LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 36

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Two men named Robert M'Kinlay and Frederick Home were chai'ged at the Police Court on Saturday, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., with the theft of a considerable quantity of bottled spirit-, valued at 23s 6d, from James Barclay, tho licensee of the Shades Hotel, North-East Valley. M'Kinlay entered a plea of '' Guilty," Home stating that he was noti guilty.. From the evidence it appeared) . that the accused had had drinks together in the hotel, after which the liquor was. obtained from the storeroom, the mere subsequently making for the Gardens. The magistrate said he had no doubt that Home was an associate, and both men. would be convicted. If either of them had been charged with procuring liquor (M'Kinlay being a prohibited person), he would not deal so leniently with them. They would be fined 40s each and ordered to pay witnesses' expenses (6s). The lessons of the Russo-Japanese war as regards artillery have been very numerous, but the chief lesson is that field artillery is a very powerful factor hi modern warfare, and that the field oc battle by daylight is practically dominated by field guns; also, that under modern conditions guns must be concealed, and * from their positions behind cover be- able to effectively fire against an enemy also ponceaied. As a result of these lessons the members of the B Battery have been devoting all the winter months to training- in the latest methods, and during the rectent encampment; and at the service have put -the result of their training to a practical test., As a. result of the shooting Major Johnston, the artillery staff officer, considers that the ba-ttery has learned the new work and is quite capable of firing under the new conditions. The practice at Barewood on Saturday was somewhat slow, but Major Johnston regards it as satisfactory, and when it is considered that; a Volunteer battery can be trained* to fire from concealed positions, andi often at invisible or concealed targets, it cannot be expected that the first year's shoot) will be perfect as regards both accuracy and speed at what a regular battery would consider a v*ry difficult task. The Collector of Customs at Wellington has decided on the apportionment of the £950 received from the Union. Company, for the barque " Lutterworfcb, salved ia Cook Strait. The sum of £400 has been; divided between Messrs W. and G. TurnßuDh and Co. (owners of the Aorere) and th«( Wellington Harbour Ferries Company] (owners of the Duoo) as salvage. A portioii of this amount will be distributed amongst the crews of the vessels named which salvedl the Lutterworth. The Union Company, received £100 for the rescue of the barque's! crew; and Messrs A. H. Turnbull and Co., of Christchurch, owners of the Lutterworth, have been paid the balance of the purchase money. The floods of last month raised the Manganui Creek to an abnormal extent, and a considerable area of flat country is inundated (says the North Auckland Times).. It is estimated 1 that in the watershed of the Manganui there 1 are now over 4000 logs afioat, and some hundreds of hands aro engaged in seeing them down as far as- tho fresh will carry them. The Manganui differs from the rest of the Wairoa tributaries, in that it rises for several daya after rain has ceased, and- rafting operations are carried on under fine weather conditions. Some of the logs now being brought down, have to traverse 130 miles be-fore reaching the Jbooms, and it generally takes three* 1 winters from th« time they are felled till their arrival at the nulls. This has been the best season that the Government poultry stations have yet experienced (says the New Zealand Times).' The young stock are making splendid progress, and the export business at Dunedin and Auckland is particularly brisk. Last season from November to March only 4000 head of poultry were exported from Auckland. This year one firm, alone has applied for space for 8000 young ducks, and another for between 3000 and 4000. It is expected that 20,000 birds will be exported from Auckland during the &eaean_ The demand at Wellington is so great as to forestall the export trader The Girls' High School has opened thi* year with 58 new pupils. The honours list just published includes three University scholarship* (Gladys Cameron, Bertha. Muller, and Evelyn Whiiehead), one place in the credit list, one pass in the intermediate Mus. B-- University exam in a<tion, 20 passes in matriculation, and- one senior board scholarship. The schools' still have a. limited number of free places open to boys and gidfl w6o were over 14 at the end of last year, but who have gained proficiency certificates, and these free places will be allotted on applicatiom to the secretary. Mrs Featberstone Osier's one hundredth* birthday, which was celfebcated at Toronfcof on December 14, attracted much interest in New- York, since the venerable lady is the mother of Dr William Osier, to whom is attributed the theory that the end of human" usefulness comes at the age of 60. The birthday was the occasion oi a family gathering of four sons, a. daughter, and? 27 grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and long accounts have been published of the assembly^ The birthday-cake wa» lighted with a hundred candles, and f> feature- of the festivities was a number of ornamented reliefs, representing the five British Sovereigns under whom the lady

