CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7056, 18 February 1910, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

WRECKAGE NEAR WANGANTJI. Advice received yesterday morning by the Marino .Department that .fishermen 'bad found wreckage oil the store-, in .tho slfapo of a .vessel's hull, gave riso.to oonaidenable speculation, pn shipping circlps. According to a, "telegram .from the OofJeator of pustarns .at .Wanganui, 'the wreclSago had bean Washed up on tho beach a mile to ,t(he north of .the jWlangaehu river. The fishermen could not get nearer than a mile from the .wreck, -which was painted .white, ,l>u>t so far as they could see, tho stem appeared .to be broken off, and the 1 vessel ' wias apparently one of about ,150 tons. The police took the ' mariltsT in hand, and further particulars will .bo forthcoming when they .make thair report. Tho niost likely theory 1 is that the ihull is that of the schooner 'Emma Sims, wrecked on JVlana Island -on June 18th, 1907, en route .from Haveloek to I/yfetolton., Both , the Torou and the .which h'atvo bodni lotffc in the Heigiibc'urh.ood, Sank .in. .deep water. THE MONEY .MARKET. The/current -issue of .the "Trade Review".! remarks: ; —"Tho season's produce is coming forward in unusually full yoluma a,nd .as a. .rulo <in ospociallly, ,good ■;-■ condition, .Recent .rains created »ome misgiving in the ahinds of iagrioulttfrisbs / and .forebodings of injury vo wops, etc., but a (good spell of .dry warm .weather has applied the , remedy and revived .the hopes of agriculturists, while tho;pasturcs havo been'liber'ally : renew"et:l, to the solid advantage - of the iamd the dairy industry. A prosperous season is thuja'praOHi'oalry assured ' iand an ample.' return for .jbhe ' work : of 'pur producers. In our last issue wo -reported a reduction of 1 ,por cent, in the denosit rates of locial building companies. Wo Iw nw .to record a, similar decline in: the, -deposit : ia.te» of the banks trading in Now Zealand as - from; the 10th infant. . These movements .will no doubt ho .followed in due time -by doi'resporidin,g reduction in lending raftes. No tfign Jtas ydt been ma do ■oi a' reduction in the Post Office ,Savingß ITJank deposit .rates and a. oonsidora(tion o>f t'he retuTns of this institution .would lead, we think, to an inference tlist in this oase ajiy such movement, will, bo- deferred for tine present." ' • '

.A''TASK"FOB A CONFERENCE. ; One of the Subjects ta be discussed by the school inspectors' conference today is the method of giving scientific temperance teaching.- The InspcctorGeweral of Schools read ijhe followang memorandum yesterday _ to. the conference which he had received from the Minister of Education: "For several years past.l have been frequently asked by deputations : in, all parts of New Zealand to Ihave scientific tonrperanco teaching made effective and universal throughout the primtay schools of the Dommion. .1 promised these deputations that on the first : occasion when the syllabus wias being revised, steps vpould.be taken. ,tio secure tliis result an for as practicable. I should be glad if you will Grave the matter discussod at the inspootors' conference with a. view to taking the most effective means to this end, (Signed) George SGlowlds." THE FINANCIAL OUTLOOK. The Prime Minister takes a bright view of the Dominion's financial position. He says that there has been a marked improvement in that direction. There is a plentiful supply of money, and industries and other enterprises are feeling ; uhe 'benefit. The banks have found it meoessary to xeduco the deposit rates. In London, private lending rates have been reduced to 3 per cent., and 'Sir Joseph Ward sees plenty of evidence. that, althouglrlargb loans have ,been floated in the bis metropolis during the past few months, moiniey is in plentiful supply there. AD bhis, he says, points to a. general improvement in business, not only in New Zealand, but also in the Old Gauntry and America, and, indeed, ir. practically all parts of the world. In formation received lately shows that ills generally recognised that the rerivnl of trade in -America is substantial, and,, moreover, is spread throughout thtwhole of that great country, making its influence felt in all parte, and in nearly all aspects of commercial and business life. "The evidence of this desirable state <& affairs," Sir Joseph BBidi t|o| a, "Lytteliaa Times" reporter,

