Untitled

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11864, 31 May 1909, Page 4

ft smart shock of earthquake was expe|ienced about 7.30 this morning. ' 'greetings,, of .householders .m the following school districts are to be held nt T.vtb to-night -m -the respective schools,, fojf the purpose of * electing school commft'tees: Kaiti, Muriwai, and: Makaraka. The follbwing have been added 'to' the tchphone exchange: 373 M. McLeod's reidenee-, Mangapapa; 567* J. Tovvnley's. residence, Peel street ; 568 Alhambra Glib, Gladstone road. Deleted: 373 M. H ri'gston. • - f A. plain and fancy dress ball is to be hit kJ at. Rakauroa on- July "30th. f Two benutifu ltrophies have been* selected — or b for the best lady's fancy dress, and other for the best gentleman's dress. G|veri a fair night, the ball is expected to be a very great success. • jffhe Government has decided - ' thatj w 1 lerc* m the secondary department of a. high school a.* course of agricultural in 3'tr uction approved by the, Minister; is ita ken regularly by. not less than ten, pi pils for not less than- twenty hours' -Veek regularly throughout the; schopl year, a payment .--not •exceeding £5 10s per annum may be made on account ot each pupil -w-ho has- regularly attended the classes included, m such course/. .jib' is pleasing to hear of the success of another : Gisborne bojpf m England. A^- - Frank" DeLaiitour, who is a student at Faraday House, a well -know-o> electrical college m London, has done remarkably well m fais- fli-sfc year's studies. In the year's final pass list (22 subjects) he' has obtained 17 first .places and five second,' which places him easily dux with firstclass honors and medial. The course of work taken was electrical engineering, mechanical drawing, theoretical physics, arid electric technology, prafctic-ali physics m \vorksliop chemistry .and mathematics.

An. unusual accident occurred m the Christchurch .municipal yards on Friday. While some City Council employes were dipping one of the large pipes being used m connection with theYhighf pressure water supply into boiling tar, the block and tackle gave way, precipitating tj-te pipe into the tar, Which immediately Caught fir,_ from the flames underneath the vat. fThe alarm was raised^ .and the motor chemical from the fire brigade station "' turned out_ the bjaze being speedily extinguished. Two of the Council employes were severely burned By being spbshed with boiling tar. :