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£is liyed. An address was presented to f pletecT to within about 20 chains of het by her descendants, which is an Muttontown Gully, and a short span at eloquent refutation of her learned son's each approach to the viaduct has also theory. It says:— "What is a useful life been ballasted. There is a good supply if yours is not? At a hundred you are of sleepers and rails on the ground, so more useful than before to each and all. that there should be no further delay in You have been all our lives a radiating the construction work. centre of an influence for good, which still j The New Z~aland dental degree has remains. To see you, to be' with you, is j be en recognised by the General Medical to receive peace, calm, strength, and Council of Great Britain. On this imencouragement. Never stirred or excited, portant concession the New Zealand patiently for God's time toTtfe, you Medical Journal says: — "To arrange that have shown us how to live." ' the B.D.S. should be recognised at Home, Mr Waldegrave, Undersecretary of the and to accentuate the points calculated Department of Justice, has been in Dun- to be of special value to the conditions edin for a few days, his visit being in which obtain in New Zealand, while at Connection with the initiation of the the same time not too Itflly embracing Government scheme of dealing with theoretical and extra-dental studies which liabitual drunkards. The regulations pro- would render the course unnecessarily full "Vided for in the Habitu.l Drunkards Act for those of eminently practical leanings Of last session appeared in the Gazette of would be almost to desire perfection; yet the 24th ult., and the first definite arrange- that is what we have obtained ! Gradujnent for carrying out the provisions of ates from the Otago University Dental the act has been made with the society that School will now not only be registered carries on the Samaritans' Home in Christ- in England without any further examinaChurch, that society having the necessary tion or qualification, but will be granted Standing as a' " separate institution " all the privileges hitherto granted to the under the Hospitals and Charitable Aid L.D.S., R.C.S., Eng It is noteworthy Act. Mr Waldegrave has been making that the L.D.S., Melb., which was recoginquiries in Dunedin as to the probability lised last year, and our own, are bo fa» of any organised body in this city,' under- the only colonial or foreign degrees recogtaking the care and reclamation of nised in England." liabitual drunkards, and yesterday had a £t the meeting of the Dunedin Presbylong and interesting meeting with the cr j ;n; n Fi rs t Church on the sth the Modecommitteo and senior and junior agents ra tor (Pr N'sbet) presiding, Messrs W. T. of the Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society. TodcT and E. A. Axelsen were received as The members of the committee were probationers, and after the usual questions present in strong force, and Mr Widow- j,^ been answered were licensed as minisson and Mr Graham (stipendiary magis- ter€ and rece ived the right hand of fellowtrates) also took part in the proceedings. B hjp f^m the members of the Presbytery. Mjr Waldegrave explained that he had no ip ne R ev- j. -yP. Aitken (recently inducted power to commit the Government to any ; nto tne charge of Mosgiel) was cordially arrangement with any particular body, we lcomed by the Moderator. A call from and mentioned that the Salvation Army c congregation of Waiwera was accepted was formulating a scheme of action that y tne p €v jj. Williams, of Patearoa, the would embrace the whole colony. Various ate o f induction, etc., being left to be points in connection with the scheme were, arran g e d. by the Clutha Presbytery. The however, discussed at length, especially c \ eT^ wa s instructed to communicate with the question of finance, and the committee treasurers of various churches, asking them of the Patients and Prisoners' Aid Society to send in copies of last year's balance undertook to meet at an early date and s setsh € ets for the information of the Sustentadecide on what basis it would be pre- t j on f uim i Committee. Pared to take habitual drunkards under Ki , patrick 0Q the sth re . * tR care " ported to the Dunedin Presbytery that Mr 'Vaikouaiti is to have a new post office px pp a tcrSon,t crSo n, o f St. Clair, and