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Otago Daily Times, Issue 14185, 10 April 1908, Page 4

His Excellency tiro Governor (Lord Plunket) and Mr Watcrfield (private secretary) were passengers by the Rarawa. from Auckland yesterday afternoon for New Plymouth, en route for Wellington. On Saturday (says an Auckland message) Lord Plunket lays the foundation stone of the new Petone Technical School, and afterwards he proceeds to Christchureh. He returns to Auckland about tlio> 17th inst. Captains Gathorne-llardy and Lyon, A.D.C.'s, accompany his Excellency as far as Hawera, whore {bey remain for a week Ashing.

An important statement affecting the Alexandra district was made by the Prime Minister at his meeting in that township last night. Speaking of the Greenland dam, .he said that this large dam, from which tho Alexandra (late Bonanza) water race was supplied, and which was recently acquired by the Government for mining and irrigation purposes, having been found to be of inadequate dimensions for such extensive requirements, it had been determined to increa.se the storage capacity by tho construction of a. much larger masonry dam on the same site, and for this purpose provision had been made on the Estimates, which would be supplemented as required. It was proposed to commence the construction of this dam during the year.

Very steady progress is being made with the now Caversham tunnel which forms part of the echemo of railway duplication between Dunedin and Mosgiel, It has now been driven in for a distance of eight chains from the face. A commencement will bo' made at the new Chain Hills tunnel yery, shortly,..

The erection of tho Infectious Diseases Hospital at Poliohet Bay is being rapidly pushed on with. The roof is now on tho building, and a very short time should seo it completed and ready to ba used in times of necessity.

Wo understand that an endeavour has again been made by the proprietors to disposp of tho Rod; and Pillar Sanatorium, Central Otago, to the Dunedin Hospital Board. Such V proposal, however, we are assured, is' not at all likely to bo entertained. For one thing, the majority of tho members'of tho medical profession in Dunedin believe, all things taken into consideration, that it would bo more advantageous to all concerned if the Logan's Point site wore secured for the purposes of a consumptives' home. It is recognised that proper medical supervision is absolutely requisite, so that if that wero given effect to it would ba necessary to have at Bock and Pillar a residont specialist and also a dispensary. It is held that with tho Logan's Point site, if there was not tho climate, there would bo assured tho necessary medical supervision referred to. The Logan's Point sito is one of.about 80 acres, and was some time back on offer for a little over £3000. At tho present time the Hospital Board sends its consumptives to Rock and Pillar, in accorda.nce with arrangements made, and tho present cost to tho board of maintaining its patients there runs into something like £1000 per year. The board purposes paying an early visit to tho Otago Contral institution.

On the way from Cromwell to Clyde yesterday morning tho Prime Minister's carriago was hailed by a man, who stood by tho roadside, with his wife, and their seven- children ranged up alongside of them. The parents wajited to know how they could,'get their children educated, seeing that there was no school within five miles of their home. The Prime Minister said the problem was a difficult one and the caso a deserving one, and he promised to lay tho facts before tho Hon. Mr Fowlds (Minister of Education). Tho father and mother seemed to be somewhat consoled with this grain of comfort. It was an interesting group, and the Otago Witness photographer lost no time in "snapping" it, ■

Mr T. Ronayne (general manager of the New Zealand Government railways), Mr 11. Buxton (chief traffic manager), Mr James Burnett .(chief engineer), and Mr A. L. Beattie (chief mechanical engineer) have been in Dunedin over the pa6t few days,on their annual visit of inspection, Invercargill ' district being also visited. They went north again by the first express yesterday morning.

At the southern extremity of the Dun-cdin-Mosgiel railway duplication works tho necessary diversion of tho v Kaikorai Stream is completed, and the waters now run through tho new channel which has been formed. The excavation for the new station at Cattleyards is in hand, while a start has been made on tho cutting to tho Gaverehara tunnel at that end. Between Burnside and Abbotsford the earthwork on the line of duplication is progressing at a satisfactory rate.

Some 14 hands are being forwarded by the Labour Department this morning to the Gore-Waikaka railway construction works. At tho present time the department has vacancies for about 50 men for navvying and other private work in the country.

Fruit in abundance has been placed beforo tho Ministerial party on its tour of Central Otago as a substantial and convincing proof to it of the great growing capabilities of the district. At Pembroke there were also cucumbers, carrots, and turnips, and a huge pumpkin weighing 1501b—tho product of a farm in tho Mount Barker district. At Cromwoll and Clyde thero were magnificent samples of fruits and vegetables grown • in . the locality.

A conference of the Certificated Enginedrivers' Unions' of tho Dominion will be hold'in Wellington during Easter to consider the question of federation. Mr J. Haymes has been appointed to act as the dologate of the local union.

