LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 31

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The Gore-Waikaka railway line ie now completed. Several of the station structures have yet to be fewßhed off, but with this exception the work is ready 'to pass out of tine hands of the PuHac Works Department. The majority of the men who have been engaged upon tie line- have been transferred to the Riveredale-Waikaia. line, where there are now over\2oo men employed. The length of this line is about 13 miles. For a distance of five miles the rails are laid, and for about 'six miles further- the formation work is well under way.

■" When is a passenger »ot a passenger " ■was a problem over which the Bruce County Council had some trouble on -the Ist inst. A resident of Ta/ieri Beach had written complaining that when be had crossed the Taieri River recently in a punt the man on ohaasjfe there had mad» him pay for the passengers he carried at so much per head. He objected to this. In the past, when passengers were in his trap ho had not had to pay for tihem individually : they had counted as ptfrt of his load, and were char-gted up at so much per ton. Why had am alteration been made? The council resolved that it must uphold- its reyulationB — which fixed the charge for pereons crossing the river per punt at Is each.

The December examinations in connection with the New Zeataod University were commenced in the University Buildings on the Ist. There are in all 163 candidates sitting here for the matriculation examination, 28 for *he medical preliminary, and 27 for the junior university schoiaißhipo. One of the latter number has chosen, the history of music as one subject. The total number of candidates (223) is slightly larger than it was last year, and is the second largest number that has ever eat for these examinations in Bunedin, the record being 230. The chief supervisor (Mr F. S. T. Little} has found- it necessary to make use of 10 rooms to accommodate alii tihe candidates.

■ trace between Wellington, the Cook Islance. and Tahiti will be inaugurated on January 3 by the Union Company's steamer Masiapouri. The round trip will (cays a Wellington telegram) occupy three ■weeks. Papeete will be reached on January 12. and connection established there with the French Government's subsidised steamer for San Francisco, which is due to reach Sam Francisco on January 25, or 22 days from- Wellington. The Manapouri will also call at Karotonga both going out and coming home, leaving there for Wellington on January 16.

Mr J. Mahony, a member of the Levels (South Canterbury) County Council, left Timaru on Saturday for Tasmania under engagement to conduct a lecturing campaogn on behalf of Labour over there. Prior to leaving he was presented by members of the Levels County Council with a purse of sovereigns. Mr Mahony came to New Zealand from Tasmania, where his father was for many years a constable, and in the early days saw some stirring times in dealing with bushrangers. i \ An accident of a raiiher startling nature occurred at the- intersection of High, Manchester, and Liohfield streets', Christen uroh, about 5.30 p.m. on Monday. One of the span wrros, that he&d up the tramway trolley wires, fell, and a cabman drove over it, although the constable on duty at the spot warned him that it was probably alive. No sooner (says a Press Association telegram) had the cab horse stepped upon the wire than it fell writhing to the ground. The constable jerked ths reins and got the ttnrimal off the -wire, sustaining 1 a nasty shock bhnseif. The house recovered quickly from' the shock. The constable had great difficulty in Seeping the id-ly curious away from" the ware, but •> the break was soon mended.

At a. meeting of the Anti-sweating League at Melbourne recently charges were formulated against a softgoods firm- ! The secretary had written* to the firm as follows,; — " Before dealing with, the subject tb"e Vigilance Commitfctee thought it best to acquaint you of the statements, the gist •f which is as follows :— (a) That there axe '

I thoroughly capable salesmen in your em[ploy, with five, six, or seven years' erperience, receiving only £50- per annum; (b) that there are packers employed by you receiving, only 25a and 30s per week; (c) that you have invoice clerk* receiving £20 . per annum, and that your maximum for these, as a rule, £40 per annum; (d that there are married men in your employ in , receipt of only 30s per week; (c) that work 'in the entering rooms and office previously requiMd to be done by men is now being performed by boys or youths of from 15 , to 19 years of age, the payment made to ' them being £10, £20, and £30 per annunr, J and (f) that others in your employ who have I been there for three or four years are only receiving 12s 6d per week." The firm was asked to state its side of the question. A reply was sent stating that the firm was not in the habit of divulging details of its business upon ex parte statements. To further requests the reply was sent that the firm was not prepared to discuss the management of its business with anyone who it did not think had commercial experi- , ence sufficient to enable him to grasp all tihe points that might arise, and, until the committee could overcome that difficulty, 1 could not sea its way to do anything in the

i matter. J A proclamation was gazetted a few days i ago in Australia forbidding the importation into the Commonwealth of " matches and vestas containing the substance known as white or yellow phosphorus." The psohibi- > j tion will take effect from January 1, 1909. j This action was taken by the late Federal Government, and the proclamation was issued by the Customs Department, which was being administered by Senator Sir Robert Best. The intention of the Administration was to discourage the use of phosphorus in the manufacture of matches, and so reduce the evils arising from it. The complaint known aa " phossy-jaw," which is conjinon among^ workers in match faci tories, ia attributed to the use of phosj phorus, and the effect of the Australian i action will tend to restrict to some extent the output of these match-ss. It is hoped that it will have a more direct effect, so far as Australia is concerned, by influencing any of the States in which this process of manufacture obtains to discourage or proI hibit the uSe of phosphorus. 1 The council of the Royal College of Surgeons has at length agreed to the following resolutions :—" (1) Thai steps be forthwith taken to admit women to the cxi animations of the Joint Examining Boardin England, and to the. examination for the diploma in public health; (2) that women j be admitted to the examinations for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Sur- i geons and to the examinations for the license in dental surgery." Recently the eounpil took a poll of the fellows and members of the college on the question, and there was a majority against the admission of women. The council, however, has now decided in favour of women students being admitted to the college diplomas. These include the F.R.C.S., M.R.C.S., D.P.H. (granted in conjunction with the Royal College of Physicians), and 1 the L.D.S. qualifications. According to Mr Seed, inspector for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Wellington, not a few of the > cruelties inflicted upon horses m the city can be traced to the "sweating" of certain I employees. A man is given a certain time ' to carry out a contract, or insufficient \ horses to negotiate a difficult grade, and the j result (says the Dominion) is that the employee, in his anxiety to carry out his task,, often imposes hardship on his horses. The inspector stated at a meeting of the society that this question "would form the subject of a future report. A correspondent at Punta Arenas writes to a member of Parliament here pointing out the possibilities of trade between New Zealand and Tierra del Fuego. He says produce commands, enormpus prices there. Butter brings 2s 7d per lb, potatoes 18s per 2001b, flour 16s 3d per 1001b, bacon Is 9d per lb, corned beef Is per tin, dried apples Is per lb, onions £1 5s per 1001b, rolled oats 6d per ib, and other kinds of produce in proportion. Horses are fed on dried lucerne hay and maize, and oats and chaff cannot be obtained for love or money, while fruit, !

