CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7038, 28 January 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

TEADE PEOSPECTS. "All indications point to the prospect of a good year for 1910," says tho Trade Review" of yesterday's date. in« • ■B&view" reports that at present, however, importing houses describe trade all round as distinctly quiet. The grocery trade generally is affected by the dulnegs which usually follows the activity of the Christmas season. In the hardware secban trade seems to have been slow in resuming work after the holidays, while the clothing trade is in the dead period between two seasons. On all hands, towever, there i 8 said to be the expectation of <a return to the activity which preceded the recent spell of stringency. A METEOPOLITAN SEE. A perambulating primacy, according to Bishop Neligan, is a source of weakness to the church in New Zealand. It is inevitable that • the future must bring to pass an order of things in which there will be one metropolitan see (with its Archbishop Primate), and that see would naturally be wbero tli« seat of Government was—in Wellington. _ It might be that to-day this was not within the range of practical politics, but whilst the Church continued in its endeavour to "roll without a centre" it must bo weak. He intended to do what he oould to educate public opinion up to the idea of a metropolitan see. INDIFFERENT SETTLEES. The Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Wellington district (Mr James Mackenzie) reported to yesterday's meeting of the Land Board that a number of village lots at Nireaha which were subdivided two and a half years ago for the purpose of giving a start to small settlers had given the Land Board a good deal of trouble. The holdings adjoined a'factory in full swing, but, notwithstanding this, several of the lots had fallen into the hands of persons unable or unwilling to take advantage of the opportunity given" them. Although a number of the settlers were of the right stamp, and doing their best, tho bona fides of others Were fair from being above suspicion. Noxious weeds, through neglect, were getting a hold of the sections' held by the indifierent selectors. On the Commissioner's recommendation ono of the sections was forfeited, allowing a month for appeal, while two other selectors are to be called upon to show cause why their interests should not bo forfeited at the next meeting of the board.

SOUTH PACIFIC EXPLORATION. There is, in the opinion of Mr A: Hamilton, president of the New Zealand Institute, a great need for the exploration of the South' Pacific Islands and the study of their ethnology. Speaking upon the subject yesterday he said that it was not the first time by any means in which the desirability of making a properlyorganised attack had been brought forward, and although many expeditions had been planned and many enthusiastic collectors and explorers had been at work, still much remained to, be done. He had hoped this work might have been attempted by New Zealand scientists. This was at a time when practically the whole of the Polynesian Islands of the South Pacific might have been brought under the control of New Zealand. Since then things had altered, and 'many opportunities had been lost. There was evidently much interesting matter to be written on tho natives and natural history and geology of the northern Islands, that is those groups which had been of recent years definitely included in the area of the Dominion of New Zealand. It was true that this work would require experienced linguists and ethnologists in addition to those experienced in natural science, but they should have no difficulty in finding several members of the institute well qualified to undertake the work. Mr Hamilton also put in a plea for the talcing of ocean soundings between New Zealand and the Australian Continent. Ho considered that the more lines of soundings that could be taken the better it would be. NEWS NOTES The postal authorities advise that English and Australian mails are due to reach Wellington by Main Trunk express from Auckland next Monday. A notice appears in last night's "Gazette" exempting Eichmond street, Petone, from the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act, 1908. The fortieth annual meeting of shareholders of the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., will be held at noon on Teusdar next, February Ist, at tho Chamber cf Commerce.

Negotiations regarding the widening of tho coraer of Cuba, and Manners streets arc still proceeding. The Mayor is in constant communication with both sides, and hopes that tho matter is within measurable distance of settlement.

Tlie corporation staff will hold their annual picnic on February ISth. Complaints continue to be made about smoke and smell issuing from tho destructor chimney. The engineer is to make investigation.

In accordance with a recommendation by the Aotca Maori Land Board tho Government has agreed to the removal of the restrictions against the alienation of native land in the ease of a biock of 297 J aci-es in the llautanu survey district.

The Duncdin Technical School Board, in granting permission to the director to attend the liducarional Conference in Wellington, expressed extreme regret that at so important a conference tho ; Technical Hoards wore not to be represented.

An amusing Blip was made by the Mayor last evening when tho baths and city reserves committee's report came on for consideration. His Worship aitnounoed with due solemnity: Councillor Luke will now move the report of baths and washhouses!

The deputation of Miramax residents which recently waited upon the City Coun)oi!l regarding the extension of tho railway to that suburb aro to be informed that the council will co-operato with them in a deputation to tho Government.

The by-laws committee of the City Council reported last night that it has tho matter of the revision of the standing orders under consideration. It will bo remembered that at tho last meeting of the council the Mayor announced that tho standing orders had been found to be invalid. >

Tho City Council last night accepted the tenders of the following firms for the supply of the articles mentioned:— Jandus flame-arc lamps, Turnbull and Jones; insulators for electric lighting deparment, T. Ballinger and Co.; pipes for air and sewerage mains, J. Duthia and Co.

