CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7047, 8 February 1910, Page 7

CURRENT TOPICS

LAND FOR SBTTIJ3MENT. The J>mU Department will open, the Clydebank estate, Hawke’s Bay., recently IC<IUXI<<I by the Government. lor selection, <>u Wednesday. March 2ml. Twerutythreo sections arc Leins offered, varying lu area from 55 acres to 830 acres, me areas and balf-yearly rentals arc:—s7.l acres. £3B ss; 345 acres, JE37 11s Cd: *j9 acres. .£53 2s; J 1704 acres, .£53 8s Gd; hois. .£G2 Gs Gd; GSO acres, .£IG 7s; 552 acres, JXO Is Cd; 552 acres, XCO Is Oil - 439 acres, .£72 4s Gd; 85 acres. .£l2 I«s (ill; 338 acres, ,X'sl Ids o*l j 418 acres, J;SB 5s Gil; 505 acres, J-'G4 7s; 521 acx-es, JtHB 17 a Cdj ICO acres, .£79 13s j 419 acres, .£SB 10s; 821 acres, JKSS Id.-; 50. “eres, J 483 9s 0(1; 421 acres. £75 IGs Cdj 3.1 1 acres, £OS 9s Gd; 114 acres, £27 -is Gd j 88 acres, £IG 13s; 7G acres. Jilt Ss; acres, Jill Os Oil. The settlement is (situated La tko valley of tiro W.-nroa river, the south-western corner being \ritkui one mile of the borough of \»aiToa- On many of fch© sections £<xki foncine post.--. can I>o obtained i’rom totrira logs. Tho greater part of Hie area offer ed is pastoral land, hut in the valleys there are Hate suitable for daiyms and agriculture. Tho country ranges in altitude from 45ft to 875 ft above sea-level, and has a splendid cbnmle, no part or tho settlement bein'; moro than taght Uii.leH from the const.

VAGARIES OF SEA CURRENTS. Mr E. H. DadJov, of CrookweH.. New South received t an interesting CMjmiiuinicatioii from New Zealand last week. In August. 1908. Mr Dudley was voyaging from South Africa on board the sWmor Miltiailc*, and whan, off Two told Bay. on August 17th. ho droppoA jvarbaard a bottle containing a wlip f>! puijjor on wSTck was written the name of tho steamer, the position off, tho coast, and his Crookwoll address. Ihe episode was forgotten. iniHl tho following Ibttor from tho Collector of Cua* toms, Auckland, oamo to hand:—"dannary 10th, 1910. Dear Six.—Tho attached piece of paper wa.s found in a bottle on tho \Vcat Coast of Now Zealand; it may bo of interest to you.'" Tho bottlo took seventeen months to cross tho 1000 miles. Tho incident is interesting ns showing tho vagaries of sea currents. PETONE ASPIRATIONS. The Mayors and tho majority of the councillors of Rower Hutt and potono fcOTougJus mot at Potono hist nighty and exchanged views on tbo question ot tho amalgamation of the two boroughs. Nothing was said that has not been said before, nor did tho Major of Petaas, or those of h,is councillors who spoke, show any disposition to weaken in their opposition to tffi© scheme. Ono thin? Ilutt would always bo against, said Mr Bunny, was a process of piecemeal annexation from outside. If such a thing were attempted, he believed that tho opposition to it would ho backed up in such a wivy as to insure its being effectiv«. Mr McEwan said there was one process of amalgamation. that ho. would favour —a process which would bring 1 tho change about in a way that their friends of tho Hutt did net anticipate, and that vraa a process of absorption, by the more populous centre. Ho advocated the extension of Petone’s boundaries to Belmont and the transfer to Peton© exf the. whale of that portion of Hutt borough lying south of White's lino. It was not true, TTo asserWd. that fchoro would be guy saving at all in the cost of administration wore the boroughs united. Mr Bunny reviewed the argument© for amalgamation. and strongly advocated an exhaustive inquiry, NEWS NOTES A meeting of the Public Tenders Board took place yesterday, when nine contracts were dealt with, tenders being recommended to tho Government for acceptance. At holi-past 9 lash evening the city brigade was called out to suppress an outbreak of fire in a boarding-house in Marion street occupied by Mrs Mary Shepherd. Only trtifiing damage was done, blue flames being ponfmed to a bedroom.

