IN THE DOMINION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 5, 3 February 1909, Page 5

IN THE DOMINION.

- - Mr. A. T. and Mrs. Hodgson, Wellington, accompanied by Mr. R. D. Hodgson, of Staffordshire, are on a visit to Rotorua. The National Mortgage Company of New Zealand has declared a dividend of 7J per cent and a bonus of a shilling per share. The Dunedin City Corporation’s loan of £206,900, bearing interest at the rata of 4 per cent., issued :.t 100 J, has been over-subscribed in I.ondon. The newly-consecrated Bishop of Polynesia (the Right Rev. T. C. Twitchell) is at present paying a visit to Auckland. The following prisoners were sentenced at the Supreme Court, Dunedin: — rag: —Oscar Kossub, breaking and entering, two years; Robert Walter Silberman, breaking and entering, twelve months; Thomas Patrick Flynn, two charges of bigamy, five years. The Premier states (says a Napier paper) that Mr C. L. MacKersey’s Tangoio estate, comprising 8500 adres, had been placed under offer to the Government through the member for the district (Mr. J. Vigor-Brown). He has instructed the Chairman of the Land Purchase Board to examine and report on the property, and, if suitable, it would be acquired for closer settlement. A young woman, said to be an adventuress from London, has been masquerading in Wellington as the daughter of a well-known English family. She has been received by the best people in the city, and has ‘"hob-nobbed” with leading politicians and sportsmen, attending the recent race meeting at Trentham, and, in addition, has been obtaining goods and borrowing money from prominent people under false pretences. Lt is stated in the South that the skuagull, in evil emulation of the practices of the notorious kea, is working devastation amongs the flocks in the “Off” Island's, particularly at Campbell Island. He is said to have there exchanged his ordinary seafaring pursuits for others' of a distressing nature, swooping down on a sheep, picking out its eyes, and otherwise injuring it. Owners are now viewing wiETi some apprehension the next lambing season. The plans for the new Government House in Wellington have not apparently been greatly advanced. The Public Works Department is still engaged in the preparation of plans for the new Government House on Alt. View Asylum site. It is not likely that a start will be made with the erection of the building before May next, as the existing road to the mental hospital is too steep and winding. The Department is having a survey made, with a view to making an approach from Sussex Square. A closing incident in one of the most, sensational events of New Zealand’s financial history has just been enacted. This has been the removal of all books and documents of the old Colonial Bank, which had been stored in the cellars of what is now the Stock Exchange buildings, to the paper mill at Woodhaugh, to be converted into pulp. Ever since the liquidation of the Colonial Bank in 1895 these books and documents have been the subject of very frequent litigation, and about two years ago the Supreme Court ordered that they’be destroyed. A suspension of this order was asked by Mr Victor Braund, and temporary suspension was made, but the order for their production and retention was cancelled again on Mr Braund failing to make good his case, and now the last has been heard of them. A man with an unsteady look in his eye went with great enthusiasm to the Town Hall last evening to have “A Nicht wi’ Burns” (says the ‘"New Zealand Times”). He was by the grace of fate at best a raw, callow, loud-voiced colonial. He stared dumbfounded at the six pipers and two drummers as they rioted into an evening of Scotch music. At last he jerked his thumb towards the platform and inquired of a stolid and ancient Scot at his side when did “Tommy” appear? “Aye, num, I dinna ken,” was the response. “Tommy, you know him; the bloke that Nigger Johnson pounded,” persisted the stranger. Then a frigid horror fell upon the soul of the Scot. The explanations were brief but painful, and a few minutes later a

disgusted colonial went forth muttering into the wet and dismal night. There is a well authenticated rumour, (writes the Wellington “Dominion's” travelling correspondent) that another phase of timber importation will shortly be presented to the public of New Zealand. A Palmerston North merchant informed our representative that he had been informed by' a sawmiller that a wealthy Australian syndicate Lad purchased several square miles of Manchurian forest land, with the idea of exploiting Australia and the Dominion with the timber. Consignments, indeed, had already arrived in Victoria. The timber was said to be sweet and fresh, and admirably fitted for butter-box and cheese-icase manufacture. Finally, it could be sold cheaper than Oregon pine. What with labour conditions, royalties, railway' freights, and Asiatic competition, New Zealand sawmillers (said the merchant) appeared to be in for a very hard time.

