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Otago Daily Times, Issue 11934, 7 January 1901, Page 5

' The jnward mails via San Francisco reached Dunedin by special train about 1 o'clock this norning. Tlie> British Government, in view of possible changes in the arrangements concerning the control in South Africa, desire to draw attention to the necessity of depositing, for comparison, with the authorities at Durban examples of codes already authorised. At present only, three of tho codes authorised have been deposited at Durban—viz., ABO, Al, and Broom Hall's. Otir special correspondent telegraphs:— Tlie River's Commission have completed the inspection of the Dart and Rces Rivera, and on Monday proceed to Lowburn to inspect the Kawarau River. Mr J. B. Tunbridge, Commissioner 'oMhe Police Force of.the colony, arrived in Dunedin on Saturday morning. Mr Tunbridge is here op departmental business, and his movements in the immediate futurs have still to be arranged. With the exception of about 50 Copies, the ■whole of the edition of part V, the concluding portion, of Mr A. Hamilton's work on "Maori Art," which was ready to be issued to the subscribers this week, was destroyed in the fire at Messrs Fergus Eon and Mitchell's premises on Saturday; also the whole of the half-tone blocks usod in illustrating the work. The New Zealand Institute in Wellington, who have been issuing the work, are to bo sympathised with on account of the loss of the edition, which'has been anxiously expected for some time. It is not known yet whether the lost copies can be replaced; but even if they can there must necessarily be considerable delay in reprinting them.

The tax on incomes is payable on Tuesday 29tli instant. Shippers who'wish to test the value of the South African markets as an outlet for th'eir produce will have an opnortunity of doing so shortly. The steamers Cornwall and Abbeyholme will load in New Zealand late this month. Should sufficient inducement offer, Port Chalmers will.be included in the list of ports ,of call. A fair number of excursionists journeyed by rail to Henley on Saturday, thence b|steamer to Taieri Mdutli. As the day was beautifully fine, and the little steamer was in first-class trim, the trip down occupied less than an hour from M'Kegg's. The return trip was made in equally good time, and all who •took advantage of the trip, which is .one of the prettiest within easy distance of Dunedin, liad a very pleasant outing. It is worthy of note that during the 22 years' service initiated by Mr M'Kegg the only occasion on which the steamer failed to bring hjr passengers up in time for the train was on the 2nd insE, when a slight disablement of her machinery caused a vexatious delay. After considering the matter carefully, the Hon. T. Fergus finds his business engagements will not permit of his becoming a candidate for the City mayoralty. Mr C. Darlison supplies llifl following record of" the rainfall for 1900, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Flagstaff Creek, in the North Taieri district:—January, 25 days; February, 18; Ma/eh, 17; April, 12.; May, 15; Jur.e, 5; July, 18; August, 16; September, 15; Octo22;' November, 19; December, 18; total rainfall, 200 day's.' Mr W. G. P. O'Callaghan, chief clerk of the Magistrate's Court, has received a cable informing him of the death of his father, Admiral G. W. D. O'Callaghan, at Deerleitp, Rowland's'Casfle, Hants. '"People of the Period " states that the Admiral was son of tho late Hon. G. O'Callaghan, and was horn in 1811. His first service of importance was when he commanded one of the boats of the Harrier in an attack on Malay pirates. As lieutenant he served in the boats of the An-

dromache in the action with pirates in the Straits of Malacca, in which he was wounded. He was presented with a sword by the'merchants of Bombay, and received the thanks of the Admiralty and Chambers of Commerce at Calcutta and Madras. He was .captain of the Encounter, in command of the attacking force'at the destruction of the Imperial camp at Shanghai, 1854-,. and was presented with a service of plate by the English residents of Shanghai! He commanded an expedition for .suppressing piracy in the neighbourhood of Hongkong • was engaged in 1856-57 in all the early operations before Canton, including taking the Bogue Torts, and many affairs. He Was also, senior officer in charge of ti:e advance squadron for three months (China Wnedal). During the Russian war he was employed on the coast of Kamschatlca. Referring to the of the Union Steam Ship Company having acquired an interest in'the Vancouver service, the ChristchimA Press says:—"This important development m connection with the 'Vancouver mail service shouldmaterially'strengthen the hands of local commercial men, who have for a considerable period advocated the retention of this mail route. Both the New Zealand Shipping Company and tho Union Company are understood to be fully alive to the possjbilities of the service, and only require the necessary State support to put it on a footing Vhieli will enable it to compete successfully with the\San Francisco service. The ' unsettled condition in which the Pacific mail ' services are at present, consequent on the in\aiigr.ration of the Australian Commonwealth, renders , it. almost impossible .to anticipate what $h<ysgtioir the'federal Government

will be regarding them, but it is matter of more or less notoriety that tlie New South Wales Government favours the Vancouver as against the San Francisco service. Tlie action of the Now Zealand Shipping Company and the Union Company in showing their desire to improve the service and mako the runnings more frequent may possibly have tlie effect of deciding the contracting Governments to support the "Vancouver route. Should this result, and the necessary subsidies bo forthcoming, it is probable that faster steamers will be put on in order to meet the federal mail requirements. In the meantime the present opportunity should be taken advantage of by local commercial men to re-, new the agitation for the resumption by the New Zealand Government of the Vancouver mail service." ' '

The hospital returns for the past week are as follows:—Remaining from the previous week, 90; admitted during the week, 20; discharged, 11; deaths (Elizabeth flood, Duncan Cameron, Martha Hannah, Mary Clark), 4; total remaining, 95. Mr John Angus, J.P., presided at the Police Court on Saturday morning, and convicted three persons on charges of drunkenness. As they were all first offenders they wero let off -without a fine.

