IN THE DOMINION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 26, 30 December 1908, Page 5

IN THE DOMINION.

Fine weather favoured the holiday makers on Boxing Day throughout the Dominion. A farmer at Takapuna, Auckland, named Nicholas Casey was arrested last week upon a charge of hving shot at a neighbour named Wentworth Speck, on Christmas Eve. For having used the abbreviation “Dr,” a man named William H. D. Newth, of Christchurch, who was not registered under the Medical Practitioners’ Act, was fined five shillings and costs last week. The defendant had a notice in his window anonuncing that he did not claim the title of “Dr.” in New Zealand, but had practised as a doctor for twenty-three years in America. A lad named Ivan S. Pierce, aged sixteen, son of Mr G. N. Pierce, Auckland, was killed at W’aiwera on Christmas Day. He dived off the end of the wharf, and fractured his skull. Other boys had dived off the same spot a few moments before, and it is supposed that the deceased must have dived into the hollow of a swell, which would, of course, considerably alter the depth of water. By immigration New Zealand’s population was increased by 3330 during Novembed; the arrivals were 4903, and the departures 1633. The newcomers omprised 2978 men, 1454 women, 261 boys, and 270 girls, and the exodus 1028 men, 457 women, 81 boys, and 67 girls. For November last year the arrivals totalled 3656 and the departures 1590, a gain of 2066. It appears that some of the New Zealanders still on the Rand have remained to see the dawn of brighter days than have been experienced since the conclusion of the Boer war. An old Christchurch resident, writing to a friend, states that the outlook is very encouraging in the Transvaal. For the month of October there was a record gold output, valued at over £2,500,000, and as several producers are being added to the number of mines opened up each month, it is expected that a three million output will shortly be reached. At the foregathering of employees of the Government Printing Office prior to starting their annual fortnight's holiday the Government printer, Mr. J. Mackay) gave some details of the work done by the office during the past year. The consolidated statutes went to over 4000 pages, and of these 2500 copies in book form were printed. Besides from 50 to 500 copies of all the individual statutes the office had also printed the main electoral rolls, 76 in all, with a total of over 6000 pages. He was himself surprised at the short time in which this work had been done. The ordinary work, which had been very heavy, had been going on all the time. Last year the number of dockets issued was 13,000. This year it was over 15,000, showing that the Department was going ahead by leaps and bounds.

Death of Dr. Bakewell. The death occurred at Auckland on Boxing Day of Dr R. H. Bakewell, who was well-known all over New Zealand, more particularly by his writings in the newspapers, and periodicals. was the son of the Rev. John Bakewell, a Congregational minister, and was born at Manchester seventy-seven years ago. He took his M.D. course at St. Andrew’s, Edinburgh, saw two years’ service in the Crimea, was appointed officer in charge at Trinidad, and came to New Zealand in 1873, practising at different times in Dunedin, Ross, Hokitika. Christchurch, and Auckland.

Miners' Complaint. With respect to the difficulty over the Miners’ Complaint Bill, Mr. Pryor, secretary of the Employers’ Federation, Wellington, in an interview, said that from the first the employers had regarded the proposals put into the bill as dangerous. Although the mineowners were desirous of doing the best for the workers, they wore absolutely forced into the position of imrsing a medical examination. “When say forced into the position,” added Mr. Pryor, “I mean that intimation had been received from the insurance companies that they were not prepared to

take a risk at any price, without such examination. Now, these risks are tremendous. In fact, it is not a matter of risk at all, but a matter of certain liability, because, without medical examination, a large number of miners, whose lungs are in the least affected, must be a charge upon companies up to £SOO.

“Take the Miners’ Federation estimate, that 50 per cent of the men are affected with jniners’ complaint,’’ continued Mr. Pryor. “This, applied to Waihi with at least 1,500 workers, means that 750 of these men, sooner or later, will represent a charge of £5OO each, or a total of £375,000, on the companies operating in the Waihi district. And, again, taking the Miners’ Federation estimate of 50 per cent affected, this would mean that a total of 9,000 workers in the Dominion would give us a total liability of £2,250,000. Is it any wonder, then, that insurance companies cannot see their way to take the risk? The employers have been compelled to act as they have done in order to protect themselves.” Gisborne Native Lands. Of over 20,000 acres of Native land offered for lease by the Tairawhiti Land Board in Kaipu and Wairoa counties only 250 acres have been taken up. Anadditional 6,084 acres have been withdrawn for settlement by natives.