NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 29

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

«». AUCKLAND. The Hen. J. M'Gowan will bo at tho Thames on April 6 to lay the foundation stone of the Public Library, being erected at a cost of £2000. tho first New Zealand grant for the purpose from Mr Carnegie, ' the millionaire. I The Drainage Board ha» decided that I the Government pumping plant should j work to a depth of 650 ft to facilitate the 1 development of the lever levels of pro- ! pefties at the Thames. Jenkina and M'Conne'l, injured in the recent explosion at the Waitoiii in in", are now out of danger. Both are still in the hospital. The latter is on a fair way to recovery. Jenkins lost the sight of one ! eye, but hopes are entertained that the sight of the other will be saved. At a meetinj of iho Land Beard on Fri- | day four sections .n ihc Whangaici dvtriot I were forfeited through failure of the hoklers to comply with the conditions relating to improvements and residence.. Tho Commissioner stated that in these instances I and others he intended bringing before the board it was clear that the occupants had taken lands solely for the purposes of i traffic in timber thereon, instead of, as provided by the- Land Act, for purposes of legitimate settlement. It is stated that the secretary of the \ Acclimatisation Society has received a telegram from the Colonial Secretary's office to the effect that the Government has decided to grant the request made by the society that the fishing season should be ' extended from April 15 to the end of the j month. The season has been a late one. but trout are now plentiful and in good ! condition. This will be a welcome conces- ! sion to anglers, as it will allow them to j take advantage of the Easter holidays. I The City Council carried a motion that , the Auckland Tramway Company be given notice forthwith to abate the nuisance- , caused by the intolerable noise of its cars in Queen street and the city generallj". HAWKE'S BAY. From Waikaremoana is reported the discovery by Captain Ferry of a new lake, a mile in circumference, at a higher altitude than either Waikaremoana or Waikareiti. \Y ISLINGTON. At r meeting on tho 28th ult. attended by about 60 representatives from Palmerston North and surrounding districts it was decided to interview the Premier and Minister of Public Works with a view to getting a railway built to Foxton Heads for the purpose of establishing a health resort at that place During last month 3294- persons arrived in the colony afid 2065 took their departure. From Australian exchanges it would appear that there is an impression there that th<» metric system has been brought into operation m New Zealand. This is wrong, as inquiries from th-^ department? in New Zealand show that nothing- has been done in the matter since the insertion of clause25 in "The Weight? and Measures Act, 1903," which merely gives provisionary power to the Government to adopt the system, providing the circumstances show tliat such a course is advisable. "In the name of the Executive of the Bible-in-Schools Referendum League," the Rev. Dr Gibb has written to Mr J. Hutcheson asking him : " Are you prepared to trust the people to settle the question of the introduction of the—Bible into the State schools, and, to this end, will you support a. special Bible-in-Schcols Referendum Bill?" To this Air Hutcheson has replied: — "With all due deference and respect, my answer ia No. Agreeing to any such referendum would pffirm the right of a majority to violate the rights of conscience of a minority — a proposal I will never agree to, and wJiieh. if embodied in statute law. I would cheerfully disobey always and at all hazards. " ' A case which has attracted some attention was heard by Dr M'Arthur on Wednesday, when two police constables named Gibson and Howley were, rhargeel with nerjury. -The allegation against them is that they s&ave perjured evidence on February 27 during the hearing of a charge preferred against a man named James Kennedy, that ho was an idle and disorderly person. The constables then swore that they had seen Kennedy in the company of certain reputed tl-ievos on various day?, including Boxing Day and the following day. Mr Wilford, counsel for Kennedy, asked that the constables' notebooks should be. impounded, and called evidence to prove that his client v.-as at Palmerston North on Christmas Day, Boxing Day. and the following day. The case against Kennedy thereupon broke down, and the present charge was laid against Howley and Gibson. Kennedy declared in his evidence that he was i ot in Wellington on Boxing 1 Day, nor until after 10 o'clock the following evening, as he came down by train from Palmerston that night. Similar evidence was given by otl--fr \vif-n<>=^eß. and. tl*e two constables, j who rosfwed their defence, were committed for trial. Messrs F. M. B. Fisher." J. Hutcheson, pud C. H. Izard were' nominated on Thur-s- I day for the Wellington seat. ' At the Wellington -Education Board's nceting on Thursday the chairman hoped* the time would come when the board would j be able to employ, in addition to the ordi- i nary inspecting staff, a number of special- ! ists as visiting masters, who would travel around the schools to teach such subjects as elocution. In a circular to be issued to head teachers in the Wellington district j by tho inspectors in regard to the syllabus and school methods generally strong representations will be made in regard to reading. At a me&linsr of the Education Board th© chairman, in his report on the work of last The. sorry dyspeptic, submerged in .Im gloom. Who feels most dejected and fit for his tomb; The poor hypoehondiiac who wanders in woe, With no one to speak tx> and nowhere to pro; Whom no consolation nor comfort can please, j Who maintains he's a maityr to every disease ; — Let thorn aid Ihoii- chqo^tion and keep their blood pure, And recruit upon WOODS' GItEAT PEPPER- • *ii>ir CyuE.. .

