WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 32

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, June 10. A correspondent writing in the Post says: "I notice from a perusal of the balance sheet of the Bank of New Zealand that a sum of £30,000 odd has had to be written off out of profits to provide for depieciation of investment stock. It is to be hoped that the directors, when they meet the shareholders at the annual meeting, will be candid enough to inferm them what sum (if any) out of this tctal of £30,000 was lest by the bank underwriting a portion of the last S per cent. Govemm-eret loan at £9410s."

The report from Hastings in tHs month's issue of the Labour Journal in le-gard to unskilled labour says :— " Unemployed hands are on the increase, and more swaggers are to be seen on the roads." From Eke-tahuna comes the report that a number of men will be thrown out of employment through the closing down of flaxmills for the eeasoai. and at Masterton the application* for work exce-ed the supply. The Post, describing the Otaki races, says : " Early in the morning bright sunshine flooded the courso and cajoled the pubbe j into discarding its superfluous coverings. This shedding of garments, as events turned out, was unfoitunate, for scaiec-ly had the starting-bell rang before an aggressive southerly obtruded itself, and wa-s accompanied by frequent blizzard-like rain j showers. The oiowd hustled foi shelter, 1

• but as the- grand stand faced the squalls the I racing enthusiasts, wero given the option I of going out into the open and receiving i th&ir baptism in streams or sitting .*till and [ allowing the moisture to insinuate itself ! in patches. The fiist alternative found met favour, and tho exh'laiating spectacle was witnessed of a bedragg^d crowd gyrating unpioturesqu&ly through mvd — it was inches deep in places — in search of ' a good thing,' and collecting its dividend in drenching showers or watching ' the othe-r fellow ' do so. The keenest revellers in the carnival were the Native women, who, unhampered by trailing skirts, flounde-red through the quagmire with all the delight of a Echoolboy taking his first sea bath — the greater the splash the wilder their joy. There was, in fact, a philosophic abandon about the whole proceedings that was vastly amusing. Tho climax was reached in the wild rush for conveyances at the conclusion of the day's sport. Sodden, mud-splashed people crowded indiscriminately into drags, laughing and jostling each other as though discomfort and rheumatism wore unknown in their experience; and yet the ' British public is accused of taking its pleasures sadly!" ■June 12. Mr H. C. Waterfield, private secretary to Lord Plunket, arrived by the Paparoa. Mi* Waterfield is quite- a young man, and this is hi-s first visit to the colonies. He has relatives in New Zealand. About a dczen servants for Government House also arrived by the Paparoa. Mr Waterfield has already takc-n up his residence at Government House Lord and Lady Plunket, with their children, the Eon. Kathleen Plunket (sister of the new Governor), and Captain Braithwaite (aide-de-camp), are coming to the colony in th© l-Jofchio, due her© on the 20th mat. Captain Braithwaite's regiment is the Firth Fus lieis. He was formerly garrison adjutant at Dublin. A second aide-de-camp will probably come out by a later steamer. Major Moore, R.A., who is returning to England, stated at a smoke concert last evening that he would never regret having spent throe years in this colony, and he would always be proud of having commanded „ such -an efficient corps as the New Zealand 'Permanent Force, which as regards efficiency was superior in many respects to the Imperial Artillery.

June 13. The Government poultry expert has returned from a southern tour. Ho reports that the poultry industry continues to expand in Otago, Canterbury, and Westland. Reports which he has received show that there is still an unlimited market in South Africa for dressed poultry, and largo shipments continue to be made fiom this colony. There is also a good demand in Cape Colony and the Transvaal for €ggs, but owing to the ship-pin? conditions not being considered attractive enough %cry few lots are being sent from New Zealand. The Pungarehu correspondent of the Taranaki Herald writes that the Natives at Parihaka had still another tangi this week, this time over a Waitotara Native. Twomore barrels of beer went to swell the enormous amount consumed lately. It is a great pity nothing is being done to check •the great mortality lately. A Native dies, and is promptly buried by his friends. No death certificate is required before burial, and it appears to be nobody's business to make inquiries as to how thei death occurred. The last case I refer to was apparently caused by blood-poisoning. Piobably an operation would have saved the man's life.

