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Evening Star, Issue 14117, 21 July 1909, Page 4

The secretary of the Competitions Sodomy to-day received a letter from Auckland from the Governor's A.D.C., Caption Gathonie Hardy, to say that it would give His Ex cellency much pleasure to open the society's annual festival on the 22nd September. This letter is in reply.to one from the society asking if His Excellency, as the societv's patron, could see his way clear to preside at tho formal opening of the Competitions. His Excellency's ready response has naturally gratified tho Committee, and will no doubt present itself to our readers as a fitting compliment to a deserving public institution.

Mr Pryde asked tho Education Board this morning to give a ruling upon the matter of paying subsidies to school committees for books presented to 6chool libraries. The Board resolved that the subsidy would be payable only on new books purchased foi the libraries, and that vouchers for the amounts must be presented to tho Board. Residents of Mihiwaka district and summer excursionists to that neighborhood will be pleased to learn that the meagre accommodation for travellers at the Mihiwaka railway station is to be improved by the erection of a ladies' waiting room. The Minister of Railways has informed Mr E. H. Clark, M.P., that this will 'be done. The following summary shows the number of persons assisted through the local office of the Labor Department during the month from.2lst June to 20th July:—To Government works, 117 (91 married, 26 single, with 434 dej>endents); to City Council works, 123 (32 married, 31 single, with 346 dependents) ; to Harbor Board works. 19 (18 married, 1 single, with 69 dependents) ; to Drainage Board works, 18 (7 married, 11 single, with 44 dependents) ; to private work in town and countrv, 102 (26 married, 76 single, with 98 dependents) ; or a total of 379 (234 married, 145 single, with 991 dependents). Tliis shows that indirectly relief has been given to practically 1,370 souls. It will be seen that the local bodies have found work for no less than 160 men,-having 459 dependents, and their prompt and practical assistance calls for commendation. There are still over 100 names on the unemployed register, and Mr Le Cren will be glad to receive orders for anv available work.

Thq mayor has received the sum of £2 from Mr A. Hill Jack as a donation to the unemployed relief fund, which amount he has forwarded to Mr E. Le Cren, head of the Labor Department. Mr Le Cren has replied to Mr Jack as follows:—" Whilst highly appreciating the goodness of heait which prompted your generosity, I may say that so far as I am aware no such fund has been started, and unless I receive advice from you to the contrary I propose to hold the money for one month, and if in that time no necessity occuis for using it in the manner desired by you it will be returned."

A ..deputation from the Dunedin Law Society will interview the Hon. Dr Findlay, Minister of Justice, at 11 a.m. to-morrow, to protest against the abolition of the Stamp Office and proposed changes in connection with the collection of death duties. It is held that the proposed alterations will cause delay and inconvenience. It had been expected that the deputation would have waited on the Attorney-General this forenoon.

