AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12989, 2 June 1904, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(Fi'.OU OCP. O\VS CoBRKSrOXDEST.) May 26. His Escuiloiicy the Governor is haring a bu.-y time in Auckland prior io tnking- his farewell of the northern, jwrt of the colony. An cngagtMnrat before lunch, one in tho uftsnioon, and Miothor in the evening seems at present to bo about the daily vice-regal rcutinv. Public bodies and societies con-

rittins of all sorts and conditions of people aw rivalling each othor in organising farewell entertainments, and presenting faiowell midrowH, of which Lord Itanfurly imfst by this time liava i|uite :t collection. The i'remif-r lias also been in tho vicinity of Auckland recently, but has carefully shunned the city, having judged rightly that if liu dared to txi his foot on Auckland soil _ the. inevitable deputation would bo wniting for him on his doorstep. Quito an itiniinist report regarding, tho state of Mr guidon's hcaitli got abroad in the city the other day without, it appears, Iho slightest reason o; foundation. The Binemoa, on which tho Premier is travelling, had left the port on what- was supposed to bo it vcyago of kjiiio duration, and liev appearaiico in the !iad):mr on iho following day opened the way for all sorfci of alarming conjectures, which in less than no lime were related at the- street, corners a , ; proved fiiets. It happened, however, tlmt (lie Premier was enjoying Uiraself on Ka-wau Island, Mid the reappearance of the lliuomoa in tho harbour was duo to nothing movo sorious than that stoics were required on tho Bear liock lighthouse, which is within easy view of the citv.

'J. lie Herald has been directing attention to tho price of bread m Auckland, where Jiricffis are ruling higher than in the south, in spite of the fact that tho Auckland flour mills have nil through stood out of the I'lc.v.rmilfors , Association. The ruling price of (ho 411) loaf is 7(1, and bakers claim that they are unable to supply at, less owing to the conditions of the Arbitration Court award, and (hey also point to tho fact tjiat Auckland flour costs nearly 20s more a ton than tho southern article-, solacing their customers with Iho patriotic r.unteulion tliafc tho quality of the- locajly-millcd flour justili« the difference in prino. There has been no suggestion by iho Auckland baiters that HiDj' jniffJit j.?(lnea the pries of bread, and tin! Auckland floiirmills seem to ho able, in go on the oven, tenor of their way ehcrging a higher price than the. southern association, wid doing to all appearance iiilly as well as tiny did before the days oi tho soul hern combine, which they now have to fight.

A company lias been floated in Auckland for the purpose, of exploiting a method of li-osiinff ironsand deposits, lvliirh, if expert opinion goes for anything, ought to havo a bright litiuro before it. The- method is the mveniiosi of Mr iJaibrailli, u, well-known nssayer, who has conducted experiment with tho j)ioces3 in company with Mr Slewart, ckctrical engineer. ' i'hc main featm'o of liio prowls is that, tho ironsand is reciuced by utilising heat obtained electrically. Tho company has scored i>. distinct initial success by securing the ontJiusiasfio imtrjinago of the Aiisfevlinn representative of tiio Cnrncgio Steel Trust, who has Jiim£Oit taken up shares in tho company, mid has given the promoters lottcrs.lo his principals telling thorn Hint Jw considers it would be well worth their whiles to "o into tno matter.