The Marine Court inquiry into the wreck of the steamer South Australian, which took place at Wallds Island a few months ago (says the Fiji "Times"), was concluded on the 10th instant. . The certificate of the master. Captain E Perry» was suspended for three months for the. careless navigation of the vessel. The Mayor assured Councillor Fitzgerald last evening that the City Council had done all it could to endeavour to get an adjustment of the rates between Karori borough and the city. Tho Minister of Internal Affairs had now definitely promised to set up a commission at an early date to deal with tho matter.

The Morse signallers of the Harbour Board irez-e yesterday congratulated by the chairman, Mr Wilford, upon halving, in their own time, made themselves conversant with this useful means of communication. Queen's wharf, Beacon Hill and the dredge Whafaarire now oommuracate by this method. • Prom Deeemjier Wth until the 21st of the present month 76 applications were made to the City Council for permission to erect, alter or extend premises, and G 7 permite were issued. Tho value of the work in the various localities was as follows:—City .£15.819, Melrose -£11,720, Wadestown .£3OO, Northland .£l997—a, total of ,£29,896.

The negotiations between Heath and Co. and the City Council for the supply of current to light Johtoeonvolle by electricity have not yet been brought to finality. Tho Mayor stated last evening that there were two sides to th« question, but he hoped somethang definite would bo arrived at by next meeting of tho council. Ot fifty-three papers sent in to tho oditor of the "Transactions" of the New Zealand Institute last year, forty-five were accepted and printed. The retiring editor, Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P.. suggested at the,annual meeting of the institute yesterday that the ohus of recommending papers for publication should-rest on the societies before which they are read. A statement of accounts submitted to tho City Council last evening showed that .£11,747 lis lid has been _ expanded on the municipal abattoirs, while there is a liabilitv of .£2290 10s outstanding, showing that the work had been carried out at nealrly .£IOOO below the .£15,000 estimate. Councillor Fletcher congratulated the City Engineer on tho fact of this having been done. A paragraph of some significance 'n. the recommendations of the # power and tramways committee at last night's meeting of tho City Council, jwadj-'That the sum of £25 13s 3d, conductors surpluses, be distributed m bomuses to tno conductors, for the quarter ended December let, 1909." Formerly thes* surpluses —tho excess of money taken on the cars over the amount shown by tickets—went to swell the profits of the department. Councillor Fletcher asked at last night's meeting of the City Council if anything had been done in the way of connecting the Willis street tramway wrth th« Post Office. The Maybr promised that a statement on the matter would bo made next month. Tho work was an urgent one, but it went hand in hand with the wood-blocking of P °mce square, which would also be reported on shortly.

Tho work of laying the Charlotte street tram-way, which was to have been commenced just after the holidays, has been delayed a little, pending an arrangement being come to with tho Government, which will probably hand over to tho City Council a strip of the Government House grounds sufficient to enable the street to be widened to sixty-six feet. The whole matter will probably coine np at the next meeting of the council. The muddy state of the water from tho Karori reservoir was referred to at last nighfs meeting of the City Council. Tho engineer said ho was at a loss to account for the recent trouble, but he- thought tho chief cause was the fact that the outlet pipe was right at the bottom in tho mud. It ought to bo raised to within ten feet of the top of the reservoir. Thero might also be some vegetable or organic growth, such as algae, in the reservoir. This however, was not dangerous to health. He thought that it would be well to scour the reservoir and run off a. quantity of water. The extension of the tramway system over Constable street .to Kilbirnie was mentioned last evening by Councillor J. P. Luke, who asked if steps would be taken to get a poll of the ratepayers on the question. The Mayor said no doubt the enormous traffic to Lyall Bay had caused a feeling that something must be done for the south end of the city. At present many people walked over tha Constable street hill, and the question would have to come before the council. Ho was waiting until certain tramwaj returns came in before taking any stepj in the matter. '

A plea for the inclusion, of Maori as a matriculation subject was made by the president of the New Zealand Institute, Mr A. Hamilton, in his address at the annual meeting yesterday. He expressed the hope that the University Senate would be brought to see that it was now being fast recognised that where the governments of dependencies of the British Empire had to do with alien racis, it was of paramount importance that the rulers should study and have a good working knowledge of the language, manners, and customs of the people they had to govern.

.Tohnsonville ratepayers who attended, at the invitation of the Town Board.. to hear schemes for purchasing a water catchment area and for levelling the recreation ground unfolded on Wednesday night appeared only lukewarm in their reception of tho proposals. Itesol utions were carried referring the water f-.upply scheme to Mr Morton, city engineer, for a report, and deferring consideration of tbo recreation ground improvement proposal (estimated to cost J 21500; for a year. The land proposed to be acquired for a catchment area is owned by Mr Hould, and is seventy-eight acrns in area. The- price asked for it is slightly more than .£3O an acre. It was proposed to pledge a halfpenny rate as security.

The Govor.iim.ent is to lie urged by tho Education Hoard to m-ovuU.. _two additional rooms at tho -Maruiiui school before the winter arrive.

