IN THE DOMINION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 26, 24 June 1908, Page 5

IN THE DOMINION.

The winter has opened pretty severely in the Gisborne district, where there was a fall of snow last week.

The Wellington College branch of the Navy League has now 270 members. It is the largest school branch in the world. Last month, of 5302 cwt of butter exported from this country, Taranaki’s share was nearly three-fourths of the total.

Wanganui Chamber of Commerce is asking for an express railway service between Wanganui and Wellington when the Main Trunk line is opened. The Prime Minister, in his speech at Te Kuiti on June 17, indicated that the public accounts would in future be audited after payment, instead of before.

The Minister for Public Works has promised the Paparoa Coal Mining Company to open the Blackball railway very early next year. The Waimarama land recently acquired by the Government from the native owners, is now under survey, and will be leauy for settlement early in the new year.

A conference of delegates from local bodies on June 17 decided in favour of the Auckland Harbour Board taking over control of the Manukau Harbour and adjacent ports. Forty assisted immigrants mostly farmers and domestic servants, are coming to New Zealand by the s.s. Fifeshire, due here next month. They are bringing capital varying from £2OO to £25 each.

There are 228 artisans and 2933 labourers at present employed on co-oper-ative works by the Public Works Department, and 2863 labourers employed the Roads Department.

Two thousand four hundred tins of American salmon were seized and condemned by the authorities at Dunedin last week. The bulk of the consignment was in very bad order, and was destroyed within a few hours of seizure.

At a meeting of the Hawse’s Bay Fruitgrowers’Association at Hastings on Saturday it was resolved to endeavour to make arrangements for a few trial shipments of apples to the Old Country, via Tasmania.

In Wellington for some time past there has been a crazy individual whose peculiar mania is to mix with crowds and cut up ladies’ cloaks and dresses on those occasions when they assemble close enough to obscure the operations. Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, has declined the position of chairman of the Special Tramway Conciliation Board, which is to deal with matters in dispute in Auckland, on account of the near approach of the session and the pressure of his Ministerial work.

There are no tidings of Samuel George Jones, labourer, aged 30, native of Tasmania, who has been missing from Seddonville since the 10th inst. Search parties have been out, but have been unable to find any trace of him. Jones has been about a year in New Zealand. The Government has determined to erect a bridge over the Mokau River, and a survey of the site and foundations has been ordered. The structure will be a swing bridge, and the largest in the Auckland and Taranaki districts, the River Mokau separating the two land districts.

While in England recently, Mi’ Watson Shennan, of Dunedin, purchased the oil painting, “The Meeting of Burns and Scott,” by Martin Hardie, R.S.A., which was catalogued at £6OO in the Exhibition of Christchurch. Mr Shennan has presented the picture to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. The directors of the New Zealand and River Plate Company have resolved to pay an interim dividend at the rate of 8 per cent per annum for the six months •from 31st October, 1907, to 30th April, 1908. The dividend on shares on the Colonial Register will be payable on the 3rd July, 1908.

In connection with the rumoured establishment by the Union Company of a training ship, about one hundred aplications have been already received from boys of the Dominion. The ship Dartford, which was suggested, has been chartered to proceed to Kaipara to load timber for Sydney

At a meeting of the Police Provident Board on June 18, annual pensions were granted as follows: Chief Detective Chrystal, Christchurch, £l4O, retiring medically unfit; Detective Henderson, Auckland, £164, retiring age limit; Constable C. Cooper, of Aramoho, £lOl, retiring medically unfit.

The executive of the Gisborne Farmers’ Union passed the following resolution: “That the union take a decided stand against the danger of the Socialistic movement, and urge members to oppose any Socialistic candidate.” Socialism was, a member added, the most dangerous thing they had to fight. The Roman Catholic body have purchased a large 17-roomed residence at Palmerston North for a Christian Brothers’ School. The headquarters of the

Christian Brothers are at Dublin, and the Australasian headquarters are at Sydney. The only other institution of the kind in New Zealand under the direction of the Christian Brothers is at Dunedin.