Mar W. D S. Mac Donald, M.P.y has received the following communication from they Prime Minister -i "Be 3toanua l'oatl formation, referring to your letter to me of 23rd March, enclosing a commmiication from Messrs Thomas and! Evans, of Makauri, m regard to^ access to their lands, I find upon, enquiry that the matter has now been taken m hand' by the Roads Department. Oiie piu ty of workmen lias been forming the road to Messrs Thomas and Evans' section ,-f or some little time, and two more parties of four men each will join .them next week, and, probably a- third, party a little later, ahd the work .will be pushed on as speedily as circumstances will permit." From India. Madame Melba has veceivv ed a unique offer for a series of twelve concerto to be given iv the priydte palaces &f as many native princes. The terms of remuneration aae left for the singer to name, and 1)0 conditions are imposed hs to programme . or assisting artistsY It'will. he recalled, that when Melba first visited Russia and Austria, it was mi the direct personal 'invitation of , the Emperor of Russia and the Emperor of Austria respectively; but e*yen there unusual engagements weee not.'-vdr-ried ouj> inYsucli a spirit of princely chivalry as l is. associated; with these Indian concerts, where the audience will be. the invited! guests of tha maharajahs. Madamer Melba will fulfil thb contract oil her way Homo from* Australia,, or early the following winter, ■ „( : VY -There 'is on .■"■ View at Mr 1 William Miller's a handsome shield, made .'front New Zealand' woods, and presented by" Mv F. Hall, for competition among the local companies of public school cadets for shooting, tlie conditions being : The seven best shots from each, company to compete, and the team scoring the highest aggregate* to hold 1 the shield* for < one year; the highest individual scorei* m thei competition to receive « medal, preFentixf by Messrs Speight and Co., of Dunedin. The shield is made' of rimu, With a. beautiful block , of kauri m. the centre. It was ' designed by Mr J. B. Leydon, T whilst Messrs S.; McLernon -and Son added .' the silver f'deconitions. , At the top. of the shield are two pretttiyengcaved fern leaves, -whilst around the skle-*** are a number of little silver plates ■for the names of the winners. For. d r uiijcehness, a anan named *,Cii_s^ Wilson was' convicted at the Police Court this morning, before Mr W. A. Barton.-' S.M., and finc-d 10s and costs 2s, inYplefault 48 hours' imprisonment. Upon a similar charge, John Hamilton was' fined 4 108 and .costs 2s, m default <Aß haurs' hard labor. , 'Accused was further charged with procuring liquor during the cur f\ rency of a prohibition order. *Mr J.R. Kirk, appeared on behalf of accused, and said that Hamilton had observed the order very well for the last five months. Counsel said he did not appear for accused, but on behalf of his wifeywho would suffer if- a penalty was inflicted. Mr Kirk appealed to l_u_ Worship to consider the wife and take a lenietit view of. the case. His Worship said he would adopt the same course as he, had done m several other cases,' with good, results, and, he fbouiid accused/over iri the sum of £5 to come up for sentence when called upon. ' ,\ .. ; i One of Wellington 'fc oldest tettlers^ Mr James McDowell, has related a very interesting reminiscence to the Poet, brought to his memory by the fire at Oriental Bay. Long ago, when he was preparing, to plant some, flowers xound his desidence at the bay, he dug up m the virgin soil two antiquated cannon balls. He had them cleaned and p'linted, . and placed on the front verandah as curiosities., „.Fo_> a 'long time he could- obtain no clue, as> tfti iWhy the cannon bails should have*- heeh found there, but happening to ■read' a volume of Sir George Grey ho found a solution, to the mystery. In 1827 the crew of a boat belonging to a whaler was captured,' killed and eaten by some of the natives on the shores of Wellington harbor. "A warship wasf despatched from Sydney to. punish the perpetrators. At that time the hills round' tho harbor were clothed with dense forest, and 'oh 1 ; arrival, of tlie man qf war, the Maori population m the various pas took to the woods. The pas were cannonaded, and for- three days cannon-shots were fired into tlie bush where the natives lay bidden.

Mr H. W. Lucy, whose opportunities of obtaining information .'are better than those of most .journalists,- wrote m the London -Observer a few weefcsi fback .:—- --"In due time it will appear ''that 'the demand — 'We want eight, and we won't wait' will .be ,cojicMlad. m its. fullest comprehension. V We#shall have eight Dreadnoughts, and the. necessary provision will be made, within the current financial year. .While V 'W'iUt the natural impulse to save 'one's face, , to 'which even *Priiid.c* Ministers are . siibjected k * Mr Asquith is tuit likely to depaa't fronf)* the] formula adopted wlwii the navy estimates were, introducetl-^a formula reiterated in' debate on tho vote of censure— the thing wilt be done. What he' has -said he has said. But while the letter remains, the spirit has. been quickened It will not he necessary- — indeed, it is practically impossibleT-before July to take actual steps for the building of the four conditional ships. Tlie country may draw comfort from the fact that the eight ships will be built m. time-- to take their place m the fleet as it floats m the year 1911. Before the session closes, the House, of Commons will be asked to provide means* for pushing forward the work of building the four conditional ships whose addition; to the navy it has already authorised, though, m deference to the views of a section of the Ministerial .party, it has been thought diplomatic to abstain from fixing' an-- actual date for laying them down."