especially apples, commands Is a pound. There is a big opening for coal, as the English article brings £6 per ton. In addition) there is opening for dredging macninery. Tbe correspondent points out p unta Ar whkh ig the di6tributing c>mtre fot of South Ameri j, a free no duties of ]rfnd . . f , , „ . .? ..." leCted > and ™S&**». the shipping compam<* n "*ht JJ s*l .T^L /^ v™ ™t e}* through the Straits of Magellan, whicll w M **** sad from Welling, *°n ' A striking illustration of what lies before young men who take up the work of the Anglican Church was given at the Anglican Synod the other day (says the Napier. Daily, Telegraph). A clergyman stated that his son expressed a desire to qualify for the ministry and was warned of its hardships, He" attended Victoria. College and had passed the first section of his B.A. degree, In his holidays he came home and, desirjng to earn some money, obtained employment on a road contract, to which he cycled every morning. He took on pick and shovel work at 8s a day, and, cycling home, found his amusement by playing tennis in the evening. The point was this: That young

man, being- a strong:, able youth, could earn more money if he continued; as' a laboiyor than he could ho#e to oxpect as an Anglican clergyman after obtaining bis M.A. degree. j The cigarette has made wonderful headi way in popularity in the navy, says the Wellington Post, referring to the Australasian squadron, now in Wellington waters. Subject to the financial resources of the bluejacket, the Powerful canteen will 6ell from 1500 to 3000 cigarettes a day. The pipe-smoker is rapidly becoming extinct, except among the older men. Those who do not draw the ship's tobacco — which is issued pure in leaf — at Is per pound, have that amount credited to their accounts. How much does a warship spend when in port? \t is very difficult^to estimate in the absence of information which is not obtainable except through tha Admiralty itself. But the canteen alone of a big ship liko the Powerful will leave behind her some £300 in a week for the purchase of eggs, butter, fruit, cheese, tinned goods, bacon, and other articles. 'If eggs go beyond Id each the bluejacket will deny himself to some extent, but at that price, from 800 to 1000 eggs a day will be eaten on the lower deck of a big ship, and 1001b of butter will go with the eggs. According ko the Wairaorapa Daily Times, i the Masterton No-license League- put into operation for the recent local option poll an exhaustive system for checking the voting and preventing the illegal use of names on the rolls. The namea of all voters were placed in small memorandum books, a separate book being prepared for each street in the towns and each district in the country. Canvassers were sent through the licensing district, and in the books they recorded the result of their canvass from house to house. By this method there was , accumulated information which showed exactly who had moved to other districts, and so on, and names that should be taken ! from th© roll on account of death or other causes. All the information was transcribed on to the rolls of the league's I scrutineers, who received special instrucj tions in regard to bogus voting and imperj sonations. The scheme was not designed to prevent qualified persons from voting, but to prevent any person from exercising a vote in another person's name. On the Maeterton roll were found the names of quite a large number of persons whose qualification was now in other electorates or who had no qualification at all to vote. The scheme was applied by the No-license party to all the electorates in the large centres of the Dominion. i It is somewhat mortifying to find that the hospitality extended in New Zealand to the American fleet has had a sinister interpretation put upon it. The Wausaukee Inde. psndent contains the following paragraph, which is part of a letter written to his p/arents by the chief electrician of the Ohio: — "These people are great drinkers. The ladies have their tea parties in the ! afternoon aod the men their b«er parties.

There were more of our boys full here [Auckland} than in any other port. But

how could we help it? Every citizen we shook hands with made, us come in and d^-ink to the President, the King, the fleet, the Admiral, and a. few other officials. By that time the effects of this strong beer (it's much stronger than ours) began to tell. Itv doesn't affect the Englishman like it does us. Many of us wanted to refuse, but. when away from home go far, and the glad hand is extended,, -we considered it np to us to accept it, and everything that went wifh it. We always like to adapt ourselves to the customs of the people wherever we go. In spite of all this, not one arreit waa made, not one disturbance occurred. The cases against William Black, James Grainger, George Exton, David P. Mumford, 1 and Charles Baldwin of playing two--.up at Islington on October 25 were called on for legal argument at the Chrietchurch Police Court on Saturday morning (cays a Christchurch message). Mr V. G. Day, S.M., was on the , Bench. The magistrate intimated when the case was heard that in his opinion if persons assembled in a place to play an unlawful game that place was a' public place. . For the defence' it was argued that the place, according to the act, must be one within the public view. The magistrate said he found: it .was impossible to see the men from a. public road. The evidence was that the men were in., a hollow, which was surrounded by a belt 'of trees. After further discussion the magistrate said the point had never been argued at the Supreme Court, but he had heard nothing that morning which made him alter his view on the subject. The very fact that accused were trespassers did not place them in a better position than if they were lawfully there. He held that the place came within the law, and fined each accused 40s and coats. It is likely that the accused will appeal.

The Ai'gus reports a discovery which, if verified, is of transcendent importance to Australia. The results, it says, of the boring operations carried out in the Mallee country opposite Pinnaroo, in South Australia, now lead the experts of the Department of Agriculture to believe that ' an underground sheet of good water extends in the Mallee for at least 20 mile 3 east from the border. The last bore put down has struck water at 142 ft from the surface, 20 miles east from Pinnaroo, and the surveyors think that they will be able to trace the supply as far east as Kow Plains. On the South Australian side of the border this sheet extends for 30 miles north and couth. So far the Victorian surveyors have tested the water only in a line 20 miles east from Pinnaroo, but if the area of the sheet goes as far north and south in Victoria, as it does in South Australia, there must be 600 square -miles' of Mallee country between Kow Plain* and the border which has a subterranean supply of good water. The death is announced from Gort Convent, County Galway, of .Mother Mary Aloysius Doyle, the last of the 16 nuns of the Order of Mercy who left Ireland in December, 1854, to assist Florence Nightingale in nursing the soidiers in the Crimea. She was 94 years of age. She was summoned to Windsor sevoral years ago by the late Queen Victoria to be decorated, but was too old to undertake the journey. Her sister, aged 90, a nun in the same convent, still survives. J It is pleasing to hear (says the Oamaru Mail) that thfte looses which it was thought pastoralists woulrl sustain in the shape of a deereasetl wool clip as the outcome of the recent severe snowstorms are not likely to be go great as was at first anticipated, and when this fact is considered in conjunction with the satisfactory increase in the price of the staple production there is room for pardonable * jubilation. Our contemporary is assured that, taken altogether, the clip, will be well up to the average, although there are one or two cases where the individual Josses will be great. A large number of. the smaller sheds- in the district are nearly . through with their shearing, or have already cot out. Not only is the total yield of wool likely to be well up to the average, but the quality of that co far dealt with is of a high standard, in proof of which ifc may be mentioned that up to 94 for halfbred

and three-quarterbred has already been obtained for wool grown on country gre&tlj affected by the winter snows.

