Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 6

Mr Paubn's forecast.-—N.F. to S.E. winds, and some thunder shovv.v?.

Only one case came before Mr Widdowson. S.M.. at the ordinary sitting of the Police Court this morning, a sailor being charged with drunkenness. He confessed', and was fined ss.

Our Wellington correspondent wires: The Public Works Department has accepted the tender of Stevenson and Cook, of Port Chalmers, for the construction of a dredge to be utilised in improving the Waihou and Qhinemutu Rivers. The* contract price is £5,913. A cable in the Sydney 'Sun' states that Professor Friedmami, who has obtained remarkable results in the cure of tuberculosis, has received hundreds of letters, telegrams, and cablegrams asking him when he will give his cure to the world. The professor states that he has not yet deckled what to do, on account of the way in which quacks exploited the "606'' remedy given out by Professor Frlich.

This morning, at a, sitting of the Juvenile Court, Mr Widdowson committed a child to the Cavershair-. Industrial School, the mother being ordered to pay 5s a week, payments to start on the 25th" inst. Mrs Jackson told the Magistrate that the nuns at South Dunedin now had a home for boys, and could take this child, but His Worship said that the establishment referred to was only gazetted as a home for girla. Paris is laughing over an amusinChristmas swindle. Two men with no money, but carrying a spurious £2O banknote, entered a well-known re.-taurant and consumed huge quantities of food. When they had finished they plavfully pushed the t-aole over and smashed it. 'the proprietor became indignant, and said that the men would have"to pay for the damage that they had done. One"protected that he wis penniless, and the other, with a smile, said " Search me." The restaurateur accepted the suggestion and discovered the bank-note, which •he negotiated and handed back the chance. Later on he made another and more unwelcome discovery when llie bank refused the note. He is now searching for the two swindlers.

The teachers' certificated examinations and the senior Civil Service, examinations will commence in the Technical School on Monday morning. Altogether there are about 108 candidates.

The decision oi tho Yew Zealand Federation of Labor to hoid at Wellington on January 2.1 a _conference, with a view to planning "a vigorous campaign to end the power of a party frankly hostile to Labor, and to amend the anomalies of a law use/! to further organised blackieggism," does i;ot appear to have aroused much enthusiasm in Dunedin labor circles. As f-ir as can be ascertained, only one union (the Drivers and Carters) have* decided to send a delegate to the conference. The Federation Executive have sent to unions another appeal asking them to cast aside prejudices and personal animosities, if any, and meet together actuated by the desire to further the interests of one and all, and if unions have adversely voted upon a former invitation to the conference to reconsider the question of representation at it.

Another sign of the times. There were only eight bankrupticies in Dunedin fothe year ended last month, as against 27 for the previous year. Invercargill, on the other hand, shows an increase for the past year. Thero were 16 bankruptcies there, as against 11 for 1911. In Dimedin for the past year the assets, as per statements filed, were £475 14s 6d, the amounts to secured creditors £1,051 14s 6d. liabilities and unsecured creditors £1,420 4s 2d, and the amounts paid in dividends £7OB 9s sd. For the previous year the assets, as per statements filed, were £2,657 12s Bd, the amounts to secured craditors £1,627 lis 6il, liabilities and unsecured creditors £7,189 6s lOd, and the amounts paid in dividends £1,517 9s 7d.

Peaches and apiicots are in the marketplaces, but to the ordinary individual whose spare cash has gone on holidays by the sea they arc as nre and costly as curios in a museum. The wholesale price is 9jd per lb.

A start will be most probably made on Monday to lay the keel at Port Chalmers of the Harbor Board's new tug and salvage steamer.

A Whangarei P.A. wire says:—A fire which broke out in the Whakatiri district on Tuesday is now assuming alarming proportions, covering an area eight miles long and half a mile wide. The continued drv weather had made a shortage of feed, and now some farms are nearly devastated. One farmer, milking 50 cows on 200 acets, had mora than half of his feed destroyed. The cocksfoo*, crops are also destroyed. The fire is still raging. Settlers have engaged all available hands to beat it out, out the only hope is heavy rain. It is impossible to estimate me, damage.

Prom 18th December until 3rd Januafv inclusive 231 p-issenger trains left a"d 191 arrived at the Dimedin railway station. These numbers do not include suburban or goods trains.

There is not as yet in anv part of the British Empire an institution like that which exists in France for the discovery of young and unrecognised talent. It may be argued that its place is to some extent occupied by the competitions set afoot by publisiung houses or by the competitions societies recently established in various parts of Australasia; but neither of these forms of encouragement can do what tho Academie des Genscourts has been able to achieve The "Prize of the Fortv-five" has helped to keep the standard of"vonng French writers high. Now Germany has followed the French example, and there is a report to hand of the first meeting of the "Kleist Foundation" in Berlin, whose executive committee consist of the foremost German writers and artists. The meeting was of unusual interest because of the nature of the subject under discussion—the method of choice to be adopted in awarding the prize. Eventually it was decided that for each year one writer of eminence should he chosen, with absolute power to make the award for the year. This is a noteworthy departure from the majority voting employed by the Goncourts Academy.

