WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 23

WELLINGTON.

In an interview with a Post representative, Dr Valintine said that dengue fever, which is so prevalent at Brisbane, was a tropical or sub-tropical disease that generally attained its maximum in hottest seasons, and this characteristic made it extremely unlikely that the disease would reach our low latitudes. Tho disease was not contagious, f.nd did not leave the depressing after-effects that ordinary influenza did. Precautions against it could no more be taken than in the case of influenza.

The following justices of the peace have been appointed: — J. Bishop, Highcliff; W. Grey, Milburn; R. M'Ara, Tuapeka; J. M'Lauchlin, Wyndham; A. J. Mitchell, Invercargill ; J. Norrie, Lawrence ; R_. Officer, Thornbury; R. Simmers, Waikoikoi. The Appeal Court this afternoon delivered judgment in the case Hutt County Council v. Crawford and others. The appeal was from the decision of the Chief Justice, who granted an injunction against the council, restraining it from levying a rate in the riding, oh the ground that the council had not complied with the provisions of section 149 of "The County Councils Act, 1886," which section provides that general rates be levied separately in each riding in accordance with the expenditure required to be provided in such ridings respectively. The Chief Justice said that he was bound "by a. former decision of the Appeal Court under "The Counties Act, 1876," and that both statutes contemplated separate finance for each riding. The court allowed the appeal on the ground that section 149 imposed no requirement as a condition precedent to levying and making a rate. Costs in the lower court (10 guineas), and disbursements and costs in this court on the highest ficale were allowed.

A meeting of Crown tenants at Pongaroa voted for the right to acquire the 'freehold. The working of the Wellington Land Board was condemned and it was decided to urge that Crown tenants possess the right to elect representatives on the board.

William Loveday, of Mauriceville, having intimated his inability to join the Bisley team unless the allowance by the Government were increased, Sergeant Shaw, of Ohinemuri, who fired so well in the early stages of the last championship meeting, will be invited to join the team. Mr F. M. B. Fisher will contest the Wellington Central seat at the general election. James Wilson, an ex-man-o'-war's-man, was on Wednesday sentenced to two years' imprisonment for breaking and entering and theft at Westport. A suspected case of smallpox from Mahakipawa has been inquired into by the Health Department, but the doctors agree that it is a severe case of chicken-pox. The patient is a young girl. Official returns show the capital value of Wellington City, excluding Melrose Ward, to be £10,226,541. Last year the value was returned at £9,873,962. Ten years ago the capital value of the city was only £5,865,778. It is estimated that buildings have been erected since then to the value of £3,000.000.

An interest-ing point was decided by Mr Justice Cooper on the 32th with reference to the goodwill of iicensed hotels. The estate cf the late Jacob Joseph included two hotels — the National and the Star and Garter. The former was valued at £2835, and the latter afc £6070. In addition to these capital values, the Commissioner of Stamps claimed duty on the goodwill of the hotels, assessed at £7000 and £6000. The executors of the estate disputed the right to assess the goodwill, but Mr Justice Cooper held that the goodwill was part of the value of the estate, and was liable to duty. In the case of the Star and Garter, the goodwill of the hotel was "much greater than the capital value of tho land and buildings.

The Turakina Maori Girls' School, which has be-en established by the Presbvtevian Church, was opened on Thursday by the Pre-n-ier in the* presence of about 400 people, including Messrs Wood, Vile, arid Remington, M.H.R.'s, and visitors from various parts of the district. The Right Hon. Mr Seddon. in his speech, emphasised the importance of establishing schools for Maori girls. In the past attention had been paid to the education of Maori youths, but that education had been to a large extent wasted on account of the Maori women whom they married being unfit to mix with Europeans, and consequently causing men to stay in kaingas. Schools such as the Turakina School would go a long way to remedying that. The proposal to establish, this school was made only 16 months ago, but was so enthusiastically taken up by the Presbyterians throughout the colony that th-e school had been opened free of debt, and with a surplus of £500.

A conference of delegates from various departments of the civil service was held in the Parliament Buildings on Thursday to consider the question of a superannuation scheme for th" service. A committee consisting of Sir E Gibbes (chairman), Messrs J. W. Poynion, G. Allport, P. S. Hay, A. H. Holmer, and O. M'Manaway, with Mr M. Fra&er as secretary, was set up to formulate the basis of a scheme, and delegates were instructed to forward tabulated

summaries of the> suggestions to the secretary.

In the course of his speech at Shannon on Wednesday evening Mr Seddon, referring to the needs of the district in the way of transport, said: — "You must never look ior a large profit from your railways, for if you take a profit from them you are militating against the best interests of your producers. You must lower your railway rates to simply paying point, and nothing beyond that. That leads me to a question which I am sure has exorcised you often — namely, the colony acquiring the Manawatu railway. You know my own views upon this question. They were embodied in the legislative proposals carried bj Parliament, and if you look back I think there are many who will agree with me that it is a pity wo were not quite unanimous. It is to be regretted we were not a littlo more generous, for if that railway had belonged to the colony this district, in my opinion, would have been in a much better position to compete in the markets of the world. In this speech the Premier foreshadowed some action with regard to the reduction of steamer freights between the colony and London. " The freights from our colony," he said, " must again come under review. We must still lower them so as to enable our producers to have_ a fair chance for their produce as against the Argentine, America, and Canada." The Public Trust Office intends to erect a three-storey building at the corner of Lambton quay and Stout street, at a cost of £20,000. The section was purchased five years ago and the plans then prepared, but the matter was hung up with the idea of getting estimates and plans from America for a steel building. These were found to be too costly, and the original plans will now be followed.

Education Boards came in for some hostile remarks by the Premier, arising out of a complaint by a member of the Shannon School Committee. After speaking of the incongruity of Parliament having no control over the Education Boards' large expenditure of public money, Mr Seddon stated that some Education Boards used grants for purposes foreign to the ends for which the grants were made, and he added that the whole system required recasting,( and was receiving the closest attention of the Government.

The butter and cheese entries for the Palmerston North winter show in June, which closed on the sth, are: Butter 77, cheese 54. Ths is a considerable advance on previous years, and the competition is more widely distributed — each factory being allowed only a single entry. Speaking of finance en the 4th inst., the Premier said that at the end of the financial year (March 31) the Customs revenue exceeded the estimate by £20,000. Although the returns were not yet complete, he could say with confidence that the surplus for the year would be over half a million sterling. A poll of the ratepayers of Wellington was taken on fhe 12th on Ihe proposal of the City Council to borrow £249.500 for an improved water supply, the erection of a new refuse destructor, the acquirement of public lighting- mains, etc., from the Electrical Syndicate, the extension of the public library, and the construction of Kelburne Park. Votes were taken on each proposal separately, with the result that the money was authorised for a water supply, destructor, and lighting. This involves £235,000. The other two proposals were rejected. Thirty-eight Chinese, who left for Sydney, en route for China, on Saturday, were compelled to leave finger impressions as a means of identification on their return.

After the longest spell of dry weather at Wanganui for 42 years rain has fallen in sufficient quantity to raise the water in the river several feet, greatly facilitating the tourist traffic io and from Taumarumii.

George Ayton, aorcd 73, an inmate of the Ohiro Benevolent Home, attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat. Medical aid was sought, and the man was removed to the hospital, where he lies in a precarious condition. Ayton has been despondent lately, and subject to peculiar hallucinations.