TOPICS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4319, 30 March 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE • FRONT. The Premier last evening received the following cablegram from the Cape: ‘‘ Please accept and convoy, to the people of New Zealand my worm thanks for the splendid contingent under Colonel Banks that has arrived here, and which has now taken the field. IVe regret losing the men, who have served with m during the past year. Tncy have invariably displayed the utmost courage and devotion, and I congratulate New Zealand on having been represented hy so magnificent a body of officers and men. Wherever they have •been engaged, the New Zealanders have always distinguished themselves. —Kitchener.”

CITY LOAN PROPOSALS,

A public meeting of ratepayers will be held on Tuesday, the 9th April, lor the consideration cf the three loan proposals submitted by the City Council. The meeting will begin at 7.30 p.m. Having regard to the request preferred by the Ratepayers’ Association, it lias been decided that thb tramway scheme will ho considered first. If the business is nob got, through by a reasonable hour, the meeting will be adjourned till the following night. It was tho feeling of the Council last night that tiiis arrangement would meet, tlie wishes of the" Ratepayers’ .Association.

ENTERTAINING ROYALTY IN WELLINGTON.

In committee last night the City Council nsolve! to expend £IOOO on the decoration of the city and incidental matters, on tho occasion of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall to T/oilingtou. This decision was como to in reliance, firstly, upon the promise of the Premier that tho Government would promote and endeavour to pass an Indemnity Bill with reference to expenditure over and above the sum allowed by, law, and, secondly, upon the support of the citizens in tho direction of augmenting the vote by subscriptions. Tho Council came out of committee just before eleven o’clock. The motion for the confirmation ojf thy..abovq-montion-ed Vc&olhtioir was carried : by four votes to three. Councillors Tplhurst, Izard and Evans formed the minority. Tho other Councillors had left the room when the- vote was taken. The calling for a division was evidently hot expected. ’ THE CENSUS. Th© people of New Zealand arc to exercise themselves to-morrow night in filling up the census return. For the past few days the distribution of tho census papers in tho Wellington district has been going on under :the direction of Mr F; W. Mansfield, the Chief Enumerator. Mr Mansfield’s district extends from Cook Strait to Waikanae on the' one side, and through tho- Hntt Valley as far as the Summit on the other. Over this wide area a band of more than fifty men lia.vo been travelling distributing the blue papers in readiness ’for Sunday night. At the earliest hour possible on Monday morning, these men will self out again to collect tho schedules, and send them in as quickly as it is possible to do so to. Mr Mansfield, who will make up certain returns showing tho population of Wellington, and then send the schedules to the RegistomGeueral, who is to carry out the more ponderous task of compiling the returns for the whole colony. Sir Mansfield is aiming at the collecting of the schedules between Monday morning and Tuesday evening, because of the extreme difficulty that thp sub-enumerators will meet with’ after Tuesday on account of the Easter holidays and the absence of people from their homes. The whole of th© papers are now supposed to have been distributed, and anyone who has not received one should communicate at once with Mr Mansfield, Chief Enumerator, Gov. eminent Insurance Buildings, who will supply a schedule.

MASONIC ORPHANAGE SCHEME. "" It is understood that. Dr Gloss, of Dunedin, who leaves Wellington this morning for Wanganui, New Plymouth and Auckland, has made excellent pro. gross in the Empire City with the ‘ scheme which ho is promulgating for the i, establishment of a New Zealand Masonic L -Orphanage, to be called the Victoria j Institution, in memory of the late | Queen, “daughter of - a Masoii and 1 1 mother of the M.W. Grand Master of ■ I England.” To found a home for the , maintenance and education of the orphans of Freemasons, it is proposed to make a levy on all members of the order and to solicit donations from the public In the course of an interview given to a representative of the Christchurch “ Press,” Dr Closs offered an estimate of the financial basis of the ‘ project. “There are at present,” be said, “161 lodges in New Zealand, ivith 7810 mem. hers, and it is safe to say tiler© are fully the same number unattached. That makes a grand total of . 15,621, or, roughly, say, 15,000. ITalf-a-crown per annum from each of these means £1875; a donation of £3 per annum

iiunj. oatu lougo nuuiu yield *,400. Xaeil, with a donation of £25 from each D.G. Lodge, and Is at each installation, the result would be £7OO. The total inedme for the year would thus bo £3058, and for two years £6116, which would enable us to start and equip the building and an annual revenue of £3000." It is thought probable that two orphanages may be established—one for tho ICorth Island- and one for the South. Dr Gloss, who is availing himself of a holiday tour to. introduce the subject to ' Freemasons in the chief centres of New Zealand, waited yesterday oil the Premier and other leading members of the ancient • craft in Wellington, and expresses himself as highly plehsed wiili the reception he has received and th. e promises of support obtained. At an ’ early .date it is expected practical steps taken by the different lodges in. elhngton.. to : carry out a scheme that is conceived in the true spirit of benevo. Icnce and fraternity. TREATMENT OF TEACHERS.

The niggardly treatment meted out to public school teachers who retire after long and honourable service is a blot upon the educational system which, it is to bo hoped, will be removed when a national scheme of salaries is introduced. In a lettetr to the Christchurch “Star,” a correspondent, whose initials “D.L." identify him as one who has taken a deep interest in educational matters in North Canterbury, refers to this subject. “Wo must,” be says, “pay te&chers well, and grant them a security and certainty of

-“'en >1 ’I tlit' year rtuniil, and not place ’f- ai lauiiT the tvhimsic.il notions of any ;u tact. on the same footing us IV' 1 tort.-nt . C.ui tve wninior at the le.ieeir.g pr.-lc: not. being attractive cn:n;!i nine, ecu it ary comparisons can 0-; r.cn as ! oliinv - ; - -Las) iroilth two .-mania in Otago retired from • via-'..: ( he first, a sdicol master, alter forty veins’ arduous ami faithful " ' .he i-coniid. a police sera dan t, niter ihiiiy year.!’ service. The first reenves a inrmal vote of thanks, the scivr.l ivr-ni--, a substantial pension! Is tin-, joctico and equity? Is this Democrat'.'.’ under a Liberal policy P I say it is a crying siifimo for the fair name of New Zealand. Now for tho other; come nearer Imnc : —A few days ago two teachevs (nuahnnd are! wit.■) retired from their work, and (her ivc.-ivcd a presentation • •■out tricuds in tin district; two officials tire retired from the City Council, and they receive each respectively £991 ISs Id and .(’.,20 K!s Bd. - ’ Tho correspondent quoted deserves credit for drawing attentien to im aspect _of the question of teachers’ salaries which ought assuredly to he brought under tho notice of the Royal Commission.