LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 36

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The railway authorities have intimated to the Green Island Borough Council that the names of Burnside and Koremata Railway Stations are to bo changed to Green Island and Burnside respectively. The station on the Walton Park railway, now called Green Island, is to have a suitable name provided for it.

An officer of one of the local Volunteer companies is reported to have decamped within the last few weeks with the sum of £2O, the property of one of the local shooting funds. His present address is unknown.

It was resolved at last weeki's meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board that the whole board be appointed a Policy Committee to meet and consider the whole future policy of the board with regard to centralisation of office work, adequate control of the various institutions in Otago district, and other matters calculated to affect in some degree the future working of the new body". The committee will report to next meeting of the board. Tlie Hospital Board, at its meting last week, decided that a sum of £199 2s 6d be written off the books of the Hospital Committee. This represented sums owing to the Hospital by persons who had received treatment in the institution, which sums had come to be regarded as irrecoverable.

The Hospital Board last week accepted! an offer of £165, submitted to it through Messrs Donald Reid and Co., for an area of land in the Table Hill district.

Since March 27 (says our Auckland correspondent) the police have been trying to catch a Native named Karaka Rotana, belonging to Waihi, who is charged with theft at Kawhia. On a warrant being issued for his arrest, Rotana immediately took to flight, and found refuge in the bush, where it is supposed he lived on the food provided by the Natives under compulsion. Rotana has been in the bush between the west coast and Lake Waihi, and the Raglan police, as well as Constable Rook, of Huntly, have had several ineffectual hunts after, him. The Natives of Waihi were decidedly afraid of Rotana, several even going the length of buying weapons for their defence, while others would scarcely leave the vicinity of the kainga. On. May 21 Rotana was reported to be in the vicinity of Waihi. There he was met by a band of Natives, wko persuaded him to surrender to the police, and thus avoid arrest by force. Accordingly Rotana gave himself up, and is now in Mount Eden Gaol.

An eloquent appeal was made by the Rev. Dr Kennedy, at his lecture on the comet in the Wellington Town Hall, on Thursday, May 19, in support of the claims of scientific and astronomical work. Wellington, bo pointed 1 out, was admittedly a very active centre so far as commercial matters were concerned, but how lamentably did she lag behind in matters astronomical! Of all the delightful and ennobling studies that the human mind might be applied to, he said, astronomy was the first. Even a moderate acquaintance with the wonders of the solar system tended to improve and broaden and uplift the mind. It compelled man to realise his own insignificance and belter appreciate the stupendous works of the. Creator. Dr Kennedy repeated two lines of an old nursery rhyme s—" Two little children looking through the bars, one saw the mud and the other saw the stars." " That's what a study of astronomy will do," he said. ' "It will enable people to ■get their minds above the mud aftd improve their intellectuality and mentality." For this imsoa, he hoped that fcha a£-

pearancoof Halloy's comet, if it did nothing else, would awaken an interest in astronomy in Wellington, and that some effort would bo made to provide tho Capital City with a decent telescope-

Residents of the Wyndham and Edendale districts are still \ery sore about the refusal of the Minister to allow the evening express train to stop at Edendale. The Wyndham Herald states that it has been informed that an Edendale reeident, desirous of travelling by that train, was refused a ticket for Edendale at Clinton. It seems (says the Herald) to be an extraordinary procedure to restrict the sale of a, ticket to a place short of the man's destination. It shows that the department means to draw the line somewhere " north of Clinton," and is determined that Edendale and Wyndham residents shall not, if the department can prevent it, have any benefit from the stoppage of that train; for, under an exceptional condition of Mr Millar's own making, the train does regularly stop, in spite! of his refusal to formally give tho required assurance that it will unfailing! v fetop.

The Southland News reports that, acting on Diver May's report regarding the prospect of raising the Waikare, the syndicate concerned has abandoned the idea of raising- her, and operations will in future be confined to breaking her up and salving all marketable machinery and fittings. Diver May lef for Sydney last week, en route for the scene of the wreck of the Pericles, off Cape Leeuwin. Diver Todd, a New Zealander, has been engaged by the Waikare salvage party to work at the wreckin place of Diver May. He has just successfully conclude.! a contiaot in the Molyneux, at Cromwell, under difficult conditions, as can be readily understood when it is remembered that the Molyneux is a snow-fed which flows fast, and is almost invariably dirty owing to the goldmining industry. The conditions prevailing at Dusky should be much more congenial from a diver's point of view. A Christchurch telegram states that the Government is inviting offers for the establishment and equipment of wireless stations in New Zealand. American and European companies will be given an opportunity to tender. Th-a Prime Minister states that no progress can be reported in this respect until the tenders have been received.

