AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13145, 1 December 1904, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(Fioa Oue Own Cobbebpokdent.)

November 25. • The talk of tho town for the past fortnight lias been the Shops and Offices Aot, and its effect upon trade. The proceedings in connection with bringing tho aot into operation were similar to thbse taken in other cities, and the popular indignation could havo been-no greater .anywhere.than it was in Auckland. Practically tho act was in operation for two days. On ■ Saturday, November 12, when ita provisions were enforced by the inspectors in other cities, there was not a copy of the act- available in Auckland, th« Labour Department had telegraphed instructions from Wellington to closo all shops at 9, but shopkeepers wanted something moro than a Labour Department telegram, and the result was that only a few shops observed the new hours. By Monday the - labour inspector was able to produce his authority in the shape of tho act, and 6 o'clock closing was fairly well observed, but not without Vehement projects. Tuesday was also a 6 o'clock closing night, but by Wednesday the' shopkeepers eieraptcd from tho halt-holidny had got legal advice that for that night they need not close at all, and by Thursday tho Premier had publicly announced that thero would bo no prosecutions till the test case bad been decided, and shopkeepers, taking tho hint, put their shutters on when it suited them, nnd have been doing so ever since. For.a week the town was in a ferment over tho act. The chemist, the fruiterer, the confectioner, the hairdresser, and the tobacconist found sympathisers at every step they took. Even Mr Seddon's firmest supporters shook their heads sadly and admitted that on this occasion labour legislation had been carried a little too far. Tlio city members of Parliament had a bad week with their constituents. They were severely heckled on tho platform and bombarded wherever they went for explanations as to how this pernicious act got through. Old residents of Auckland declare that they have known no apt of Parliament which has given rise to anything lfte tho storm of indignation which has erected the Shops and Offices Act, and the popular , opinion is that though it may to some extent be forgotten before election time, tlio numerous body of comparatively small shopkeepers have been so hardly hit and feel the iiijustico of the position so keenly that they are not likely to forget. The excitement; oooled after tho Premier's announcement that there would bo no prosecutions, but tiie shopkeepers aro by no means satisfied at the anomolous position in whioh. they aro placed, and there is quite a large body of the general publio who regard the-official evasion cf tho act at tho bidding of'the Premier as worse in its effect than the act itself —bod as it is. On tlio whole tho Shops and flliicos Act will make the electorates in Auckland and ite immediate- suburbs a splendid field at next election ; for new aspirants for parliamentary honours.

A letter written by Mr J, .11, Heed,'the solicitor who anpenred for tho Hospital Board at Iho Royal Commission which

recently inquired into the management of the ho-pibl, has given rise to a gcod deal o'. talk. Mr Kect! did not agree with (he commissioners as to t-hc-ir authority to award costs, and in p. loiter to .Tiidgo Ward, chairman of tlio commission, he complains of the connniaion. not allowing him to test the question of the jurisdiction of the coinmission to award costs in the Supreme Court, and fiuislics off an otherwise stronglyworded letter as follows:—"There can bo no question that political influence secured thn Kcttinpr up of this commission against ilic* advicn of the uisr.ector-irencral of licspitals. Thri'c. is hlk> no doubt that if jcur commission order.; co-Ms npainat t-hn Hospital Board pc:iiricnl infliiPiie?. will prevent tho 1113 Her being fairly tested in a court of law. The subsidy'is. in Hie. ham!- ot tho Goreniim-iit. and om Ihc report of tho com-

mission swh co-t." would bo deducted, and tho Ho-p : tai lidard would thus ho provonicii ft om. or at al! even!* considerably iuinporcil in, really testing the. question." When tho Xter came before the board

snme members wrrc indignant, that Mr Rrad should havo written it without consulting tho board or ils chairman, .but a motion disapproving of the. political references in ihe lettrr. and calling on Mr Reed for an explanation, was defeated by fr.ur votes to three.

