CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7017, 4 January 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

THE WOOL SALE. Tho third wool sale of the season, hold in Wellington yesterday, should be a source of extreme gratification to wool growers. On the class of wool grown in this island there was an advance of from Id to Id a pound, and even tho oddments realised comparatively hign prices. There was a record attendance of buyers, and the competition for tho wool was verv keen, clearly showing that there is a buoyancy in the wool market which foretells a continuance ol good values for the country's most important product. The value of the wool disposed of yesterday was about -£29-2,500, and during the present month there will be- sold in the Dominion wool to the value of no loss than a million and a half pounds sterling. There was n very largo gathering of growers at the sale. HUMANITY "SIZED UP." I During tho course of a review of the world's progress in 1909, the "Wairarapa. Daily Times" adopted an ino-eiiious method of summarising the position. "Civilised men," it stated, I "are ranging themselves into separate camps; the money-seekers, tho exploiters of labour, tho speculator; the industrial section by whom tho world s work is carried on, and who minister to tho multiplying needs of humanity; the explorers in the realm of science, whoso lives are spent in search of truth ; tho adventurers who go in the van of progress and settlement; those whose sole occupation is philanthropy; tho poor whom we have 'always with us,' and in which category wo include thr sick, the criminal, the mentally deficient; and lastly there are the parasites, tho non-producers, who live on what they extract from the industrial system." Taking society as ropresor.ted* by 100, the "AVairarapa Times" suggests that the seotions might thus be classified:

"WIRELESS" IN NATAL. The interesting announcement is made that steps are now being taken to give effect to the initiation of a wireless telegraphy sMp-to-shore scheme, -along the coast of Natal. An offer has been made to the Government by the Marcom Companv for the erection of a station at Dur'lAin, and the tender has been definitely accepted, conditionally upon Parliament sanctioning the necessary expenditure. The estimated cost of an installation at Durban is .£2500, while a main station at Maritzburg ooulrt 'bo erected for .£55,000, the upkeep runmng to-.£12,000 per annum. Particulars as to the maimer in which the wireless stations will bo operated have been discussed, and the Home authorities and Uie Admiralty will be parties to the ooncli T tions in order to safeguard their interests in matters outside the commercial use of the stations. It is realised that if Navul does not at once proceed with the adoption of wireless it is not •unlikely that Delagoa Bay will be the first in the field. At least negotiations were opened with Mozambique about tho same time as the other South African Governments were approached. How long it will take the .system to be put in operation in Nal'al for slapping purposes cannot at the moment bo stated, but there is no reason to doubt that as soon as a .shore station is erected, principal shipping lines trading with Durban will at once equip their vessels with the necessary apparatus. TROUT BREEDING. , ■ j The first experiment in breeding trout in Melbourne, for the restocking of streams is now fairly under way, and the first brood of about 34,000 young try has been obtained. The hatchery at the Zoo has finished its work for the season, and the young trout aire in the ponds, whore they will be kept until they are vearlings, and then used to restock streams in the vicinity of the city (says the "Argus"). About 90 per cent, of the ova. placed in the boxes at the Zoo were hatched this year, a very satisfactory result for a. first effort. The chief, trouble experienced in this first experiment in trout hatching was the over-sup-ply of aerated water, which inevitably I followed any alterations made to _ the Yam Yean pipes and mains in the vicinity of the hatchery. When a main is shut off and emptied for the purpose of repairs, a volume of -air is imprisoned in the pipes, and this, being forced through, comes to the hatchery bubbling like soda, water,.and of a milky consistency, which is very damaging to young fish. The eggs hatched at the Zoo como from Now Zealand. They are brought here in perforated trays, each of which contains about 20,000 eggs, and packed one above another in boxes. The eggs in each tray are covered with moss, the top tray is • filled with broken ice, \md. this, melting slowly, percolates through the lower ones, and keeps the eggs cold and damp. It is the custom in America to maintain a, stock of, breeding fish. Only the largest and most shapely trout are -retained. A certain proportion of malformed fry which have appeared in the hatcheries at the Zoo /indicate that in some instances the ova have been stripped from young or weak fish, but the loss in this way is so slight as to be j hardly worth considering. NEWS NOTES The Customs dues collected in Wellington during 1909 amounted to .£714,980 15s°3d Ugainst .£823,696 7s 4d for the previous year. A bookmaker will bo shortly charged before the court in Wellington with having betted with an infant at the Pdtone trotting meeting. A dwelling-house in Pipitea street was raided by the police yesterday afternoon, and a quantity of alcoholic liquor seized. It will ho alleged against the woman who occupies tho house that she is again keeping a sly-grog shop. A m'am >nanwd CleTkenwell has been missing from "Willowbank," Plimmer's Steps, for a week. He is a Scotch Canadian, iag:>d about 50 years, and had not long arrived in Wellington from Dunedin when 'he disappeared. He is sft Bin in height, of medium build, has dark hair, complexion, and moustache, and blue eyes. He was clothed in daTk grey tweed. Clerkenwell has mo relatives in New ;Zealand.