On June 22nd, a special service was held in St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Wellington, when a carved oak pulpit, which has been presented to St. Paul’s ProCathedral by Mrs R. J. Seddon, in memory of the late Premier, was dedicated. The pulpit bears the inscription, “To the glory of God, and in memory of Richard John Seddon. Born, 1845; died, 1906.” A deputation representing the Napier Boys’ High School waited on the Hon. J. A. Millar on June 19th, to secure his

co-operation in urging on the Government to erect a new school. The present building is a ramshackle structure, erected in 1872. It is inconvenient, and the accommodation is far too small to meet the growing requirements. The Minister promised to lay the matter before his colleague, the Minister for Education. The annual report of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company states that the revenue for the year from all sources was £140,451, compared with £132,364 for the previous year. After deducting all expenses chargeable to revenue and setting aside about £ 10,000 to meet depreciation, there remains a surplus of £291,722. Including the amount brought forward from last account, £3lOl, there is an available balance of £32.823.

A letter has been received by the City Council from Mr Jno. Marshall, stating that he has purchased from the Auckland Society of Arts an oil painting representing the departure of the Maoris from the South Sea Islands for New Zealand. Thinking that it would make a good companion to the picture in the Auckland gallery depicting the arrival of the Maoris, he is desirous of presenting it to the City- At the meeting of the Council on June 18th it was decided to accept the picture with thanks.

The Wellington Harbour Boarci is promoting an empowering bill to be submitted to Parliament during the coining session. Its objects are to enable the Board to purchase or take compulsorily the patent slip, and to purchase or take compulsorily land at Evans Bay for reclamation purposes, and to enable the Board* to borrow £ 1,000,000 for the above purposes, equipment of patent slip, installation of workshops, plant, and machinery in connection with graving docks and slips, construction of quays, extension of wharves, purchase of cranes, etc. Bank of New Zealand. The balance-sheet of the Bank of New Zealand for the year ending March 31 shows that, after providing for interest on guaranteed stock ( £40,000) and reduction of bank premises and furniture (£20,000) ,the balance of profit for the year is £309,922. To this has to be added £31,675 brought forward from last year, making £341,597. An interim dividend, absorbing £50,000, had been paid during the year, leaving available for distribution £291,597. This the directors propose to distribute as follows: In payment of a dividend of 2J per cent on preference shares, making 7J per cent for the year, £12,500; dividend of 5 per cent on ordinary shares, making 10 per cent for the year, £25,000; transfer to reserve, £200,000, making £450,000; and carrying forward £54,097.

