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Evening Star, Issue 12624, 2 October 1905, Page 4

_ A speaker at one of Saturday’s deputations told the Premier that he was the one man who could receive deputations that came in like lions, and send them oat like liunbs—though they never knew till afterwards how little he had really promised. This is a somewhat roundabout way of saying that Mr Seddon has the gift of dispiomacy. Ha showed his skill in the evening. The Trades and Labor deputation that came about tbo Maternity Horae offered the Premier their congratulations on his action in regard to workmen’s homes, but indicated that they quarrelled with him in the matfier of giving the right of freehold in that connection. In his reply, Mr Seddon turned his lions into lambs with some delicacy. He explained to them that there were, differences of opinion as to details, though they ware all agreed that they wanted workmen’s homes. However, it was simple after all; the freehold clause was necessary tor the passage of tho Bill. In Auckland they would all take the freehold of the homes, but they in Dunedin, seeing that they were opposed to it, would doubtless be content with the leasehold. Doubtless. Tho old tram shed' in David street. Caversham, having outlived its usefulness, will shortly cease to exist, at least in its present form and environment. The consideration. of tenders for its purchase and removal is among the business before the City Council as wo go to press. After Mr Justice Williams had given judgment on Friday in regard to the questions ns to the Gore boarding-house and the fire therein and the insurance tangle, something about costs was said by learned counsel—Mr Sim for James Holland (holder of the bill of sale), Mr Dorking for MacGibbon and others Jhold.-rs of the attachment orders), and ~\lr W. C. MacGregor for the Assignee in Lcarmont’s estate —and His Honor ordered Holland, as the imsuccesful party, to pay the Assignee’s costs (5 per cent, on £322) with £4 4s costs of preparing the special case, while MacGib'oon and others were ordered to repay to the Assignee £4 18s which the Assignee had paid the insurance company pending the settlement of the dispute. It the City Corporation’s street undertakings are helping to swell the municipal debt, they are also making the crooked straight and the rough places plain for the benefit of future generations. Tho widening of the Main south road from Smyth’s to Pearce's corner is a case in point. The abutting fences are down, the hollow is being filled up, the waist of the road in gone, and when the work is finished the old highway will be safe for traffic.

The secretary of the Otago and Southland Union (Mr J. T. Pram) informs ns that bo has received replies from all members of tbo union in tho Otago portion of tho Waitaki district, and that none of them know anything about tho alleged increase in shearing rates from 15a j*or handled to 16s 8d per hundred. The latter rate would be in contravention of tho Arbitration Court award, and would render either of the parties liable to such proceeding as the other side might take for breach of award.

Eight out of ten rubbish tins from one row of houses in George street this morning were standing ont on the public highway. Perhaps a prosecution or two under the by-law regulating this matter would be more profitable than those under by-law No. 2,

Tteptying to the deptitaticsa from the Trades' arid I-abor Council who waited on him on Saturday night, the Premier said that his scheme for the establishment of workmen’s 1 tomes was now perfect. Some land had already been purchased in Dunedin, and lie intended to call for competitive designs for 1 tomes throughout the colony. He believed that very comfortable homes could be built for about £350, and in some instances lower. He bad that day received information from Home tlmt competitive designs had been railed for in Groat Britain, and he was to receive drawings in a few days. The prices of some of these were os low ns £IOO, and they were very nice and picturesque. He did not want the New Zealand cottages to have the Govern, ment look that things they did generally had. tSome of tho cottages in connection with Krupp’s Works were as good as some occupied by professional gentlemen here. Ho was satisfied that the principle laid down was sound. Sometimes a third of a workmans wages went os louse rent, and so they had to keep striving for more pay. But if they cut down *be cost of living by reducing house rent and by ether means they were giving the workers a chance. The CSty Council wit at 5 p.m. to-day to deal with the business adjourned from last meeting. This includes tho appointment of an assistant engineer (which will be taken in committee), consideration of tenders tor the supply and delivery of pipes, etc., for the Waipori system, and other matters. Since tho Borough of South Dunedin, councillors and all, has been swallowed up by tho City, the Town Hall, where C> Fiddis and his confreres were wont to congregate, has been, so to speak, tenantless. It is to bo put to a new purpose. Two roomy shops are to be established in the front of it, and tho main hall -is to be retained for entertainment purposes. Tenders for the alterations, which are in the bands of Messrs EDslop and Walden, come before tho Council to-day. The Health Department furnish the following figures ajs representing the zymotic diseases in town and country during the month of September: —Scarlet fever, 1 in the town and 10 in the country; diphtheria, 1 in the town; tuberculosis, 4 in the town »jind sin tho country; blood poisoning, 1 in the countryThe lymph for vaccination purposes, which need to be imported from America, has now for some rime been prepared at the Government vaccine station, Wellington, aqd !t appears that the local make is giving excellent results. Steps are evidently being taken locally to begin a campaign against the operations of the Harvester Trust as soon aa may be. With this end in view, a mass meeting) of working men is to be bold at-the Choral Hall tins week, under the auspices of the Trades and Labor Council. The object of --h« meeting will be to protest against American maportations ana trusts gene rally, and to'urge PorHaanent to p*» the necessary kgudation fo foster and enconrageroortocal- induetricc.