"cannot bo doubted. There is an improvement in trade an all .sides, and with the rapid transit that now oxista between different parts of the world, the facilities for communication, and other means of bringing outlying ooun-in-ioA into closer touch with the groat) centres of civilisation, Now Zealand ia certain to have some of the benefits ■which, it is clearly seen, aro being enjoyed by other places. The prices of some of our staple products, -especially wool and dairy produce, -are satisfactory,' and they will be ia considerable help to New Zealand. , I think that wo aro in for a renewal of .that "prosperity which did so ami oil to raise -this country to a ihigh standard during tho past ten years or so.'' MISSIONS AND MUSIC. Says "Oivis" in the "Olttago Wit* ness' : :—"\Ve 'are to bo favoured presently with, a now 'Torroy-Alextynder visitation—new, in the fact tlmit tho names are. new; in .all else tho same old thing. This timo .it is to be Br John (Quiirey Adams Henry, pastor of the Kirst Baptist Church at Los Angeles, United States, America, who "combines tho solid sense of tho Adamses df Alassaohusotts with the fervid eloquence of the Henrys of Virginia," and .is otherwise . dosaribod as "tho Baptist Napoleon <vAlio will never know* a Waterloo in battle nor an exilo in defeat." To make him, "the I«ord took vi piooo out of Vesuvius, a cross section out of an earthquake, and a side light out of a tornado," with other ingredients. My information' ie derived! from a aeries of American puffs quoted in iTlie "Outlook" ; that tho "Outlook"' homologates them —as we say in. Presbytery—is more than 'I daro affirm. Along with tllie Baptist Napoleon will oamo .a singer—Professor P. P. Billhom, .otherwise "Sweet Peaco BiUhorn." "Brother Billhorn,'' and "the Prof." It is ori record that tho original Apostles wont forth two and two. But it does not appear to hovo been arranged that ono Apostle in each pair should be v a singer. Whidh is proof once more of the American doctrine that "they didn't know 'everything down in Judoe." Imagine o Garrison Hall Mission without the solo singer, the doggrol ditties, and tho waltz tunes lilted in chorus. A dead (failure, inevitably. Professor Billhorn "is the composer of over 2000 hymns"—which fact alone will give lua measure'for all sane people. Tlw "Westminster Gazette" relates that "a man whoi jhas just been sentenced to imprisonment in Chicago is ea/id to have anado his living for years'by Btoaliug Jiorses, and to have devoted his spare time to writing and publishing hymns and sacred .songs fSr, But "the niessago does not make it clear which, he tos been sentenced for " For eitiber or for botai, -would satisfy the equities.... I notice that tho sober-sided Anglicans are going to have a mission, they also. Unless they sot up a solo singer we may count on the'm to anake a muddle of it.

