The News of the Week

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 12, 16 September 1908, Page 5

The News of the Week

I IN THE DOMINION, ik ’ During the past two months 13 pairs ©f twins were born in Wellington and |l2 In Christchurch. During the Rugby Cup competitions in Auckland over 700 people played the game every Saturday. At the end of last year there were 09 native schools in New Zealand, with a roll number of 4,183. It is understood that the British Antarctic expedition ship Nimrod will leave Dyttelton on December Ist. Cambridge ratepayers have sanctioned n loan of £5,000 for the erection of a town hall and municipal buildings. Mr. Sidney Jenkins, a carrier residing at Otahuhu, was killed last week by being thrown from a runaway wagon. According to softie of the immigrants who arrived by the lonic, things are desperately bad at Home, especially in the building trade. The fog signalling apparatus at Godley Head will be placed in commission as soon as the supplies of regulation ammunition are received. During the past three weeks the Gisborne registrar (Mr Hill) has registered no less than three pairs of twins, the infants all being boys. The Auckland City Schools Committee Isave decided to purchase a number of copies of the Ten Commandments, to be 'hung in each class-room for the moral training of the scholars. The Invercargill consolidated loan debentures were quoted -on July 30, on the (London Stock Exchange, at: Buyers ‘£lo4, sellers £706, a premium of £2 2.7/6. This is the highest yet quoted. A slight collision occurred last week at Wellington bptween the Waikare and the Kaipara, two lifeboats on the former being smashed and fifty feet of railing on the starboard quarter of the Kaipara carried away. The Rotorua Rod and Gun Club has written to the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, objecting to the claims of Rev. F. A. Bennett, furthered in Parliament by Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., that natives should be granted free fishing rights the year round. . The Bluff correspondent of the ‘■'Otago Daily Times” writes: “Fourteen years have elapsed since sealing was forbidden, and the opinion is gaining ground amongst those well able to judge, that the seals have had a fair opportunity of increasing, and that an open season should be proclaimed during the winter months of next year.” It ha® several times been said at the fruitbrokers’ meetings, that New Zealand’s trade with Fiji has been slipping •way. At last week’s meeting, Mr. Tooman said that he had seen the Auckland boats arrive at Fiji with a few tons of cargo and the rest coal, and in watching (the arrival of the Sydney boat had! no, jticed that it arrived with a deck cargo of general merchandise and produce. He had seen similar evidences at both Samoa and Tonga. Rather a startling find was made tone afternoon recently under the Choral Hall in Wharf-street, L’aeroa, in which building Miss Kenny conducts a private school for young children. The children are In the habit of playing under the school, and while they were doing BO on Friday they discovered a package under the floor of the building. Not thinking it could do any harm, they tried to knock it down with an old horseshoe, and eventually succeeded in doing so. (When opened, the package, which weighed about 51b, was found to contain sevctai riugs of gelignite, some caps and •ornd fuse. ~ The establishment of a crematorium in (Wellington is not now far distant (says the “Times”), The subscriptions received amount to about £B3O, including Miss Btudholmo'a donation of £4OO, and to this total has to bo added the City Council’s contribution of £4OO. It is Estimated that the bare necessities (furplaces, etc.) will absorb £9OO, but the funds in hand will enable * commencetnent to be made with the work. The City Engineer has been instructed to report on the most suitable site available. It is hoped to receive still further subWiptions from those interested in this