The state of Dunedin municipal loans k4 present under issue to the public is as fol« lows:— Gas loan of £50,000, debentures t« the value of £17,100 hare been sold; Wafpori Falls loan £50,000. debentures to th* value of £24,400-na.ve been sold. Recently there has been practically no sale for these .debentures over the bank counter, and last evening the City Council decided to invita tender* for ♦ per cent, debentures up to £60,000, no tender of less than 85 to b© accepted. The object of, this is, of course, to provide- for the unsold debentures in the two issues of stock referred to above.

1 Mr A. R. Barclay on the 2nd lodged hif application for a recount before a stipend diary magistrate of the votes recorded »•: the second ballot at Dunedin North. Mr' Barclay has retained Mr Solomon, K.C., to appear on his behalf, and "ctaring the recount searching inquiry will be prosecuted concerning the votes which have- been c'io* allowed on account of alleged, informnlitf . A Press Association telegram from Wef« Hngbon states that a 7 second clan passengei who: arrived from Sydney by the' Mara*n» on the 2nd had £75 worth, of opals stolen £rom his clothes while he was Asleep. - . The quarterly sitting of the Taieri Licensing Committee, held at Mosgiel on the 2nd, was attended by" Messrs D. T., Shand (act* ■ing chairjna-n), Dow, Ait ken, and Kirkland*. In the following cases, where the licensees had died, leave to carry on for three months was granted: Railway Hotel, Mosgiel, John. Knott, son of the licensee (Mr Finch for applicant) ; Lee Stream accommodation license, Beatrice Magorian, widow of ;fch« licensee (Mr Duncan); Middlemarch Hotel; Eliza Williams, widow of the licensee. . ''

' ; - ' Grave discontent was expressed "by thi City Council on the 2nd at finding itsel/ compelled to disbunse £75- for land decfr oated for road-widening purposes in Mcl« bourne- street, South Dunedin. It may h« mentioned that under the Public Work* Act every person subdividing, land which faces a road less than 66ft wide has to set back his subdivided land 33ft from the

street centre and dedicate the land for road purposes. The council has power to resolve that such, setting back and dedication can be dispensed with if it thinks the widening is unnecessary, and if the Gover-nor-in-Council approves of tbi3 course the road remains as it was. In many cases ol Mjburban side -roads the council has resolved, taat such street-widening may be dispensed with; but the Government officials raise so many difficulties to th© giving effect to these resolutions that owners subdividing^' get tired of waiting, and are- forced to dedicate the land, and are entitled to claim compensation from the council for the land so dedicated. Cr Stewart explained thafr the case being considered was only one instance- of many in which the owner had* no wish to dedicate the land, the council' had no wish to pay for it, and the act expr«esly contemplated that no widening need take place; yet the Government/ officials rendered t&e position farcical. Cr Wilson (chairman of the Works Committee) 1 said that Parliament had neglected to pass a bill last session to put this matter right, and it reflected little credit on their members that this state of affairs was allowed to continue.

A correspondent residing in Queenstowninferms the Wakatipu Mail that the thermometer attached to an aneroid barometer placed on grass marked at 3.30 p.m. on Friday, November 27, 130deg, the only high temperature in November noted during the past eight yea-rs. JThe highest temperatures marked by the same instrument' placed on the same place in 1907 were* January 4, 138deg^ December 28* MOdeg*

The Ladies'" Committee of tl© OtabBranch of the Savy League transmitted « sum of money to the headquarters for th« purchase of a wreath to be deposited at thf foot of Trafalgar- column on Trafalgar Day, Mts A. G. Fenwick, £he hon. secretary of the branch, baa now received from th« secretary of the Women's Branch o f <*« league in London a letter describing fch« wreath that was purchased. In it the- writer says: wreath was very handsome, and composed of laurel, with a large spray of mimosa (or, ac I believe you call it,

wattle) and oak leaves. This was tied with, four yards of white ribbon, with an inscription : ' From the women members of the Otago (N.Z.) Branch of the Navy Ijeague.' " The letter continues : " I have lately induced one or two ladies of the Canadian Branch to write articles for the ■women's page of the Navy League Journal, which we hope will be a monthly feature. If you yourself, or any of the members of your branch, would contribute to this page and communicate with me on the subject, I would see that the manuscript is brought to the attention of the editor. In this way the page would form a connecting-link between women in various parts of the Umpire who are doing so much to help the cause of the league." At the North-Eaet Valley Presbyterian Church on the 2nd a large number of the congregation assembled to witness the ceremony of ordaining ,Miss Ethel Reid as a 'deaconess of the church. The Rev. H. B. Gray, who performed the ceremony, said that during the past few months the officebearers of the church had decided that the appointment of a deaconess was desirable, but the finances would not permit of it. However, three members of the congregation had come forward, and had guaranteed the means for % year at least; and they were assembled to witness the ordination of Sister Ethel, as she in future desired to be called.- The ceremony having been - gone through, the Rev. Dr Nisbet addressed the meeting, after which a large number wished the new deaconess every success in her new sphere. The New York correspondent of the Daily Mail states: — "Mr Roosevelt has now definitely decided to adopt a journalistic career efter he leaves the White House. He will be associate editor of the Outlook, which corresponds in this country to your Spectator. His duties will commence the moment he quite office. As I informed you months ago, Mr Roosevelt signed a contract with Messrs Scribner to writ© a book on his African experiences. I saw Dr liyman Abbott, editor of the Outlook, today. He said that Mr Roosevelt himself must decide when to make an announcement as to the nature * of his future •otivities. ' The Outlook certainly,' said Dt Abbott, * has no right to speak for Mr Roosevelt.' I understand that the President will contribute periodical letters from Africa, England, and the Continent to the Outlook, and when he returns to this country permanently will be associated with Dr Abbott in editing that journal. What salary he will receive is not known, but •rumour places it at £5000 a year. Next to Mr Arthur Brisbane, therefore, Mr Hearst's lieutenant, he will be the most highly paid editor in the United States." Some three weeks ago a small pony consigned by Mr J. M'Arthur, of Hanmer Springs, through Messrs Dalgety and Co., for the North Island was placed in a truck at Culverden and locked in by the stationmaster. The truck arrived at Lyttelton with the door still locked, but the pony was missing. So far inquiries made have failed to discover the pony's whereabouts, or how or where it got out of the truck. Those on board the Nimrod were much astonished on tha Ist as the vessel passed out of Lyttelton Heads, to discover a boy of 13 or 14 stowed away among the stores. The discovery was quite accidental, and the boy might have gone a long way before being found. He said that he wanted to go " all the way." Naturally, it was impossible to take him. A launch happened t-q>, come up coon afterwards, and the young adventurer was handed, protesting vigorously, over to her. He wept bitterly at the disappointment. He is a Chris tchutch boy, and it is not beyond suspicion (save a Press Association telegTam) that his parents' were not ignorant of his intention. Among other tokens of goodwill that the crew of the Nimrod took away from Lyttelton is a sealed packet for Mr Macintosh. to be opened on New Year's Day. Mr Macintosh does not know its contents, and will not till the date mentioned. But there i 6 no reason (says the Lyttelton Times), now that the vessel is on her way to the ice realms, why readers should not know. When the packet is opened there will be found, amongst other welcome things, many sprigs of heather from Mr Macintosh's nati- country. To each sprig is attached the name of the fair donor in the "land of the hills and the heather," and a note in the heart of the bunoh asks Mr Macintosh and his shipmates to acknowledge to these Scots lassies, from far Antarctica, xeoeipt of their kindly tokens. The Hotel, Restaurant, and Boardinßfcouse Employees' Union of Workers intends referring its di&pute with the employers to . the Arbitration Court for the purpose of J>avittg an award made governing their conditions of work and wages. The Wakat-ipu Mail understands that the {Tourist Department has made a start with the Wakatipu-Te Anau track, for which a rote of £350 was put on the Estimates laet •ession. The announcement officially made by Dr M'Arthur, S.M. f on November 30 that nolicensa had failed in the Hutt polling by two md three-fifths votes was (oars the New Zealand Times) the fourth that has been made in (connection with the poll within a fortnight. In the first place, the totals, as hurriedly made up on election night, showed that nolicense had been carried by 47 votes, but &wo days later it was announced that a toiistajto in the calculations had been made, Smd that the no-license vote was five short fcf the necessary three-fifths majority. This, >ras on the evening of Thursday, November 10. Two days later, on the Saturday, the official count of the figures took place, when ih« announcement was tba^no-lkense bad.

