AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11923, 22 December 1900, Page 12

AUCKLAND.

(Fhoii Our Own Cokhespondent.) December 14-. As a result of the Hon. Hall-Jones's visit there is an unusual activity being shown on the North Island Main Trunk railway, and the engineers are willing to take on any'man who can wield a pick or shovel. The men out of work are showing no anxiety to go tip, owing to the approaching Christmas and New Year holidays, but the Public Works department will allow men to work through the holidays who wish to do so. Tenders are invited for the Ongaruhe bridges. It is anticipated after the holidays that the men will settle down to steady work, and thai railxvnj' construction will proceed apace, Mr HallJones's jaunty allusion, in defending the recent £40 bonus to members, Hint "£SOO a year to members was scarcely the pay of a second-class olork," has led some people to remark that that, may be, but then some of tho members are not worth the pay of a second-class'clerk. Mr E. Cox, a well-known correspondent of the Auckland press has taken Mr Hall-.Tones to task for his assault on the ministers of religion (notably the Rev. Hugh ICelly), who referred in their pulpit utterances to the business as a matter of public morals, and the Women's1 Political League have given Mr Hall-Jones their ideas of rentiers, in a resolution which they passed.

" thanking Mr Cox for his able vindication oi ministers of religion, reproving unjust proceedings in high'plnces." Mr Hall-Tones's tour of the country would not have been complete without the usual Ministerial banquet, which took place at Te Awamutu. He said in his speech that he had been referred to by some pcop'e as " only a common carpenter," but he was as proud of what he once had been as of what he now was. He passed through the stages of apprentice, journeyman, and employer, and his connection with local bodies paved the way for his entering political life. At last election he obtained an Australasian record, having a majority, of 2725, which for

" a common carpenter." was not so b?d. Then lie proceeded to show how l;e was making a innvtyi of himself to 'public duty. Referring to 'the £40 bonus, lie stilted that no niiin could conscientiously perform his duly as a member of Parliament without- being out of poeb't. No man pnuld enter into public life in New Zealand without injuring hiimelf, his business, and his family, and the man who hod a desirp to enter Parliament, and refrained from. it. was a happier, a longer lived, and a richer lwn. Still it is wonderful in the face, of Mr Hall-Jones's warnim,' to note how the professional-politicians and Labour agitators are tumbling over each other in their anxiety to get a place for the next general J. G. Ward, Minister of Railways, had every reason to be gratified with the reception he met with at the hands of the Auckland public at his meeting in the Opera House. He got a bumper house and a goodnaturrd audience, which, owing to Mr Ward's personal popularity, was prepared to give !>ini a fair, nnd, iiide-ed. courteous hearing. Notwithstanding the friction between the Liberal Association and the Liberal Federation, the " backing" on the platform was very good. Among the, Auckland members present were the Hon. A. .1. Cadman and tho Hon. Major Harris, of the Tipper House, and Messrs Fowlds, Napier, and Jackson Palmer, of the Lower House. After a sympathetic reference to the memory of the late Sir George Grey, Mr Ward plunged into the veved question as to whether the North Island had been fairly frented in the matter of public works, and tried to show that the present Administration had endeavoured to remedy any disparity that might exisl in tlint respect between the north and south. He hold no part of the colony could suffer without it reacting upon the rest of the. colony. Mr Ward alluded to the confessions in the railway charges and the penny post, which meant a loss of £80,000 alone, but would ultimately lie recouped. Ho held that the colony was never sounder than it was at present, which he attributed to cheap money, a state of affairs that the Government had'brouaht about. There was an idea, he said, that the Government intended hv their Chambers of Commerce Dili to collar these bodies for political purposes, but that was not so. All thut they intended to do was to give them a legal status, such as they had not at present. Per?omilly. lie was in favour of a Board or Trade, which, without intorfering with the chambers of commerce, could do responsible- work for tho.^e connected with commerce. The reference in his speech to the £40 bonus to members was the least acceptable part of Mr Ward's speech, it being regarded as in the nature of special pleading, aiid ho said that if ihe £40 hud been put on the. Estimates for the purpose of assisting to get the Public Revenues Bill through the House, they had been told what was contrary to fact. Men in the Opposition had urged the Colonial Treasurer the session before last to bring down an amendment to the Public Revenues Bill, to overcome existing difficulties that, so far as the Audit department was concerned, interfered with the. course of nclminislration. Men on both side? of the House realised that the remuneration to members was inadequate, and he would advocate in any part of New Zealand that £300 per annum was little enough for any man who left Ms home for tlireo months at a. time and kept up another home in Wellington. The real trouble with some people was that they had not the £300 to handle themselves. As to railway reforms, Mr Ward paid a generous tribute to his predecessor in office, the Hon. A. ,T. Cadman. Mr Ward referred to Mr Samuel Vailc's scheme of railway reform, and Raid that ho had made a written offer to Mr Yailc in connection with the railways, which that gentleman had not, for reasons of his own, been able to accept. They had not been able to agree, but no man would have been more willing than himself to give Mr Vailo an opportunity of carrying on the railways, but when a man had £16.000.000 of money under his control, and had to urovidc for 7000 men, lie could not take liberties with the system, however desirous he might be of giving a trial to a proposed reform. Mr Ward indicated reforms he intended to carry out, as also in the Postal and Telegraph department. He touched on tho question of trade with South Africa, for New Zealand produce, and hoped soon to see suitable steamers running to the Cape. As to the annexation of the Islands, Mr Ward did not sny anj'thing new further than' to deprecate the language alleged to have been used by Sir George O'Brien, the Governor of Fiji... With regard to federation with Australia, Mr Ward said there was a danger of New Zealand's interests being ignored, owing lo Australia having the dominance of votes; but ho was wiling to go into an Anglo-Saxon federation, where Now .Zealand's influence would he infinitely less, and this inconsistency he did not explain. If New Zealand went into the federation she would sink from a first-class State into a. fiftli-rnte State, or, perhaps, worse, which seems to be a most pessimistic utterance. Mr Ward concluded by contrasting the happy days under Seddonism and those previously existing, and got a vote of thanks for his address, and a reassurance of confidence in the Government.

