AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8793, 1 May 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND.

(Fitoar Ovu Own Connnsi'ONDENT.)

April 24. Iliu Excellency tho Governorand the vice-rega! party, it is anticipated, will shortly leave for the seat of Government, at all events early in May. I hear it is his intention to ride overland in otdor to get a better knowledge of the country. Lord

Oiiblow is still interesting himself in many of

tho s-jcial institutions of the city, mid making himself deservedly papular. Tho military sports

thu other day owed thtir inauguration solely to his influence and energy. They were the moans of bringing together tho country and city corps, permanent force, and police, in competition of a friendly character, and thus were the means of promoting good will among the different branches of.tho service Owing to tho financial success of the gathering it is intended to make these competitions an annual one. As his Excellency laid the foundation stono of the Costley Home

for tho Aged Poor, advantage was taken of his fitay in Auckland to open it formally now that it has been erected. Lord Onslowmadeanexcellent speech on the occasion, but his suggestion that a monument be erected in Lonour of old Mr Coatley is not likely to bo carried out; the gone-

ral opinion is that the public institutions blessed by his beque3ts will sufficiently perpotuato his memory, and that it would be a useless expenditure of money which can ho ill afforded in these times.

Dr Newman, M.H.U., who came through by

the Central railway route to Auckland, received a courteous hearing at tho Chamber of Commerce from tho citizens, when he addressed

them on tho subject of the central route and the desirability of Auckland and Wellington comiug to a mutual understanding next session as to what steps should be taken to open up the interior by roads pending the completion of the North Island Trunk railway. It 13 agreed on all hands that the scheme he proposes is a desirable one (although all the details may not be approved of) provided it can be carried out without further borrowing. Whether Auckland aud Wellington can ever agree upon a common basis oE action ia another mutter; and owing to their mutual jealousies it ia feared that nothing practical will come out of Dr Newman's suggestions. He is, however, sanguine and enthusiastic, snd is throwing all his energies into the work, believing that his proposal.", if carried out to their legitimate result?, will revolutionise the faco of the North Island. A mass of information is being collected concerning the Central railway routij which will be of service to the Legislature when the question comes up again for consideration next session. That information is likely to dissipate many prejudices which have hitherto prevailed ag to the character of part of the territory through which the Central line runs. Sir CJsorge Whitmore, who was in Auckland at the time of Dr Newman's visit, outlined a scheme he has in view for the settlement of the interior, and professed himself ready to give further details if required for carrying it out. A suggestion was made that SirGeorgeshouldlay the details of his scheme before the chamber at the time that Dr Newinau delivered his address, but through some cause or other he did not comply with the request. So far as can be gathered from Sir George's letter, his proposals would

involve another "little loan," and any further borrowing is distasteful to tha Auckland people at ths present moment.

A number of aspiring politicians are feeling the pulse of various electorates in view of political eventualities. Before bis departure for England, Mr Shepherd Allen, ex-M.l 1., addressed the electors! of Te Aroha. Ho is a Freetrader, in favour of secular and compulsory education, an auti-property tax man, bub not quite decided in favour of a laud tax. The claims he put forward to be returned was liio previous parliamentary experience, extensive stalte in the district, and desire to do further work of a public character. He received a vote of thanks.. As there aro half a dozen aspirants for the Te Aroha, including the two old goldfields members. Colonel Frazer and Mr Cadni3n, Mr Allen is likely to have a lively time of it, and will be heavily handicapped by his absence meanwhile in England. Mr W. L. Rees is bringing himself before the public by a series of papers in the press on " A policy for a National Party in New Zealand." He believes the liase is opportune for a National movement, and the formation of a National party. His proposal* are not particularly startling, and contain scarcely anything uaw, but he regards finance and self-government as the two questions of the hour. It is quite on the cards thot Mr Rees will woo the "free and independent" of the city, and he is therefore putting himself in evidence, and informs tho "hovuyhanded " that " all his thoughts and hopes tend

in tho direction of the prosperity and happiness of the toilers and workers who do all the tedious and irksome labour, and reap so little of its rewards." Mr Goldie is quite fixed iv his inten-

tion to retire from parliamentary duty, but Mr Peacock, who was understood to havo made the same resolve, informs me that ho has not yet

definitely made up his miad. Ho will be entirely guided by eventualities at tho geueral election; aud the same may be said of Mr Frank Lawry (Franklin North), who has done good service as representing the .agricultural interests.