It has been generally understood in the Police Force (says our Wellington correspondent) that Inspector Cullen, of Auckland, is to be appointed chief inspector, but apparently there is no immediate intention of making such an appointment. When it becomes necessary to appoint a chief inspector the chances a-re that Inspector Cullen may b© offered the position.

Our Wellington correspondent states that the police have ascertained that the explosives discovered in the grounds of the Catholic Apostolic Church in Webb street last week were taken from a quarry at Ngahauranga.

Speaking- at the Trades Hall on Sunday, May 22, Mr G. B. Nichols said a paragraph copied from the Sydney Herald appeared in Saturday's Otago Daily Times stating that the Rev. H. Wheen had said that the drink bill of the Australian Commonwealth was £4,000,000 a year, being more than the combined amounts spent on everything that made for national uplifting. This amount, said Mr Niohplls, was evidently a mistake, for £14,000,000 a year, which was the correct sum. This was an average of practically 7s a week for every family of five, without exception, in the Commonwealth, and when abstainers, and practically abstaining families, were subtracted, it must mean anything from 12s a week to 14s a week spent by each drinking family. The majority of these families spending 12s to 14s a week were workers earning from £2 10s to £3 a week. If such sums as this, instead of being spent in the bar-room and in a deteriorating drug, were spent in the endeavour to uplift their class, workers would be a much greater power for their own good than they were to-day. The drink bill of the main parts of the British Empire, leaving out 40 of the smaller dependencies, regarding which no figures were available, was over £220,000,000 a year. We, in New Zealand, spent about £4,000,000 a year, practically the same per head aa the Commonwealth—namely, 7s per week per family of five. New Zealand itself in the last 40 years had spent over £^.24,000,000 in drink, or about twice our national debt.

Our Greymoutih correspondent informs us that Mr Robert Power, a well-known settler of Parimga, South Westland, started last week with a large mob of horses for the Dunedin horse sales. Mr Power is travelling by way of the Haast Pass into Otago, and the present is the first dr.ait of Westland horses to be taken by that route. A Christchurc.h message states that the leading hairdressing establishments have practically come to an agreement to increase tb"> price of haircutting to Is.

At a meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid' Board on Mav 2i, Dx Valintine, Inspector-general of Hospitals, stated that he would like the board to increase its responsibilities in the direction of assuming the functions of a Board of Health. He was anxious that He- 'H Boards should assume 6uch responsibili: A Hospital Board should be the Board of Health of the district, because if the board was responsible for the treatment of sickness it should at the same time be liable for all the influences likely to cause sickness. In reply to Mr Loudon, Dr Valintine said that if such a board could deal with insanitary dwellings it would taka m-ur-b. unpleasant work off

the hands of local authorities. This could be done by a board of representatives frorifc all over the district. L The question would be to what extent this board might assume the responsibilities of the Health Act.

At a dinner tendered to the delegates to the Farmers' Union Conference on Tuesday, May 24 (says a Marton telegram), the Hon. T. Mackenzie, in replying to the toast of "The Ministry," made a vigorous defence of the Government, instancing in particular what they had done for the farmers, especially in placing the dairy industry on its present satisfactory basis. He promised renewed activity in the department, and declared that farmers visiting the experimental station ir. the future would receive more opportunities of education than in the past.

The following is the statement of revenue and expenditure of the tramways department from March 31 to April 27:—Revenue • Fares, £4778 Is lid; sea- tickets, £92 lis 6d; sundry revenue, £ Id ;—total £4943 5s 6d. Expenditure . expenses! £572 6s 7d; traffic expenses, £1437 10j 6d; general expenses, £209; repairs and maintenance, £SOO, 4s 9d; interest and sinking fund, £IO7O 7s 6d; renewal and amortisation, fund, £739 Os lOd; accident insurance fund, £57 13s 10d;—total expense £4586 4s; credit, balance, £357 Is 6d. ounfc of renewal fund at April 27, 16s sd; less renewals from March 31 to April 27, 1910, £958" 15a lid;—total, £5833 0s 6d. Passengers carried, 850,348; mileage - , 84,887 miles 37 chains; receipts, 13.97 d per car mile; working expenses, 7.68 d per car mile; total exponses, 12.96 d per oar mile; passengers, 10.01 per car mile.

Messrs J. H. Walker (chairman), J. Loudon, and W. Wilkinson, members of the. Otago Hospital and Charitable Aid Board-* and Mr Wales, architect to the board, accompanied by Dr Valintine, Inspectorgeneral of Hospitals, Dr Finch (Canterbury District Health Officer), Dr Champtaloup. (Health Officer at Dunedin), and Mr E. H. Clark, M.P., on May 25, paid a visit of inspection to the Sanatorium for Consumptives at Palmerston. There they met repre-» sentatives of the South CaMerbjasy Board, who were conducted over the buildings and grounds. The northern visitors expressed themselves as very well pleased with the Sanatorium as a whole, and it is more than probable that some satisfactory arrangements will be made whereby the institution will be used conjointly by both the Otago and South Canterbury Boards.

