LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 30

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Mr F. P. Darcy, who disappeared mysteriously the other day, and whose clothes were four.d on the beach near Wellington, has had several narrow escapes. At the time of the Elingamite disaster he was. swimming about in the sea for over two hours before being picked up, and about four years ago he came very near being frozen to death through being accidentally locked in the freezing chamber at the Islington works, where he was employed at the time. After being there some six or seven hours he escaped by crawling through an opening, designed not for man, but for the cold blast which entered the room from the freezing machinery. On getting through this aperture he was completely exhausted, and lay on the floor of the adjoining room until found by those who were searching for him. Darcy was to have been married in May next. He was well known in Timaru by Labour men' (says the Herald), and was well liked by all with whom he came in contact.

Industry was rewarded in a practical manner at the meeting of the Waikouaiti County Counc.il on the 22nd. This was in connection with the collection of dog taxes. On its being shown that this year's collector had brought in £53 12s 6d, as against £4B 12s 6d last year and £4O 10s for the previous year, it was resolved that the remuneration given to the collector should be increased from 3d to 6d per dog. It was reported that the collector took an interest in his work, though no confirmation was given to the suggestion that this was perhaps because he had once been bitten!

At last week's meeting of the Waikouaiti County Council Mr J. Crisp, solicitor, was in attendance, and intimated that, as requested, he had given attention to the matter of motor by-laws. He would recommend that instead of dealing only • with the road to the Heads, by-laws should be prepared for the whole of the county, as this would entail no more expense or trouble. It is the wish of the council to prohibit motor car traffic on a narrow road leading to the Heads. No steps were taken at the meeting, but the matter is in hand.

At the conclusion of the inquiry into a fire in an ironmongery store in Jervois road, Ponsonby, on February 26, in which it was shown that outbreaks had occurred in more than one place, the police (says an Auckland telegram) arrested Walter Bates, the occupant of the premises, who is charged with having wilfully attempted to set fire to the building with intent to defraud the Royal Exchange and Standard Insurance Companies.

During his stay in London Mr M'Nab superintended the manufacture by the Army and Navy Stores (Ltd.) of a handsome trophy which he is presenting to the Second Otago Regiment of Mounted Rifles on the occasion of his severing his connection with the Murihiku Mounted Rifles, one of the unite of the corps. The trophy (says our London correspondent) is in solid silver on an ebony mount. The main part of it consists of a figure of an infantryman mounted om his horse and bearing his rifle at the carry. On each corner of the pedestal is another figure. At the left is a mounted rifleman with saddle and bridle over his arm about to eaddle up; at the right a dismounted standard bearer with the colours; behind a trio of rifles piled, and in front a soldier kneeling for firing. The figures are all of colonial soldiers, with the slouch hat and khaki uniform. A member of the King's Colonials kindly dressed rig in his uniform and posed for a photograph, and the makers were thus able to avoid many of the technical mistakes which must otherwise have crept into the work. Colonel R. H. Davies, Inspector-general of the New Zealand Forces, has also inspected the trophy in course of manufacture, and is well pleased with it. Around the pedestal are the shields for the inscription of the records of the winning teams and corps year by year.

Dr Sydney T. Champtaloup, who has been appointed lecturer in bacteriology to I the University of Otago—a position which i carries with it the guardianship of public ; health in Durredin, —will (says our London I correspondent) travel to the Dominion by i the Orvieto, whioh was to leave London on ! the 18th inet. He will leave London with | his wife a few days later so as to catch 1 the vessel at Marseilles. Mrs Champtaloup (nee Mies Beare) was formerly a nurse. j They were married in June last. Dr Champtaloup is ant Auckiamder by birth. [ Commencing hie medical education in New

Zealand, he afterwards went to Edinburgh, where he lias had a distinguished career, securing the degrees cf M.B. and Ch.B. with first class honours. He has also undergone the clinical examination for the M.D. The two years' course of study which gave him his B.Sc irr public health embraced the work for the minor qualification of D.P.H. He has also a special university certificate in bacteriolcgy and diseases of tropical climates. He was assistant to the Pro feasor of Public Health at Edinburgh Urn varsity, where his duties included, these of bacteriologist to the city of Wellington. He is also pathologist and bacteriologist to the Chalmers Hospital, and lecturer irr practical pathology and bacteriology. Dr Champtaloup has had hospital experience at Auckland, the Manchester Fever Hospital, and St. Mary's Lying-in Hospital, and the Cardiff Infirmary. Ho nas been for two and a-half years teaching in surgerv, practical pattnlogy, and bacteriology, and was one of the most successful "coaches" in Edinburgh. His public Kcalth experience was gained under the medical officers of health „in Edinburgh and Midlothian, and as assistant to the Professor of Public Health at Edinburgh.