The manager of the Auckland branch of Messrs T. Cook and Son, speaking to a "Herald" representative concerning the tourist traffic during the present season, expressed the opinion that the passenger traffic so far had been hardly as promising Us it was about this time in past years. This, however, applied to the traffic through New Zealand, and not to local traffic. Fewer Australians than usual had so far put in ain 'appearance, but this was no doubt due to the unsettled conditions prevailing over there just now, more particularly as the result of the coal strike. The increase in intercolonial fares had also to be considered. So far as English visitors were concerned, rf-iid the manager, they had rsot yet arrived in New Zealand to any great extent, but it was afl yet early in the season, and no doubt January would see a considerable change in this connection. Americans were sfrill as scarce as I ever, owing probably to the lack of direct communication.

A branch of the Bank of Australasia will be opened at Tauianga next day.

The steamer Ripple, which is to make an examination of the islets adjacent to the Chatham Islands for traces of tho mining steamer Duco, left Lyttelton at 7 o'elo'ek last night for the, group. It is estimated that over a thousand l»'opk> witnessed the departure of tho Maori fro mWellington for Lyttelton la*t night. The vessel took nearly 600 passengers.

At tile Caledonian sports at Dunodin on Saturday Trembathj lately amateur champion, won the quarter-mile race from scratch, in 52sec- Chalmers, off the 10yds mark, won the half-mile in 2min.

Two of the' Challenger's men were brought ashore yesterday for removal to the hospital. An able seaman named Charles Clesfou, aged t's years, is suilering from pneumonia, and Herbert Sydney Daren, iged 37, a steward on the/ on'iiser, is to undergo a slight operation. Detective Herbert reached the Bluff yesterday mo> ning with an ex-corpora-tion official n imed MoKeuzie, who was extradited from Perth. McKenzrie, who was Town Clerk at South D?r..edin before it was included in Greater Dunedni, is charged with "Clio theft of certain corporation moneys.

A seven-roomed house, owned by F. Clayton, and occupied by W. Wright, was gutted by fire at Dannevirke yesterday morning. The furniture was totally destroyed. The building was insured in the Norwich Union office for X2QD; tho insurance on the furniture was .£lB5.

The trotting stallion Rothschild Junior, who was foully ill-treated at Auckland recently by having acid poured on his legs to prevent him competing in a race, passed through. Wellington yesterday, and was sent southward by tho Maori. The horse's logs around the hocks stall bear evidence of the malicious deed.

Some very large baskots of trout have •been taken from Rotorua lately, and some good fish. A 101 b trout was taken by fly-fishing at Ngongotaha tho other ovening, and tho limit of 25 fish has been got in very short periods. Mr Cherry,- fly-fishing at Hamuraua recently, landed Ins 25 in an hour. Soma fine fish are also being got from Rotoehu.

The promises of Messrs George and G'norge, drapers, tad Messrs Pearce and Company, bootmakers, Cuba street, wero broken into on Friday morning. Jintr.anco was made from tho rear- of both shops- An attempt to open a safe with a screwdriver -and a chisel did mot succeed.. Tho tools were left behind, various articles from (the stock of either establishment wore ttikeu.