Tune 14. Dr Pcmare has gone north to investigate cases of " tohungaism." Captain Mair, of the Native Land Court, states that the evil is a growing one. He mentioned, as an indication of the methods of these people, that some few years ago a wellknown chiefrain in the Whangarei district was suffering from consumption* *nd placed himself under the hands of one of the tohungas. The treatment consisted ip the alternate application to the patient's body of buckets of hot and cold water. The man died. The tohungau start out on a healing expedition, and quickly gather round them a following of w orthless and wicked Maoris, and proceed through the dis-tri&fc practising at the pas at which they call. At each pa they stay until they have eaten out the place and taken away a large amount of the money of the unfortunate victims of sunerstitition and

credulity. In their train follow disease and immorality, and some of the stories of the methods of treatment are too unspeakable to be talked about. Captain Mair mentioned that Wi P&re has a pet tohunga, who has gathered a following of no fewer than 150 people, and this gang is working great damage. The Tenants Rights Bifl, which the Minister of Lands is to introduce in the coming session of Parliament, will provide for the payment of compensation for improvements to the- holders of leases, whether of Government laud or otherwise. A bill to revive the homestead system of 1885 is already in the hands of the printer. Miss Eleauore Bush, the Ohrj'rtenurch vccalist, who went to London about a year ago to pursue her profession, has returned to the colony. Miss Bush was very su-c-oereful in England, and a brilliant career seemed before her : but she has relinquished all and come ba.ck because of the serious i'lness of her father in L'hristchurch. Miss Bush is loud in her praises of cve-ry thing English except the climate, which she found in marked contrast to that of New Zealand. Mr John Clark, chief Government guide at Mount Cook, lias ariivcd in Wellington for the winter, and is em-p^yecl in the Tourist Department Office. He states that though the climbing season was somewhat late last year it was the best season ever experience, both for climbers and for visitors to the Hermitage. The Hon. J. M'Gowan ir. considering the question of securing unifoimity in the scholarships award of the Schools of Mines. Representations on the Mibjeci were made fo the Minister during his visit to the Thames, and he intends to consult the oducationai authorities to see what can bo done in the matter.

Tune 15 Amongst tho pictures which Mr T. E. D&ni.e. t'-.<- Now Zrr-land Commissioner to the World's Fair, had on board the s.';. Ficrra was an nil painting of tho late General yon Te-mp^-ky. P>y the Fame steamer traveH-ed Mrs (Lieutenant) Hawkins, a granddaughter of the Maori war hero, who was <vn her weddiivjj tour. After leaving Honolulu a viow of Mr Donne-'s collection of pictures, including that of yon T^mpsky, Ip-1 to the announcement by n lady who had got on board at Honolulu that she was Mrs yon Temptky. widow of the late General's eldest son. It was then men-

tioned by Mr Dcnne that the New Zealand Government was engaged in compiling a history of Taranaki, in which the Maori war of course will occupy a leading place. Then it came out triat Mrs yon Ternpsky had a diary which the General kept during the war, and she has kindly arranged to place at Mr Donne's disposal a copy of the contents.

Mr T. Lewis has born offered a seat on tho Native Land Court Bench. He is the eldest son of the late Mr T. W. Lewis, for many years Under-secretary for Native Affairs. Mr Lewis was educated in Wellington, and was private secretary to a former Native Minister. For some timepast he has been practising as a solicitor at Hastings.

Some time back the Tourist Department rent several keas to the Zoological Gardens in London. The authorities, in acknowledging the gift, state that it has proved a very acceptable one, and that the birds have interested great numbers of Londoners and visitors, being the first of the kind received.

June 16.