The election of a nnv.-. Hospital Board look place before the findings of t!ie 0:1111inission v,v!'n nim'c known. Of the 10 retir-

ing members swph were re-cketed one- was defeated c.ml two did not Foek rc-olection. Mr Justice Kdwards, in charging tho Grand Jury at thn ononing of the criminal sessions of the Kupiemo Court, now proceeding, inniln a much-Heeded protest against tho needless swelling of (he Supreme Court criminal list, and the consiv q'.ic-nt heavy expense to tho country. A tendency lo make niounlains out of mql»hilk together with some inisun(!erslandiii(,' on the part of magistrates anil justices of iho peace as to their powers uiider the law, is Air .lusliiv Kiiivai'ds'e sunmiirijr up of the reasons why much lime and money is rated iu Irving oasfs at thn Huprhno Court which might easily have linen deitlt with summarily. In the hone of prnvidinjr a remedy. His Honor expounded the law for Iho hojiofil of magistral -es and justices, and instanced same caf.es now before tho court which might havo been otherwise disposed of. One of these, necordinj; lo tho judge's statement, involve.) • the (|iiesl.ion whether a liitourer look a matchbox of the value of I'ighiecnpc.meoui; of the pocket of iiiiflthor labourer against his will, or whether he borrowed it from the owner and ■ uinitted to return it, and to settle lhiVii._ required a judge, a Crown pro'i'cutor, and 23 Grand -Jurors, and a common jury uf 12. The .liidgu afeo suggests thai some nniPiidmiMit of the law is necessary to prevent all .Hi;: paraphernalia of the Suprcir.r: Court being eel going to try a lad who broke a pano of pflase and stole a bottle nf lollips fnini a store window. Technically tlio case tt't'.s on', , nf breaking' and ciilerinjr, hut if thy chargi- had t-emi dealt with wilh any ckgroe of common sense mi;;ht, even with the law as it now Mam's, hav; br-en ehiirge-d merely with theft and fho eise dealt with by anyone of the eap.,ieily cf a village constable of tho most, ar.tii|iia;ed t.vpe. The casn itwlf v.'ould mst. ■ tin? country £50. nnd wljils il tvns boinj,' tried over a hundred witnesses iu other cases would be in attendance for an adtlitimml day, and must l» paid for their atti'iiJanee.

Tln> potato crop- in and aroinul Auckland have liecn seriously affected this year with disease; iu fact, two diseases have been traced l.y (lie Agricultural Department— namely, Trisli potato ili.-ease or phytophora, an-:l the, Macrojporium fungn.". Apparently tlio Irish potato disease is widespread throughout the Auckland' district. Compla.iulß were heard fust from flneliunga, but sinco UiiMi it has l:wn found Hint llio diseaeo is n.ll over the suburbs, and hai nfferied large and small pototo plols; in fact, comparatively few potcto growers havo got clean crops, and in co:iFonuoni>p. there is certain to he. a scarcity of potators in the north this season.

There was a tlutter of excitement oil tlio Siock Exchange the other day ov«r llw adoption nf some ne.w rule; in the Kxcliange. The sharcbrokers' As-oeiaiion have amended their_ rules with the view of admitting us associate members the outside, brokers, who liavo hitherto had no official rvcopition from tho association, although thej- have along certain lines rscoii doing business with its member*. Applications .from a number of outside brokers wero received, and on tho ballot two wove rejected. The lejecled ones were naturally indignant, inasinuoh ae their rejection placed ■ them .in a . woisu position than they were before tho now rules providing thnt these asracial^d , with the association should do business only with association members, "fho (jorcriiinebt van appealed to by telegram, but tlio answer held out no hope of any remedy. Tho Auckland City Council has just fought out in the Compensation Court its first important case in connection with securing the whole of tho watershed of tho Nihotujiu water supply. The claimant, Annie Klotnan, who, keeps a hoartling-houso for tourists, claimed £4383, of which £2580 was for goodwill of tho busiilws. The council fought the claim largely pii the question of goodwill, but after evidence had 'been heard the parties- came, to ah agreement,- tho couricil paying £1900 compensation, and each party paying its own costs.

Hi ■?. Horbonr Board is now , fairly launched on its harlxiur improvement scheme, a tender at £53,450 hiving been accepted for Hie erection of the new railway whnrf (the first instalment of the now scheme) in ferroconcrete. It is recognised ihat it will be some years yet before the he* Queiiii street wharf ran be btiilt, aiid- the board has authorised an expenditure of from £500 to £600 in nocesarsy_temporary "repairs. The Auckland University "College Council lias been discussing the iieta university grants;■ voted by Parliament, iind the best metliod cf expending'- the grant, available for the Aticklana College. The Mining School project was talked over,but members of the council aftree , fhat Until buildings ato availablo it will be impossible for the Auckland College to march 'forth:in this direction. A suggestion was liihdo that a chair of political economy- nnd' commerce would be. a useful addition fe ilia unire'nity, but nbthihg definite \yie' arrived at, a committee being appointed to .draft up a rojort on tl» matter. ,*.'.