IN TUB DOMINION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 16, 14 October 1908, Page 6

IN TUB DOMINION.

The Wellington Hospital is to be enlarged and extended at a cost of about £ 30,000. The trading loss to the whole of the fire insurance companies on their New Zealand business last year is estimated at from £200,000 upwards. The traffic to Rotorua last year showed a considerable increase over the previous year, the booking by rail being 20,113 as against 18,243 for the preceding year.

The proposal to vote J. J. Afeikle the sum of £5,000 compensation was defeated in the House of Representatives on Saturday by thirty-seven votes to twentyeix.

After a busy week the House of Representatives rose on Saturday, and as soon after as possible the members left for their homes, being anxious to start the campaign, in view of the general elections which are to take place at the end of November, or in the first week of December.

The losses of fire insurance companies in Canterbury provincial district last year involved the unprecedented sum of £356,000 in the year ended August 31— nearly £lOOO a day for a single district. The anniversary of the arrival cf pioneer colonists in Auckland was celebrated on Saturday last by a service in St. Andrew’s Church, and in the Choral Hall, there being a large gathering on each occasion.

George Brown, a private in the Millerton Rilles, while marking at the butts at Millerton, eighteen miles from Westport, was shot while looking over the mound, during the progress of shooting, and subsequently died from the injuries. Just before the accident he had been warned by the Captain against exposing l.nnself while firing was going on. The chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board announced at the last meeting that the reclamation of St. George’s Bay and the construction of the eastern mole in connection with Mr. Hamer’s comprehensive harbour scheme will be begun within eighteen months. The first session of the nineteenth synod of the Diocese of Auckland was opened last week in St. Mary’s Hall. Parnell. In the absence of Bishop Neligan, ■who is at Home attending the Lambeth Conference, (.'anon G. Mac Murray, Bishop’s Commissary, presided. Dr. Bell, the Government geologist, who has been engaged in the geological survey, of the Whangaroa section, says that his investigations have disclosed copper, iron, and mercury ores, amongst other mineral features. Iron and petroleum shale were met with near Waimatc North and south of Whangaroa, and mercury has been observed at Ohaeawai. In addition, building stones and Isisalts were investigated near the coast, and) these include a marble which might possibly open up an important industry in the district. Copper ore and small deposits of iron were found in small quantities within three miles of the North Cape. Fire at Dunedin. The buildings and machinery of McLeod Bros.* soap and candle works,

which were seriously damaged by fire on Saturday morning, were insured as follows:—Guardian, £5000; South British, £4060; Liverpool and London and Globe, £4000; New Zealand, £2250; Royal Exchange, £1750; Queensland, £1500; Standard, £1500; Phoenix, £.3000; North British, £1000; United, £750; Australian Alliance, £5OO. The department gutted was 'covered by £4150 of this, as under: —Buildings, £700; steam engine, £200; machinery, £1750; and stock, £l5OO. This divided among the oilices concerned, works out at about one-fifth of the sums allotted above, to eaeh. Mr. Hall-Jones to be High Commissioner. Announcement was made before Parliament rose, of the fact that the HonW. Hall-Jones would be appointed to the vacancy caused by the resignation of the High-Commissionership in London, by Mr. W. P. Reeves. Mr. Hall-Jones is one of the most respected men on the Government side of the House, and the complimentary things that were said about him when he said farewell to the members, were not as is usually the ease on these occasions, mere empty compliments. The Otira Tunnel. The Otira tunnel has now, according to a report received from a correspondent of the “Press,” been advanced to a distance of 12 chains from the mouth, which opens on to the Rolleston stream. The rate of progress, owing to a variety of circumstances, varies very considerably. On one day the added penetration may be anything from Bft. to 14ft., but on others about 6ft. may be driven. The average per week, however, may be stated at about 60ft. The character of the material encountered also varies very much. During the past fortnight the drive has, generally speaking, been fairly dry, but during this week the men struck a strong spring, the flow from which attained the very inconvenient quantity of from 7000 to 8000 gallons per hour. The installation of power at Holt’s Creek, one of the most interesting operations at the Otira end, has been practically completed. The difficulty in regard to the ventilation of the drive has been overcome to a considerable extent by the installation of a temporary ventilating plant. This has made a vast difference inside the drive, and the conditions of work are very much improved. The Veterans’ Horae.

