OTAGO LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3956, 23 January 1900, Page 3

OTAGO LETTER.

(rimm Our Own Corrrr-non-lout.) DUNEDIN, January io. Tiiu verdict ni' the corcmer’s jury vji.li reference to tin; South Dunedin •jisjininr ca-e wm; nu open one. The evidence Unit was presented before .i|i,c:u would not liavc permitted of any o.hnr verdict. O’n the Billowing day 'J’hnniny Galloway, the iriai l . whom tlic police arrested or. the morning of the tragedy, was brought up in tiie Criminal i ('innf: on the chargo <;1 wife minder, and ihe Pdiieistmte, who had presided a;; t oroner over the inquest, committed linn lo take his trial, at the Supreme Court. Galloway’s own _ statement to ■j he. police was, however, in evidence in I l»o Voliec Court. It wrs the or.e, piece •of evidence produced by the police which had not been adduced at the inquest. it contains p; ac! 'caliy ad tnc e-valence that, L, again.-it Galloway. It '.he 1 1 ad kept his mold h e’ored ) there •,v(jn!d have keen no cni-o for tnc >bU•preino Court. His statement, hovrv'.er, teem:-, with inaccuracies and iuconend ot this fact the Grown ( ’re au utor made the most. <he points upon winch Galloway :> statement is .inconsistent with ascertained facts aro nnmermi aid il would occui>,v too much snaci- ‘n rccapu ulal c Inem lime. Ono point will suldcc. fn the room in Galloway; house tie,o'er the body of ike unfortunate woman a tomahawk Isnslle was found, upon which there were marks of i.nG;d blood. There was. however, no head to the ( omahawk. sv Gcil Galloway was .shorn the handle said : "That ima-t boluni; to the ;nan who killed my wife; hotter lock for the. head- lie mud have taken ihiit with him.” The, head of the instrument was .subsequent ly found under the bed. where it had apparently been secreted. ft was wrapped in a piece of cretonne belonging to the 'noie.e. It had been cleansed from 'bloodstains, and though it was, by what must he regarded as a. strange oversight on the part of flic police, .not di-covered for some days after tho murder, it here signs of having been damp when it was wrapped away. X'e.v, (ho stranger who, according to Gal Io wry, committed the murder, could not have put the tomahawk head away, for Galllowav’s statement is that lie ;_ r ia.ppied with the man when the latter was* at(sicking him. and thrust him out of I,ho room. Moreover, although < alimvav denied id Knowledge of the tomahawk, there is the evidence of a girl who used to work at Galloway's (hat the accused had an identically Mini la r tom a hawk, ilh the peculiarity Hint the head was tightened up with a nail, in his possession some lime 1 ein re (hr; murder. T? is is one, of tin.' poinG- upon which, for.his own sake, (hdlow.i.v’s stilloiiiont would have been belter loft unmade. T.UE PATRIOTIC FUND. The ' I’atriotie Fund in, Dunedin now . s'amis at nearly £SIOO. This will bo swelled shortly" by the addition of various Mims that have been produced by special efforts in aid of the fund. A cycling and athletic snorts mooting i on the "(Ith h’.st., for which ticket" were, most rnergeti ally pushed •throughout the town, is expected -to bring in over £2OO. Nearly half Hurt amount will probably bo realised by au open-air concert winch was organ-i.