The General Labourers' Unions of New Zealand will meet in conference in Wellington in May next to discuss the question, of the federation of the various bodies,

Cr John M'Donald, pursuing his mayoral campaign, addressed' a largo meeting in the Town HaJl, King Edward street, last night. Mr William Fleming, who occupied the chair, introduced tho candidate in felicitous terms. Cr M'Donald, in the course of an address occupying over an hour, touched on' the various civio undertakings, dealing largely with tho tramway, gas, and water departments. ■ Turning to the question of corporation employees and their wages, he declared himself an advocate of a minimum wage of 8s per day, and was further of opinion that the corporation should, in keeping >vith the General Government and other institutions, inaugurate a superannuation fund providing fqr the oomfortablo retirement of tho aged servants, instead of turning them adrift with a paltry compassionate allowance, as had been done occasionally. A large number of questions were submitted, and answorcd to the evident satisfaction of the interrogators. In deference to the expressed wish of tho candidate a vote of confidence was not moved, he preferring to receive their proof of confidence at the ballot box. The meetin" which was very enthusiastic! and entirely with tho candidate throughout, accorded Cr M'Donald the heartiest applause at the conclusion of his address.

The trcstling work in connection with the duplication of tho Dunedin. to Mosgiel railway line, a 6 between Kensington and the Dunedin goods yard, is now approaching completion, the remaining portion of the new engine shed will bo taken in hand as soon as tho old ono can bo removed, and that time is not far distant. 'The laying of rails,' turntables, etc., in conneotion witli the new Bheds is being rapidly advanced, and the yard presents a seoue of great activity. The permanent pitching of the railway embankment between Anderson's Bay orossing and Kensington is also well in hand,

The carcase of a pig which was raited into town from the country was yesterday seized and condemned by the health authorities giving to its being in a diseased condition. The Fire Brigade received a call at. 6.15 last evening from Forth street, near Pelichet Bay. On proceeding to the locality it was found that the cause of the alarm was a chimney on. firo at No. 44 in a house occupied by Mr Johnston! No damago was clone.

Tho meeting of the Board of Management of tho Young Men's Christian Association held this week was attended by Messrs G. M. Thomson (in tho chair), G. W. Gibson, N. Paterson, D. Leslie, W. L. Riddell, A. S. Adams, W. A. Hamblett, G. Moreton, C. W. Haines, J. Rider, N. S. Slyfield, Rev. W. Curzon-Siggers, and the general secretary., Apologies were received from Messrs E. Aslin A. lrvino, C. R. Smith, 11. Webb, ll.' K. Wilkinson, A. J. C. Rrown, and Captain Strang. The date of the annual meeting was fixed for Monday, April 27. It being necawy to vacate the' present rooms of the association and to find a new home for the carrying on of tho work, the present rooms having been Jeosed to a wholesale firm, arrangements aro being mado for procuring suitable rooms in a. central position.

Tho poll of ratepayers of tho South Ward, Maori Hill,. ns to the proposal to raise a. loan of £2500 for street, improvements resulted in 119 votes being recorded, for. the proposal'ajjd 80 against it.

Our Alexandra correspondent "I understand tho local grocery firms have received a notice from tho Charitable Aid Board discontinuing tho aid to Chinamen at a moment's notice. The opinion is generally hold that at least a month's notice should liavo boon given, and no reason has been given for stopping tho aid to Chinamen.", Mr Palmer (town cleric of Wellington), who has (says our correspondent) re* turned from a trip to Australia, says:— ' Our best street* compare well with, Sydney's best so far as wood paving is concerned. They havo tried asphalt, but it is not a success so far as cleanliness is concerned. I think our city holds its own well. Our now destructor is second to none in Australasia. Wellington was tho first place this side of the line to install a rubbish destructor, and other Australasian cities havo gained from' our experience. Sydney has a very good one, but is still awaiting the results from our new one, which is ahead of anything else of tho kind in Australasia." The latest stop in tho progress of the Y.M.C.A. movement in our province has been tho establishment of a. branch of the association at Milton. For some time past, the young mon of that town have been making preparations with this in view, and recently Mr C. Gordon Armour (general secretary of tho local Young Men's Christian Association) addressed a publio meeting at Milton on tho subject. Mr Armour spoke of the world-wide move'

ment and of the various departments of tho association's activities. | Ho emphasised the great need of such an institn-

tion, and spoke particularly of tho relationship of the Y.M.C.A. to tho ohurches and to the- community. At tho close of this meeting a second meeting was held of all those intending to become memborsi of the association. This wa 3 an enthusiastic and very representative gathering. An Executive Committee was formed, and this has already met twice. Suitable rooms for. carrying on the work have been secured. Tho movement has been started spontaneously by tho young men of the district, and this fact, together with the enthusiasm which prevails, says much for the ultimate success of tho institution. _ Auckland seems to bo suffering from an infliction of cases of infectious diseases. During the month of March there were reported to Dr Purdy (District Health Officer) 79 eases of enteric fever, 23 eases of scarlet; fever, 15 cases of diphtheria,. 12 cases of tuberculosis, and 9 cases of bloodpoisoning.

