LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 64

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The youth arrested for being concerned in Hie murder of the Chinaman Ham Sing •Tong was brought before the court at Tapanui on the 29rh ult., and remanded till the following Tuesday. His name is Geo. Hill Bromley, and he was brought to town on Wednesday. It seems that lie and Stott, who was arrested on SSunday, lived together in a hut fen the property of young Bromley's father, about two and a-lialf miles from the ■township of Tapanui, and shared the same bunk. What led up to their arrest is, of bourse, .preserved a secret, but it is stated jthat a revolver was found in their hut, and Jiince their al'rest a quantity of their wearing topparel'has been handed -to Dr Robertson at T-apanui- for examination. Detective Cooney being compelled to attend the sitting of the -court at Ifrvercargill, investigations at Tapanui have been placed in the fliands of Detective .HUJ, jv:ho. is at present the spot. Inspector * O'Brien, who has , been_ personally engaged' in- prosecuting .inquiries at Tapanui for tho past five or six fciays, returned, to .town on Tuesday evening. It is understood the accused men iwill he nle£e.nded. by Mr A. C Haslon.

The very latest piece of electioneering, St is stated "(says the Christchurch Press), is ihe starting, of a .memorial to the Hon. B. J. Seddon from -the old-age pensioners. lYesterday information "was received to this effect from two good sources. The first information, was that thare was to be a petition signed by -the pensioners, if possible, and that a little purse should be presented." The next statement received "was ■ that the memorial wa3 to be \o the. Right Hon. Mr Seddon and 9iis Executive" and the members of both Houses of Parliament. It will go on '. • the lines • that 'the ; pensioners 'express gratitude for~tho benevolent action ~j*3f "your "Government"- in granting an 'increase.' Then-it wilkrun on tp say that munificent an act- should j.b&, an object 'lesson to the Governments of the whole .world (Russia included), and is without a ' 'parallel in history. . •It is stated that the movement is being made simultaneously throughout • the - colony: • 'At • present the matter is "Being kepif very- secret; but here and- there' a pensioner ""is being found to "collect .'signatures- in 'his -district. - ~ i "Th°e estates;' of deceased, personsv certified ; \o forOtago'fby the' Stemp Department r dur,i Tins the month.. include "William Hewitson -^2884} cWiliiam.WestOTtt/S^j William feimmonds, -£1536; .James- Kemp, £1442;.' "Mary .Cunnin-gham^ £14;34;'ElizabethJSaBdi>on, £1341;. Jane £1096.

I Detailed "surveys ' are a.t present being" hiade in connection .with the projected 'duplication -of • the- - Dimedin-Mbsgiel line, and when completed the "question, of the tunnels at Caversham, and r Chain Hills

/will" be definitely determined.- At Caverfiham' a new tunnel will probably be pierced some distance io the eastwai'd of jfche present tunnel, and at a lower level, "in order -to provide an easy, gradient. It will be wide enough for a double line of rails, -its length being about 64 chains. .There are two alternate" proposals for the

'Chain Hills - tunnel-^ne on the eastern [and the other on the western side of the existing one. In one instance two, short

"tunnels would be required, in the other ■a fairly long one would suffice. In each instance, it should be explained, the tunnels were given an approximate location by, the -general survey- made some time ago, but ",their - exact position cannot lie determined until the detailed survey is completed. By the passing of " The Railways -. Improvements Authorisation ' Act, 1904;' t the" sum- of £130,000 was allocated for ithe- proposed -duplication of this line, '£70,000 for-, the Auckfand-Penrose line, and £50,000 for the Addington-Rolleston line, the' aggregate amount' to bo spent in any one> financial rear, upon the three works not tj- exceed £93,500. ' All three lines are to." be pushed- on simultaneously, hut ' there - are- rnany^- preliminary obstacles ( 'to be overcome before the" actual work of 'construction- is commenced. The DunedinCaversham section of, the duplication will probably be the first length .taken in hand, j £>ut nothing definite is known in this connection. The total cost of the duplication has been estimated at £250,000. r After' about an hour's di&cussion last troeli thb ,',Oity '^Council, l>y a vote of 12 to 1, decided. to invite applications for '/the position ' of town clerk, the" motion parried being that an acting-town clerk )be advertised for forthwith, at a salary iDf £600 per annum, to be acting-town fclerk until the expiry of Mr Fairbairn's leave of absence, and permanent town clerk thereafter; applications to close on "October 11. A large gang of men Is at present busily .engaged rearranging the rails at Lovell's (Flat Station yard in order to further facilitate the traffic arrangements, these having been .found to be inadequate to Xncet requirements. The trustees of the Benevolent Institu-V-on held their weekly meeting on WednesBay afternoon, when were present Messrs R. ■M. Clark (chairman), Tapper, Wilson, - Talboys, and the Hon. H. Gourley. The Beath of Eliza Gregg, aged 92 year 3, an •inmate of the institution, was reported. The applications for relief dealt with numbered 26. A telegram from Dr MacGregor, Inspector-general of Charitable Institutions, was read, asking, for the information of Parliament the amount of

