CURRENT TOPICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6823, 20 May 1909, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A HALF-MILE BRIDGE. The contract for Waiau bridge, on the route of the South Island Main Trunk railway, which has been secured by Mr G. M.' Fraser, of Hamilton, will constitute an important-part of the undertaking. At present the railhead is 43 miles South, at AVainara (41 miles from Christchurch), and the bridge is to be finished in eighteen months from the date of the contract, so that it is \ cry unlikely that it will be required for railroad purnoses for some years. However, it will Ire available for road traffic, obviating the necessity of fording a dangerous river. The bridge is to be constructed of hardwood, and will be half a mile long. There are to be thirtynine scans of CO feet, and two of 13 feet, the height of the rail level being 15 feet above the bed of the river. Approsmiatcly the bridge will cost <£20,000. UNIVERSAL TRAILING. The convincing arguments presented hv Mr McNab to the crowded meeting at tile Choral Hall, Auckland, will confirm the views of those who have advocated universal training, and will make many converts among those who nave hitherto hesitated to believe that volunteer training is insufficient for the defence of the Dominion (says the iNew Zealand Herald.”) The es-Minister cf Defence reluctantly came to this conclusion, and his reasons with convincing precision. He -was heard willingly and cordially, and has evety reason to leave Auckland encouraged in the mission h© has undertaken. The inadequacy of the volunteer system and its costliness were compared with the efficiency and comparative cheapness ot a universal system. From .£250,000 annually for inefficiency to .£360,000 annually for an efficiency would not be a crushing increase in the cost of defence. The' enthusiasm with which the largo audience, after carrying the formal vote of thanks to Mr McNah. carried a resolution in favour of "the general principle of universal and compulsory defensive training,” speaks well for the patriotism of Auckland. PRESBYTERIAN REFORM. At the meeting of the New South Wales Presbyterian General Assembly last week there was an overture submitted by the Presbytery cf Wagga Wagga:— “'That in future every induction to a charge shall be for a period not exceeding five years, provided that at the expiration of said five years, or anv recurring period of five years, the minister may again be called to such charge for a’further period of five years. In the case of a re-call no induction, servi-e to take place. All other conditions in connection with calls to remain as at present. That in the event of this overture being adopted and becoming the law oi the Church, it be an instruction of the State General Assembly to Sessions and Home Mis-ion Committee, in their relationship with vacancies to specially consider ordained ministers not in charges." Mr Stevenson said that from his knowledge of churches in the country and in Sydney the ministers had remained there too long. He did net propose to interfere with existing charges or the vested interests any minister might have in any charge. But they wanted the Church law so altered that congregations might have an opportunity of changing ministers if they deemed it desirable. People had been lost to the Church, and their descendants also, for