-od by Miss Hose Blimey, and held II n. (hn Caledonian Society’s ground, 'these two fixtures were fortunately attended by the most favourable weather. There was oven an absence of I ho wind that is usually so troublesome cn the Caledonian, ground when a calm hi particularly desired. The next special effort was, however, seriously affected by the weather. This was the aquatic carnival hist Saturday. Up ted midday everything promised favourably, (nit then the rain commenced, and it foil heavily for the greater part of the afternoon. All that ono could do was tri take .shelter in. the shod on i tie wharf. Of afternoon tea there van there nu abundance. A large ■eemmilleo of ladies look the matter in I;:iml and provided for about 2000 people. Less than half that number of people were present, and Hie bulk of tbo good Uiiugs were left uneousunicd. 'Nevertheless, it is probable that those water sports will lie found to have produced about TICK).. What will bo the greatest success of all of these special efforts, if the fairs are only kind in regard to the weather, will ho the floral foto on Saturday next. It has the advantage of being a.n entire novelty in Dunedin, and it is so much a subject of conversation that it is safe to my that it will draw an immense a.tteuilaneo if .Saturday be a- fine day. Unfortunately wo know that upon that “if’the whole question of the success of Iho fete depends. The committee is, however, .sanguine about it, and, in deference to e. widely-expressed wish, has abandoned its original intention of holding it on the Carisbrook ground, \ and is utilising the old mccenurao at Forbury Park instead. Ono more special effort remains to be incniioned. Mr Brougli has promised a matinee performance of "Tho Liars” (which comedy ‘Wellington lovers of tho drama should not, fail to see) on tho Iffth. and tho Patriotic Fund committee has not only arranged for Into trains north and no it Hi for that date, but is sending delegations into the country towns between Palmerston and .Mnlc'utlm. to push the sale of tickets. Tills wifi mean (hat Mr Brough will hawo a (mnembm.* house in tho cvowing for In's ordinary performance (for Ibn countr-. trains will not leave until after 11 o'clock’) : but it also makes it a, foregone conelnsi'in that the matinee will add largely to (lie Patriotic Fund. Not only in Diou'din. hut throughout Otago, the public are sut'se: ibing generously to this movement. and it is hoped that a contribution of '.C10,000 will he announced from Otago. An < (fort is beir.g made to ,-rcuvc that all the Otago sub.-cr.pl ions shall be unit, ed in ono provincial fund. STATUS OF DISTKiGT HIGH SCHOOLS. The threatened reduction by. the Education Hoard of the status of the district high schools throughout the province bus evoked a. chorus of indignation lioiu Ihe country districts. The atop winch the Board lias in contempia(ion has practically been vceoimrieuded Uv the hepm-tors, who leave come to the ••'.inclusion Oct the subjects studied iij llicsc schools, with Ihe exception o: Fug!i-h, have hid tittle direct bearing upon their life v, ark. 'I he Inspect"** apparently hold that in this utilitarian age a man should mil be taught anyiking which will imt have a direct, application mien bG liie’s career, and imt only that, but also, it mav he suggested, that a family of boys in the country should ahvs-vs follow in their fathers footsteps and adopt farming pursuits. 1; is somewhat surprising to find the inspectorial staff of the Board counselHnsr, in effect, a narrowing instead of