failed by 28 rotes. These discrepancies in the figures Jed the No-licence League to demand an official recount, which took place with the result already stated. When addressing a large gathering of electors after the result of the Bay of Plenty contest became known on the Ist inst., the Hon. J. Carroll «».id the election ' Jwud been fought on a straight-out issue — viz., freehold only versus freehold and leasehold, — and the Government policy, which included the freehold as well as the leasehold, had been" •confirmed. All the forces on both sides had been brought to .bear in the content, which was the rubber of the second ballots, and the Government had won all along the line. A unique point has arisen in connection with the Maori election, held on the 2nd (says a Gisboxoe telegram). The local publicans were advised that under section 115 of the Electoral Act they would be compelled to close their bars from noon, the Maori election coming within the category of " any election " in that section. ' All the Gisborne hotels, with one exception, where the licensee was advised differently, have accordingly closed. It is pointed out that if this new. reading of the law be carried shops should also close, but they have no^ done co ; and in the South Island, which is one of the Maori electorates, the whole of the hotels would also be required to shut up their bars. It is probable (says our Christchurch correspondent) that, as a result of the proposals ' brought forward in Wellington and Chriatohuroh to send scientific expeditions to the Chatham Islands, attempts wall be made to obtain the remaining specimens of Moriori tree carvings on the islands. These carvings represent the crude artietic efforts of the Moriori race, which is now' almost extinct. The carvings have been cut' into . tree-trunks. They are in the shape of • human beings, and as the art has not been practised for many years they have a high ethnological value. i A caee of whisky, which ha* been consigned to an Ashburton resident from Great ' Britain, 40s at present the centre of considerable attention at the Ashburton Bailway Station. Probably the consignor was not aware that Ashburton was a " dry " area, and consequently the liquor was not labelled. ' i v A Press Association telegram states that at the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Licensing Committee on the Ist the police report stated that all the hotels were conducted very satisfactorily, and there was no complaint against any of them. The bench stated that they understood that ■weekly licenses were being -reintroduoed, and that they would do all in their power to stop them. The police reported that they had made 242 visits to various hotels, and found in them 723 women having with them 24- children, but on no occasion had women been found under the influence of liquor. -VAt the present time there are 24 flaxmills, with a monthly output of about 950 bales, in active operation in Otago and Southland, as against 70 at this time last year. The swamping of the London market with Manila hemp is a potent factor in regard to the industry here, and so long' as prices keep as low as they are at present there •is but small hope of any furtheT mills starting operations. The conditions ruling ar present will, however, have a beneficial influence, in that flax * areas, which by reason of the fact that they were being drawn on every three, and in some cases two and a-half years, thus producing over-straining of the plants, four years' growth being required to bring the ; flax in this part of th© Dominion to the i point of maturity, will be all the better i i for this compulsory rest, and be more ' prolific when the next season takes up. < The hatching of imported lobsters and grails at the Portobello marine fish hatchery is, the chairman of the board ■ (Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P.) states, proceeding vei'y rapidly now. and Mr Anderton, the curator, has already liberated around Quarry Point and other suitable positions in the harbour a great number of lively , fry of both kinds of crustacean. It ii anti- i cipated that over 100.000 lobster fry will ' be hatched within the next few months, i and probably at least 10,000,000 crabs. The j ' station is badly handicapped for want of j adequate assistance, which is urgently re- j • quired. The work done By Mr Anderton J is unique, as no station in any part of ; the world, oven with all the best appli- ' antes, has ever succeeded in achieving such I results as have been obtained at the Portobello hatchery. ! There is evidence, cays our Greymouth ! , correspondent, that the demand for West- ; j port coal is improving throughout the Dominion. Work at the Westport-Sttock-ton Coal Company's screens and ■ipeline I? progressing satisfactorily. The output of coal will be resumed early next month. ] Our Bluff correspondent cays that the fine j weather has enabled the rookHsmashing j apparatus to make a fair start. It ia j operating on the reef towards the western ' , end of the wharf It strikes a heavy, ' crunching blow with a drop of 12ft or 14ft. . The hoist makes the "striker" revolve, ! and in that way the fractured stone is j I forced out of the matrix. It has the j ' appearance of an efficient instrument for ; the work in which it is engaged, although ' its practical results have not yet been demonstrated. It is to be assumed that after the smasher has had a fairly good trial the services of the harbour diver ! will be requisitioned so as to determine j set results. Until then the question of I

the old blasting process compared with that of the process now un-der trial will have to remain in abeyance. At a meeting of the South Canterbury Hospital Board on the 2nd inst. a letter was read from ifoe Waimate Hospital Trustees stating that owing to an epidemic of scarlet fever* in the district they had incurred an overdraft of £270, and they asked that the balance of their maintenance account, £47*, should be remitted as «oon as possible, and that the amount should be increased by, say,, £500. Mr Francis, one of the members for Waimate, submitted a statement showing thai for seven months the cost of maintenance had exceeded the average and the estimate for the period by -a total of £441. Mr Craigie drew attention to a claim for £310 required for buildings at Waimate Hospital in excess of what the board agreed to .provide, but Mr Francis said the trustees could not be held responsible for this, as the additional improvements made had been carried out without reference to them. Mr Craigie also mentioned that the- drainage had cost £300 instead of £100 as estimated, but Mr Francis said tKat was due to the architect aoting for the board. It was resolved to comply with the trustees' request for additional funds.