In addition to the ordinary meeting of the City Council next Thursday, a special meeting will bo held to make and levy a special rate of tjd in the ,i on the ratable value of property in the special rating district of Wadestown to provide interest and other charges on a special loan of £33,000 for the Wudeatown tramway.

A strange man recently confided in a local jeweller that he was a jockey from Auckland, got on terms of friendship, agul eventually obtained £2 as a "loan." Yesterday Detective Conolly arrested a man who is believed to bo idautioal with' the party who obtained the money and told the tale, and it will be alleged against him in tbe Court this morning.

The Horowhen.ua Agricultural and Pastoral Association's show takes place at Levin to-morrow. The committeehas made great preparations for the event, which is likely to attract crowds of visitors, especially as railway excursion fares will be issued. The display »f stock will be very good. The pig classes have filled so well that it. is expected there will bo the largest stow of them ever seen on the coast. What is considered to have been a deliberate attempt to burn St. Andrew's Ichoolroom, at Wairoa, was discovered tarty on Saturday morning by a local policitor, who on passing the building found a box in the porch burning fiercely inside. It was standing on the top of a kerosene ease, and in tan minutes the building would have been In flames, involving a now church close It Hand, also private dwellings. Incendiarism is strongly suspected. A cablegram bos been received from lyduey stating that H.M.S. Powerful, ;he flagship of the Australasian squad»o, leaves Sydney on the 16th inst. on i visit to New Zealand. The Powerful arrived at Sydney on Thursday from Colombo. H.M.S. Pegasus, lying at her meterage off the western groyne, Gisborne, was on Thursday night and Friday morning in wireless communication with H.M.S. Challenger, which was lying in the stream at Auckland,

Education conferences will l>o busy in Wellington this week. A guttering representative of the teaching side of education, convened by the Government, will open in the Legislative Council chamber at 10 o’clock on Thursday. The delegates, forty-nine in number, will be welcomed by the Hon. George Fowlds (Minister of Education), and their proceedings will last three days, the object of the conference being to secure co-ordination between elementary, secondary, and higher education. The annual conference of inspectors, and the consultation of those concerned in the conduct of training colleges, trill follow.

It was decided at a representative meeting of Wellington ministers and march workers at the Y.M.C.A. last night to invite Hr Henry and Professor Ililhorn, the famous American evangelists, to conduct a mission in Wellington from April 10th to 29tt. Mr Hugh Paton, who addressed the meeting, gave it as his opinion, from personal experience, that Dr Henry was the leading evangelist for men in the English-speaK-iug world. The meeting was most enthusiastic in its desire to secure a complete co-operation' of forces for the occasion, and a motion moved by the Eov. Dr Gibb, seconded by the Key. J. J. North, was carried, cordially welcoming the evangelists to Wellington, and pledging those present to do all in thmr power to make the meetings a success. A committee, comprising ministerial and lay representatives of each church, was appointed, with the Kev. Kennedy Elliott as chairman, tho Ecv. J. E. Clark and Mr 11. N. Holmes secretaries, and Mr H. W. ICorsley treasurer. The Town Hall will bo taken for throe weeks.

Mr K. Trcgcar, Secretary for Labour, who hae been officially visiting Christchurch, lias returned to Wellington. Mr Phil Stuart arrived here yesterday to arrange for tho appearance of the “ O/nii.-ih Pixie," tho marvellous miniature man, who weights 9-Jlb.

