AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(From Our Own Couresfondknt.) July 17. Many readers of this column will hayo heard with regret of the sail death of Mr <■*• 'he "fat'nor" of tlie newspaper press of Auckland and one of the oldMt of New Zealand's journalists, 'there das uo muu in Auckland hotter known or mora widely rcsiieoUd than tieoriiu Main, and it ran bo safely taid tint tliero is no initu li\ ing who had such an intimate knowledge of Auckland, its history, and it# people. As a journalist Mr .Main was knowu from end to end of lk> colony. He was for many years correspondent to the Otago Daily Times, end only severed his connection with the iiappr aomo six months ago, when bis hoalin prevented him from continuing his active journalistic work. Always » passionate worker, ho had 6uffercd fionf» intense depression since his health com- : pellod him to yive up active ivort,' and though his connection with tho New Zealand Herald was continued lo tho end, his inability to contribute' to its columns helped to intensify tho degression of spirit .which was sadly evident to all who knew him in the latter months of his life. His death • a i° w " ' lanl ' caused a greater shock in Auckland than any event of recent y<Mrs, iloumalkts ospeciallv had reason to regret his death. A kindly man always, he never missed an opportunity to help a young journalist, and 110 member of the profession visiting Auckland, whatever his mission, over niet with a cold reception from George Main.

The appointment of a bishop for the Dioceso of Auckland .in succession to tho late Bishop Ootvie i« being looked forward to with great interest, not only by those of (he Anglican communion, but by the community as a. whole.. The synod has been convened i°r Friday, July 25, but it seoni3 iinprouah.n that, the appointment v.'il 1 then he made. It is within the power of the synod !.o either elect a bisliop or appoint delegates to proceed to England with uowor t" make tho appointment. The lattor"alternative, however, is not likely to be adopted, oynodmen lay and clerical feel that the new bishop should be elcoted by h full svnodj nnd there is also a general feeling that, it is essential to the welfare of tho large and scattered Diocese of Auckland that tho bishop should lie a man of considerable colonial oxperience. The feeling <jn those points if so strong that it may be taken for granted that the appointment will be made by tho synod, if not at the spocial session 1.0 bo held this month, then at tho ordinary session of the synod held towards tho end of t.ho. year Already notice has been given of 0 motion for delay in ordov that tho synod may fix tho bishop's stipend before proceeding to election. \ Hitherto, the bishop's stipend has been entirely derived from the biahopric endowment, tlve income from which has been decreasing in recent years. During the last financial yeai the late Bisliop Cowie's income was undo* £700, and there is a feeling that the fluctuating income should no longer be continued, but that tho stipend should be fixed at not less than JGEOO, the revenue from tho Bishoprin t p i )e supplemented byassessment on the parishes. Meantime sove- | ral names have been mentioned in connection with the vacant, see, l.'romineiv'; among these being Br W C. Pritchard, rector of. , St. I'auVa, Ipswich, Dioeeso of Brisbane; Rev. W. y. Carr-Smith, rector of St. James's, Sydney; Bishop Dawes, of Rockhampton, Queensland; »ud the urcssnt Bishop of Melanesia. .

Tho unemployed have been a good deal in fividcr.ee in Auckland during the past week or so. At present there aro some 200 men looking for work, largely on account of the slackening in connection with the tramway coni-truction works. These works drew men from all parts of New Zealand and many from Australia, and now that the city: lines are all but completed the majority of the strangers find themselves out of work. Apart from this, there is 110 real depression" in the town. There will still bo some wbrL for' labourers in connection with tho extension of the tramways, but the chief efforts of the company and. their contractors, will for some-time be directed to getting tho cavs started 011 tho city lines. By the died of'delegation tlio elcctric cars should liavi been running oil .Tune 1 last, and the company'will have to show the City Council good reason for the delay, or heavy penalties can be exacted. The steel framework of tho power station, whioh hue had rather* a long voyage from New York, lias now been landed, and as this is the last of the necessary material it is expected that thft electric oars will be started Bomo time in October.

The annual " capping" ceremony at 'Auckland for the purpose of conferring degrees on successful students of Auckland University College took place last week. The feature of the speeches of the occasion wjj the prominence given to the necessity for the university, and move particularly the Auckland College, doing move in the way of imparting commercial education. Pro-, fessor Brown, who conferral the degrees, and Professor A. W. P. Thomas, who p.d-dres-ed the graduates, both spoke strongly 011 this point. Professor Brown pointed .tQ the schools of medicine and mining in Durietlill, tlie school of engineering in Cliristchurch, and the prospects of a school /of law iu Wellington, regretting that Auc'iiland had not also come to the front, and prepared itself to train students in some oE ther.e branches of modern education.' Professor Thomas followed in the same strain', and both spoke strongly against the centralisation of special branches of education . in any one part of the colony, pointing out that the School of Medicine at Dunedin w wal!y_ no nearer lo an Auckland student than is (lis University of Sydney,' and x that-, ' eoufidering how far education is supplied free of cost iu America, it was really not a much greater undertaking for an Auckland student of engineering to go to San .Francisco than to go to Christchurch. Professor, Brown and Professor Thomas are the; two/ oidest of our University College professors, and it is piercing to pee them so intensely anxious to forge ahead along modern lines. The. collego funds, however, will not at present allow of great expansion, and until, [the question of ways and means is solved' we arenot likely to have any great developmerit in our college, curriculum. y The Hernlrl lias boon jogging the Post-master-general to follow up tlie penny postage with a cheapening of the telephone system, aud it is evident from the corlcspondence on the subject from town and country which followed the Herald's first article on the subject that the suggestion is an exceedingly nopular one. " There : ia no reason," says the Herald, " why a higher rate should be made in any ordinary circuit than two or three pounds per annum cither • m town or country with reasonable installation charges, aud we see nothing to prevent an ultimate half a crown per month being readied by any Postmaslor-gcncral who sets his heart.upon it. Thct would really popularise tlie telephone aud introduce it ,air a great and universal public convenience ■into" every comfortable home." The charges mode against Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., in connection with the granting of tho license at. Mauiujaturoto luive llot • impressed the Minister of Justice, who has declined to institute an inquiry unless on specific allegations hacked by somo proof, and hap advised those who are dissatisfied with the granting of the license to appeal to the Supreme Court. It is doubtful if tho case will be. taken to the Supreme Court, hut ill auv ease the Temperance partv may be depended oil to let us hear a good deal more, about Maungaturoto before the local veto poll is taken in December.