formerly of «m ' a new courthouse very shortly. The Q Yeen Island, had given a site and underpost office will be of brick, with cement ta j ean to build a church at Fairfield. The facinge, situate at the corner of the Main prep re8 bytery expressed its appreciation of Mr North road and Reid street. There will person's "generous gift. be a public office (10ft by 15ft), a mail « , m i- « m. •i- i» »«!, room ffXt by 19ft 6m), telephone box, Mr C A. Toml.nson, of private boxes, and lobby. The dwelling, returned to , Dunedin °» the sth from a which is attached, consists of four rooms, three weeks' holiday, and proceeded \o with scullery, larder, bathroom, etc. The Christchurch next day. In the course of his fcuilding is compact and well arranged, journeymge Mr Tomhnson made the Haast There are concrete piles and walls to a **« trip to the West Coast. Leaving depth of 9ft, the site being formed ground. Queenstown he P~ceeded by coach to The post office has a frontage of 33ft, Wanaka and took the boat to the head of and stands on a section 66ft by 165 ft. the lake. The journey to he ] Haast *U Tenders are due on the 23th inst. The was made on horseback and the coast was new courthonso will be a wooden structure, reached at the mouth of the Haast River It is to be placed on a section near the The return journey was made via Mount corner of Malloch street and Court street. Aspiring, and Lake Wanaka was reached in Provision h made for a courtroom (30ft ««en days after leaving it. Mr Tomhnson by 17ft), magistrate's room (10ft by 10ft » charmed with the magnificent scenery, 6in), clerk's room (10ft by 14ft 6in). and and as he has travelled nearly all over New, witnesses' room (10ft 6in by 9ft). Ample Zealand he can speak with some confidence, provision is made for ventilation. Tenders The native bush and ferns struck him as We been called for the erection of the the finest he has ever seen, and he speaks building. rapturously of the glimpses of mountain «» «". „» , , *„ scenery and waterfall ho obtained through Mr Robert Wade, hen. secretary of the ings in the bueh . H e is quite convinced Lands Settlement Committee, Rough thafc i{ fche marvelloU s scenery of the route Ridge, has received a telegram from the wero better known it wou ld be well Minister of Lands stating that very coeent tronised the Haast Pass he took reasons would have to be advanced before oyer m photographs> and so powerful was any proposal by the Land Board for the tfae influence of Nature him that he extension of the term of the lease of the w<mt a whole day without wkhing Blackstone Hill Runs cculd be granted. fof {<x)d WhHe travereing the track he In this conn^tion. it may be of interest he&rd of {aHing water> and not if we quote the exact terms of the Land far found a cascftde with a faJ , which Board's resolution, which had apparently e&tlmates at over 1000 tons> leaping out not reached Mr M Jfcb when he .jde- an macce6sible cavern , and fed spatched his telegram to Mr Wade. The , ui^ier « resolution was:— "That whereas Runs y s 224, 224 a, 224b, and 224 d (known as Black- The Bruce County engineer reports that stone Hill Runs)" are under notice of the continued dry weather has put the resumption by his Excellency the Gover- county roads in a better state than they have nor, pursuant to se B tion 192 of • The Land been for many years. He adds that the Act, 1892,'- ,and whereas in consequence of season is the driest he has experienced such rnns being worked with Runs 226 a, since the Counties Act came into force. 226b, 226 c. 227, 227 a. and 445 (known as Very few of the small streams are running, Laudor and Home Hill Runs), the last- and the larger one* are reduced to a mere mentioned runs are being surrendered by trickling of water on the bottom. The the lessees, the Land Board is of opinion Tuakitoto Lake has stopped discharging that the granting of the extension of date into Morrison's Creek, and the water, has on which such resumption and surrender receded back to nearly opposite John shall take effect, as asked for. is a matter Frazer's property. Cr Noble remarked at ©f public policy which can only be dealt >the last meeting of the council that some with by the Cabinet or Ministerial direc- of the settlers were ha-ving a struggle to tion." \ obtain water for their cattle. Week-end visitors to Queenstown are Under the will of the late Mies Dalbeing provided with another attraction in rymple the Girls' High School benefits to connection with the Monday excursion the extent of £100, free of legacy duty, the up the lake. In addition to the well- nioney to be invested by* the Board of known Rere Lake and Paradise trips, a. Governors, and the interest used for prize drag is now running from Kinloch along distribution purposes among deserving the road to the Routeburn Valley. "Within pupils attending the school in 6uch manner half an hour of the arrival of the steamer as the governors and lady principal shall