STATE ACCIDENT INSURANCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9714, 11 April 1899, Page 2

STATE ACCIDENT INSURANCE.

Thk Trades and Labour Conference lias adopted a motion urging the Premier to pass a Government Vccidonls Insnrsiicj Dill as an addition to the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Bill. The Lyltclton Times points out that there is liltlo prospect of the latter measure boin<r placed upon the Statute Book until j employers arc'provided with some ready means by which they can protect themselves against the consequences of a serious disaster. The Legislature will very natnrally hesitate to saddle a large section of the community with a responsibility which might, in the absence of an adequate system of insurance, prove to bo beyond their ability to bear. The Times entirely approves of the pnin-ipl<>s of the compensation for Accidents Bui. but at the same time realises that it cannot bo carried into effect without placine r, new burden upon the employers of labour. The Times continues:— '-It, is of the first importance to the workman

thomselves. thflfc this burden should be ;nrtd6 as light aa possible by being distributed over tho whole field of industry. This is the object of the Accident Insurance Bill.- It .would' enable tile Government to n-fford iwi employer the same protection 111 tercet to Ul6 lives and limbs of Ilia Workmen as lip >io> obtains from tho fir&lnfmipinSe CiilhlMriies in rested; W his Buildings and plant. The Abjection that it is not the duty of the State to provide employeTSVitli facilities for, guarding themselves against ruinous claims for compensation is extromely shallow. It is of quite as much_ consequenco to tho mon as it is to their mastorn thrtt the latter should bo placed in a position to pity Any compensation for which they huly become liable j and if private enterprise do?s nflt jWovide tt?m with the iieiMsarY hlEUrance, itia clc.. .ly tllO auiy of tho Stab to do so,. But, quite apart from auk obligatioit of this kind, accident inWaiicp >9 v Uufeiness which might Very, well be undertaken by the Govcmpient. It would add but little to tho cost of Hie present Life Insurance Department, and jy.ould (It, once yield a cons\dorablftirPvpnUOi 'AUogether it -offeM i iiio'st promising field for the beneficent application of State co-opera-tion.