charitable aid distributed by the trustees during the last financial year to — (1) residents in Dunedin, (2) in adjoining boroughs and suburbs, (3) to residents in country districts. The secretary submitted the following statement in reply : —Amount spent in Dunedin for outdoor relief, £2265 13s 3d, in the institution, £1699 ss; in suburbs for outdoor relief, '£1364 12s Bd, in the institution, £1023 9s 6d; in the country districts for outdoor relief, £2273 6s 7d, in the institution, £1705. TotalsOutdoor relief, £5903 12s 6d; in the institution, £4427 14s 6d. The apportionment of cost to the institution is calculated on the same basis as the outdoor relief. The cost of administration and the amount paid by the Charitable Aid Board to the various industrial schools are not included in the return.

The old lightship Timaru, which has done service in the lower harbour for the past 50 years, is to be dispensed with, and in its place is to be established a powerful light on a pile beacon at a point on the south side -of the channel, near the black buoy. '

The chairman- (Mr R. M. Clark), at the meeting of- trustees of the Benevolent Institution oh Wednesday afternoon, a.g»in brought toward the rafe charged to oldage pensioners admitted to the institution, which at present was 6s per week. He said that the .keep, of such inmates cost 6s , 4^d per week, but that did not cover rent and some other -charges. At Wellington and Oamaru it had been decided to charge pensioners 8s per week, but he thought the maintenance would be rather lower in Dunedin, and that 7s would be sufficient. This rate was agreed to. Our Roxburgh correspondent telegraphs that a sharp shock of earthquake was felt there on Tuesday afternoon, 29th, about 3.40. Our Clyde correspondent reports that a severe shock of earthquake oeeurj-ed there at about 3 o'clock. The trend of the tremor was. from north to south, and was accompanied with a noise like that of distant thunder.

We have -received the following amounts in aid of, the Young Englishman Fund: — Friends, 5s -;W. H., 2s; E. P. 8., £1 Is. Mr J. C .Cameron has collected or received promises of. subscriptions totalling £10 '2s."' "•.

• The S.alvation Army- in- Melbourne has taken definite step's to solve the problem of housing business and professional women and girls — a problem which has vexed every city of the Empire since economic reasons sent women into the arena, — and has established what its officers describe as "a women's hotel, and yet not exclusively an hotel for women." A married woman is not forced to leave her husband "on the mat," nor is the unattached male forbidden to use the dining room. It "is only" if' he is a properly chaperoned. husband, however,, that he can be a regular gue3t. The establishment is principally ' for the woman who has to work in town on a salary, varying between £1 and 35s a week, and to whom "good baording-houses are beyond reach. The women's shelter is an old story in tho Army. To have made a women's shelter part and parcel of a women's hotel would, however, have foredoomed the latter, so a new building has been secured opposite the National Gallery. Comfortable sitting rooms and bedrooms are provided, and at the moderate boarding charges of 10s 6d, 12s 6d, and 15s a week the establishment is proving a great boon.