Tfiie balance-sheet of the Veterans’ Home shows that while the capital account has increased by £4OO, the revenue for the year has decreased by £433 10/6, as compared with the previous year’s results. The principal items not recurring during the financial year are: the cessation of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society of London contribution of £IOO per year (which was only promised for three years, and which lias now expired) the proceeds of a ball at Hastings, £139 10/2; and subscriptions, £262 18/11 collected by Airs. Wigram, of Christchurch. The Govcrn-

went have kindly consented to place £5OO on this year’s Supplementary Estimates, although it has not been earned on the £ for £ basis, and the committee fear that unless they can keep the revenue from subscriptions, donations andl entertainments up to £5OO per year, the Government may reduce their annual contribution. The subscriptions and donations for the year only amounted to £163 5/5, a long way short of £5OO. Out of the above the total received from annual subscriptions was £l3O 4/4, the balance being made up by donation's. If more annual subscribers could be secured for a few years, until such time as the capital fund reaches a safe position, the committee’s anxiety would be very much relieved. With this object the committee earnestly ask for more annual subscribers. The Home is doing real good work, and is well worthy' of encourage ment; all who visit it speak highly of its usefulness, comfort and management. Maori Place Names. The Nomenclature Committee reported to the House of Representatives that owing to the shortness of the session and other work on committees they had not been able to devote as much attention to their work as they desired. A subcommittee revised the Maori names of railway stations and post-offices. The committee recommended that some officer be appointed whose duty it would be to keep a record of all place names in the Dominion, with their history and associations, and that a Nomenclature Committee be annually appointed. Some bad blunders have apparently been made in the spelling of Maori names, particularly in the South Island. For instance: Akaroa should be Hakaroa, Hokonui should be Hokanui, Kaiapoi should be Kaiapohia, Kurow should be Kohurau, Lake Te Kapo should be Takapo, Manapouri should be Manawapore, Otago Heads should be Otakau Heads, Tapanui should be Tapuaenuku. The Missing Loch Lomond. The fears for the fate of the barque Loch Lomond, eighty-four days out from Newcastle to Lyttelton, were to some extent confirmed last week by the finding of one of her life-buoys, which was picked up on October 5 by a fisherman off Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island, Auckland. The buoy was covered with green slime, and had evidently been in the water for some considerable time. The Northern Company’s steamer Chelmsford was subsequently sent round the island to search for further wreckage, but she discovered nothing. Straphangers in Tramcars. The Auckland City Council was last week asked by the Tramways Employees’ Union to repeal the bye-law allowing straphangers in cars and revert to the safe system of allowing only the exact number of passengers for whom scats were provided. The Council decided that as the Government had intimated its intention of enforcing the installation of proper brakes, and as the Council had the power to limit the number of straphangers, and say which cars should be licensed to carry them, the by-law should remain in force. South British Insurance Co. At the annual meeting of the South British Insurance Company', held in Auckland last week, it was announced that the underwriting profit was £14,768, being 4.64 per cent, as against 6.91 per cent, for the previous year. Adding the net balance brought forward from last year to the amount' at the credit of the revenue account, the amount standing at the credit of profit and loss is £63,539. The directors transferred £lO,OOO to the reserve fund, and after paying the interim dividend in April last, making provision for the leasehold sinking funds, ete., there is a balance left of £34,515, out of which it was decided to pay a dividend at the rate of Is. 6d. per share, making the dividend for the year (inclusive of interim dividend) 3s per share, and leaving £19,515 to be carried forward. In New Zealand itself there was an actual loss on the fire business during last year. Messrs. Edson and W. R. Wilson were re-elected directors, and Messrs. Kissling and Morrison were re appointed auditors.