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Evening Star, Issue 14792, 6 February 1912, Page 4

The loss that is said about tho Wellington striko tho hotter. Settled. In tho first placo, tho men should hovo recognised the fact that if Inspector Fuller was tyrannical or oppressive, it was only a question of time when tho council would have remedied any grievance. In tho second place, they should have foreseen that from tho outset they wore bound to nlloimto public sympathy owing to their interference with traffic. Once tho corporation wore prepared to find Fuller other work, tho Tramway Union should hnvo called tho strike off at once. Instead of that, they subordinated their own Intorosto und those of tho public to consideration for tho personal vanity of some of tho strike loaders. Finally, wo would give a timely warning that it is very bad policy to utter wild threats of general industrial paralysis. Any British community keenly resents bullying. Wo congratulate the Prime Minister upon bis termination of a position that was rapidly becoming ridiculous.

Interviewed after his victory- at Potsdam, where the Kaiser’s suburban palace is located, Herr Liebknecht, one of the German Socialist leaders, said: “ You ask me what now will be the attitude of the Socialists in the Reichstag. No party have over been so powerful in Parliament since the foundation of the Empire. The influence of the Socialists, therefore, will bo enormous, and will have tp bo reckoned with all the time. Rut we must act with prudence, so as to avoid giving the patriots any chance of a dissolution. The peace of the world is now assured, and you can tell the public so with confidence.” Lincoln Bcachey, the American airman, made a remarkable flight at Los Angeles, when, during a gale that was blowing at tiro rate of SO miles an hour, he succeeded in reaching a height of s,£ooft. Our Cromwell correspondent writes: Summer is hero in lull strength. The weather is excessively hot. On Friday afternoon the thermometer registered SOdeg inside a stone building. A strong south wind sprang up, and lias been blowing for 24 hours, and, strange to say, without making any appreciable difference in the temperature. Soma hot weather was required for ripening the fruit, whidi was at least three weeks behind. Pastoralists and farmers arc rejoicing, the former through having splendid clips and landings and good prices, the latter through having record crops, though high prices need not be expected. Business, however, is deadly dull. Travellers assert that they have never booked fewer orders hero. It is to be hoped that the visit of the delegates will hasten on our irrigation scheme, which would really mean the salvation of the place, as our young men and girls are leaving here for Dunedin, as there is virtually no work or opening for them hero.

During the course of an inquest yesterday afternoon at Port Chalmers Mr C. C. Graham, coroner, commented on the lack of hot water and other conveniences at the local morgue. At yesterday evening's meeting of the Borough Council the matter was brought up and referred to the Works Committee to deal with. Some members of local bodies seem inclined to think that owners of .motor cars attach little value to their cars or their occupants, and it therefore behoves local bad its to guard the community from the dangers arising from the assumed carelessness of motor (.raffle. The remedy that most readily suggests itself to these extremists is the restriction of motor traffic to the verge of prohibition. Tire latter aspect of the matter was briefly discussed at last night’s meeting of the 'Port Chalmers Council, when that body were discussing a letter from the "Waikouniti County Council respecting a proposed conference to deal with the controlling of motor traffic. A good deal was said about the dangers which are likely to result from scorching, though no instances of excessive speed were quoted. A variation was caused by the statement that the spirit which attempted to prevent locomotives from being originally run in England seemed to bo animating in the present day some local bodies 'in respect to their evident desire to suppress the running of motor cars on ’country roads. Eventually the council appointed the Mayor and a councillor to confer with the neighboring county council in the desired direction of controlling motor traffic. Last evening a deputation from the ministers of Port Chalmers waited u]x>n the. .School Committee of Sawyers Bay School to request permission to teach the Bible every morning for half an hour before the ordinary school hour. As the ministers themselves are all engaged every morning teaching in the Pori Chalmers School they desired that thov might be represented by Mr A. R. Wadill, who resides in Sawyers Bay, and who is tho student assistant to the Presbyterian minister. The .School Committee granted tho ministers their request, but desired that to show tho public the undenominational character of the movement tho ministers should take the class in turn as often as they coidd arrange to bo present. The class will begin on Monday next. At a meeting of Christchurch City Council last night serious complaints were made in regard to diseased meat being sent out from the municipal abattoirs, and the council decided to hold a special inquiry into the truth of tho allegations. After a state of inaction extending over many months (says the ‘Advocate’), the Orepuki Smelting' Works are again showing signs of reviving vitality. Smoko belched from the tall chimney' on Thursday and Friday, telling the townspeople that the furnaces were nmiin at work. Mr Wilde has not been idle during the quicsia-nt period at the works, but has visited similar establishments in several countries, with a view to picking up the best imormation possible. Tho result is tliat thy most up-to-date improvements in smelting plant have been installed at Orepuki. and in a short time tho commercial value of the “black sand” deposits will, we trust, be positively determined.