The inquiry as to matters connected with the extension of the Gasworks was brought to a conclusion shortly after midnight on March 23 and the committee arrived at decisions on each of the issues placed before it, but the result, for a variety of reasons, cannot be made public for a few days. The committee's final deliberations, which were conducted in private, lasted till 12.15, when an adjournment was made to the Mayor's room, where Mr J. H. Walker was presented with a piece of. plate in recognition of the tact and ability he had displayed during the inquiry, and as a mark of esteem in which he is held by the members of the council constituting the Committee of Inquiry. ,Cr White made the presentation, and referred in very high terms to the ability with which Mr Walker had discharged his duties as Mayor, and more particularly to the impartial manner in which he had conducted the inquiry. Every other member of the committee followed in the same strain, and the reporters added their testimony as to the courtesy and consideration they had always received at Mr Walker's hands. Mr Walker, in a brief speech, suitably acknowledged the gift and the kindly references made to jimself. "We want 'agonising' on the part of parents, for their children," said one minister at the Presbyterian Synod yesterday, referring, during a discussion on " The Church's Responsibility for the Young," to various, time-honoured practices. There, was, he said, a total lack of interest in religious matters on the part of many parents, and in consequence the religious side of their children's education was altogether neglected. " There is," he said, " a tendency on the part of many parents to hand the religious instruction of their children over to the Sunday school teachers. We want a stirring up of spiritual life throughout the Church." The Rev. Mr Whyte referred to the maimer in which their forefathers secured home discipline and home religious instruction, and the sessions also secured parish discipline and saw that every child was given instruction in the Gospel. If those things were possible then, surely that Synod, under the conditions obtaining in a new Dominion, could ensure instruction of the same kind here with the same results.

The flax-milling award which was recently made by the Arbitration Court in the Wellington district deserves more than passing notice in that it is the first award that makes distinct redaction in the wages of the workers. When the original award was made flax was worth from £2B to £3O a ton. It has now dropped to from £2O to £22 a ton, and consequently the employers could not see their way to pay the wages that have been paid in the past. There waa some talk of a sliding scale being fixed whereby wages would rise or fall in accordance with the market. This being the position, the court ordered a conference of the parties to arrange, if possible, a sliding scale, but when the parties met it was seen that there were difficulties in connection with such a scale, and as the workers recognised that the industry was in a rather parlous condition they thereupon agreed to a modification of the wages. With the view to making a reduction that would be as little felt as possible, it was decided to leave the rank and file at their ordinary wages and to make a reduction in the higher grades of work, where the earners could afford it. The agreement arrived at, which was really an agreement that was come to at the.conference, fixes a reduction of 2s per ton on the scutching rates, Is to 2s 6d per ton on paddocking, and also fixes overtime—for the first 10 hours at time and a-quarter instead of two hours, as was the case under the old award. Taking them altogether, the reductions amount to something like 5s per ton, all of which is borne by the higher grade workers. It will thus be seen that there is a limit to the fixing of wages by the Arbitration Court, and that there comes a time in the history of all industries where it is impossible to pay beyond a certain sum. This has been recognised in connection with the flaxmilling industry—'recognised by both workers and employers,—and goes to show that any method of fixing wages must have some elasticity, so that during a crisis or a big falling away in the market price of a commodity wages must come down to meet the altered conditions.

The congregation of Invercargiil First Presbyterian Church ie about to celebrate a jubilee. The church was established on

June 26, 1860, and the late Rev. Mr Stobo was its first minister. The second man to

take over the charge was the Rev. .John Ferguson, now of Australia. The church authorities have recently been in communication with him, asking him to participate • in the forthcoming celebrations, but. as Mr Ferguson is at present Moderator of the Victorian Assembly, he found himself unable to respond to the invitation. He, has promised, however, to pay his old congregation a visit during next summer. Invercargill First Church is an old wooden building, and a new and handsome edifice, costing about £13,000, is projected". -The sum of £6OOO has already been collected for the purpose, and another £3OOO is promised. Yesterday the Synod granted the congregation the maximum amount allowed under its regulations for church buildings—£soo— that, with £9500 in sight, a very fins church may scon be expected to be in process of erection.

" Look at what they are doing in thess matters in America" exclaimed Mr W. S. Fitzgerald, when speaking on the Sunday School Teachers' Training Scheme at the Presbyterian Synod on March 23. -Then he paused for a moment. " I know some of us don't like America," he continued. "But in the religious spirit, religious enterprise, and religious work of the churches there there is ample reason for commendation, even from us."

The Rev. W. Scorgie, of Mornington, has been nominated for the position of Moderator of Ihe 1911 Synod of the Otago and Southland Presbyteries. 'Church records, like good wine, have their value increased by age, and this fact was broug'ht home on March 23 to Mr W. M'Caw, an brhce-bearer of Invereargill First Church. The latter institution has been in existence 50 years, and, as a jubilee'is due, Mr M'Caw applied for temporary possession of the early records of the church. But the Synod, with great regret, declined the request, it said that the documents stored in ■ its strongroom were veryj valuable—unique, in fact. They dated back to the days before there was even a Presby-* tery in Otago, and -it would be quite con» : tra-ry to custom to allow them out of its possession. Then the Rev. Mr Kinmonfc rose to his feet with some remarkable statements. He said that the registrar of births, deaths, and marriages in Dunedin had one day rescued from an auction sale a bundle of church records of marriages celebrated in Dunedin in the early.days, and, he hadi these in safe keeping in his strongroom. When he (Mr Kinmont) went to East Taieri he was unable txr find the early records of registrations, and it was only when hewas on the point of burning a quantity of rubbish that he discovered them among some old papers. He thought that manyministers were careless respecting these documents, and they became lost. The State, of course, preserved a copy in Wellington, but it was A r ery desirable, from' all points of view, that the Church should also keep its oopies. A small committee was set up to make inquiries respecting the general question of preserving church documents.