To-morrow Air Jlaughan Barnett will open tin* new two-manual organ in Weslev Church. Fcikling. lie will give two organ recitals, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

A meeting of tho residents' committee recently set up in connection with tho proposed Anny Frit-on. Gate Home at Island Bay. will bo held this evening at S o'clock in the public school building. Island Bay.

To-morrow the initial fihow will bo held of tho Pah.La.tua Agricultural and Pa-wtoral Association, with which is combined a horticultural exhibition. Tho show promises to bo a groat success. There have been large entries for the horse competition.

A largo and enthusiastic audience greeted tho usual fortnightly concert given under tho auspices of St. Patrick's Conference of the Society of St. Vincent do Paul in tho Sailors' Reet last evening. A capital programme of vocal and instrumental items was much appreciated.

"Do you know tho meaning of tho term 'a gay Lothario'?" asked counsel of a witness in the Supremo Court torday. " Well, I'm not quit© certain," was tho reply. " For instance, is it a Biblical term?" "It may be; I don't claim to have road all the Scriptures.' “ What would you think if X addressed you us liothario?" " I should not feel at all Insulted."

Complaints are being made of th© overcrowding of tho train which leaves Wellington over the Manawatu line about 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoons. There aro never enough carriages, and for several Saturdays past it has been a case of standing room only. A deputation proposes to unit on the management and ask that straps be attached to tho platform ceilings and roofs of the carriages! In i connection with an announcement by cable that tho New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Papanui had been removed from, dock in Melbourne, pending arrangements for repairs, and that the dock dues amounted to -£IOO per day, it is interesting to note that these dues aro far in excess of those charged at Auckland (says the "Herald"). In th© case of tho Kaipara, for instance, tho charge for tho first four days will b© J 250, and for each subsequent day .£63 life. On the assumption that her repairs will occupy forty-two days, and that is the time estimated, the total dues will be about .£2400.

Mr John Thompson, who was employed by Messrs Jenkins and Mack, expired yesterday morning. He proceeded to his place of employ as usual, but immediately complained of illness. He was sent towards his home at Austin street in a cab, but on the way he became so ill that it was decided to take him to Dr Hislop's surgery. Mr Thompson, however, expired before he reached the medical man. Tho deceased had for a number of years been a member of the Working Men's Club. He was very highly respected by its members, who half-masted tho flag over the Institution yesterday. An inquest is to bo held at 9 o'clock this meaning. Tho troubles of a struggling cricket team were ventilated at last night's meeting of the Wellington District Cricket Association, when tho secretary of the Jdhnsonville District Cricket 01 ub intimated that Ids committee had instructed the withdrawal of tho Johnsonville second eleven from the fourth-class championship* the reason being that the team had been drawn to play away from home, leaving the ground idle and depriving tho club of its ground fee. "They hare thrown up cricket, and we have lost their support to our club," continued the letter, " and I think it will take a lot of working up to get the club into a good sound financial position ■which it occupied a few years ago. What -with your L 5 5s entrance fee and small membership, it takes a lot to keep afloat." The association, wMch had previously considered a similar complaint from Johneonville, received the letter.

Mr P. Holly, Conciliation Commissioner, will have a busy time during the next fortnight. He leaves for Nelson this morning to preside at the Council of Conciliation which will consider the painters' dispute, returning to Wellington on Sunday. The following Tuesday, at the request of the parties, he wall preside at a conference of the licensed victuallers and employees to arrange new conditions of employment of- the cooks and waiters. On Wednesday, the 16th inst., the Council of Conciliation will meet here to consider the saddlers' dispute, Mr Hally presiding. After that the Commissioner will proceed to Napier ■in connection with the tailor esses' dispute there, and subsequently will proceed to the West Coast to deal with two matters there-rihe bakers' dispute and another connected with, the miners at Brnnner. 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’, Wardcll Bros.’, Leydon and Co., Caterer and Carey, B. Pearce and Co., E.. Hannah and Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux replaced the latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s od. Lamps up to 2000 candlepower. 85, 87, 89, Old Customhouse street (hook of Opera House), Wellington. •