Successful attempts have been made to lessen the noise made by-.the-Wel-lington electric tramcars. ,' Correspondence is forbidden to f be sent from New Zealand to the Burmaok Company, Toronto, and the Canadian Collector Publishing Company, Toronto* , / . A West Coast sawmiller. informed -th© Timber Commission that tlie fiTeightfon timber from Greymouth to WelSngton was the same as from Vancouver to Wellington. He admitted that the Union Com puny was* on a, different footling with respect to wages rthan,* wei*e ship-owner- who were m the *yanc©Uv-i_-New Zealand trade. , . "•, - Sp*e<tking. at Reefloiif on' "the Hfead•knight offer, "■ the Hon . J. A. ifcilar •said: 'Tt had been said that' C^tbih-t, had acted unconstitutionally, and -perhaps they had. • The HouSe was •botiijd to; carry -out* Avhat *ttib_iiGt had. done, and if the House was' dii«sa' i ti*s_€d,-'-ttte QpvernmiJnt Avas.. prepared to go r-'W the .country; on the question, ' wli-roe ver $>\\9y, liked.p- Those who prated so, YmfyJnf about action of the Governmeiit would have their chance when Parliament met,,,andi;if they were , (looking for fight they would get all they wanted." , ; „ ,', '-.'.-.". ' :■''■' * A» "SDUth. Canterbury farmer, weji**■knowrj. for his -oratorical* ability, hgs.just received an" offer from a phiWthropi^t; m the Dominion of £1 per day and; expenses to stump the . *co^ntry, agaihftt trusts, aiid combines,, porUciJiWiy/; thp*§e dealing- with the aieoe v sfsnries .of- lif*& Speaking to a- Timaru Herald repprcf'f on the subject of the offer, he saidin^t if the directors, of. the., Milters'. Asftofciiv tion. knew the bombshell he , cot^di;: /ek***' plode among them. they would shak**f- jji their shoes . for fear .of the • "w'f&tliYio come. The offer is still under '< c-on- , sideratioh. ' ■Tlie advantage of ;the. telephone Yin country districts was ' exemplified Y_e/ir ' Kawhia the other evening. One of>-the settlers (Mr J. Allen), eorinected • with the Waimai circuit, had received an im- . portaht communication m f .- regard * -.■.-to 6tock Bales, whicli was to be placed before a public .meeting, of ■settlers.' A^,.(i feply was Manted immediately, Mr,. Al l ( ?h rang up every house m < the eoimeetiprt, and arranged-, a ''telepboijip" meeting. At th-a appointod time the settlers ,^rif r t at: the 'phpives^ and tlie mazier Yf'waa. thoroughly:. idiscussed, . the. meet jng, • yevminating t>y <a vote of thanks bei-(ig.,pa_--ed to Mr Alien. ; .-'-.. ; .- - \ V

In' commending the . -Auckland Society of Arte on its eh*couragenlient -of New ..Zealan.d^pairitirig-s, at the owning •■df.-'yie art exhibtion last we_k, X<oVd Plui^t remarked (soys the Star) upon . haViiig noticedi at many of the exhibitions ', whfiyh he had visited m .the < '-''.D6nii'-ion''>.'loat':' some of four artists, who. had 'been ; iti Europe were inclinied to the production of pictures, of foreign sdeiieSY Theseyfio doubt, ' looked', very . . pretty , .especially when they were taken from the sunny psirts of S_iit*hern 'ltaly,;, -b|it. ; :h^..;cibiuld ii not understand tlie .preference oyer loejU scenery m, a : country which is one.of, the most, beautiful m the world*. y V ' • A writer; m the ' New Zealand Herald stat*^ ' that the congregation* ittyoue. of the leading Anglican -churches p hi Auckland was alarmed one Sunday --recently, during the- sermon^ lo «cc a lady, after hesitating for a* little .while, lean, backward) with, 'olase-d eyes ami pallid face., "Fainted j" whispered -.■''■■ tfte Worshippers to one another, and tlvp, gentlemen came -swiftly to j the nescpe. With a skill and confidence^ that indicated the -useleasness v of conipilil-jfoi'y tr.ai.4*mg m the art of transporting, fainting ladies, they lifted her between', thent >flh a- , had her well away Awards i the vestry when.' tho lady —woke up. *|pjie , congregation, the writer says, become 'apoplectic. , _ ' ry -„ • ',•.', . f ... „,;' When (a contemnm-ar^ as|rs) will the Legislature "' come aowfi Yhard 'upon 'the jeriw-built house? Mr Alexander C&mp Mil, builder, Wellington, who. is an tUtyOcate of ' free imiwt-tiony of Oregon pine, says it: is much clieaperf and better to work -than'*; native timbers] "for house.* building. If any* more btkrden W^re placed upon fit it^ would ■Mrijtnisly, inter fere ,-ttrith the building ti^de m Wei* lirigtoli. '.*"■ It was used' m tim place bf kauri,, which haa, become tool expensivo 0.8. rimii twisted too muchy *H«;Ynaa nfjb a stiick of Oregon, pine jcohdemned by tk , c|erk of works. "| c&tilv slibw *you bhildings m Wellihgton-^hj^tses puHt of red pine and matai. They "Were built five years ago," said Mr Campbell^ "and these houses are rotten. You| can; put a pen -knife through the boards.' '■■'*■•:

