CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7450, 26 May 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

AFP AXES IN GREECE. Tho following is an extract from a letter received by Mr Frank Dyer, ViceConsul for Greece, from a friend of his in Athens, a prominent Greek .merchant, Mr M. V. Maniakis. Writing with regard to Greek politics he says:—“Matters politically are now very quiet. Our Assembly is just working on certain clauses of the constitution, and after these are completed will close this extraordinary cession. The Government is working very hard reorganising tho National forces. Next week i® expected to arrive here Vice-Admiral Mr Lionel Tufnell with four lygh naval officers (all English) to organise our navy, and later on some more naval officers will come. For the army wo have now General Endonx with about twenty officers (all French), and .they are now very busy in reorganising the army. Next summer will take place at Thessaly the manoeuvres of the second corps, 32.000 strong. Queen Alexandra will arrive at Corfu during Easter week, and.will he the guest of the Greek Royal family. The German Royal family will also be , there, staving in their villa 'Acheillion/ and Corfu will be full of visitors owing to the advent of these Royal personages.” THE MINING INDUSTRY. The Hon: R. McKenzie, Minister of Miners, speaking at the Gabriel's Gully celebrations, said a great deal was done now by tile Government for tho development of the mining industry of the country. The old settlers, who came to the. country before the pioneer miners had no idea that tho country was going to produce gold 1 to the value of nearly *080,000,000, 1 aid. New Zealand was. he considered, not settled to one-tenth of tho extent it should be. Ho referred to the Minors’ Relief Fund, in connection with which legislation .had been' passed last session. Ho had been told that the Otago men would have nothing to do with it because it 'was- only intended to afford relief -to quartz miners. Having been a minor himself, his sympathies were with the miners, and he had considered that they were entitled to something more than the old ago pension Ho had therefore had provision made on the statute' book for relief to the extent of 12a Gd per 'week being paid to miners who were, compelled to cease work through accident or sickness. If a miner died his wife or family also benefited under the scheme. (Applause). The old age pension did not provide for this, and this applied to every miner in New Zealand. ; MOUNT COOK. Mr T. Murphy, the well-known alpine guide, is at present in Hokitika on a visit. He reports that the recent mountaineering season has been a most successful one in all respects, the revenue at the Hermitage having been over .£7OO above the best previous record, while the increased number of tourists has included a larger proportion of visitors from other countries, among them boing many leading Australians. He also states that the foundations of tho new Hermitage, which is to be constructed ( in ferro-conorete, are now being laid, and that the great improvement in accommodation and convenience which the new structure will provide will further greatly popularise the Mount Cook resort, and result in a short time in a substantial' 7 increase in the tourist traffic. Among the, principal visitors during , tho past season have been tile Hon. , AV. H. Hughes (the Acting Prime Minister of the Commonwealth) and. the Hon. Mr Batchelor (another Federal Minister, who is at present in London representing Australia at the Coronation). Dr Napier McLean, of Wellington, made a lengthy stay at the resort, remaining over most of-the season, and doing a great deal of climbing. EXPERIENCES AT SAN FRANcfISCO. A number of third-class passengers by the Manuka evaded the Customs and immigration, authorities when .the vessel berthed at' the wharf at San Francisco. The passengers had not received permission' to land, but nothing officially was done till an hour and a half before the* Manuka was to sail for AVellington. At the instance of the immigration officials, blame boing attached to the muster and purser, Captain Neville and his purser, Mr George, were taken into custody. After an inquiry they were released. and permitted to rejoin their vessel. At -San Francisco ten stewards and two firemen deserted from the Manuka. The. stewards went to Alaska, where they were promised *£l2 a month on passenger steamers. The Sah Francisco papers "boomed” the first visit of the Manuka, and published photos of the vessel and Captain Neville. PISCICULTURE. 1 Mention is made in the annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society to be presented at Monday night's meetine that last season 550,000 brown trout ova were obtained from the Government hatchery at Hakataramea, and

125,090 rainbow ova from "Rotorua. The ova arrived in good condition, and hatching commend'd about June 15th, resulting in 470,500 brown and 110,050 rainbow fry. ‘ The brown fry, with the exception oi those retained for yearlings, were liberated in the society’s district, as also were 3320 yearlings from Masterton, and 1100 from Akalarawa. The rainbow fry was sent to the Hawke’s Bay society, with the exception of <loou to Mangawoka. Brown yearlings now at the Masterton ponds number about 5000, and are doing well. Those at Akatarawa have been lib-rated,, but, unlike the previous lot, were not a succtss, numbering'only about 300 out of about 5000 fry put in. Fish do well in this pdml, but need more attention than can be bestowed upon them tinder present conditions. During the early part ol the season fishing was fairly good, particularly in the Wairarapa, but the exceedingly dry summer militated very much against the latter portion. The lease of the Masterton fish ponds expires in July, 1913, and at the request of th© council the Government has agreed to allow the Inspector of Fisheries (Mr Ayson) t 6 visit and report upon various suggested sites for a new hatchery, which sliould be initiated during; the coming year.