TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9746, 24 January 1908, Page 1

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

I (Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, January 23. [ The Conference of professional musicians was continued to-day, when a number of amendments were made to Mr I. K. Sidey's Bill, wliich was introduced in the llotise last session, but dropped out on account of the opposition shown. to it. The amendments made are to lie forwarded to Mr Sidey. The conference discussed the ijue.stion of the need for an improved method of teaching singing in, the public primary schools, and a committee was set up to devise some plan of dealing with the mattor, and submit the same by a personal interview to the Education Department. It was decided' that- if the Musicians Hill does not become law before 1909 a conference will be held in Auckland in January of that year either for social, educational, or legislative purposes. At its meeting to-night the Victoria College Council appointed Mr James Adamson, M.A., LL.B., Ed in., to the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law at the College. Mr Adamson had a distinguished career at Edinburgh University. In 18954 he earned off the Muirhead prize, and ill 1895-6 was Assistant Professor of Scots Law. In 1895 he obtained his LL.B. degree with distinction, gaining first place in every law subject except one. In the same year lie was called to the Scottish Bar. Mr Ad'-amson's testimonials from the leading J'-vdinburgh professors are of the highest. Professor J. Rankin, K.C., LL.I)., one of the most prominent Jaywcrs in the United Kingdom, and' Professor of Scots Laws at Edinburgh University, considers Mr Adam-sc-n to have been one" of his best pupils. Mr Adamson is 37 years old. He is expected to arrive in Wellington towards the end of March.

By proclamation in to-night's Gazette the importation of grapes is prohibited, except from Australia. Every shipment of grapes from Australia must be accompanied by a certificate signed by an officer of the Department- of Agriculture in the State from which the grapes are shipped certifying that such gripes were grown in that State, that 110 phylloxera is known to exist in or within one mile of the vineyard where such grapes were grown, and that no grape vine, foliage or wood i» attached to such grapes. Tiie gold entered for export during last year amounted to 508,210 ounces. Tallied at £2.027,490. The figures for 1906 were 563,8-13 ounces, valued at £2.270,904. The reappointment of Mr Charles Louissoii, of C-hristchurch, to the Legislative Council, is gazetted to-night. The Gazette fixes tlie weight of grain sacks at 200lbs.

Dt'NKDIN. January 23. The following resolution was passed at an executive meeting of the Ota go Kmployers' Association thisafteniooii: —"That as some of the inspectors of factories arc interpreting section 14 of the Factories Act Amendment Act as constituting a weekly employment, and as such a con slruction, if given effect to, would, have a very serious effect upon lhe manufacturing industries of the Dominion, the executive of the Otago Kmployers' Association is of opinion that the first case brought upder this section should be treated as a test case and taken up by the New Zealand Kmployers' Federation, and contested along the lines of the following judgment (which lays it down that a full week must be worked before a worker is entitled to a full week's pay): Lindsay v. Mollison and Co., book of awards, vol. \ .. page 280: Inspector of Factories v. Whitcombe and Tombs, Labor Journal, September 1907. page 1142: and the Auckland tailors v. B. J. M. Kcjnp. Labor Journal, December, 1907, page 1574 : and further, that, in the meantime all wages, with the exception of apprentices, be paid according to the custom prevailing previous to the passing of the Amuidment Act."

omwsTCiirßGii. .January 2 ? >. A proposal to purchase the H-mk of New Zealand corn**!* for widening C'o)oinl>o street w.'is submitted tr> the ratepayers to<b\y. but \vn<? rej-e<;t(vl by ?i majority. J he amount involve! wvis JD15.000. At" Civ LA NIX Jauu.'iry 23. The fact that Justices of the I'eacc aiv n:)w omitted from tho list of those a.u.Miorito take or witness ;ni ad valorem declaration under the Justices of the lVnce Act was referred to at to-day's meeting of the Council of the Auckland Cham-tar of Oomimeree by Mr S. J. Nathan, lie said that- Justices of the Peace were entitled to take other declarations of a much more responsible nature, and in the interests of the public convenience they surely be trusted to take declarations iu regard t> customs matters, especially as this had been the practice for some time past. Mr > I/Fa rla itc sa id t lie aut hoii ty previously given to justices of the peace had proved of considerable convenience to .importers. It- was resolved to make representations on the nutter to the Minister in charge.

TIMAKU, j January 25. At a public meeting to-night it was decided to g.ive a banquet (free to all) to the Hon. W. Hall-Jones on bis return to Timnrn next week. A large committee was appointed to carry out the arrangements. WANGAXUI, January 25. The Rev. K. Ward who has been acting Vicar of Christ's Church for the past year, and who is leaving for the Gisborne district, was presented by the parishioners to-night with a purse of sovereigns', and the Young Men's Christian Asocsiation presented him with a. combination clock, barometer. and thermometer, also an illuminated address. DANXKVIRKE, January 23. A. peculiar situation lias arisen in the Borough Council. The whole of the Council, with the exception of the Mayor, agreed upon the work of regrading and improving the main street of the town. A petititon was presented asking that the work be not gone on with, but councillors decided that, in view of the necessity for the work, the prayer of the petition could not be acceded to. * Later the .Mayor refused to put the motion that the work be proceeded with, and a dead-lock lias arisen. A special meeting was again held to-night to further discuss it, but again, the Mayor refused to put the motion. Councillors all united in opposing the action of the Mayor, and it is possible no borough business will be transacted until the Mayor gives way.