LATE DOMINION NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 25 April 1913, Page 2

LATE DOMINION NEWS.

AUCKLAND EXHIBITION. GOVERNAIKNT EXHIBITS. FEB UNITED PK£SS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, April 24. J Tho utility of the forthcoming exhi-1 brtion a« a medium for Departmental display has been rooognisiKl by tho (iovernment to tho extent of engaging; tne aggregate quantity of 10,00Uf& of ' The areas definitely reserved in Ciiis oo'tmcotion are as follows: —Railway Department 5000 ft; Agricultural ue'parknuuiit, 90Oft; Post and 'Tele-! graph Department 800 ft; Government' insurance Department, 400tt; Government Printing Office. 300 ft, Public Health Department, 240 ft; Marino j partment, 100 ft. The Uuitmentioneti allocation, does not take into account tho iio,uajium which j the Marine Depai'tuienfc is likely to in-; 'iL.vl near the artificial ponds. During It lie recent visit of tho inspector of fish- j ories to Auckland he stated that he pro- . ix>sed to establisli an aquarium of »' comprehensive nature. This would be . ashy iKV-sibio as the Department had i I tne neoeesary material to hand <ost would ' not be extensive. The. aquarium schomo Ls awatini"- the return < i the Minister (Hon. F. Al. 15. Fisher)' -rem Australia for final sanction. | i Lie president is still endeavoring to j scouro display by tin* Miiu-s Depart- ■ mwit"through tho Minister. OFFICE MECHANICAL APPLIANCES j 'WELLINGTON, April 24. in the matter el the introduction of >!'lioe mechanical aiqiliancus into the Government Dop<i-rfcnionUs an imp-ortanfc <Kneloi>uik-Mvt is t,;v.iii.iig place with the object of bringing -the practices now adopted in l-nn Governineiit DopartIments more in accordance with later Kiv'-as of niodi'rn ol'lioo ■adminiistr.ution, improving the methods now in use, and by such meaii9 .securing efficiency and inducing in inanv respects the mental strain of officers engaged in ordinary 'loutine work. Applications were m--i ited throug'.iout New Zealand and Australia for an instructor and demon.sti'a- » tor in the use of mechanical appliances. The Commissioner recognising thajt it is rnOst important for tho efficient manI lpuiation of machines* tiiat the operators I should start off fairlv, have appointed ■ Miss A. C. Hedley, of the accountants' branch of the Postmaster-General's De- ' partment of the Coinmonwealtli of Australia as instructor and demonstrator, : end she lias commenwd her duties in .' Wellington. Prior to her appointment ;■ Siiss Hedley had completed the organ- '■ isation of tho special classes, given a | course in instruction, and conducted ex- , ; amiiiations in tho uso of mechanical ap- ' I plianoea at Melbourne, Adelaide, Bris- , j bane, Perth and Hobart. Miss Hedley . I is to give instruction in the use of the ' adding and listing machines to classes of riris in tho public service throughout ; ; New Zealand. i POST AND TELEGRAPH RETURNS. j WELLINGTON. April 24. j. For the quarter ended March 31 the | post revenue for the Do'i minkm was £3lb'.4£S. compared with \ £263,797 in the coiTesponding period of \ The Government Savings Banks de'j> posits during the quarter ended March i; ill to-tailed £2,717,944, against £3,117,1 464 in the corresponding quarter of ; | 11912. The withdrawals were respecS; tively £2,775,035 and £2,921,674. There '; was an excess of withdrawals over de- '<. posits amounting to £57,091 in the quar- . ter just ended, compared with an excess of deoosits over withdrawals total- • linrj £195,789 in the March quarter of lain y<jar.

) FORESTRY COMMISSION.

) ! AUCKLAND, April 24. ' Before the Forestry Commission to- ) day Mr David GoldiOj timber merchant, j expressed the opinion that it would be ' most unwise to allow white pine to be | exported to England and elsewhere for such general purposes as making pine ' oL.irs, etc. Timber was now being (•use-! which was rejected when rnillt> 1 wen. through the forests years ago. ' Thei v was an eaonuous waste of tim'or 1/' fire. Questioned on the neoes- / -y i-. ;• planting, Mr Goldie said it de--1 y idet: on the price paid for labor. It i n. *ht be cheaper to import than produce. There was enough timber in tho 1 world to last out our time. An interesting point in the evidence given before the Commission ivas the 1 suggestion made by Dr. Mac Gill rei garding the suitability of planting as work for convalescent consumptives. I Dr. Mac Gill said that in 190S a trial of ; the system had been made in some way eight miles from Rotorua. A camp of i 14 men carried on the work with reaI sonable success. Tree-planting was work suitable for consumptives, but the I trial was given up in 1910, as tihe \ walk to and from the plantation became rather, long for some of the in- ) valids. It would be quite possible to \ establish a camp of 60 men in the Taupo district to undertake such work. Dr. Mac Gill said that on any light pumice land there was an opportunity of starting tree-planting if the districts themselves wanted it and the conditions suited patients. NAVIGATION DANCERS. WELLINGTON, April 24. The Marine Department to-day received the following telegram from Mr Webber, postmaster at the French. Pass: "Mr Casey, mail carrier to Stevens Island, reports that he discovered yesterday what he believes to 3 be the derrick of thti 11-od Pine standing b seven or eight feet out of the water at flood! tide in Stephen's Island passage about a quarter of a mile from D'Crville Island, directly in the course of steamers. His launch was attached to it for '2O minutes, and it stood firm, I consider this a serious danger to launches and steamers." The Department is also advised by the Collector of Customs at Gisborne: "The master of. the Holimdale reports striking one and sighting three float;* g logs 15 miles north and onwarJs of , Cape Foulwind on April 20."