MAORI CUSTOMS AND USAGES. Some interesting points in regard to Maori customs were brought out, by Mr A. L. D. Fraser in his address to tho-Native Land Court at InvercargiU in the mutton-bird islands case. Ho claimed that though - an . individual . might have his rat tracks,, his bird snares, his celiveirs, his'fern-root cultivatiohs, they wero not his. as against tho community. il« might havo the special right of working: them, but his right came from tho community, and, ; though a native might say: This is my eel pah," he would use : it. in a frcneral'eense; and in tho - first person he would identify himself with his tribe or people. ' Generally speaking, therois.no such,thing as an individual claim dear and independent of thoitribal lights,;. Mr, Fraser went, on to further quote: "At & ropresen-i tative gathering of natives the -question submitted was:; 'Has a native a- ; strictly individual right to any particular. portion of land,, independent, and clear of the tribal right over, itV This question was answered in tuo - negative by twenty-seven witnesses, - including Sir Donald McLean, and by two. only in the affirmative." Briefly,; ho claimed,that the.clansmen, or the rank and file, are equally entitled if they havo exercised; tho rights,or ownership, and have held the responsibilities of ownership, with tho recognised chiefs, provided they have descended from the general ancestry.: On tho question of occupation,/he submit- , ted ; that if occupation,'. was . gauged by actual physical work, then many chiefs, many toa taua (braves), statesmen, • or administrators of tho affairs of a people would bo out of court. It:was recognised that thoso who were experts t in, eel-catching or bird-snaring. ', exercised that right for and on behalf of all the people.. The women may not have: taken that active part, but still held the responsible position of being tlio chief source from which the tribe derived its strength, and in the days oi the pure unadul- . terated Maori right was might, and tho only value of land being what it could produce. This also applied to women. Then all through the history of the native race it Was found that the source of all their-troubles, their antagonism, conflict, and - (on some occasions) annihilation was either land or women. ,-.,..: FREE PLACE. : i "Parliament," remarked the Hop. ' G.'Fowlds, Minister of Education, to an Auckland " Herald'', interviewer, " will be asked to give added length of time to children attending secondary schools. This will prove of great advantage to both master and child in, determining what kind of education is suitable for the child." . Tho first part of Mr Gray's motion, which was carried at the Education Conference, " That the kind of secondary instruc- . t tion to be attended by anyone holding a primary school leaving certificate be determined by the aptitudes and capacities discovered during the last three years of the primpiry school course," was an excellent ideal, but in his (Mr Fowlds') opinion was rather difficult to give effect to. As a matter of fact, the aptitude and capacity of a child for any wall:; in life might not be discovered until he had left a secondary school. "As to the question of raising the school age," said Mr Fowlds, " I think it very desirable that something of that kind should be done. -As a matter of fact, we have bad prepared for some time an amendment of the regulations giving effect to it. Wo Jiave, however, been holding this over pending an expression of opinion upon the part of the Education Conference. It is a matter for deep regret tha* such a largo proportion of children leave school with only a Fourth Standard certificate, and I am inclined to think that public opinion would supjiort tho raising of the standard of exemption from the ~. primary schools. However, in: matters of this kind it is j no use. going beyond what publio i opinion would support. In all probaI bility now, as the result of the con-

fercnccj's attitude, \vc shall bring in tho regulation."

NEWS NOTES

Tho postal authorities advise tliat the Victoria, which 1.-ft Sydney ou W» <lny for Auckland, has on board Kngli-ih mid Australia.il. mails for Wellmfton, which lire <lu<* hero on Monday ai'U-r----iruou by tho Mam Trunk: express.

Mr George Palmer's Jluapuna L-tafo ~f .IC',l -acres is tl-.o f.M laud aP<,i.ncd by tho Uovcramefinu. in tin.- Ash-burton ilistri-'t for twelve year.-. A cotiHidi-r----n.blu area in lite Twuuka district is now under offer to the Goveriimrfiut, and will shortly bo inspected by tho land pureliiif.e o'DicoTS.

The Victoria Colleso Officers Training Corps will hold an instructional camp at Trantb-um from l-VU'iui-ry 10'to lobrunry 125. It will be <m the lines of the recant camp at Wanjianui. .Major Lajcelles. chief of the Instructional .Staff, will be in charge as far as the tuition is coiucOTiied; while Captain licero will have control of the ctiinp lho corps wild proceed to tin; JairnsafliviUe Kitchener camp on tlio evening of the "break up" at Trent haul.