Special reference was made at last week's meeting of the Otago Trades and Labour Council to the conditions under which dressmakers are employed in Dunedin, statements being made that several young women who had been 16 or 17 years at the trade were only in receipt of 22s 6d per week. As a result- of the discussion that followed, it was resolved that the secretary be instructed to take steps as early as possible next year to form a union of dressmakers. -* Our Bluff correspondent states that a haul reminiecent of the old whaling days was made at the end of last week at Mason's Bay, on the west coast of Stewart Island. Bragg, senior, and Swain wore off the bay fishing. Suddenly the waters inside became a mass of life and animation. Proceeding to ascertain the cause they discovered euch a shoal of blacknsh a 6 has noi been seen for many a day. Thereupon they set about driving the fish on shore, succeeding in stranding no fewer than 320 of full size. They improvised a " try down," and although at latest advices the work was not complete, they wore expecting to cask from 60 to 70 tuns of oil.

In his annual report to the N.S.W. Parliament, Captain Mason, commander and superintendent of the Sobraon, states that the enrolment during the year waa 494. The decrease, however, was not due to a falling off in juvenile delinquency. The co<sf, including education, had been equal to 10s per week per head. The health of the inmate 3 had been excellent, no deaths having taken place, nor had there been experienced any of the numerous epidemics prevalent on shore. Fort j -six boys were educated on the Dart up to the grade of ordinary seamen, and provided with ships at the etandard wage of the port.

It is the intention of the new Federal Government to spend more money than has been done heretofore in advertising Australia with a view to attracting as immigrants suitable white peoples from Europe and America. In answer to questions en the subject the Minister of External Affairs said: — "I have asked the secretary of my department to let me have details of the advertising work done by the previous Governments in order that I may learn whether anything further can, with benefit to Australia, be started. Parliament has voted some £10,000 or £20,000

for advertising, but as far as I have been able to ascertain only some £3000 has been spent. However, I must ascertain what is really being done before I can say anything

As a result of the two days' bazaar held last week in the Trinity Church Hall, the Woodhaugh Methodist Sunday School Building Fund frill benefit to tHe extent ©£ fully £80 or £90.

A Press Association telegram from Welington states that a temporary readjustment of portfolios has been arranged by the Prime Minister. The Department of Railways will be taken over by the Hon. J. A. Millar and that of Public Works by the Hon. J. M'Gowan..

About 8.15 p.m. on the 4th a fire occurred in Messrs M. Donaghy and Co.'s Rope and Twine Works in Macandrew road, South Dunedin, which, but for the promptitude displayed in dealing with it, might have had very serious consequences. An overheated bearing in one of the many fibre machines ignited some of the accumulated fluff, and in a trice the flames had spread to each adjoining machine and to the rafters, licking up the inflammable fluff and fibre with startling rapidity. The big room was filled - with flame, but excellent judgment and celerity on the part of the hands at work saved the . situation. Water from two leads of ho6e was vigorously played on the blaze, and within seven minutes of the outbreak everything in the &hape of fire had disappeared. The South Dunedin Brig&e and then the CityFire Brigade, arrived on the scene, and made assurance doubly sure by thoroughly saturating the floor and rafters in case any sparks were lodging there. When all was over, the presence of water alone signified that anything out of the usual had taken place. The machinery was quite undamaged, nor did the building suffer any damage either. The building, plant, and stock are covered in various offices to the extent of £14,000, but inconvenience only and no damage having been suffered, the insurance companies concerned will not be called "upon to pay anything.

The reports presented at the annual distribution of prizes to successful puipls in the Otago Sunday School Union's examination, held on the 4th, contained some remarkable clauses, and the following are worth -repeating: — "The sixth question drew fire. Socialism, trades unions, women's franchise, Rev. Gibson Smith's book, Campbellisra, and Theosophy, amongst other things, were mentioned as great moral contests raging to-day. The liquor question was the favourite for discussion. One volunteered- the information that it was quite fashionable in the present day for newspapers to refuse liquor advertisements. Another thought if the brewers (several of whom were named) had any 'feeling for others they would stop bottling- -barrels- of rum.' In answering question 8 one sought to prove that Saul was a man of great influence because he led the children of Israel through the wilderness."

Advice has been received by the Milbum Lime and Cement Company that tbe machinery recently ordered in America by the general manager (Mir F. Oakden) has been shipped from New York. This machinery will form part of ar» installation which will be the largest south of the line. The kiln to be installed is 100 ft long by Bft in diameter, and will be capable of turning out four times the quantity of oement that the" existing plant produces. Mr Bruce, of the Stock Department, and Mr Dobson have completed their work of inspection in Central Otago with the object of determining as to which lands are suitable for irrigation. Their report will be looked forward to with a great deal of interest. The Milburn Lime and Cement Company has received notice that it has been awarded the gold medal at the FrainooBritish Exhibition, London, for its exhibit of Portland cement. This is particularly gratifying information where a colonial industry is concern>ed, since the Milburn Lime Company's exhibit was, by special request, placed in competition with the exhibits of the world.

The 6urvey of the Kauroo Hills property, acquired by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act for closer settlement, is, we understand, now well in hand, two surveyors being busily engaged in the subdivision. The estate is being subdivided into ebout 33 sections varying in area from small grazing runs of from 3000 to 800 acres, to agricultural blocks of from 100 to 500 acres. It is probable that the ballot for the allotments will be held about the end of Februar3", when, judging- by the success that has attended the cutting up of other estates in the same district, and the reasonable price at which this property was acquired, there should be a great demand for the various sections.

Motor Traction of July 18 contains an appreciative description 'of an invention which has been perfected bj Mr S. de Beer, late of Dunedin, and whose attainment to a scientific degree was recorded a few days ago. The invention consists of a petrol eoonomiser. The description is too technical for leproduction here, but it is clearly demonstrated that by the use of the economiser a great sa's ing of petrol may be effected, and consequently greater travelling efficiency obtained. It is shown that on a. London motor omnibus a saving of five gallons per day was made. The invention is in jet form, and a 10-14 h.p. Renault car ran 27.26 miles on one

gallon of spirit, and on another test ran 25.54 miles on the same quantity. Further tests show an increased efficiency fully 50 per cent, in mileage per gallon. Obviously an invention of such a nature must be a lucrative one.

The Australasian squadron is due to arrive in Dunedin waters on the morning* of the 11th inst. The Mayor of Dunedia and the principals of the different local bodies will pay an official visit to Admiral Poore at Port Chalmers in the morning, and in the afternoon the Commander of; the Fleet will be present at the Town. Hall, where a civic function will be held.

A gentleman who has ju6t visited the North of Auckland districts informs the Dominion that excellent progress is being made with the North Auckland railway. Upwards of 400 men are employed at various sections of the line, and work is proceeding about half a. mile beyond Topuni ridge, working up towards thedividing range between that point and Kaiwaka. The contracts for all necessary bridges right up to the latter place have been let. The Public Works Department is running trains for passengers and goods from Waby, the present Railway Department's rail-head, to Wellsford. " Between the latter and Te Hana the' formation is practically complete, and two railway cottages and eheds- are constructed there. It is expected that the rails will be laid to Te Hana, which is about five miles beyond Wellsford, early this summer. Work is going on at both ends of the tunnel through the dividing range. There are come heavy cuttings between the tunnel and the Topuni bridge. On the whole, marvellous progress has been made with the line in the last 12 months.