Talking about heavy crops this year, one farmer said that lie usco four halls of tivino to hind 10 acres of grass last harvest, and this year for half that acreage 10 bolls were required.—Clutlia ‘ leader. A Wellington message (dates that the tranicars ate running as usual to-day. The following is the full text of the agreement :—(1) That the removal of Inspector way to tome other position in the tramv.*iiy nr> the Tram wav Union and 'no\v desired by the officer himself, bo carried out; (2) that it be an. instruction to tho electrical oiwincor, on the settlement of the dispute, to have Fuller placed in a position where he will not any dealings with the members of tho Tramways Union : (3) that tho council guarantee that on resumption oi work tbit- men involved in this trouble shall not bo subject to victimisation, but shall be reinstated in their empl oymont without Ices of status.

Mr Paulin telephoned at 2,50 p.m. : —-S.E, to N.E. winds and hot weather over Otago Central and Canterbury. Light electrical showers over the southern portion of tho island.

Moat of the breach of award eases which aro heard in the local Magistrate’s Court are duo to the employers failing to make themselves conversant with the clauses of tho award. A case of this typo came up this morning when an employer was proceeded against for a, broach of an award. Tho defendant admitted the breach, and in defence stated that he had failed to peruse the award. Lh-e Magistrate remarked upon the frequency of these cases, caying that it seemed to him that the only" way to prevent rwiirrcncw was to get all the employers, together and read the awards over to them.

In the* opinion of tho honorary medical etaif of the hospital the corridors and openair shelters recently erected should not bo used for chronic consumptives after tho completion of tho Vvemeus \Varti. -They consider that permanent provision should bo made elsewhere for such cases as soon as possible. Thoctafi have already aflirmed tho inadvisability of erecting such shelters in the hospital ground. Last year tho Port Chalmers people thoroughly enjoyed an excellent summer series of open-air concerts given by the City bands and tho local band. The Slayer (Six F. W. Platts) is arranging for a repetition of the concerts this season. The Fourth Regiment Band (by kind permission of tho officer commanding the regiment) will open tho series.

There is at present on view in Messrs Smith and Smith’s studio a stained glass window which is to be placed in tho Moray Place Congregational Church to the memory of tho late James and Jean M'Gill. The subject treated is tho parable of the Sower. The window is rich and harmonious in color, the figure being well drawn and true in every detail. Tho foreground is relieved by floral decorations. In tho apex of tho window is an Angel bearing an inscription, and in tho base is tho text descriptive of tho parable. The subject is enclosed by a fine example of decorative canopy and base, the whole making a pleasing show of modern stained glefs art. This firm have also in hand four other windows for Masterton.

The patients in tho Pleasant Talley Sanatorium on the 31st of lost month numbered 17 males and 13 females. At that time there were vacancies in tho institution for four male and two female patients.

The business in tho Police Court has been very light for some time past. There was not a single case called on for hearing this morning. Of the 40 little owls liberated by tho Otago Acclimatisation .Society in tho plantation at' Mr T. Telford’s, Olanomomo, some months ago two pair are all that remain. Tho others (says the Balclutha ‘Free Press’) have taken to the Arikiki bush, or have gone further afield. Mr Telford is convinced that the owls wage effective war on sparrows and other small imported bird pests, but do not .attack the tnis, those beautiful native birds now all too scarce. Mr Telford’s experience furnishes a justification of tho society’s action in importing these little owls. Nominations for members of the City Licensing Committee close on the I9th of this month, and the election takes place on (ho 12th of March. Tho plans of the women’s ward to be erected at the Hospital will shortly be sent _on to Wellington for approval. 'The medical staff have decided Unit the new ward shall be heated by steam, so that the architect has now only to complete his plans. Good progress has been made on the Earnslaw, the new steamer which is being constructed at Kingston. Tho bottom of the vessel is practically completed, and is now being painted preparatory to launching. The ceremony is expected to take place within a week or two, and is creating a great deal of interest among the Wakatipu people. It is probable that excursions will be run from Queenstown and other places, so that those directly interested may participate in tho joyful event. As soo n as the launching is over tho machinery will be placed in position, and a start made with the decking and fittings. All this will take time, so it is not likely that _ tho Earnslaw will be in active commission before the spring. A fire at Waipiata on Friday afternoon last destroyed tho promisee of Mr Macdonald (draper), Mr Arnold (saddler), a disused bakery, and a small building occupied by the Bank of New .South Wales. Tho fire started in or under tho bank building, which had been closed since tho previous week. Tho insurances on tho buildings wore £l5O in tho Victoria Office and £2O in tho Liverpool and London and Globe. Mr Macdonald’s stock was insured for £l5O in the Royal Exchange, and Mr Arnold’s stock for £65 in tho New Zealand Office. Tho now post office was also badly scorched.