Tho body of the late chief engineer of the steamer Anglo Saxon, Mr Francis Lawrence, was interred yesterday morning at the Karori Cemetery. The funeral was attended by almost the entire of tho ship's company, and representatives of the Institute of Marine Engineers, the New Zealand Shipping Company (charterers of the Anglo Saxon), and a number of engineers from various vessels in port. The burial service was read by Mr James Moore, Missioner. On Christmas Day Wairoa was soaped by Mrs Solf, wife of Dr Solf, Governor of Samoa. Tho geyser, gave a most beautiful shot, alter twelve minutes, sending up a body of water to a height of about 120 feet (says the "Rotorua Times"). Tho amount of water ejected was not very great, but it was thrown out in globules, and in tho bright rayß of the sun presented a gorgeous spectacle, forming a rainbow. The shot did not last very long, and in about five minutes the geyser was again quiescent. A miraculous escape from death was experienced yesterday afternoon by tho' three-year-old son of Mr Rod, of Johnsonvflle. The engine-driver of; the train which left the Thorndon station at 2 p.m. observed the mite standing on the railway lino about a quarter of a mile from the Poriraa station. The \rhistle was sounded and tho brakes applied, but the engine struck tho child and knocked him clear of tho line. Exeeptm s ai severe shaking and a scratch on tho face, the boy was little the worse for the experience.

Richard Arnst went from Wellington to Wanganui yesterday to prepare for, the'sculling handicap there tills week. On reaching Wanganui the champion was handed a cablegram from Perth, asking what his terms would be for a match on the Swan river with Harry Peanoe for the championship of the world. A-mst. stated that he would reply to the effect, that he wanted a race for .£SOO aside, and in addition would require reasonable expenses. If the match is arranged the date ■will bo mode to fit in with Arnst'e trip to South Africa.

A surprisingly largo proportion of the crew of the Italian baTque Doride were unable , yesterday morning to pass Hie education test put to thorn by. tno Wellington Customs officials. No Imss than nine of the men, out of the crew of sixteen Italians who had to undergo a test, wgto illiterate. These nine men will rend<«r the master of the yessol liable to a fine of .£IOO each if they are not on board when the crew is mustered prior to the departure of the Doride from Wellington. The Dondes men have established quitea record, inasmuch as more than half of them, are unable to road and write a simplo sentence in any European language. Constennation. prevailed in the majority of banks and offices at Inveroarjgjll on Wednesday, on account of' tho non-appearance of twenty or thirty clerkß who had not returned from, their Christmas • holidays (remarks a southern contemporary). The foason was that they had gone over to Stewart Island on Christmas Eve, and were, to return by cutlers on Tuesday OTOTg. The heavy contrary gales which sprang u> prevented the cu&ers from making the trip, and bo drivers of the quill were at a premium. Two holiday trippers after waiting up all Tuesday night ina possible transit by a daring skipper, got away at about 4 a.m., hut owing to the weather condition*tie vessel did not reach the Bluff until 12 30 nm., and her passengers did not get to Invercargill till after two oclock. Business men, witJh the rush between holidays, were sadly handicapped, and things looked as though a mild etnke was in progress. Jerusalem the Golden, is said to have been a land flowing with malt and honey "says the "Australian Star;' of DccemI ber 22nd); but it is likely to be a mere I circumstance to Sydney in the very near future when the dust nuisance is abated. Sydney is to be a city spread all over with golden syrup. Yesterday afternoon there was a trial run of a now dustarrester in College and Oxford streets. After trying tar and petroleum, and other more or less sticky and smeUful substances, molasses mixed with water is now being used. This sweet staff was sprinkled over tlhe streets with a lavish. sprinkler, and the dust just waited patientlv to be laid low. In a few minutes the flies commenced to buzz round, and tbev are reputed to be emigrating fast from all the far suburbs. But probably tliey, too; will find a sweet repose in an early grave next Friday, when a second sprinkling takes place. The inventor claims that two spreadings of golden syrup will make Sydn'?y sweet and wholesome for some time to come. No dust I will rise, the streets will only teed watering once a week, and people will escape the dangers of being infected by microbes borne on the breeze. If it does do all that the inventor claims, no doubt it will lie taken up by the Council. The Liix Light Company wish it known that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Brilliant. Light on Earth. See Tc Aro House, Bates and Lees', TVardef Bro«.', Lovdan and Co., Caterer act Carey. E. 'Pearoe and Co., It. HannaS and Co., Peton* Workshops (where Lux replaced the latest devices in lighting). ■House Lamps 22s Gd. Lamps up to 2000 candle-power. 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington. *

ndustrial dentists adventurers 60 ... 2 5 'hilanthropists dependent 'aras-ites Total 3 15 10 100