CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6994, 7 December 1909, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

EDUCATIONISTS WILL- CONFER. ■ All branches of education will bo represented at a conference .which, at the instance of the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education, lias been summoned to be hold in Wellington in February, shortly after the conclusion of the annual conference of inspectors. The managements of the various grades of primary and high schools, the teoh(nical schools ] directorates, training college principals, inspectors, professorial boards, and university senates have all been invited to select representatives, and the response from various parts of the Dominion indicates that the project ' is generally, warmly approved by those interested. It is intended that the order paper! shall cover all those questions relating ito the various grades of education which have recently been the subject of controversy. LONDON'S POOB. i There were nearly a million, people; in receipt of poor relief in England! and Wales at the beginning of 1909. | Thia menas that one in every forty-j five of the population was a pauper.-.; The exact number, according to a AVhite Par>er giving details for the half-year ended March 25th, 1909, was 959,848, this being an increase of 3.4 per cent, on the year before. The amount spent on the relief of the poor (excluding expenditure out of Joans) and the increase as compared with the same period a year before were:— £7 510,165, increase £219.293. In proportion to population the cost of poorrelief was equal to a 'rate of 4s 3d a head, as compared with 4s 2d. For London alone the rate was 8s 3|d a head, as compared with 8s 23d. In Middlesbrough and Cockermouth the expenditure rose by 40 per cent, and, 42 ner cent., -while in Stockton the, increase .was as much as 120 per cent., This is attributed to trade depression In London the increase was only O.li

per cent., and in twenty-one.. of tho thirty-one unions the amounts spent .were lower. In Poplar, however, there !was again a largo incrcaso of £9317j a rise of 18 <ier cent. The total expenditure was higher than in any of tho corresponding periods sinco 1900. During the decade, while the population has increased nearly 11 per cent., the east of indoor pauperism has increased 37 per cent, and tho cost of out-rclief nenrly 27 per cent. In the, same time, the number of indoor paupers lias risen from 226,871 to 3C0.617, an increase of 33 per cent. The increase in the cost of indoor relief was greater in the provinces than in London. In London the increase; was over IS per cent., and in tho provincial unions nearly 49 per cent. Tho cost of maintaining paupors in institutions for the blind, deaf and dumb, etc., and other establishments not provided by Poor Law authorities rose iu ten years from £74,643 to £122,009, an increase of 64 per cent. WELLINGTON DOCK., It has been discovered that the concreto foundation of the "Wellington dock, which is now in process of being |laid, is not setting hard' and solid, as tho engineer would like. Therefore it has been deemed advisable to tomporar|ily suspend operations in order to enable the engineer to make a thorough investigation. Tho concrete is being laid down at a depth of 40 feet. Only about 60 feet length of concrete work at tho Bottom of the dock has so far boon undertaken. THE "WORKERS' CARS. "Wellington workers' cars are not run. for workers, although it was the obvious intention of tho authorities that this" should bo the case. The Wellington, worker is undisturbed in his possession of street cars between 6.45 and. 7.15 in tho morning, simply because very few other people are about, except thoso who desire to "catch" trains. But tho oaso is very different at 5 o'clock in tho evening. The worker is rarely quito close to the terminus from which a worker's car leaves, and so when ho arrives very tired at the car, • he frequently finds that the whole car is occupied by people who vrcre nearer to the terminus and who might from tho nature of their occupations very troll tako ordinary cars. It is rather curious that in "Wellington _innumerable married women choose this busy time of day to return to their homes after shopping outings, and . that although they may have less reason to be physically tired than'the grimy workers, they are generally able to obtain seats." Tho worker who k able to obtain entrance to a concession oar may stand. In innumerable cases men who return from sports and pastimes fill workers' cars, evidently with tho idea of saving money. The word "sport'' in this connection seems to bo misapplied. In Molbourne tho worker is given a return ticket from his home and back to it. He uses tho workers' cars in the morning, and workers aro generally the solo occupants, but in the evening on, returning home he may travel on any car whether ordinary or concession with his return half-ticket between tho hours of 5 and 6. If tho general public does not like riding home with a worker it does not rush, tho cars nomiiv ally set aside for him. WELLINGTON'S DAILY WASH. • "High Level" writes:—Every summol when tho sun shines daily for a week or so, a largo number of Wellington ratepayers are robbed of water-supply, for a portion of each day. Tho City Council a year or two ago was sorry for these denizens of the high level desert and increased the supply. It is of course impossible that all citizens who pay tho same rates shall have the same advantages, and these advantages depend entirely on progress; but there are inconsistencies in the treatment of Wellington folk that may be noted. For instance, tho high-level man is as much entitled to his,morning tub as is tho man a hundred feet below him. He turns his tap on in ■ the morning, nnd there is nothing but a gurgle. The high-level woman wishes to wash tho family clothes on Monday morning. She is absolutely unable to wash clothes wi<frh a gurgle. The high-level man hawng washed himself at the hot-water top goes to work. When he gets a little lower down the probability is that he .will notice numerous taps running full bore. In the evenings when to returns to his homo he is stall unable to hare a wash" in cold water but he will, notice oil the low . levels that the pampered citizen with a garden is allowing his outdoor tap to-run even to tie point of ffling the street water tablei Ewsry now and then the City Council passe* a resolution that water is not to boised for gardens, but the maiority of citizens take no notice of resolutions, and'as far as tho City Council is concerned it seems to bo quTte satisfied that a resolution stops tK of water. In the meantime, however the families who have no watet }&&&$%? wrt ff ?S' rates or rents or were feethas arrived when somethmg betto «i«Ta gurgle is required in a highlevel tap. \

