LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 16

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The impression appears to prevail in eonw* quarters that the area at Milfcrd Sound in which a reef of greenstone has been located forms part of the country set aside as a national park, a,nd that in consequence th© Milford Sound Greenstone Company will be unable to exploit the claim. We learn on inquiry that tha claim was acquired before the reservation of the area for the National Park, and that it is practical'y fcliG only ground in that locality that is outside* the boundaii-e^ ol that reserve. The Victory, an i.lustratcd newspaper or magazine published by the Salvation Army, contains much information concerning the great social work carried en. As :s remarked iv the introduction, it is impossible l.y any statement of figures to convey an adequate idea of the year's work accomplished in the array's social homes a: d agencies. But a cursory glance at the illustrations win show the surprising progress made in the few years during which *lro Army has bean at work in tli3 colonies. The balance chcots, duly audited, for the Commonwealth of Australia are published. There are four homes each in Auckland and v ellingfrn, throe in Chrietchurch, and two in Dunodin. Tho expenditure for 190.5 n-as £7234 2d, of which £1870 went m wages, salaries, and gratuities, and £1065 .n rents, rates, and taxes. The income retailed £6356 6s Id, of which £524 was by ray of donations, £3865 from sales and eai-n-ings, and £1967 from maintenance contributions. Turning to the social fund, if; appears there was a debit balance on the year of £179 19s 3d, the total . revenue, including donations, fees, sales, and work done, and a grant cf £750 from tho Government being £6256 6s Id. The expenditure amounted to £7845 14s Id. The output from the mines of ihe Wer-t-port Coal Company (Limited) for the month of May was 43,799 tens lOewt. The number of .births registered at the Dunedin office for the month- of M"y totalled 128 for the month, marriages totalled 47, and deaths 59^ Tha figures for tha corresponding month of last year were— Births, 100; marriages, 32; and deaths, 60. For the five months ended 3'esterday the totals wers 5St» birens, 263 marriages, and 317 deaths, as against 540 births, 236 marriages, and 330 deaths for ihe corresponding period of 1903. The births registered for the month (128) for n the highest total registered in the month of May since 18£6, when there nere 135. The 263 marriages for the fi\ c months constitute a record. In speaking at the letler-curiicrs' reunion last week, Sir J. G. Ward foreshadowed

a reduction in tho telegraph rates. Ho said ho felt satisfied that, though large oDricessions had been given to the public in th© Post and Telegraph service, there would i be still further improvements made, and he j 1 hoped for a readjustment, at least in the ! telegraph rates, before very long, though he ; j could not say that would bo accomplished ' ' at present. j The revenue from the 2328 milos cf railway open in New Zealand for the four- , weekly period from April 1 to April 30 bst i was £206,652, and the expenditure £118,542. J The 901 miles open in the North I^lar.d ', earned £81.231, w hilo tho expenditure was ' ' £47,833. The reienue from the 1427 miles j in the South Island was £125,421, while the expenditure totalled £70,705. The ' revenue from the Ilurur.ui-ISluff section, of [ 1217 miles, was £107,032, vh'le fhc- expendi- ] turo was £60,453. Tho revenue derived from the Lake "Wakatipu steamers amounted , to £620, and the expenditure to £4C6. ! As has been the custom in previous years, the- Taieri Agricultural Society, winners ! this year of the shield for tho best county exhibit in connection v.ith the- winter s'io-.v, j'uvitod tho c.-mpetitcrs in the other courts i to a friendly social on Wednesday, Ist inst. | Tho function was held in f'he Provincial j ' Hotel, and i\as of a very happy and plea-ait J character. The gathering was honoured by ; the presence of the Minister of Lands, ihe ; Hon. T. Y. Duncan. Amongst the various toasts proposed were thcFe of <% Agricultural I and Pastoral Associations," proposed by tho j chairman (Mr J. Millc-r, president of the ' , i Taiori Agricultural Society), " Tlio Ccmpet- [ | ing Courts," tho Hon. Mr Duncan, and ' i "The Ladies." The meeting cl'j-:ed at an [ • early hour by the singing of "Auld lang , syne." 3 i Tho Australian Commonwea'ih Fplent3 , Act wss proclaimed in force ■:>■, Woclnpsd •>' ; ■ | morning. Patents wiil new be graiiWl ex- j = tending over tho whole Commonwealth. , '• I• ! ; j The postal authorities havo -icecicd to the request cf the hSandymcunt scHor^ for ] tho rc-e.-tabh-hment of th-j po=t efneo .it " their school. Early in the year (writes a : correspondent) a numerously-sigr.cd petit. on wps forwarded through the usual ohsnjcl, ■ . a -king ti.afc the postal dicabiluies of the ciiotrict bo removed and ihe school made a ]so.^t effice. On due cor.sKeration tho | department regretted its inability to comply J with the petition. 13at Sandymount folk 1 ' are not the- kind to take "No" when they < w&nfc ''Yes." A public meeting was called, ■" when it was decided to approach the Mia- I ister through the member for the district, 1 Mr E, G. Allen, and ask that the matter '<■ ,bo reconsidered on the ground of miscon- ( ceptlon of the facts. This tima the request i was granted, %cry much to the satisfaction £ of a large number of residents who, for ; <