Mr. John Milward, manager of the Pacific Cable Board, was asked “by a Wellington reporter the other dXy Whether in his opinion the further lowering of the rates to a penny a • word, as proposed by' Mr. Henniker Heaton, was practicable. Mr. Milward replied: “No; certainly not, if the cables are to be worked so as to meet ordinary expenses. The carrying capacity of a cable is limited. We can only send a thousand words an hour over the Pacific cable, and no main ocean line has a much greater capacity than that. It is easy to see that at a penny a word the revenue could not exceed £30,000 a year, and our present working (expenses are twice that sum.” In regard to any less sensational reduction of rates, Mr. Milward was not prepared to make any definite statement, but he pointed out that the matter was by no means all in the hands of his board, because all messages between Australasia and Britain, via the Pacific cable, had to cross Canada and the Atlantic on privately-owned lines. Rather less than half the rates went to the Pacific Cable Board. The University Senate sitting in Auckland had before it last week a proposal by the Musical Committee, of- which Mr L. Cohen, is chairman, for the appointment of a Recess Music Committee, to follow up the question of the establishment of a conservatorimn of Music in New Zealand, which has been advocated by the Senate on more than one occasion. The proposal was warmly supported, and the following were appointed a committee. Rev. W. A. Evans, Rev. A. Cameron. Dr McDowell, the Hon. J. A. Tole, with Air L. Cohen, chairman. It is reported from Masterton that business on the Wairarapa railway line has fallen off considerably since the Government took over the Manawatu line. Practically all the goods traffic has been divested to the Manawatu side, and it is said said that, but for the stock the goods trains passing through Masterton would now be carrying next to nothing. The carelessness of a smoker in throwing away a blazing match was responsible the other afternoon, in Mannersstreet, Wellington, for a nasty accident, which might very easily have been attended by more serious consequences. The lighted match, so carelessly dropped, touched the light summer dress of a young lady who was waiting for a car. The dress at once caught fire, and the lady screamed. After a moment of shocked hesitation, Mr. D. A. Morton, of Kilbirnie, and a motorman named Herlihy, appreciating the danger, threw their coats round the blazing dress, and', with some difficulty, smothered the flames. The lady’s arms-were found to be rather badly burnt, her eyebrows were singed, and her hair slightly burnt. If there had been any further hesitation on the part of the bystanders, she might have suffered permanent disfigurement. The action of a bystander, who was carrying a top-coat over his arm and refused to lend it, was an unpleasant feature of the occurrence. A curious instance of the voracity of eels is reported from a farm in the Rangitikei district. Attempts are made every year to raise a few ducks. They are successfully hatched out, and kept in the duck-yard until strong enough to be let out to forage with their mothers. There is an ideal creek dose by, and this is the ducks’ unhappy hunting ground. When the young ducks

waddle home after a day on the creek, some of them are found to be minus u foot, some have lost two feet, and in a short time, out of a clutch of ten or a dozen, there are only three or four whole and sound. Most of the crippled ducklings are killed off by the owner to end their pains, but one or two usually survive and amongst the poultry on the farm, there are to be seen ducks hobbling round on one foot and a stump. The large eels in the creek evidently consider ducks' feet a peculiar dainty, and are always on the look out for a fresh supply. Sometimes mangled young ducks are found drowned, having presumably been dragged under the water and held there white the eel enjoyed his tit bit at leisure. Fatality on the Railway. During shunting operations at Thorndon, Wellington, a shunter named George Alexander Watkins was accidentally killed with two others. He was engaged breaking trucks when suddenly his lantern was seen to fall. His companions found him lying across the rails terribly injured and quite dead. It is supposed that he slipped, and before he could recover himself the trucks passed over him. Deceased was married, and came from Australia. He had been in the railway service four or five years, and was experienced in shunting. Bland Holt Robbed. A daring theft took place at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch .some time on Friday. It appears that Mr. Duncan, Mr. Bland Holt’s treasurer, locked the office at the theatre about 4 p.m., leaving locked in a wooden box the sum of £330 in gold and notes, intended for the payment of salaries. On returning to the office nt seven p.m., Mr. Duncan found the padlock with which the box had been locked lying on the floor and the box empty. The door leading, from the vestibule to the office had been forced open by the thief. The matter is being investigated by the police, but so far no trace of the robber or money has been found. The Thames Election. Little interest was evinced in the byelection to fill the place rendered vacant by the translation of the Hon. •Tas. McGowan to the Legislative Council. The candidates were Messrs. W. H. Lucas, the selected Government candidate; F. H. Haselden, the selected Opposition candidate; E. H. Taylor and W. Rhodes, Government supporters; and E. Deeble. Opposition supporter. The ballot resulted: — Taylor 1305 Lucas 853 Deeble 573 Rhodes 505 Haselden 493 A second ballot will require to be held between Messrs. Taylor and Lucas, Mr Taylor’s margin not being sufficient to afford him the absolute majority necessary of the votes cast. The voting at the General Election last November was as under: — McGowan (G.) 2875 Deeble (I.) 854 Mason (S.) 291 Isitt (PA 120 Auckland Goldfields' Output. The returns show that the output from the gold mines in the Auckland district for the year 1908 was £1,317,419. a decrease of £103,797, as compared with the figures of the previous twelve months. The greater part of the gold was won in the Ohinemuri district, which accounts for over a million and a quarter, the Waihi mine alone providing the value of £923,172. Over the Age. The rule providing that all civil servants must retire upon reaching the age if sixty-five, is to be strictly enforced in future, so the Cabinet has decided. This will affect several well known officers, notably, Mr Thomas Humphreys (Surveyor-General). Mr A. Barron (lands purchase officer). Mr C. W. Hursthouse (chief engineer of the Roads Department), Lieutenant - Colonel Hume (inSpector of prisons), Mr Charles Alfred St. George Hickson (commissioner of