Our Christchurch correspondent states that a number of local medical practi-t tioners have signed a petition to the Prime Minister regarding tho urgent necessity that exists for obtaining more girls tq assist overworked mothers in the province. The petition states that the doctors who have signed it could testify to the great injury caused to the health of these mothers by the difficulty 01 impossibility of getting servants. This loss of health not only shortened the lives of mothers, but reacted disastrously on the children, espeoi* ally during their early years, when so muchcare was required. They therefore felt it their duty to support as strongly as they, could the efforts of tJie Ladies' Committee' now engaged in promoting the immigration of suitable girls, especially from Norway and the country districts of Great Britain and Ireland. They believed that such actions would greatly tend to benefit thehealth of women- and children in NewZealand.

Mr MacDonald, M.P., states that Cabi< net has decided to help the settlers to carry on the work of draining the Whakatane Swamp. The work (says a Press Association message from Gisborne) will cosir about £BO,OOO, and will make available 85,000 acres of rich land, which, it is estimated, will be worth ultimately £25 per acre. This,; with the acquisition of 100,000 acres in the Urewera Country, whioh is now under consideration, Mr MacDonald anticipates, will open up a new era for the Bay of Plenty.

The City Council is now in possession of an historical piece of furniture. The Ofcaga Provincial Council treated itself sumptuously in the matter of office and chamber furniture, and there are still extant in: various quarters articles of furniture whicK illustrate the practice. Among these is the Speaker's chair. At last week's meeting* of the City Council the following letter was received from Mr E. C. "Having acquired the Speaker's chair, used! in the Provincial Council of Otago, I desire to present it to the Corporation of Dunedin, as I think it forms a portion of the early history of the province and our town which the city should possess, instead. of going into any private collection." Ther Mayor said he was pleased that the chairhad been presented to the council. It was a magnificent piece of work, and formed an heirloom of the Provincial Council. Ofli the motion of Cr Burnett, seconded by Cr Sullivan, Mr Reynolds was thanked for hisgift.

Messrs J. M. Gallaway and P. Millei; have been- appointed co-optative of the Hospital Committee of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

There is no need to apologise for an ejw cess of modesty on the part of The New Zealand Herald, of Saturday la6t| heads ite first leading article with thef line, "The Province," and eays: —" XVd. use this title advisedly in speaking of th'a_ Auckland Provincial district. It is pat', excellence the Province of New Zealand* By its geographical position, by its area,

by its great resources already developed, by 'its far greater resources entirely undeveloped, by its history, by its future, and -by its magnificently-situated metropolis it is marked out for pro eminence. It is distinguished no: only by its achievements, -but by its promise. It has made no meteoric flights, and suffered no disastrous lapses. Its progress has been gradual, and has been marked by qualities which stamp it as abiding. Like other places, it has had •its experiences of depression, but they have been of temporary nature, mere spots on the sun, so to 6peak."

A Greymouth message states that the members of the Harbour Board held a lengthy interview with the Prime Minister 'on May 25 extending over an hour and eu-half. At the conclusion of the conference the chairman of the board informed the press that everything had been satisfactorily arranged, but that Sir Joseph Ward intended to submit the proposals to Cabinet prior to publication.

The Railway Department intimates that 'on and after June 1 trains for the south will leave Gaversham two minutes earlier than the time mentioned in the present time-table.

• According to the correspondent of the Daily Mail, the hospitality of San Francisco won a notable victory over Lord kitchener, whose determination to avoid jail public functions yielded to an insistent demand that ne should attend a banquet -in honour of Rear-Admiral Sebree, who has just retired from the United States Navy. When the Field-marshal appeared at the Palace Hotel, where the banquet was held, the Governor of California, Mr Gillett, called the entire assembly, which included the most prominent citizens and high officers of the army and navy, to greet, the "Hero of Khartoum " with rousing cheers. Everyone stood while the orchestra played " God Save the King.'' Toasted as the "greatest living general of to-day," Lord Kitchener replied in a modest speech, paying homage to the career of Admiral Sebree and ending with a much-appreciated tribute to the enterprise of San Francisco, " which has arisen with renewed and improved magnificence from the disaster of the earthquake." Before the banquet Lord Kitchener had employed all his ingenuity in avoiding a public reception. He failed to appear at the parade of United States tioops at the Presidio "Military Reservation which had been specially ai-ranged in his honour. For nearly an hour the soldiers in their finest uniforms stood in line awaiting the Field-marshal, 'who, it was subsequently learned, had motored to San Jose in order to escape the .importunities of the enterprising local interviewers.