A poultry farmer who consigns largo quantities of eggs to the Government poultry depot, administered (says ■ our; Auckland correspondent) an amusing "re< buke" to the, local staff the other day. On several occasions tho authorities' had written to the farmer complaining that liis consignments of eggs were usually two or tlwee short in each case, though the latter stoutly protested that thero had been no deficiency at his end. At length in one of .'his boxes was discovered a piece of bacon addressed to tho egg-tester, who was at a loss for a time to understand this generosity, until it suddenly struok him that tho inference to be drawn was that he might as well have bacon with-tho .eggs. Two additional charges'of theft from a dwelling aro. to, bo preferred against Leroy Marshall. Both thefts are alleged to ha.ve taken place on Christmas Eve one from a dwelling in North Dunedin and the second from a house in Roslyn.

Constable Brennah, who has been stationed at Anderson's. Bay for nine years, has been transferred to the city, and is to bo replaced at Anderson's Bay by Constable Rings, of Lyttelton. The latter officer arrived last evening to take over his new charge.

Mr Andorton (curator of the Portobello Marine Fish Hatchery) has notified the board that all the female lobsters of the original stock; in the- ponds have now spawned, and aro carrying numbers of ova. On an average estimate there must be fully 100,000 o ggs , a nd if a good proportion of these hatch out in early summer the probabilities of establishing the lobster : in the harbour are very considerable. The further development of those valuable Crustacea will bo watched with interest. Several former patienta of Flagstaff Sanatorium \wore seen by Dr Stephenson on. his recent vistf to England. It is'of interest to note that they were generally m excellent health. One, who is a' medical student at the Edinburgh University, had broken clown in the course of his studies, came to New Zealand and had a year's treatment at the above institution. He returned to Edinburgh f Ut r m , a „l fiar ' 8 hard stud 5-' an <i Pas*d • his final M.B. examination last year For the past 10 months he has b.eon resident surgeon at a provincial hospital in England, keeping in first-class health. An- ' other former patient is now a board school teacher in London, and was one of the freshest and healthiost-looking persons met with in that city 0 £ pale-faced people. In the past nine years 300 patients have received treatment at tho Flagstaff or ' Nordrach Sanatorium. All those in early stages of the disease have benefited by the treatment, and in many cases cures, as satisfactory as the cases mentioned above, have" been made. It cannot be too widely known that, given early and persevering treatment on sanatorium lines, the great majority of consumptive patients may bo definitely oured.

The chestnut trees of Bushey Park (opposite Hampton Court Palace) are world-famous, end no one who 'has seen the glorious beauty of their spring blossoming can ever forget it. So familiar is the thought of the great avenueplanted by William the Third "in the Dutch style "-that even we at-the Antipodes can understand the regret with which the Westminster Gazette records the passing of one of the old trees. It has been removed by the Board of Works because of its dangerous condition, and yet it was a mere stripling of a tree in comparison with many of the Spanish chestnuts. But the horse chestnut is not remarkable for its longevity, though, in the light of recent developments in regard to the paper trade, the tree acquires a new commercial value. It produces the very best wood pulp, and: it is urged by the Westminster Gazette that by planting this beautiful and fast-growing tree extensively on roadsides and waste places a very effectual provision against the threatened paper famino would be made. The suggestion is one we may well adopt for our own use. How much more eftW tive in a landscape would groups and lines of these beautiful trees be than the sombre blot of unrelieved insignia and the monotony of tho utterly useless poplars which rob and impoverish the ground and' thrust up their sturdy offspring for yards around them. How about a liberal sprinkling of horse chestnut trees in our replanting of the Town Belt?

A meeting of the Otokia Drainage Board w M held on Tuesday, when" the financial position-of. tlie board was dis oussed, and it.was resolved to pay if possible by April 30. one-third of'all claims for compensation and expenses in connection with the late Jaw cases

_ The Evening Post (Wellington)' stages that the new destructor is now at y,- 0 T the Plant not only deals with all th e rubbish t at comes along, but , m £ the heat for the boilers of the corpora t»n sewage p„ mping plant) and thus effects a considerable savins inL • t»re. It is intended tc ?\2 hf " Btmetor going 24 hours a daf T *' tractor., (Messrs Heenan and pi, T England) lmve to maintain LT?' ° f four months, and the/ wi P ' ant f ° r When it is i„ £ull m -J . ™»* P«jod.. that the destructor will "J/. p y omis «l -i=o, and, wit^r 1 :" 60 "' 1 portant, i te OWD J ,. Mffl Wore i m .