Mr W. J. Keys, of Toiro, has (says the Clutha Free Press) been wonderfully successful of late in killing sparrows by means of poisoned grain. At two spots where poison had been laid near his homestead recently he found dead birds lying in heaps, there 'being, roughly speaking, 300 in one place and 400 in the other. They were nearly all cock birds, and it is supposed the females died on their nests. Mr Keys's method is first to spread a HttTe chaff on the ground in a spot selected near the haunts of the sparrow, by way of ground bait, then a little more chaff, finally mixing poisoned wheat,, with the chaff. Mr Keys has provided ample proof of the soundness of his belief that it is a mistake for farmers to lay poison when the grain season is on. - The pest, he believes, can be easily kept under if tackled in the spring and early summer as well as in winter.

With regard to Mr 0. Hutchison'* acceptance of Mr A. E. Remington's challenge to contest the Rangitikei eeat, it is stated (says the Wairarapa Daily Times of Tuesday) that Mr J. Johnston, " chairman of Mr Remington's Election Committee, has written a letter to the Wanganui Chronicle stating that "he has lodged with Mr Remington the committee's protest against the member for Rangitikei resigning to please Mr Hutchison or anyone else." Mr Remington leaves Wellington this week for a trip to Australia. - The Dominion of Wednesday says: — "MiRemington, M.P. for Rangitikei, ia^at present in Wellington. When seen Yesterday he declined to say anything definite as to the position created by Mr Hutchison's acceptance of his challenge to a contest for* the Rangitikei seat as a means of taking the verdict of the electors on certain allegations. 'In my own time,' he said, 'and in my own way, when I have given them rope enough, I' will deal with the matter.' "

During a recent visit north Dr Mason and Dr Pomare have visited every Maori school and district they could get at between Napier and Rotorua for the purpose of investigating how the present system of looking after the health of- the Natives is working, and ascertaining what improvemenfcs might be effected. The department supplies medicines to the teachers of all Maori schools. In many cases the local schoolmaster is the only man in the district who knows anything about sickness, and has any appliances, and to him, not only the Maoris, but also the Europeans, are often deeply indebted in times of sickness and trouble. The department spends about- £5000 a year — last year it was £4700— in supplying drugs and subsidising medical men, and so far the results have been most satisfactory.

Speaking at a home missionary meeting in connection with the Methodist Synod at New Plymouth the Rev. Robert Haddon, referring to the good effects of the prohibition of the wholesale selling of liquor to Maoris, said (reports the Dominion) that unfortunately the law applied only in daylight. In the dead hours of the night hogsheads of beer were carted into the Maori pas and sold to Maoris, especially if there was a tangi on. He wanted to expose this thing to the whole of New Zealand, for it was a downright 6hame. One case of this had been unearthed by the president of the Maori Council of Taranaki, and a strong prosecution would be brought in a week or two.

The desirability of obtaining a larger amount of useful meteorological data than; is at present collected, although th© number of those taking an interest in this matter is very considerable, has induced the Government to undertake the publication of a monthly Meteorological Bulletin or Journal, to be issued from January, 1909, which it is proposed shall contain a map showing the rainfall of the Dominion, also a statement of the amount recorded at each observing station, the variations of atmospheric pressure as recorded bj bax«»

graphs, plans showing these changes, and also those ir the direction ,of the wind during the passage of remarkable atmospheric disturbances, and a more extended description of the climatic changes of each month than is at present possible. Captain Edwin, director of the Meteorological Office, has, therefore, prepared particulars as to some of the observations required for this purpose, and has circularised a number of those likely to be interested in the project, and it is hoped (says the. New Zealand Times) that, with the assistance of present observers and of 'the public generally, the journal may become very useful and interesting to all classes of the community ; and that, with the data already on record, it will enable the climatic conditions of the Dominion, which are so favourable to all classes of industry, to be#more widely known.

On April 5 Murdoch Gillies, a telegraph eperator, was killed while cycling on the Hutt road, as the result of a collision with a motor car owned by John Goring Johnston and driven- by h's servant. The Public Trustee, on behalf of the parents of the deceased,' sued Johnston /or £501 damages.. The case was to have been heard at the Supreme Court at Wellington on the 4th (says a Press Association telegram), but it was announced that •a settlement had been arrived at between the parties.

A writer in the Wellington Post mention* that extensive rabbit slaughter takes place within 25 miles of Wellington 'every Sabbath. On an average 50 or 60 youths and young men can be seen making their way to the railway station with guns, dogs, and sufficient eatables to last them for a day. A ra-bbit van is almoet a. necessity on the return journey in the evening. Everybody seems to be carrying rabbits. The dogboxes in the vans also are not sufficiently large to accommodate ail the canines enlisted as scouts by tbe army of sharpshooters. The amateur rabbi ter in the aggregate vs delightfully cosmopolitan — email boy 6 and old boys, bootmakers and clerks. The hapless farmer, juet about this time, when he is being harried with " no.tic4s to destroy " by an unfeeling Agricultural Department, has always a cheery smile for the "sports" that roam over his lands. He delights to hear the banging of the guns, and to know that bunny's existence is being made about as miserable as it is 'possible for a quadruped's to be. Indeed, eary number of farmers are only too willing to provide ammunition fojr owners of guns who co-re to nee it in . the work of extermination. '

The Gisborne Times reports that Rua appears to be well provided with cash; and, during one day, treated his wives, who are girls from 15 to 20 years of age, to rides in a hired motor car. The wives are dressed the 'most gaudy colours, and whan their noble lord, deigns to appear in the street, humbly walk behind him two by two. One of Rua's men told a reporter that Rua was still a great man and plenty "te utu." He had only brought half the number of his wives oh this excursion, having left four at home to look after the royal household. The party are staying with some Natives at Waerenga-a-hika.