at Kinloch the excursionist is landed in decide. the beautiful Kohai Bush, amongst ferns The firsfc term of the Otago Boy& , High Cf all varieties and where the song of the Schoo i {o r the pTesent yO ar opened on the birds and the ripple of the stream delight sth> tho number o f new pupl i s on the roll the picnicker. Those who wish to go bej ng iql. amongst the giant peaks of the Lakes dis- . jj . .i trict can journey to within a short dis- A conference which was attended by the lance of the Routeburn River, where Inspectors of Mines of New Zealand, the Nature in all her glory is revealed. Chief Inspector for the Mines Department, Excursionists can return to Queenstown and Professor Park, the last-named being 4h« same day. A message from Queens- in the chair, met m Dunedin this week jfown yesterday stated that the weather with the object of discussing matters relatWas perfect and accommodation plentiful. ™8 to the welfare of the mining andustry. Good progress is at present being made When the letter from the District Health Iby.the Public Works Department with the Officer re the proposed infectious diseases ballasting and platclaying on the ClySe hospital at Dunedin was read at the meeteection of the railway (says the Dunstan ing of Bducec County Council on the sth Times). The rails have now been laid the chairman (Mr Jos. Mosley) said this was past Mr Bodkin's^ property, and it is another example of the country having to expected that this work will be finished pay for institutions which were absolutely fes far as the Clyde Railway Station in a useless as far as country residents were few days' time. Ballasting has been com- concerned. When * ere of infectious

disease occurred in the country immediately on being notified the local officer isolated the premises, and no cases of the kind could be conveyed by train to Dunedin. He thought the council should object to paying its contribution, even if th© matter had to be taken before, a magistrate. These remarks found general approval in the council. The Waipon electrical scheme is drawing near completion, and in a very few weeks thi power will be in Dunedin. Messrs Noyes Bros, are pushing on their part ef th© work rapidly, and good progress has been made. The power station at Waipori is practically complete, and the machinery has answered well in trial runs. Thehigh tension transmission line and all the poles and towers have been erected, and men are now engaged in running the overhead wires, the material having arrived by th© Irish Monarch. The sub-station at Halfway Bush will be completed within a week, and the low tension transmission line to the converter station in Cumberland street requires very little more attention. The laying of the underground mains in the streets of the city proceeds apace, and gangs of men will be operating in George street this week A meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban Dairymen's Association was held on the 7th inst., to consider the question of milk supply for the coming winter. Mr D. T. Roy (president) occupied the chair, and there was a" representative gathering of local dairymen. The Chairman referred to the unprecedented scarcity of fodder and the entire absence of grass, and also spoke of the difficulty in securing locally regular supplies of bran and other foodstuffs. The disappointment and los? to dairymen were great, as they had provided at considerable cost for ample supplies of oats, hay, and turnips, with which to keep up their ter supply of milk. Those crops, in most cases, were extremely poor, and in many utter failures. The dairymen now had to face the purchase of substitutes, x the values of which had greatly increased. As a consequence the cost of the production of milk would be double what it was in ordinary seasons. This was regrettable, as the demand for milk in Dunedin was never greater than at present. After a lengthy discussion it was decided to raise the price of milk to 4d per quart all round for nett Imperial measure. A raid was made on the premises of ! Wong Quee in Walker street by Detectives ' Cameron and M'Leod about 9 o'clock on Saturday night. The premises adjoin the Caledonian Hotel, and when the detectives entered they found a considerable quantity of opium, several pipes, and other appliances associated with the smoking of the drug. Wong Qupe, Ah Chew, Ah Wong, and Wm. Munn were arrested. The number of patients admitted into the Hospital last week was 29, the number discharged 25, and the total remaining in the institution at the end of the week 122. Three deaths occurred during the weok — viz., Charles Gurr, John Yates, and Low Lee. In connection with the breaking and entering into Stanley's store at Macraes on Thursday night last, two men named Peterson and King have been arrested. They were brought before justices at Palmerston on Friday, and were remanded to appear again on Wednesday next. One of the New South Wales bowlers had a silver