HEWS; NOTES edinKtoS at ..the late trotting meeting. . S and Thomdon quay, at a. satisfactory figure. The first train of the ertra espref for Auckland by. way of the Trunk line left Wellington at 8.55 •llstSS. It carried about fifty pa■sengers. : . >. The -Wellington Garrison. Subalterns inaugural dinner, is to be held at the Hotel Windsor on Saturday evening. Invitations have been by the Minister of Defence (Sir .Joseph Ward). and Colonels Robin, Collins, Bauchop, land Duthie. : : ' An entertaining lecture, illustrated hj llantern views, was delivered by Mr C. II Poole, M.P., in the Y.M.C.A. lecture ha'll last night on "The Army" and Navv." Mr Clark,: M.P., presided. pioeeedfi will .be.'...devoted , toward , th« fund 6 of the association's cricket club. Mrs Mary Sheehan, n-ho: Buffered serious injuries in Drammond lane on :Tuesday last, the result of an alleged assault, and who has been in hospital since, was reported last nia-ht to be still very ill. The authorities state that she will not be able to .appear in court oa Friday morning in connection with the charge already instituted against her .alleged assailant.

\ deputation to urge the nr/'tftritv of Bi-i-i-!iii" ii new Post Office at Ktlbirnie i-: I') !.".■ '-introduced tu ihu I'ostuiasterCVueVal (Sir Joseph Ward) by Mr J. I'. Luke to-day. Adam Sw-.ilbiv. aged thirty-«'.ven, a widower, wlio has been employed, as a labourer and whoso residence i~ at Thorndbii onay. was admitted to tin' ho-,pital last night, it.' sustained a fracture of the tibia, but iu what manner the autiiorLtics imve not Ween advised. Tlio annual distribution of prizes anil eoititieatcs of tlio \Vclliji«tou Tec i.iueal School will 1m- held to-night, at 8 ockok, in St. Peter's Schoolroom, Ghuxnoo street. Mr J. P. Luke. SI.P.. chairman '•of the board, -will -procside, ami j)iiroiit.s •and others interested arc invited to atterai. A considerable iroprovmiKsnt has taken place with™ the last two or three weeks in the building trade, and very low cwrpeutoiw in the city are idle, 'the improvement is deseribc-d ah " (--imply itimvellous" by one person- acquainted with tlio oxisfcins condition, of things a. short •time act). Kdward Bntler. a mar-ri«l waterside -worker, aged thirty-four, living at 81. 'Adelaide road, was admitted to the hospital yiwterdav sufforinfi from a fracture of the loft leu, a dislocated wrist, and two broken 'ribs. He had been working coal an-d a gangway plank slipped, throwing" him violently into a chip's hold. Tho Licensed Victuallers AF.'Oc:<afcion's Conference, to consider the recent iifrrecmenit with the No-lioe.use party, will commence at 10 a.m. to-thy in the Wellington Hall, Bouicott street. Ak«it WO inrarrhera of the association from various parts of New Zealand will attend. The conference is expected to last a couple of days. Detective C'-assells savod a. young wofrom serious in-jtiry yesterday aftorjnoon in Cuba street. A car oti which :th« detective was riding was running at 'the full rato of speed allowed in tho iliamed t)tn>et. The young woman ran, 'towards it intending to get aboard. She was tlraased violently forward., and tho *letcctive leant out, grasping her aud lifting her bodily into the car. AfEur considering the evideneo 'taken at the preliminary inquiry concerning tho fire en the Warrimco at Dunsdin, tlio Marine jJepartmojit has instructed Mr Sibbald, Collector of Customs at Duncdxn, to arrange a Magisterial inquiry. This will bo hekl ut Duncdin when the Warrimco returns from Sydney, about 'the 17th. instant. Carnjniander"Klun.t, of the New Zealand driliship Pioneer, has "advised Captain G. G. Smith, Boy'al Naval Registrar, that the erui3or will remain, at Stewart Islanu until tho ltikh instant, and in placo of proceeding to the West Coast Sounds as was intended she will go te Dunedin. At tho Otago port the Pioneer will receive naval reservists for drill.