the last two yeais, havo suffered considerable inconvenience through the lack of a post office m their mid-t. Tho best thanks of the locality are due "to its member (Mr Allen) for his efforts on it-s behalf, and to Mr Weipers, the chairmai of the petitioners, who took considerable trouble in seeing the agitation brought to a succssful issue. Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.E., who undertook to communicate with the Acting-Minister of Public Works :uid obtain for the Otago Central Railway League tho expenditrro on tho lino for the financial year end. t-g 31:t March kut. -n order that it might be included ;n tin 1 annual report of the league, has received tho following reply: — "Tho figures with regard to the Otago Central railway tv ill be published in ihs ordinary way in the Public Works Scatenie'ii.. I find the departmental pract'ea i-3 not to givo tho information you require before that appears, as to do so would be to deprive the statement of its general interest. Under the circumstances I do not care to depart from established, precedent. — J. M'Gottax." The Otago Fallen Soldiers Memorial Fund Committee has received 26 designs from all parts of the colony for the memorial. Tho sub-committee appointed to select the mot cuiiable design v. ill make a recommendation to the General Committee at a mooting to be held on Tlraisday next. The annual general meeting of the Otago and Southland Slieejiowners' Industiial Union of Employers was held in the Chamber of Commerce on the 2nd. Mr John Roberts, president, occupied the chair, and there v.as a fair attendance of members. Ihs balance sheet and report were adopted, and la«=i year's executive- and committee were re-elected. Mr Alfred Re/uokls, cf tho Round Hill M-nins Company, Col^e Bay, send^ us a spray of kamahi (AVeinei.ann:* iac?mo-a), a mti\o tree that sometimes prows 4ft through and 60ft, lngli, tmd h iiow m blocm in thr- Longwood forc-t The kamahi I 'looms noimally in Janraiv, and rli9 =p:cijnen s n nfc to us is an example of the LiHucnce oi an unusual -friaon. ihe lts'\ Dr Xi^bet, S'.Tee--or to the liov. Dr Gibb in the pastorate of Fn^L Ciui'cii, arr \ cd in Dunedin by tLe MocrPki on Srtnrday, f .ih, .shortly after 8 o'clock. Dr JJCi-sbet, who wai accompanied by Ins v, lfc and Mi "6 and -Master Nitbct, n.L :.iet en the vihntf by about £0 efnee-be-arers and soveral of the ladies of First Church, who gave him a hearty welcome. A lough passage from Australia was experienced, £>nd coming down the New Zealand coast, especially after leaving Lyttelton, heavy weather was encountered ; but, notwithstanding", the trip wad enjoyable, whilst Otago Haibour z which iv the bright suu-