A curious old woman named Mrs Gallagher, 61 years of age, appeared at the Prahran Police Court (Victoria) on the 17th inst. on a charge of vagrancy. The constable who arrested her said she roosted up in the trees in the parks at night like a chimpanzee. Owing to her arboreal inclinations she appears to have been pretty hard to ' locate, and it was during one of her excursions to the earth in search of "tucker" that Constable Carter "sighted" her in the open, and ran her down before she could take to a tree. The old lady, who is said to be one of the State's pioneers, stoutly denied that she was a vagrant, and said she worked for her living. She gave the bench to understand that she was living a " simple life," under medical instruction. "The doehtor tould me I musht go out into the open air fer me eye," she remarked, "an', sure, where would I get it fresher thin up a tree?" She was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.

The Western Star states that an expert from Home will shortly visit Orepuki with a view of making a thorough test of the shale deposits there, and if the reports be favourable the Shale Company will again resume operations.

In the Supreme Court, in Chambers, at Christchurch on Tuesday, mention was (the Times reports) made of the libel action instituted by Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., against Mr J- M. Twomey, as the outcome of an article published in the defendant's paper, the Temuka Leader, in reference to the recent platform utterances of the New Libra! party. Mr Hall, on behalf of tha defendant, moved to 6et aside the writ issued. Mr Salter appeared to oppoee the application. After hearing argument, his Honor Mr Justice Denniston made an order that the writ should he set aside unless an affidavit of jurisdiction was filed by the plaintiff or his (solicitor within 14 days,

Messrs D. A. Do Maus (Mayor) and A Thomson, J.P., sat at the Port Chalmers Police Court on Thursday, when "Wiiliam Weir, a resident of Purakanui, was

charged with neglecting to send his son, James Weir, to school. The defendant did not appear. The Truant Officer (MiRyan) loointed out that this was an exceptionally bad caso. The defendant had three children, who were all growing up in ignorance. The boy James was 12 years of ago, and had not passed any standard, while for the past five weeks ho had not attended school. The defendant had been before tho Dunedin Court on three separate occasions for neglecting to send his children to school. The Purakanui School was within a_ mile of defendant's farm. The bench inflicted a fine of 5s in each of two charges.

Mr Dash spoke very bitterly at Waimate on Tuesday night about " that ghastly faroe the Land Commission," sent round the colony to find a land policy for Mr Seddon; and he had not got it after all. He had never heard or, read of the head of a Government coming down to the House with such a pitiable - admission of incompetency as Mr Seddon had come down with. He was absolutely without a land policy. The land policy bequeathed by the late Mr John Ballance had been lost; and Mr Seddon had not the pluck to- formulate- a policy, and he did not know how to get one. By his action on tli-o land question Mr Seddon had signed the death warrant of his party. The secret process of the mortar used 2000 years ago in the building of the Acropolis, whose flint-like hardness baffled science for centuries, has been rediscovered. Its modern discoverer claimed, before a distinguished audience of leaders of British industry at the Westminster Palace Hotel, that he had applied the secret in directions the builders of the Acropolis never dreamed of. Into a. yellow fluid, to which the discoverer has given the name of " Zorenc," were placed pieces of common slag. They ware rendered absolutely watertight and far more durable than the hardest granite. It is the product of 25 years of research and labour on the part of the discoverer, who is a scientist and traveller. He is of Hungarian birth and noble family, but is domiciled in England. Ten long years passed beforo he met with any tangible success. Now wood, iron, and stone, ho claims, can be made practically indestructible by the application r<{ his invention. It will not, however, make clothes everlasting. ~A company 1b to be formed to exploit the discovery.

The vital statistics for the month ending August 31, 1905, are : — Births, 115; deaths, 75; marriages, 38. For the corresponding month of last year the figures were: — Births, 138; deaths, 67; marriages, 49.

The Drainage Board supplies the following rain statistics : —Total rainfall for August, .240 in; number of days on which rain fell, 11; heaviest falls, between 19th and 20th .065 in, 23rd and 24th .065 in; total for 1905 to end of August, 14.003 in.