a widening or the educational opportrinities, of tiro sous ami daughters of country residents. Despite the disparaging vie’.v which -fire Inspectors take of the part these district high school*? have plnjed in (he educational system ■ >t ff 1 :ijgo, (here is good rca-sou to hr—)i('Ve that they have serviceably tullillcd *!ie function for which they were originally established, of providing secondary education in country districts, and that they have pnioutly exercised Cor good an milnenc*' on the after life of tiiui-y who . )ui vo been instructed in the secondary subjects that are taught

in them. Throughout the country the belief in their efficiency is widespread, and from such parts of Otago aw Nasejiv and Taminui a cry luis been made for tho establishment of district high fcimoh) theic similar to those in existence, and now 1 hreatoned wit,h_ disratin at Lawrence, Milton, Bn;clniha and Palmerston. Whatever the idtiim'le fate of tho:;e lour schools, tnc district lilgn .-■chool at Port Cnalmers 's to be dwvr.l.e;,!. That floes not matter so much, because the Girls

and Boy-’ High .Schools in Dunedin are • within reach of Hie children of Hie I Port, but the reduction of the status oi Mho other four district high school:-, jat which there are HO children sevirjiug the ailranUiys or a. secondary education that would otherwise in ail probability he denied to them is a serious mutter, ami woidu undoubtedly cripple the usefulness ol there institutions. bVhcns a, in end menl is necessary is m the eui'nvcrim.'ut of (hr: payment of t.ie fee of £2 per ail;;::"! for the additional ■oib’ccts. Some school committee 1 have neglected to collect the fees. INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES. The ('(mediation Hon'd has been uusuccessful hi its ■.■Memiil to settle w-" dispute between the, Carpenters’ ami Joiner 1 ;’ J'i'iosi. on Uir. our: Ikotu, uuo the. Dunedin Master* Builders Assocmtiou and the woodward factories on t.ie oilier. In ibis dispute tho huikicrs and the, factory-owners_ represented int!m( liofi ith )u~ heilder:-; complain that the iaeto.i'.r have "increase;! He scup-c of their operations ~o considerably as to have en-cre-ehed on the Imihler:-.’ domain; mid when the Conciliation Board rccimimand ed that the lioiks of labour for the building trade should be forty-four per -reek, mid those lor Factories loHy-six. the i.udders hiiucd hands yvd.h the union in ol'jvei ‘ the distinction. Other points in the award were not acceptable, but Hie main oojectmn wa? as to the settlement- of the hours c. labour. The Board is now considering another dixnute in the coalmining industry. tin this occasion it is the mine-owners in the Green. Island district who have been brought hidoie the, tribunal. Tho Coal-miners’ Union wishes tr cHahlU.Ti lOn per day as the miners’ wage throughout Otago, but the Green Island coal nropriotors claim that they are not to ho placed: on the same looting as the company at Haitangata—for' one roacon because of the proximity of Green .Island to Dunedin, wherefore they suggest, that 9s per d->v goes as .far there as IQs a day docs at Kai tangata. and also that the miners arc better enabled to secure employment for their boys and girls at tho local industries, and for another reason because the coal-mining industry itself bus not been a success at Green Island. Tho spokesman for the miniv-owiioiv drew a very poor mouth. _ “For the last ten or twelve years.” _he said_ ■‘even under the present conditions and 'iiiiMiagemciit, which admitted of no waste or extravagance.' very little profit bad boon made, tho owners ■ in mos + eases simply yetting; thoir bread and butter out of thoir properties, mid being mere deservin'" ot consideration and sympathy from their employees than mi necessary antagonism and excessive demands.” The union makes a. strong point of the fact that tho price of coal has this month been raised Is nor ton at Hie pit mouth at the Green Island collieries ns well as at those mines which have had to submit to at) increased se.de of wages, find it asserts that if it* present demands arc accodod to they represent only an . inc’-oasd of 6d per ton in Hie wages, so that tho employers would .still benefit to the extent of Gd per ten. In this ease tSi'i Board will announce its recoiumciulations o-n tho 29th instant.

OBITUARY. ’ ■ Dentil has again boon playing havoc in (hn ranks of the old settlers. Among those who have been carried off in tho post fortnight was Mr William Mills, who wa- 1 for’over a quarter of a century connected with tho Customs service of the colony. Ho arrived in Wellington by tho George Fyfo in 1842, and had thus lived for ever 57 years in tho colony, lie was 91 years of age, and w«h wonderfully active, up to a low months ago, for his time of life. It was believed prior to his death that he was the oldest living .Freemason. Mr F..G, Lniug, who died at Dunedin, and Mr James Elder Brown,, who passed away at Milton this week, were, ether very old identities, for botli arrived in the colonv in I.B49—the former in the ship Cornwall, and the latter in tho Ajax, Mr James Elder Brown wag an exceedingly useful colonist. It. was his boast that he was the oldest living teacher of an Otago- public school, and his mechanical skill was pal to a variety of uses in the early days. Ho was practically the father of Milton, of which town ho was the first Mayor. Several other old settlers have been dropping oft throughout Otago. Mr Hugh Donnelly, ol htaschy, whei.was one of these, came to tho colony at the. time of the rush that was created by the gold discoveries in tliis province. Mr William V. hitch. proprietor of the “Bake Wakatipu Mail,” was also attracted- to New Zealand by the news of the discovery of gold in Gahric.’s gully and the Dunstan. They died within a day or two of each other.-, Mrs J. Cowan, who bus parsed away at Milton. arrived by tho ship aura, and was 72 years of age. and Mrs Ettcn Carmichael who inis died at AVyndham, whore the whole of her family were practically settled round tier, with the exception of one son (in Wellington), was 76 years old. Mr Henry Henderson, wlio died at Glcnoimiru, was a colonist of 110 years’ standin;'. who achieved the distinction of residing at Glcnonnmi continuously for 66 years. THE DREDGING INDUSTRY.