Asked) how the values of properties m and around Wellington were keeping up at, the* present tinie, Mr Ames, city valuer, said that he did not think land on Lambton* Quay could, tie bought cheaper now than three VeqrJ*. ago. "Of course," he said,f -T am -Ip 6^' ll^ '-&' the, business portion ;o,f the city ■■wh^h^'l talk of values keeping up. i't'heje has been a drop, m pi*ic*^s put,sidfc the 6ity,in„tho outlyink : ?dbprbs. At ,_sl*ind Bay thi* drop is. much rtbte noticeable .than ejwwher^. Landan tjhAtsiibiirb, which, could have been , spld ; for dBIO a. foot two or three yearjj-t agp.v'c^rt be obtained, for £7, nowi or f <e yen, )esfs. Hataitai has also .'gone ba 9k, , by t not Ho the same , -exten- as Isjand , Bay, ;■ Keflnurne >hiing« on all right, bufj yer^iew Sales aref taking place (it present." Vf;

■'Politics are now m. a transUgoil stage,", said MV Allen Bell, provimcial president of the Farmers' Union) clih'mg a dSscussioili at'th© coftfpreiiice ,qn the question, of the', formation of 4 farttwrs' pol-itical party. , Y'The; twof v pr*esent parties," he went on to say , '|may cea__ to ejtist; A great middle liarty; js now m process of formation, and this pnfrty, I am convinced, willvnot be r compoeed: of' the farmets alone, but of t^e moderate member's of the community/ m both the oduntay and the towns. Thing* ai'e working aii that 'direction ; .as »i\rj& ac the day follows the nighf, -. Ui-ia- -is going to come ab6ut> That great- party i 4 not yet organised," he , *od*ded, "but when its members are banded together you will find that they are -the people who are -going to hold the ;f reins of government m, this country." * : | ..

Under the heading of "Mob Rule" the Marlborough Express remarks : ''The question requires To 'be serioupy .asked whether Bleriheim is to be ;uri;j)er .larrikin rule, or whether, the police really intend \o preserve order m the town*?''' It appears tliere had peen, some, disgraceful conduct, at a Chinaman's Sliop..; Tho Express article concludes : "Howfisyit that organised bands of larrikins ''dfte to go to the lengths they dp? The ijh-deairn-bles ih this s^nall .community' should bo thoroughly well-known '"to efficient police officers, and should .be kept _o strictly under control that they would , not be able either to h&ng about the streets' m groups and insult every woman, who passes them, or, ••■in their more pot valiant moments, unite their f oixjes i ito "wreck a Chinamai-t's shop. If thef police will not protect peaceable residents^ the latter will prpb-' ably take steps to protect themselves. Perhaps the most effective protection would, be for the Fire Brigade to* play the hose upon a band of hooligans when engaged m creating a disturbance. ■ It would quickly disperse ,them, while -a wash would do them no harm." 'At Palmeiston North the*' judjge went on to i-efer' to the institution! Of the grand jury, and said personally he did not regard it as, superfluous. * 'It -might Often appear to. bo such because we have long been accust-*m*ed to times of peace, free front stress and "trouble. Aci rcum •'. stance I regai*dl as •Mgnaficant m the maintenance of .grand juries is that the United States one and all havo, retained the ■institution, to safe, guard tn&: interfests of individuals." Where *a.j6o_ntry was. under stable government aii4 wtore peaceful' institutions wefo m full ! swing, there was perhaps little necessity | for the grand jury to ; inti&rfere betw**n< the Crown- and the subject , but it was one of the oldest *securitim foir iibertV whioiil. I thef English nation had institute^ m the earliest *timesr-^-xnd< instituted Avith. good | reason-7<igain«t tlie time wKe^Vit! n_ght: bo ■ found necessary., His' -Horiori there fore asked, the gentlemen assembled not to consider, it a,. nai'tJahip ;th}Vt',ihey Ve?e • withdrawn from, their, ordinary .avoua- . tions to attends 'T am Jjej'lectlyf/'^H aware that it has -been- said that, seeing, we. have capable .Magistrates and] other ofliciails, befpre whom case* can be t-riet^ tbe grand jury is unnecessary, but I -am not one oi those who hold tliat view, and I hope tliat d ! ay is still far, distant when Government ofliciaJs. ar©.. t,o be.substituted for these ancient tribunals."

