NEWS NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6269, 24 July 1907, Page 4

NEWS NOTES

Mr Field yesterday, gave notice in the House to ask the Minister: of Lands by whose authority opossums have been liberated in ,tho native bush at Paraparaumu. Mr Field wants to know whether the Government are. aware, that these animals are rapidly increasing in numbers, that they are already damaging bush reserves both public and private in the - Waikajiae district, and. indeed, it is feared-threaten the very existence of'such reserves if allowed to go on increasing In numbers ; unchecked; and whether the Government ‘ will without delay take steps to exterminate opossums at large: in: all parts : of- the colony where there are bush reserves. He, directs the Minister’s attention: to that part, of Dr Cockayne's "Report on the Botany of the Island of Kapiti," which strongly urges the extermination of opossums on that itlaiul if the native forest is to be conserved.

The colonial mails which left "Wellington by the Maheno on Juno 14th, to connect at Sydney with, the Orient, arrived at Loudon, via Naples, on Monday afternoon, one; day; early. The steamer Nora Niven leaves Napier for the Chatham Islands to-morrow to continue hey trawling tests.

A sitting of tho Conciliation Board will ho hold at tho Chamber of Commerce at 10.30 this morning to deal with the bakers’' dispute. A black whale, measuring between forty and £fty feet in length, .has been washed up on the beach a few ..miles north of Timaru. , .

The'ninth annual ball of the Wellington Licensed Victuallers’ Association will be held : at the Town Hall'on August 21st. ■

Yesterday the Customs Department despatched Mr F. .Fisk to the scene of tho wreck of tho barque Woollahra. A largo quantity of wreckage' continues to oonle ashore.

A Mining Prospecting Association has ■been formed at Clyde (Otago). The Mines Department is to he, conferred with as to the most likely place to commpnee prospepHng, ,

Three firemen belonging to the Eippingham Grange named Thomson, Jacobson, and Callahan, were arrested at Dunedin yesterday on ’ a charge of broaching cargo.

The public-inquiry to have been held yesterday into the transactions involved in the bankruptcy of W. G. Tustin, painter and decorator, had to be postponed indefinitely, no Judge being available to preside.

A deputation from the Dairy Export Committee of the Chamber of Commerce will vfnit upon the Hon. E. McNab this morning at 11 o’clock, with reference to the proposals, to send a dairy export to London.

A meeting of importers, retailers, and others interested in the boot and shoe trade will be held in the Underwriters' Association rooms at the Government Insurance Buildings at 3 o'clock this afternoon, to discuss the tariff proposals, The following tenders were received by the Public Works Department for the erection of a post office at Waikanae: Accepted Emeet Smith, Waikanae. b 659. Declined—Wm. Pringle, Weraroa, JE7I4; Sykes and Harwood. Lower Hutt, X/50; H. Freeman, Waikanae, X“7soi W. G. Emeny, Wellington, X 628; H. E. Card, Wellington, X 877. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” The delegates to tho Waterside Workers' Conference evidently think so, as they intend approaching the Government with a view to getting . the Harbours Act amended, making it compulsory that a suitable building, furnished with baths, lockers, and hot and cold water, should be provided at each port for the use of casual wharf employees. “I think there is too much of the indicia! procedure about the Arbitration Court, and .the less we have to do with it the better. We can get more from the Conciliation Board. The spirit of conciliation should be fostered and encouraged to the greatest extent, and we should pot fly into all this : legal paraphernalia like we do," —This view was given expression to at the Waterside Workers’ Conference yesterday. , Consequent upon thb poor: rainfall in Central Otago, sheep are being carried to: Southland, where feed, is, plentiful., at ordinary charges, but if the stock is returned no railage will be levied. Forage ordered for the interior is being railed free of charge to Central Otago. A Press : Association message from Oamaru states that'in consequence nf

drought between 4000 and 5000 head of ; cattle have been sent out of that dis--1 trict or potted. There is considerable j mortality, due to want of feed, f The steamer Oreti, which had been aground at Wanganui, was floated off night. r Tho Law Relating to Executors and Trustees'” is the subject of a lecture to be given by Mr J. W. Boynton this evening at a meeting of the Wellington Ac- ; couutant Students’ Society. .

The annual meeting of the Citizens Biblc-in-State-Schoois League takes place this evening in the Taranaki street Wesleyan Sunday school. All persons interested in this movement are invited to attend.

. Professor JSasterfield gives n free lecture, .under the auspices of the City Council, at the Town Hall concert-roam this evening. The lecturer _ will reveal the beauties of coal tar, which plays so important a part in commerce and science.

