GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1687, 29 June 1904, Page 54

GENERAL NEWS.

j A Chamber of Commerce is being formed at Qainaru. The libel case of Seddon v. Taylor made‘its first appearance in the Supreme Court at Christchurch last week,' Mr Russell making application for the , provision of a more explicit claim. Mr Justice Denniston granted the application,. Mr Stringer, for the plaintiff, coisentdng. ; r V

The Labour department has to deal with some curious correspondence.' A

letter has been from a person in Oap© Colony, who desires the department to advise him whether there are any “spare hank managerships’’ in New Zealand, as he has recently withdrawn ■.'2 his 'services from the Bank of Africa. Among personal qualifications for such a position the writer mentions that he “neither drinks nor smokes, and is Eing•lisli.” • . : • -

The first half-yearly meeting of the 'Australian Natives’Association Friendly Society was held on Wednesday evening. The report showed the society to be in a flourishing state, the number of members on the roll being over sixty. The foflowing were elected office-bearers: — President, Mr T. W. McDonald (reelected); vice-president, Captain Hennah (re-elected); secretary, Mr J. M. Izett (re-elected) ; assistant secretary O. Bush (re-elected). The keeper of Lake House, Waikaremoana. reports to the Tourist Department that of late Waikaremoana has been subject to a plague of yellow-ham-mers. which have interfered seriously with his efforts to cultivate a lawn and raise vegetable seedlings. When the report was despatched the official was evidently on the verge of despair, and tiow to combat the feathered pest he knew not. When the grass sown raised itself half an inch above the ground, the birds swooped down and pulled the shoots up by the roots, and this practice was followed in the vegetable garden.- •

There are now on view at Mr F. P. Coririll’s office in New Plymouth several photographs of some of the mysterious “tattooed rocks,” which lie on the ocean beach near Raglan, and are supposed to be the work of a pre-historic race. The Maoris, who have lived in the immediate neighbourhood since the arrival of the . Maori in New Zealand, have no knowledge or tradition relating to the original of the inscriptions or hieroglyphics. The Maoris merely -state that' tho stones were there before they came from ‘tHawai-iki." The photos were obtained by tracing some of the inscriptions in chalk. , The Auckland “Star” gives an incident illustrative of the Right Hon R. J. Seddon’s keen interest in family life. The Premier, accompanied by a prominent Auckland citizen, was enjoying a quiet walk, when be stopped, and, pointing to a family group, remarked: “There is a fine, happy sight.” Aworkman was enjoying his midday meal, which his good wife had brought down for him, and clinging to the father was a winsome child. So struck was tho Premier at the sight that he crossed over, shook hands with each of them, and conversed for some time. Upon leaving them, Mr Seddon remarked to his friend, “ A sight like that does a man good.”

An -Order-in-Oouncil has been issued conveying the following new regulation under the Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Act, 1903:—“Without in any way limiting the requirements of the Pre--ferential and Reciprocal Trade Act, 1903, that, in order to escape tlie full duty thereby imposed on the articles mentioned in the schedule to that Act, the articles must he the bona fide produce or manufacture..of some part of the British Dominions, it is hereby declared that no manufactured article will be so regarded unless a substantial portion of the labour of one or more specified parts of the said dominions has entered into the production thereof, to the extent hi the case of each article of not less than one-fourth the value of the article in the condition in which it is ready for export to New .Zealand.”

The examination branch of the Education Department, has received the’last of the papers in connection with the South Kensington examinations for the current year. It has been decided that the examination period throughout the colony shall extend from Wednesday, the 29th inst., to July 9th, and examinations will take place at the following centres: —Auckland, New Plymouth, (Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Masterton, Napier, Blenheim, Greymouth, Christchurch, •Dunedin and Invercargill. . The subjects embraced in these examinations are Drawing from the antique, memory drawing, blackboard drawing, architecture, modelling the head (from life), freehand, light and shade spective geometrical draw ing, paiii jing still life, design, drawing of comvwinn object from memory, painting 01nament, anatomy, practical plane and solid geometry, machine construction, l-hbuilding construction, magnetism, steam, agricultural science, physiology, chemistry, mathematics, applied mechanics, botany, sound, light and heat. Of the 275 candidates that are to sit, fourteen, are from Wellington.

