AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10273, 2 February 1895, Page 7

AUCKLAND.

(FnoM Odb Own CoEHESPOSnKKT.) Januory 21

The How. MrCadiuan lia* jus* completed hin tour o£ the lhames goliltielda in arranging details regarding local works which nave been authorised by vote of Assembly, and soring personally what other atepe require to ba taken for giving access $o certain' districts. The Paeroa-Te Aroba oSbtion of railway hai ao far advanced that he was able to proceed from Poeroa to To Aroba on the ballast truck of the line. Ha lias alsa taken' steps to commence work on Thompson's* bract, which will bring the Tauranga district in connection with the Te Aroba-VVaikato railway system. Mr Cadman has now left, via Rotoraa, for the Uriwera country. Our Arswa gueslio' have returned to Rotoraa, delighted wi6h tSeir vititi. to AuoVltod'. The mayor is not over well pleated with tile action of the PVemter in the business^ ai> ha considers that he we.B treated with scant courtesy, and that, as the' Premter arranged' for the visit of the Arawas to Auckland, they v/eta Mr Seddon's guests and not those at the city of Auckland. As matters- havo- tamed out r the city has had to pay the little biff, but when the matter comes up in the City Council it )3 espectdd that there' will be *ome tolerably plain speaking on t'ao subject. The litayor* hoWfivef, rnado^ the besli 'of the position', and contrived' that the-visit of thft Natives should biJ made as useful' to them a« poßsible. A number of the Auckland manufacturers and tra'uetimen aided the mayor in thw respect;- and the- Araiw«9-»-maiiy- of whotn had not visited Auckland previously—were i-hown over the leading industrial I'ttahVishmonts of the city, the dooks, and the men-of-wair in porfr. It is believed that the, kindly treatment they, icocived wil,f onuso them to modify the system of blAckmsil in forca in the Lake country, and causa them to lire it tourists with more consideration than- they have hitherto done. G«ve>ri\tt|ent are . bringing pressure to bear o.i thV' Natives to modify their exorbitant tariff for aiKUig fcUa n'atdrsl wonders of the Kotorua dhdrJof., and With' con»ider*bJe Bucce»s. A survey pa.-ty is »6 pessunt in the district, and wherever the Natives refusa to listen to rejson1 as to cfc-rges and' modify their BCiile, steps will be taken to lay ouS public roads up to the " show plsces." This policy has already brought the Natives ia several localities to terras, and, if enforced' *ith impartiality and! fifmness, should be geuerally sue-' Cfcsuful. The greatest case- of obstruction is' likely to be iv the Witiut&pu Valley, where the rival factions of Native owaers have black-' mailed tourists for years' past.

It is gratifying t» find that the traffic on the' newly-opened B'eetion of the KdtoruA railway is' regarded, both ss regards paetengers ami goods,! «s satisfactory. R»tes for jjoadV IJo Rutartbr hive been reduced about one-half of those ruling of late years. Formerly the rss rente by' **y of Tauranja, and thenca by dray to Rotorua, competed successfully with the railway whoa the Una only extended to Oxford ; but with through communication the traffic by the East Coast route has slmoit wholly ceased. The' railway ha-* praciifially captured the carrying, trade to the Lake eaontry, and from the contour" of the country muafc necessarily hold it successfully. Already the railway in giviug a stimulus to settlemeot on the Taupo plateau, and if a water supply system were perfected and the* blocks roaded a great extension of settlement! would be the result, back to Horohoro, on the Taupo road. Explorers of that section' oE country spsak highly of it, both for agricultural! purposes and grazing; while the splendid fore3t» contain most valuable timbers. It is from this district; that the magnificent supplies of rimu are obtained which are used for carriage-bnildttrg at t&e railway workshops ati Newmarket and elsewhere.

