LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13683, 26 February 1908, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Thk annual luncheon and meeting of the Auckland Clntmberof Comraerc© was held yesterday afternoon, when there was & large attendance of members of the Chamber. The retiring president (Mr. N. Alfred Nathan) in his address, dealt -with various questions of public importance, including city and harbour improvements, railway and shipping matters, and other subjects of interest to the mercantile community. Mr. L. J. Bagradl was elected president, and Mr. Bart. vice-president, for the ensuing war. A full report, of the proceedings appears elsewhere.

The education of the Maori was discussed at the business session of the To Ante Association yesterday. Mi. H. Wills opened the question,. by reading a. paper, entitled "Profession." Ho pointed out that the Maori was so placed at the present day that ho required, to enter into all the professions followed by his patch.* friends. These professions, however, were not attained except by hard work and determination. Education came first. The young Maori must try to excel in the schools, and once he readied the cud of his course then the way was open to him to enter any course of lite he might wish. He wished to see the young Maori trying to persevere iu all professions. In endorsing the opinions, Dr. Buck pointed out, that in selecting young men for higher education it was necessary to exercise caution—that was to send up only those promising youths who were likely to succeed. It was not high education that would save the race, though it was a necessary part. The salvation of the race lay iu the proper working of their lands. The subject was not further discussed.

The lot of the school teacher, according to the chairman of the City Schools Committee (Mr. P. M. Mack ay), is not a happy one. Speaking at last night's meeting of the committee, he said that whenever a new subject of any kind affecting the young was brought into prominence, the beadteacher was looked tc for light and leading. The head-teacher, in his opinion, was a beast of burden," load was getting too heavy to bear. "Some 01 these days," he. said, "the last straw will bo put on him, and his back will break."

A correspondent writes complaining that the Labour Department has received instructions to take proceedings against shopkeepers for not closing their premises at nine o'clock sharp on Saturday nights, when the Act allows half-an-hour's grace, and the practice has been generally observed ever since the Act cam© into force. On making inquiry at the local' office of the Labour Department yesterday a Herald representative was informed (hat some months ago requisitions were presented by the majority of shopkeepers in certain trades in the city asking that in those instances where Wednesday was observed as the statutory half-holiday the shops be closed at nine o'clock on Saturday night. The requisitions were .duly forwarded by the City Council to the Minister for Labour, . who, in accordance with statute, made proclamations accordingly and fixed days upon which the hours mentioned in .the requisitions . wore to come into operation. Notices were sent 'but warning shopkeepers of the fact, and it was only in those instances where shopkeepers refused to comply that proceedings were being taken. The fact that the Act allowed half-an-hour for an assistant to get off the premises had nothing to do with the matter.

A six-roomed cottage hi Jermyn-street was practically destroyed by fire, with its contents, about nine o'clock last evening. The house was owned by Mr. J. Reid, of Alien Road, and was occupied by W. Hilliam, a carter, and his family, though they were not in the house at the time' of the* outbreak. The City Fire Brigade were called, but they were unable to save the building. The house was insured, but tile details could not be ascertained last evening. The contents were covered by a policy of £100 in the New Zealand Insurance Company.

Probate has been granted by Mr. Justice Edwards in the estates of the following deceased persons : —James Slwpley Mawer (Mr. Endean), Clementina Adelaide St. Clair Ormiston (Mr. Nicholson), Sidney Cecil Crapp (Mr. Cotter), Hugh Wynne Price (Mr. Gribbin), Thomas Meehan (Mr. Hackett), Charles Turner Wall's (Mr. Buddie). Letters of administration have been granted in the estate of the late Thomas Herbert Dobbin (Mv. Wilson).

A passenger by the Wellington-New Ply. mouth train on Monday last complains that some of the travellers on that occasion were treated with a strange lack of consideration by the railway authorities. It appears that on leaving Wellington an extra long train was put on to cope with the additional traffic due to the crowds proceeding to Wanganui. Later in the journey, after through passengers had changed three times, the front part of the train was detached, and sent on to New Plymouth, the remaining portion being kept back until the arrival of a second train over half-an-hour later. Some half-dozen New Plymouth passengers were in the rear portion of the divided train, and no hint was given to them to move forward into the part that was about to be despatched. Our informant states that on ascertaining that he and other New Plymouth passengers had been left in the lurch in this way, he lodged a complaint, whereupon arrangements were made to detain the Barawa, otherwise they would have missed the connection.