The Press Association states that county councils are being invited to furnish particulars of their insurance of workers with' a view to the preparation of a comprehensive scheme of incorporation under which the councils would do their own in» suring. The Selwyn Council has agreed to furnish the information, but deferred a decision on the question of participating in the scheme pending receipt of further information

New Zealand is going to make a strong bid for the export apple trade, and and other Nelson growers are priding themselves upon the trial shipment of 6000 cases which is now about to leave for London.: The fruit has been most cdrefully packed', wrapped, and graded, and made to favouri ably catch the eye on the case being opened", provided the consignments are landed in the London market in the order in which they leave. A Motueka orchardist informed w Wellington Post reporter that, in nis judgment, no finer apples had ever been picked in New Zealand than those which were going Home. Another big line will follow that of the 6000 cases referred to, and iti is hoped as the outcome of tha experiment that a trade will be built up that will very materially relieve the congestion of local markets and consequent low prices.

The Government intends (says the Even-: ing Post) to reintroduce in Parliament next session the bill providing that absconding, husbands who go to Australia may be dealt with there instead of having to be brought back to New Zealand at the cost of the wife or her relatives. The bill provides for reciprocal relations between the Dominion and the Commonwealth in regard to this question.

• Mr A. Shand, who has been a resident of the Chatham lelands for 55 years, ia visiting Christchurcih, where he will spend a few weeks before returning to" his island home. He etates that the islands are, following the even tenor of their way, rear* ing sheep and cattle and carrying an. otbea rural occupations. The native land difJU culty is as prominent there as it is in tho North Island, and the famous "taihoa" policy, which seems to b& invincible in that part of the Dominion, is considerably retarding any progress the islands might! make. Mr Shand is president of the Chatham Island Rifle Club, which has a membership of about 25, and ho spent « few days at Trentlram, getting into touch! with some of the military authorities, and) gaining knowledge in regard to the method* of conducting- clubs. The scattered natural

•f the population on th© Chathams and the long distances between the farms have prevented the establishment of a Volunteer corps there, but many of the young men are anxious to receive military training. Mt Shand is deeply interested in the ethnology of the islands. He has written some interesting papers for the "Transactions " of the New Zealand Institute and for the Journal of' the Polynesian Society, and he has forwarded to Archdeacon Williams, of Gieborne, who is preparing a new Maori dictionary, a ?ocabulary of the language of the Morioris, who inhabited the islands before the Maori Mr Shand's long term of residence' on the Chathams is not a record one. Mr Engst, a missionary, went to the islands 66 years ago,, and has never left them.

At the Magistrate's Court at Milton, on March 22, several farmers were fined 5s and costs' (7s)' for driving through the borough witiout lights. The presiding magistrate said that he would make the fines, light in ofder to give publicity, to the by-law, but it is likely that oft'euders hereafter will not escape so lightly The extent Of the Foveaux Strait oyster beds lias always been a subject of con-

troversy, and few persons outside of those

engaged in the oyster traffic are in a posi- ; tion to give an, opinion. From inquiries imade by a Southland News reporter, it appears that the area is approximately 40 square miles. The beds extend m all directions, and there are 12 centres, ranging from 11 miles W.S.W. of Warpapapa Point to 10 miles E.S.E. of Centre Island, and 4io within a few miles of Ruapuke Island and Stewart Island. The depth of water over the beds, ranges from 13 fathoms to 25 fathoms, and the oyster dredges used are usually equipped with 45-fathom lines to enable a cros9 trawl. Mr David Macgregor,. of Hunterville, had recently a most .remarkable experience, says the ; Woodville Examiner. At his farm, his brother, Mr John Macgregor, of Auchmore, had some years ago spanned the Turakina River with a suspension bridge. The river at this -place runs. in a gorge or chasm about 100 ft . in width, and the altitude of the bridge above the water level somewhat exceeds these figures. This bridge was constructed for wheel traffic and was a remarkable instance of weU-direeted enterprise and ingenuity. Mr David Macgregor, accompanied by his overseer, was driving a large number of valuable Romney rams over til© bridge when some part of the ono of the r cables, probably,, which had been tested' up to 90 tons—slipped, and the bi'idge fell over on its side, precipitating all the sheep into the river, a depth of 100 ft. By a most remarkable coincidence neither Mr Macgregor nor his attendant was oil the bridge

Excluding: the crew, about 260 man are (says the Auckland Herald) at present earning their daily Bread on the Kaipara. which

lies in Calliope Dock under repair , About 160 are engaged on the work of making the hull watertight, 80 are employed ire renew-

ing the insulation in the holds, and another 20 are painting the vessel The work on

the hull proceeds day. and night, the men being divided into three shifts, which work

eight hours each The insulation is well in hand, hut cannot be' finished for about a fortnight after the vessel is made water-

tight, so only .one shift is being worked at present, though possibly a second shift will be put on later Inside and outside the vessel operations are being pushed on as

fast as possible, and the clanging of hammers resounds on all hands About 10 plates out of 15 have been put on, and the tail-shaft has been drawn and a new propeller blade fixed Lt 'is estimated that three-quarters, 61 the work has now boeh done, and the contractors are confident of finishing within the specified time. Lloyd's surveyors have been inspecting the work as it. has proceeded, and speak highly of it.

Not many New Zealander3, perhaps, have ever heard that 70 years ago tho whole of; the South Island was sold to an Australian for less than £<oo. The story is told in a Sydney paper in an article <m William Charles Wentworth, one of the New South Wales pioneers who was responsible for carrying the Constitution Bill through the British Parliament. That was in 1855, and it was 15 vears earlier that for the. paltry sum 'tioned, and some prospective annuities > pertain New Zealand "chiefs, Mr Wentworth secured the whole of the Middle Island of New Zealand

ami 200,000 acres in the North Island. Sir ( George Gipps disallowed the bargain, and the claimant was heard at the Bar of the Council. A Court of Claims ■held that, in 1839, the British Government had made New Zealand a dependency of New South Wales, consequently the alleged purchase was too late" to be valid. An act was passed ousting the claimants and forbidding persons to form colcnies without the consent of the Crown. Had Mr Wentworth's claim remained good he would lhave held the world's record as a landlord, having in possession more of the earth's surface than any other private individual.