New Steamer for the Dominion. The Union S.S. Company's new steamer Waitemata has arrived at Fremantle from London. The Waitemata has a large general cargo, and, after discharging, she proceeds to ’ Bunbury, where she will load up with hardwood for Southern New Zealand, making Dunedin her first port of call in the Dominion. The Waitemata is the latest addition to the Union Company’s fieet, having left the builders’ hands as recently as March, this being her maiden voyage. She is one of the Company’s largest cargo carriers, and her principal dimensions are: Length, 415 feet by 301 feet beam. She is designed to carry 8500 <ons dead weight on a draught of 24 feet 8 inches at a speed of 104 knots. The Premier on Arbitration and Strikes. Referring to the arbitration laws of New Zealand, Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of an address at Te Kuiti on June 17th, said that if some people believed it possible to carry on without a system which would militate against the abominable methods of ■having recourse to strikes, they did not know what they were advocating. By some it was believed that the Arbitration and Conciliation Act had been placed upon the Statute Book for the sole purpose of preventing strikes. How many of them were aware of the actual amount of sweating which once went on. The Act had not only aimed at the prevention of strikes, but at the general improvement of working conditions, so that such cases of miserable sweating might not continue to exist as was disclosed by the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the position some years ago. The manufacturers, amongst others, had gained great benefits, inasmuch as they were not now compelled to compete with the worst class of employers. They had heard a suggestion that the law should be repealed. He felt sure they were unanimous in the desire that the Act should not be repealed without the Government first being given the opportunity to perfect it.— This session, he hoped, the good sense of the House would be responsible for an improved and perfected system being put upon the Statute Book. The Infant Death Rate. In emphasising the humane aims and ideals of the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddou, as expressed in the legislation effected during his political career, Mr. T. K. Sidey, M.P., made special reference to the improvement realised in regard l to the infant death rate of New Zealand. A few years ago the rate was 89 per 1000; but it was now 62 per 1000. In England the infant death-rate was 132 per 1000, in Scotland 116, and 75 per 1000 in Ireland. The reduction in New Zealand showed that the “ humane legislation ” referred to was having a good effect. Abuse of the Hospitals. From a return presented to the Wellington Hospital Board, it appears that £16,000 is owing to the institution for fees incurred during the last 3 years, besides large amounts already written off. Most of the money will never be recovered. Notwithstanding this, one member of the Board pleaded for still greater extension of facilities to patients, especially those who required surgical operations. In reply, another member said the hospital was not large enough. A Prisoner's Strange Story. A prisoner who served a portion of his sentence at Dumgree Camp, Marlborough, states that he was one of the leading spirits in a campaign of persistent and systematic breaking of the rules of the camp. Ho had a number of grievances against the administration of prisons generally, and transgressed the rules in an endeavour to be brought beforc*the Court to state his case. He alleges that a section of the men had absolutely a free run of the place, although everybody was expected to keep within certain boundaries. As soon as things were fairly quiet in his cabin, he and his three mates would unscrew the lock of the door. Three would roam the country to their heart's content, the other man remaining in the cabin to refasten the lock in ease of a warder trying it at any time during the night. The officers, however, found out what was going on, and padlocked the

door, hut the prisoners still secured liberty by lilting one of the window frames. The inmates of other cabins adopted similar means of getting out into the open air. This man further states that the prisoners robbed station and rabbiters’ camps, stuck up people for money ami tobacco, Filled sheep, threw some of their tools into the river, smuggled drink into the camp, buried bundles of trees instead of planting them, and cut roots of others before putting them into the ground. The Minister for Justice doubts the truth of the foregoing story. This is the first he had heard of it. *’lt. is a remarkable thing,” he said, “that the people alleged to have been stuck up and robbed never reported the occurrences.” The Minister defends the tree-planting scheme, am! while admitting that defects have been shown to exist, contends that they are far outweighed by the advantages of the system. A Shooting Affair A young man named Stott has been arrested at Edendale, Southland, for shooting a girl named Brown. The particulars are meagre, hut it is understood that Miss Brown is a pupil teacher at an Invercargill school, and that Stott is the same man who was acquitted at Dunedin a couple of years ago on a charge of shooting a Chinaman at Tapanui. Miss Brown is wounded in the arm, but not seriously, so far as is at present known. Proofs of Progress. The progress of the North Island is exemplified in the growth of the export of dairy produce. Seven years ago. the North Island export of butter and chees* was a little over double that of the South Island; to-day. the North Island exports are about four times the value of those of the South. In 11)01 the value of dairy produce exported from North Island ports was £2-16,353, while the value of that exported from Southern ports wa - £88.453. For the year ending in April last the figures are: —North Island. £426,772; South Island, £115.101. A Great Trout River# The Waikato River, in its upper reaches, provides better sport to the angler than perhaps any other stream in the world. During the late season, on? fisher, a Maori landed the following fish : —October, 91 fish, weighing 4831 b. largest fish weighed 171 b; November. 57 ii-sli weighing 271 lb, largest fish, 171 b; December, 37 fish, weighing 1941 b, several weighed 131 b; January, 23 fish weighing 1751 b, one weighed 101 b and one llib; February, 18 fish weighing 11 Hi), larg st two 141 b; March, 26 fish weighing 181 lb. largest one weighed 131 b; April. 63 fish weighing 3651 b, largest two weighed 161 b; May, 74 fish weighing 6321 b. I ngest one weighed 171 b. Tramway Traffic. According to the Wellington Tramway latest reports, the number of passenger*, carried daily on the trams is nearly equal to the whole population of the City ot Wellington. The total receipts for the four weeks worked out at £9032 13 and the average of the receipts per car mile was 13.62 d. It is noteworthy that every section of tramline showed increases of passengers and of rcvetr.i •. The working expenses per car mile were 9.58 d., being an increase of .5Gd. over th • figures for May, 1907, and the exccM of revenue over working expenses p r car* mile decreased by 0.7 d. (4.57 d. against 4.64 d.) No-License Convention* Representatives of the local No-Li cense Councils in each electorate in the Dominion met in Wellington on June 17th. Mr. A. S. Adams, president of the New Zealand Alliance, who occupied th* chair, welcomed the delegates, and con gratulated them on the position of the No-License cause. The alliance, ho said, was formed 22 years ago by the late Sir Wm. Fox, who at great personal expense and expenditure of energy delivered addresses in various towns ami cities. Since then No-License had advanced by leaps and bounds. NoLicense had been carried by Mat aura, < hit ha, Invercargill, Grey Lynn, and Oainaru, and for a short time had l»een in o|x*ration in the Newtown and Port Chalmers. The majority of the electors in New Zealand were with the ’No*