The annual meeting of the Board of Education took place the other dny, and Mr Upton, the chairman, retired iv fjvour of Mr Udy. During tho past year Mr Uptou has effected a great number of reforms. He has made a saving of £3000 a year on the expenditure (£80,000) by the readjustment of the teaching staff. This has been effected by replacing assistants with pupil teachers, nnd by sending lady teachers to a number of the country schools. With the exception of four or five teachers now under notice, the whole staff, except the pupil teachers, havo been classified. Of the 573 teachers 261 are classified B, while.

133 are classified D, One reform which Mr Upton shrank from attempting was the prohibition of private tuition by head masters; but Mr Udy, the new chairman, intends investigating

that business with a view of. dealing with it, as also with some of the occasional abuses arising out of head masters taking no part iv tho actual teaching work of the school. Mr Udy has a good record as a business man, and is credited with having sufficient backbone to grapple with vested interests, or with any abuses which require rectification, Mr D Goldie was looked upon as the coming man

for the chairmanship, but he has absolutely declined to look at the work till he has ceased to be a member of the General Assembly.

It was hoped that the establishment of the Tailotesses' Union would improve the status and social condition o£ several hundred youpg women iv this city without recourse to a strike. This anticipation has not, however, been realised. So far the sympathy of the public is with tlie strikers, and there is little doubt that the union will win in the end in the endeavour to protect the rights of labour without injuring those of capital. The dispute is carried ou on both sides in a legitimate manner, and there have bsen no sort of threats on the part of either employers or employed. At tho meetings of the uuiou cordial reference has beeu mado to the services rendered by the Duneclin Union and the generous spirit manifested by it, and these tokens of friendship are highly appreciated. It is intended, if possible, to carry out the strike without recourse to outside assistance. The Auckland Union has now close on 300 members, and is sieadily increasing the r^l of membership.

It is said the strikers will have no difficulty in finding work elsewhere, one firm alone stating that it can employ 200 girls extra. The stiike is likely to be confined to very small limits, as the great bulk of the manufacturers have aceppted the log, though not agreeing with all its details as a substantial adjustment of the rates of labour iv the departments of the trade affected by it.

There is considerable improvement in the mining industry, a;.d many of the mines iv which prospecting and unproductive works have been iv progress for some time past now show prospects of increasing the output of gold. It is probable that prospecting and working in. the Kuatonu district, Mercury Bay, will have to be, to some extent, abandoned during the winter season. The most of the miners are simply working men, without the means of erecting machinery, and as the crushing stuff will not run over loz to the ton it will not pay to bring it out to tho Cororaandel batteries. Mr Withe-

ford has again left for Australia to induce some of the Australian capitalists to invest in our mill's, on a plan which l-e has outline). Tfltre is do doubt tint an accession of outside capital would give the mining industry sv great stimulus st the present time. Little or nothing is heard of the Puhipuhi silver mines at present. Owing to the rough character of the country, ami tho want of roads, it is not expected that any great results need be looked for till next (summer. Some of the miners I have conversed with are, however, verysaoguino, and are mortgaging their freehold farina to secure their claims, freliug satisfied that when the] reaU are thoroughly opened up

;hey will be remunerated for all their toil,

The " Holiness" controversy ha-_eniivcned the columns of th« daily press, and the squabble between Pastor Birch and Mr Vurley has done

the latter good rather than otherwise. Some of the Wesleyin ministers havo sympathised with Mr Birch in the attitude which he assumed, but as tlio two disputants havo since become

reconciled and "buried the hatchet," all's woll

that ends well. Mr Varley's lectures on the social evil hive caused a great sensation, owing

