IN THE DOMINION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 6, 5 August 1908, Page 5

IN THE DOMINION.

Two young Maori women have just Yoceived nurses’ certificates. Gold to the value of £40,000 was shipped by the s.B. Matatua from Auckland to Landon last week. The export of kauri gum has reached the value of fourtee nmillions, providing employment to 3000 men. The Premier has given an emphatic denial to a rumour that he intended to take the High Commissionership. Imports for the June quarter of this year were valued at £3,447,663, compared with £3,922,169 for the corresponding period of 1907. A return presented to Parliament shows that 7,982,327 acres of land have been acquired from the natives in the North Island. The gross value of all minerals produced in New Zealand during 1907 was ['£3,775,835, a decrease of £96,156 over the 1906 total. In 1906 the population of Rotorua was returned at 1927, but it is stated that the population has now increased to between 2500 and 3000. The Kaikorai Tram company has successfully floated locally 12,000 five per cent debentures in redemption of a previous issue bearing 6 per cent, “Spoiling the Maoris!” According to a Parliamentary return, 7,982,327 acres of land have been acquired from the natives in the North Island. Mr. Thos. Kempton, of Greytown, has offered, through the Borough Council, fifty acres of land to the Government as a site for Parliament House. For the six months ended June 30th last 6,556,8871 b. of beef were exported from Waitara, which is the largest beefexporting port in the Dominion. At a meeting of representative business men it was unanimously decided to resuscitate the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, which became defunct a few years back. The Customs duties collected in tho Dominion during the quarter ended! June 30 last totalled £617,321, as compared with £717,675 for the corresponding quarter of 1907. As the steamer Victoria was leaving the Auckland wharf, one of the British footballers fell overboard and immediately two members of the New Zealand team went to the rescue. All were picked up safely. The Manawatu Employers’ Association adopted resolutions submitted by the Otago federation recommending the fusion of the Opposition with non-so-cialistic Liberals, with a view of combating extreme socialistic tendencies. A return presented to Parliament shows that 7961 persons paid income tax on incomes between £3OO and £1000; 997 on incomes between £lOOO and '£2ooo ; 534 on incomes between £2OOO and £5000; and 101 on incomes over [£lo.ooo. It is notified by the Wellington Hospital authorities that, owing to the increasing necessity for more accommodation, the trustees have decided that it is advisable to increase by sections the size of the hospital, which will eventually be double its present size, and on which the estimated expenditure wil] be '£30,000. The proposal of the Auckland City Council to raise loans amounting to [£<l3o,ooo for various public works, received the sanction of the ratepavers On July 29. The voting was very quiet, and little interest was displayed, only 1375 votes out of a Toll number of 6500 being recorded. As expected, the proposal to borrow £30.000 towards the eneotion and completion of the Town Pall, resulted in a close contest. 767 votes being cast in its favour and 568 against. All the other proposals were carried by substantial majorities. A man who has for some days been working on the river hanks as one of the Christchurch "unemployed." called on the city surveyor on July 27 and informed him that he had relinquished the pick and shovel, as he had just received news from England that a legacy ot £2OOO had been left to him. He thanked the Council for finding him work. The total business now in force in tho Government Life Insurance Department is 46,595 policies, assuring £lO 855.153 (and £ 1,124,970 bonuses) at death and guriurity, together with 350 immediate

and deferred annuities for £59,617 per annum, the total business bearing an annual premium income of £331.430. The total income last year was £526,713. The Devonport Tramway Company has acquired from Mr. E. R. Russell his option to construct tramways in the Borough of Devonport. The Company was registered last week, with a capital of £150,000, £70,000 of this amount being practically assured to the Company. The provisional directors of the Company are Messrs. Russell, McDonald (Auckland), Black and Livesay (Wellington). During last month the estates of 153 deceased persons in New Zealand were certified for stamp duty. The largest were those of John H. Vautier, Napier, £67,480; Hugh Craig, Otago, £18,441; Kenneth McKenzie, £17,091; Caroline Seymour, Gisborne, £16,186; Thos. Pascoe Bryant, Wellington, £25,335; James Osborn, Canterbury, £ 13.959 William