' year draws attention to the small number of youths who become teachers. While the proportion ot male to female adults in the service wa = , roughly, as 2 to 3, that of male to female pupn teachers was as 2 to 13. Of 37 pnpil teachers appointed in 1904, only four were males. Though increases we-ro made locently in the salaries of many, teachers n«c still under-paid. Pupil teachers commenced woik at £20 per year, railway cadets at 540, and telegraph cadets at £40. ' At the, end of four years a teacher v\a-> receiving £50, the railway cadet £70, and the telegraph cadet £35. It was iilso pointed out that journeymen teachers were paid less than_v/ns pro\icSscl under tiade awards for butchers, grocers, caipentcrs, painlfrs, bricklayers, and hairdressers. In the iase of Hugh Austin, who vas sentenced to six months' imprisonment, the Court of Appeal having upheld lih conviction on a charge of attempting an illegal operation, a strong appeal was limcl" on account ot hii youth and the fact of his family ha-^ ing- adopted the child born to the girl. Mr Ju.stice Dcnniston said thai though tho ernno was very common it was very serious, and difficult to detect. The danger to tho community would be groat if the idea got about that the offence could be committed with no further danger than that of being- put on probation. Palmer-ston North claims to have established a record in borough rate collecting, inasmuch as every penny of rates due for the financial year ending March 31, 1905, an 1 all arrears have been collected within three days of the close of that period. The total amount collected was £3.1,080, including £20 arrears from last rear. I NELSON. The new dam for the waterworks was formally opened on Wednesday by the councillors, Miss Laura Tatton, daughter of Cr Tatton, breaking a bottle of champagne against the wall. The dam, which cost over £16.000, has greatly improved the water supply, which i« now able to cope with all the fires, enabling four branches of hose to be used. The supply to the high levels is also enormously increased. WEST COAST. West port coal output last week was 9341 tons IScwt, or which 8991 tons 18ewt was from the Westport Coal Company's mines and 350 tons from the S-eddonville Stat/* mine. CANTERBURY. With the object of encouraging the study of Scottish literature Mr John Lambie, chief of tli2 Ashburton Scottish Society, j offered £10 (divided into three prizes) lor the best translation of Burns' poem '" The j Twa D0«5." Tho competition closed on I March 31, ard 158 papers have been received from competitors in all parts of die colony. — —— — — — I SOUTHLAND. j The Court returns for tbe March j quarter show a. marked decrease compared j with the sanw period last yeai — namely. 127 convictions as against 175. In drunkenness the, figures were 38 this quarter and. 63 for the same quarter last year. Air Ricidell, S.M.. gave his decision on Monday in charges against two brothers (J. A. and A. H. Stott) of assaulting Constable Holmes in the execution of his duty. He commented strongly on the evidence for the defence, remarking that both the accused had committed perjury. On the charge of theft of vegetables James Stott was fined 10s and costs, and for assault £10 and medical expenses (£3 9s), in default two months. For assaulting: the constable Hugh Stott was fined £5. and for assaulting- a civilian who went to the resistance of the police £3. Notice of app-eal was given.