When tho question of " truancy " was before the Education Conference on Wednesday, says the New Zealand Times, Mr ,T. G. L. Scott said that teachers were in advance of public opinion in this matter. 1 New Zealand was noted for tho largo number of laws it made that it could not carry out; «njl the School Attendance Act was one of them. A mistake was made in calling children truants who were not sent to school. 'JL'hey were not truants.' Their parents kept them awa.y from school. It waß difficult to get parents punished for keeping their children away. Out of a hundred trivial excuses made by parents, ninety-nine would be accepted liy the average justice of the peace. Other speakers referred to industries, such as strawberry culture, in which children of school ago were employed. Mr R. D. Stewart claimed that in Auckland province tlie measures taken to enemo proper school attendance wero systematic and satisfactory in their results. The Auckland Board, ho said, actually made a, profit on- the salary which it paid to its truant officer. He added that arbitrary dismissals of school attendance cases by justices of the peace wero rtot common in Auckland, as the honorary magistrates there had been educated' by the stipendiary magistrates and the truant officers to recognise that tho act wis mandatory. The opinion of the conference was divided as to tlie, employment of policemen to enforce the provisions of the act.

A disease which affccts wheat crocs and produces very serious effccta in Europe has made its appearance in South Australia, and is the subject of a special ropol't to the Victorian Department of Agriculture by Mr M'Alpine, the Government vegetable pathologist. Mr M'Alpine states that at the end of November lie received from the Secretary of tiie Agricultural Bureau, Adelaide, samples of wheat plants affected with a. disease unknown to that gentleman. The crop from which the samples came was manured with a mixture of 601b mineral superphosphate and 201b bonedust per acre. Six years previously the land was treated well with farmyard manure. Tho trouble ib worse in the heavier crops; light crops are comparatively free. The symptoms are that the wheat in tho ear is prematurely white and unripe. At the base of the stem, adjoining the roots, there is a blackening caused by the fungUß, and this also extends to the roots. Although the stem remains upright, it dies prematurely, because the roots arc killed, and so tho grain is not nourished. The fungus thrives undor similar conditions to'that which causes "yellow patches" in barley. It appears that the better tho soil tho more subject is the wheat to tho disease, and some have thought that a. crop after leguminous plants is especially susceptible. Mr M'Alpine states that ploughing under tho stubble ought to be adopted to prevent its reappearance, if possible, but that burning is better. The burning off ought to lie done immediately after harvest, and before the spores have had time to ripen and scatter. This fungus was only at first found in wheat, and is known as the" killer of .wheat haulms," but it has now been found in barloy. It is important that it should be attended to at its first appcarance, and measures taken to

suppress it. i Tile Russians found at Mukden, in Manchuria, which they recently captured froin the Chinese, '60 cannon of modern manufacture, and a vast quantity of other war stores and appliances for the manufacture of ammunition. A special commission has been appointed to investigate the remains of the treasures which have escaped the looting of tiliinese soldiers. Among these relics, which principally consist of colospal archaeological objects of great value, are the throne of the Emperors of the Menchu dynasty,' very extensive libraries, and collections of Manclmrian pictures. A despatch has been received liy the Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, intimating that in consequence of the establishment of tiie Commonwealth it has been decided that the Governor-General is to be styled " His Excellency," and the wife of the GovernorGeneral is " to be entitled to corresponding style," The practice of giving the title of "Honourable" to'members of the Federal Executive Council and the Senate, and to tlio Speaker of the House of Representatives, is to be the samo as that which prevails at present with regard to similar positions in individual States.

When Mr Hennilter Heaton, M.P., had a chat with Mr Outtrim (Deputy Postmastergeneral of Victoria) recently, the latter was able to delight the English commoner by explaining how a departmental, concession for wh'ieh Mr Heaton had been agitating. fpr' years worked in practice. It is a- grievance in England that when once a letter is posted in no circumstances can it be recalled) even if the bona fides of the recaller be as clear 83 crystal. In Vietoria the Deputy Postmastergeneral has nowcr to allow a person Ivho has valid reason for recalling-a letter to reclaim it. This has been found ft great boon in many 'ca6os—some not without their humorous side. A little while ago a young man waited 011 Mr Outtrim and asked to regain possession of a letter. " What is your reason?" asked tho Deputy Postmaster-gene-ral. After some hesitation,' the voUng fellow answered, " Well, tho fact is, the letter is to my governor in England. I have written to him to say I have reformed, given up drinking, and so on. And, somehow or other, I dropped a ticket fpr a smoke, night into tho ■envelope. lam undone if the old man gets it." "With a smile, Mr Outtrim handed tho letter to the budding penitent, who extracted the invitation ticket, with a sigh of relief, and the missive was restored to postal guardianship.

