LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 34

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Dr Ogston (District Health Officer) has returned to town after having vUdted Alexandra- Public School in order to inquire into the complaints made by the School Committee 'concerning the alleged overcrowding in the infant room. Tho Health Officer found that there were 136 infant pupils on the attendance register, the average attendance for last quarter being 113, and for the last month of the latter period the average attendance was 120. The floor space, calculated on a basis of 136 infant pupils, proved to be 6.3 square feet per infant. The standard cubic air space per pupil is 80 cubic feet, this amount being the irreducible minimum insisted upon by leading English sanitary authorities, calculated on a basis of e'ght square feot of floor space per pupil, which is also insisted upon. It was also found that a number of parents kept "their children at home in consequence of the overcrowded state of the infant room; that the school playground is too small for requirements; that no provision exists whereby the sexes may be kept separate during recreation hours; that ._, both the scliool building and «ohoolinaster's residence are unsuited for present requirements. There is a very l-.igh birth rate in Alexandra, in consequence of which a large proportion of children are approaching school {i ge, for whom provision will have to be mado sooner or later. It has been stated that the increased attendance at this school was largely due to the presence in the district of railway workmen, who have brought their wives and families to reside near the railway works, but it was found that this factor did not apply in the case of the infant room to any extent, the increase in this respect being more noticeable in the standard classes. In view of the facts "which have recently come to light, it would appear that the people of Alexandra have good reasons to urge increased seh 1 accommodation for thenrising generation.

The Wellington correspondent of the Oamaru Mail telegraphs : — " Mr St. John Buckley's Waitaki Plains Estate has been offered to the Government at the same price as was asked some time ago, when Messrs Borrie and Johnstone valued it at £3 18s 5d per acre. Mr Duncan has wired asking the owner to state his lowest price."

The sum of £4,819,193 Betted by the British Postmaster-general during the past year is far in excess of the profit obtained by any other post office in the world. The nearest approach to this amount is shown by Russia, in which country the postal receipts for 1903 (the latest published) totalled £9,582,770, this being £3,122,250 in excess of expenditure. Other countries making- a profit out of their correspondence (according to the most recent statistics available) are ; — Germany, £3,072,499; France, £2,954,520; Spain, £650,436; Hungary, £614,031; Belgium, £544,497; Japan, '£511,250; Holland, £202,461; Turkey, £197,221; Austria. £190,670; Italy, £161,652; Roumania, £142.472; Switzerland, £142,210; Sweden, £105,326; British India, £98",304; Portugal, £94,090. Smaller profits are made by other countries, ranging- from £54 in the case of French India

to £72,901 in the case of New Zealand.

During the month of September 51 applications for i-encvs.il c? old-age pensions were granted in Dunedin— 48 at £26. one at £25, one at JBIS, and one at £10. Eleven new claims were sustained, six pensions being- granted at £36, three at £25, and one each at £1* and £5. In three cases applications for pensions were refused on the ground that the applicant's income was in excess of the maximum limit of a pensioner's income.

The weekly meeting of the Benevolent Institution Trustees was held on Wednesday afternoon, and was attended by Messrs Claik (chairman), Tapper, Talboys, Burton, and Burnett. Accounts amounting to £576 Is 8d we're passed for payment, the Chairman remarking that £65 of this was a refund to old-age pensions. It was reported that Sophia Pellott and William Morrison had died in the institution during tho past week. The monthly outdoor relict book showed that the number of cat>cs relieved dm ing September was 319, which included 141 men, 212 women,' and 512 children; a\erage weekly cost, £100 12s 3tL The cases in September of la c ,t year wcie 331, which comprised 133 men, 225 women, and 535 children. The weekly a\erage cose for that month was .SIOS 17s 6d. A parcel of periodicals from Mr W. F. Edmond was acknowledged with thanks. The Chairman mentioned that the FinaucQ

Committee had been requested to look into Dr MacGregor's report, and resol?«>d as follows : —'' That the trustees protest against the charges made in his last report by -the inspector under the Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, in reference to the election of trustees by subscribers, such charges being applicable to the various boards throughout the colony, of which the Otago Benevolent Institution is one ; the protest to be sent to the Minister for the department." The matter, the Chairman said, had been pretty freely discussed last week, and he did not know that anything more could be said about it. Mr Burnett said he had a great deal of sympathy with Dr MacGregor, recognising that he had to make up a report, and he had to say something. Other trustees expressed themselves similarly, and the motion was then moved and carried. Thirty-five relief cases wore dealt with.