stamps and registrar of Mr J. M. Batham (registrar general of lands and deeds), Mr W. T. Glasgow (Secretary for Customs), and Mr C. A- Wray, B.M. (Timaru). Shipowners’ Wants, A deputation from the New Zealand Federated Shipowners’ Federation waited on the Minister for Marine (the Hon. J. A. Millar) at Auckland last, week, and urged that some better provision be made for the representation of the ship owners on the Auckland Harbour Board. The chief points of complaint by the deputation were defective fire appliance* on the wharves, unfair competition of oil launches, which were not under the same restrictions as steam boats, and a want of knowledge of marine requirements among merchants and professional men on the Board. The Minister gave a sympathetic reply, and promised to give the matter consideration when recasting a bill dealing with the subject, he intended to introduce next session. Mr Millar also said he intended to have oil launches brought under the same regulations as steam launches, reserving the right of granting exemptions for launches used by settlers. A Father's Crime. Harry Thomas, a settler aged thirtyseven years, tried to murder his family on Friday at IVaiowaka, a bush township in the Pahiatua district, and then committed suicide. William John Thomas, aged eighteen, was in the act of lighting the fire, when (he father pointed a shot-gun behind his ear, and. shooting, killed him instantly. He then attempted to murder his wife and daughter, but they managed to get beyond the madman's reach. Thomas then turned the weapon on himself, and blew his head off. He was in his normal health the day before the. tragedy, but is said to have suffered from the effects of an injury received several years ago, and at various times lie was in the habit of losing all control over himself. It is supposed the crime was committed in one of these fits. Ancient Maori Relics. Mr. IL D. M. Haszard, F.R.G.S., district surveyor, Auckland, who has just returned from a visit to Whitianga, reports an interesting find on the low sandhills on tiie north side of Mercury Bay. The superincumbent sand has (Mr. Haszard relates) been blown away here by the wind, and has exposed a workshop of the stone age. At this place he found an old stone anvil and bushels of stone fragments broken off in roughly shaping various tools for the grinding process. A number of axes were also picked up in various stages of manufacture, from the rough block to the nearly' finished article. In addition to the find of stone axes, numberless bones of these victims were also exposed in the drift-sand as well as tiie old ovens in which cannibal feasts had been prepared for the delectation of the Maoris. Beside some of those were little piles of human bones, which h;ul been cracked and split up to get at I he marrow, and also quantities of obsidian knives which had been used in cutting up the flesh. Mr. Haszard is handing over tiie articles which he has found to the Auckland Museum. Liquor- Raids in Invercargill. The police raided Poff’s Carriers’ Arms Hotel, in Dee-street. and seized a quantity of liquor. About the same time another posse made a similar search of Mrs. McAuliffe's Shamrock Hotel in Spey-street, and there also liquor was seized. Prosecutions will probably follow. Dunedin Harbour Board s Good Year. Tin- chairman of the Harbour Board, in his annual statement, congratulated the Board on a prosperous year, and a steady increase i nrevenue from all sources, which was an indication of the marked expansion of trade. The year closed with a credit balance of £20,996. The total receipts from all sources were £111,194; the ordinary revenue was £85,058, an increase of £5328 over last year. This is the largest revenue since the institution of the Board. Remission in dues since January, 1904, represented a total of £13,321, and ordinary ex-