Another new venture has just got under way m Auckland-namely, the formation of a. syndicate for (ho purpose of ercetimr .1 regenerative gas furnace'and producing all descriptions 01 steel castings. The venture lias apparently the sympathy and support of tho majority of tho local engineering firms, tiio syndicate having decided not to compolo in engineering matters, but to confine itself to the production of castings, to be supplied largely to those engaged in cii"inoering works. The Harbour Board is still boing freely criticised for \U neglect to provide, adequate! lacilities.for the large-vessels-.visiting tho port, rhe large, question of >bertirage is now bemg investigatcU by tho engineer, who is> working.hard -.to get his report brought before the board at as early a date as possibie; but meantime, the board is laving a good deal of trouble to deal with suggestions for minor., wharf improvements which are pouring in from all quarters. The eii"incer's report, is expected to bo ready "in about six weeks' time, and till then no works of_ any kind will 1 )B undertaken. The Auckland farmers have been agitatincr for an amendment of tho Slaughtering and Inspection Act, so that the daughterhotno of the Auckland Farmers' I'reozin" Company, about to be erected, could bo utilised for slaughtering animals for local consumption as well as for export. Tlis City Council, having, after iong consideration, decided to expend.a considerable sum in Hie erection of abattoirs, naturally takes a, different view from the farmers, and claims that the act is right in providing that all moat for local consumption niu.it go through tho municipal abattoirs ami bo inspected there. It has been suggested that rivalry mittht ho obviated by reliovinsf the municipality of the necessity of erecting abattoirs, but' tho City Council ha-, already gone 100 far in the matter to allow of the adoption of any such scheme, even if the law permitted it." I lie City Council has decided (0 imdcrtako t.ie collection of garbage by its own contractors, and a rato of 2d in the pound has been struck for tho purpom. A largo drainago scheme, which will practically make tile drainage of every house in (ho city possible, is also before the council, and is likely to bo earned to completion in a few years, so there are hopes of tho reproach of being tne dirtiest city in New Zealand being removed from Auckland in the not far distant future. The City Council has also had the courage to put an additional 3d on the rates so that Mine money may bo available (0 keep the roads in repair. There is also a growing i>ced for new city offices. Tho council is finding difficulty in making room for its officials, and only the other day had to curtail tho space provided in Hie buiMhi" for tho Ham School of Art. Sooner or later tho question of a town hall will have to be faced. The creation of a Greater Aucdaml would, of course,* brins; matters 10 a crisis, but. since the defeat of the amalgninaliou schema in firey Lynn, proposals for a GrcaW Auckland are at a discount. A .good-deal of Mtrtft is limi? taken in the settlement o[ the Mntamala Estate, rcx'er.Hy purchase!'.- by the Kovi>rnm*nt from Ihe Assets Realisation Board. Like all laud-, purchased' by the- Government for si'lllemmif, lilt) r.;i;ife is being thrown open 0.1 leasehold'only, and tho' tenure i? anyJhing but. popular i'n tlio Auckland district. Iho Kicbrstaffe Ksfate, in the ICaipata distrx-i', was recently opened on the l«ieeliold system, and the demand for sectioin wbs much under expectations. The Malamata Instate lias, however, the advantage of being hetior situated, wit!i easy access to Ihe railway, and thk together with the difficulty of finding suitably-situated freeholds may help the Government lo make a good fale oven on tho leasehold system. Apart from the. leasehold tenure, (lin conditions under which Ihe land i.« being iiirown open for settlement , are boing freely criticised, and Ihoro. is reason to fear that funic of the restriction!? arc of such a nature; in to make the best da's of farmers .look elsewhe-ro. For instance, Ihe farmer is hound lo a oerlnin rotation of crops to I lie u.-'o of certain standard nnnurrs. iind to 11 hard-and-fast method of stocking his farm. n<. allmvanc;- hi>i,«r anpan-nth/made for lh« ujt-olligenre of tho fanner nor for Hi"? adoption of improved method? of agricuKiiri'. Had these conditions liecn temporary or inserted merely lo provent a farmer impoverishing tin..' land and then .getting rid of his lease, ihev would havo been more easily understood : but apparnnllv Iliey w deigned f 0 last- through the 933 years duration of the lease, and, 010 matter what value of improvements tho farmer may put mi Hie land, he is never to be master of his own farm, or oven the final jmW a 3 lo Iho most suitable method of fanning his land. . "

Mr fiom-gc Kcorgo, ilireclor of Mimical odiiMtioij )u Auckland, lias reported to the Hoard of Bducation on (ho question of Hwnrifio education, in agriculture. }h Ueorgo thinks Iho establishment of an agricultural, college at present would lead to failure, and suggests I hat some years must Ik> spent in preparing pupils for the agricultural college. Iwforo pin effort is made in that direction. His proposal is to start with I hi: primary schools, take the pupils through* secondary schools, then to an agricultural school (which ho suggests should he established ill the Waikalo), and filially to nn agr.'oiilt.itral colloge, which should ho attached to an exnorimenial farm. At the tmlf.it Mr Oeorjfi! suggests that an agricultural export should he engaged to train teachers, who could then start Iho work in llic yrimavy schools, the training of Iho pupil beinj continued for two years at a fownidavy school, and then ;iS an agricultural school, where the student should put in about 10 hours .1 wo<<k at manual labour 'on a farm., aud pas.?, from this institution to an agricultural college, of which one would bn sufficient for the whole colcsiy. In regard to ways and means, Mr George silicosis that to provide fer the ralary and travelling rapciw.- of the c.xnert to start tho scheme the agricultural arsoeiations and farnuirs' union? might contribute £200 11 year, which would be subsidised by a like ainnunt from llic Government, lcaviii:: about £100 to he coniribiited by flic Kducaticei Hoard.