Holidays for horses are to be provided,

it appears* by the United States—at anyrate, for those in the public. service. A commencement has been made in the case of all the horses that are employed in the Post Office Department at Washington. which are to have 30 days' holiday every year, exactly the same as the human employees. In explaining what is being done,

the chief of the department stated that ©very year every emplevee of the Government had 30 days' holiday, and they did not see why houses should not have the

same. There were times in the summer when business was light, and with a little arrangement every horse will be sent to have a month's complete rest on the fine rich pastures of Maryland, which belong to the Government. A change to the green grass of the country and the cool shad© of the trees will, it is thought, be thoroughly appreciated by the horses after the heat and asphalt of the city. .

The holiday railway pa traffic during Thursday and Friday was" fairly heavy. For stations north of Port Chalmers the number of booki-igs for the two days was 3272, from Dunedin to Port Chalmers 615, Dunedin t Mosgiel 600, south of Mosgiel and .to Otago Central 2914—making a total of 7401. The returns for the tramways for Good Friday were also satisfactory, the inward loadings for boats and trains being fairly good, and the traffic in the afternoon to and from St. Clair, Ocean Beach, and suburbs very good, four special cars being run regularly all day between the Post Office and St. Clair. The tramway traffic in the evening to the numerous entertainments., was also large-

• " Whilst I am in Australia," remarked the Hon. J. A. Millar to a Wellington reporter before he left for Sydney, "I intend to pay special attention to their labour legislation. It is stated that some portions of it might very well be adopted here. There is, for instance, the question, of the Wages Board. I shall make, a "point of getting information on this and other points from those who are actively engaged in connection with- the working.of the labour laws there."

Our Greymouth correspondent states that, owing to the strong demand for all classes of coal, including small, the State briquette works at Westport have not yet resumed briquetting operations.

The residents at Taieri Mouth have been in the habit for many years past of .netting for flounders and other indigenous fish. The practice, however, was contrary to law, and on the representations of Mr J. F. M. "Erases, K.C., the Marine Department" is about to issue regulations legalising the use of net 3 at the mouth of the river for the purpose of taking indigenous fish. It is only right, perhaps, that this should be done, because there are very few trout indeed in tht> Taieri River, their absence being due, probably, to the fact that the water is generally heavily silted from the Waipori diggings. . This regulation will only apply to the Taieri River.

"There is one thing that I have always been fighting since I have been' Mayor, and it has be an the interference of outside expert--/' said Dr Newman at the meewig of the Wellington Harbour Board thi=s week. "The one tendency in local bodies is they are controlled by outside expf rts. I have a ' derry ' on experts, and lam always righting them." Dr Newman was opposing a • proposal that outsiders should have ah opportunity to comment on the plans of the proposed harbour works before they were adopted. , .

On - February 4 (says a Press AiSsociatior, telegram from Wellington) Peter M'Masters was caught in the act of picking a person's pocket at. the Theatre Royal, and in due course appeared in the Magistrate's Court to answer the charge. He pleaded " Guilty," and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of £6O. At that time there was no judge in town, and M'Masters took advantage of the opportunity to have the Dominion, and has not since returned, so that when he was. called on for sentence at the Supreme Court on Thursday he did not appear, and His bail was, -jstreated. While the necessary formalities were being complied with his Honor the Chief Justice discussed the question of accused having been granted bail after having pleaded "Guilty" and having been committed for sentence. Mr Myers explained that there was legal authority for such a course, and confirmed his statement by reading from the statutes. The Crown Prosecutor (while admitting that it was perfectly legal) put it to his Honor that it was an important point whether a magistrate ought ever in such cases to allow a prisoner out on bail without a security other than his own. If M'Masters should wander back again at any time he is liable to be brought up for sentence on the old charge, Mr D> M'Laren, M.P., is at present in Dunedin in connection with his campaign in favour of the formation of a New Zealand Federation of Labour. He has already visited a number of places in the Dominion in furtherance of his proposal. After addressing several meetings at Auckland, he proceeded to the West Coast, speaking at Westport, Greymouth, Blackball, Runanga, and Brunner. He then spent 11 days in Christchurch, during which time he addressed some 24 meetings, and also came into close touch with the members of the trade organisations in the surrounding districts. On Thm-sday night he spoke at Timaru, and Went into a number of matters connected with the local organisation. Mr M'Laren will probably be in Dunedin for at least a week, and he will then visit Invercargill and Bluff, while he will speak at a number of places on his way back to Wellington. So far, Mr M'Laren has received many expressions of confidence in his scheme. A number of the larger unions have already decided to join the proposed federation, while other bodies intend considering the matter when they hold their next meeting. Judging by appearances, Mr