Six Japanese deer, sent by the Duke of Bedford to the Government, arrived at Auckland by the Kaikoura in good condition, and will'be forwarded to Wellington. v Cpnimissioner Carroll, of the United States Department of Labour at Washington, has written to Mr EdwardTregear, Secretary of Labour, asking him to forward all the- available criticisms published in the colony on Dr Victor Clarke’s report on the condition of labour in New Zealand, The report is an exoellent review of local conditions, and the American department is anxious to see how it has been received by those of whom it is written, with the view of making more comprehensive the detail dealt with in the ably-compiled pamphlet. The request is being complied with.

One -of the members of the Wangaehu deputation to the Acting-Minister of Public Works on Wednesday pointed out, in reference to the damage caused by the late floods in the Wanganui and Rangitikei districts, that as the country was cleared of its bush the water came down the river with greater force. “We will have an action for manslaughter against the Minister, of Lands, if he allows this sort of thing to go on,” said the speaker, who further emphasised the fact that soon there would be nothing but hillsides for settlers to acquire, aa the flats were for'the most part being reserved by the Scenery Preservation Commissioners.

Mr J. A. Gilrutn, Chief Government Veterinarian, and Mr O. J. Reakes, veterinary surgeon, went on a tour of inspection of the Palmerston North slaughterhouses on Thursday morning. Speaking to a -“New Zealand Mail” representative concerning the results of hia visit, Mr Giirutli said he was more than ever convinced of the propriety of the stand he had taken in regard to the abattoirs question. It is probable that as a result of the tour of inspection, notice will be given to the owners of certain, slaughterhouses that it is intended to enforce the demand that the meat should be slaughtered at some central abattoir, subject to- proper inspection.

On Thursday morning the body of a mail was found floating in the harbour between the Queen’s Wharf and the Railway Wharf. Later in the day an inquest was held at the morgue. Evidence showed that the dead man was William McKenzie, formerly a member of the crew of the collier Poherua, and -latterly engaged in doing odd jobs about the shipping. He was last seen by two of his friends about a. fortnight ago; ho was quite sober then, and said he could not get a bed at the Salvation Army Hotel. An officer of the Army said that on May 24th deceased was turned out of the Home for creating a disturbance, and it was quite possible lie had been refused a bed since. When the body was taken out of the water it was found to have been in a considerable time. There was only threepence in the pockets of the clothes. - Deceased, who was about forty years of age, had a brother in Glasgow. A verdict of found drowned was returned.

A Maori ceremony, distinctly reminiscent of old times, when the tohunga, with liis incantations and ceremonies, had full sway, took place in the painfully modern precincts- of the new Maori Hostelry, Strand North, on Wednesday night (says the “Hot Lakes Chronicle”). During the afternoon five boats arrived from Motiti with maize, each carrying a considerable cr»w, but none of the people dared enter the.hostelry until it had been purged of tlie tapu laid upon it by the fact that the late tohunga Himiona contracted his last illness while staying therein. To remove the tapu, the services of a brother of the deceased, Rihara te Reke, also a tohunga, w r ere requisitioned from the North, and in the evening, by means of offerings and prayers, he purged the building, the Maoris meanwhile waiting in the road with their kits of food, blankets, etc., till tho ceremony of purification was completed. The cargoes of maizo having been converted into coin of the realm, the tohunga was amply rewarded for his valuable sei vices, according to ancient custom, and everybody was completely satisfied.

An eminent educational authority in Christchurch, who lias done many years practical work, says the Lyttelton Times/’ is afraid that the scientific side of the new' syllabus will ultimately break down, unless the teachers set themselves to combat the tendency to teach for examination purposes alone. “I am heretical in my views/’ lie says, “but I cannot help thinking that the examination curse will enter into the process too much. It will pay teachers to make the children learn with the object of passing examinations rather than to become more closely acquainted with Nature. It will suit the teachers’ book to teach a few' trite lines about the spectrum rather than give a practical lesson with a prism. In regard to reading hooks, they should be reading hooks pure and simple. It is a mistake to combine scientific information with reading lessons. The principal object of a reading hook should be to give the children good, pure, simple and forcible Eno-lisli combined, of course, with the representation of pleasant ideas. The purely scientific information might be given in a separate book, which should not be used as a reading book.