The Melbourne police have discovered th* whereabouts of some £1400 in cash and f .larce in remarkable circumstances. An old

I/man, a .pfetsloner of the Education

. enactment, was charged in the South Melourne Ooucrfc with having been drunk and «. iaorderiy. She pleaded that she was not <irunk when arrested, and was remanded, '-he woman, when searched at the watchhouse, was found to have in her possession a Savings Bank passbook with a credit of £100 and JG7O in notes, one of £50 and two of £10. On going to the cell the police found cm the floor a deposit receipt on the Commercial Bank for £10&, a cheque for £16 5s Id, and a cheque for £8. The woman informed the sergeant that she had two other £10 notes besides those found on her. Thinking that there might be some money also in the house in which the woman lives alone, the police made an inspection of the place. The building, a four- roomed -weatherboard tenement, was found to ba in a dilapidated condition and almost destituteof furniture. In an old stool, wh.ch Wis taken to pieces, Savings Bank passbooks were discovered, showing that the woman had credit balances of £245 at the bead office, £100 at the Collins street branch, and £100 at the Bourke street branch. A share certificate for Metropolitan Gas Company's shares, valued at £640, was also found, together with fche deeds of the property on which the woman lives. Mr Arthur Griffith, one of the members ©f the New South Wales legislative Assembly, has hit upon a new method of encouraging the increase of population. Mr Griffith objects to tihe importation of larg© numbers of working men and women, who wLH have tihe effect of flooding the market •md reducing wages. "The best Australian immigrant," he urges, "is the Australian, baby," and he argues that the State Governments of Australia could beet U9e money aneant to influence the growth of population by assisting the people of the Commonwealth who are willing to undertake the responsibility of rearing families. Mr Griffith discusses as a. means to this end! the proposals, of a tax on bachelors and of the adoption of febe French system of t*ia remission of taxation in favour of parsons •with families, and proposes that every woman, upon registering the birth of her child, 6hail receive out of the consolidated revenue the sum of £5 towards the costs incidental to and immediately following upon the birth. The bonus, so that it should aot carry with it the stigma of pauperism, dbouk! be payable to all mothers, irrespec-

five of their class or the section of the community to which they belong.

There was a large gathering- of Masons and others at the Church of England portion of the Gore Hill Cemetery, Sydney, on Sunday, November 22, when was unveiled a Masonic memorial erected to the memory of the late John Whiteley King, who" died at Mosman on December 21, 1905, aged 48 years. The ceremony wa3 performed by the Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Bro. Montgomery Hamilton, who described the deceased Mason's meteoric career, which had no equal in the history of ,Ma6omry in Australia, he having attained, in the period of a few years, to the position of Past Grand Senior "Warden of the Grand Lodge of New South "Wales, and Past Prefeidetit of the Royal Arch. He was also Past Master of Lodge Oxford, the members of which lodge initiated the movement for the/ erection of the memorial. "Worshipful Bro. Tow>nsend and Worshipful Bro. Wm. Epps also spoke. For a munber of years Mr King held the position of secretary to the PastoraKsfe' "Dinion. of New So-uth Wales, figuring prominently in the great strikes* of 1900 and 1901. He was also New South- Wales editor and part proprietor of the Pastoraliets' Review. He was the grandson of the Rev. Mr Wn.ite.ley, murdered by the Maoris in Taranalri in the rebellion, and was at one time a well-known New Zealand joumalost. •

Donald* Bain M'Kenzie, the perfectlybuilt 7ft 2in giant drum -major the Kilties' Band, has sold his eyes for the su.^ of lOOOdol (£200) to a society of scientific research in New York City, which is demonstrating that the last object seen by a dying peieon may be found fixed as a photographic negative upon the retina. M'Kenzie has secured this unusual contract because his eyes a<re almost a third larger than the average man's, which will remove from the undertaking many of its scientific difficulties. No matter when or where M'Kenzie dies arrangements are completed to have the eyes forwarded to the society. If death should) come by drowning, and the body not be recovered, the society los>?/», for Mr M'Kenzie, with a true Scotsman's instinct for a bargain, has already secured a goodly part of the full amount, and remarks frequently with much jsee: "I'm no' takin' ony chances o5o 5 lessendn' their interest in the money invested, and have made up ma mind to i stan' in the way o' the progress o' science for many a long yeaar."

A case in" which, as far as the plaintiffs — Angus and others, of Meadowbanks — are concerned, the amount claimed is £72 10s, has been before- the courts for some timio "(says a Sydney message to the Melbourne Argus). It is all about the sale of a harvester to William Tremain on what is termed a hiring agreement, and in the legal duel the fortunes of the disputants have fluctuated considerably. The case came bslote the Full Court on the plaintiffs' appeal from a verdict of the jury at Dubbo, and Mr Justice A. H. Simpson (before whom- it wa6 hoard at Dubbo) expreared his regret that the matter could not have been settled. He added that already the costs must have amounted to about £500. Mr Ralston, K.C., however, pointed out that, as many agreements of a similar nature had been made by the plaintiffs with other farmers involving thousands of pounds, they w-ere anxious to ascertain their legal position.

Twenty-three patients were admitted to the Dunedin Hospital last week, 33 were discharged, and five died, leaving 121 at present receiving treatment in the institution. The names of those who died were — Patrick M'Donald, Kenneth M'Donald, Ewen Cameron, Thos. Tait, and W. H. Southgate.

At Knox Church en Sunday morning Miss Laura Reid was ordained as honorary sister and Miss Margaret Simpson as deaconess to that congregation.

The Orepuki Advocate reports that shortly after mid-day on the Ist inst. Drs Millar and Stoekweli were hurriedly summoned to the Masonic Hotel to attend a woman suffering from laudanum poisoning. Prompt measures were taken to counteract the effects, buj/as a considerable quantity of the drug had been taken the victim speedily became unconscious, and remained in that stale until early on "Wednesday, 2nd inst. The doctors deemed it advisable to order the patient's removal to the Invercargill Hospital on Wednesday. The misadventure will probably be the subject of inquiry at a later stage.

Amended regulations regarding the use of letter-boxes at pest offices are gazetted, and added thereto aro new regulations regarding " call-boxes." These are boxes open to the postal officers only, and are placed within the post office, so that they are only available to the holder during the hours when the office is open to the public. These call-boxes are not intended to take the place of the letter-box, but are let to persons who regularly call for letters at the office, and for such persons they save the time of waiting whilst an officer looks for the mail matter, through perhaps a considerable quantity. Lett&rs and papers having been sorted into A.B.s " call-box " can be delivered to him at once. The callboxes have glass fronts, so that a holder can see whether there is any mail matter awaiting delivery to him. A second class of persons who may find a call-box of us© are those who live within the range of a letter-carrier delivery, but desire to receive mails between the deliveries. In this case the customer falls into the class first mentioned after the letter-carrier has gone on his rounds, and may get his correspondence from the call-box or leave it there till the next delivery take* it to his house of place