watch, gold chain, and sovereign case containing five severeign6 taken from his clothes while they were hanging in the pavilicn at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday afternoon. The matter was promptly reported to the police, who are making inquiries. The question of setting up a Council of Ad.vioe to assist the Homo Government in dealing with colonial questions is being discussed in political circles in Wellington. One of the leading members of the Liberal party there stated that everything pointed to the council being set up, and that Sir Joseph Ward would be the New Zealand representative. This looks rather "tall" in print, telegraphs the Wellington correspondent of Christchurch Truth, but it is certainly within the range of probability. The aforementioned Liberal tips that inside of twelve months this country will see another Premier at the head of affairs. A former resident of Dunedin, who went to Manila as a dredge hand in the service of a Dunedin company, writes interestingly on the country. "It has been kept, back," he says, "by the Spaniards, but things are rroving now, and the Americans are spending large sums of money bridging the rivers, laying down railroads and electric car lines, making good roads, and laying off parks and pleasure giounds in the town itself. Manila is a fine island, and though no rain has fallen since I arrived, some time ago, everything is fresh and green. There is a market for New Zealand ex. ports in these islands. Everything is imported, and China, America, and Australia reap the benefit, but nothing cornea from New Zealand, the name of which the people hardly know. Certainly they know nothing about the country. Bacon costs Is 3d per lb, and everything is very dear. Moat and tinned goods are largely imported."' ■ We have to thank Captain George Hooper, commander of N.Z.S. Amokura, for a copy of the regulations for the api pointment of staff and enrolment of boys in New Zealand training ships. The regulations are very compr'ehcnsi\e, and give full i details concerning uniform, mess equipment, pay, holidays, also details of summer and winter routine on board. The minimum age at entry is set down at 13^

years, and the maximum at 14£, but these limits may be varied at the discretion of the Minister. The period of service is not less than eighteen months nor more than two years. A serviceable kit of clothing will be provided and while in the service boys must wear the clothing provided them on the training ship. This condition also applies to boys while on leave. Holiday leave (subject to good conduct) will be granted twice a year — 21 days at midsummer and 14 days at midwinter. In summer the boys turn out at 6.30 a.m., and in winter half an hour later, and at 9 p.m. "lights out" is sounded. The class subjects include lessons in seamanship, gunnery, squad drill, and rifle exercises, signalling, compass, wheel and leadlines, anchor and gear, engine room instructions, etc. Each boy will have one penny per day placed to his credit during his good behaviour, and may be further increased to 4d per day after 15 months' service. The period of probation will be one week, when, should the boy then be found unsatisfactory in any respect, he will be immediately discharged. The traffic returns for the tramways for the fortnight ended 2nd February, 1907, as compared with the corresponding period for last year, are as follow. — Receipts: 1907. £2530 0s 3d; 1906, £2158 19s 7d ; increase, £371 0s Bd. Mileage: 1907, 42,064 miles 38 chains; 1906. 42,222 miles 51 chains; decreasp, 158 miles 13 chains. The Education Department advise that the following students of the Dunedin Technical School have qualified for senior free places, and are therefore, subject to certain conditions, entitled to thre© years further tuition at that school:— Elizabeth Benfell, Margaret Bennett, Dorothy Bradley, Dorothea Fleming, Bernard Hughes, Nina Macdonald, Windsor M'Kenzie, Isabella Richardco'i, Bertha Slater, and James Stevenson. Messrs J. and A. M'George, and others interested in gold dredging in the Waikaka district, waited on the Minister of ilines (the Hon. J. M'G'owan) yesterday and asked him to visit the district for the purpose of inspecting an appliance attached to the M'Ccorgc dredge, which replaces the top soil over dredged tailings. By means of some drawings and oral, explanations, the work of the new appliance was placed before the Minister. The deputation pointed T>ut that by the new method, which consisted in putting a box extension of 20ft, 3ft wide, with a trapdoor attachment, at the head of the ordinary 6luicebox, the surface of land worked by a dredge is stripped ahead, and the material thus obtained is deposited over the tailings to the extent, in' some cases, of 3ft and more deep. The advantage of this was that all the tussocks and grass were got rid of, and more gold was therefore saved. The ground, too. was left practically ready for