In this connection it may be mentioned thai the shipment of timber by the i.s. Mamari for the London market, prepared by the Kauri Timber Company, i« one of ths finest which has ever left Auckland.' Every care has been taken, both ss to sizes. and seasoning, to meet the requirements of the English market, and tho knowledge thus acquired should' be valuable in doaling with any farther shipments.. Tests which have been made by. the Harbour Board in the blocking of the wharves for purposes of experiment conclusively prove that our timbera are admirably, adapted for such uses, and that with ordinary judgment in preparation and selection.a remunerative market should be obtained.

Oning to the reduction of fares to Kotorua at excursion titiiet tha Te Arofca residents are beginning to cry oat, aiid tig eosiplaiuing thai the Government are showing a preference for booming the former diitriet to the injury of their sanatorium and public baths. Hitherto Te Arena bag had a very fair share of patronage owing to the reputation of its mineral waters and the extreme moderation of charges to touriatl* but the facilities now given for railway travel te Botorua, and the bringing of its thermal wonders within easy access of the citizens of Auokland, is giving it an advantage ovvt the Uppsr Thames goldfield health resort.

The attempt to fix th» statutory half-holiday in Auckland under the Shops and Shop Assistants Act has ended in one of the greatest complications and muddles which has yet taken place, and it is hard to see how' A satisfactory solution of the question can be found, or one which will even reasonably satisfy all parties. The citizens are practically arrived into two hostile ctaips, e'iicK endeavouring at the expense of the other to minimise the pecuniary loss they will sustain through the enforcement of the law, and assailing each other with a bitterness and a rancour which has hitherto been unparalleled in the carrying out of what some regard as a social reform. The mayor of Auckland has been brought to loggerheads with the City Council through their declining to appoint delegates, and " legal opinions" are flying ab'diit iii all directions. His Worship vigorously denounced the council tor a lack of moral courage in dealing with the question, ill throwing the onus on the tJovettiuleut, when every other large centre of population in the colony had accepted and fulfilled their responsibilities under the act. Borne cariosity is manifested as to what will be the next development. The section clamouring for Saturday are in hopes that ths City Council will back down and reconsider and rescind their recent decision.

There has been a. " ctorm io a teapob" over the candidature of Mr J. Kirker, general manager of the South British Insurance Company, to a vacancy oa the board of tlie Auckland Savings Bank. He has the reputation pf being a very capable raau of business, and his acceaeicu to the board would have been of value to the bask, but Mr J. is.: Bfiera, one of tlie trustees, objected on the ground that five of the directorg of the South British were already on the board. He carried his protest to the Government and, it is understood, to his Excellency the GoTeruor. Mr Kirker, promptly settled the difficulty by withdrawing from a candidature which he hid never sought. A great deal of the sting in Mr Shera's objection is removed by the fact that the gentleman referred to did not come on to the boud from the South British, but were trustees of the Savings Bank before finding a place oa the directorate of the company, a fact which is complimentary to the management cf the bank. The Auckland Savings bank has bten very judiciously managed by the board of trustees, much more so than most of our financial institutions, and for that they deserve every credit. It io rumoured that to strengthen tlie bank, in thene days of "cheap money" they will probably reduce the interest another i per cent., so as to make the position of the institution absolutely unassailable.

The suicide epidemic has been as severe in the Auckland district *s in other parts of the colony. The medical men are noo quite clear whether it is to be jegarded as among tile afterclaps of the Christ in an and New Year festivities or is due to other special or geDeral causes. Tae Bible in schools party Attribute it .to the secular system of education prevailing in the pub'.ic schools, while another section explain the puzzle in another fashion. They Bt»te that the muss of tbe people are so devoted to pleasure and amueemeut that they are unable to endure the first touoh of adversity or personal suffering, and iv consequence throw up the spenge at ouce, anil abandon the struggle for existence.

