CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7914, 25 September 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

A BETTERMENT BILL. The Prime Minister has been asked , by Mr Hogan, M.P. for AVanganui, whether, in view of tho statement made by him to the Marlborough deputation relative to the difficulty in obtaining lands for settlement, he will introduce a Betterment Bill dealing with increased unimproved land values, otherwise called the “unearned increment.” FATAL MINING ACCIDENTS. The number of fatal mining accidents last year was much higher than usual, being no fearer than sixteen. It is not intended, says the Inspector of Mines, to excuse this bad fortune, for no good purpose can be served, thereby. The importance of greater caution on the part of all concerned,. including inspectors, mine officials and employees, cannot ho too strongly impressed. Xt is not sufficient that conditions bo reasonably safe, ultra-safety should be insisted upon. The verdicts at tho inquests on fifteen of the deceased were “ Accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone,” the sixteenth verdict being “Suffocation by misadventure this, no doubt, is satisfactory from the officials’ point of view. Ten lives were lost by falls in mines due to the difficulty of finding a safe and economical method of extracting coal from the extremely thick seams in New Zealand. Special attention, however, has been given to ventilation and sanitation, and for fourteen' years no Kfo has been lost by fire-damp explosions, which are rare owing to tho shallow depth of the coal seams, Tho engineer remarks that ankylostomiasis, the hook-worm disease, is unknown in New Zealand mines, and pneumoconiosis (miners* phthisis) has not been contracted in any local collieries. TERRITORIAL PARADES. General Godley, in a letter to Mr A. Boyle, quoted at the meeting on Thursday night when tho Canterbury branch of tho Sports Protection League was formed, referred to the requirements of the Defence Act- with to the attendance of territorials at parades. General Godley wrote that the requirements were that each man shall do, yearly, .six whole day parades, each of which lasts six hours; or twelve half-day parades, each of which, lasts three hours. “ For the ensuing summer,” ho continued, “ as- our scheme is starting when the military year (which ends on May 31st) has already gone, the requirements will be only half' the above amount—namely, three whole day parades or six half day parades. These may not necessarily all be on a Saturday, but even supposing they were, you will see

from what X have said that your young cricketers would only bo asked to give us throe or four Saturday afternoons during .the ensuing "season, and I think you will agree with ms that this is not an unreasonable demand.” .MB, FISHER’S ACCURACY? On Friday night, when tho Legislative Council was under discussion in the House of Representatives, Mr Fisher said the Secret Commissions Bill had actually been lost in the Council, it had “ been laid aside inadvertently, much as one sometimes lost' an umbrella.” A moment’s reflection should have served to remind Air Fisher that he was formulating. not against the Legislative Council, but against its officers, a charge of reckless carelessness. The incident he was referring to belonged to the 1908 session. Tho Secret Commissions Bill was received in the Legislative Council by message on October 9th, and read a Erst time, and its second reading made an order of tho day for tho 10th. On the 10th, on the motion of tho AttorneyGeneral, .the Bill was referred to a Select Committee, composed as follows: The Hon, Mr Beohan, the Hon. Mr Gallon, the Hon. Mr Jcnkinson. tho Hon. Mr Jofmsfcon, the Hon. Air Louisson and the mover. On tho same day the Appropriation Bill was brought down, and on tho 12th Parliament was prorogued, and tho Bill is duly recorded as being amongst those that wore “dropped, or otherwise disposed of.” This is a ( ; short history of the Bill that Mr Fisher says was “ laid aside inadvertently, much as one sometimes loses an umbrella.” THE STORY OF A WATCH. ■ Tho following letter, received by Mr James HcLay, the schoolmaster at Warepa, has been handed to tho “dutha Free Press ” for publication:—“ Family Hotel, Foxton, September 15th, 1911. The Schoolmaster, AVarepa. Dear Sir,—l am talons . the UJjerty. of- writinS jtQ^roa.ro

a gold watch and chain. I was cleaning a drain out, looking for a stoppage, when I found it. • It was presented to Wm. "Waddell, M.A., at AVarepa. in ISSI. If you could look up some of the old identities you may bo able to find where he is, if alive. The watch must havo been in the ground for a nnmbor of year's, but is in good order and repairable. lam going to get it fixed up. and any information you can get hold of will be gladly received. Hoping to hear from von at an early date, —Yours faithfully,'' - Henry S. Munre, Family Hotel, Foxton. P.S.—I think it must havo been stolen and planted—H.S.M. "AVe understand/' adds the "Press," "that Mr Waddell (one of the ‘old identities' of tho Clutha) died in Australia about fifteen years-ago; but his widow (who married again) and his son are still alive. Mr McLay intends to try and get their address and forward it to the finder of tho watch, in order that this most interesting relic may bo restored to its rightful owners. We havo since learned that tho son (Wm. Waddell jun.) is in Queensland, and his mother (now Mrs George Henderson) is living in retirement at Hyde, on tho Parramatta, near Sydney. The watch was lost by Mr Waddell, supposedly in Dunedin, twentyfivo years ago.”

ATTRACTIONS AT TAHPO. Telegraphing to the Prime Minister apropos of acclimatisation mutters, Mr G. P. Donnelly, of Hawke’s Bay, says: "Having personally gone over deviations on Taupo road over Titeo-knri with Government district engineer, would personally recommend further sum being placed on Estimates to complete deviation - work before next tourist season. When completed Titeo-kuri would be tho best grade on Taupo road. As Taupe waters are now well and almost overstocked with fish, it would bo .great boon to Wellington, Auckland and whole Do; minion if small freezing or cold chambers he erected at southern end of lake, to enable .fish to bs stored until such time as it could, be got away by coach and rail. Understand erecting small plant would not be expensive. Assistance might also be given to private company, in making similar, works at Taupo. This would also be a great boon to tho district and to whole community. Would personally urge on Government to take stops to protect the spurs of the Buahine and Kaimanawha ranges from being stripped of their bush. The land is very poor, and the bush, principally black birch, of no value, and it is at present a shelter for native birds, besides ensuring rainfall in southern portion of North Island. Should these ranges be denuded of bush, I feel sure it would have great influence on climate and rainfall.”

S ENROLMENT OF SEAMEN. Comment was rife on Thursday at Port Chalmers, says the Dunedin “Star," on the fact that application had been made for the enrolment of the crew of the oversea steamer Oraxi on the doctoral roll. The vessel is laid up at Port Chalmers, and although sho will probably bo the first ship to load this season’s wool for the Loudon market, she is not likely to leave the Dominion until : after the coming general election. ~ The Chari belongs .to the New Zealand, Shipping Company, the crew of whoso vessel Opawa, it will Ire remembered, were enfranchised prior to the last general election . At that time the court decided that as the bulk of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s scrip was registered in New Zealand the crews of that company’s vessels were entitled to enrolment under the’ Electoral Act, . provided the inen had served for twelve months on these vessels. A deputation from Port Chalmers recently waited on Sir James Carroll and asked that tho Electoral Act should be so amended that cases similar to that of tho enfranchising of the crew of the Opawa might not. recur. The Acting Prime Minister told the deputation that the matter would receive due consideration. In connection with the enfranchising of the crews of oversea steamers, a reporter’s attention was called to the fact that a sailor who has resided in New Zealand for : the past eight'months lias been refused enfranchisement. Ho was not eligible for enrolment, although he had been previously trading regularly to New Zealand for seventeen years in the Shaw, Savrlt steamers. Had he been twelve months on tho New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamers he would have been eligible for enrolment without his eight months re- : snionoo in tho Dominion*,