piceuse party, and it was certain that the No-License vote would grow numerically and proportionately. He urged that there should be no laxity of .effort until the Dominion was freed from the liquor traffic. The annual report was adopted. A report on “How Goes the Tight!” was given by representatives from various provinces, Auckland being represented by Mr U. French, Taranaki by the Rev. J. Guy, Wellington by Mr W. J. Williams, Canterbury by the Rev. 8. Lawry, Nelson by the Rev. S. Jenkin, Otago by Mr McSkimming. Miss Roberts also spoke on behalf of Christchurch. Graphite in New Zealand. tVith regard to the reported discovery of graphite at Cuttie Cove, Preservation Inlet, Mr. P. E. Cheal, mining engineer and surveyor, of Auckland, writes to the Mines Department that he believes a body of pure crystalline graphite is to be found! in the tributaries from Mount Egmont. In 1879, when surveying the Waimate Plains, the men were building a chimney from boulders in the stream, and they came across a boulder that seemed heavy. It was the size of a man’s bead, about 7in. or Sin. This, being thrown down on other boulders, smashed into lamellated, scaly or flaky pieces like a. soft black slate that could be broken into flaky fragments. “It could be used at once,” said Mr. Cheal, “ for drawing purposes, and was free from grit. It had a soft greasy feel to the touch. We made, some very dark pencil drawingsfrom these flakes. I kept some, but I sent a specimen to Sir James Hector, who reported that it was equal to ths Cumberland black lead, and the best and worst samples gave 92 per cent and 8G.9 per cent pure carbon, which could be Arbitration and Strikes. Reference is made as follows in the annual report of the Wellington Employers’ Association to the Industrial Conciliation and! Arbitration Act:— “ Recent events have amply demonstrated that the present Arbitration Act Is effective in its operation only against employers. The fact that the whole burdten of awards of the Court and the administration of the Act has to be borne by employers is creating throughout the Dominion the gravest feeling of dissatisfaction and resentment. As employers are permanent citizens, and invariably owners of property or stock-in-trade, there is no escape for them from the full penalties of the law, but workers, whose assets generally consist of tools and their labour, may, and do, readily evade the consequences of a breach of the law by going to other centres, or by reason of the fact that they have no assets. The result is that the law’ is always effective against employers, but it would seem as though the workers may commit serious offences with impunity, and openly defy the law and Court. "The outcome of the Blackball and Denniston strikers,” the report states," has proved to the workers the ineffectiveness of the Arbitration Act to prevent strikes, and has encouraged other unions to resort to striking when the awards of the Arbitration Court have not been to their entire satisfaction.” The report concludes ns follows:—“The Labour Department having refused to prosecute the unions for aiding and abetting the Blackball strikers, it was the intention of the Employers’ Federation, after securing legal advice, to take the matter up. The Minister for Labour having now promised to introduce effective legislation dealing fully with strikes, the federation has decided to rely upon the promise of the Minister, and will take no further proceedings in the meantime. Your committee considers the time has arrived when it is imperative that the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act should be either repealed altogether, or reconstructed on such lines as to compel observance of the law and awards of the Court equally by bbth workers and employers.” A Useful Invention. It is not usual for a Minister of the Crown to appear in the role of an inventor, but when one does appear as such, it is, perhaps, fitting that the subject of the invention should be connected with a department under his control. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Marine, has patented a very ingenious invention which promises to be a boon to *ll who use rowing boats. A rowlock lulled out by an oar, or broken by com-