Since the Hon. Roderick M'Kenzie became Minister of Public Works the VVaikouaiti County Council has not been favourably impressed with the administration of the Public Works Department. Recently the council received notice of the following grants : —£lso for the main road, £IOO -for the Flag Swamp road, £SO for the Puketeraki road, and £IOO for -'he Lower Harbour board. But when the council applied to the department for authority to spend the money, it was informed by the 'M'mster that he did not propose to give this permission; he considered that, as the money was proposed tc be spent on roads already metalled, the council would really -'spend it on maintenance, for which be would riot allow special grants. The council has pointed out that the grants were made, and that the roads are in urgent need of having money spent upon tf-em, and Mr Clark, M.P., has put its case as strongly as possible before the Hon. Mr M'Kenzie. But all the satisfaction the coun•cil has yet received is the following telegram from Mr Clark: —'■" Have received no 'definite word yet regarding your road grants; will be pleased to represent your council in Wellington."

Some weeks ago the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Minister of Railways requesting that one of the railway motors which are shortly to arrive from England be placed on the Kurow line, in order to supplement the present inadequate railway service on that branch. The Minister (the Hon. J. A. Millar) has (says the Oamaru Mail) written that the request of the chamber would receive consideration when the department dealt with the question of the distribution of its notor service.

On March 3i last there were 1215 ratepayers in the County of Waikouaiti, and 1690 rateable properties. The gross value of the latter was estimated at £700,482, while the value of unoccupied Crown and ■Native lands was put down as £111,748, and of property owned by the country £1505. There are 2027 miles of roads in the county.

The adventures of " Captain Digby Sheldon Henderson," who made a brief stir in society at Sydney and Melbourne last March, ended with his death m the Melbourne Hospital on the Ist inst., from the effects of poison. " Captain" Henderson, who had arrived in Sydney peer R-M.S. Otranto, from .London, stayed at the Australia Hotel, and was introduced to some excellent people in Sydney suburbs. He became attached to various ladies, and .then transferred his attachment to their jewellery, which he pawned. He tied to Melbourne, and put up at Menzies' Hotel. He was then destitute, and made excuses that he had lost his luggage and valuables on the train in transit. Finally, he was arrested on a charge of larceny of jewel-ei-y from a Sydney lady. When the

*' Captain" heaa-d he was to be arrested he took poison in his bedroom, and became comatose in the watchhouse calls. He died soon afterwards in the Melbourne Hospital. The evidence of the Government analyst was that he had found veronal in the deceased's stomach. Dr Moli'ison. who made the post mortem examination, was of opinion that veronal might have caused death. It was a drug resembling chloral in its effects, and one ounce was a fatal dose. Sub-inspector M'Manamny stated that he had discovered deceased's real name to be Digby Sheldon Hepworth. He had served as a sergeant in the Beer war, and for a long time had been living on his wits both in England and Australia. A rinding of suicide from veronal poisoning was returned.

While running down the North Atlantic Ocean on the passage of the French barque Marie, from Philadelphia, to Lyttelton, her officers noticed a bottle seemingly containing a written message floating past the vessel. The chief mate (M. Boutin) went away from the vessel in one of the boats to try to recover the bottle, but was unable to find it. Meanwhile the wind freshened, and the ship passed out of sight of the beat's crew. Capain. Grondin, becomingalarmed, put the ship about, and finally picked up the boat, the crew of which were naturally relieved at getting on board after their fruitless search.

Many Southland rabbiters are at a loss Ho 'understand why there should be such a discrepancy between the prices offered by Southland rabbitskin merchants and those in the trade in Dunedin. This will be understood to some extent (says the Southland News) when it is mentioned that the higher prices ruling in the northern city are for high country skins, and it so happens that the bulk of the rabbit-infested country in Otago is at a, high altitude, whereas the worst rabbit country in Southland i 6 at a comparatively low level. A high altitude means a reduced temperature, and Nature provides bunny with a thick coat of fur as a protection against the cold when he ventures near the snow line. Of course the thicker the fur is the more valuable does bunny's pelt become.

History, the genuine study and instruction of it in New Zealand schools (says the Evening Post) was severely dealt with at Wednesday night's session of the Conference of Secondary Teachers. According to the principal of the local Girls' College (Miss M'Lean) sixth form pupils up till now have had a ridiculously inadequate grasp of history unless they had passed through the junior forms of a secondary school. "It is almost a standing joke that historical reference will not be understood," said Miss M'Lean', "and I know that mane is not a solitary experience." The blank ignorance of English history, the speaker added, would be amusing if "it were not disquieting. The ignorance of Scriptural history was, it was stated, even more marked. Herewith two relevant stories:—One girl seriously wrote down that Beelzebub was one of the twelve apostles ! Another, after some questioning, ventured that Palestine was somewhere in India. " This," said the speaker, " from girls who have passed the sixth standard—the lastnamed was the holder of a proficiency certificate ! From such ' proficiency ' may God in good time deliver us."