We have received the following donations in aid of the Young Englishman Fund:— Mrs M. Ritchie, Port Chalmers, £1 Is; E. P. 8., £1 Is; Green Island, 10s 6d. *

Tobacco-growing promises to develop into a large State industry in the Transvaal. Lecturing at Barberton on the subject of tobacco culture before members of the De Kaap Agricultural Society- recently, Mr Altenroxel, manager of the Government tobacco farm at Zoutpansberg, announced that the Government had decided to establish a tobacco division of the Agricultural Department, and to obtain the services of experts in tho growing of tobacco, also to establish a commercial bureau to introduce Transvaal leaf on the European markets. Mr Altenroxel declared that the Barberton district is capable of producing the highest grade of cigar leaf that could bo grown, in South Africa, also the finest light pipe tobaccos.

Our American correspondent, writing from Chicago, under date Augiist 5, says : "Mr Thomas A. Edison, the ' wizard ' inventor, has been working for two years to perfect an electric storage battery for pleasure cars and for auto-trucks, and it is now announced that he has overcome somo of the serious difficulties. 'The troubles wits the battery I have been trying to remedy,' said the inventor, ' have been purely mechanical. They have been due chiefly to the swelling of the nickel element. I have succeeded in reducing the weight of the battery to about 401b per horse-power With a proper motor and waggon equipment we can take the cells and operate an ordinary delivery waggon at 58 per oont. of the cost of maintaining a horse.' Mr Edison says he has worked with the particular object of applying the power to auto-trucks for commercial purposes, and that he can drive a two-ton truck at the rate of 33 miles an hour. It is stated that a pleasure vehicle can be made to ran 100 miles on $ singlo charge."

After a prolonged spell of dry weather, steady rain fell on Friday throughout the day and evening. Rain was badly needed in the country districts. Our Middlemareh correspondent reported that it was raining steadily there throughout the afternoon. It was much required, as scarcely any rain had fallen since the middle of May. Our Alexandra correspondent wired at 4.25 p.m. : — " Rain commenced on Thursday evening, and continued pretty well all night, andi at intervals all Friday. It will be the heaviest rainfall for fully 12 months. The glass is still falling. The river has risei* a little, but is now steady. A cold wind is blowing from the south."

The trial of Daniel Swan for the murder of his wife at Invercargill on June 28 last was concluded at Inveroargill on Friday, the jury finding accused guilty. His Honor Mr Justice Cocper then passed sentence of death. Our special reporter at the trial wires :—" There was somewhat of a feeling of surprise in court when the verdict was delivered, there having been an idea that the plea of temporary insanity would have been sustained."

Tho formation of the railway station yard at Seacliff is now completed, together with the necessary goods siding accommodation, which includes three lines of rails and a commodious cattle-loading bank and yards. The road approaches are also formed and metalled, a considerable amount of filling-in having been necessary in order to raise the permanent way to its proper level. The new station, which is about a quarter of a mile nearer Dunedin than the present one, will be a great improvement upon the existing one.

A private letter from an authoritative source states that H.M.S. Creasy, and not H.M.S. Powerful, as cabled recently, will relieve H.M.S. Euryalus in the Australasian squadron in October or November. H.M.S. Cambrian, Pyramus, and Pioneer are to relieve the Mildura, Wallaroo, and Katoomba.

A question of some importance to holders of residence areas on the goldficlds came beforo tho Land Board on Friday. A case had been submitted to the Under-seoretary for Lands as to whether a person could legally hold more than one residence area. This question was forwarded to the Solici-tor-general, and the reply given is as follows: — "I am cf opinion that in every case residence is compulsory, and that not more than one residence site can be held by one person. JL do not think that section 22 of 'The Mines Act, 1877,' permits an aggregation of sites. It merely allows an assignment, but the assignee stands in the same position as the assigner, and is subject to the same limitations."

At the conclusion of the Karitane Native Land Court business Mr Bishop, Native Land Commissioner, Mr Nicholson, assessor, and Mr M'Kay, clerk of the court, proceed to Kaiapoi, where a Native Lands Court will be held on the 12th inst., when a number of Native claims of a similar nature to those which have engaged the attention of the court during the week will be adjudicated upon.