M'Laren is of opinion that a great majority of the labour organisations will enter the ranks of the federation. Our Bluff correspondent states that he has reliable information from Stewart Island regarding the state of the red deer herd liberated there for breeding purposes. Mr George I. Moffett, of Invercargill, has just returned from an .eight days' visit to the island, and, in compliance with a request by the Southland Acclimatisation Society, he made the matter a point of special observation and inquiry. The result is an. unqualified conviction that the deer are thriving well and spreading rapidly. The country between the head of Paterson's Inlet ard Mason's Bay would appear to be their chosen resort, and travellers from that neighbourhod one and all bring in the same report. Within the last three weeks a couple of well-built stags were sighted on the hills overlooking the pass. As fieen in the distance they were pictures of life and activity. In reporting these facts to his society, Mr Moffett will remind them that the time has come when closer and more minute inspection is necessary, in case of "throwing back," or other deterioration arising ftom consanguinity, the presence of which is not ascertainable except upon the close view. A Wellington message reports tnat there was. a large assemblage of people at the Glasgow wharf at midday on Thursday to witness the departure of R.M.S. Tainui for London. The liner carries no fewer than 210 passengers in all classes —40 first saloon, 72 second saloon, and 98 third-class—all her passenger accommodation having been engaged. Among the travellers are a large number of New Zealanders who have selected "the merry month of May"'a6 the date of their arrival in England on pleasure bent. The Tainui has a very heavy cargo of frozen meat, dairy produce, etc., and is in, all respects a full ship. She is dur at Plymouth on May 5. A Wellington traveller who has just been over the coach route between Tokaanu and Waiouru reports that thousands of wild horses are to be seen on the margin of the route. The animals are usually first seen about 11 miles from the railway line/ but they often stray nearer, and two foals are reported to have been captured by Mr Kennedy, of Waiouru. Tn the mobs which are to be seen galloping, over the plans, the stallions are said to ,be"in excellent condition. The mares, however, looked a poor lot. Some years ago (says the Dominion) a large number of wild horses on the Waimarino Plain were captured by a party headed by Mr E. O'Neill, a wellknown Wellington provincial horseman. Each one of the party was mounted on. a fast horse, and sections of the "outlaws" were galloped to a state o-f exhaustion by means of relays. As each horse dropped to the ground, its legs were quickly bound ; then-it was blindfolded, and left while the chase after other fugitives was renewed. Later th© captives were yarded and broken as much as their sullen tempers would permit. A somewhat unusual case came before the Magistrate (Mr V. G. Day, S.M.), on Wednesday, at Timaru, when Alexander Copland sued William Stevenson for the sum of £5, damage caused to the plaintiff's sheepdog by a- stone " tossed" by the defendant. Stevenson was loading a dray with old iron, and finding a stone among the rubbish, picked it up and threw it on»the roadside, where iv fell on the dog, which was lying there, ;>nd broke its leg. He did not see the animal, and claimed that, as the accident was not due to any malicious intent, nor to any carelessness on his part, he should not be held responsible. His

Worship held that the manner of throwing the stone was not that of a reasonable man, but that of a careless man. The fact remained that the throwing of the stone caused injury to the dog. However, he did .not thinlc that the broken leg of a sheep dog si< years old was worth £5 in damages. Judgment would be given for damages 40s, and costs (465).

The various cases concerning the welfare of European children who have, it ie alleged, been palmed off on to Natives in the Wanganui district will be heard shortly. Act'.on is only being taken in those cases where it is Believed that there is reasonable ground for the suggestion that the- children are not being properly cared for. The object of the proceedings is to see that ill-cared-for children are removed from their present surroundings. Speaking to a Dominion reporter, the Hon. Dr Findlay (Minister of Justice) vsaid that some of the prosecutions would be under the.new legislation passed last session, whilst the others would be under the general provisions of the Industrial Schools Act.

A surprise was sprung upon the memi bers of the Eltham Drainage Board, states i ths Argus, when the clerk (Mr W. J. Tris tram) put forward an unusual suggestion—- * namely, that his salary should be reduced. The position was that when a lot of extra I work was caused in connection with loans raised by the board, the clerk's salary was increased from £25 to £4O a year, and now I that loan moneys have been expended and I there is comparatively little work to do, ' the clerk thought that his salary should be i reduced to the old figure. The Chairman said :'t was something unique for to ask for a reduction of salary. He had never heard of such a thing before; it was probably a record for New Zealand. He recognised that there was less work to do now, but he had thought of letting the I clerk's present salary go on to the end of

the year, as Mr Tristram had done work in connection with the loans for which he had not been paid. The board agreed to accept the clerk's suggestion and reduce the salary to £25 as from April 1, which is the beginning of the next financial year. The' following is the Hon. Mr Mackenzie's itinerary for his tour of his electorate: —Thursday. April 7, Milburn, Clarendon, Waihola, Henley;_ Friday, April 8, down river to Taieri Beach, Kuri Bush, and Brighton. It is the intention of the Brighton Railway League to entertain MiMackenzie at a social on the occasion of his visit.

His Excellency the Governor has kindly consented to open on Thursday next the Hocken gallery of piotures of the history of the Dominion now installed in the new wing of the Museum. Mr T. W. Leys, of Auckland, one of the public libraries' delegates, is a warm supporter of country libraries. At Saturday's meeting he referred to what he described as the deplorable spectacle of country libraries being practically wiped out by one stroke of a Minister's pen, /and added that if the conference could get the Government to extend and appreciate .the value of public libraries as parts of the system of national education its existence would be justified. At the meeting to-day Mr Leys will move a motion regarding the discontinuance of grants to public libraries, with special reference to those in country districts.

The Moana, which arrived from Sydney, via Wellington and Lyttelton. at an early hour on Saturday morning, Drought 10 nioose (four bulls and six cows) for liberation at Dusky Sound. They were taken 6n>to the Bluff by the Moana on Sunday afternoon, and will be transferred to the Hinemoa for conveyance to their destination.