The Hokitika railway bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic m consequence l of'the local bodies refusing to pay £25 per annum towards the cost of its'-main-tehance. Mr Harry Somerset arrived by the Waikare yesterday afternoon to complete arrangements for the opening of the "Laughing Gallery m Oisborne: The location and date of opening will be advertised m to-morrow's issue. Messrs J. .md W. Jamieson, contractors, Christchurch. who constructed the Exhibition buildings, are the sue-ces-ful tenderers for the Auckland post office contract. The amount of their tender is m the vicinity qf £90.000. The Maoriland Steam Ship Company reported to the Auckland Harbor Boa,rd that" the cost, of repairing the damage done to the s.s. Lauderdale whilst being towed by the board's tug was £1074 The company asked whether there was any likelihood of ni_ amicable settlement The' letter was referred to tlie board m •committee/the solicitors to be consulted m, the meantime., , V . . Parasitic diseases Jhat affect tlie products of the fields • and orcltards < (says an Ashburton paper) appear to beyearly'onYthe increase, despite the vigilapce of i the Department of Agriculture. Recently; Mr Urqiihart, of Hampstend, di^Vered that his f rait trees were cOvfe-^d with tt species pf scaly aphis the-* size of butter beans. , This is f*ho first -"occasion on which he has noticed the insects m the district, though he has -had a great deal to do with orchards m. the country. In speaking of the importance of soil survey at' the 'Eketahima banquet Mr J. GY "Wilson, directed the attention of the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, to this important work. He referred to the report on the subject of the Chief Chemist of the departments A striking fact, said Mr Wilson* the analyses prepared .by Mr Aston , went to show was that the soil of New Zealand; was very jriueh., wanting m phosphorus, 'and this fact had never -been strikingly brought out before. There was. also an absence of nitrogen, which « he- had expected to see. It was most important that they should have these analyses .of.* the soil continued and a •coiJipiete soil 'survey .of the Dominion carried out. Of course, , they knew hpjv to deal with the land, . but. they did; not • know, ■ exactly what manure tio ein'plby m order to get the best result. * , While workmen were engaged boring near , Cbnlodoro Rivadavia m the south of Patagonia, and had 'reached a depth * of about 1700 feet, an enormous, volume of gaseous liquid and earth burst forth, reaching to a,' height o f . 150 metres. When the rubbish came down again it destroyed the- boring tower and rendered the machinery useless. For a time nobody would go -within twenty metres of the -.spot, asyit.j appeared to be m the proximity of, a yojcano. Petroleum was discovered . m thia, -neighborhood about two years ago, and this evidence of another vein being struck at a distance nf^bput 500 . metres from the first has caused must rejoicing iii the district. According to the chief mining engineer, Mr Quarteno, the phenomenon gives , every assurance of an unlimited deposit of wealth, as after twenty metres (cubic) of water had been pumped out the petroleum rose with great force. The petrb- , leuni extracted will be Used for locomotives of the Patagonian railways and* m the steamers and workshops of the State. The oil will be kept m large , y tanks. It is intended to sell by public tender lots of 1000 square metres m the petroleum zone, reserving one lot for the State,