So greatly enjoyed was Mr J. H. Pope's address at the opening meeting of the Educit. tional Conference on Thursday evening (says the Poit), on experiences in (caohing Maoris, that one speaker, in seconding a vote of tlmhlts, expressed regret that Mr Popo had not had the whole evening placed at his disposal. In the course of his remarks, Mr Popo said the Maori was among the ablest of the illiterate races. Really the Maori was Very clever. He could uso his pencil well, sing well, was quick to learn drill, and a chatty, .hospitable fellow, capablo of forming real attachments. Never was there a greater slander than When somo (me said, "Oh, wfell, you know the Maori is a very fine fellow, but he has no gratitude." The proper namo for that assertion was that it wm a lie—(Applause.) Mr Popo cited a most successful young Maori (Mr A. T. Ngata), whom ho had known as a boy elated 'at having passed the Second Standard, and who had taken two university degrees with honours, l'hat young man was' now working with all his might to advance tho general interests of his rae l :. : Good work was being done'at Tc Aute College, and nearly a dozen Maori boys were going in for the professions of law and medicine.—(Applause.) Professor. EasterfMd, speaking at the Edu-; cational Conference on the subject ■ of the teaching of science in primary schools, sen* oiisly questioned (s&ys the New- Zealand Times), the value of the • passes in science

gained by teachers after two or three week?' study of a text book. Ho said he did not advocate the teaching of science in primary schools on utilitarian grpunds. He advocated it on the ground of mental training—the training in regularity and system of habit, a-ttd the training in truthfulness. If that was all they were aiming at, then, instead of trying to fill their pupils with knowledge of every science under the sun, t-liey should be contented to take a single science alid let a fSw lessons in that sciehco be properly learnt, so that a pupil might come to feel that he was, as Miss Richmond had said in her paper oil kindergarten, " the master of his material.' No person was fitted to teach science unless he or she had had some laboratory training.

The Lyttelton Times says:—" A number of larrikins have made the Domain Gardens a rendezvous on several afternoons lately, and hiivo caused much annoyance by breaking plants, littering the paths with paper, etc., and annoying boating parties On the river. One of them mot a richly-deserved punishment on Friday. When a boat in which were two ladies and a gentleman was passing up the river two larrikins were standing on the bank, and one of them, with, a coarse jest, emptied a bottle or dirty water over the Indies'- dresses. The boat proceeded on its way, but presently the oarsman came back along the bank, and, with the remark that he had travelled a good deal, but had never/before mot with such cowardly conduct, picked up the offender by the cOiit collar, carried him, kicking and cursing, to the water's edge, and dropped him in. His Companion had fled, afraid of sharitigjthe same fate. > The Stcelc-Payne Bellringers sail for Australia to-day by the Monowai, after concluding a most successful s»rt«on throughout Now Ztalilml, lasting over nineteen months. Air Ralph Steele has been compelled to abandon hiß contemplated tour through South Africa owing to the severe illness of his son Claude. The company intend taking a well-earned rent in Ballaraf, afterwards.going on tour in Australia.

Sales of grain and produce will be held to-day Us follow:—Messrs Donald R-cid and Co., at 10 a.m.; Messrs Dalgely and Co., at 10.30 a.m.; Messrs A. llortizson and Co., at 10.46 a.m. Applications are invited for the position of engineer. for tho Alpine Consols dredge.' • The Farmers' Agency Company will sell a farm cohtaining .133 awes, and also the Btock .thereon, on-Tuesday, 16th inat. Messts Park, Reynolds, atid Co. will hold a sale of Island cUrios, consisting of chibs, paddles, war hows, arrows, pottery, etc., at their rooms on Friday, Uth inst. On Saturday, lSth inst., they will sell freehold and cottage Situated at St. Kilda. An examination for extra first-olttss engineers' and second-class engine drivers' certificates for stationary engines will be held in the four ceritres of the colony and at Invevcargill on the 15th inst., and at Kelson to-morrow. Messrs FergU&son and Mitchell announce that they ore arranging to continue their manufacturing business in temporary premises, Applications are invited (or the position of engineer on the Three-mile Greenstone Creek dredge. The- annual meeting of contributors and life governors of the Dunedin Hospital will be hekl on Thursday, 10th inst., at the Town Hall, for the purpo-ie of cleclihg two trustees,

Special Purchases of Drapery and Clothing,— Carter and Co., Dunedin and Inrercnrgill, arc now offering a large quantity of useful goods at half the usual price. Bead their advertisement—Advt. ' Q. and T. Young, jewellers, Princes street, having enlarged their premises are this year making a specially laigo display of goods suitable for Christmas and Now Year presents. They guarantee excellent ■ quality and good value.—Advt. Who .is Peter Dick"—The most reliable Watchmaker and Jeweller, opposite Coffee Palace. Moray place, Dunedin. Charges strictlj moderate.—Advt,