no other cans® than that they were u«. able to attend the ministrations of men no longer useful to them. A number of churches were in a most miserable conilition, because ministers would not move on, (Laughter.) A movement each as be proposed was afoot in Victoria; and it was equally necessary here. Ttie ministry should be controlled by a central court. Tho men who were sticking (o their charges like “barnacles to a slap were the men “not doing God’s work or the work of tbo Church,” Tbo matter was referred to a committee. ' WORK FOR CONSUMPTIVES. “Graduated exorcise will be prescribed for each patient by the medical officer from day to day as thought necessary.” The foregoing is one of the regulations at the Otaki sanatorium, but it is honoured more in the breach than in the observance. The members of the Wellington District Hospital Board are not satisfied that the patients ere given enough exercise and light work during their stay at tbo institution, the result being that when discharged they arc very -‘soft,” and the slightest cold or exposure brings the dread disease on the patients one® again. It is for the inmates’ own good that they should do whatever work they nre able, but until the rulo is strictly enforced no good will result, Mr J. P. Luke, M.P., tho chairman of the board, stated at yesterday's meeting that the remedy was bo have a resident medical officer. 'After a short discussion tho matter was to- 1 tarred to a committee; comprising Messrs J. P. Luke, M.P., R. C. Kirk, J. Smith and C. J. Crawford, who will contcr ivitb tho Inspector-General of Hospitals and the medical adviser of the sanatorium, with a view to systematic exercise being enforced. PRISON CAMPS. A member of the Timber Commission who made a point of observing closely the conditions prevailing at prison camps, especially at Waiotapu, near Rotorua, is none too favourably impressed with the effect they have on tho : reformation of criminals. Speaking to a “Times” reporter last night he observed : —“From inquiries at tho prison plantations throughout tho Dominion it seems to me that tho majority of tboso who are termed 'criminals’ at these camps find their way back into gaol at the completion of their term. I found that where a man has, soy, been twico in gaol for a sentence extending over twelve months, he generally comes back again. X do not think that tbo system has accomplished its object with regard to confirmed criminals, though 1 recognise that it may perhaps do eomo good in the case of a person sentenced lor the first time, but scarcely with old prisoners.” WORKERS' DWELLINGS. Though tho demand for the workers* dwellings erected by the Government in variolar parts of the Dominion has been of a very satisfactory nature all along, no more houses are at present being put in hand. Tho only ones actually under construct!non now are six which are being built at Addington, though they were started some time ago. They are being built of concrete, tho Government’s experience with that material in building cottages at Newtown and Petone having shown that it is eminently suitable for the purpose, and, at tbo same time, is very little dearer than wood. Twelve workers' dwellings have j list been completed in close proximity to tho Ellerslio railway station, Auckland, and will lie handed”over to the Lands Doportmcni for disposal to tenants very shortly. OI the twelve/ five, are of . four rooms, and seven of fivo rooms, and it is estimated that the rent at which they will be let will range from 11s to 12s fid per week. In order to avoid too much sameness in appearance, the houses arc built from five different plans. Their general characteristics are excellent, everything being built with a view to practical utility rather than adornment. THE TIMBER COMMISSION. Tho members of the Timber Commission arrived in Wellington from Auckland by the Main Trunk express yesterday afternoon. The Commission will commence its sitting in the Dominion Museum at 2 p.m. to-day. This morning tho membets will inspect some of the local mills and timber yards. Tbo secretary will be in attendance at the place of meeting this morning for tho convenience of those desiring to give evidence. Messrs W. H. Bennett and N. L. Thompson are to give evidence on behalf of the New Zealand Federated Builders’ Association, while several,other local builders will appear before tho Commission on behalf" of the Wellington Association, Messrs Chatncld, Atkins, Penty, and Charlcsworth have been invited to give evidence from the architects’ point of view. The Commission has to inquire into tho cost of felling and cutting New Zealand timber, tbo prices charged for it to consumers, middlemen and retailers,, the areas of land held for sawmilling, and also tho estimated areas still available. Then tbo Commission is investigating the extent to which Oregon pine is being imported into Now Zealand, and its effect upon tho local market, also its landed cost and tho prices at which it is sold to consumers, middlemen and retailers. , The Commission's sitting will probably last until Tuesday next. The members will remain in Wellington until the com pletion of their report. MORE REORGANISATION. “The reorganisation of tho Public Hcplth Department is at present receiving careful consideration, and should be practically completed before the end of the month,” said the Hon. D. Buddo, Minister of Public Health, when ques- . tioned by a "Times” reporter yesterday afternoon. It was a matter, continued the Minister, which had to be handled very carefully, so many things having to be considered, but still lie hoped to be in a position to make a definite statement upon It shortly, after his return from the North. It was certain, however, that the reorganisation would not involve any change in the work carried out by the department. Complaints had been- made that the department was under-staffed, but this was not correct, and no alteration would have to be mado in this direction. Dr J. M. Mason was still Chief Health Officer, and would pro bahly not vacate that position for about a month from now. The Minister expected that lie would leave for England almost immediately after his retirement. - It was intended, Mr Buddo went on tc say, to appoint Dr Mason's successor before the latter left, so that the new Chief Health Officer would be ready to take up the duties attached to the position without any break. It was possible that some difference would be made in those duties, but this would not really affect the position of Chief Health Officer to any great extent. Nothing bai as yet been done regarding the appoint ment of a successor to Dr Buck as Native Health Officer in the Auckland province, -as that involved an important question—that of administration of this branch of the department's work—which was still under consideration. Until this question was settled. Dr Pomare,

tho Chief Native Health Officer, would exercise ruiiiervisiou over Dr Duck’s late district.