Considerable interest has been evinced by the Waikouaiti and Karitane Natives in the proceedings of the Native Lands Court which has been held at Karitane during thia week, the Native hall being filled each day by an eager throng of Natives, amongst whom were a number who considered themselves to be more or less directly interested in the deliberations of the court. The Native Lands Commissioner (Mr Bishop, S.M.) is an accomplished Maori scholar, his knowledge of the Maori language and 1 keen insight into the working of the Native mind being of special value in presiding over the court. That the average Maori is a keen debater, and also a thinker, is well known to most people, and this trait of the Native character was particularly observable at times during the critical cross-examina-tion of some of the material witnesses. The utmost silence would prevail until the commissioner revealed a weak spot or discrepancy in a witness's evidence, whereupon a buzzing murmur of discussion could be heard all over the room immediately the import of the objection dawned upon the receptive faculties of the audience. The proceedings were conducted more or less in the Maori language, and Mr Bishop's tactful handling of each knotty point as it presented itself appeared to' inspire the Native mind with the utmost confidence.

A strange story is told about Major yon Wissman, the well-known African explorer, by the Vienna correspondent of the Daily Mail. Major Wissman committed suicide recently. The story goes that soon after his return to Berlin from the Governorship of German East Africa, it was noticed in the capital that he had 'fallen into disgrace at the Court, although he was graciously welcomed on his first arrival. The reason for this was that about a week after Major Wissman arrived in Berlin the Kaiser noticed the explorer taking a walk in thei Thicrgarten. His Majesty at once stopped his carriage, and asked Major Wissman to enter it and sit beside him. The Kaiser then bade his companion forget during the next half-hour that his Sovereign was sitting beside him, and to say to him, as man to man, what ho really thought about German colonisation. What the explorer told his Majesty was never revealed, but after a brief 10 minutes' conversation the Kaiser, in a stern voice, bade the coachman stop and dismissed the explorer without ceremony. From that time onwards Major Wissman never again enjoyed the Imperial favour.

The blowing-out of a man-hole at the corner of Wilkio road, in Kensington, rd an early hour (about 2 o'clock) on Saturday morning, and tho subsequent flooding of some of the residences in the low-lying parts, naturally created alarm amongst those- who were suddenly aroused from their slumbers. This alarm was not lessened! when some of the unfortunates, on stepping from their beds, found their feet immersed in several inches of water, and when they looked out of doors they found themselves in the midst of an apparent lake that had suddenly sprung inty existence. The danger out of doors lo many seemed to be greater than that cf remaining inside, and those who had upper storeys to their premises. fl«w to them,

while those who were not so fortunaio stood on tables, or chairs, or boxes, or whatever was most convenient to keep themselves above tho rising water. One young fellow, it is stated, with an idea of getting assistance of some kind, and without stopping* to make even a hasty toilet, waded through the surrounding waters to a place whero he discovered a policeman standing, and, ■accosting this official, he informed him that in the house he had just left the water was up to the top of the table. The policeman sympathetically remarked something to the effect that he was very sorry, and the young fellow thereupon waxed indignant, and said: "But can't you do anything to stop it? Don't you see it's all coming out of that bursting sewer there?" The constable's reply was something io tho effeot that looking after the sewers was not a part of a policeman's duty, but the explanation did nob seem to have the desired effect on the interrogator, who looked as though he wished to say, "What on earth does the "State pay you for?"

The Hospital returns for the past weoK show that at the beginning of the week there were 95 patients in the institution. During the week 29 patients were admitted and 25" discharged, while the deaths of Mary M'Kenna, Jean Gillespie, Elizabeth Hunt, and William Bailey are reported. The total number of patients now in the institution is 95.

As a result of the recent accident in a Dunedin factory by which a girl had portion of her scalp and one ear torn off through her hair having become entangled in the moving machinery, Mr Tregiear, tho Secretary of Labour, in a circular to occupiers of factories where machinery is used, says: — "It would tend in the direction of the prevention of accidents of thi3 nature if you would favourably consider the issue of a regulation directing all girls and women who in your establishment; work in or have access to any part of the buildings where machinery is in motion, to have tho hair so arranged — i.e., neither flowing loose nor in hanging plaits — as to prevent its coming into contact with the machinery. Even the wearing of loos© dresses of light texture which are liable to be swept by draughts within reach of shafts, gearing, etc., is to he deprecated. Such a regulation, if issued and enforced, would be of great service. To legislate on such a. matter would perhaps be regarded as too ponderous, but, while no interference with costume or coiffure woru outside a factory is suggested, the adoption of guoh reasonable precautions for the safety of workers would relieve employers from some responsibility and anxiety in the future."