ing into contact with a staging or another boat, has caused many an accident, and numberless are the devices that have been tried to overcome the difficulty, and still allow the stability and rigidity so necessary when all sorts of water and weather have to be encountered by the oarsmani Mr. Millar’s patent is a rowlock which, whilst it is to all intents and purposes part of the boat, is at the same time by a simple device collapsable when the occasion requires. In shape the rowlock is of the ordinal y pattern, but the shaft is split from the centre of the circle in which the oar rests. The shaft sits in a fairly close-fitting socket, giving just sufficient play for rowing requirements. When approaching a staging, or wjhen desirous of removing his oar, all the rower has to do is to press upwards the lower part of the rowlock shaft underneath the socket, and the two sides of the rowlock fall back in opposite directions along the gunwale, this being achieved by reason of the fact that the two sides are hinged within the socket. A pin through the Dotcom enu of the shaft precludes the possibility of the rowlock coming out accidentally. The device has been very favourably commented upon by seafaring men, and especially by skippers on those trades requiring frequent use of surf boats. Samples of the patent in brass and in galvanised iron are being forwarded to the Anglo-French Exhibition. New Zealand Meat Frauds. The Christchurch Meat Company, Ltd., is warning the English meat trade, wholesale and retail, that it will institute legal proceedings against “ anyone falsely offering and) substituting other brands of lamb and mutton for New Zealand Canterbury lamb and mutton.” Years ago Mr. H. C. Cameron, New Zealand Produce Commissioner, carried through with much trouble successful prosecutions of certain retailers in the North of England for vending Argentine meat as New Zealand. It is very difficult to bring such prosecutions to a successful issue, for the purchaser has to get an invoice from the butcher on which the misdescription is in writing, and that is not an easy matter, for to insist on the butcher putting down plainly so much “N.Z. lamb” is to give him the “ tip” that there is " something in the wind.” Deep Level Gold at Thames. Dr J. M. Bell, Director of the Geological Survey, has returned to Wellington from the Thames District (says the “Dominion.”) He will probably spend two months here in the preparation of his annual report, returning after that to the Thames, where several months’ very detailed work has yet to be done before the Department’s prospecting operations are completed. The work consists chiefly in careful investigation of the many old mine workings, and the cox' relation of these mines to the surface geology. The object in view is the location of new auriferous patches, in order to direct future exploration. It has always been hoped that there are deep leads in this district, and it is possible that the Department’s report may give some definite information on this subject. The work has already proved of great interest, and the Department hopes that it will prove of economic importance. With regard to the Gisborne oil fields, which Dr Bell was investigating before he went to Thames, the doctor states that the Departriient’s work is not sufficiently advanced for any definite statement to be made. Preliminary boring investigations are still being made by the Department. Medical Examination of School Children. A deputation from the .School Committees’ Association brought under the Prime Minister’s notice at Christchurch, on the I Oth June, the necessity for the medical examination of school children, and for the introduction of single* desks. With regard to the latter the Prime Minister said it would be difficult to say whether he could meet the wishes of the deputation. As to tho medical examination of school children, he had some years ago stated that it ought to be done in this country. He looked upon it as being of very great importance. Other countries were doing it, and New Zealand should not lag behind in such an important matter. He knew that Mr. Folwds had been looking into the matter, and it would receive careful consideration.