light was seen to advantage, was greatly | admired and gave our new citizens a favourable impression cf the surroundings of their future home. First Church manse being still in the hands of renovators and repaireis, Dr Nisbet and family, after greetings had been exchanged, "were driven to Mrs Capstick's, in Cumberland street, where they will stay for probably a fortnight. When the Moeraki arrived at Wellington j the following telegram from First Church Session awaited Dr Nisbet : — "Session heartily welcomes you to New Zealand ; trusts you had a pleasant voyage reross, and that Mis Nisbet, yourself, and family are well." Dr Nisbet's reply showed high appreciation of the thoughtmlness which prompted the message-. ! The van and two horses belonging to a | hawker named John M'Kay, of Wcdd?i-- j ! burn, having been found on Friday on tho , read between Becks and Hill's Creek, and [ ' no sign of their owner, who had left Becks tho previous morning, being visible, search j was made for the missing man, who was | | on Saturday morning found wandering on '. Blackstone Hill range, suffering apparently J from the effects of excessive drinking. It is understood tho hotelkeepers in the Bruce licensing district will ab once apply to the Supreme Court for a writ of i mandamus to compel tho Bruce Licensing j Committee to meet and deal with applic-a-j tions for renewals of licenses as from July . 1 next. The Union Company's new turbine j steamar Loongana v.as successfully launched from Messrs Denny's yard at Dumbarton on Thursday, 2nd inst. She is intended to run an express service between Melj bourne and Launceston, and her r.dvont I in that trade is being looked forward to I with great interest, as she will be the fiisfc i steamer fitted with turbine engines to bo | reen south of the line, and will mark an. epoch in colonial shipping. Tho Loongaua has a gro^s tonnage of 2500 tons, and her j mdicate-d horse-power will be 5000. ! The committee cf the Otago Agricultural i and Pastoral Society held a meeting- ! on Monday, at which the question of the pccomodation in Dunedin of the many visitor-) from the country to lh°ir shows was discus&ed. It was pcnited out that there was in reality no L.ck of accommodation in the city, but that the trouble ai-G=e through the country I people not knowing where to look for it j once the central hotels were filled. The j association quite realise the difficulties that ; their patrons must experience, and, in order , to i educe these in future to a minimum, they decided to obtain lists of houses, j licensed and otherwise, where lodging can ' be obtained, and to circulate these in the ' country- di&tricis. Not only that, but it is

I understood that the society will constitute itself into a bureau, and on application, arrange for the accommodation of visitors to Dunedin during their summer and winter shows. If this is carried out, there should in future be no hesitancy on the part of people distant from Dunedin to come to town during those seasons when there is a large influx of strangers. | A little shop in the town of Thornhill, in Nithsdale, has lately boen destroyed (says a Home paper) qwing to the street being widened — a shop where Burns bought his boots for the last 15 yeais of his life. It was kept by ono Andrew John=toue, and there aro those yet living that can remember ths old man telling about the lasb pair ever ordered by the poet. For some reason the boots were not finished at the premised time ; they were three days late, and Andrew "v, as terrible feart Burns wad he inakm' poetry aboot it." With regard to the proposal made afc the annual meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society by the Hon. T. Fergus to effe:a trophy, value £100, with the object of inducing competition in county bays, we aro informed that the necessary sum ha 3 been fully suh-cribed. It is hoped that with this inducement offering some of the northern counties may come forward to compete with Otago counties. There has been another turn of the lottery-wheel in connection with licensing affairs in tho Bruce electorate, as we understand that the elected members of the Licensing Commiitce Lav© rcjiqncd their seats. It is not at all clear thar this move will in any v. ay facilitate a settlement of the difficulty which has arisen through the committee t"ecidi ~g thiit due notice had not been given of the annuol meeting called for Friday last, and that, therefore, the comniil'ee had no jurisdiction to deal with applications for renewals as from July 1. No doubt tho legal talent engaged will find a way out of the difficulty. "We referred la.^t wr-ek to the fact that the executive of the A. and P. Society intended to take in hand tho task of asn->t-ing country Motors to find accommodation at show time when the pubhchou&es and private hotels arc invariably crowded to excess. The district agent of the Tourss Department informed a re-pre-entathe of this paper yesterdaj th:it his office h?s already tak<:ii steps in this direction, and any person visiting Dunedin has only to cali to secure access to a register containing the addresses of some 50 odd boardinghouses with a total capacity of about 450 boarders. Of course most of these houses havo a number of permanent boarders, bufc still there is always a good deal of room to spare for visitors. During the Scic-nco Congiess in January la&t 2 when accommodation