The Drainage Board supplies the following rain statistics for the past week: — August 31, .025 in; September 1, .080 i n; September 2, I.6Boin ; —total, 1.785 in; days on which rain fell, 3; total for 1905 to date, 15.763 in.

The issue of one or two large policies by Scottish life assurance societies recently has directed attention to this phase of th» business. Sir A. Harmswoxth, the wellknown newspaper proprietor, ha-s ona policy for £200,000 on his life, as well as others smaller in amount. Mr Chamberlain carries a policy for £50,000, Sir Jame3 Joioey one for £100,000, and Mr Wanamaker, the American universal provider, one for £400,000. Life policies for £100,000, carrying annual premiums ranging from £3300 to £4000, are not uncommon. It is a curious fact, however, that there is no relative saving effected by tha man who does a wholesale deal in life assurance as in other classes of business. The man who buys a policy for £100,000 pays just as much per £100 as the man who only buys one for, say, £300.

A straight-out declaration was made by Mr G. M. Yerex at Petone on Thursday night that in his candidature for the Hutt seat he was a member of the New Liberal party. He considered that it was an, honourable position to occupy — alongside " the "brave Mr Bedford, the lovable Mr Laurenson, the Fighting Fisher, and the Terrible Taylor." The principles of these men, like their foreheads, were high.

Wagga, New South Wales, is tired of parliamentary eloquence. At the smoko concert held in connection with the recent, show, when the toast of "The Parliament " was proposed, the President announced that no response to the toast would bo asked for. After the toast had been drunk Sir William Lyne left the room, saying it was the greatest insult he had ever received. The explanation seems to Lo that last year Sir William Lyne and Mr Groom took about two hours to respond to the toast, and the committee therefore decided that there should be no response this year.

At the Sydney Anglican Diocesan Synod the following notice of motion was given : "That any congregation of the- Church of England in this diocese desiring a change of rector, or clergyman officiating at such church, shall have it in its power, by a, requisition signed by three-fourths of tho congregation attending! such church, to give notice to rector or clergyman officiating therein of its desire of a change. Such, notice to ba given during the month cf January every five yeaa-s, commeneing1910. Should no notice be given during tho month of January, then no other opportunity be afforded of doing so till five years have elapsed." Tho resolution, ia expected to produce an animated debate.

The Bishop of Perth (Western Australia?, in a Vecent address at tho Church House, Westminster, said that the line of mines at Kalgoorlie, known as the "Golden Mile,' 1 was probably the richest mile of land inj the world. It had yielded millions ira dividends, and 80 or 90 per cent, of those profits had come to England* People!