Costello, Canterbury, £13,959; Joseph Parkinson, Canterbury, £9791; John Nearing, Auckland, £9374. The “Southland Times” describes an invention, reported to have been made by two young New Zealanders resident at Fortrose, devised to indicate to train passengers the name of the station which they are approaching. The indicator is automatic. At certain points a “trip” is set. When the train passes over the trip a lever moves the mechanism and exSoses the name of the next station, and Iso rings a bell. The invention is said to be likely to solve a problem of long standing. According to a return published in the “ Gazette,” Wellington is the only centre that makes any appreciable use of trade discount stamps. During the quarter ended June 30, £722 5/ worth of these stamps were sold in this city, and £645 18/ worth were redeemed. During the same period Auckland only purchased £8 5/ worth and redeemed £8 4/, which is dangerously near to a perfect balance, but none at all were purchased in Christchurch or Dunedin, though a solitary shilling’s worth was redeemed in the firstnamed city. A man named McLean alighted from the express at Taumarunui on Thursday evening with a quantity of liquor, concerning which Constable Maher, as he was leaving the station, elected to prefer some questions. McLean’s reply was to fell the officer to the ground with a rail, following up the onslaught with his foot. McLean made off when some bystanders came up, but was arrested in a swamp later in the evening by Constable Murphy. Maher was so badly knocked about as to necessitate confinement to his bed for a day or two. McLean appeared before the Court on Friday, a remand being granted. Maori versus Pakeha Oratory. Pakehas say that Maoris love nothing better than the sound of their own voices, and the- Maori gives the retort courteous. “Only one regret I have,” said the Rev. R. Kohere recently, referring to the results of the Maori congress, “and that is at the swamping of the sessions of the congress by piakeha speakers. Their speeches wore long, often wearying, and monotonously irrelevant, and most of these discourses were meant rather for the public ear than for the ears of those who were present.” One pakeha spoke drearily for over half an hour about Switzerland, at a meeting at -which the Maori hoped to hear something about openings in local industry. They asked instruction in ways and means of winning bread, and the British orator threw Swiss clocks at them. The Precious Metals. Tlie Mines report was presented on July 29. The total value of Sold and silver minerals produced in the Dominion now exceeds one hundred million sterling, while the population only reaches one million. The gross value of the year’s output amounted to three and threequarter millions, being £96,000 less than the value of production in tho previous year. The number of persons employed totalled 13,081. Auckland exported 298,101 ozs during the year through the Customs. Tho prosperity of quartz mining companies is demonstrated by the fact that dividends paid by them amounted to

£628,866, equivalent to 40.7 per cent in value of tho bullion won by them. The Waihi Company paid during the year £396,726 in dividends, having treated 856374 tons of ore for returns ot £820,016. The total dividends paid by the Company amount to £2,693,274. The Waihi Grand Junction yield for the year was £71,742 from. 40,875 tons of ore. The Talisman Consolidated obtained £184,446 from 46,025 tons treated, equal to £4 per ton. The Unemployed. Salvation Army officers say that in the course of a visitation of Christchurch and suburbs they do not find more than the usual amount of distress, certainly not anything like what has been reported. If such exists, they are prepared to relieve it, and will open a soup kitchen at the barracks on Thursday, when they will supply soup and bread to all applicants, but these, as proof of bona tides, must leave their names and addresses. As dry weather has enabled ground to be worked, a good deal of rough gardening work is offering, and the pressure of the unemployed has been greatly relieved thereby. A meeting of Wellington unemployed was held at the Queen’s Statue on July 28th, when speeches denouncing the Government were made. A number of people afterwards marched to Parliament House, and interviewed the Prime Minister at great length. The Prime Minister, replying to the unemployed deputation, quoted figures to show that employment had been offered by the Government in various districts, but that very few of the men had accepted the work, because it was outside the towns. He emphatically denied that the Government was to blame for so many men being out of work, and he defended the system of assisted immigration, pointing out that a large proportion of people who were coming