The meeting of the Teachers' Superannuation Bo:ird at Wellington yesterday was attended by the* Minister of Educa'tioi'. the Inspector-General of Schools, the S?cretary to the Treasury, the Public Trustee, Messrs Foster and Grundy (North Island), and Messi-* Hughes and Davidson (South Island). The membership is 3,057, and the cred't balance of Juno 30 was nearly £103,000. What <lo they do in the United States and Canada when Arbor Day is wet and planting forbidden by all rules of gardening on account of tile'damage caused by tramping on sodden ground? When New Zealand officially instituted Arbor Day some years ago, that question was overlooked. We saw only the sunny slopes and the ready soil. Nowadays the point is not of much consequence to ourselves. We do not observe Arbor Day arboriaJly. Wet or fine, the anniversary is sanctified on'.v to Government officers' their offices being closed. So it was to-day, and so it would have been if the weather had been favorable for tree-planting. The fact is that our people do not see why they should turn out and stick in trees, and we might as well cease the pretence and devote the dav (if such a day there must be) to football c hockey or some other occupation would commend itself to the public. A good deal of discussion took place at the Drainage Hoard meeting last night on the Board's relations with the City Council. Members assorted that they were doing their best to work amicably with the Council, who, instead of reciprocating, seemed rather to raise difficulties. Two or three matters ventilated last night illustrate the position. The town clerk wrote that complaint had been made of the state of an open drain at Littlebourne, and he informed the Board of its duty to remedy it. The Board's engineer submitted a minute in reply iu which he stated that the town clerk had' been supplied with plans last May showing the reticulation of this area, and he regretted that the town clerk's investigations had not disclosed the fact that a sewer was now being laid past the very place in question (which, he pointed out, is not in the City area, but in %slyn). Mr Slinger's minute concluded with the following paragraph:—"Some little time ago Mr Butcher (maintenance foreman) wasted a whole day in trying to find some complaint to the town clerk over drainage matters, which simply finished up in °a wild goose chase, and' in my opinion, the town clerk does not know wnat he is writing about when trying to deal with these matters." Mr Slinger had another minute on a report by the town clerk on the City Council's attitude on the drainage of King Edward road, the Council disclaiming all liability for detritus getting into the sewers, and refusing to contribute to the cost of removing it from the mud tanks. Mr Slingcr wrote : ■ " Last time King Edward road was scavenged the mud was deliberately swept into cur mud tanks and sewers. It is impossible to intercept mud from the sewers when such a scandalous practice is persistently earned on by the city engineer. There has been complaint after complaint made over this subject, and the Board is simply defied. When the mud is swept into the sewers it costs the ratepayers fifteen times more to remove it than it would to remove it from the road surface." Finally, there was a complaint by Mr Butcher that he had discovered that the Corporation, in constructing a drain had punched a hole in a mud tank in Eden street, and left it thus. Members expressed surprise, and turned to their engineer for an explanation. It was brief. "We are putting in mud tanks," said Mr Slinger "and they are destroying the Board's property." The matter was referred to the Works Committee.

The mail despatched from Dunedin via Suez on the 10th June arrived in London on the afternoon of the 19th inst.

Detectives Mitchell, and Thompson this morning arrested Thomas Lewis, a ship's steward, on a charge of theft at Lyttelton of an overcoat and other articles, valued at £2 12b.

The Inspector of Factories (Mr E. Le Cren) wrote to the Drainage Board last night thanking them for having placed seventeen men on their works, and stating that as some 200 unemployed had registered on the books of the Labor Department further openings for work would be welcome. The Board subsequently approved of their engineer's plans for the reticulation of Hyde and Clyde streets, and instructed him to proceed with the work at once by day labor. Mr Slinger stated that this* work would absorb about 35 men. The chairman of the Board remarked that the Board could not 'be blamed for not providing more employment just now, as warmer and drier weather is needed to enable much of their work to be prosecuted to advantage. A young man named Frank George Henderson appeared before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., in the Police Court this morning to answer a charge of having deserted his wife, Kate Henderson, at Fcatherston, oa the 3rd of May last. Sub-inspector Phair explained that accused had been arrested at Waikouaiti yesterday, and he asked for a remand to Wellington, so that accused might appear on the 28th inst. The remand was granted. One or two maintenance cases were dealt with and adjourned. Two additional trained nurses are to be appointed to the Fever Hospital. The Board last evening appointed the chairman (Mr J. H. Walker), Mr Wilkinson, and Mr Keas't a committee to visit Kaitangata and inquire into certain matters, such as water and drainage. The 6ame Committee will visit Palmerston to arrange foT a caretaker for the Consumptive Sanatorium.

Messrs Wilkinson and Anderson have been appointed a committee by the Hospital Board to make arrangements right away for the spending of £25 on the road leading to the Fever Hospital.

