and Suburban Tram-ways Act, 1900, being lamed, notwithstanding the desperate efforts of certain obstructionists,- who did not stick at trifles in order to secure its rejection- Fortunately, the Act only required that ike votes given in favor should exceed the .number- of -those given agauist, and so the culpable neglect of their municipal duties-by so many citizens of self-imposed light and .leading, who failed to put in an appearanco at the polls, did not affect the result. Tho opponents of the progressive policy of the-City Conncil overshot thermark, and proved themselves too clever by half in the'wilfully misleading circular issued-to the 'ratepayers on Saturday at the very eleventh hour before the poll. This had the effect of arousing some show of interest in the matter, and considerable indignation in fair-thinking, honorable minds. Such discreditable tactics generally defeat themselves ; but although those who drew up this specious circular prudently saved themselves from public contempt by omitting to sign their names, they -must feel, -we should imagine, considerable chagrin at the utter failure of their mischievous efforts, which were supported by-only 281 ratepayers. The City Council having now obtained fullstatutory authority to raise the money, will find no difficulty in obtaining the necessary means, and are- in a position to carry out to the full the ..purposes of the Act. They-can proceed with the mjrchase-of-tlieoj«>jpeity of the

City and Suburban Tramways Companv, to consider the best method of altering renewing, and repairing the tramways, and will in due course decide as to the introduction of such system of traction as will best answer the requirements of Greater Dimedin. The energetic mayor and councillors have done, so well hitherto in the matter, and shown so thorough an appreciation of existing conditions, that they may, we think, be trusted with confidence to initiate and carry out the undertaking to the best advantage of tho Corporation; and the presumption is altogether unjustifiable that a foregone conclusion has been arrived at in regard to obtaining motive power and as to other details, so as to evade proper consideration of economy and efficiency in the works. We fully believe that even- step they propose to take will receive close scrutiny and meet with the approval of the ratepayers.

Although New Zealand is not absolutely directly interested, gratificaShipowners and tion, we think, will be felt Seamen. by those engaged in the shipping trade and industry at the result of tho recent Conference at Melbourne between representatives of the Steamship Owners' Federation and the Federated Seamen's Union. In conferences of this kind a complete victory for one side or the other is seldom achieved, a compromise more or less being generally effected. The give-and-take principle is always the safer ono, and has prevailed in this case. The seamen have not got all they demanded ; but the terms to which the shipowners expressed their willingness to accede represent very important alterations in existing conditions, and formed tho basis of a compromise which seems to be regarded as tolerably satisfactory by both parries concerned. In the first place, there is to bo a change in the hours which seamen are to work wheu the steamer is safe in harbor. The hours are henceforth to be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., instead from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. A clause with reference to firemen and trimmers in harbor is also important. The sea watches in the stokehole on the day of arrival and departure aro now to count as part of tie regular eight hours' labor which is obligatory on them in port- In reference to pay it was arranged that wages shall not accrue until the completion of an engagement; but there are to be monthly payments, which may begin after five weeks' service. These, however, are to be considered as in the nature of an advance, and can only be looked for on the arrival of a vessel at the principal Australian ports—Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Port Pirie, and Brisbane. The. regulations under which men may be paid off or demand their discharge aio framed with a due regard to fair :-lay. The master is authorised to give the vw, or any of them, notice of discharge in ijiic port only, twenty-four hours being the timo specified in tho notice. Notice given by any member of it is to be subject to similar conditions. Proper provision is made with respect to crews who have been discharged through the ship being laid up in ports other than the specified or the central one. The men will be entitled to a passage back, they, of coarse, receiving their account of wages. The compact contains a list of public holidays to be granted to seamen, these being Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Eight Hours Day (corresponding to Labor Day in New Zealand), Proclamation (of the Commonwealth) Day, and the birthday of the Sovereign. A seaman, however, can only claim -one holiday in the year in celebration of " eight hours," and is not to have tho chance of repeating that festival at other Australian ports where he may happen to drop in when that anniversary is being celebrated. Onj day for the whole of the Commonwealth may, however, be expected to be fixed by the Federal Parliament. The demands on the part of the men which have been, withdrawn have relation to extra pay for overtime, which is fixed on the existing scale as proposed by the shipowners, and with respect to vessels leaving port on Sundays, besides other concessions as to shorter hours and higher "njages. In respect to these matters the Steamship Owners' Federation appear to have fully .justified on economic grounds the refusal of the demands of the union, who did well to bow to the inevitable.