Dunne his stay in Auckland Mr Ward had to submit to a largo amount of doputationising on every conceivable subject, in tin' Waikato, where the farmers have boon doing very well of late, notwithstanding tho fall in wool, tht-.y asked for free carriage for manures and faster rjilway services. Mr Mnssey, M.H.K., said what lime was to the farmers of Otago bonedust was to tlio farmers of Auckland — they could not do without it. .Mr Ward refused to accede to the request, as it must apply to liie whole colony, for bone manures wore largely used in the south as well as in the north, but when the timo cnnie to make, further reductions in railway charges he would bo prepared to go into the whole question of fertilisers. Mr Wait! has lt one to Whnngnrei to soo tho .railway there, and intends to visit all the lines before returning couth.

Tliq Amerivan transport Abarenda, Cnptiin Tilloy, of tho United State? Navy and Governor of Tutuila, has again come back to our port. During his previous lengthy stay Captain Tilley took occasion to make himself con-

versant with the capabilities of the port and of the Calliope dock. He has now returned to obtain for his ship a complete overhaul, and to procure 4000 tons of Westport coal, provision having been made at Tutuila for storage of 25,000 tons. He will also take in a quantity of store,; and material for Tutuila, being desirous of opening up a trade between the new United States station and New Zealand. During lv's former visit he did much to increase the friendly relations between his country and New Zealand, and at a banquet given by Mr Witheford (chairman of the Harbour Board), at which the Hon. Mr Ward met the officers of the Abarenda, Captain Tilley said that in returning to Auckland he felt like coming home again, so lively was his sense of the kindness and courtesy he had mot on his former visit. Mr Ward, in speaking at tho banquet, mentioned some interesting facts. Ho stated that he had made the

strongest possible renresentations to Washington on the subject of the penny postage. He had received a most courteous reply from the Postmaster-general of the United States, who deeply regretted that at the present time he was not able to institute a penny postage between the two countries. Mr Word expressed the hope that in time the difficulties would be sot over. In proposing the health of "The President of the United States." Mr Ward took occasion to express his gratification that the American people had returned Mr M'Kinley for a second term. The United States consul (Mr Dillingham), during his term of office, lias done much to promote friendly relations between his country and New Zealand. When some New Zealanders were captured and not beinsr well treated in Pretoria he made representations to tho President of tho United States, which resulted in a great improvement in the treatment of the New Zer>landers.