The usual monthly mepting oi the Boroudi tVilnril Vvill lie hold to-morrow oV'cmng in placo of this evening. Gencrni Booth's birthday yesterday vas the subject of great rejoicing in the Salvationist ranks in Sydney. A Paris cable states that a dastardly letter was Bout to M. Loubot (Premier) threatening to blow up lii» mother's reBlttencOt On Sllnday indrninp, at Wnitekauri, Alkiiisom plumbcri was burned out. His stock aud fools were insured for £200 in t,ho Madgeburg office. ,Tke building wbb owned by Patterson; of the Thames. Tho rcßijhmt[dn .ttf % D. Blair as director of IHe Tpehnical School was accepted by tho Education Board lnst evening, tho three months' notice given to date from 10th April., Tho fact, that the Bdard of Governors of the Girl's Collqgc to-day decided to erect further, additions to the building at a cost Qf about £300 is proof enough of tho great success of the institution. A committeo meeting of tlioWanganui A. and P. Association is to be held at Messrs F,. 11. Jackson and Co.'s rooms at 2.30 to-morrow (Wednesday) aftornooii. According to the Mataura Ensign, it is stated by authorities that 20 dredges will bo working in the Waimumu Valley in tho cours'o of a couple of years, and it i) predicted that many of the dredges v. ill bo operated by eloctricity generated at the Mataura Falls. In tho District Court, in Chambers, yesterday, before Mr C. t). Kettle, District Registrar, ill rH Anthony Slullins, deceased) (in illC motion of Mr Lloyd, probate was gnjnlecl to tiregory Mullins and John Kdachc, two of tho cxccuflirs named in the will. Date of will, 18th February, 1899; dato of death, 21st March, 1809. Tho Gun Club match, at Blenheim yesterday was firod in fine Weather. There 'vi ro '32 «liootisla. The match resulted in fivo ties. J. RcdWoddand 11. Ecclcs (Bldnllcim^wllo allot rtino birds with their fii'Bt Tiarrcl, Haniian (Kaikoura), I'!annlff4il, and RiriiardsOn (Wellington). Tliej 1 divided JJIoO. A subsequent sweepstake of ,£il was won by C. Chavnnnes (Wanganui), who was run up to 22 birds by &. Checsemnu (Blenheim). Tho Feildirig Star says lliat on Sat lrday mdrningi its the ddwn train froiu Wanganui was ascending the hill between Kakariki and Haluombe, the load proved too heavy; and^radually brought tho train td a standstill. Tlie engine took a portion of the load to Halcombc and leturned for the remainder, when tho journey was resumed, tho train thus reaching Foilding about 40 minutes late. Tho following 'inquiries for missing lriends in Now Zealand are from Lloyd's Weekly of February 26 — Stephen Oxenlmm and his brothers wore last known to bo in Auckland. Sister Phillipa asks. Mary Ann Askew is Bought by her mother, who has only heard from her twico in 20 years. She is in Canterbury. Mary Ann Bridley, loft Plymouth about 1868 for Australia or Now Zealand. Her (.hild, who was left with Mrs McCarthy, enquiros. , Iho Marlborongh, Southland, North Canterbury, Houlh Canterbury, Wellington, Taranaki, Nelson, and Otago Education Boardß havfe replied to tho circular issued by tho Wanganui Education Board, agrcoiag to tho suggestion to ' hold a conference of Education Boards at Wellington. The Auckland aud Wcstland Boards do not agree with tho proposal. Messrs Bridge, Spurdle, Pirani, and Robbins were to-day appointed n committee by the local Board to draw up a syllabus of subjects yroposed to bo discussed. The exceptionally One weather we have lately had has allowed tho use of a quantity of boots and shoos, that, try any stretch of imagination, could not bo called watertight. Tho weather last wook tni proved this beyond doubt to many of the wearers, and their minds are now bont on getting a fresh pair. It will bo seen by a glaoco at our advertising columns that J. Thorp has a grand lot of now goods to hand especially suited to tho wet weather, light and strong and good material guaranteed throughout, At a committee meeting of the Wangal'lii and, West Coast Cycling Club last evening Mr W. It. Remington was unanimously elected acting-secretary, to act in conjunction with Mr H. R. Woon, "•i ho has removed to Mnrton. A circular was read from the Pioneer Cycling Club asking for tho support of the Club with referenco to the suggested alteration in tho definition of an amateur in the Leaguo rules. After considerable discussion it was decided to oppose any alteration, and the secretary was instructed to write to tho club's delegate to that effect. Owing to tho recently established cooking classes not being tho success the Education Board anticipated, it was decided this mornivg by the Board to give Miss Murphy, the capable instructress, three months' notice of the 'termination of her 'engagement. Messrs Baker and Spurdle opposed the motion. Tho latter pointed out that tho classes had only been established ono # quarter, nnd he considered that they had not received o fair trial. Tho classes had been started under somewhat difficult conditions. The Girls' School was not conveniently'situated, and furthermore the appliances there were not as , convenient as they could bo if a properly appointed room wero utilised for the purpose, at, say, the Technical School. Tho children's classes were attended by some 40 pupils, but adults could not be expected to put up with tho" inconveniences at the Girls' School. The Board, he said, were taking a. retrograde step, and were acting without giving the classes a fair trial. Last night Mrs Harrison-Loo gave her lecture, "Wedding Bells," in the Oddfellows' Hall, which was packed to overflowing long boforc tho time advertised, forma having to be brought in from other p^lacasjto supplement tlio sitting accommodation. Mrs Leo read the colebrated descripton of a model wife as given in tho last chapter of the Book of Proverbs, commenting upon it in a racy manner as sho went along. 'Afterwards, in her lecture, she dealt in a humourous and telling manner with the subject of married life, showing how ignorance on tho part of the young wife, or thoughtlessness on the part of the husband may wreck a life which might otherwise be happy. Sho urged mothers to commence the training of their girl's at a very early age, and their boys earlier still ; and sho impressed upon young married folks the desirability of keeping up the kindness and the winning manners of courting time, even after that time had passed away. Mrh Loo warned young couples nf Romo of the rocks on which they would be likply to wreck their conjugal happiness, and suggested that they should keep away from these things as the mariner gives the rocks and shoals laid down on his chart a wide berth. The rocks mentioned were— Debt, Carelessness of Bach Other, Fault-finding, and Drink. The principles were illustrated by the lecturer in an interesting manner by apt anecdotes, and tho address was listened to with the closest attention, and frequently applauded. G.C arson, Esci., M.H.R., occupied the chair, and Missep Spurdle and Blair and Mr A.. M'Farlane contributed songs in the course of the evening. Mrs Lee's mission in Wanganui terminates this evening, when sho will deliver an address in the Oddfellows' Hall at 8 p.m., on Mountains to Move." The Rev. J- Bond wi I be in the chair, and there will be a collection to defray expenses.