Messrs Coikn and Oollaway Jwve written to the City Council voicing a ' oompUint by several hocused «*tenply»ff l« toe from the Corporation's stand to toe effect that they ora subject to unfair oomputiUoa by other carters, who do not hold licensee from the Corporation, but do the same class of work os the complainants. The miter was amongst the adjourned business brought forward at to-day's meeting of the Council.

We desire to offer somewhat belated recognition of the excellent telegraphic work done by the stationmaater at Hyde on the occasion of Mr. Maopherson’s address to the electors' there on Friday evening. To ask an up-country gtatioomaster, necessarily out of practice at sustained work, to tick off somewhere between five and six thousand words ha one evening is to ask very much more than the outsider ie likely to realise. Mr Fowler, however, undertook the task cheerfully, and did it so well and so skilfully that the man who was transcribing at this end must have been kept busy. It will probably "be a surprise to those unused to long-distance telephoning to know that on the railway wire in Central Otago one can be jnst as much annoyed, by the buzzing of the Dunedin electric cars ns though using the machine in the City. I Our Christchurch correspondent says that the local Monica! Union have put in rehearsal Leoncavello’a opera of ‘Paghacoi.’ The Premier has made the following acknowledgment of the congratulatory telegram in which the Dunedin branch of the Otago Educational Institute expressed their satisfaction with Mr Seddon’s efforts in the matter of teachers’ superannuation :—“ I appreciate very much the resolution passed at meeting of Dunedin teachers. i have endeavored, whilst keeping within reasonable limits, to get a Bill passed that would do justice to the whole of the teachers of the colony. I will strenuously endeavor tc get both Bills referred to in your resolutions passed into law, and by so doing place in a fair position a large body of deserving and faithful public servants, the importance of whose services is not yet fully realised by the people of the colony.” Mr Seddon, before leaving town this morning, told a representative of this journal that, by reason of the contentious matter it contains, ho may experience some -..a----culty in inducing the House to put the finishing touches to the Education Reform Bill (width Beals, inter alia, with the duties and responsibilities of Education Boards, as well as of school committees, besides providing a new method of election to the former), but he is sanguine of his ability to put on the Statute Book that portion of the measure that proposes to add £26,000 per annum to the salaries of poorly-paid teachers. It would seem from a report of an interview (recorded elsewhere in this issue) with the Premier this morning that Mr iSeddon intends to set up in Dunedin another Maternity Home, in which the patients will have the advantage of the attendance of male accoucheurs, and where the attendance of the students of the Medical .School will be permitted. The old Refuge in Forth street is to be utilised for this purpose, and the institution is to be put under the immediate charge of Dr Batchelor. From a remark made by (he Premier to a representative of this journal to-day, it would appear that under the regulations governing the management of St. Helens and similar institutions the management is at liberty to requisition the services of male practitioners where such are deemed necessary. Complaint is made by residents in the north end of the City that some low-down fellow is, in the habit of in-costing young women who are sent by their employers to post letters at night, or to go on an errand, and that ho is in the habit of endeavoring to engage them in conversation nut of an edifying kind. On more than one occasion of late, both in George street and in the northern end of St. David slice;, respectable young girls have been much annoyed in this way. and it is to he hoped (.hat if the offence is repeated the. police will gel on the track of this individual. Mr Wm. Pryor announces his candidature for the Chalmers electorate in this issue. It has boon resolved to change the day of Mr Tsitt’s afternoon lecture to women only to Wednesday, at 3 o’clock. Mr Isiit an-' nounoed it for Thursday, under the impression that that was the half-holiday. Professor Christopulo, who was to have ’ made a balloon ascent on Saturday, writes that ho was unable to inflate his balloon, but that ho hopes to make a public ascent free of charge as soon as/lbe necessary arrangements can be made. w St. Martin’s Church annual fancy fair will be bold in the Town Hall, North-east Valley, to-morrow and Wednesday. A meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery will be held in the First Church to-morrow morning. The attention of Good Templars and all kindred bodies is called to the official advertisement, signed b» Mr Dalton, district deputy, to Mr-L. M Isitt’s mission, asking them to take part in the procession, starting from Dr Stuart’s monument at 7 p.m. The subject to-night will bo ‘What About Moderation?’ The preliminaries will be short, and the lecture will close early. Mr Hendy, having returned from Europe, notifies that the hairdressing rooms are again under his personal supervision. Hairdressing, shampooing, etc. 104 Princes street.—[Adyt.] Fort Chalmers. Sale of salvage goods damaged by fire and water —boots, drapery, and clothing—at Town Hall.—fAdvt,*J Toadies’ bairdressh’iiy for evenings, etc., cut- , ting, singeing, and shampooing, at lies’; appointments booked; telephone No. 2,020. — [Advt.j