Mr C. E. Keast's appointment as representative of Clutha on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board was briefly discussed at the meeting of the Clutha County Council on Friday. The departmental notification having been read, Cr Nicol said he regarded it as a slight on the council. Other councillors reminded the speaker that an election had not been held and expressed the opinion that the implied slight shculd be ignored. No one had anything to say against Mr Keast, but objection might certainly be taken to the way in which the thing had. been done. It was resolved—- " That the letter be received; that the county clerk write to the Minister asking for further explanation of the reading of the act, and also stating that the Clutha County Council considered that a resident of Clutha should have been appointed. An inquest was held at the Morgue on Friday afternoon by Mr H. Y. Widdowson (coroner) on the body of William Ward, who died suddenly in Moray place at midday on Thursday. A post mortem examination showed that the cause of death was a rapture of an aneurism of the aorta, and a verdict was returned accordingly. The deceased had often complained of heart trouble. He was 73 years of age, and his only known relative is a son, who is supposed to be in Wellington. He has resided in Dunedin for 35 years, and was employed as an accountant in the office of Mr Wm. M'Beath, warehouseman and importer.

According to a Press Association telegram from Whangarei, the Hon. Dr Findlay stated'.on Friday, in reply to a deputation, that the Lunatic Act would bt' amended this year. On the question of plaints in connection with the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act, the Attorney-gen-eral sees no reason why plaints should not be' taken before justices of the peace, who are doing this work very well. The* public library at Anderson's Bay, which was first opened about 30 years ago, but has during the past three years been closed down owing to lack of public interest in the institution, is now to be- reopened. A meeting of residents of Anderson's Bay was held in the Sunday school hall on Friday for the purpose of setting up a committee to take charge of the library. The foHowing committee was appointed :—Messrs J. Jeffery. W. Bonnim

J. G. M'Leod, J. Soraervillo, and A. M. Cameron. The first duty of the committee will be to take into consideration the que;tion of removing- the library to the Bay Town Board office from the 1 Sunday school hall, where it is at present located. There i 6 a reserve endowment fund attached to fcho library which brings in *an annual revenue of £3 15s, and at present there is a balance in hand of £8 lis 2d, which, it is anticipated, will be absorbed in removing the books and in procuring fittings, etc. One of the largest meetings of farmers evar held in Balclutha, decided on Friday to support the proposal to establish freezing works in the Clutha district, and a limited liability company was formed with a nominal capital of £75,000, made up of 15,000 shares of £5 each. Very many shares were supplied for on Friday afternoon, and indications point, to freezing works capable of handling 1000 sheep daily, being actually in operation near Balclutha a year hence l . The show of chrysanthemums in the Winter Gardens at the present time is a particularly fine one, .and. constitutes the main attraction at the Botanic Garden.s. There are about 400 blooms in all, and many of them are' at their best. In order to give visitors from the country for the Winter Show every opportunity of viewing the display, the Winter Gardens, which are opened to the public only -in the afternoon, will during next week, be onened in the forenoon as well. The operations of the Drainage Board, in carrying . the North-East Valley main intercepting sewer through the Gardens, from the Castle street end, has certainly produced a disturbed appearance, but the work is now halfway through. The laying out of a holly maze near the rockery is practically completed. The ponds in the Gardens are just now providing a sanctuary for hundreds of grey duck. The Otago Trades and Labour Council has decided to be represented at the Trades and Labour Conference to.be held in Auckland in July. At a special meeting held on Thursday night considerable time was devoted to the discussion of a constitution for a labour representation council to conduct the next and future Parliamentary elections. The result of the deliberations of the council will be submitted for adoption to the conference to be held in Auckland before being put into operation. The following chamber business was transacted by his Honor Mr Justice Williams on Friday:—Probate of the will of Thomas Morland Hocken (deceased), granted; administration in the estate of Alexander G. M'Gaw and Anni» G. Stewart, granted; in re Archibald W. Brown (deceased), order made for advertising- for creditors' claim. A handsome four-storey brick and con crete building is now being erected on the section at the corner of Cumberland and Stuart streets for Messrs John Chambers and Son. The building will have a frontage of 66ft to Stuart street and of 95ft to Cumberland street. The foundations (which are now being prepared), the basement; and stairways will be of concrete and the main building of red brick. The first and second floors will be devoted to offices and workrooms, and the remaining portion will bo. occupied by the firm. The building has been designed and is being erected by Mr C. Fleming M'Donald, who has just completed the erection of the New Zealand Express Company's building in Bond and Crawford streets. It is to b©fihished early in the new year.