NEWS NOTES Next Holiday, Empire Day, will bo observed its a hunk holiday. Jupp’s lii.iid will jday at Hie Basin Ttcfvervo to-night. Tho capping ceremony of \ ictoria College will ho hold in tho concert f-liamhcr of tho Town Hull on Thursday, .lime -UJi, ut d p.m. Tlie Mukara Comity Council notifies that the I’orinia bridge at, Mungayia s and the road leadin',' thereto is closed tor traffic until further notice. The half-yearly meeting of the Australasian Temperanefi and General Mutua Life Assurance Society, Ltd., will bo held at Melbourne on the 28th inst. Yesterday the cruiser Challenger went down tho 'harbour and carried out torpedo practice. She subsequently came back to the city wharf and sailed at 4 p.m. for Lyttelton. The company of Maoris who have been anglin'*! to give a series of Maori dances in Now York will leave Rotorua shortly for the Ifnited States. They will appear at the New York Hippodrome. 'Tile next industrial dispute w i til which Mr !’• Jtally. Conciliation Commissioner. will be called upon to deal will bo Hint in which the carpenters uro interested. Tho dispute will ho diacurewl iu private coitlercnco shortly. A small shipment of fruit was brought over from Sydney by tho Warrimoo yesterday. Tim slm.ro of Wellington counts ted of dad pio melons and MO cases, mostly of passion fruit, tho balance bc\n<t lemons. All arrived in good condition.

Durin" April last throe head of cattle valued at X ls were sold from Air Diehard liuH’s Jarm at Ngahauranga, ;ind uiuiccouutul lor. Upon information tsworn by the owner, Kiehard Henry Pratt was yesterday placed in custody, charged with the cifiencc. The cargo trump Clan Grant, says n Press Association message, loaded 5030 Hacks of wheal, at Lyttelton for Avonuiouth; 3135 sacks of oats, 3783 sacks ot wheat, uml 10(1 sacks of peas for Glasgow. The vessel left Lyttelton yesterday for Timara and llluff. During the progress of n. hockey mutch on the Basin Deserve yesterday afternoon, u Petone player named Ballard met with a nasty accident. Kis knee was dislocated as a result. First aid was rendered by Hliipton, a Y.M.C.A. player, the leg being put into splints later by Dr Elliott. The patient was taken tu the station in a cab and sent home.

The shop of Air Harry Horwood, fruiterer, Coutts street, Ivilbirnic, wus entered yesterday by some persons with robbery intent. A cash-box, containing tho mini of 30s, was abstracted, and the empty box was_subsequoiitly found in a timber yard unjoining. George Quinn mid Donald Wilson have been placed in custody in connection with the affair. Tlie directors of Reuter's Telegram Co., Ltd., have declared a dividend at tlie rate of 5 per cent, per annum for tho half-year ending December 31st. Tho amount of the company's reserves is now •£103,927. Cash iu hand, bills and investments at December 31st stood at £l2-1,235, while freehold properties are set down at ,£43,899.

Tho Department of Tourist and Health Resorts tuus received word from the manager of the Hermitage, Mount Cook, that seven Siberian thru have recently Doon seen on the low slopes of the Scaty range, near the Hermitage. Six of these animals wore liberated in 1901; one of them was afterwards found dead. The fact that seven have now been seen in one lot indicates that they have been successfully established. Tbo members of the Arbitration Court arrived in Wellington • yesterday. On Tuesday next a sitting of the Court will be held. The list comprises a compensation case, which was adjourned from tho sittings at New Plymouth, and a number of applications from parties wishing to ho added to the awards. The bcot-makoi-e' dispute will he heard next week. Tho venue of tho Court is to be In the upper chamber of the Magistrate's Court, not in the Supremo Court as on previous occasions.