A party consisting of Mr Wright, of Me«n-.s Fa.irba.irn and Wright, Mr H. I). Bed ford, and Inspector Robertson ascended Mount Earnslaw from the Roes side of the mountain and descended bv the Dart side. This is tho first time this route has been traversed, it having previously been considered impracticable.

There was a good supply of Peninsulagrown potatoes thh week, and prices dropped considerably, the average rate being 5s 6d per case of 5011-.. It is not expected that the price will fall much farther, owing to the supply from Auckland being more, limited than'it was earlier-in the season.

The City FiTe Brigade received a. call at 10.41 last night to asix -roomed house in Cumberland street, off Dnndas street. The house was owned by Walker Bros., plumbers, and occupied by John Mitchell. The contents were injured in the United Office lor £3OO. The damage, which was caused by a curtain being blown on to a lighted candle, was not extensive. This morning the brigade received a call 'to Hanover street to a chimney fire. No damage was done. * a

Trade and labor in the City yesterday and to-day was languid, all the minds applied to business and work being drawn away to tho sunny gaiety they knew for too short a. period, and parted' from with sharp regret. The weather lias been so glorious tiiat even visitors from Auckland have blushed at their former ignorance of tho charms of Dunedin, the fairest city of all when the corporation wafer-carters* are not holidaying. Since Christmas Eve the sky has been as the canopy over the orange- proves by the Mediterranean Sea, and workers have been loth to come back to the hod. the hammer, and the shovel. As for shopkeepers and lean assistants, they almost sicken at the sight of sugar, soap, and kerosene cellars. The majority of workers, however, have had ten davs (perhaps the brightest ten days they have ever had), and should be able to do great woi-k on .Monday, when matters industrial and commercial will have resumed the old gait, 'Tis a- pity that a year has a life of twelve calendar months. Most people these days would vote to make it much shorter. But Eastertide will come soon. In the fruit marked this week business was very light, compared with the volume last week. Prices kept to a fairly high standard for sellers, though strawberries were cheaper than usual, excepting locally-grown sorts, which brought from 9r! up to Is 6d. There is always a fair demand for first-class fruit at' high prices, which shows iirit some people have stoui; purses. Choice cherries from Alexandra realised up to Is 2d for the very best. Our Wellington correspondent wives:—. Though ha has not yet obtained details of the last quarter's revenue, the Prime Minister informs me that the indications are that a very satisfactory result will be shown. The revenue last year was even better than its record predecessor. A P.A. message from Timaru states that Dr G. E. Gabites, who was surgeon on the Mamari on her trip from Home, writes to the 'Herald' to correct the impression conveyed by the publication of the complaints made in Wellington bv some passengers that lhey v.ete hustled from Dunedin to Lytteiton by special train, on Christmas Day without reasonable notice, and that many had no food on t'ue journey, while others got some at the Oarn.i'.M and Ash bm ton refreshment rooms. Dr Gabites .states that thev were warned early in th.i mornint: that thev were to entrain at 10 a.m. The medical officer at. Port. Chalmers completed his in■sr.ection at. > 7.3 C. in lime for breakfast.. :it 8 Allowing an hour for breakfast, ihev had still an hour before boarding the train alongside the ship, and they entrained quietly and without any trouble, their cabin luggage being placed c.i the train fcr them. There was plenty of room, one car being nearly empty.* A large quantity of food—bread and 'butter, meat, and cheese—was prepared for the passengers to take with them, but oniv a few availed themselves of u, so those who h;'J lid food • n the way had onlv themselves to blame. The doctcr thinks those responsible for the transport are to be congratulated on the. completeness of their arrai.geme us and that the c mplaints were probably made bv some inveterate griimbh-is.

Questioner! as to the object of the vh-.it of ttie Assistant I nrJe:-Secretarv of Public W'oiks (Mr Sn-ut) to Australia, the Priu:e Minister states (wires our Wellington corresp.ndcnt; thst the G"verii'i':-nt" will introduce 'egislaiion next session deai.iig with the system or road and bridge grants" "Mr Short," he continued, "is admi'ttedlv an expert, who has been dealing with the question all his life, and it has been suggested that the system prevailing in Xew South Wales is in advance of our own. We want as much information as possible before going into the details of our proposals." "Is it the Oovernment's intention to adopt the X.S.W. system of classified areas for purposes of "subsidies?" Mr Massey was asked. His answer was that Mr Short's visit did not imply any such intention, but he might bring' back some useful ideas in connection with the "projected legislation.

It is expected that the junior national junior and senior Education Board scholar' ships results will come to hand from Wellington about the 20th inst. They will be coi-eidered by the board at a. special meet inc.