■was at a premium, numbers of visitors secured quarters in this way who would otherwise have been put to great inconvenience. But the fact 'remains, accommodation for the travelling publio in Dunedin is extremely limited. Every year sees a larger influx of visitors, due doubtless to the increased facilities for cheap travel, and the greater readiness on the part of country people to visit the city. Any effort to house temporarily all the-se people must neoessarily be attended with difficulties, ?s only the larger boarding-houses are connected by telephone, and unless the proprietors of the smaller pTaces keep the Tourist Office posted up as to their capacity to receive strangers, a hitch is likely to occur at the last moment. It would go a Jong way to solving the problem, however, if people ready to take in boarders during show week would forward along with their address the exact number they could accommodate, together with the tariff to be charged. During ihe visit of the Prince cf "Wales to Dunedin something of the kind was done, and hundreds of people wero enabled to remain in town and see the sights who otherwise would have had to g"o home simply for want' of a sheltering roof. At the annual meeting of the Dunedin Licensing Oommittey on ihe 6th the majority of the licenses were renewed without comment, others were granted after remarks on their conduct had been made, and several applications were postponed until June 27 to allow of certain alterations to be made. The most serious comment was made in regard to the Caledonian Hotel, Walker street, which, in the opinion of the police and the committee, was conducted in a manner that might be considerably improved upon. In regard to the remarks made generally on various hotels, Mr Carew, S.M., who is chairman of the com- , mittee, made it quite clear that he gave ; them only as the mouthpiece of the elected j members of the committee, and that they j were not to be taken as necessarily conveying his own personal opinion. Dunedin is taking active steps in the direction of having the biennial fire brigades' demonstration held in this city in March of next year. There was an enthusiastic meeting held in the Town Hall last i night to further the object, and the j speakers referred, among other things, to j the value of such demonstrations, which j brought before the brigades and the public j in a practical way the latest appliances in | fire suppression. They also spoke warmly of the valuable services rendered by fire brigades in saving life and property, which vc3ls a fact in itself that entitled the brigades to tha most generous support from the public. If the demonstration is held in Dunedin, at least 600 men will probably come to the city. It is understood that a carnival will be held in November to raise funds to defray the expenses of the demonstration. At the regular meeting of the Committee of the Yatients' and Prisoners' Aid Society on the 7th inst. — present: MessTS R. Chisholm (in th© chair), P. Duncan, W. ■Downie Stewart, T. H. Dick, G. Fenwick, and Walter* Hislop (lion, treasurer) — reference was made by the chairman and other members of committee to the services Tendered to the association in its earlier stages and for many subsequent years by Dr John Bidlop, and the following resolution ■was passed: — ''Since last meeting Dr John Hislop, a revered member of committee, has passed away. With a heart for all good work having for its object the well-being of his fellows spiritually, morally, socially, and educationally Dr Hislop as far back as June, 1889, readily conneoted himself with the society, and until barred by old-age infirmities he took a veTy active part in the society's work and in the counsels of the committee, and by continuous self-denying personal effort he year by year laboured to put the society on a sound footing and to further its' interests and work. Besides 3iis regular attendance at executive meetings, and since his retirement from active life, he was at his private residence e\er aec&psiblo to the agent for the consideration ; of intricate cases, and in these consultations his wise, thoughtful advice and his experience and knowledge as a visiting justice of

the prison were eminently helpful, to the advantage of the persons on whose behalf action was being taken. The committee desires to put on record its profound venera- ! tion for its departed co-w~orker, and its I sincere sympathy with the good doctor's j bereaved family, and that a copy of this i deliverance be forwarded to them." j His Excellency the Governor has received j the following cablegram from ihe Prince ot I Wales: — "Sincere thanks your Ministers \ and people Zealand for kind birthday greetings." There was another turn on the 7th of the lottery wheel in connection with Bruce j licensing matters. Acting under instructions j from the'Bruoo hotelkeepers, Mi&s Ethel Bcnj jamin (of Dunedin) and Mr Neil PateTSon I (of Milton) on Tuesday filed notice of motion in respect to 10 of the hotels in Bruce for a writ of mandamus to compel the Bruce Licensing Committee to issue licenses to ihe hoteh in question as from the Ist of July nevt. The date of hearing will be the next sitting of The Supreme Court in Banco, ] which will probably be on Wednesday, 15th inst. As we intimated last week, the j elected members of the committee sent in ! their resignations on Monday, and these i were forwarded on Tuesday by Mr Cruicfoshank, S.M., to the Governor, who acknowledged receipt thereof. It remains to be?een whether the application for a mandamus can now affect the position of affairs. From our report of the meeting of th© Mount Ida Licensing Committee in another 1 column it will be seen that licenses were ! granted for three new houses at Ophir, the ! terminus of the Otago Central railway, the ! committee intimating that it had decided ] to adopt free trade principles. I Mr E. H. Carew, S.M., held a sitting of j the Old-age Pensions Court at Mosgicl on j the 7th, the dcptity-reglstrar of old-age penj sions (Mr R. Hill) being present to repre- , sent the department. Four renewals at £18, one at £14, and one £12 were granted. A full pension at £18 was granted to a new applicant. One application for a renewal, i lepfesenting a life interest, wa.3 held over j for consideration in Dunedin. An extraordinary duel has just been fought in Paris between two youths named I Maltier and Lamort. The arrangement was ! that Maltier was to stand with a drawn j sword, while Lamort, 100 yards away and ' armed with a knife, mounted his bicycle. I At the word ihe ktter was to ride at his best speed at iiis adversary. The combat took place in tho Rue de la Convention, and Lamort rode at breakneck sijeed and succeeded in knocking down his opponent, but at the same time fell himself. The swordsman received a serious cut on the head from a pedal, while the cyclist is suffering from two severe cuts from the sword. A decision having an important bearing I on the question of labour unions wae given j by Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court on Wednesdaj*, when the Otago Sailmakerb' Industrial Union of Workers sought to recover arrears of subscriptions i from four members. The evidence in the first case showed that all Iho members had allowed their subscriptions to fall into more than a year's arrear, and th© acting-s«cretary had, in consequence, been unable to send in the returns to the Labour Department as required by law. An attempt was recently aaade to resuscitate the union, and authority was given by certain members to Mr Steve Boreham to endeavour to reorganise the body. His Worship held that as all tho members had allowed their subscriptions to become more than a, year overdue, and as tho secretary bad tailed to tend in the returns required by law, the union was defunct, and he must di-mis<s the case. Three other informations were abandoned. With reference to the strictures that were recently (as recorded in our columns) passed upon tho police at lavcrcargill in re e pecb of j their conduct in keeping witnesses in a case j against an hotelkeeper under surveillance j pending the hearing of a charge of a breach i of the licensing laws, wo have bcon requested, in justice to the police, to gho publicity to souio obsen allots made in 1