There was considerable activity in the mining market for a. day or two after the re-opening of (he Stock uxchaugc after this,holidays, and a largo number of transactions took place. Since then, however, there have only been si few sales, and those almost exclusively in shares in companies with claims on the Molyheux wild Kawaran. One thing that is tending to reduce the number of sales is the fact that the capital in. the companies whoso shares would bc'mowt readily vendible is now almost paid up. and as it is rare that shares pass hands in parcels smaller than of 25 shares, this has the effect of keeping out the small investor. On the other hand, it is beneficial, inasmuch as it is leading to .docks get! big into the hands of good holders. The small hivestor is, however, not being neglected. Tbo company promoter is looking alter him and olte.riug to him the opportunity of obfaiitin;: shares mi new ventures, each of which will, there is the authority of some expert for saying, prflvo a safe and profitable investment. The flood of prospectuses bus commenced with a vengeance. In the last fortnight the prospect rises have been published and privately circulated ef no fewer turn "3o companies, with a, nominal capital of £235,700! In several cases, moreover. the capital was oversubscribed , before* the issue of the prospectuses. One company to work a ehiim on the Molyncus was floated this week in two days, and ui- company with a claim immediately adjoining that last-mentioned was floated .in niie day. The : ’carc nil the makings of ;• big boom this year in tlio Otago dredging industry. ‘When so much activity is being displayed when rivers are high and rot urns arc lew, it is difficult to estimate what. ,li mils >t may 'reimii ■ w hen the returns'liiereaic-

MUNICIPALISING THE TRAMWAYS. A further stop towards the municipulisatiou of tho city tramways was taken at tho last meeting of the City Council, A communication was then received from the Dunedin City and Suburban Tramways Company accepting the Corporation’s offer of £45,000 for its property .subject to certain conditions which do not amount to a material variation of the terms proposed by the Council. Pending the completion, of tho purchase, the company undertakes to maintain the standard of tho permanent way by an annual expenditure qui valent to the average annua! expenditure (about £1800) for the past three roars, and also to maintain the plant to the present standard. In regard to the latter point, it must ho confmsod that the standard is not a very high one. The plant is admittedly getting into disrepair. If it had not boon for the negotiations for the ■sale to the Corporation, the renewal of a portion of it would crc this have been forced on the company. As it is, the renewal of any portion of tho rolling stock is out oS tho question. Whatever the system of haulage may he that the Corporation will introduce the present cars, and any like them, would not he of much ! use. Bomo of (hem may bo used as i

trailing cars, but tho majority have seen their best day. It is unavoidable, however, that we must put up with them until a now system or traction is introduced. For that reason it would be desirable that the Corporation should change tho system as speedily as possible. There is sure, however, to he a protracted discussion over the form which (he new service shall take. Electric traction and the ga» motor system both have their ardent advocates, and there is likely to be a good deal ot haggling before the question is settled one way or the other. In the meantime, however, it is a satisfactory stop forward that tho Connoil lias made in instructin'; flic preparation of the deed embodying the terms of the contract between it and the company.