NELSON JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11724, 5 August 1901, Page 7

NELSON JOTTINGS.

. ' ', NELSON'S DIAMOND JUBILEE. . THE, inaugural public meeting held in connection with the proposed celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Nelson Province in 1 February next was largely attended, and the interest and enthusiasm' displayed promises well for the success of the undertaking. A large, and representative committee was set up, and the first meeting of this committee will be held early in August. It is proposed to hold a carnival of from four days to a week's duration, the programme 'to include horseracing, ' athletic sports, , a volunteer review, fire brigade and other demonstrations, and possibly ■ also an industrial exhibition. A large number of other suggestions were made by Mr. Snodgrass, sen., including agricultural and horticultural shows, a regatta, band and choir contests, and a visit from the Dunedin or Invercargill's Pipers' Band. This lastnamed item would obviously entail considerable expense, and the proposal is not likely to be. seriously considered. ■ Mr. Snodgrass' suggestion to invite the Governor and Premier to lay the foundation stones of the new post office, and Municipal Buildings provoked much mirth. Both of these desirable additions to the public buildings of the city have been under discussion for some time, but neither project has yet. assumed a definite form, one being dependent on the always uncertain disposition of a paternal government, and the other subject to the indisputable will of tho ratepayers, to whose judgment it must of necessity be submitted. Of course, it is quite possible for the necessary preliminaries to be successfully negotiated in both cases within the next six months, and in the case of the poat office at least all will hope that Mr. Snodgrass' expectations will be proved not to have been too sanguine. The matter of the celebration is being heartily taken up, and in view of past successes .here should be no fear, of the result. ' It i was stated at the public meeting that the total receipts in connection with the celebration of the Golden Jubilee ten years ago. amounted to £774, of whicb £504 was received in subscriptions and donations. The expenditure was £571, thus leaving a surplus of £203, ! which was devoted to useful pubho objects. >'■"-■'■ * ' - : THE PROPOSED HIGH SCHOOL. '- - The proposed establishment of a district high school in Nelson, in accordance with, the new regulations of the Education Department, has been further discussed by the Town Schools Committee. The Department recently intimated to the Education Board that it was not disposed to favourably regard the application for a high school in such close proximity to the two Nelson-colleges; and that the College Governors had been asked to state .what I facilities they were prepared to offer for the instruction of prospective high school-pupils. on payment of the fees prescribed for high,: iichools. : The views of j the Governors 'have, not yet been- disclosed, but the School Committee debated—rather prematurely, " it' would seem— advantages of an arrangement with the college as compared with those of a separate institution in the form of a high school. After the pros and cons had been carefully considered the committee decided in favour of a high school, and it was decided to renew the application to the iGovernment accordingly. . The Education Department has granted the application for a free high school at Motueka. PERSONAL MATTERS. Mr. Frank Pogson, an of Nelson College, and a son of Mr. F. G. Pogson (formerly of Nelson), has received his M.A. degree. He is now on his way to England, where he will remain for some time at • St. John's College, Oxford. * ■ . Dr. Roberts, of Nelson, has been appointed by the Government as district health officer for the districts of Nelson and Marlborough. Dr. Leggatt still retains his position as health officer for the port of Nelson. , ; Mr. W. A. Shain, of the Public Works Department, has been transferred to Nelson, and as resident engineer he has taken over the control of the Midland railway extension works now in progress between Motupiko and Tadmor. '-'>*-' Mr. J. Krabagen, a member-of the Nelson Garrison Band, has been granted the New Zealand long service medal for 16 years' continuous efficient service. The Rev. F. A. Bennett, of the Native Mission Work of the Young Maori Party, - has been spending " a week in Nelson, where he was: brought up and educated for the ministry. I He has delivered a lecture on the " Past, Present, and Future of the Maori Race," in which he made a strong appeal on behalf of the Queen Victoria Memorial School for Maori Girls. Mr. Samuel Rowe, a resident of Richmond, died very suddenly on July 22, the e*use being heart disease. The deceased was about 76 years of age. ..... -■ . . . The deaths of two old settlers, whose names are singularly similar, are recorded this week, viz., Mrs. Robert Burn, aged 77, and Mrs. Robert Bums, aged 81. Messrs. J. W. Croucher and 0. E. Molesworth, of Richmond, and Mr. ffm. Small, of Wakapuaka, have been appointed Justices of the Peace. Since their return to-Nelson the various members of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents, who came home in the Tagus, have been entertained in various ways. .-..GENERAL ITEMS. _ The suitability of Nelson as a site for a state sanatorium for the treatment of consumption on the open-air principle has been brought under the notice of the Government by Mr. Graham, M.H.R., at the suggestion of Dr. Hudson. The Minister for Public Health (sir J. G. Ward) will visit Nelson shortly, ana a deputation will wait on him in regard to the matter. , As a result of the refusal of the Nelson Harbour Board to fall in with the proposal to vest the Motueka Wharf m the local Borough Council, the people of Motueka are going to Petition Parliament on the subject, and also to, represent in the same quarter their willingness to accept the constitution of a special harbour district for their side of the bay. It is stated on good authority that the area of land in this district devoted to' orchard plantations •!• will be increased this year by 500 to 600 acres. As the local nurseries are unable to supply the demand for the varieties needed a great deal of money is being sent out of the district for young trees, and it is said that the value of orders now being delivered by a Melbourne nursery will run into thousands of pounds. The Town Schools Committee has passed a resolution expressing sympathy with the efforts of Colonel Pitt. M.L.0., to secure legislation prohibiting smoking by boys under 16. How this desirable object- is to be attained is a knotty problem. The large gold nugget which was recently handed to the Duke of York by the Premier on behalf of the colony, for presentation to the King, was discovered by two Nelson miners in the Baton River, over ten years ago. Its. weight is 320z, and the discoverers received £125 for it. Mr. Mackenzie, one of the lucky finders, died in the Nelson Hospital at the Mm? °f the Royal tour through the colony. The proposal to erect a Nelson memorial to Her Late Majesty Queen Victoria has been allowed to drop owing to lack of public supThe Town Schools Committee has resolved 1° apply to the Government for uniforms for the Central School cadets. Three members of the committee, who declaimed against the excessive militarism of the times, voted against the proposal. _ The School: of Cookery, #stablished by the nelson.Education Board has started work, ana is being well patronised.— Correspondent.]