' March, 1903, by Mr -Justice Williams when a similar complaint was addressed to him. .On that occasion his Honor said : " Some observations had been made as to the control the police had exercisied over the witnesses, | but this was eimply n. matter between ,' witness and police. If the witness did not j object, there was no particular reason why -1 ' the police should not have done as they had. j Of course, it was well known there were , mairy cases where a witness was likely to go ( bad, so to speak, between the las-ing of tho j information and the trial by communication j J with ouHde people, and if the police, in . . the exercise of their duty, thought it was cs j ( well to keep a sharp eye on a witness, j j nobody had any reasonable right to object J to it excepting the witness." 1 ! The City Council la=t week, on the motion ! ' of Cr Tapper, resolved to send a letter to ' Mr G. M. Thomson congratulating him 0:1 the fact of his son, Mr J. A. Thornton, • having gained the first Rhodes scholarship offered to New Zealand. The Boys' High School was yesterday given a half-holiday in honour of Mr Thomson's success, he being 1 an ex-pupil of the school. s j i At the monthly meeting of the Dunedin 1 City Mission the honorary treasurer reported J ' the receipt of a legacy of £25 from the . estate of the late Mr Henry Berwick. J We have received from Mr J. Hall, south express newsagent, th© sum of £1 15s, representing moneys collected by him on the train towirds ihe Battleship New Zealand Fund. If the Democrats choose Judge Parker as their candidate for the United States Presidency they will have found a epical candidate, (or he has followed the very {jath which has le:l so many of his preI deees-ors from log-hut or farm to the White j Hou^e. Alton B. Parker':- first outlook on i the world wae on a small farm in New j York State 52 years ago. He had a rough I apprenticeship to farm labour as a lad before he tried his hand at tho more congenial work of school-teaching; and from the schoolhouse he drift&d, as many a young American had done before him, into law. The judge's mothe_r, who is still alive — a very homely old lady of 80,— is naturally proud of her son's career, the credit for which she laigely assigns to a liberal use of ihe rod in hk young days. It is enlightening to learn frcm ihe American ! papcis that the judge drinks his tea without j either milk or sugar, and that ho is " great on pumpkin pie." A curious experiment in education is to be tried in Chicago by the Superintendent of Schools, acting in conjunction with the Board of Education. The object is to teach young America the principles of government, and with this end in view the schools are to be organised into miniature municipal, State, and national governments upon the broad principles of equal suffrage and representation. Each elementai-y school will be represented by members in the lower house of the model congress, and ihe senate vill be made an august assemblage by being drawn directly from the high school?. Every cog in the machinery of government will be in its place and mot ing. Politics of one kind or another is the main staple of the average American's conversation, and the introduction of politics into the school curriculum will not tend to diminish the tendency. But if there is any truth in the story told of a university £?raduate who, after passing an examination in civil government, asked his instructor why the Presidential college of electors should not be made to retain office during good beha\iour, like the Federal judges, there is justification for th© experiment in Chicago. The interesting statement comes from ' Bavaria that experiments are being made there to manufacture cotton out of pins I wood. The method is to reduce the wood I to the finest layers possible, then to submit it to a vapour process for 10 hours. The pulp thus obtained is plunged into a soda bath, where it stays 36 hours. It is thereby transformed into a kind of cellulos", to which a resistant quality is given by the addition of oil and gelatine. After- . wards it is drawn oui awi uni&ngled. by ]