out under the scheme were of a very desirable class, and that many of them brought considerable capital. The Premier informed the deputation that there was plenty of co-operative work for those who wanted it on the Gis-borne-Napier railway. The Salvation Army’s soup kitchen at Christchurch was opened on the 29th of July. A strong force of Army officers and members were ready to serve out food at 11 o’clock. At halfpast 11 no applicants had appeared, but at that time a boy came with a message and his mother had five young children, and his father had been out of work for nine weeks, and had 10/ a week rent to pay. They would be glad of soup and bread to save the children from hunger. The husband had got work now from the City Council, and the relief asked for would be only temporary. The boy was supplied with bread and soup, and an order on a butcher for meat. At 12, there being no further callers, the kitchen was closed. The Brigadier says that there is not anything like the distress the agitators make out; still, there are deserving eases, and these the Army will relieve. The Menace of Socialism. At a meeting of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, which was very largely attended, a vigorous discussion took place on the necessity for combating Socialism, and the following motions were carried unanimously; — “That in the opinion of this meeting of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, political Socialism is rapidly becoming a menace to the welfare of the community. Tho continuance of the relations between the dominant political party and the socialistic section of the Labour party would be detrimental to the individual enterprise on which the progress of tho country mainly depends, and it is therefore necessary that the Liberal party should be rendered independent of the support of the political Socialists; that, as there is no longer nay essential difference in principle between the non-Socialistic Liberals and the Opposition, tho interests of the Dominion, as distinguished from the interests of the two opposing parties demand that the fusion should take place; that tho attention of tho leaders of the two parties be directed to these facts, nnd that they be informed that this organisation will at the general election subordinate all party considerations to tho advancement of the objects herein outlined."

Dispute in the Coal Trado. A conference between the employees and the officials of the Bruce Coal Mining Company was held at Miltaa. The principal question in dispute is the rates of pay. While the employees ask for an increase of 3d on the present rate (2/9), the owners demand a decrease of 3d. Neither aide would give way, and it was decided to leave the clainu relating to piece rates, weighing, and trucking in abeyance. A number of other points relating to conditions of labour were agreed to. As the result of a two days’ conference (which opened stormily and ended amioably) the trouble nt the Bruce Coal Company’s mine has been settled without the intervention of the Arbitration Court. Agreement was arrived at except in connection with truckers’ wages and weighing, end on these two points both parties agreed to accept the Court’s decision as given in other case-s. Training; of Naval Cadets. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington Navy League, Sir Joseph Ward said there was no man in Parliament who did not support the proposal to increase the New Zealand subsidy to the navy. Recently a request had been made to the Home authorities for a training ship capable of accommodating 1000 young men. So far, however, it had not been possible to comply with the request, but all the same, the Amokura had been found to be too small, and if the Government could not get the required vessel in one direction, it would get it somewhere else for the purpose of giving that training which was so essential. Teaching the Maoris to Farm. A number of resolutions passed by the recent Maori Congress that met at Wellington were communicated to the Hon. R. McNab, Minister for Agriculture, today by a deputation of natives, introduced by Mr A. T. Ngata, M.L.C. The resolutions referred to the tendering of assistance to the Maoris in the direction of agricultural education. The Minister received the deputation very favourably, and promised that ha would cause to be prepared circulars in, Maori setting forth the objects of ths Agricultural Department, its functions, and mode of assistance towards ilia farmer. He said he would from time to time direct that the Department's bulletins, or such of them as might be of special interest to the Maori farmers should be translated and issued in Maori. He hoped presently to have authority to erect a building to accommodate cadets at Ruakura experimental farm, near Hamilton, and he promised to reserve room for at least two Maori cadets on this State farm. As this branch of agriculture developed, lie hoped to provide for the training of Maori cadets. The most important proposal brought under the notice of the Minister was in the direction of the establishment of communal farms under the management of State instructors and experts. The Hon. Mr McNab said he had received telegrams from Maoris in the direction mentioned, and offering land for the purpose. He said it was a very hopeful sign generally. He was impressed wiVh the feeling that was actuating the Maori of to-day. A deputation of the Urewcra natives also waited upon the lion. Jas. Carroll,