It lias been pointed out to us in reference to a paragraph appearing in the ''Times” on the 17th inst., that tho men who were arrested while playing an illegal game in a railway carriage coming from tho Hawcra rapes were not engaged in “rooking unsuspecting persons,” as may have been deduced from tho introductory sentences.' They were engaged in playing with dice amongst themselves. Three of the men were sent to gaol for eovon days; the fourth, Nolan, who swore that ho only took the money won by Miilor. was given tho benefit of the doubt. We accept tho explanation, and in justice to the accused men state the facts of the case as placed before us. There were twenty Dominion scouts present at a meeting held at Armit’s last evening. Captain J. G. W. Dalryrnple (10th N.Z. Contingent) occupied the chair, and ho was subsequently elected by the unanimous vote of tho meeting officer commanding tho corps. It was explained by tho chairman that Major T. W. McDonald hail given it as his opinion that the previous election of officers was invalid, tho corps at the time not being legally in existence. It was necessary -to have another ©lection to appoint lieutenants. This was accordingly held. Five nominations were received. Messrs Mahoney. Houston and Hastings being duly elected. Dr Wallace McKenzie was elected surgeon-major to tho corps.

Some quaint requests are made on occasion to public bodies. At last night’s meeting of tho Victoria College Council a letter was received from Sir E. 0. Gibbes, Secretary for Education, in which it was stated that tho Government had received from the Colonial Office, at the instance of the Bulgarian Charge d’Affaire©, a request for information as to tho number of Bulgarians who are studying medicine an tho Dominion. The writer would be iglad of any information that the council could afford him in respect of students attending Victoria College. Tho council, iwith great seriousness, resolved that the registrar should count up the number of Bulgars in the college, and immediately lighten the load which must be weighing on the Charge d’Affaires.

“I prefer a silent workman/’ said Mr Edward McGee, hairdresser, giving evidence for the employers at the New South Wales Hairdressers’ Industrial Board (Mr G. C. Addison, chairman). “I prefer a silent workman to a garrulous one any day. 1 expect my employees to bo courteous and attend to the customers as they ought to. It's possible for a garrulous employee to sicken a customer with his talk. Competency in hairdressing is not age,” Mr McGee said, “nor length of service. Competency means daily, constant practice. I served five years’ apprenticeship, and was surprised how little X really knew at the ond of it. Somo people think all that is necessary to be a hairdresser is to have a bar of soap, a razor, and a pair of scissors.”

“The brightest spot in my memory is that of New Zealand/' writes Mr Franklin Matthews, of tho New York “Sun" editorial staff, who visited the Dominion with the American fleet. “Wo hod that swift, uproarious time in Australia that you read about," ho continues in a letter to Mi* T. E. Donne, “but of all tho places that wo visited New Zealand is tho one that has my -heart-strings tied hardest, and tho ono I long most to revisit. I am booming Now Zealand as the most beautiful country in the world, and, in some respects tho most interesting. I want to be kept informed of your doings, and toll them to oar people, so that wo may realise that not only do you exist, but that you arc doing work for tho rest of tho world as well as for yourselves in your many interesting fields of labour/'

In farev,'oiling District Judge Hazelden. member- of the Bar at iiawera strongly protested against the abolition of the District Court at Hawera. The Chamber of Commerce, the Borough Council, and the County Council have abo joined in tho protest. At a meeting of the Pahiutua-Akitio Agricultural and Pastoral A>so':i*itJun, Mr J. C. Uoapcr was elected president. A strong committee of twenty-one members was also appointed, which is to report to tho next meeting as to a suitable site for a show ground. Mr Lamb, proprietor of the Tararua vineyard, lias been advised by one of the highest legal authorities 7n ‘Wellington that the carrying of no-lieeasc in tin* Mastertcm electorate, will not affect his busimss in the. manufacture and sale of wine.

The Minister of Justice- (Hon. Dr Findlay) in view of tho abolition of the District Court districts, na.s just completed arrangements for sittings of the Supreme Court to be held on tlie West Coast during the remainder of the year as loliows: —Hokitika, March and September; Grcymoath, June, September, and December; Westport, July, September, and December,