' machinery. The process is raid not tc be expensive, and it is thought that if this " cotton " can be made of practical use Europe will h<? independent of America and | India. The immense fonste of ScandinaM'a ! and Germany would furnish ample material for her " cotton "' supply. Professor Hainan, of Bale, has taker a rough census of the Jews of the world, and comes to the conclusion that tho children cf laiael now number nearly 11,000,000. Of these a good two-thirds are foimd in | Europe. Russia comes first with 5,500,000, : then Austria-Hungary with 1,860,000, Ger- | many with 568,000, Roumania with 300,000, I Great Britain 200,000, Turkey 120,000, Hol- | land 97,000, France 77.000, Italy 50,000, Bulgaria 31,000, Switzerland 12,500, Greece SSOO, Servia 4700, Denmark 4000, Sweden 3400, Belgium 3000, Spain 2500, and Portugal with only 300. The total for Europe .is about 8,000,000. of which by far the larger proportion is confined to the Eastern countries. Outside Europe the country which contains most Jews is the United States, with a round million. Members of the United States Senate aro paid £1000 a year. A bill was introduced recently to increase the salary to £1600 a year, but the senators were afraid to pass it, notwithstanding that a good proportion of the people would favour the increase. They fear the criticism of that element which is always ready to denounce a "grab."' The greatest objection to the proposed increase lies in the fact that, in addition to his salary, each senator receives an annual allowance of £240 for a eccreteiy, and lOd a mile travelling expenses to pncl from Washington. Many of them — almost every one, in fact — own a free railway pa.«s over all aines, and not a few do not employ secretaries, so that their average income is doubtless close to £1400 a year. Senators are also allowed " contingent expenses," and some aimisement has been occasioned by the publication of the items included in this somewhat wide category. Perhaps not much objection ■\votild b« niado to the payment by the Government of senators' telegraph bills, newspaper bills, and bills for engraving cards, but there are bills of another character that Uncle Sam has been asked to pay — and has paid. For instance, Senator Jones, of Arkansas, -obtained at Government expense a copy of Smith's Dictionary of the- Bible! Senator Daniels secured in the came way "Charm of Birds" and " Marcus Aurelius," while Senator Morgan demanded a set of Keals. Even more inexplicable are other " contingent expenses " "What could senators want with wiist bag', at prices ranging from 8s to £5; with card cases, flt 4s to £3 10s; with chatelaine bage, at 4514 51 to £2 10s? One reads also of quantities of quinine, cologne, Lay rum, salts of tartar, dandruff cure, attar of rose.s quince seed, e-to. The bill for "contingent expenses" in one year totalled £17/,800. Many people are in favour of increasing senators' salaries and requiring them to pay their own railway mileage, their own secretaiics' salaries, and buy their own chate'siincs, wrist bags, bay rum, and the hundred and one other articles in the dr?.g-net known as " contingent expenses." At TLihvday's meeting of the Cavcrsham Borough Council the following resolution was carried on the motion of Cr Carpenter, seconded by Cr Middleton : — "That tl^e town clerk be instructed to write to Mr T. K. Sidey, M.H.R., asking him to endeavour to get a report from the Government Marine Engineer on the suitability of the western end of the second beach at fc>t. C'lair for forming a boat harbour for fishing and sailing boats, and also on the cost ot constructing sulli a harbour."' Cr Carpenter, in bringing the matter before the council, said he had given it a good deal of consideration, and had gone down and looked at the position carefully. He had come to tho c&pelusion tfiat there were many very good natural advantages for constructing a boa \ hai-bour, as good shelter for fishing and sailing boats could bo got at Aery modciaio cost. All he asked for at present was that the council phouk l try to get a l'eport from the Government, and he did uot see any reason why eyea - i r cow*

cillor present should not agree to that course. A certain amount of breakwater would be required at the point, but there war= a rocky foundation for it.

Private leticrs reee-hed in Napier (the Hawke's Bay Herald states) indicate trafc the system of free grants of land in portions of North-west Canada is likely soon to be restricted in view of the \cy large influx of people to the Dominion in =eareh of Sanaa.