During his address at the Garr'son Hall on Wednesday the Rev. L. M. Isitt made reference to Messrs Balfour and Chamberlain's recent tour through Great Britain and to their complaint of the decline of British commerce. Mr Isitt said he agreed that it was impossible to over-estimate or to exaggerate the effects of foreign competition on British trade. Wherever he had travelled he had seen that competition becoming keener and keener ; / but he believed they had as yet only seen the fringe cf it : the full force of the competition would be felt when they were brought into contact with the yellow races. When these races learned the European processes of manufacture and European methods the British Empire and other nations would then realise what competition really meant. He had, however, faith in the British race that'' they would emerge from that competition triumphant, but to do that they must not miss a chance. He did not care what fiscal system they adopted to meet that competition : the first essentials to success were a clear brain and a steady hand, and if they muddled the heads and unsteadied the hands of their workmen and artisans by indulgence in alcohol they would go down in the competition, and other nations similarly circumstanced would also go down.

A Wellington telegram says: — "The Premier received news of the first, birth to-day (Wednesday) at the St. Helens Hospital, the maternity home at Dunedin opened by the Premier last Saturday. The child is to be called John Seddon Alderton, and being the first arrival gets the silver

We understand that Messrs John Reid and Sons have completed the sale of the Central Hotel, Princes street, to Mr Patrick Laffey, the consideration being £12,000. The property is a freehold, with a frontage to Princes street of 57ft 6in with a depth of 66ft.

Mr Isitt's mission, dispassionately reviewed in one minor light, revives passing interest in certain ancient problems. As, for instance (1) How far does oratorical license extend? (2) In what degreo is it unconscious? (3) To what extent may the long arm of coincidence * bs stretched. There! is the story of the two historic boys. One said*, "My farver's got a balcony on his house — yah!" The other retorted, " Gam! My farver's got a mortgage on his house — bah!" Mr Isitt informed his first audience that it was he who overheard that conversation. Then there is the story of the uncomfortable girl who turned to % young fellow next her at dinner and said, "You might be a teetotaller, anyhow"; to which rather gratuitous suggestion he replied, "Ah, I can't give up my bottle, y'know '" ; whereupon she retorted, " What tort of bottle do you use — with a tube or without." There has always been an idea that Noah's large giraffe chuckled over this story in the ark ; but Mr Isitt informed his last audksnee that he sat at dinner at that table, and that the sadly humorous damsel was his cousin: Here, in truth, be quain6' discoveries. Mr Isitt's sincerity is \iaquestionable, his truthfulness unimpeachable. But history has a persistent habit of lepeating itself.

Both the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited) and the New Zealand Shipping Company have met the Otago Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Committee in a most generous spirit in the matter of conve}"ing from London the school tablets^ the distribution of which to every school in the province is a point of the scheme of the committee. These companies were approached with the request that they would assist the committee in the matter of carriage, and at once offered to convey the packages to the colony free of freight-.

A large and repress -native meeting was Ik Id in the Momona Schoolroom on Thursday for the purroso of de-.ising a better scheme of drainage for the Taieri. On the motion of Mr William Sncw. seconded by Mr J. Patrick, it was unanimously decided that il-c three drainage beards (West Taieri, Otokia, and Henley) be requested to have the boards abolished with a \icw to appointing one board for the extended drainage district. It was further moved That, in the e\ent of the di-soluhon cf the board?, the Government be requested to appoint a coninus.sioner to inquire iuto the best system of drainage l-oi' the whole district. It was finally decided that th© above tc col".tions be forwarded to the Minister of Lai*uls. About 60 persons were present, including members of the W est Taion Rnor B'>yrii, H-onlcy River Board, and the three Diainaso Boards, and the meeting was unanimc. => m the proposal to abolLh the three boards and amalgamate the extended districts. Mr W. Gibb is the most curious type of

alleged Indep-ende-nt candidate yet cvolvecT. Bs proi-esls that he would only vote to oust the Scddon Government on the question of freehold option in leases in perpetuity. On a motion ol wanl-of-copfickmc© in general policy ho would vote with Mr Se^don.

The Christmas Annuals of the illustrated weeklies are having an extraordinary sale this season. The Daily Times and Witness Annual was published five days sin.cc, and so incessant has been the stream of orders frcw newsagents that the whole issue was sold out on Friday, with many orders unfulfilled. Tho publishers request us to express their thanks to the superintendent of th© Tourist Department (Mr T. E. Donne) for his kindness in agreeing to allow an order for a large number of copies for advertising purposes to be cancelled in order that newsagents throughout the ccvlony who have delayed ordering may not be entirely, disappointed.