A lad named Victor Hughes, who went shooting at Karori (Wellington) on Sunday, is miesing, A PreSß mts from Weijingtdn sliitga thac Messrs C&rfflidh'ael aha Sdri'B teMSr for tho Bank df Nety ZialrtHd p'rdinlsea llita been accep'tedi Tlia amount was £22,310; A first offender was before the Court this morning on a charge cf being found drunk yestorday evening, and a conviction being recorded, he was ordered to oome up for bentense when called upon. The Conference oE Dairy Graders met at Wellington this morning. It was attended by five graders and Mr Ruddiok, Government Expet'ti The only question for discussion Is a Uniform system of grading for the co'onyi , The ease of I*. tiUndoh (ftf t : Marshall) V. Liffiton and Niiolj {W liftrnibdat), blnihi £22 13s 4d, cottoiriisslon claimed In cohnefc tion with the salo of tlie Nntlian Estate by defendants, occupied tHe attention bf^tho Magistrate's Court all yesterday af terh'oon. The case was ddjoiirhra fdt tirgdrriSul;. We direct attention to an advertisement in another column from Messrs 3. Paul and Co. that should prove of particular interest to our readers. The firm have just opened up, diroot from Home, special lines of BergOß, millinery, children's costumes, underclothing, etc., which are being offored at particularly low prices. Captain Rough, formerly of Nelson md harbourmaster of Auckland, but now ■if Bournemouth, England, being desirous of doing something for the good of Auckland, gives .£SOO for rolicf of indigent persons suffering froni j iiKMruble diseases, eitbtir towards tin institution with that object dr tlio ereclioh of a tjcparatd want at the hospital 1 It was very difficult at Hint's (hiring the hearing of tlio Chinese' Case ,t()-day tj elicit ovideneo from sdnie of t'hß CcIcntials, whose apj)aiviit ignOrojiicd of words in the European tongub led to a round-about metlidd df gaining the rfcfiuircd information.. 'One alniond-cy'ed cliild-like-and-bland-iookine wltneßß,prt>fesscd that ho i could hot undorntand what waa being, said to hijn witlldut the aid of an interpreter: „ "What," said tlio Magistrate, "do you, not itnderstan English?" The Chiuanian, who had been languidly viewing the omoko from Iho expired lucifer, immediately turned towards the Bench, and, in unmistakeable emphatically replied ' No." At n meeting of the Board of Governors of the' Girls' College this morning, tho Chairman (Mr Bridge) Baid ho had been interesting himself 111 the matter of protection against fire at the Girls' College He had .ißked Captain Powell, of the Wauganui Fire Brigade, and his officers to inspect the College and make any suggestions they considered noccßsary. A report wits tmtd from Captain Powell, stating that lie iind his OflU'ers had matlcs Uio inspfectidn of the Girls' College last week, dm! they rficOmineudcd, amongst other things, that canvas shoots should be placed in various parts of the building, that two ladders of sufficient length to reach the upstairs windows should be procured J that boso should alwayß bo attached to the tapE in tho downstairs portion of the building, and further taps 'placed in the passages; that gas should be kept burning all night in the upstairs passages; that tho College should be Connected by an oloctric fire alarm with the house occupied by 'Foreman Kitchen, who Hvtiß within a short distance of the College, nnd that a system Of fird drill shottld at once bo instituted dmongst the teachers and scholars. The officers of the Brigade would undertoko tlie preliminary drills, and give their best attention to make them a success, It was decided to tbaiik Captain Powell and the Brigrtde officerE for their report iind kind bfler. The Building Committee wero depiltcd td at onco do what was necessary, tho remainder of the report bein^ referred to the Chairman and Mrjlobbins to report on.