When the Hon. J. A. Millar was at Timaru on Thursday (says the Herald), Messrs J. M ; Rae and J. Lillico (proprietors of the Timaru Woollen Mills) waited on him as Minister of Labour, and put before him the ridiculous position in which they have been placed through the local labour agent calling upon them to close their mill on Thursday afternoons instead of on Saturday afternoons, as in the past. They pointed out that it was impossible to run woollen mills with a break in the middle of the week, as a stoppage meant spoiling so much stuff, and they also stated that in no part of the world did woollen mills give the half-holiday on any day but Saturday. The Minister said he sympathised with them, for he knew that a woollen mill, to be run successfully, must have an unbroken run for at least five days of the week ; but the law- said that in towns where the people had decided in r i,vour of the Thursday half-holiday, factories, like- other places, must close on that day, and under these circumstances he could do nothing. He mentioned, however, that an amendment of the act would be introduced next session, with a view to getting over the difficulty. His Excellency the Governor, Lord Plunket, arrived in Dunedin by the first express from the north on Thursday, on the occasion of his farewell visit to Dunedin. He was met at the station by the Mayor (Mr TV Cole), several of the councillors, and the town clerk (Mr R. W. Richards), and after beinsr formally welcomed he briefly inspected the Permanent Artillery, a detachment of the Otago Hussars (who formed his escort), and the Garrison Band, drawn up outside the station. He was then driven to the Fernhill Club.

Sir J. G. Ward, accompanied by Miss Ward and Miss Mandl, went down the Ivoiii- Goldfield- sh"«rv on Tinivy'n" ••■:'-

Press Association telegram), and remained there nearly an hour. He expressed himself as well pleased with the developments. I A Press Association message from Gore states that what looks like a premeditated attempt to wreck the express train between Gore and Kingston was made on Wednesday, when two boulders were placed on the ' rails at Kingston Crossing, a point 25 miles

'north of Gere. The boulders caused the front wheels of the engine to leave the rails. The occurroiKV: is all the more extraordinary on account of the fact that half an hour previously the down express passed without any mishap. The stones accordingly must have been deposited in the middle of the day. A spot where the stones were lifted from the bank can easily jbe traced. The district is sparsely popu- ! lated. The police are making investiga- | (ions.

Among- the questions brought up by the 1 deputation from the Standing- Committee of the Secondary Schools' Association, i which waited upon the Hon. G. Fowlds ! (Minister of Educst'on-i that of length of service in connection with the superannuation scheme. Mr J. P. Firth remarked that thj secondary teachers

would like the time of service for males reduced from 40 years to 35 years, and in the case of females from 30 year to 25 years. He considered that the existing term entailed disadvantages, especially with the age limit at 65 years. Mr Fowlds said that if the .request were to be acceded to an amendment of the law would be necessary. As the matter involved " backyard benefits," he was not very hopeful as to anything being done to apply to such cases. So far Sir Joseph Ward has not made any reference to the possible appointment of a West Coaster to the Legislative Council in succession to the late Hon. J. Holmes. Many names are mentioned (says our Greymouth correspondent), but in some quarters it is confidently held that the seat will eventually be offered to Mr H. L. Michcll (Mayor of Hokitika). Time will reveal its own secrets.

A Wellington message reports that the number of persons " who arrived jn the Dominion during April last was 2201, and the departures 4184. .For April, 1909, the figures were: Arrivals 2372, and departures 4015.

Some time ago Count Morner (Danish Consul-general for Australasia) visited the various districts of New Zealand and Australia, and as a result of his tour forwarded advices home to Denmark stating that the labour market in these colonies was in a very depressed sta.te, and warning intending immigrants against coming here. A letter has now been received (says the Christchurch Press) by Mr H. B. Sorensen (Danish Consul for the South Island) from the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, asking if Count Morher's pessimistic report is justified, and requesting him to forward further information on the matter. Mr Sorensen is at present engaged in collecting the required information, and will in due course forward it to the right quarter.

Information has been received that the Board of Trinity College, of Music has appointed Mr Charles Schilsky as the examiner for the College in Canada, New Zealand, and Tasmania this year "in practical subjects, pianoforte, organ, violin, singing, etc. Mr Schilsky, who is a British subject by birth, received his musical education in London, Berlin, and Paris. He has always made the pianoforte and violin his principal instruments, and as a performer he has met with considerable appreciation in Britain, France, Russia, and Poland. For some years he has identified himself with Trinity College as an examiner, both in the United Kingdom and in India and Australia. He is an accomplished linguist, speaking four languages. He is expected to arrive in Auckland on August 14.

The action commenced in the Supreme Court of New South Wales by Mr Albert Goldie against Mr Hugh J. Ward, claiming £2OOO damages for alleged libel, has been settled out of court. A suit commenced against a New Zealand paper in respect of the subject matter of the former action has also been withdrawn, but it is stated that six cases against Eastern journals yet remain to be decided.