A tnaraiway return for the ears running- in Miraman- boroii-ii from October Ist last until lYbruary ->n,d was submitted to tire meeting of the toimicjl last ewiiidiis. It showed a loss o JJII 1/s ltd 011 Minimal- North line and a tram of JJIG lis I<l 011 the baitouii hue. 11 total pain of £i 5s t'd. The total ruulinng loss from April Ist, 11)00, to February iin-d IUIU, wais U-'alS 8s ad. Tlic extra Id 011. special cars on the Jliu-ainar north line Ikis increased the Tvycmie during that period by J£ila 12s ICd. Itcd deer stays may bo taken or killed within the Wairarapa part of the Welti rcifton acclimatisation district from the 2-tth Maroh to the 1-l-th May, 1910, both day.s inclusive, on a license fee of .£2 fur not more than four stays. Red deer stags and fallow deer bucks may bo taken or killed within tho Marlborough acclimatisation district from tlio 2-lth February to the iilrd April on a license fee of £1 for not Tnwre tha.ll. nil deer. In tlio Nelson district the dates for killing nj-e from February 2Utli to April 30th, w ';h similar license lee and conditions us in Mariboruitgli. The New Zealand Motor Cycle Reliability Trials will start at half-past six this morning. The course is from the Custom House, aloni; Feathers-ton street and Thorndou quay, on to the Ilutt road, thence by main road to Pahiatua, via Wairarapa. To-morrow a start will be made at G a.m. from Pahiatua, the course being via Mangabno bridge and Manaw-atu to tne top 01 Paekakariki hill. There will bo about thirty-tivo competitors, and they will be divk'cd into two classes—light weights (up to 2| h.p.) and heavy-weights (over aj li.-p.) Triumphs and Alotc Eol'OS •will bo the predominating machines. The oanfnraraco of delegates from the New Zealand Institute of Architects ami tho New Zealand Federated Builders' Association, -with reference to tho general coatditioniS of agroemeuit under which contracts are let in, the Dominion was continued yesterday. A number of amendments found necessary through, the experience of the last -five years -were agreed upon. The conference was held in committee and no official statement of the business transacted -was made. Tho visiting delegates mere entertained it a smoke concert last evoning at Godber's rooms. Mr Edward Hantaan, a young Wellington, mechanic, has in.ven.fced a iiow lifeboat, which is now being tested. The beat can hardly be called a thing of beauty, being constructed on raft lines. It is 25ft long, has a beam of Bft, and a d'rxugh't of Bin. It is built of wood, and has air-fciglit copper tanks for greater bmyamicy, and to provide against such an. aeoidamt as the staving in of tho hula, There are lockers for water, food, oars, etc., and tho construction of tho boast, is such that should she be upset, the ■jnissongers would have little difhcultv it getting back into lior. Tho invention i» patented.

At Wangainiui tm March 11th, there i\-ill bo open for selection on the- optionul system 15 lots of land in the Kangitacau block, ranging from «G to 18-17 'acivs, aaid S 8 lots in tlie South Woimarino block, in areas of from 350 to 1750 acres. In the Tuakira block there will be .three lota, areas from 1212 to 1257 acres j amd in block IX, Manotaki. 913 acres, for selection on renewable lease. At the Drill Hull. Wangsnui, on March JBt. there will be an auction of four core lots in the village of Kaketapaiuma; end at the same timo the lease of run Ko. 31, Karioi, 17G0 acres, will be submitted at aji upset rental of £li. Plans containing full partioularo may be obtained shortly at the principal post offices, aaul from the land office, Wellington. 2

The proposal to Substitute rating on unimproved value for the pTesent system of rating in rogue in the Upper Hurt town distriotis arousing «. considerable amount of opposition, especially on the part of owners and lessees of farm holdings. Representatives of this section on the Town Board were severely fcritical, at a meeting of the board on ■ Wednesday night, of the active participation of the board's olerk.V Mr A. .T, StcCurdy, in the agitation for the change. One member was so moved witlt indignation at the withholding of a letter asking that a booth be opened in Wellington on polling day (he inferring that Mr McCurdy wished to avoid affording Bity voters such a convenience) that he feiovod a resolution, which found, a seconder, affirming that the board had no bonfldence in its clork. The nctmgchairman ruled that the matter was of too serious a nature to be voted upon at any but a full meeting and refused to put the resolution. ,

T!h© Wcdlimgtcm. and Wairarapa United District Choiritaibl© Aid Board met yesterday. Present—Messrs K. C. ' Kirk (chairman), J. J. Devitne and F. Cohten. It was stated that the appofrtiomimio'nit of the district if or representataom ' under tho new Hospitals and Charitable Aid Board Act would be as folk>w»:—City, Kn.rori and Miramax, 10 representatives; Hutt county and Uppt-r Hutt Town Board, 1; Horowhetnua and Levin, 2; Hutt borough and Eastbourne, 1; Petoroe, 1; Makora, Jcßnecmville nn't Onslow, 1. Tho election of tho new board will take place on. MaTch 16th,, and the Act will come into force on April Ist. The present board wall hold ono more meeting before it expires. Tho financial statement showed that after the payman* of accounts amounting to .£IBB3 Is fid, there was a credit balance of .£9Bl fe Bd. A committee consisting of the chaarmau and Mr ?. J. Bovine was appoinited to frame estimates for the guidance of tho now board for tho ensuing Sear.