During a football match at Otaki on Thursday, Mr W. Fisher, son of Mr George Fisher, M.H.R., bad his hip dislocated through a ’collision with another player. “Conscience money” amounting to £l4 has been received by the Colonial Treasurer in four envelopes, bearing the Invercargill postmark, two containing each a bank note for £5, and two each two £1 bank notes, or £l4 in all; and in each envelope a half-sheet of note-paper with the words, “To be paid into the public account.” Country deputations that wait upon .Ministers at times afford some amusement in their eagerness to urge the claims of their districts upon the favourable consideration of the Government. On Wednesday one member of a deputation to tho Minister of Justice and Public Works, from Utiku way <on the Main ,Trunk line), offered “to bet anybody in the room a hundred pounds to a shilling” that what he said was absolutely correct. There was general laughter at the expense of the enthusiastic individual who had offered the wager as the Minister gently reminded him, “You can’t bet in the presence of the Minister of Justice. It is illegal.” . A deputation representing the Wairau Gold Mining Company, introduced by the Hon C. H. Mills, waited upon the Minister of Mines last week, and asked for aid in putting in a low level tunnel for the purpose of testing an extensive area of land at Top Valley, Marlborough . About £IO,OOO has already. been spent in testing the ground, with encouraging results, and it was now proposed to drive for a distance of some 1200 ft, which it was estimated would cost over £IOOO. The work was too great for the company to undertake, and it asked either for a subsidy or for the use of Government plant. Mr McGowan said private companies were not subsidised by the Government. However he promised to obtain a report on the work at Top Valley, and also inquire whether any air compressors were available from tlie Public Works Department. 'On receipt of the information, he would decide whether any assistance could b 9 afforded to the company.

The “Otago Daily Times” says that the flour market continues in. a chaotic condition, and individual millers are reticent as to their actual operations. Quotations are being made locally at £7 os net for sacks and £7 10s net for 50’s, but it is doubtful whether actual sales are being made at that price. In many instances these quotations have been made to buyers who are fully stocked, and therefore not in a position to buy. Some of the leading brands are still quoted at- £7 15s for sacks and £8 10s for 50’s, usual terms. The same remarks apply to the shipping price, for although this has been nominally fixed at £7 ss, it is doubtful whether any local millers will ship at that price, and actual business is passing at from £7 10s to £7 15s f.o.b. The Timaru quotation is reported to he £7 10s f.o.b. All this seems to point to the conclusion that the very low quotations are being circulated simply for the purpose of disturbing trade, and not with a view to business.

A cable message from LieutenantColonel Collins, who is in charge of the rifle team sent to represent New Zealand at Bisley, to the Premier states that the men have made good practice, tlie results at the Kolapore range being very satisfactory. Following were some of the scores, the possible being .105 points:—lrvine (Nelson), 101: McKenzie (Oamaru), 100 ; Sxnaill (Dunedin), 99; Drummond (Dannevirke), 99; King (Opaki), 98; Shanks (Gore), 98; A. Ballinger (Petone), 97; G. Hawthorne (Karori), 95; Sandford, 93. Colonel Collins reports that all the members of the team are well. - The Kolapore Cup, presented by the Rajah of Kolapore, is at pi ©sent held by the Australians, who have won it three out cf the four times m which they competed. The competition this year will begin about July 16th. The ranges will be 200. 500 and 600 yards, seven shots at each. Tho rings of the targets which will be used this year will be larger than when the New Zealanders competed two years ago.

In the “Gazette” issued on Thursday the resignation of Messrs James Adam Archibald Dunlop, Philadelphus Bain Fraser, Heni-y Hunter Fraser and Peter MoSkimming, members of the Licensing Committee of the Bruce district, is accepted, and tho vacancies are filled by tlie appointment of Messrs John M. Begg, William Moore Joseph Mosley, Robert Peattie and William Wilson.

The new-ly-elected committee is a moderate one. Mr William Moore is a successful grocer, who has been Mayor of Milton for many years. Messrs Begg and Mosley are both farmers. The former is part proprietor with tw r o brothers of a very large and valuable block of land situated on the hanks ot : {he Clutha river, and known as Begg’s estate. Mr Mosley owms one of the finest farms in the fertile island of Inchclutha. Mr William Wilson lias been Mayor of Kaitangata at different times. Probably the most w-idely known member of the new committee is Mr Robert Peattie, M.A., formerly a school teacher, and at present a farmer residing at Clarkesvill-e, near Milton. Tw r o years ago Mr Peattie was elected to a seas on the Otago Education Board. The new committee is to meet to-day to consider applications for renewal of licenses.