The Star. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER. 27, 1898. NOTES AND NOTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6305, 27 September 1898, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER. 27, 1898. NOTES AND NOTIONS.

Pa rliam en'ary' proceedings continue to be eminently unsatisfactory. True, the stonewalling of the Old Age Pensions Bill seems to have been practically dropped, the Public Works Estimates are to be brought down forthwith, .and opportunity is to be afforded at an early date for the consideration of various private Bills. But an ominous note was sounded at the meeting of the Government party yesterday. Por more than three months members have been sitting, and to discover what practical work they have done would be pretty much like searching for the needle in the' bundle of hay. And now they are getting sick of "work ; they want '.So get away to their homes and the leisurely enjoyment of their honorariums, and to this end they would unhesitatingly repeat-, the " dropped Bills" procedure of former sessions. This is altogether .bad in urinciple. It naturally produces the impression that members generally care precious little about the interests of particular districts or communit:es, or about the general advancement of the country. Why should they not go on steadily with their work on the eight-hour day principle, remaining in Wellington until they have accomplished what they were called together to do. Failing this, the outcome will be another comparatively barren session, and. the deepening of a conviction in the minds of many people that the Liberal party is not as powerful for ; good as. it ought to be. Much, of course, must depend on the attitude of the Premier, and we hope to have the 'satisfaction of ! seeing him sticking to his guns." si As our readers will be aware, auction : sales of uncuwmcQ ■projiertv ••*•« Periodically held by the Police Department at the various district stations. This year the sales will take place at noon on Saturday, Oct. 10. It is curious to note the variety of the articles that get into the possession of. the police, and it would be far more curious if their history could be traced. Here is the list, as gazetted with official . brevity: — Auckland— Two coats, doublebarrelled gun, bracelet and sundries. Napier—bmall gold brooch, mackintosh coat and purse New Plymouth— Revolver, tent and sundries. Umbrella Waterbury watch, blue overcoat, box of clothes and sundries. Blenheim-Saddle and stirrups, silver Geneva watch and steel cham. Chnstchurch— Silver lever hunting watch, two metal watches, gold brooch, gold Tine, gold pm, two bicycles, singlebarrelled gun and sundries. Dunedin— Three boas, revolver, five umbrellas and

sundries. v • Inyercargill— Three 'tiroochos, .-' parcel of dress material, rug and sundries. When three children— the eldest a girl aged thirteen years— were before the Wellington Magistrate's Court with a view to being committed to an industrial school, it was stated in evidence that the mother belonged to that class known as "unfortunates," and waa quite incapawe of properly looking after her offspring. A constable stated that ue had found the eldest girl in a disreputable Chinese den, where she had been taken by a woman of tlie same class as the oDiitir, and he had at once removed her. Air Jeliicos, who to be in Court, pointed out that the girl was under the age of consent, and commented scathingly on the low moral tone of certain Chinese in the city, who induced little girls of this description to go to- their places in return for a few coppers, apples of lollies. He asked the ivlagistrate to recommend that full inquiry should ue made with the object of prosecuting these Chinamen, as that was tlhe only way of putting down this sort of tiling. SergeantMajor Mason, who conducted the case, said j the police were quite capable of acting without unsought advice. Every inquiry had Jbeen made in this as in other instances, and were there any grounds for prosecuting ifc would have been done at once. As it was, the girl had only been in the den less than half an hour when the constable arrived, and tfiere was no evidence of any criminal assault. The Magistrate remarked that he had no power whatever to instruct the police, but He would s]>eak to Inspector Pender privately on the subject. It cannot be too widely known that at eight o'clock to-morrow night, Professor Bickerton will commence— in the chemicul lecture theatre at Canterbury College — : i course of six lectures on "Recent Experimental Science.". These will embrace chemistry, telegraphy, energy, illuminante, photo, graphy and spectra, and they cannot fail to convey a very large amount of information , in an exceedingly interesting shape. It> cannot be said, that a fee of half-u-crown for. the course is deterrent, and it is much to be hoped that the attendances, particularly on the part of young people, will" be so large as to demonstrate to the Board of Governors a high appreciation of educational value on the part of the general public. We should like to see a really systematic effort mads to popularise the College by means of other courses of lectures by other professors. Geology, botany, literature, etc., might be, laid under contribution, and in this way great "and lasting good might be accomplished. ■