The Hon. T. Y. Duncan. Minister of Lands, has in the hands of the printer a Tenants' Right Bill, v\hkh ho intends to introduce this session. I( provide* for payment of compensation lzi improvcimiits to holders of leases, whether Go\ eminent land or otherwise. Ho informed '^c Oamaru Mail that he considered this bill should have been in operation 10 or 20 years ago as an inducement to lessoes to improve their holding 5 . He was dii-tinctly in favour of allowing those v. ho took up '.-enain land which necessitated great trouble to clear or drain to obtain the freehold. There was land, particularly in the North Island, which had a value of between 5? and 255, the average being about 15s. To bring iz into anything like profitable u«e rt-qvNi-ccl an expenditure of £2 10s or £3 10s per acre. Therefore, rhe lessees had five times iho interest in the land that the Go\cr:inicnt had on account of improvement*, an<' ;i, made very small sacrifice to the country to give ih em the option of acquiring the ether fifth interest. In regard to oth%r lands, Mr Duncan said he intended to introduce) legislation providing for some of the poor land in the North of Auckland being- disposed of under the old homestead ?3 T sr.&m, which made a gift of the freehold of suitable areas to intending settlers on the understanding that they put on certain improvements in a specified time. This land was covered with titree, and would take a deal of hard work in the clearing. Mr Duncan stated that the people of Auckland were i\ot taking the interest in land settlement that they should, for when the. gumflelds and sawmills have worked out the resources of tbo district, ps they must in the course of a few yeaiis, a large number of unemployed will be thrown on the labour market. He was not, in sympathy with giving the freehold to owners of leases in perpetuity, who had taken up their holdings under a definite arrangement, and should adhere to the conditions of their 'eas2s. If the Crown tenants were dissatisfied, and the people decided that rcverling'to the freehold was desirable, then, in justice to tbe country, the land must go into the open market.

The Rev. G. Barclay, in opposing at the meeting of the Timaru Presbytery on Tuesday the Rev. A. B. Tocld's motion to the effect that th© negotiations for uiiicn. with the Wesleyan and Congregational Churches be discontinued, delivered a, stirring speech. In emphasising the benefits that would result from such a union, he said that it would embrace the fundamental principles of thfr Gospel which all accepted, it would sacrifice no apostolic principle of church government or organisation, and it would adhere to all that was necessary for its own integrity and proper delimitation as an ecclesiastical unit. He thought that there would be &, good deal of honesty in not drawing back at the, present stag© from the negotiations entered into, especially as the Presbyterian Church had been the first to suggest the question of union — a, suggestion that had been courteously and amicably entertained by the other churches, and, as the latter had shown no cfisinclmation to discuss the matter, he woidd bo very eorry to see ihe Presbyterian Church the first to withdraw. The union would mean economy both in finance and labour, and with regard to mis=ionary work the offecfc would be most advantageous. In expressing the"' hope that the negotiations would continue, Mr Barclay said no serious iiarm could result, and in the end iucali culable good might bs the outcome.

The ko-nha; trees at "Whare Flat attract many to\>n re.-klems to that Highland resort. situ"tcfl nbrvd n ,i'e l-iiic* from "Dunedin, in. 6-im^ l^: <vk! (klobm- each year.

This year has, however, been phenomenal in on9-i - e#pect. One of the trees, instead of waiting till September, has buist out in full bloom in the middle of June, and at the present time presents a perfect picture «£ bright yellow flowers. Mr M'Quiikan, a local resident, who takes considerable interest in natural history, has brought us a branch of the bloom, and states that' the tuis, rnokis, and other native birds are busily engaged extracting tho nectar from the open flovfers. Our informant further states that the tuis are fast disappearing from the locality, the result, no doubt, of the depredations of the number of sma'l boys who visit the district from the city on holidays, and in their spare time. For a couple of years past a tui, which has evidently escaped from captivity, has been noticeable in the district by his varied v,*histling accomplishments, groat care evidently having been bestowed upon him by bis quondam owners.

So seriously are the largo American newspapers handicapped by the prccent high price of printing paper (writes the Pan Francisco correspondent of the Age) that Congress Las taken a hand in investigating Aho cause. In evidence given ' before the Judiciary Committee of the Hoi:se of Representatives by the managers of the New York World and the New York Times, the statement has been made that a trrst, consisting of the International Paper Company and the General Paper Company, divides the control of the news printing paper. This combination has raised the price of pape-r during the last four years £2 12s a, ton, and during the last } r ear as much as £1 a ton. Tho companies are selling paper in London, counting the freight and insurance, at 30 per cent, ic-s than in New York. Tho trust ;<5; <5 very c"'iciatorial in its methods. It ha 3 deliberately curtailed the output of paper, and a little while- ago the newspaper proprietors were instructed to tempoi-anly curtail their editions. In one instance tho trust dictated tl»e size of paver a newspaper should us?, thereby prescribing tho kind of prefs fiat should lie- operated.