movement, so that the object of the original donor may be properly carried out A naval veteran named Joseph Hervey has just passed away at the Veterans’ Home. In 1854 the deceased served on board 11.M.5. Hannibal, which vessel, at the commencement of the Crimean War, was engaged in the conveyance of Frencli troops from Calais to the Baltic. Cater in the hostilities the Hannibal took a hand in the bombardment of Sebastopol. Hervey settled in New Zealand soon after the end of the war, residing in Hokitika, where he followed gold mining pursuits. An interesting incident of his later years was that just a while before his death he was visited by an old shipmate of the Hannibal, who had been wounded in action. The veterans had not met for 51 years. The deceased, who was an interesting and amiable man, possessed the Crimean medal and clasp and the Baltic medal. The Union Steamship Company have definitely decided that the ship Dartford shall be used as a training ship on which to instruct cadets for their fleet. A number of applications for places have been received, and from these 12 have been selected, and they will be instructed to make arrangements to join the vessel in Wellington, after provision has been made for suitable accommodation. The Dartford was to have left Newacstle for New Zealand last week, so the establishment of the training ship will soon be an accomplished fact. The Dartford was purchased by the Union Company about the beginning of this year in Sydney, where she has been laid up for some time. The number of cadets will be increased at intervals, until the full complement of 30 or more Is reached. The vessel will trade between the ports of the Dominion and the Commonwealth, and even go further afield as circumstances permit. Dominion Scouts. The services of the newly-formed corps of Dominion Scouts have been formally offered to the Government. The Wellington division has a membership of 70, while 30 have joined at Palmerston North, and steps are being taken to make a start at Auckland. About 4-5 members attended a meeting of the Wellington division last week Colonel Bauchop inspected the men, and said he hoped their services would ba accepted. He suggested that they should consider whether they should tender their services as a body or as small units distributed amongst the present companies. The men decided unanimously in favour of the former course. The Missing Aeon. Tho steamer Aorangi, which arrived in Sydney last week from Vancouver, kept a look-out for the steamer Aeon. tShe cruised round Canton (or Mary) Island, but found no trace of the missing vessel. Keen Politics. A strenuous by-election campaign is proceeding at Newcastle to fill the vacancy created by the death of Mr. T. Cairns, junior member for the constituency. The suffragettes arc taking an active part in the fight, throwing all their strength against tho Government. A demonstration was made against a party of visiting suffragettes, and tho police were forced to draw their batons to rescue Mrs. Pankhurst from a hostile crowd numbering COOO. Several werebadly mauled in the rushes. A Gruesome Find. Last week a gruesome haul was made by a dredge while working in the Wanganui river between the town and the Heads. A human leg, part Of the trunk, and some clothing were brought up by the buckets. The remains are supposed to be those of a young man named Mason, who committed suicide by drowning about 12 mdnths ago, and w'ho left on the river bank a handkerchief tied to a willow tree, a watch and a Bible containing his name. He had no known relatives in the Dominion.

Educating the Maoris. *' The question is frequently raises a, to the ultimate good l of giving higher education to Maoris, when in so many instance* apparently no use is made of sueh education by those who have received it,” says the Inspector of Native Schools. “As often as it is possible to do so, the Department admits, ns junior assistants in native schools girls who have completed their course in a higher school, and I have formed a very high opinion of them as teachers. Boys from the higher schools are gradually finding their way into various trades, some being already in mechanical or clerical divisions of the Government service. I frequently receive applications for employment, some of them quite pathetic in character, from girls and boys who have passed through the schools; and, in most of the cases within my knowledge I can say that the ‘ return to the whare,’ as It is sometimes unfeelingly termed, is the result not of deliberate choice, but of the want of opportunity.” A Legal Quibble. An unusual legal defence won a case in £ho Timaru Magistrate’s Court last week, William Sapwell was charged with riding a cycle in North-street on tho night of August 19, to which (says the “Herald”) he pleaded “Not guilty.” Subinspector Green put in the by-law on the subject, and a witness named Barton stated that, on the evening in question, he was riding from town on the left hand side of the street, when he met defendant riding on the same side without a light, and a collision resulted. Mr. Elmslie, representing defendant, asked that the information be dismissed on the ground that the information said that defendant rode his cycle “at night,” whereas the by-law said “between sunset and sunrise,” and these terms were not. synonymous. He quoted authorities to show that night commenced at ft p.tn. and ceased at 6 a.m., and stated that there w r as no definition in the Police Offences Act to the effect that night was continuous from sunset till sunrise. His Worship upheld Mr. Elmslie’s contention, and dismissed the case without prejudice, the police intimating at the same time that a fresh information would ba laid. Onr Architecture. "It is contemptible,” said his Excellency the Governor in referring to colonial architecture, when opening the Manawatu Art Society's exhibition on Wednesday last. “There Is one imWednesday night. “There is one important form of art which people in New Zealand might strive to cultivate,” he said; “that is, architecture. I don’t, of course, refer to any town in particu-lar—-to Palmerston, or Auckland, or Wellington—but to New Zealand generally. There is nothing more contemptible than tho average house which is perpetrated in New Zealand. Why, your houses here are just about equal to those erected in tho more respectable portion of the East End of London; even Bromley can beat anything you have got here. Of course. I recognise that one of the great difficulties is that most of the people have not had the opportunity to see and appreciate the grand architecture of the Old World, of Florence, and those other great places, and even of the charming little country towns in the Old Country, 'there ought to bo some better houses here. They are all exactly the same—tho same tin roof, painted the same red, and probably the wrong red; the same drab mud colour on the front, and the same horrible tin thing to hold the water in at the back. I can’t think that these abominations are built purely for the purpose of saving money. You can’t be eo needy in Palmerston North. I am not trying to abuse New Zealand, because you all know that I have a very great regard for tne country and its people, I am simply referring to this one point, which demands attention.” His Excellency referred to one or two charming houses winch ho had seen In the neighbourhood ot Palmerston, and a number in tho Hawke’s Bay district. Ho suggested that Palmerston might at some time have an architectural exhibition, wherein could bo exhibited designs for houses. It would bo the first held in New landElectricity From Waste. Tho Green Island Coal Company, Dunedin, is formulating a scheme, which, if