The Hospital Board have adhered to their previous decision not to accept the two rooms offered them at Port Chalmers for a cottage hospital, but to build one on the same lines as that erected at Kaitangata. An agreement has been executed under which the Ross Goldfields, Ltd., undertake the lighting of the Borough of Ross by electricity. As the company have a large amount of surplus power," it is probable that an offer will be made to light the town of Hokitika also.

The Stjii* Note Issue Bill, introduced by Mr J. W. iMunro, was debated by the Dunedin Parliamentary Union \-tst night. Messrs MacManus, "M'Carthy, Stables, and Mack' spoke to the question, and the Union approved of the main principle of the Bill. The leading provisions of the measure are that the Government shall have sole pewer to issue paper money, the said paper money to be accepted as legal tender throughout the Dominion ; that for the purpose of preventing any person or persons or combinatioi of persons from conspiring to depreciate the face value of the .State notes, it shall be lawful for the Government to denand that all rates and tax-is and :tl! moneys receivable by the Govcninn.-n must be paid in State notes; and tuat the Government shall have- the power to pay out at any Government oliice the said State notes, such payment to constitute a complete and legal fulfilment of all money claims.

As a result of the closing of a number of hotels in Dunedin, due to the carrying of Reduction at the recent licensing poll, there are a number of hotelkeepers looking for houses to take over (says the 'Lvtt?% ton Times '). Several of the Dunedin hotelkeepers are in Christchurch, and already two houses have been secured by Southern licensees.

Death duties will be the main theme dealt with by the Hon. Dr Findlay in his address at the Burns Hall to-night. The Mayor (Mr Walker) will preside, and we are requested to slate that Dr Findlay will begin at eight o'clock sharp. The plans for the Girls' High School have been approved of by the Government, and the architect is now preparing the specifications, with a view to calling for tenders at an early date, probably before the end of the month.

The police want an owner for a " Viking " bicvcle.

The Mornington Presbyterian ' Yoimg Women's Bible Class are holding a sale of work in the Presbyterian Hall to-day and tomorrow. A programme of amusements will bo given this evening, and to-morrow afternoon the hall will be open at 2.30.

lor watch, clock, and jewellers' repairs A. J. Shaw, :3 Rattray street, is recommended. Absolutely the best in Dunedin.—[Advt] A lecture entitled 'The Seven Ages of Man' will be delivered by Mr A. W. Maurais at the meeting of the Theosophical Society this evening.

The Dunedin Highland Rifles and Pipe Band will hold a combined social in the Garrison Hall on Friday evening, July 30. Speight's ale and stout are acknowledged by the Dominion public to be the best on the market.—[Advt.] Miss Nellie Galloway will give a dramatic and musical recital in "Burns Hall on the 4th prox.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club will be hold in the club room, 114 Moray place, to-morrow evening. The Dunedin Anglican Harriers will hold a social evening in the Dominion Tea Rooms to-morrow evening. People naturally wish to be photographed at their best. Everyone gets the best at the Acme Photo. Company at a moderate charge. George street.—TAdvt.] The presentation of prizes in connection wilh the Wakari Rifle Volunteers will take place in the Wakari Hall on Friday evening. A concert and dance will follow. A basket social in connection with the Forbury School Old Boys and Girls' Club will be held in the Gymnasium Hall on Friday evening.

Very little reliable information has reached the public of Dunedin regarding the Chap-man-Alexander mission in Sdncy. A meeting is to be held to-morrow, in North-cast Valley Presbyterian Church, at which definite facts are to be given regarding the results of this most remarkable movement. The Rev. R. E. Davies. of Sydney, is at present on a visit to Dunedin. He was intimately connected with Dr Chapman's mission on the other side, and is able to tell from personal knowledge something of what has been accomplished. Hp has agreed 1o rive an address in the Presbyterian Church in the Valley to-morrow evening, at 7.30, in which he will- tell what he saw and heard in this movement. Some of the favorite hvmns of the mision will also be sung. The meeting will be open to all.