A private telegram from- Mr J. Harry Stephens, evangelist, at present at Auckland, states that the Henry-Potts mission closed at Auckland on Wednesday night. Five hundred persons filed past the missioned as results of the mission. There had been heart-warming, soul-stirring times, and great things are expected in Dunedin at the mission commencing June 26.

An advisory bureau, to which the artists of England, Ireland, Scotland, and the •colonies can apply for professional assistance, has been founded in London, under the title of the Imperial Arts. League. This society has alreadj brought practical advantages to its members by securing special terms of insurance for them at Lloyd's. The league's more general aim is to obtain recognition for the claims of art fyjom State and municipal institutions. The following are vice-presidents of the league: Lord Plymouth, the High Commissioners for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; the presidents of the leading art -societies of England and Scotland, including the president of the Society of Women Artists, Sir Charles Holroyd, Director of London National Gallery; Count Plunket, Director of the National Museum of Science and Art, Dublin; the Hon. Director for Art, Board of Trade; Sir Laurence Alma-Tadema, R.A., and Mr George Clausen, R.A. It should be one of the offices of the league to bring the artist into touch with nis '-'market." Supply and demand in art have not yet come into their proper relation. The colonies are forming collections of painting• and scuip-

' ture to which no doubt they are ready laf welcome the best work of artiste, whoss merits are so little rewarded at Home.

The mail which was despatched from! Dnnedin via San Francisco on April 2Q arrived in London on the 25th inst.

A somewhat novel method of obtaining! the money necessary for hospital and chari* (able aid was mooted, and the suggestion) was agreed to, at a conference of the Christcimrch branches of the New Zealand Farmers' Union at Christchurcn on Friday* A Press Association message states thaU Mr J. G. A. Ruddenklau (Rangiova) moved -" That the Government be requested to enact that the Hospital and Charitable* Aid Board should be the recipient of all 1 auctioneers' and public-house licenses." He said that as the hotels made/ people poor it was only right that the money the State got from the hotels should be devoted to charitable aid purposes.. The motion was seconded by Mr O. F« Clothier. Mr O'Halloran said the proposal would relieve some of the burden of charitable aid expenditure from the country districts, and would prove a mora equitable way of levying the necessary, funds. The motion was carried unani-i mously.

The popular prejudice against toll-gates has manifested itself in Taranaki, whore the Puniho gate has been removed from, its hinges, carried some distance away, and chopped up and burnt. Cr Andrews, in reporting the matter to the County, Council on May 23 (says the Herald), said the perpetrators had gone prepared with crowbars, screw wrenches, and even a tin of kerosene to assist in the burning. Whilst this was being: done the toll collector and his wife were sleeping in the toll-house about five yards away, and wer« not disturbed from their slumbers. It wai' " a neat trick well done," said Cr Andrews The council decided to place the matter it the hands of the police and to offer » reward of £lO for such information as wi! lead- to a conviction.

Speaking at Owaka on May 27, the Hon, T. Mackenzie (Minister of Agriculture! had occasion to refer to the blackberry pest. He eaid many people did not realise that it was one of the most dangerous weeds in the Dominion at the present time. It was not a great nuisance in. Otago, but portions of the North Island l were absolutely overrun with it, and on the west coast of the South Island it had such a hold as to be like a House of Parliament—past redemption.

At Outram on Friday before Messrs A. Chisholm and W. Rotlett, J.P.'s, a charge was heard against Wm. Free and Edward M'Lennan, that they had at Berwick, committed a breach of the peace. The facts

were that at about 1 a.m. after a social,, the men had come to blows over some dispute. Each pleaded "Guilty," and was; fined 10s and costs totalling £1 lis. Another case heard was one against two young meni named' Albert Hickey and Richard Porter, of having, on the night of the 24th, brokenand entered the shop of Hugh Thomson and .stolen therefrom sausages to the va'Jua of 6s. Evidence was given by Hugh Thomson, William Little', and Constable £outhgate. This showed that the men, who were somewhat under the influence of liquor, had been seen at the shop, from the open window of which Porter was seen to emerge. They were accoste'd by Little, but stated to nim that they had bought the sausages from a man named Dwyer, and that "it was all right." After evidence', both men pleaded "Guilty " andl were committed for sentence to the Supreme Court. Bail was not asked for.

