CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6227, 5 June 1907, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

SEDDON MEMORIAL. Monday next, the 10th inst., being the anniversary of the death of the late Mr Sodden, the committee of ( the National Memorial Fund have arranged to pay a tribute to his memory by placing a wreath upon bis grave at the Sydney street Cemetery. The ceremony will take place at noon, and should any societies or private friends of the deceased statesman be desirous of paying a similar tribute to his memory, the committee will be glad to take charge of amy wreaths sent to the Town 'Hall. by 11 o’clock on the 10th inst., and will see that they are deposited upon the grave. The secretary of the Memorial Fnnd desires to acknowledge with thanks the receipt, through the Hon. James Carroll (Minister for Native Affairs), of a contribution of £25 to the fund, from the Otaki Maori Racing Club. BUILDING VALUE FOR 1906-7. The City Valuer (Mr James Ames) has concluded his valuation of the improvements (buildings or altered buildings) erected in Wellington during the year ended March 31st last, and his figures have been handed into the Valuer-General, for whom Mr Ames acts as well as for the Corporation. The value of the improvements so effected amounted to £344,000, which does not admit of a comparison with the previous year, owing to the fact that last year (1905-6) Mr Ames valued the whole, of the improvements of the city, not only those which had been erected during the year. It was not considered necessary to go over the whole ground this time, so it was merely a matter of ascertaining what building had gone on during the twelve months and inquiring as to its value. When it is considered that over a third of a million has been spent in building in one year, people in other places will be able to judge of the manner in which the capital city of tire colony is growing. People residing in Wellington need only use their eyes. A RELIC FROM THE SEA. An interesting relic from the bed of the ocean was recovered recently by a fishing party from Sydney. The “Daily Telegraph” states that while off Long Reef, just to the north of Manly, a member of the prrty got his line foul on the bottom, end on clearing it he brought to the surface a saucer covered with marine growth. An .examination of the saucer showed that it bore the crest of the Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand; It was slightly cracked, but otherwise in good order, and from all

appearance had been lying on tho bottom of the ocean for many years.

POLITICAL LABELS AND LIBELS. Is Hr Massey safe in calling Hr McNab a Socialist? And are tho "New Zealand Times" and other newspapers ?af© in describing Mr Massey as a Tory imbued with reactionary ideas? These .\r© questions which are suggested by a extraordinary slander case argued in Sydney last week. Tho case was an appeal by the defendants in the libel action Slatyor v. '“Daily Telegraph” Newspaper Company. The plaintiff on the Ist May obtained a verdict with £SO damages in the District Court, where he sued the defendants, for publishing a defamatory statement to the affect that he was a socialist candidate at the last Federal election, and polled only ninety votes It was contended on the appeal that to call a candidate a socialist was not in itself libellous, and there was nothing in other articles put in evidence to snow that defendants had asserted that the advocates of socialism desired to achieve their object by other, than constitutional means. Counsel for iho plaintiff, on the other hand, argued that defendants had exDcoeded the bounds of fair comment, md connected plaintiff with a policy of confiscation, etc. Tho Court reserved ■judgment, and the Chief Justice said the matter was one of considerable importance, because if the Court held with tne plaintiff it would be difficult to know exactly' the position newspapers would be- in with respect to the different political parties that might bo in conflict in the State. They all knew that in England there was a great discussion on tariff reform. Many people believed in it, and the question was'whether if a Conservative was described as in favour of tariff reform it would be a libel.

THE PRICE OP FLOUR. The Dunedin "Star’s” report of Mr Millar’s statement in Dunedin upon the price of foodstuffs contains the following :—Regarding the state of the wheat and flour market, Mr Millar said that anything he might say must he regarded 'as representing his own ideas solely, and not as reflecting thg mind of Cabinet, as the matter had not been broached there. Viewed from that standpoint, he was inclined to favour the establishment of a State flour-mill. The other State departments had proved revenue-producing, and he did not think that the experiment of a State flour-mill would prove a failure. AN INDUSTRIAL INDICATION. The Labour Department is about to issue another pamphlet which will give exhaustive particulars 'of the industrial position of the colony at the present day. In connection with this publication will be issued a chart in the form of a picture of a factory building, showing by added sections the growth of factories in New Zealand during the last ten years. At the end of the year 1896-7 there were •1617 factories in the colony. The figures have grown at the following rate (the numbers represent the factories added during each year)lß97-8, 530; 1898-9, 424; 1899-1900, 685; 1900-01, 152; 1901-2, 306; 1902-3, 159; 1903-1, 172; 1901-5, 698; 1905-6, 750; 1906-7, 758. These figures demonstrate that the number of factories in existence in the colony has been more than doubled in the past ten years, but what is more gratifying industrially is that despite the alleged “ruin of industries by labour laws” more factories were established last year than in any other year under review.