Dr MacGrejor, Inspector-general of Hospitals, has had a conference with the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and tha hon. medical stfcff of the district hosipHM over hospital nutters, and suggested improvements and al^rationn. The programme of the medical stuff would involve an expenditure of close on £4000, whereas there is only half that amount available. Dr MacGrogor indulged in some plain talk, and while admitting that all the stuff proposed was in accordance with the most recent: theories of advanced medical science, desired them to con Ace their attention to the common sense fact that the raoney required was not available, and therefore tbat they must cut their coat according to their cloth. To meet the claim for increased ward accommodation, he proposes thai the convalescent patients should be sent to the Coqtley Home.. That institution was built foe 200 inm&tei, but so.

I steady and pertinaojoun, have boea efforts of some people to Fbont their aped relatives into tbe home, or of the aged destitute to gain admission wiihiil ito NtsJlii th*b the whole of tbe BcuommodatioD ha» beea well-nigh absorbed. There are, atpreMtnt, 20 applications for admission »w»itiiig the first meetiujt of (he board, consequently it is doubtful whether Dr MacGregpr's suggtstion can be carried out. Jkffiiiire »() the asylum are f.'»lliD<} ngaiq, %fter the recent disastenus fire at the Auxiliary, into their old groove*. No. attempt, as yet, has been made al; reinfc&atemetili. The patients at tbe quarantine station Sfte doing very well, and it wa9 fortunate that tfte authorities had the buildings at their disposal to meet oucli en emergoucy. The mystery of i*e insufficient water supply:ou the nigbt of tli'e fl«> an^ 'ac, lack of pressure has uot yet been aijared up. The reports sent in aro of the most coiuMcim^ charaetdr, and the City Council have refejrsd them to a committee for further investigation.

Attention is again being drawo to educational matters, owing- to the' annual' elections taking- plaoe this month. It seems, as. if ireare to have another struggle, between towa and country, wliibh has worked' so- ditoftrousfy of late years, in the creatiou of "ticket*," b<r be. run by- school committees; for the purpaea, <rf furthering special mther than general interest^. Mis Thomas, wife of Professor Thomas, is.' standiiig, as a candidate,, apart from either fiction, and is playiiig "a lone hand."' Her candidature appears' to be generally favoured, on the ground that. % large number of'wumen are now in the employ of the board, and that a representative of their sex should be, on the board to represent their interests. Mrs Th'oniis is hi every w*y qualified for the post to: which she aspires, and if. her candidature) is, succssuful it will probably lead to some other lady coming forward- for a' seat on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Considerable interest is felt in the' application of tile Roman, Catholic bkhopn to have, their schools iiwpected by the bo.M'd'a inspectors. Ou fcbe last occasion. the appriiiatiou was msvdo the1 board'dsolmed to accfide-lo ihe propi;«al, on the ground! that they had notiing to do with, private schools or those> ovter whfoh tliayexeroißed; no control. ' Everything iudieates that thirsummer wears, goiug to have a apurt in mining, owing to the; increased output from the mines m the Upper Thames goldfiald, more especially the Waihi. The latter company ifi'enlargJßg; it* capital so; mi to extend its. operations, and. increase its output.' Thil field i» nob alone ia its brightening p^fospecls. At Coromandel: ttiere have beem recently some very, satrnfactory yields, worthy of the oldbat of Jour gold&iildj), and which seem likely to justify the- predictions of tome of our most experienced' miners, that the Cape Colville peninsula will yet head the list of our gold-producing areas. Favdoraole feporhs have been received from Coolgardie respecting the* operations, of the Auckland CooigHtdio Protipscting Syndicate,, and the investors' in the enterprine are sanguineof succeas. Members of the Auckland pslice force hare also received satisfactory tidipgs from the party working: under their auspices, though why the average constable should be seizud'witfi the "yellow fever "on such risky, conditions is a mystery. Some Auckland prospectors who left for Coolgardie were so deterred-1 en route by tee atci-ien of death, hardship, and goffering from thirst which, Beset fcHo adventurous explorers that they returned, home, again ■without! ever'scieing the field.