The Hospital returns for last week are as follow : —Number remaining from previous week, 150; admitted during the week, 30; discharged, 35; deaths, 5 (John Horan, Ann M'Pherson, Charles Chevasse, George Paterson, and Referee Rubina Golightly) number remaining at end of week, 140.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that the Government has appointed a commission of inquiry, under the Civil Service Act 5 to • inquire into "charges made against Peter Hayes, Commissioner of Taxes and Superintendent of the Advances to Settlers Department. Evidence is to be taken on oath, but proceedings will be in camera, as the departments concerned are confidential. The inquiry will commence immediately after the Easter holidays.

On the Bight of March 23 (says.an Auckland telegram) the master of the gc'ow Minnie, lying at Tryphcna, Great Barrier, developed a violent form of mania. It is stated that without provocation he ferociously attacked the mate, who in defence was forced to handle his assailant very roughly with his fists. The master of the scow was placed on the steamer Waitangi, bound fo.r Auckland. Off Cape Colville he jumped overboard. A boat was lowered smartly, and as the man swam strongly in the wake of the steamer, he was quickly picked up and got aboard. On the arrival of the Waitangi in town he was brought before the court, and remanded to- the mental hospital for observation till Wednesday.

I In pursuance of its policy in giving | Native names to railway stations, the Railway Department, has changed the name of Cattle Yards Station to Koremata. The change comes into effect on ; April 1.

John Simpson, who stated that he resided at Lovell's Flat, was charged at the Port Chalmers Police Court on Saturday, before Messrs D. A. D© Maus and H. E. Muir, J.P.'s, with being drunk on a public roadway" at Portobello on March 25, and was further charged that; on the same date and place, he did cast offensive matter on a roadway and use obscene language. Accused, who appeared to be suffering from the effects of liquor, pleaded " Guilty" to drunkenness, but disclaimed any knowledge of the other alleged offences. Evidence was given by Constable Weir, who stated that owing to the holiday there were more people than usual in the vicinity, and that the language complained of was used in such a manner that it could be heard by persons who were pass-. ing by, although he could not say that it had.been heard. A fine of 5s or 24 hours' imprisonment was imposed for drunkenness, and in consideration ->f the condition of accused and the fact that the offences took place in a locality not largely frequented a fine of 10s each was imposed in the other two charges, and accused was ordered to pay Is 6d costs for steamer fare.

i As showing the dangers and hardships ' of back-block settlers in New Zealand, the Gisborne correspondent of the Press telegraphs that Mr T. E. Toneycliffe, who has returned from an overland journey, relates a sensational experience in the «'d.ioeke Valley. Shortly before he got j taere a large landslip took place on the Gpotiki side of Mr D. Graham's station. I It totally wrecked a settler's woolshed, I which contained a quantity of wool. It j severed the bathroom from the house and j twisted th© latter right round. The settler : heard the rumbling noise, and! with his wife rushed to eave th© two children who were in the bathroom. They had hardly • got outside when the sliding earth, with J large tree stumps, struck th© bathroom

and turned the house round. A quarn tity of wool was recovered, but it had to be spread out and dried.

At Taylor's Mistake on Good Friday a party of four young men, while out on the hills, found a shell, evidently fired from one of the Lyttelton forts, and they proceeded to take it back to their camp as a curiosity. It was, according to their account, about 6in long " and in diameter. When they reached the beach (says the Lyttelton Times) they commenced to screw the cap off, when the young man who wais holding it dropped it on the sand, and it exploded. Several of the party ■were near the spot, and one of them had sand thrown over him, although he wac unhurt. One of the party, however, sus« tained a wound in the of the leg, and it bled very freely. It is not very long ago that a similar, but more serious, accident occurred in the vicinity with another live shell, and the military authorities have since then placed warning l notices on the hills where the spent sheila are likely to drop. In the event of a shell being found on the hills the authorities request that its locality should be noted, and on receipt of word they will remove the shell. Mr Dineen, truant officer' for the Wet* lington "district, attaches but little value to doctors' certificates as a reason for keeping children from school. He so reported to the Education Board on Tuesday, and the report was approved. He stated that these certificates were obtained all too easily, and in consequence children were certified to as not being fit for school work when they were often, well able to .attend. . In amplification of his report tfi the board, Mr Dineen told a Post reporter that certificates were obtained for children from lodge doctors when mothers heeded' their girls at home. He suggested that these certificates were" given By "doctor's on the ipse dixit of the mothers. Girl* seemed to obtain them more frequently than bpys. He (himself) had seen girls "out with the baby," or doing .other work, who were certified as physically unfit at the moment to attend school. > • j It is very seldom that anybody gets lost I in a coal mine, ibut this happened to a. lad named John Kelly in Mount Keira mine, near Wollongong (New South Wales? recently. At 5 o'clock, knock-off time, Kelly, who is a wheeler in this mine, was on his way out of the pit, leading his pony, when his light went out, and left him in-utter• darkness. In his wanderings he got off the travelling way, and got lost. As he could not find his way to daylight, he sat down, and commenced cooe-ing, but could raise. no response to his cries. John Phillips, contractor for the haulage of coal, discovered that Kelly had not returned with his pony some two hours after knock-off time, and at once went into : the mine to make a search fo v the missing wheeler. After searching fos upwards of an hour he discovered Kelly sitting down holding his pony, not much 1 the worse for his experience. Broaching of cargo is an evil that almost all tradesmen who do their own importing (appear to suffer from, and drapers are especial victims. Qnly the other day (reports the an Oamaru draper found on opening a case of men's lelt hate that the contents of three and a-half boxes had been extracted from it. Evidently the thief was: an expert in his line, for the case was most strongly made and secured with clasps on the corners, riveted bands right round the case, and sealed strings, which would break if a plank of the case was disturbed. The draper and the carrier, both well acquainted with the precautions taken by the packers against pilfering, j examined the case before they opened it, but saw no sign of its having been broken -into. The case had come ' from, Italy, having been transhipped at Sydney, so it could not be said where or when the theft was committed.