f • will revolutionKe industries in th-..t pert of the Dominion. For many years, ever since the beginning of lignite mining in Green Island, immeasurable quantities of waste coal, unsuitable for market requirements, and representing hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling, if expressed in monetary measurement, hare been buried in waste places in mines, genera ting danger to minors working in dim light. Now it is proposed to bring the buried slack into the light of day and utilise it to profitable advantage in generating electricity, which will be sufficient not only to work the mining and pumping plant, but will supply motive power for industries iu and around Dunedin. Taurauga Advancing. Half a dozen tenders have been received for the supply of a gas plant by Messrs. Keene and Reid, who have obtained a gas lighting concession from the Tauranga Borough Council. Messrs. Keene and Reid are reported to be at present making inquiries in England as to the purchase of two steamers suitable for the Weliington-Tauranga trade. The Demands of Labour. When the delegates from the recent conference of the Trades Council wailed on the Prime Minister and Minister for Labour on Saturday and submitted the resolutions passed, the Prime Minister said the representations would be considered by the Government. It would bo impossible, however, to give effect to them all. One of the chief desires of the conference was a 44-hour week for all workers, eight hours on five days and four on the day of the weekly half-holi-day. The Government believed iu one day’s rest a week, but it would create great trouble if that was embodied in the law, and made io apply generally' without considering local conditions. Shrimp Culture at Rotorua. Reporting on the attempts being made to stock Lake Rotorua with fresh-water shrimps, to take the place of the disappearing koura (very small crayfish) upon which the trout used to feed, Mr. Rutherford, in charge of the Government Hatcheries, says: “The consignment of fresh-water shrimps, got from tho Waikato River, at Mercer. last November, has done exceedingly well at tho hatchery, the loss being only two per cent, in the nine months. This water appears to be very suitable for them. I would suggest that we make arrangements to get several large consignments from Mercer, and liberate them in the weed that grows in different parts of the lake, where tliev could get protection from enemies until they had a chance to increase. As the shrimp is much more prolific than the koura, they would multiply very rapidly, and in a few years we would have trout equal in quality to those of four years back. The Maoris on the Waikato River prefer the shrimp to the whilebait for food, and if the shrimp is introduced into Lake Rotorua it will fill the place of the koura.” Keeplug Out the Fruit Fly. Considerable agitation was caused among Auckland fruitbrokers last week owing to the possibility of the fruit cargo arriving this week from Fiji by the Hanroto, being .condemned for want of certificates from the shippers to the effect that it had not come from Within a mile of plantations affected with fruit fly, such certificate being required by the new fruit regulations issued by tho New Zealand Government. The department at first refused to exempt the cargo, but finally did so on the strong representations of the brokers who held several lengthy meetings on the subject. The Wairtina-Moonah Collision. As a sequel to the collision between the U.S.S. Company’s Wairuna and the ketch Moonah In Auckland harbour last March, the Moonah being sunk, the Northern Goal Company, owners of the ketch, sued tho U.S.S. Company in the Supremo Court, Auckland, for £lOlB damages. Mr T. Cotter (with and instructed by Mr M. G. McGregor) appeared for the plaintiff company and Mr J. R. Reed (with him Mr A. Hanna) for tho defendants. The special jury, before which the case was heard, failed to agree upon a verdict, and the case will come on again at the next sittings of the Court,