sowing and in better condition than before, in that it was well drained and left much sweeter. The Minister was also informed that a number of farmers in the district had visited the claims, and it was admitted that when the whole flat was treated in this way it would be much more valuable for agricultural purposes than it was before the advent of dredging. The Minister expressed considerable .satisfaction that land could be dredged and still remain fit for agricultural purposes, and said he could not at present visit the district, but after the information supplied he would wriou^ly consider whether legislation should bo passed which would compel those who dredged on Crown lands to havo a similar attachment to that of the M'Gcorgc's on their dredger. '"It is to Canada that the British -colonies owe their constitution as Statrs." aaid Mr Justice Chapman, at a majoral banquet at Christchurch on Thursday evening, "Biwl thore io no circumstance- of which I am more proud than my descent from one of the Canadian patriots of 1830. It requires a great deal of reading now to trace back the growth of the colonial constitutions, because we have no book that really tells us the history of the colonies. A man cannot trace the constitutional history of the Empire unlce he fills his library with I volumes and spends half his life reading > them. It is a pity that some historian does not arise and tell us in simple language what that history has been." Stanley's storo at Macraes was broken into on the night of the 7th. Mr Stanley. who resides noxt door, hearing a noiso, went into the store, and tFierc found two men in the art of removing goods. Ho managed to detain them till a-^tancft arrived, though in the eeufflo that took place he was somewhat roughly handled. A police officer has gone to the scene to make inquiries. The Union Steam Ship Company's managing agents of the Canadian-Austra-lian Line recognising the importance of the .service and the necc-sity of catering for the travelling public during the coming season, have again resolved to place the twin-screw steamer Manuka on the Vancouver run .for the April and July trips. At the complimentary dinner tendered on the 7th by the officers of Otago to Colonel Robin, one of the speakers, Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart, said that if ever the occasion arose when the volunteer principle feH «hort of requirements for defence purposes he hoped Colonel Robin would not be afraid to ask for universal service. The remark was received with prolonged applause. Colonel Robin reminded them that the quest ion of altering the policy of defence in an) euch way was not a matter for the Defence Council In a country where so much stress was laid upon tlio fuffrago finch an alteration coukl only bo brought about in response to the expicisol will of the people.

The Attorney-general (Hon. Dr Findiay} states that applications have already been sent in by various legal practitioners in the colony for positions as King's Counsel. These will in due course be forwarded to the Chief Justice. In the meantime the Minister is ascertaining from the different Australian States the number of King's Counsel appointed in each at the present time. The Government will, Dr Findiay Btates, be guided to some extent as to the number that should be appointed here by the numbers in the different Australian States. The concurrence of the Chief Justice, he points out, is, under the regulations, necessary, and it is competent for him to refuse his approval of even as many appointments as the Government desires. However, the course the Government will follow will be as nearly as possible the one followed in England, and, unless there are obvious objections to any applicant, his name will be submitted to the ChiefJustice in the usual way. The Attorneygeneral proposes to wait some time for applications from the profession before tak-, ing further steps. Our Alexandra correspondent telegraphs staling that a public meeting, under the auspice* of the Alexandra branch of the Qtago Central Railway League, was held at Alexandra on Thursday evening. Mr* A. C Iversen, who occupied the chair, explained that it was advisable to extend" an invitation to the Cabinet and members of Parliament to attend the function to celebrate the opening of the section of the railway from Omakau to Alexandra, and also to meet the people and receive deputations. The Government had done a lot for the district of late. - and it was only right that the people should show their appreciation. Several others also made suggestions, and eventually it wa« decided to call a public meeting for next Friday to finally decide what should be done and what form the functions and entertainments should take. The people are very enthusiastic, and no doubt will rise to the occasion and honor the Government right royally. It i-s proposed that the arrangements will be made to fit in witht the celebrations at Clyde.