A case bearing upon the law as it. relates to the question of negligence was decided in Sydney a few days ago before Mr Justice Pring and a jury of four, in a suit brought against the State Government on account of the alleged negligence of the head master of a public school. Joseph Greenway Hole, suing as a next of km of Herbert Oliver Hole, an infant, brought an action against Williams, nominal defendant on behalf of the State Government, claiming £IOOO compensation for injuries to eyesight. The teacher, was preparing for a -chemistrj lesson, and ha threw out diluted sulphuric acid from a, tumbler, some of it hitting the boy Hole in the eye. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff, and assessed damages ab £431 9s. His Honor granted a stay of proceedings.

The experiment made by the Adelaide City Council of oiling various, city roads has proved most successfill. The city engineer (Mr J. Vicars) recently said: "I inspected the city streets on Sunday morn-! ing, especially those which had been oiled; iand was very pleased to find that there was not a scrap of mud on them, even, though we have had such a soaking rain The oiled streets were all as clean at possible. It was really surprising, as th» oil had been sprinkled on those street* which were too dusty and broken up to be tarred. Frome road- which has had a lot of show traffic on it, was remarkably, clean. That otherwise dusty thoroughfare had been oiled by the direction of the Mayor (Mr L. Cohen), who desired to make it as pleasant as possiblo for visitors to the show, and it has proved a great success. Although some of the streets were oiled about six weeks ago the sprink-

ling they received was smelling quite fresh. The oiling has been most successful, not only in keeping down the dust in hot weather, but also in preventing mud when it rains."

Dr F. J. Furnivall, M.A., the veteran Shakespearean scholar, created an extraordinary sculling record on the 'Thames last month, in celebration of his eightyfifth birthday. With three athletic young men he pulled a light four-oared boat from the Furnivall Rowing Club at Hammersmith bridge to Waite's boathousC below the lock bridge at Richmond, a distance of nearly seven miles 3 returning in the afternoon over the same course. Starting at 11.55 against tide and stream, Dr Furnivall (who was bow) and his crew covered the distance in one hour and 10 minutes, arriving at the boathou'se in a downpour of rain at 1.5 p.m. There was only one "easy" the whole way, when the raindrenched crew stopped to put on their sweaters. For the re.st of the time they rowed a steady 24 strokes to the minute. The up journey was a triumphal progress. Every crew on the river recognised and cheered " the doctor," and hundreds of people stood in the wet on the banks to give the grand old sculler a passing welcome. At Brentford the ecarlet-coated watermen turned out with a band and a banner, and fired a salute of four guns. 'lt seems that the' modern writer of fiction who uses the word " slavey" (and whom, for this offence against good taste, Thackeray would undoubtedly have included in his category of the " Snob Literary'") is responsible in no small degree for the increasing dislike of English girls to. enter domestic service. There are still'• some mhrrtfses who. exact an excess both of duty and deference,' l.ufc the average house servant in these days is in no sense an abject serf.. She is indeed becoming—and can afford to do fio— more exigent in her demands than the average . employer, and can always leave her situation with full certainty of being able, to 'get another either immediately or in less , than a week. The conditions of her life as regards security, and health are now unquestionably superior to those of the majority of female shop and factory workers. Yet domestic .service, mainly because of the. so-called "stigma" attached to it, continues to grow less and less attractive to young Englishwomen (writes the London correspondent-of the Melbourne Age). There is general testimony to this from the manager of employment agencies in -the< cities. They say that titled people are able as a rule to' get servants without much difficulty, but that a time is coming when middleclass families will be obliged to share domestic labour on some economical plan yet to be devised. In the meantime, efforts are ' being made to import maids from •Norway, Sweden, and othei? Continental countries;

A Press Association telegram states that the Prime Minister left Wellington for Lytteltoh by Monday's steamer. He will come to Port Chalmers on Wednesday to meet his Excellency the Governor. Sir Joseph Ward will then accompany Lord Plunket on his tour of Otago and Southland, returning to, Wellington with the Governor on April 9. •*

A somewhat remarkable phenomenon was to be observed! at- the Strath-Taieri A. and P. show at Middiemarch or Monjday. The air was full of what seemed to be a coarse white dust, dancing and shimmering in the and, as the result, "of a gentle breeze, drifting slowly across the showground. Investigation showed that the dust was really myriads of tiny active insects, best known to the harassed farmer under the name' of turnip blight. This scourge is at present very prevalent in the Taieri and Strath-Taieri districts, and when there is a warm sun .and gentle breeze it rises off the more or less ruined turnip crops and drifts about in the manner described..

Just before the moon rose on the 28th a very fine display of the Aurora Australis was visible in the southern heavens. From a line drawn between St. Clair and

Lawyer's Head it was particularly brilliant, and at times huge beams of light appeared to radiate from small luminous areas, and shoot up into the sky to an immense height, and were mistaken by many people for the rays of a passing searchlight. At one time the Aurora appeared to be advancing rapidly towards the city, but after attaining its maximum brilliancy it faded away before the splendour of the Easter moon.