At a largely-attended meeting .at Christchurch last evening (says a Press Association mcKagc) a motion in favour of the Saturday half-holiday was adopted.

At tho City Police Court yesterday, before Mr C. 0. Graham, S.M., Kobert Thomson was fined 10s, with tho alternalivo of 48 hours' imprisonment, for drunkonness; a first offender was dealt, with, and William Irwin Black, charged with tho theft of a cheque valued" at £5 8s sd, tho property of Henry Bruhns, was remanded to appear at Middlemarch on Saturday.

In view of tho attention recently drawn to tho increasing use of methylated spirits, tho following remarks by the Auckland 'Star's Sydney correspondent will bo read with interest:-"One of tho best rJroofs of the fact that it is impossible to make .people- iober by act of Parliament is furnished by tho fact reported in one of tho newspapers that since the new Liquor Act has mado it impossible~-or difficult, anyway—to get drink from the hotel bar on Sunday, topers of a certain class have taken to tho consumption of methylated spirits, which, it is obvious, is easier to obtain. If iliig assertion is true, it is surely the duty of the authoritcis to enforce restrictions against the sale of this spirit, which may now be bought without trouble, and in any quantity."

_ Edison's plans to cast cement houses in a single casting do not appeal to a correspondent of Engineering News, who indulges in the following satirical remarks concerning them:—"l am struck with' admiration at the offhand way in which a great mind brushes aside the many, perplexities that troublo the ordinary .designer of concrete buildings. Tho easting of plumbing fixtures and plumbing pipes iu place is certainly a startling idea; but if this can be accomplished, why not carry the idea farther, and have the necessary furniture cast in place? Dishes may bo cast on the dining-room tablo and arranged with flushing rims and wastes liko the plumbing fixtures, so that the trouble of dish-washing may bo done away with for ever. When thinking along this line one's ideas expand so 'rapidly as to cause hesitation in presenting them, but it seems to the writer that if the householder's sensibilities are so blunted as to make him willing to occupy a cement dwelling which is precisely like 30,000 others, presumably iu tho samo town, ho would almost bo ready to consider cement napkins and cement bedding,"

Aii interesting announcement was made by Mr Gullick (Government Printer in Sydney) at the annual picnio of the Government Printing Office at Caßarita. iecent|y. Ho stated that a few of tho Men in the department had, behind tho Bcones, practically achieved natural coloured photography, and ho was only waiting for apparatus to arrivo from tho Old Country in order to put the work before tho general public on a largo Bcalo. Ho had sent a member of his Btaff to Mount Kosciusko, who had brought back 50 exquisite pictures, showing tho colours of Nature absolutely as they were. When the public saw the photographs it would be realised what a great result had been achieved on lines which wcro scarcely known in the world as yet, although they ha<l been- introduced in Germany. Ho wanted tho Government to understand that its printing office, could follow in tho steps of tho highest-trained experts that could bo brought forward. In due coureo ho would ask the members of tho Ministry to attend and see what; had been gained, and what could be done with the new art in the future.

In our 'report of the concert at South Dnnedin on Tuesday evening it was stated tot a double Irish jig was dUiioetl by L<uio brothers. The performers were Saul brothers. • lhos© intending to do tho Wsnganui Biver trip at Easter axo reminded that the Waneamri Biver steamers are running daily. Tho Thursday evening express from Wellington will . connect with the Wanganui .River oteamors at Aramoho. The faro for a two days' river trip is £1, and far a four days' trip, Wangamii to the Houseboat and return to Wanganiri, £2. Attention is directed to the advertisement calling tenders for the purchase of the coach, builder's business carried on' by the late Ed. Iluffadine, at Invercargill. An endless variety of ladies' belts in almost every conceivable stylo that one could wish for, Prices, Is lid to 8s Ctl. We have just landed a choice lot of ladies' neckwear: moderate prices.—Mollisons Ltd.—Advi. We have pleasure in drawing attention to very largo shipments of new goods- just opened out, comprising jewellery, silver and plated goods, and Doulton ware,—G. and T Young, 88 Princes street.—Advt.

■For bronchial congha take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Is Gd and 2s Gd. The Fe7er Epidemic.— fading hospitals throughout the Domiuion use "K.P." fluid, on account of 'ts effectiveness nnd economy. "K.P." fluid acts with deadly certainty upon all disease germs. Ask for " K.P." fluid, the peat disinfectant 9d and Is—nil chemists' nnd storekeepers.—Advt. Who is Peter DicK?-The most reliable Watchmaker and Jeweller, opposite Coffee Palace, Moray place, Dunedin. Charges strictly moderate.—AdYt.