The St. Andrews correspondent of the Timaru Herald writes: " Mr Campbell, the mailman at St. Andrews, had an unpleasant experience on Wednesday. He was driving to the township, and was about a mile/ from the railway station when he was

'accosted by a maa who sprang off a bicycle he was riding-, and, seizing the horse by the bridle, shouted to the mailman to ' bail up,' and threatened to produce a revolver if he were not instantly obeyed. He said that he was in tho Polioe Force, and demanded the mailman's name. He then got into the trap, and seizing the whip tried to get possession of the reins also. A struggle ensued, and the man got out of the trap and attempted to lead the horse away from the direction of the township. Watching his chance, the driver turned the horse suddenly, and as it started forward the man lost • his - grip of the reins, though he still retained the whip. Driving quicldy, Mr Campbell soon left his assailant behind, and on reaching .the township sent word to the police at ■Timaru."

The Brindisi mail, despatched from Wellington on April 22, arrived at London on the afternoon of the 27th inst.

, There was ane death in the Hospital "fast week—that of David M'Kenzie. The numbei of patients admitted during the Veek was 38; 37 were discharged, and last evening there were 161 persons receiving "treatment in the institution.

The Hocken library was enriched on Monday by the addition of a large number 'of valuable and very beautifully illustrated books on Japan and Egypt which formed ■« noteworthy portion of the late Dr 'Hocken's treasures. In addition to these books the library atec received a large assortment of Maori axes, fish hooks, implements, and ornaments of various kinds and some farther specimens of carved ■slabs.

Au elderiy widow, 77 years of age, named Mary Jane Low, died suddenly at her residence in Park street at 6 p.m. on Sunday. During the afternoon she had been at a friend's house in. Union etreet. Dr Roberts >vas promptly called in, and he will probably certify as to tne cause of death, as he had been attending the deceased for some time past.

At 1 o'clock on Sunday morning near Clyde an old four-roomed unoccupied house was totally destroyed by fire. It was owned by Mr Felix Faisandier, and was insured in the Norwich office for £BO.

■ Among the notifications in last week's Gazette is the following:—Flagstaff Hill, near Dunedin, has been assigned the name of '.' Stuart Park," and Signal Hiil will in future be known as "Burns Park."

Wednesday, July 20, will bo observed as & public holiday in the Government offices for the celebration of A-rbor Day. in order that the movement may be made as successful as possible, the Government hopes that the Mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of local bodies will place the mattei prominently hcfoi'e the people of the Dominion, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both publio and private, with trees suited to the localities.

Mr Walter Carter, who is Ir charge of the diamond drill at Orspuki, has (says the Advocate) lost no time in getting the engine and machinery into position for putting down the first bore. Unfortunately, as transhipments had to be made in transit from Waihi to Bluff, several necessary parts are missing, and until these turn up the expert must needs possess his- soul in patience and reflect upon the happy-go-lucky methods of colonial transport. The »ite selected for the first bore is near Mr £r Black's house The result of the bore will settle the question whether the diorite, iirhieh reveals its presence in the locality, overlaps stratified rocks or is in reality •"bed rock." Miners await results with £een interest.

, The question of the payment of rates on jeereation grounds was raised at a meeting : J>f one •of the Christchurch bowling clubs pn Thursday night (says a Press Association telegram). The matter had frequently been discussed here, but no definite action liad been taken on the matter. Now the question will be referred to the bowling centre, and the probability is that all pports bodies will be invited to approach the Government with a view to the promotion of legislation to relieve grounds osed purely for recreation from payment rates. Touching the question of the rating .of sports grounds, it is understood that Mr ■Ell, M.P., has promised to introduce a :bill to relieve all sports grounds not run in proprietary interests from payment of the whole or portion of local rates. The Rev. Father O'Connell, of Wellington has (says the Dominion) on behalf of a member of the Roman Catholic Church, handed to the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company a cheque l for £350 —conscience money. {Any insurance manager can testify that on many occasions money has had to be paid out under circumstances which are known to be of a doubtful character, but it is ■eldom indeed, that such an act of restitution is recorded as the one under notice. Residents of New Zealand who arrived in Otago by the Pladda about August 20, 1860, are about to hold a meeting for the purpose of arranging for a reunion of passengers and their descendants.

The meeting convened for Monday afternoon to consider the- question how most fitly to commemorate tho memory and life of Dr Hocken was well attended by a large body of representative citizens. Mr A. Bathgate was nominated to the chair, and outlined in a lucid and interesting stylo the special idea formed of establish* ino- a central ..fund by the earnings of which provision might bo made for the maintenance of a permanent librarian and for the

upkeep of the library itself in modern books bearing on its special topic, and also to fill any gaps among the volumes already collected. Br Colquhoun, in a scholarly address, advanced matters by moving the appointment of a committee to take definite steps to further the proposal. This was carried with unanimity. An interesting point was that advanced by the Rev. A. Cameron. This was that in the future the librarian of the Hocken library should develop into the lecturer of history to the Otago University. By this means, he thought, the country would receive the best that was possible from a combination of the offices. The librarian needed to be a man capable of fully .appreciating the value of the books, and if he were a lecturer on history, the country would receive great and permanent benefit from his labours.