Some unknown and conscience-stricken user of tin- railways hub forwarded .ilO to tli« department as reparation apparently if Ji- a wrom; done. Peceip. is acknowledged in Hum week'n Gazette. Tho railway by-law forbidding the conveyance of alcoholic or fermented liciuor by railway into tho Kins Country has been repealed by the Minister, tho J lon. J. A. -Millar.

A miniature riilo range is to be provided at tho Normal School, tho Education Board having approved a subsidy of Jilt) towards its cost. Brooklyn school i» also endeavouring to have a range built.

Fow births occur on tho coastal steamers. Tho Arahura was, however, favoured by an interesting event of this kind when she was at Wcslport a few days ago. Mother and child are doing

This afternoon a deputation from the Wellington and Marlborough Acclimatisation Socioties will wait upon the Minister of Internal Affairs, tho Hon. I). Buddo, in nwpect to tho close season for imported game this year. The application of Mr E. E. HenrickBon for tho erection of five lamps at Happy Valley road, and for private lighting to bo installed at hid residence, mis not eraritcd by tho City Council, u« the population of this locality does not warrant tho expenditure. A man named P. Throsscll, who is supposed to liavo been about sixty years of aire, fell down in a billiard saloon at Lower Hutt about 0.30 yesterday afternoon, and was found to be dead. He hud been employed by Mr Thos. Burt as a book-keeper. Formerly ho ret-ided in Hopper street, Wellington. It is not known whether he had any relatives in tho Dominion.

The attention of tho Government is to bs drawn by the New Zealand Institute to tho necessity of preparing and printing an illustrated catalogue of New Zealand fishes. It was (stated ufc the nnnuul meeting yesterday that if anyone desired to know the name of a particular full, and to identify it, he would find it almost impossible, to do so. There were lists of fishes, but no catalogue. In connection with the position in tho hemp market, tho "Trade Review "says that thore is wide- difference of opinion as to the probable output for 1910. The merchants dealing in tho fibre, who are in close touch with the millers, estimate an increase of 20 to. 25 per cent. The officers of the grading department sneak of a probability of the output for 1909 being doubled during this year. Numerous complaints have been received as to tho insanitary condition of tho bathing sheds at KUbiruie and Island Day. Residents of these localities have co-operu ted with the Baths Committeo of the City Council to investigate, but up to the present there has been little improvement. If matters continue as in the past admittance to tho sheds, will probably only bo obtained by issuing keys to users on payment of the cost of same. The next meeting of the Wellington Land Board will not be held until March 3rd, having been postponed to that date in. consequence of a sale of land on tho Main Trunk line on the 25th and 26th prox. On tho former dato the commissioner will submit at Ohakune the town lots of four townships in that locality, while the following day at Raurimu he will submit the town lots of six townships for sale for cash by public auction. The boarrd will pay a visit to the Wanganui and Raetihi districts towards tho end of March.

■ The annual rsport of tho Now Zealand Institute, which was adopted yesterday, in dealing with the Hector Memorial Fund, stated that it now behoves all concerned to make renewed efforts to obtain some .£9O additional in subscriptions in order that tho full amount of tho Government subsidy may be earned before the vote lapses on March 31st, 1910. There would then bo available XIOOO for investment, which, will yield enough interest to found some research Erize or scholarship as may hereafter e decided by a future conference.

Tho Wellington Education Board was notified at its nesting yesterday that tho Government was willing to bear half tho cost of additional land wanted to extend the playground of tho Terrace school. The board found itself in the position that its finances are so straitened through, the large reduction, of the annual Government grant that it coiild not itself find the other half of the money a-aquired. It was decided that the city members of the board form a committee to confer with the Terrace school committee to work out some means of collecting the sium needed. J. Baraett, about thirteen years of age, caane over from Melbourne via Svdney the other day and was left stranded in thi3 city. Hie story is that he has -come across to Wellington to etay with his grandmother, Mrs Brett, who keeps a baker's shop in this city. Tho police have been unable to locate any baker of the name of Mrs Brett here, and there is a shrewd suspicion, that the youngster has run away from homo. Any way, the police will be glad to hear of a " Mrs Brett" who carries on a bakery anywhere in the neighbourhood of Wellington. Tho extension of tho water supply to Lyall Bay, tho erection of shower baths there, the- charging of a fee for the use of same, and the appointment of a competent swimmer as caretaker are to be considered by the Baths Committee of the City Council. Councillor McLaren also suggested, that the committee might consider the feasibility of establishing hot baths at tho same seaside Tesort. Councillor Luke, chairman of the committee, intimatod that for the next financial year the Reserved Committee intended recommending tho erection of an up-to-date .pavilion at Lyall Bay and the providing of facilities for tho recreation of tho people. The question of hot salt water baths had been discussed and a report would be submitted by the City Engineer on tho matter. The Lux Light Company wish it known that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Brilliant Light on Earth. See To Aro House, Bates and Lees', Wardell Bros.', Leydon and Co., Caterar and Carey, E. Pearce and Co., B. Hannah and Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux replaced tho latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000 candlepower. 85. 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), WeliingIton. ■•