Reports have been industriously circulated in Southland, and also in the North Island^ to the eff-ect that an expert from Horn© will visit Orcpuki to again test fche shal© deposits in that district, and that, should his reports prove favourable, mining operations will be resumed. So far as can be ascertained, however, these reports laok official confirmation, and are apparently mere idle rumours.

Presumably it is not considered polite to mention coals in Newcastle, or it may be that coals arc not there regarded as furnishing a topic of great import. At Mr ; W. Gibb's fir3t meeting at Port Chalmers i on Friday night there was no direct reference to no-license as a burning question in practical politics.

; At the Courthouse, Waikouaiiti, on Friday, before the Mayor (Mr T. Smith) and Messrs A. S. Orbell and E. Davis, J.P.'s^, two Goodwood youths named Alexander Craig' , and George M'Laren, both aged 17 years, | were charged by Constable Burrows with unlawfully throwing stones at the express train when passing through Goodwood on I August 17 last. The constable stated that \ a window in the dining car and one in the car behind were broken and other damage done. He pointed out that the offence was a very grave one, and it was a wonder even more serious harm had not resulted. Both defendants pleaded "Guilty," and were fined £2" 10s, with costs of court 9s and cost of broken windows 10s 6d, — making- ! a total of £3 9s'' 6d each,— the bench ' remarking that a heavier fine would have been imposed only that the youths were , each the son of a widow.

The Timaru Herald states that Mr J". A. "Valentine, the secretary to the South! Canterbury Educational received the following telegram from the Premier on Thursday night: — "Superannuation Bill is certain to pass this session, and there is a fair prospect of the Education Act; Amenrbnont Bill also becoming law."

At Waikouaiti on Friday, before Messrs A. S. Orbell, T. Smith, and E. Davis, th© Education Board's truant officer (Mr J. E. Ryan) prosecuted three parents for not sending their children regularly to school. Peter Kane (three informations), William, Huggins (three informations), and Donald Kilgour (two informations) were each fined 5s and 7s costs on eaoh charge.

The treasurer of the Free Kindergarten Association acknowledges receipt •of th© following subscriptions: — Judge Ward, £5 3s ; Mrs Sinclair Thomson, Hopkins and Son, R. Wilson and Co., and Bishop Neville £1 Is each; Miss A. Reid, £1 (donation);) Mrs A. Moritzson, Mrs Balfour Neill, Mrs* Ellen Smith, Nelson, Moate, and Co., and 8., 10s 6d each; Thomson and Co., Mrs C. S. Bowden, Mrs D. Barron, and Misa Miller, ICa each ; Mrs Cramond, Mr W. Bennett, I. D. M-, Mr A. Stewart, Mr Duthie, and Mr J. W. Smith, 5s each; Miss A. Forsyth, 3s; Miss M. M'Millan, 2s 6d.

Three deaths occurred in tha Dunedin Hospital during last week — viz., Ann Douglas, Thomas Hennessey, and Edward Whittan. The number of patients admitted during the week was 27, the number discharged 25, and the total remaining in tha institution at the end of the week was 112.

A large number of fruit-growers assembled' at Messrs Waigth and Sons' orchard, Roxburgh, on the afternoon of the 3rd, when Mr J. C. Blackmore, Government pomologist. gave some interesting practical demonstrations in making various winter and; summer washes for the suppressing of. noxious orchard pests. At the conclusion of the demonstration, he was accorded a. hearty vote of thanks and three ringing cheers. .Before the growers dispersed tha question of an experimental station, was discussed, and the following resolutions were carried unanimously: — (a) "That it is desirable, in the interest of the fruit-grow-ing interests in this district, that an experimental station be ee.tablished for the purpose o£ testing the best varieties o£ fruit suitable to the district, and that copies of the resolution be forwarded to t'.e Minister of Agriculture asking him to take the matter into his careful consideration, a copy also to be forwarded to the member for tha district."' (b) •'That a petit "o-J, urging the establishment of an experimental station, bo dra«n up and circulated in tlo distiict at or.co and forwarded to the member for the district."'

The Jew i=h Day of Atonement commenced on Sunday evening at sunset, wh^n, ■serweos lasting neaily two hours and a-hali were conducted by the labbi, the Eev. A. T. Chodowski, at the Synagogue. Tho subject of las address was " Religion or No Religion." Ser\ices wero continued tlirouThout the whole of Monday until sunset. There were large congregations ai all the scmceo^