esked why he came here to beg for £10,000 to. found a bishopric for the goldfields, but th^fact was that in all Western Australia there were not more miserable-looking church buildings than those of the Chuivh of England at Kalgoorlie, and no where .n the State were to be found more wretched " clergy camps," as the habitations of the clergy were called. The explanation was to be found in the fact that the profits were made abroad. The dividends v^ere made in Kalgoorlie and spent in England Inspector Gladstone, of the Health Department, visited ■ Purakanui during the latter part of last week for the purpose of fumigating one of the Maori dwellings in which ar consumptive patient had died a short time- previously. During his visit Mr /Gladstone, impressed upon a number of the- Natives the necessity of enforcing the • sanitary safeguards necessary to prevent the- ravages of infectious diseases in their midst, his advice being received with many expressions of approval. A short time previously- Dr Ogston had forwarded for circulation in their- midst a number of leaflets on " Tuberculosis,- and its Prevention," and the contained therein should materially assist the Maoris - to ' realise' the importance" of sanitation as a preventive' against' a . disease to which they are peculiarly susceptible. • The particular burning question with the University Council just now is how to ■ persuade Mr Seddon to agree that students of the Otago Medical School should receive competent instruction in midwifery at St. Helens" Maternity Hospital, for so ' far the Premier has refused to entertain jtho proposal as being contrary to the purpose intended by the foundation of the - home and such as would tend to make .the institution unpopular. The matter is of - very real importance to the Otago Medical - School, as several members of the University Council einphksised at yesterday's meeting, ' for the - establishment" of the St. ■■ Helens Home means that the already all too few cases that come to the students are to fee. taken- away from them. One member s remarked "that- it seemed ridiculous that the Premier should be assisting ,- the ' Medical School with a large grant and should at "the same time put this hindrance in the' way of its efficacy, and an exception should certainly have- been made in respeefr to the regulations of the .maternity .establishment in Dunedin. The ~ 'council is, in a quandary as to what to "do in the matter/ as the personal interviews of Dr Batchelor and Mr James Allen with the Premier 'have not caused him to alter his decision; but they recognise the necessity of making' Some adequate provision for the of- student's, and the matter will "not be allowed to rest. - Speaking at St. Andrew's Church annual meet : ng on Monday evening, Dr Waddell gave expression to the opinion that if the State chose to take a monopoly over education it was for the SHiate ' jto make provision for the ethical" training of those who were to be its future citizens. The Church could [_ t not be called on to undertake that duty, but was fulfilling its duly in its present work and giving money freely for the purpose of training the. children through, its own organisations. He made the statesmen^ in answer to those ,who said they t were doing nothing for the young. - Thursday's Gazette contains notificationof an amendment of regulations for the .'inspection and examination of schools. - The 22n~d" clause of 1904' regulations is revoked, and the following amendments substituted: — The 'standard of attainment for" a certificate of proficiency shall be the same 1 in all- schools. No one shall receive a certificate of proficiency unless he — (a) Obtains at lea's"fc 40 per 'cent*, of the possible marks, uCEnglish (including not less than 40 cent, in each "of the branches reading and composition), and at least 40 per cent, of tlie jJossible" marks in arithmetic; (b). .obtains at. least 60 per cent, j o£ flic possible- aggregate marks in the fbl- ! lowing compulsory subjects — viz., English, 1 arithmetic,' geography, and drawing; and (c) -satisfiea.the. inspector that he has re- [ ceivedf sufficient instruction in the other compulsory" 'subjects and in the additional j subjects,- as prescribed by these regula- 1 tions. In.. the. .compulsory subjects named" in (b), the possible marks shall be in the ' follb-wing proportions, viz. : English, 400 ; i arithmetic, 200 ; geography, 100 : Provided that, if the Board -of Education thinks ' fit, the marks" to be obtained in any sub- j ject namecf above or in "the aggregate may; until .the first day of January, 1906, j be those prescribed by clause 22 of the ' Order-in-Council of 20th April, 1904. The secretary of the Dunedin Hospital Extension^Fund (Mr J. M. E. Garrow) 'desires to acknowledge the following additional - * contributions : — Previously acknowledged, £2238 3s 88; W. Forrester, '£1- Is; S.LT. 5.,~ £5; Messrs A. and T. Inglis, £25j— total to date, £2269 4s, Bd. The entries., received by the Dunedin Competitions Society for this year's competitions ,are highly "satisfactory, numbering in all 690. Every class has filled well. Five church choirs have entered for this year's senior choir contest and four for the second" class. The Moray Place Congregational Church Choir is not competing this., year. At the City Police Court on Monday the presiding S.M. (Mr C. C. Graham) drew attention to the smallness of the fines inflicted on Europeans for drunkenness and the heavy penalties provided against ■ the Chinese for opium-smoking. In draw- ' feg ft cosipaiisga his Worship^ remajigd

that he personally saw very little distinction between the intoxication produced by alcohol and the stupor that followed upon the excessive use of the opium drug. Mr Hanlon, counsel for the Chinese, also spoke in a similar strain, and expressed strong sympathy for those Chinese who ■ had been accustomed to opium-smoking 1 for many years and were now entirely ■ deprived of it. On the other hand, and as a set-off to magisterial and legal sympathy, Sergeant Ramsay stated that in his recent raids upon some Chinese opium dens he had been urged to take action by a number of respectable Chinese merchants.