The people of Middlemarch appear to have some reason to complain of their treatment at the hands of the Railway Department. On the occasion of the Middlemarch races recently a train which was expected to leave in the afternoon did -not draw out from the station until long after the advertised time of starting, and many people were thereby somewhat inconvenienced. On Monday afternoon an agricultural and pastoral show was held at Middlemarch, and attracted the usual number of people. A special train, was advertised to leave for Dunedin at 4.5 p.m. It was despatched at 4.25 p.m., and the accommodation it offered was altogether inadequate for the number of persons who wished to travel. Scores of passengers, including many ladies, stood on the platforms and in the corridors all the way from Middlemarch to Dunedin. The second class passengers overflowed into the first class cars, which were unduly packed, and many ladies and chilcW.n t.raveiled in the smoking compart-

merits. These, of course, are minor ills not calculated to cause more than temporary embarrassment; but it does appear as if the railway authorities might have exercised a little more care and foresight and have permitted its patrons to travel in comparative comfort. The train that loft Middlemarch was scarcely big enough to carry those people who went up the Central line in the morning, to say nothing of the large crowd of returning holiday-makers who had been spending a few days in the district. It is the intention of the Taieri, County Council to make an attempt to get the second express for the south stopped at Wingatui, for the. special • benefit of passengers by the Central Otago train who may desire to proceed southward, and with this object in view the member for Taieri, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, is to be approached. In order to catch the express it would be necessary for the Central Otago train to make better time by about 10 minutes—-not a very difficult matter when the rate of speed at which that train travels is considered. The Central Otago line is probably the longest branch line there is in Otago, and it would undoubtedly be a great boon to the travelling public if the junctioft between the two trains could be Jarought about; but there may be unseen "difficulties in 'the way of "this being done. In reply to an inquiry by a Dominion reporter, the Prim© Minister stated that the appointment of a successor to Lord Plunket, the retiring Governor, had not yet been made.

Kawhia on the west coast between New Plymouth and .Auckland* is on the. lookput for prominence as one of the sites for a. wireless telegraphy station- in New Zealand. The conference of • Australasian authorities which met in Melbourne last December to formulate a general scheme for linking up New Zealand and Australia with the, islands of the Pacific recommended the establishment of a high-power station at Doubtless Bay capable of communicating with Sydney. However, the Hon. W. W. M'Cardle, on behalf of the people of Kawhia,. has brought under the notice of ; the Postmaster-general (Sir Joseph Ward) the special advantages offered by Kawhia for such a purpose. It is the nearest part of the Dominion to Sydney, and the necessary electrical power could, it is stated, be easily developed from two streams in the neighbourhood.

Th© scope of the Edward medal has been extended. Hitherto it has been awarded for heroic acts performed in saving, o.r attempting to save, lives in mines *nd •quarries. Under a warrant issued by the King on December 2,1909, and now reproduced in the New Zealand Gazette, it may now be awarder 1 "to those of our faithful subjects who i the course of in.-,, •dustrial employment endanger their own lives in saving, or .endeavouring to' save, the'lives of others from perils incurred in connection with such- industrial employment in these our dominions, and in territories 'under our protection or jurisdiction." Where the medal is granted otherwise than for acts performed in mines, it will bear his Majesty's effigy on the obverse, and oh the. reverse a suitable design, with the words, " For courage." At an inquest on the body of William John M'lntyre, who was, found by his wife lying face downwards at the edge of ■ a swamp at Huntly, th© evidence showed that : the deceased practically died from overwork. His wife stated that, besides working in the mine, he "was constantly engaged in his spare time in clearing the 60 acres of land that he had just taken up in the block behind th© Native settlement at Waihi. He usually worked from daylight to dark, and walked backwards and forwards.to the mine daily, a distance of some 10 miles.

Something of a record In travelling and selling was put up last week by Mi- W. Turnbull, auctioneer for / the National Mortgage and Agency Company. He left Dunedin on Tuesday morning. in on© of Messrs Wimpenny Bros.' cars, and the same day reached Kawarau Station, a long way beyond Cromwell, having travelled 178 miles The. next day Mr .Turnbull conducted the Kawarau dispersal sale of sheep, and himself disposed of about 27,000 sheep under the hammer. At the close of the sale he left immediately for Clinton, 131 miles distant by road, and reached that township late the same night. On Thursday he took charge of one of the largest auction tales of sheep ...held in Clinton for some time, and returned to Dunedin that evening. In three days Mr Turnbull travelled 383 and sold (by auction) 35,000 sheep. A Sydney cablegram states that at the Commercial Travellers' Conference on Monday the position of the United Association in New Zealand was considered. The conference resolved that the Dunedin Association should join the Federal Association, which should then affiliate with the United Associaton of Austra acia. The New Zealand body should then be entitled to send three delegates to the next conference, one each from Aucklai Wellington, and Dunedin. The Shanghai correspondent of th© Tung Wah, Times (Sydney). writes: —'' I. consequence of . the rumours that the Powers are going to propose at the next Hague Conference that China's finances be controlled by foreigners, the Princ Regent has personally ordered the presidents of the Wai Wu Pu and the Board of Finance to furnish him with a detailed

account of China's foreign debts, with a view to devising means tp . pay. them off, In order to help the Government in the matter the Chinese in Tien-Tsin have formed an association to raise funds for th© payment of foreign indemnities, which were incurred after the Boxer trouble of 1900. All patriotic Chinese abroad are to be asked to join in the movement and follow the example 'of the Tieh-Tsin Association.' " ■ Mr - Tong Chai Chih, editor of the Tung Wah Times, says he feels confident that all Chinese abroad would sacrifice a little towards contributing to the fund for so loyal a purpose, so as to relieve the nation of her financial burdens and facilitate reforms of the nation.