Minister for Native Affairs. Among other things mentioned was gold prospecting in the Urewera Country. Some delay has taken place in the issue of regulations under the Mining Act to apply to the Urewera district. This is owing to the faet that the ordinary pro* visions of the Mining Act were made to apply to the district. The arrangement arrived at with the Urewera chiefs by the Government in 1896 would be set aside. The law, the Minister explained, would require amending, and this was now receiving attention. Objections were also raised to the Urcwera District Act, for instance, to the provision of the 21 years* renewable lease, and a request was made that the ordinary limit of 50 years should be provided for. The natives also asked that the general committee contemplated by the Act of 1896 should be gazetted forthwith, in order that the committee might deal with the alienation of some of the lands, particularly with the timber areas. The deputation submitted to the Minister a list of 18 blocks, comprising 8000 acres, whieh they offered to the Crown, to be disposed of by lease to the public. The deputation also asked that the main arterial roads from Waimana to Mangapohatu and from Ruatoki to Ruatahuna should be maintained by the State, the cost of construction to be eventually made a charge against the land to be served by these roads. Maori Improvidence. " I have grave distrust of allowing Maoris to invest money for themselves,” eai<l his Honor the Native Land Commissioner (Sir Robert Stout) at the sitting of the Native land Commission at Masterton. His Honor instanced a case •which occurred up North, where some Maoris had reduced the large sum of 16000 to £2OOO in an incredibly short time through wanton thriftlessness. In another case a Maori had, at the beginning of a year, received £ 800 purchase money for his lands. He gave £ 100 away as a present. He spent £550 on a motor car and other luxuries, and by the end of the year the remaining £250 had been spent. His Honor said the example set by the white race of knocking down hard-earned cheques was, no doubt, responsible in a great measure for the Maoris’ want of thrift. New Leprosy Cure. Dr. Mason. Chief Health Officer, arrived at Christchurch on July 27, and spent most of the day at Quail Island. He stales that both leper patients arc comfortable, and as contented as the distressing nature of their circumstances will permit. A few months ago Dr. Mason noticed that the discovery of a new remedy for leprosy had been made by Professor Deyckc Pasha, and immediately cabled Home for a supply. The remedy, known as nastin band, is being injected under the supervision of Dr. Upham. Since its use has been commenced, Dr. Mason says a great improvement in the condition of both patients is noticeable. The Maori youth, particularly, has made splendid progress towards recovery. Accidents, Suicides, etc. A settler of about 50 years of age, named William Buckthorp, residing near Henderson, committed suicide some time during the night of July 28th, by hanging himself. John Chalmers, a single man, 50 years of age, a well-known resident of Lawrence, committed suicide by hanging at nn early hour on July 28th in a shed at the rear of a dwelling. It was a very determined case. Deceased had suffered from an internal complaint, but had shown no sign of mental depression. At an inquest held on July 29 on the body of Mary A. Hollis, aged 73 years, who was found dead in her house on Saturday, the medical evidence was to the effect that death was due to cold and starvation, and a verdict was returned accordingly. One witness stated that deceased had been ailing, but refused to see a doctor. A man named Jas. Hancock, who was In the habit of sleeping alone in a tent at Kapaku, where he worked, having an interest in a flaxmill, was found dead in his bung on July 29. The top of his head was blown <»ff, and a double-barrell-ed guns, with both barrels discharged, and a string tied to the /riggers, lay beside him. The man suffered from bip disease, and it is understood that ho had recently had a depressing report from tho doctor.