" Ife is a rather amusing coincidence,'' remarks a Ljndon pap^r, " tliat, just as Mr Balfour has lieen tackled on the question of Sunday golf, Mr Sodden should, en v' r -e other eide cf the globe-, have hecn simuitaneously heckled in respect of Sunday seafishing. New Zealand niu«t be vciy diiFcrcnt from Australia, and must take its Sabbath far more seriously, for in tin- latter rouuery Sunday fishing is ao-u^ua' a:- Sunday-theatre-going on the Continent. Apparently the leal objection to Mr Seddon's backsliding was that he employed the Government steamer and crew to minister to his angling enthusiasm. That, it i> tru", complicates matters, yet, e\ea # so, the piotest "of the Wolhngton ministers was vorded sorae«l-at forcibly. And if tho obrnuio among us adaini the right lo fi-.h on Suud.ij-s, \\hy

should not those whom the foioe of circumstances and their own success has brought into the public cyo enjoy the some liberty? Surely the limitations conveyed by tho ©xpressivo, but little understood, phrase 'Noblesse oblige!' have no application to Mr S-eddon when he goes a-Sshing on the Sunday." At last week's- meeting of the Dunedin City Mission Committee, tho following donations were acknowledged with grateful thanks:— St. - -v/:, Presbyterian Church, £2 2s; a lady helper (Children's Fund), £3; attendance cards, 10s; Mission Hall box, £i 6s Id; Mr R., £1. .For tho Good Saniarii aj. Fund: A ladj-. £1; another lady, £2; il.i 1 . and M., £1 Is; a working man, ss; lady helper, £1; friend, 2s 6d ; friend, £1 ; another lady helper. £1. Collections had been promised by Knox Church and South Dunedin Prc--bvttria.i Church. As to Mr Wright'? "Bible Cla = sc& m city school*, the attendances rerorted were:— One week 835 boj-s and s'rlfc ; another wegk, 864-; onother, 862; and another. £57. ' In aL iea c t ono school the boy.= outnumbered the girk- ; in two schools the girls outnumbered t>he boys. A company has been floated in Auckland for the purpose- of exploiting a. method of tiesiiiig ironsand depo ; its, wli'cli, if expert opinion goes for anything, ought to' l!a^■o a. bright imure before ii. Tiie method is the inveiit-io i of Mr Galbrairh, a v. ell-known ass-aycr. who ha^ conducted c\i>c-iiiucnt3 with tho process in company with Mr Stewart, el-ectrical onqi'icer. The rr.ain feature of the process is that the ironsand is reduced by utili-Jnqf heat obtained e'.ectncallj-. The company hrs scored a d:"tinct initial succ-ess by seeming the onthu-ip«-i.lc patronage of the- Au^rr.dian rej;rC;Oi:iat,ve of the Carnegie Steel Trust, who ha=; hin--self laken up s-haies in the company, tr.d hsis giv-en the promoters Ic-ttois t-o Lih prir-cir-als telling them lint ho oor-iders it v;ould be well worth their while to £° in 10 the matter. The ireasiu-er of the F±-«e Iv..H^sigai!.e.2 Association acknoivledres receipt of tl-e foliosing ru'-'ciip^ion' — Mr G. Jcrclmn, £5 "s ; Xcyes Bios., Dr Scott, Mr V. Ililleiistem, -di?^ E. iDavxdsjn. and Mrs M'f. j.-suan, *1 ]s each; JMis Johi Roberts Mrs "Webb, ar.d Mr Y\*. A. Mooic. £1 each; Hou \V. Bolt, 10s; Mrs D. a. Da'idson. 10s; Mi- A Palmer. LOs 6cl ; Mrs LaicTa-sv a:id Miss ivplsey, 5s each. V\'e have to acknowledge receipt of Stone's Otago and SoutVand A. B C Guide and Di?iy for June.

Influenza is jn-evalout at Cromwell, and the local paper is informed that on one dredge nearly aii the crew are laid up. It Ari!l not euro rheumatics nor heart disease, nor gout, Jsos reduce the fat to slimncss nor increase the lean io stout. You can't use it as a hsir wash, nor lo mend a broken limb, Iv->- to.- frc ldes, war^s, and pimrles, nor snch blemishes of ekin. But for pulmonary affections it will always take the lead. Also colic, indisrcolion, and like ill? we're f creed to heed. For bronchitis, colds, and vs hooping cough, wo faithfully assure You'll find no better remedy than Woods' GfiEAT I'EPP£BiIINT CtRE."