After a considerable delay in discharging her cargo of coal, owing to the. shortage of railway rolling stock, the Union Company's Kittawa cleared from Onehnnga yesterday morning, bound for Greymoutu and Westport. The Rosamond, also coal-laden, which lad been lying at anchor in the stream since Saturday, then took up the berth vacated by the Kittawa., and commenced discharging operations.

To state the case literally the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) has been going the pace since he left Auckland on Sunday, and yesterday afternoon, at Kawakawa, after a strenuous day's travelling and reserving upward of a score of deputations, prior to which be had inspected Wbaaigarei Harbour shortly after dawn, ho called a halt. "So far," said Sir Joseph, when hehad finished the last deputation, "we have not legislated for an eight-hour day for Ministers, but if I don't have some sleep I will drop off at my meeting here this evening, and that would give my opponents a good chance to have a thrust at me." Some of the natives, however, evidenced a desire to bo heard. "Tell them," said Sir JoI seph," that I will be glad to have a kororo i with them this evening," and he went off L to enjoy, ft well-earned ■wssW'-

1 ' .The An kum) r WßK«ir ; 'KsWft', phbUdhii to-day. contain * a large number of interert* lag illustration ■.'Hie opening. of the car* ■ - nival season al>Uotortta has* been fully d«J4 v with in » splendid serie*. comprising * Jin» panorama and three s»l*t;ted views on th* : double-page, together -Villi numerous other -tires of the and opening event.*'. . Th« in>jto*irig dedication rerviea at St. Patrick's CaWlr-d is recorded in * striking picture of the. interi.tr of the building, and phwt»i.'«-iph.-V! Hi- Kinim-ncr Or- ".;/ diiwl Mont" '. perforate the : ceremony, Whilst among the numtous .other current events illustrated may be tin.Uitior.cd Urn visit of Cardinal Moras* ' N to JUtorua, the Premier Picnic, 'opening of *, new'.j«jst offic* at Cambridge, visit of Sit. JWpii. Ward to; Hamilton. Rhodes Scholarship Committee and Rhodes scholar for 1908, the i%*nt regstta at Hamilton, first eigntoarc«%ig for Auckland, swimming sports at Wellington, second animal convention of Kpmtwdists, Australian Natives' Association's exhibition ' at Melbourne. motor cycle race »l E-rvin, Wellington Naval*" camp at Mabang* Bay. new Carnegie library at HokiliU Ulßßtfatr with a, large- variety of miscellaneous pictures. .- & The gumdifftting industry was one of tho topics discussed at lite session of the I* Ante Association yesterday. In the cour*c of a paper, the Rev. Mutti Kapa sard that as a financial source the industry w« roost needful for the people of the Mirth, to? many there was no other means of aavmnfc a. livelihood. Besides, the Maori took somewhat cheerfully to gumdusgutg, for he realised a quick, return for his labour, and the practice of religion was not hindered, as the people lived in large camp*. »* realised, however, tltttt were woWento, as was the ease in every industry. W hen flSkod whether the supply of gum would continue after being worked for a certain length of time, he replied that Maoris would continue to dig, because, though the supply of gum would ho diminished, tho price would rise sufficiently to baton* the deficiency in supply- '■'■-» ** v - H. Hawkins said he had no sympathy tor the gum industry; it had been the cur**, in the form of disease, of the Maoris of the North lb had been found by Judical men that about 50 per cent, of the Maoris, of the North had tuberculosis. The diggers also resided, in wretched houses, and they worked most of the time- in the wet. He claimed there had not been a digger who had, become a rich man. Other »P««Wr« endorsed Mr. Hawkins' remarks. Ihe Per. G. Maunsell added that the flax industry was akin to thai of gumdiggmg. He had seen Maori girls working in the flaxfields, a.nd .standing in water up to the waist the whole day.