It appears that in writing to the Petone Borough, Council, declining to take responsibility for the Catchment Hill not passing this session, Mr Wilfora, was under the misapprehension that certain-accessary papers had not boon sent to the Clerk of the House. Mr Wilford had been wrongly informed on this point, and has now written to the Council; explaining that his previous communication was the result of the erroneous information given, him.

The Wellington Garrison Officers* Club held a meeting in the Buckle street lecture hall last night. • Colonel A. W. Robin, C. 8.. presided. There was alarge attendance, Lieutenant C. G. Collins read an interesting xmper on " Staff Duties in The Field, which was followed by a discussion* : At the invitation of his Excellency the Governor the next meeting of the club will be held at Government Howto. 'on August 2nd; when Lieutenant-Op Wuel.: Bauchop, C.M.G., will read a paper entitled M The Intelligence Department; Its Object and Working.”

Speaking last night as. tq the; necessity for school children being given facilities for washing'Tliemeelves, Dr Mason, Chief Health “Officer, said, ho, well remembered an . excellently appointed bathroom and gymnasium which he saw attached to ono of the public schools in the poorer districts of Brussels. A series of -twenty .cubicles, fitted with hot and cold showers, was arranged along ona side of the wall. The doors- onlyreached halfway up, so each hoy, could be seen. The result of this washing was that there they had absolutely ■ next to nothing of tho experienced-and difficulties which- occasionally arise at. schools in this country. . ■ ,

' With reference to Mr Fletcher's notice of motion for Thursday’s meeting. °f the Harbour Board—“ That it bo an instruction to the harbourmaster to devise, ah up-to-date system, of -night-signalling ‘by coloured lights,whereby vessels approaching the,, wharves, alter, dark may lib enabled to'readily ascertain the-berth allotted, to them, without the risk that Obtains under tho present -primitive system".—we learn, that for some time prior to Mr .Fletcher moving in this matter the.engineer and harbourmaster bad been- engaged ,: in working , put a system applicable-to. the present and future requirements of the port. Their scheme, with an' estimate, of .the cost, wap submitted to and considered by a committee of. the Wharves and Accounts Committee -last week/ and, it,, was then decided toi 1 recommend ita adoption at a meeting of : tho Board to be held on Thursday.

Dr Mason quoted- last ! night, during tho course of his lecture to the members Of the Training ] College, the: following table--: of causes land effects, '■ given by Eugene Sully; ah showing ■ the influence of: physical, education on the moral and intellectual development" Health of body causes cheerfulness of mind; hardening of body causes manliness of mind; strength and skill cause presence ‘of mind and ' courage; activity of bodycauses activity of mind; fair development of body causes beauty of soul; acuteness of the souses causes strength of the thinking faculty." This Dr Mason declared u> be, in the main, , true. He was sure that the teachers, with their greater experience, would agree with him that ii : would-bo difficult- to gainsay the equations set 'out, by , this expert in education. "Exercises," 'he added.' “should bo interesting. Otherwise they will bo performed in a perfunctory manner, and . little good will result.” , ,■ 1 '■ ’ ’. Tenders will fie received up to noon on Wednesday for excavations and concrete foundations for the new city. destructor.

; ..Messrs John - Gumming and 'Garnet' Matthews, laud and estate agents, nave dissolved partnership. Mr Matthews will carry on the business. : : ;■ ■■ , Novelties in millinery and scarves are offered by *'Tha Economic” at bargain .prices.,,. • ; i.... i To-day, at 1 o’clock, J. H, Bethune and Co. .wi)l sell at their rooms, Jfeatherston street, absolutely, without reserve, the extensive and valuable/library comprising upwards of 1200 volumes well-bound hooks bn all classes of literature. including Collection of books on New Zealand and the couth Sea , Islands.' These books are .all well bound and in splendid order- Inolqd-, e-in the catalogue are a number of rare works very difficult To obtain, in , the colony. Complete catalogues may be obtained from the auctioneers. Macdonald, Wilson and Co.|. insert particulars iu our auction-columns of a sale of superior household furniture, etc., ’in their rooms to-day at 1.30 o'clock. A new list of farm properties to be purchased on small deposits is to be found in East nnd East's advertisement cm page 13 of this issue. ... .■, Gualter. Kylies and Co„ auctioneers, FeathersUm street, advertise for sale as a going concern, a boarding bouse in a central position of the city, ■ ,