The Federal mails per Australia (Melbourne, December" 19) were delivered ;n London on Saturday—one day early. A meeting of the Waihola School Committee was held last evening for the purpose of recommending to the Education Board a head-master for their school. After due deliberation a vote was taken between Mr Grant, of Tuapeka West, and Mr Bannerman, Kyeburn, resulting in four for the former and three for the latter. There were twenty-two applicants..

There has been a stoppage of the- electric car service at Roslyn since Saturday owing to extra power being required for purposes in connection with the cable system. Tire stoppage is not due in any way to the electric installation or equipment. In tho case Foster and George v. the Union Bank of Australasia and Timothy J. Collins and Dr Coughtrcy, heard at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, His Worship held that it was not shown that the defendants had authorised the work, and entered up judgment against the plaintiffs, with costs.

A largo audience assembled at the Foresters' Hall, Port Chalmers, hist evening to witness the exhibition of kinematograph views by the Christchurch syndicate, of whom Mr Harry Baxter is the lecturer. The pictures include views from the Paris Exhibition, and scenes from the Transvaal battlefields and the Chinese and Philippine wars. A capable concert company rendered several musical numbers to the evident appreciation of the audience.

Rather a nasty experience befell one of the members of tho B Batten' niter parade last evening. He, along with a friend, had riaden to St. Clair on their bike?. They were proceeding to the* second bench, passed the cutting above the baths, and were descending tho path around the bond when, owing to a misunderstanding with some persons walking on the jpath, bike and man were precipitated over the bank, and eventually landed on the rocks below. Beyond a few bumps and bruises to both man and machine nothing serious eventuated, although the bank is fully 30ft high.

We have been allowed to look through the return compiled in the office of Mr 0. -C. Graham, Official Assignee in Bankruptcy, showing the totals for the Otago district for the past year. There were sixty-six bankruptcies (Dunedin fourteen), representing liabilities scheduled by the debtors at £20,424 (Dunedin £8,757) ; the estates realised £5,007 (Dunedin £1,485) ; and out of the realised assets £2,807 was paid to creditors (Dunedin £702). In the previous year the bankruptcies totalled ninety-nine," the liabilities £52,581, the realisations came to £5.309, und the payments to creditors amounted to £3,217.

Trie mayor -was to introduce a deputation of city councillors to the Acting-Premier late this afternoon, when the matters of the Kite for the railway station and the opening or continuing closed of St. Andrew street were to be discussed and presumably finally settled. The condition of the embankment and esplanade round Lake Logan, made some years ago by unemployed labor, was also to be brought under the hon. gentleman's notice. This embankment is in a bad state of repair, and is in urgent need of a lot of work being done to it, and the ActingPremier would be asked to authorise a gang of prisoners being put on to do the work. It is understood that representations have been made from time to time of the urgent necessity of putting the Government steam launch Gordon into a somewhat seaworthy condition, but, for Some 'reason, the recommendations have been persistency ignored. Several parts of the vessel are in a very weak condition, notably the deck casing round the funnel, and ina heavy sea the little vessel would probably fare badly. Such a state of affairs calls for immediate action. The torpedo boat a'.so requires attention, and her boiler needs extensive repairs. If is strange that while the Government insist on "a rigorous inspection of the vessels belonging to private companies or individuals thev should bo tie greatest offenders in setting the Act at defiance.