The Maximum Term. Arthur Henry Woods was sentenced to the maximum penalty of seven years at the Supreme Court, Palmerston, for assault on a seven-year-old girl. Accused has just completed a live years’ sentence for a similar offence. Mr Justice Chapman said for the safety of the community it was necessary to imprison him for the longest term possible. The Two Dominions. 'Abundant proof of the value of reciprocity is forthcoming in the statistics of Canada’s trade with New Zealand since the tariff preferences came into operation. Despite the lack of direct transportation between the two countries, Canada’s exports to the new Dominion increased from £62,374 in 1902 to £206,536 in 1907; end her imports from that country, which in 1002 were valued at £7366, had grown last year to £78,015. This development is ascribed by the Canadian Trade Commissioner, who has been ■investigating the conditions and prospects at the Antipodes, entirely to the reciprocal agreement between the two countries. An even more rapid expansion has taken place in the trade with New South Wales. The value of Canadian exports to that State was in 1905 £76,443, and in 1907 £200,173; while in the same period the Dominion’s imports Prevention of Strikes. Tn the Arbitration Court at Wellington last week, the secretary of the Labourers’ Union took exception to the new departure by the Court in stipulating that if a strike occurs all parties are released from the award. He contended that it was unfair t<> workers, and quoted instances of email, alleged strikes at Wanganui, and in Wellington, of which the Union had no knowledge, yet it would have affected the whole of the labourers under the award. Judge Sim asked if the Labourers’ Union was not affiliated to the Wellington Trades and Labour Council, which lead upheld the bakers’ strike. The secretary said it was, and that it appeared necessary to help the strikers at the time. They endeavoured to bring the strike to an end, and were defeated. Ills Honor: Why did not the Trades and Labour Council pass a resolution disapproving of the strike, instead of approving of it? Your leaders want to have arbitration and strikes too. If you can’t get a thing by arbitration, you strike; that is simply the position at present. Your Union may not be directly responsible for one small strike, but indirectly they are responsible by the action of union leaders in approving of strikes. If any workers go out on strike, instead of obeying the law they break it. The Secretary: We claim to withhold our labour if we think fit. That has been recognised in British law since 1825. Ilia Honor: And you must do it in concert in order to get by coercion something you cannot get by arbitration. Blackball Mine Flooded. At 7 p.m. last Wednesday a large slip occurred at Blackball, which blocked the creek and turned the water into the dam. The dam burst, and the water rushed into the Blackball mine, and wrecked the main tunnel, carrying away the fanhouse, engine-shed, and store 'buildings on the surface. The water brought down a huge quantity of debris, and large trees were swept into the mine. No one was injured, but there were several narrow escapes. Gangs of men were working three shifts, and work was kept going continuously until the wreckage was removed. The damage is estimated at over £l*so. Union Pays Strike Fine. The Wellington Bakers’ Union has paid the fine of £lOO imposed by the Arbitration Court for its action in promoting the recent strike. The Arbitration Court decided last week to convict the men anil not to impose a penalty on then; individually. New Zealand Boys Send Maconigrams. A notable achievement in wireless telegraphy on the part of three boys, one rged 16 and the other two 17 years, is ittracting attention at Dunedin. The boys, Rawson Stark, Stanton Hicks, and Cyril Brandon, have for two years been

experimenting, and as a result of patient labour and many failures, they have fitted up three stations, one at Kcw (Caversham), another at Anderson’s Bay, and a third at Ravensbourne. On Thursday messages from the Mayor of West Harbour to the Mayor of Dunedin were sent and replied to between Anderson’s Bay and Ravensbourne stations, and a message was also flashed across these points by the boys, and then sent to the Postmaster-General and Parliament. Subsequently, a message was received from the Prime Minister, conveying to the young inventors the sincere appreciation of himself and members of Parliament for their messages. The boys on one occasion tapped a message that was being sent by H.M.S. Pioneer in Foveaux Straits to another warships at Lyttelton.