In regard to the cable message that Dr Koch has changed his views in regard to bovine tuberculosis, it is worthy of note that Mr J. A. G.lruth, chief veterinarian of the colony, has all along held the -view now put forward by the Royal Commission, and has more than once drawn attention to it in his annual reports. Last year he intimated that he would initiate an exhaustive series of experiments — more especially in the direction of tho lately disputed question of its communicability from the bovine to the human being and vice versa. As bearing on the question, he inserted, a paper on the subject which he read be-fore the Medical Congress at Nelson. Mr Gilruth cited seve-ral instances of the transmission of tuberculosis from man to bovine animals, and then dealt at some length with the evidence in favour of the theory that the disease can be and is transmitted from animals to man. Case after ca^e was quoted in which persons using miik from cows afterwards icund to be affected with tuberculosis had contracted the disease, and he also laid stress on the significant fact that in Berlin anel Paris (where the cows are under greater supervision than in Grsat Britain, and wliero pasteurised or sterilised milk is more commonly used) the percentage of eases of abdominal tuberculosis or phthisis, etc., is far less than in Great Britain. As the result of his investigations Mr Gilruth argued that the larger number of cases of abdominal tuberculosis in children in certain parts, particularly cities, can only be- explained by infection through the alimentary tract, a circumstance which, he remarks, it is difficut to account for unless by means of infected milk. He urges, therefore, that it behoves every country and every municipality to take all means to prevent the possibility of the spread of tuberculosis, particularly to children, by means of their staple food, milk. As the reports of the department for several years past go to show that tube-rculosis is very prevalent ia cattle in New Zealand, the recent report -of the Royal Commission will be specially worthy of attention, and no doubt there will be ho relaxation of the efforts to cope with bovine tuberculosis in New Zealand.

Replying to the toast of " The Wellington Employers' Association " at last night's dinner, Mr Thomas Ballinger complained of the delay of the Arbitration Court in dealing with Wellington business. No fewer than 156 oases were awaiting the attention of the court. It was interesting also. Mr Ballinger said, to observe that amongst those cited to appear before the court for a breach of the carpenters' award was no less a person than the chairman, of the Wellington Conciliation Board. — (Laughter.) Subsequently Mr John Duthie also referred to the block of Arbitration Court business. He said it was most regrettable and lamentable that the court's work should be allowed to get so far behind, the delay in hearing cases being neither good for trade ■r.or for society, and was embarrassing to business. It was the duty of the Government to supply the means for the reasonable despatch of business. It was not the employers who were causing the block, and it was a pity that trades unions were no better counselled. They should seek a private adjustment of their troubles, and not rush into court every time.

At the inquest on Edgar Thomson, who died through a football accident, the Coroner, questioning the caiptnin of the Wellington Club team, said : "We have heard of a good many accidents lately, and we should like to know your opinion as to whether it is possible to alter the rules of the game in any way to avoid some of these accidents? " Witness replied that there are dangers connected with every sport. The Coroner: "Yes; but there have been so many — quit© a catalogue of broken arms and legs. However, you are not bound to say if you cannot suggest any alteration of the rules to avoid anything of that kind." Witness: ''No, I cannot suggest anything. The game as played on Saturday was friendly enough all thiough. There was nothing about it that anybody could abject to." A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

Private letters by yesterday's mail indicate that St. Louis at Exposition' tin>e is a plaoe to avoid except by the rich. The hotel tariff ranges from odol to lOdol per day for a room only, while meals cost a dollar and a-half, and very modest meals at that.

Referring lo yesterday's presentation to Mr James Mills, th* Nw Zealand Times says editorially: "The compliment was, of course, well deserved, for Mr Mills is generally acknowledged to be an ie'eal manager who knows how to correlate the interests of employers, cmplo^-ce-s, and the gene-ral public, and it murt have been pleasing to him and the important concern which he controls that he obti.ned the recognition he did from such a large and representative assemblage. The Magnitude of the company's operations was shown in the figures given by Mr Mills, the most striking of which was the statement that the company's aggregate expenditure i» now close on a million and a-quarter. It is a great thing for N&w Zealanel that it is served by a company that is thoroughly up to date in •enterprise -and methods. It can hardly be doubted that the Union Company has clone much to stimulate the progress of this country. Its -enteipri-e i* shown in the fact that it is the- first .shipping company to order turbine steamers, one of which will shortly be placed on the run between Melbourne and Tasmania, and we may hope soon to see this followed by a large turbine steamer being put on the ' ferry ' service between Wellington and Lyttelton. The Institute of Marine Engineers is to be congratulated upon dnmg honour to the gentleman who has, since its inception, controlled the affairs of the- Union Steam Ship Company of Nsw Zealand."-