A deputation at Knwakawa. yesterday asked the Prime Minister to haw the Waioimb Caves, the historical Ruapckapck* pa-, and the Kcrikeri Falls, proclaimed .-: scenic resorts. It was stated that unlw something was done to preserve these places they would bo lost in a measure to posterity owing to acts of vandalism, and it was further urged'that the first and last named should he made more easy of acces* for tourists. Sir Joseph Ward expressed himself as being thoroughly in favour of preserving these interesting spots in every :"■ way possible, and ho stated that in all probability they would be retained for the Tourist: Department. Reports were being supplied to the Department at the present 1 time. , ' ' ; '■ ■ : . '■-"

It is a long' time since wo have heard j a general policy speech from a Minister of the Crown in New Zealand, says the Lyttclton Times., " This is election year, and a, few months hence we "shall have candidates all over the country giving their wmii view* of what the Liberal policy ought to .be, and ric two agreeing as to what it is. l It is time for the Premier to be tolling us what great measures ho has in contempki-!. tion. The party has surely brain.", enough . to shape a progressive platform. Its ideals are sufficiently well defined. It is aiming at the triumph of democracy in its best democracy, that m, in which the will of the majority is tempered by a regard for the right* of the minority, i We; have to remember that the' unrestrained rule of the majority, however right it may. •be in theory, is right in practice only when the minority has full, freedom to ex- . press itself. Probably, if the Opposition, in the country had its full measure of vev> presentation, its" strength in. Parliament would be 50 per cent, greater. We can- ■ not have a true democracy in this country without proportional representation, and the present leaders of the Liberal party would,render the party and the community an inestimable service by making that reform a plank in their platform.'' After remarking on the preparations made by the i Opposition, for the election/} in the Auckland district, the Times says:—"We have only, praise for these preparations, which are thoroughly characteristic "of the little band of politicians; who have held the Op-f position together during its long years of adversity; but wo should like to see the Liberal leaders making similar preparations for the struggle. Their party has. never been properly organised, and during the past five or six years it has been little better than a rabble. . . .; The votesplitting this year promises, to be more wasteful than ever, and it easily may he > more disastrous." The annual conference of the Methodist Churches of New Zealand will be hold this year in Auckland. It commences this evening, when a public meeting will be held in the Pitt-street Methodist Church. The Rev. W. Blade, president of the conference, will preside, and several addresses will be given*. 1 ;>■■;■ ,;.;•; : . t " At & meeting of the- City Schools Committee last evening, it mm decided to recommend Miss Caroline Forsyth to the Education Board for the position of fourth assistant at the Napier-street school. Mr. Murphy was recommended for the position of assistant at tins Nelson-street school. Record entries have been received for thi# year's WaikatoCentral Show, which is to be held at Cambridge on March 4 and 5. While 1466 entries were received last yew. 1532 have already come forward for this •year's exhibition. The industrial exhibits show a great increase, but in block there is a slight failing off. In view of the spell of dry weather experienced, the entries received are particularly gratifying. Examinations were held recently by th*. examiners of the Inspection of Machinery Department at Auckland, C&risWiurch, Dtinedin, Greyxnouth, Hamilton, lovercargill, Ma*terton, Napier, Nelson, Pukekoh*, Ecefton, Stratford, Thames, Timarii, Totara Plat, Wanganui.,Wellington and W«tport. -Two hundred and fourteen candidate!! in all were examined, and for the following classes of certificates — marine engineer, second-class marine engi-acer,■.third-class marine engineer, river engineer, marine enginedriver, marine engineers of auxiliary-powered vessels {both for sea-going and ; river trade), extra firstclass engineer, first-class (stationary engine* driver, second-class stationary engine-driver, locomotive and traction engine-driver, and winding engine-driver {for mining :'wtUv, cates.) Of the number who «at 149 passed. The Dominion mails via Suez, which loit Auckland on-January 17, were delivered in London ;, on Friday night Ja&t*