The exhibition of the giant children in the Arcade continues to attract a. crowd of sightseers each evening. The children are 'certainly of immense size, and appear to be perfectly healthy. .The parents on!v are travelling with the children, and no professional showmen an; engaged, according"." no one need have the least dihidencc in calling and hearing a-n account of the children. The parents hail from Foxion. v.ir.re the father is a well-known business man of maiiv years' standing. The children were brought to C'hristchurch for the purpose of bring exhibited at tho Exhibition, and in onkAo obtain medical advice regarding the girl's legs, which were showing signs of bending with the great weight of the bo.ly. The'.- were, however, recommended by !h° mclieal r.iofession of C'hristchurch to come on to D"unedin, where appliances could be manufactured. 'JTie children have been submitted to nn examina-tion by the medical profession of this City, and they declare them to be perfectly healthy and of natural growth. The sight must be seen to be believed. The txhibitiori will bo open this evening and Wednesday morning and ea-ch evening this week, when the parents are returning homo, preparatory to a visit to the Australian Commonwealth.

A rumor was current yesterday that a man had stabbed his wife at Winga'tni. Another reversed the sexes of assailant and assailed, but both were equally untrue. On our reporter's making inquiry locally, it appeared that a well-known married" couple whose matrimonial infelicities have frequently ;iired in the City .Police C'o;irt ha J fallen out onee more. The husband, apparently, disagreed -with an opinion .hazarded by his spouse, and proceeded to emphasise his remarks by a personal attack. Both let their passions run riot, and in the end the wife's clothes were ncur'y stripped off, the kitchen windows were smashed, and the husband ran out and shouted that his wife had stabbed him. The .Mosaic! policeman was summoned, and wont to the house, where he was immediately accosted by the husband, who demanded the arrest of his wife. He showed as evidence of her crime a mark on his forehead, which lie claimed had been inflicted with the knife, he produced. The constable examined the alleged wound, and found it to be a mere surface scratch, which he deemed too insignificant a result for such a murderous-looking knife, and to the husband's indignation refused to arrest the companion of his joys and sorrows. It is probable that further Police Court proceedings will be the outcome of the quarrel.

The child giants may be. seen at the Arcade this evening Jam and jelly jers at Braithwaite's.— [Advt.] The Otago Hussars will parade en Reclaimed Ground to-morrow, at 10 a.m.

Xmas bargains: presents for cyclists; special prices; free wheeh; novelties. AngloNew Zealand Cycle Company.—{Advt.] Lodge Hiram, No. 46, meet in the Masonic Hall, Cargill road, this evening. Come and inspect our show of novelties. Lovely goods, suitable for presents,; toys and dolls in endless variety. Montague's.—{Advt ~i

A notice apears in our advertising columrs with reference to the examinations of stationary engine-drivers.

Ironmouiders should call and see the collection of tools at the City Hardware Store opposite Bank of N.Z., Princes street.— LAdvt.l

A revised time-table of the railway arrangements between Dunedin and Port Chalmers for to-morrow appears in our advertising columns. B

Cycling up to date; free wheels and rim brakes; acetylene lamps. Bikes for biro. Records booming. At Cooke, Howlison, and Co.'s, King street.—[Advt.] In_ connection with the United Evangelistic Mission to tie conducted by Mr and Mrs.W. M. Oatts, of Glasgow, commencing on Suiidav, a united choir, under Mr Don, will conduefc'tho singing. A statement that the Central Mission Choir would have charge of the singing crept into tho advertisement in last night's issue by a printer's error, which we regret,

' Bon Accord.—Special value in ribbons, laces, gloves, hosiery, corsets, sunshades, umbrellas, blouses, and skirts, our own make. Bon Accord, 159 George street.—[Advt.j A meeting of Executive Committee, teachers and officials of tho Otago Sunday School Union is called by advertisement for Thursday evening, in the Y.W.C'.A. Rooms. The critical position of Her Ma-y jesty the Queen may render some rearrangement necessary in connection with the gathering on Wednesday, 30th ins.!,., so that ifc is hoped that all interested will be present. The intentions of the Committee regarding tho demonstration will be announced to scholars at the close of Thursday's singing practice, in the First Church Mr MorriE, photographer, Princes street, Duuedin, finds it is not generally known that his charge is one guinea per doien for cabinet portraits of children. Any extra charges are for vignettes, groups, largo mounts, also the various methods of printing.—[Advt.j To retain a luxuriant head of hair use Mrs Mlntosh's Hair Bestorer. It stops the hair falling out, and prevents baldness. Price, 2a and 3s 6d, from A. M. Hendy, hairdresser, Princes street.—£Advt.]