;o his handling the subject without gloves. It

is probable that during his tour South he will jjo as fur as Dunedin, having now abandoned hia intention, for the, present, of goiog to tlio United States on a lecturing tour. Pastor Birch has not- yet fixed up matters with his cfliorre and congrepatiou, who :ire not strong on

the Holiness dogma. Ha bus explained that the words which he used, and which gave

offence, were used in a Pickwickian sense, and tho oflicors have accepted tiio cxpUna'ion vouchsafed in a strictly Pickwickian fa>hion, consequently something like au armed truce exists. The worthy pastor has made a raid upon the Huntly coal miners, and dropped upon them playing football on the Suuday, " for want of means of grace." In order to spare themselves any further admonitions they are co-operating with him to build a mission hall, which is to be open to all denominations, from tho Infallible to the Salvation Army. The weather during tho past fortnight has been the worst, for the season of the year, wo have had within tho memory of the oldest inhabitant.

Tho meteorological records have been searched in

rain to L'nd a north-easter, with rain, which has lasted nearly a fortnight. As a rule they generally expend themselves in 48 hours, or at the very most in three days; but on the present occasion it seemed as if "the windows of heaven were opened," and it rained and blow wpek in and week out, with but scant intervals of cessation. Sports, public functions, &c, were twice or tlirice postponed, while picnickers were beleaguered down the coist and uniblo to get back to Auckland for nearly a week. The Wellingtonians now feel comforted, while thoAueklanders are a trifle less ready to talk about the windy empire city " somewhere in Cook Strait." Fortunately the weather has now taken up, and in all probability we will have fine weather right up till the end of May, Tho steady rain has not been without its compensation, as it has entirely renewed the pastures, and has given tho farmers assuranco of splendid winter feed. Tho dairy-' men wera just about to rai.--e the price of milk, or rather of milk and water, as tho recent prosecutions indicated, when the bounteous rain deprived them of their excuse.

Owing to the severity of the weather death has been busy, especially among those with weak chests and lungs. Influenza has been rife, but there lias been no well-established local case of la grippe. Among the sudden deaths has been that of one of pur oldest pioneer settlers, Mr Allan Kerr Taylor, an ex-member of the General Assembly. The deceased gentleman was o good fiettjer in every sense of the term, taking an interest inoverythingpertainingto the welfare of his district, and will be f;rently missed. His Excellency Lord Onslow was represented by his aide-de-camp at the funeral, and thoughtfully forwarded a letter of condolence to the bereaved widow and her fatherless children. Another ex-member, Mr 8. Locke, also died suddenly. Latterly his career had become somewhat chequered, and it was feared that ho had inadvertently takeu an overdose of laudanum, he having been in the habit of taking it for insomnia. Thepost mortem, however, showed that death arose from natural causes. Mr Locke felt very much his treatment l>y the Government over the opening of tho Uriwera country, and contemplated at the tiiiin of his death going to Wellington to eeo the Nativo Minister regarding it. His belief was that his services and representp.tions wero ignored, while other parties wero endeavouring to utilise his work to further their ovn personal ends and ambitions.

So far as the agricultural statistics have come to hand, there appears to be a falling off in the area of cultivated land. This is markedly so as regards grass land. It is not quite clear what is the real cause of this state of affairs, though some, as usual, attribute it to the Property Tax Act, and aver that settlers are deliberately letting their farms go back to diminish the operation of the impost The Waikato settlers have had so many losses in attempting the cultivation of wheat, that many of them intend to give no the experiment. Their great mi3take_ has been holding their wheat for a risa which never came, and thus losing the turn of the market.

In tho way of amusements there is little io be saifl. The Lord Fauntleroy Company had a very good season at the Opera House, all classes going to see little Lord Fauntleroy, down to a party from Bishopscourt, while at tbe matinee might bo seen Lord Onslow'is little daughters, Lady Gwendoline and Lady Dorothy, perched among tha youngsters. Auother musical society, the Auckland Orchestral Union, has been added to the list already existing1, and held its first concert the other evening, under the contluctors'uip of Mr Vague, a medallist of the Royal Academy of Music. It is hoped it will have a useful career before ifc in the cultivation of a love of high class music,