Mr Witheford has been endeavouring to get the Auckland Harbour Board to appoint a. qualified entrineer to direct and superintend harbour works, on the ground that tho board was paying in commissions for particular matters more than would defray the cost of a competent engineer. They had recently had to send their foreman, he said, to Sydney to ascertain how a vehicular service should bo run and established. None of the Auckland wharves were properly couipned with cranes, and other appliances for loading and unloading cargo, such as existed in AVollington. He states that he had been told hv a member of the Dunedin Board that until, they had a first-class engineer they were always in trouble, and immediately they employed a. first-eliiss oncrmeor everything wont smoothly. Auainst Mr Witheford's views it was pointed out by Mr Napier that the board bad now contracted for the supervision of the whole of the works at thp Calliope dock, nnd. having adopted Mr Napier's scheme they would have no further money to spend. Until they were adopting a new policy and a. new programme it would be inadvisable to go to the expense of appointing a hitrhlypaid engineer. Mr Witheford was defeated in his endeavours to obtain an engineer, the linnrd electing tc go on with the foreman, who is a most competent man for the work he undertakes. The board seems to be getlintv info a muddle respecting the proposed Admiralty House, the plans for which have ntrain been deferred. The board does not to a final decision as to what accommodation it proposes to give to that officer. The plin of the architect does not provide for a balboom. which is estimated to cost £1000. or collar, or servants' quarters, which are essential. The architect expresses the belief that it would be possible to provide a house suitable for the Admiral under £5000. The board have been desirous of confining thp cosr to £4000. which seems to be an inadequate sum. It was hoped (hat the new Admiralty House would have been erected nun fit for occupation hv tlw time the Duke and Duchess of York visited Auckland, but there does nnt seem any prospect nf that liPi'nc accomplished now. It is quite impossible that the Admiral commsndincr r ]i e ?tntion can be expected to be satisfied with the provision that ha« been made hitherto, and the sooner suitsibl'! accommodation is vovid»d the better fo>- the credi' of the nort. Th« site selected is all that could lie desired, nnd commands a lovely view of the port and shinning. But th« ' board In- its' cheeseparing nolipv is likely to spoil the ship for a penn'orth of ta>\ The Electric Company's business has got into a more practical staw than hitherto, the mayor having received intimation that 1000 tons of rails end other material has been shipped in London, and will he hero early in the year. .Another trouble has arisen, tin's time' in the Rcmuern district. A section of the Romucra people arc approach in? Mr Ward with a view of getting the Order-in-Council withheld or pltored unless the company agree to enrrv t'>oir line lo a point which will'serve the whole district. Tt seems that the company liavo bought some private property, and nroposc instead of going to the end of the district to go through thw private property down to the Ellcrslie racecourse, and thus tap that source of profit and compete with the railway. Mr Ward ngreod lo forward the representations of the dissentients to the Government.

One of the most unique spectacles which has taken place in the city during the past for 1 niplit has been " the unfurling of tho flag." by tho puoils of the St. Stephen's Native School. Tiiese lad*, out of their own means, and without solicitation by anyone, have srot a flagstaff, at considerable trouble, from the north of Manonnn. and one of the old hoys donated the flag. Tho plate on the Flnff sliows that tlm past and present scholars of St. Stephen's Native School have put it up as a means of commemoratinpr loyalty to the Cueen, " and the nation of which we are proud to be a part." On it also, in tho Maori hni"ua<io is a f.ivouriie saving of the loyal Ncrapuhi chief Mohi Tawhai. "We shall stand or fall, together, for ever and ever." What makes the notion of these Maori lads so commendable is that some of them are descendants of the men who, under Hone T-Te'-e. cut down the flagstaff at the Bay of Islands in the early " forties." It was a treat to see tho boys marching past the flagstaff and saluting thr Union .lack fluttering in the breeze and singing " Soldiers of the Queen." Among the oh! boys present was Dr Pomwo, who has obtained his diploma in America, but who goes Home tn puss his examination?. He and A. T. Near a. 8.A.. show that there is hone for tho Maori people yet.

The W 7eslevan Synod has been in session, and has dealt with" fie Bible-in-sohools question by endorsing the resolutions passed at Dunedin. There was not any division of opinion, and the resolution in favour of Bible reading in schools was carried unanimously, the speeches being also all in favour of it. AHhouah the policy of the Government appears to b<- against, the formation of any more denominational orphanages, in view of recent events, the synod sent on a recommendation to the conference that they should set up a committee for the purpose'of reporting as to ihc liest means of forming an orphanaeo. The Government grant appears to be the inducement. A nwt, patriotic resolution was passed on the question of the Smith African war. Ai was to be expected, the pronosod lerni.liia.tion hv Government of the liquor traffic in the King Country came in for condemnation, and a resolution was na.wixl. on tho motion of the Rev. W. J. Williams (who revisits the old country after 30 years' ministry). "That the synod petition (ho Government against t.nkinc nvsv any of the power which tho pconlc of New Zealand have in curIniline the sale of liquor." Mr Williams siid the racus» urged for the lcg!>lis.ation of th<> liquor iraJFc was the amount of sly grogselling in Hie King Country, but (hose who urpwl it did not explain where the liquor which was at present sold there came from. He considered " it came from the Honor sellers in Auckland." The question of Maori missions came up for consideration, ar»d it appeared that, the amount derived from ,\[>ori proportiop amounted to £700. while the contributions from congregations only come to £300, nnd it was resolved, with .a v'mw tc. secure, additional funds, that special snlworipiions bt> solicited. Notwithstanding these unfavourable circtimstnncpi. the Rev. D. WoathoraU offered himself for Maori work. a.nd the synod recommended him to conference as an assistant missionary.