The. Blackball Coal Company hopes to export over 4000 tons of coal this week. Arrangements have been made, in. addition to shipments by the company's own steamer, for the Kini to take 600 tons, and the Kaitanguta about 1200 tons to-, wards the end of. the week (says the Greymouth correspondent of tho""Otago J>aily Kmes"). Evidence of the extraordinarily brisk denramid now existing for local coal is afforded in no unmistakable _ manner by tho number of vessels waiting alongside the Greymouth wharf taking in or waiting for cargoes. The outlook at present is a vory bright one, imd hopes are entertained of establishing a record coal export this week. The B.S. Cara, which arrived tit Wcstport from Newcastle on. Thursday of last week, received quick despatch. The Wcstport Coal Com pony put 900 tons of coal into her bunkers and she- got away on Friday for Ocean Island. As there was a rush for berthas© accommodation, trimmers went out into the roadntead with the Cara and completed the trimming. The mam wero brought ashore by the tug Mana. The Hornby Grange was ready for sea witfhSii 21 hours after arrival. With the coal supply anything liko free t!io facilities for handling vessels at West-port arc not exceeded in. anv pari of-. Australasia.

Yesterday morning the Fire Brigade was called oat twice to deal with goiso tires at Northland.

•:<!.:> annual ni<-nic of the Mount Cook school children and tin-ir friends lak<» place at llav's Hay to-day. Tho-c wiihti, x to attend will b<-' able to do so by boats leaving in the moriiing at !).1D and 10.15 and in the afternoon at 'i:.'M. I'orcival ibathwaite, remanded for sentence for the theft of a cashbox from the steamer Gertie, will bo further chafed to-dav with the theft m a bicycle, the proi«rtv of M.r John Coffer. Ralph aiaieombe, eoinmitted for trial on \\edne.-/lay, is to be further eliar-ed with stealing a watch and chain valued at .t'3 10s, the property or Mr iVaiik MeCoiivillc, engineer of the steamer lvomata.

in current district defence orders tho following circular from the AdjutautCleneral is published for general information :—Complaints have been received from the general manager, NewZealand railways, owing to volunteers fiilin- to return home at tho conclusion, of th" encampment for which their tickets -i're issuwl. 1" future when any parties are left behind for duty a Written order to that eftect should be handid to them by then- oiheer cciniuiauding, for presentation to the stationmaster when returning.

i "When Ilutt ultimately tumbles to ths aesthetic value 01 its sui-roundiugs--v.-hich it never has done yot, _ obsei\cd Dr l'urdy at last nights meeting of tho Jlutt tiolf Club, '-when it awakes to tho met that it has tho makings of one ot the most beautiful promenaded m inc. countrv along tins river banks, and when hundreds of people are coming o'-it 'to enjoy it, those golf links will be a great asset." He could foresee tho day when these things would come to puss, and whon they would have the greatest difficulty in preventing the visitors crowding their links. "Anxious Hnquirer" puts this poser to a southern contemporary: "It a young nri.n lias a strong young wife, with whom ho cannot live, and a weak old widowed mother,—wdiioh should he Ktipport 111 idleness and luxury, aind which should he let starve?" And tho shrewd scribe I answers thufly: "Let my anxious 011miiver induce the husband to be recoil; oiled to his wife, recover possession or 1 hi" child, nourish and cherish his aged mother: and Mien, if other trouble should come, let him put that into his j pipe and smoke it."

Halley's brilliant comet, to which very treat interest attaches, is (writes the Kov P. W .Walker, P.R.A.S., to the Auckland "Herald") still clearly visible —through an astronomical telescope ot moderate power—in the western sky riiartlv after sunset. On two occasions last week, and again on Monday, "at about B p-m., I had tho pleasure of ■olEFrving this celestial stranger. It may be found about four degrees from, and a little to the west of, tho planet Saturn. Tho comet, which.at present is tailless, presents a beautiful nebulous appearance, is somewhat circular in shaoe, and in size is about, twice the diameter of the planet Jupiter. Tho Lux Light Company wish it known that tho 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, 33. Pearce and Co., R. Hannah and Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux replaced the latest devices in lighting). House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000 candlepower 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street'(back of Opera House.), Wellington.