KENTS OF WOEKEES’ DWELLINGS.

In a pamphlet on the point of issue the Labour Department is illustrating the various designs of cottages used for workers’ dwellings in different parts of the State, with the rent of each. A comparison shows that the variation between the rents charged at Ellerslie (Auckland), Petono (Wellington), Sydenham (Christchurch), and Windle (Dunedin) is very small indeed. At Petone the rents range from XOs to 10s 8d; *xt Ellerslie, from Os Id to 10s 6d; at Sydenham figim 9s 5d to 10s 6d (for brick cottages); and at Windle from 9s 3d to 10s 3d. It is understood that the rent to be charged for the dwellings about to be erected in Coromandel street will be about' 12s a -week. All but two of the dwellings at Petono are let; at'Ellerslie all are let save those not yet completed; at Sydenham all have been let; and at Windle only two remain vacant. "UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS." The manner in which "undesirables” may be foisted upon the community was given pointed notice at the Pplioe Court yesterday morning, when a seaman from the steamer Suffolk - was charged with assaulting his captain on the ship’s quar-ter-deck. The captain stated that he wished to got rid of the man, who had caused a great deal of trouble on the vessel since shipping at Liverpool. Dr McArthur remarked, "We don't want a man like this. If he is sentenced to n month’s imprisonment he will keep me, or someone else, busy after ho comes out. We are sometimes enjoined not to look a ‘gift horse' in the mouth, but in a case like this I am sure the colony does not want to have to look after the man.” In subsequently imposing a fine for the assault on the captain—a serious offence —the Magistrate said, “And you take him with you, captain." The skipper agreed, with evident reluctance. DECEASED PERSONS’ ESTATES. The largest estate lodged for probate duty during the month of May was that of Sir Walter Duller, whose estate has been sworn at .£150,232. The estates- (of .£IOOO and aver) lodged for probate with the Secretary for Stamps during the past month were as follows Welling-, ton—Sir Walter Duller, .£150,232; Thomas Price, .£24,750; James E. Hammond, .£2530; Walter Kroger, £1282; William Prance, £1350; James B. Smyth, £1622. Auckland—Owen McCabe, £2262; Duncan Campbell, £358-4; Mary Ann Such, £2102; William T. Duder, £6021; Ellen Eyrie, £3121; A. J. Cadman, £22,070; Thomas O. Williams, £6968. Canterbury —George Ross, £1711; Joseph E. Clement, £3292; William Crbmie, £3206; Jessie Peebles, £4757; James Wright, £2936; Thomas Leatham, £7476; John Kirby Highsted, £2348; ( Charles Clark, £32,989;. John Sprott Halliday, £5662; Arthur James Bertie, £2000; William Hammond, £1126; Mary McDonald, £1222; William James Jenkins, £1417; Mary C. B. Macfarlane, £1256; William A. Goodwin, £16,098; Donald Macpherson, £6883; Archibald Lusk, £2930; James Curie, £1394; Laurence L. Brown. £3lll. Otago —Elisa Thomson, £4171; Duncan McLcllan, £1314; John Todd Smith, £20,500; Alexander Mathieson, £9285; William Bcggo, £19.633; Thomas Somerville, £9722; Marjory Sutherland,£ls34; William Stewart, £2312; James Neil, £3303. Blenheim John McDonnell, £1310; Frederick Adams, £72:m. New

Plymouth William Henry Roberts, .£1298. Westland —Michael Fox, J 82046; Henry Wardrobe, ,£1289; William Jamo® Coates, £3790. Invercargill—Betsy Bur* rows, £7223. Nelson—John Tinline, £79,* 391.

EMPLOYMENT OF BARMAIDS. At the annual meeting of th® Auckland Licensing Committee yesterday, the chairman referred to the employment of barmaids in hotels. Twelve months ago the decked members of tho committee made n pronouncement in which they expressed the hope that all licensees would, as far as possible, dispense with barmaids. They regretted the licensees had not acted on the expression of opinion thus made. Tho committee recognised it had not the power to enforce compliance with its recommendation, but it again expressed the desire that licensees should dispense with the employment of women •as barmaids as soon as convenient. Speaking to a "Star” reporter, a member of "the trade” said the matter had received tho most careful consideration at their hands, but they considered the reform was too groat to bring about in the short space of time which had elapsed since the lost meeting. However, they regard it as an important matter to which they intend to give tbeir best attention. Mr M. Foley, chairman of tho Licensed Victuallers* Association, says "the trade” is unanimously against tho suggested abolition, and had passed a resolution courteously declining to inaugurate the reform. A member of the Executive Committee of tho association, who is one of tho loading hotel-keepers, stated emphatically that ho was opposed to prohibiting female labour in bars, and would use all his influence to frustrate any attempt to change existing conditions.