NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 48

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Westport Chamber of Commerce is making a strong protest against the tardy manner in which the Government is carrying on the construction of the WcetportReefton railway. The Minister in charge of the Okl-age Pensions Denayt merit is not inclined to accept the suggestion that pensions should be paid through the post. Latest news is to the effect that the steamer Devon, on the rocks on tire Wellington roast, is likely to become a total wreck. The officers and crew, numbering 60, are being landed by Jims at the rate of six in an hour. The Dunedin Ciiy Council at its last meeting resolved 'to accept the offer of Messrs Fletcher Bros, the contractors for tire erection of the tepid battis in Moray place, to erect in juxtaposition a suite of Turkish baths with all necessary fittings, including electric lighting for the whole building, for £2534 10s. When the Orient Company’s liner Orontes, was at Colombo, and a doctor was required, an Indian medical graduate with high qualifications was engaged. The Labour party in Australia took exception to an Asiatic doctor doing duty on board on the Australian coast, and the company engaged

a Victorian doctor to replace the Indian on the steamer arriving at Adelaide.

At its meeting last week the Dunedin City Council adopted a motion requesting the Tramways Committee to report on the cost of reducing the curves to enable bogie cars to run on them, to construct and equip sufficient bogie cars to cope with crush traffic, to purchase and equip the requisite number of motor ’buses to test them as feeders for the tramway system, and to the cost of altering the tramway shed and such duplications and extensions that are considered necessary. The Minister of Education stated in the House of Representatives that the scarcity of male teachers was not nearly so marked in New Zealand as in most other countries. There wort? no excessive ,resignations of male teachers. The number of retirements during the year ended May 31 of teachers who wore contributing to the superannuation fund totalled 23. Two were under 20 years of age, and 13 between the ages of 20-and 30 years.

Replying to a question in the House of Representatives, the Hon. Mr Henries (Minister of Railways) said there was no duty on fruit entering New Zealand from the Cock Islands. It would be inijxissible for the railway officers to distinguish between fruit grown in various places once it was landed i,n Now Zealand, and the abuses that would inevitably arise prevent it making any alteration in the rates for the conveyance of fruit from the Cook Islands.