A report from Queensland states that tho Queensland Government, ill response ifco communications received from tho Peninsular and Oriental Company, has AntinKEted tho concessions it is prepared •to 'make to the company in the event of the service being extended to Brisbane. Tho -main point about the proposal is ithat the company finds Queensland trade BurfioientlT attractive to consider the question of extension to Brisbane. At Hamilton yesterday, a youth, aged fifteen, employed as a telegraph nieseeinger, and who also, as part of his duties, cleared lottca- pillar-receivers, pleaded guilty to stealing two one-pound notes from a postal packet; also to opening; a jKwral packet, contrary to tho regulations, and stealing two small sums of money handed in for transmission of telegrams- Accused was committed to the Weraroa Industrial Farm until he in twenty-one years of age. A servant girl, nineteen years of age, pleaded guilty at the S.M. _ Court yesterday to stealing an old pair of boots, valued at 3s, belonging to nor mistress's daughter. It was the girl's first offence. Her story to tho police was that she ■returned to tho house to recover a pair •of boots of her own, but finding no one at homo «he entered by a window and 'took a pair that did not belong to her. '"Accused waa convicted and ordered to •come up for sentence whon called upon. A correspondent draws attention of the City Council to a long felt want at tho Te Aro swimming baths, in tho shape of a clock, visible to the swimmers. The need of a clock is undoubted aa watches .are not generally left in the pockets (of •tho patrons of the baths. He states that there is talk, of r>atifcmniiig the council on the subject of a clock, and wlso on the remarkable oustom of closing the baths from noon till 2 p.m., tho two best hours of the'day, and also on Jiolidays. Swimmers aro inclined this «mson" to move in a body respecting tho above grievances'.

Healing of a case in which Alexander 3ta«kragall (Mr Petherielc) claimed from Donald Stuart and -wife the sum of .£2 30b, rem-esemtins one week's rent in lieu of notice, was concluded before Dr A. iMcAxthitr,'S.M., yesterday. Tho tenancy ■was shown, to have, been a weekly one. 3lis Warship held that the length of notice gxren—£hreo to four days—was reasonable and sufficient to comply with tho statute; and found for the defendant. On the counter claim for refund of expense incurred in cleaning up debris left by plumbers and painters, and for general damages, a. sum of .£1 10a was allowed in respect of the first item, but aothinc in respect of the second. Costs jumrantnig to 31s were-allowed. A ease in which Walter Eveneen (Mr Frndlay) claimed from Martin Eyaoi (Mr Mc,Grath) the sum of .£SO, commjssxm al'legcd to bo dne on the 6alo of a hotel, ■was partially heard and adjourned sine :uie.

Thß Lux Light Company wish it »known that tho Lux Incandescent Kercbene Gas Lamps give tho Cheapest and tMost -Brilliant Light on Earth. See Te JLro House, Bates and Lees', Wardell iSros.' Leydon and Co., Caterer and iCarey, E. Poarce and Co., E. Hannah mod Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux xeplaced tho latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000 candle-power. 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington.