CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7018, 5 January 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

FACTORY WHISTLES. Tk o factory whistles in the city of Wellington are becoming a great nuisance. They are blown at various hours to call people to work and to cease labour/’ and also for luncheon time. A small gong, confining the sound to the precincts of a factory, would no doubt answer the purpose just as well. The other day a medical gentleman who was standing by the bedside of a patient in a critical state, when absolute quiet was required, found the sufferer greatly disturbed by the shrill whistling that emenated from certain premises. The steamers in Wellington harbour, going and coming, have been prevented from causing similar unseemly noises, and why not the factories? It is probable that the , question will be raised, at tho meeting of the Medical Association in Wellington next month. DEAR AMERICA. One of the things which particularly struck Mr A. M. Lewis during his trip round tho world was the expensiveness of living in America. Narrating his experiences to a “Times” reporter just after his return yesterday, he declared that the United States was the dearest country to travel in,ho had ever come across. Everything was 'dear; food, drink, lodging, and all else. For instance, a single bedroom at a hotel cost three dollars a day, equal to about 12s 6d in our money, and this quite irrespective of meais. An ordinary steak cost 85 cents, which is about 3s 6d, while what ono might call a proper dinner would cost anything from eight to ten dollars One result of this expensiveness of living was that while the American workman earned bigger wages than were paid in New Zealand, he was unable to save anything like what was possible here.. Mr Lewis also mentioned that he had heard a good deal about the exodus of United States farmers to Canada. They went because land could be taken up on very easy terms, and the returns' were large and sure. He knew of one New Zealand farmer even who, after a trial of life in Canada, was so pleased with it that he was returning, to New Zealand in order to sell right out hero and put all his money into the older Dominion. Mr Lewis said he was not at all taken with American life, and he certainly would never go there again on a holiday. There was far too much rush and striving for dollars about it; In, fact, the dollar seemed to be everything. “WIRELESS” ON THE R.M.S. MAKURA. The R.M.S. Makura, which, arrived at Svdney on December 29th, , irom Vancouver, is equipped with ♦“wireloss,” being the first of the Union lino to have it installed, and the innova-tion-was greatly appreciated by -passengers. Tho steamer was fitted in Vancouver by the United Wire Service Co of tho United States, whoso head office is at Seattle, Washington. Air R. H. Armstrong is general manager, and the company is the largest on the Pacific, having 300 wireless stations in the United States and installations on 380 ships. The Makura’a wireless instrument is operated by Sir Af a Alulrony. Messages arc sent and received at a distance of 1000 miles. The Makura has published a daily paper, known as tho, “Makura Wireless Tribune,” containing 300 words of wireless world’s news, and much purely “local” 1 matter. Complete communication was kept up with Honolulu until the night before the arrival in Suva —or a distance of 1500 miles. Messages are sent for 8e per ten words, with 6d for every additional word. - EXAMINATIONS UNDER FIRE. Educationists generally do not regard an annual sert examination as any real test of the proficiency of tho pupil, and promotions in our primary schools now depend upon other elf monts than the mere capacity to,cram, That tho old system dies hard is evident from tho remarks of Mr Macdonald (president) to tlie Conference of the Now Zealand Educational Institute yesterday. “Never in the history of New Zealand have children been sub-

ioofccd to such a plethora of_ cxnminalions as afc the prrs< nb time, 5 Jie sai<L “Fxanhnatiou lias crept into everything to such an <*N'U*nt tiiat in iikui.V minds the word examination has bcoomo vHynony nwuis with education* I\o aro all familiar with that national nuisance, the music, exarnination. Tho Sunday schools and Navy League iollaw with their tests. Public competitions demand their quota. The school examinations, competency, proficiency, continuation, hoard scholarships, national scholarships, Civil Service, and matriculation succeed in duo course. Finally, oven our highest educational corporation, tho Ncav Zealand University, is purely an. examining body with its soul resident in Europe." (Laughter). THE INSTINCT OP SWIMMINGSwimming to tho uncivilised man is ns natural as -walking. No savage could toll one how he came to “learn” swimming, because he did not learn. Every animal swims when thrown into tho water, and human beings have only lost the instinct because of the clothes and boots and other trammels of civilisation. Swimming is the finest exorcise that man can indulge in. It is cleanly, healthful, and gives the coiufVclcncu that a natural person possesses. Unfortunately, nowadays it is necessary to teach folk to remain afloat in the water, and the fact that innumerable people do not know how to swim is the cause of many deaths every year. In Wellington there is an enthusiast whose work during the past few years has been highly commendable, especially as he has sought no gain. Mr T. Shields deserves celebrity for his splendid work in connection with the teaching of swimming to school children. He has been persistent in his effort in "Wellington, so that large numbers of school children have gained proficiency certificates from tho New Zealand Swimming Council. To-day, at 3 o’clock, Mr Shields will be at the To Aro Baths, and will begin his classes for the teaching of swimming to the little ones. If parents really understood the importance of the subject, Mr Shields would bo much overworked. In past seasons ho Ims sacrificed much <xf his time to this labour of love. Ho intends, as usual, to continue the classes each ■Wednesday afternoon during tho summer. NEWS NOTES The funds of tho Wellington Cricket Association will benefit to the extent of about £7O ns the result of tho Welling-ton-Canterbury representative match. The new steamer Kuahinc, on her maiden voyage from London to New Zealand, is due at Wellington next Saturday morning with nearly 400 passengers. The Hoeraki, which arrived from Sydney yesterday, brought 856 cases of fruit, comprising a larffe proportion of Italian lemons, a quantity of oranges, a few grapes and a few cherries. It is unlikely that the scattered branches of the Labour Department will be housed under one roof at Te Aro post office in Ghuznee street before the end of tho present month. Sir Joseph Ward has received a cable message from General Sir It. S. BadenPowell stating that he is delighted at the inclusion of boy scouts in the defence system of New Zealand. At Napier yesterday, Albert Farmery, & youth who on Christmas Eve amused himself by throwing a .scale weight at a Chinaman. hitting him in tho face, received a salutary lesson, being bound over for twelve months to keep the peace, and lined £5 and costs. Shortly before midnight last night a middle-aged mam named Thomas Kennedy, a resident of Nelson, "who was looking for the steamer Taka.puna to leave Wellington, stumbled, owing to short-sightedness, over the edge of t the Railway wharf. Constable Falconbridge, assisted by the Harbour Board nightwatchman, pulled the man out of the water,' and after being supplied with a change of clothing at the Lambton quay police station he was able to go to his lodgings. From to-day Aro street cars after 8 p.m. will run to and from Manners street only, with the exception of Saturday nights, when a ten minutes* through service -will be maintained. The running of a Newtown-Lambton Station midnight car will also be discontinued after to-night. Another alteration decided upon, to take effect shortly, is in regard to the Wallace street-Lambton station service. After 8 p.m, Wallace street cars will run to Manners street only. The traffic returns have indicated tho wisdom of these curtailments. ** One of the Jury/* writing to the "Feilding Star** on the Apiti fatality, which cost Mrs Picken's life, comments on the manner in which obstructions are ooraotimos left on roads. He says: “ The place where the horse shied was a veritable death trap- Coming down tho hill, gind at a short, sharj) bend of the road, on a small bluff, about three feet above the level of the metalled part, were placed some new boards, and on the top n few loads of sand. obstruction was allowed to remain in this dangerous position from Saturday morning until a row minutes after the fatal accident on ;W ednesday/* Donald Clark, alios Williams, was convicted by Mr W. G. Riddell. S.M., at the Magistrate Court yesterday on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person. Tho evidence wont to show that the accused had consorted with person© of disreputable character. The Magistrate remanded the defendant until, today in» order that further inquiries might bo made in regard to him. Francis Carr, who was charged with drunkenness, was fined 20s, in default seven days* imprisonment. Three other inebriates who were first offenders were dealt with in the usual manner. The case of Ethel Brown v. John Hopwell was adjourned until tho 10th inst. That the evil of child labour is not confined to country districts was suggested by Mr G. W. C. Macdonald (president of the New Zealand Educational Institute) in hi© presidential address to the teachers' conference yesterday. /Many children in towns got up, ho said, at 3.30 a.m., went round serving milk or delivering papers almost till school time, worked five hours in school, .then in tho evening continued work similar to that of the morning. Some of these children •worked ten and ten and a half hours a day, yet eight hours was considered ruffioiont for an adult. Under such conditions mental and physical growth was undoubtedly retarded, and ho suggested J&at legislation should be enacted to prevent the systematic employment of children dnring school life. The Mayor of Wellington (Dr Newman) apparently delights in posing as an iconoclast. He addressed the Educational Institute's annual conference yesterday, and told that representative gathering of educationists that they showed boo great a liking for the old things, "We want to abolish such nonsense as Latin and Greek/* he went on. "There is no necessity for them, and I am sorry to think that my son has worked so much time in learning Latin when he might have occupied his days in studying something more useful. We are a people who are going to have the cobwebs swept away. Try to give tho children the kind of knowledge that will fit them for the battle in after life/* advised the Mayor, unabashed by a reception to his opinion Srhich, judging by the expression upon hie hearers* faces, was not sympathetic. "Train our young people for modern want©/* added Dr Newraan as a final

A man who arrived from Sydney by tlie Moeraki yesterday, a native of Finkind, was unable to pass the education icst nut to him by the Customs officer©. 11b will probably bo given another opportunity before being vetoed.

Tho author, Mr George Lansing Raymond, L.H.D., Professor of Anaestheticof New Jersey College, has presented tho Wellington Public Library with a set {seven volumes) of his "Essays in Comparative Anaesthetics/’ Important change.? arc being made in connection with Te Waikato {Sanatorium, located eight miles from Cambridge, The staff will be considerably curtailed, and Miss Boclifort, matron, for many years, has resigned. The Karere tree-planting camp for consumptives -will be closed.

" Wellington is a sort of Mecca, or holy land, to which all sorts of institutions. sinners, and saints flock/' declared tho Mayor of Wellington (Dr Newman) yesterday, when commenting, at tho Education Institute’s conference, upon the huge number of similar gatherings which take place annually in the capital.

A rather quaint request has reached the secretary of tho Chamber of Commerce, Mr S. Carroll, from an Italian firm which wishes bo bo put into communication with some buyers of pumicestone. The reply will probably bo to the effect that New Zealand already has more than a sufficiency of that particular commodity. In connection with the case of J. M, Jackson, stroke of tho Blenheim Rowing Club’s representatives for the championship regatta, who is at present under suspension, it is understood that tho matter will bo fully dealt with at tho next meeting of the Now Zealand Rowing Association, when the suspension, will be either rescinded or confirmed. In the event of the New South Wales Chief Justiceship not being offered to Sir G. B. Simpson, mention is made in official circles that Sir Frederick Barley’s mantle might fall upon Mr Justice R. E. O'Conruor, of the High Court. Whatever happens, there may bo occasion to appoint a Puisne. Judge. The Minister for Works, Mr Lee, now the Acting-Premier, stated last week that there is no foundation for the rumour ns to Mr Wade’s probable early retirement from the Premiership. The will of the late Sir Thomas Bent, formerly Premier of Victoria, has been filed for probate. He left real estate not exceeding in value .£37,815; personal estate not exceeding .£10,058, or total of ,£■17,873. Liabilities amount to £12,818, leaving £35,055 net. Many of the properties aro not revenue producing, while others that are have current charges upon them. For these reasons, it is stated, it will be some years before, anything like the value placed upon the properties -can bo realised; and before the beneficiaries will obtain much from the estate. The death of Mr Henry Bennett, late chief engineer of the steamer Victoria, of the fleet of Huddart, Parker and Co. Proprietary, Ltd., occurred at Mosman, Sydney, last week. The deceased, who was held in high esteem, first came to Australia as chief engineer of the Zealandia (since sold and renamed the Paloona) in 1898, and he remained in the same employ up to the time of his death. On the arrival of the Victoria at Sydney on her last trip from New Zealand Mr Bennett entered a private hospital for treatment, but he never rallied. He was a single man, 57 years of age, and a native of England. Amongst the new arrivals in New Zealand yesterday was Captain C. H. Moss, who has brought with him from France a new fodder plant, which he thinks will be of great service to the fanners of the Dominion. The plant is called helianti. It is a tuber, and throws up herbage to a height of twelve feet in favourable surroundings. The tuber is edible tor man and beast. it is delicious for culinary purposes, and cattle and horses like it better than •carrots or any other kind of vegetable. Tho plant contains 18.65 per cent, of sugar, and is extremely fattening for stock. It is exceedingly valuable for dry pastures, and makes excellent silage and winter hay. Captain Moss is arranging with the Agricultural Department to .grow a trial crop of helianti in order that farmers may obtain a knowledge of its characteristics. He is reserving the New Zealand rights of the plant lor a period of two years. The Lux Light Company wish it known that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Brilliant Light on Earth. See Te Aro House, Bates and Lees', Wardell Bros.*, Leydon and Co., Caterer and Carey, E. ‘Pearce and Co., R. TT-pnn.n.h and Co., Petone Workshops _ (where Lux replaced the latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000 candie-poAver. 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington. •