lof business/ The call-box, of course, is a convenient receptacle for correspondence , accumulating in the office during the holiday of the holder. The rent of the callboxes is 2s 6d each per annum. In some American post offices the letter-boxes have glazed doors, so that the holders can see if there is anything to take out their key for. j The second monthly meeting of the Dunedin Branch of the International Anticigarette League 'was held on Thursday in the Bath Street Mission Hall, when seven new members arid honorary members were admitted. This branch has been forjn-J in connection with Trinity Morning Class, and already" has about 30 members and honorary members. The parent league at Home was founded by ths Rsv. Frank Johnson in 1901, and on the committee are such men as Major-general Baden-Powell and Mr Winston Churchill, M.P. The objects of tlie league are: — (1) To unite boys and young men throughout the world in a crusade against juvenile smoking; (2) to help parents and teachers in guarding young people from the cigarette evil. The league does not attack adult smoking, but urges all parents ot .guardians to warn boys against this pernicious habit. This is the first branch to bo .started in New Zealand, and the league is desirous of, forming other branches, especially in connection with Sunday schools, young Inen's clubs, etc. A Christchurch message states that th© Ambulance Saturday, collections totalled £218, end there _are some 'small amounts to come. The collection was taken up in the city by lady collectors, who numbered 150. The Hon. G. Fowlds telegraphed to the association stating that the Government would subsidise the collections to the extent of pound for pound up to £200. JfrTbe 17th January will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival at Timaru of the first immigrants who landed there direct from England, and steps are to ba taken to celebrate the jubilee. The event to be recalled, the Herald points out, is not the founding of Timaru. There was already a little township there when the Strathallan furled her sails in the roadstead, and the surrounding country had already been occupied as sheep runs, both town and country being settled by people who had landed at Port Cooper or at Port Chalmers. The demand for labour to assist them in the working of the sheep runs and to carry on the nascent commerce of the "port" led the Provincial Government to make arrangements for some of the immigrants then coming to Canterbury in some numbers" to be landed at Timaru, and the first- party were landed from the Strathallan. Not many of those who were shipmates on the Strathallan remain amongst us to-day, but there are., enough of them to form an interesting reunion, and it is conceivable that an exceedingly interesting gathering of old identities, including some who were there before 1858, could be arranged. Mr W. L. Wallace, of Timaru, who was a member of the scientific expedition which has just completed a 10 months' sojourn on Sunday Island, the main island of the Kermadeo Group, suggests an explanation, cf the sea serpent stories. He says that in October hundreds of hump-backed whales were seen off the islanda playing about and apparently enjoying themselves. A ! favourite practice of the animals is to rear themselves right out of the water, until they seem to be standing on their tails, and then fall back with a great commotion. The huge carcase raised in the ah* in this manner might easily be taken for the head and neck of some reptilian monster. A. Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Cabinet has decided to erect the new Government House on the site now occupied by the Mount View Mental Asylum. The asylum is to be removed to some .central site in the North Island, the site to be selected without delay. It is gratifying to note that the Free Public- Library is being more largely availed of from day to day as ita general excellence becomes more widely known. The magazine room in particular is being freely availed of, the busiest periods being between 1 and 2 p.m. and in the evening. It is possible that additional tables will be provided here to accommodate an everincreasing number of readers. It is- perhaps, not generally known that the library is open on Sundays from 2 to 5 and from 7 to 9 p.m. The list of books for the reference library is now practically completed, and the order for the books contained therein will be placed very shortly. On Monday, at the presentation of prizes won by students of the Technical Classes Association, Profe««or Park spoke of the possibilities of a coalition between the Technical Classy Association and the Otago School of Mine-;. He commented' on the desirability of a closer relation.-hip between the two, which would, ho paid, owing to the fact that subjects useful to each v,ex-e taught in only one or other of the institutions, be of considerable value to each. He said he would, as director of the School of Mines, endeavour by all means in his power to bring about thi6 alteration in the respective positions of the two establishments, and he was sure that the University Council would support the suggestion. Before distributing the prizes at Givton College on Monday Mi?s Rose, M.A. (the principal), expressed herself much pleased with the progress in literature and advanced drawing. The work on the walla was not the best, though of course the best was there, together with the worst. Every pupil had on exhibition specimen* of drawing, writing, and mapping. For

the competition the girls had been given a kettle for a subject, and the judge had referred in complimentary terms to the artistic treatment of this matter-of-fact subject.

The recount of the second ballot for Dunedin North, as applied for by Mr A. R. Barclay, has been fixed by Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., to commence at 10 a.m. on Friday next, \p th-3 Arbitration Court room in the Law Court Buildings.

At the meeting of the Bay Town Board on Monday Mr M 'Curdy referred in eulogistic terms to the services which Mr E. G. Allen, ex-M.P., had rendered in connection with the tramways extension at the Bay. The Chairman (Mr Somerville) stated that he bad signed, as chairman of the board, a document suggesting that Mr Allen's services be recognised by the Government. The paper had been signed by the chairmen of several other local bodies. It was unanimously "resolved that a letter be forwarded to Mr Allen thanking him for past valuable services in connection with the district. Tbs mail which was despatched from Dunedin, via Vancouver, on October 26 arrived in London on the morning of the 3rd inst. At the last meeting of <the University Council it was resolved to appoint Dr P. 'Marshall Professor of Geology," and Mineralogy. During ■ the course of debate-- at' Monday's " conference between delegates, from local bodies contributing charitable ..aid, Mr Solomon referred at some length to the fact that patients in a> position to pay for treatment at the Hospital did not always do so.- The trustees had found, on taking - office, that accumulated arrears of this kind amounted to no less than £4000. They were trying to obtain payment of these amounts, but with varying success. It was a matter with which the trustees found it very difficult to deal, and it showed that one 'section of the pubito *t anyrate was ready to sponge on the institution. In all probability the matter or payment would in future be placed on a different footing. " ' At » meeting of the Otago University Professorial Board, held on Saturday (Professor Gilray in the chair), Mr Hector Maclean, M.A., was nominated as the board's candidate for the Rhodes scholarship to be awarded in February, 1909. Mr Maclean took his degree with first class honours in mental science. He is one of the vice-presidents of the Students' Association. The board elected Professor Gilray as a member of the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee. According to a" Press Association telegram, meeting' of the Professorial Board of the Auckland University was held on Monday afternoon for the purpose ot selecting this year's candidate for the Rhodes scholarship. There "was only one applicant (Ml- V.v G. Aldridge), whom the board decided to select. The Auckland representative for the Rhodes honours is the sixth and youngest son of Mr George Aldridge, of Auckland, who has been for 25 years pastor of the Church of Christ at Newton. The young student was born in Auckland, and has not yet attained hi 3 majority. He has gained his B.Sc. degree, and has the distinction of being the fixst to win in one year three senior scholarships since the present regulations camo into force in 1883. One of the record-breaking departments of New Zealand (says the Po3t) is the Wellington Magistrate's Court. Ever since the magistrate's jurisdiction was extended over cases with claims up to £200 the volume of business has increased enormously, in 1907 there were 5615 plaints entered— an increase of 200 over the figures of 190b, and easily a record for the Dominion. The 1907 figures have now been surpassed by 160 plaints, and the year, from a record point of view, is a long way off closing. Many New Zealandcrs believe that in the Argentine there is a market for New Zealand stud sheep, and possibly for pedigree cattle, both of whicn are now supplied in considerable numbers by English and Scottish breeders. To tnose .who desire to keep themselves posted up in the news and markets of South America in general, and the Argentine in particular, the Buenos Aires Herald, printed in English, should be invaluable. It contains reports dealing with leading events m Argentine, Hungary, Brazil, Chili, Bolivia, and Paraguay. We have to acknowledge receipt of Stone's Otaeo and Southland ABC Guide and Diary for December.