pcnditure out of revenue amounted to £89,037, and out of loan, £ 13,558. In creased tonnages were: General merchandise, 12,006 tons; grain, 2959 tons; transhipments, 186 tons; timber, 2,180,174 superficial feet. Discovery of New Caves. Information has reached the Tourist Department of the discovery of some exceptionally fine caves, about four miles from Kanunea. They number eighteen in all, and extend for about four miles, being from about one to one and a-half miles wide. The < reek wanders through the caves, which are particularly rich in stalactites, and stalagmites in every conceivable fancy, and in many instances resembling delicate sculpture. In one cave a moa skeleton (beak as well) was unearthed. In other caves were evidences. of human occupation, but these may not fl»e unconnected with the Oparara gold rush of many years ago. Coast Lights. Speaking upon the subject of lighting the East Coast, the Minister for Marine, the Hon. J. A. Millar last week iir formed a “Star” representative that he quite realised that while the East Coast was very well provided for in this respect, a light must sooner or later be placed at W'hangarei Heads. It was one of the cases which must receive consideration. and would no doubt be provided for at an early date. Referring to the necessity for a signal of some kind at the Three Kings, where the Elingamite and other vessels have gone down, the Minister said he considered the only satisfactory thing to do was to erect a fog signal there. He had been making a long inquiry into the system of submarine signalling, which lias been so largely and so successfully adopted along the coast of America. The system was a most effective one, but could only be put into operation when vessels were equipped with the necessary telephonic apparatus to receive the signal. When this system was in use, it was possible to receive a signal under water for a distance of 16 miles. If they could instal such apparatus upon vessels trading to New Zealand, it would be possible to introduce the system here, and in the case of such a locality as the Three Kings, would prove to be invaluable. The Minister states that the Marine Department has been very much pleased with the results achieved with incandescent mantles in the different lighthouses. At Pencarrow the light had proved a splendid success, and it has also been installed at Stevens’ Island and Jack’s Point. So satisfactory has been the result, in fact, that the necessary plant has been brought out from Home for the installation of six more, two of which will bo placed in northern lighthouses, one at Cuvier and the other at Cape Maria. Inaugurating the Auckland-Wel-lington Express. The “ Post ” has gathered from oflicials fSome further information relative to the time-table to be inaugurated on the Main Trunk line this month. Even at this late hour the proposals are only tentative. The Department’s present intention is to begin the through service with a train from Auckland on Sunday evening, February 14, to reach Wellington in time t > connect with the steamer for the South on Monday. Wellington will return the compliment by dispatching a train for the North on Monday. Approximately the trains are to leave Wellington at 11.30 a.m. (arriving at Auckland at 7 a.m. on the following day), and depart from Auckland at 8.30 pin. (reaching Wellington at 4.30 p.m. next day), but these times are only tentative, and various factors may yet cause a slight readjustment. All the sleeping cars are not likely to be ready by the middle of next month, but some will be on the road. A fee (probably 10/-) will be charged for the privilege of lying at ease when “on the wing.” Whatever the charge is. it will be uniform, for the “sleepers’’ will bo all of one class. The ordinary faros single will be 21/2 for secon<l-elass ami 39/1 for first-class, to which the sleeping-car charge will be added. A deputation from the Taihape Chamber of Commerce, introduced by Mr. Field, M.P., waited on the Minister for "Railways last week. Among other things it asked that provision should be made by which a train should

be dispatched from Taihape at say six p.m., so as to enable passengers to go through to Auckland in the one day. That meant the giving up of the 9 p.m. train, which took two days to get to Auckland. The Minister promised to look into the matters referred to. He was going to pay a visit to the locality in a ft w days so as to know the position. The question of the time-table was at present under consideration. Post and Telegraphs. Discussing the Post and Telegraph revenue with a "N.Z. Times” representative at Napier, the Prime Minister, who was in possession of the details for thp first three quarters of the financial year, made an interesting estimate of the probable revenue for the year. “So far,” he said, “the first thiee quarters of the year have produced post and telegraph revenue amounting to £677,588, made up as follows:—-Postal stamps, £365,453; postal cash receipts, £15,922; telegraph stamps. £170,874; telegraph eash receipts, £125.339—t0ta1, £677,588. “Estimated upon the comparative figures for the March quarter, 1908, and the known business of the nine months already passed, it may be fairly assumed that the March quarter, 1909, will produce post and telegraph revenue amounting in all to £212,912.” This will bring the total for the year 1908-09 up to £890,500, as compared with the £850.000 estimated in April last. The latter estimate was made up as follows: —Postal stamps. £485,453; postoffice cash receipts, £36,334; telegraph stamps. £232.874 : telegraph cash reciepts, £135,839—t0ta1. £890.500. “If my estimate be realised,” concluded Sir Joseph Ward, “the revenue will exceed that of 1907 ’OB by £68.500, which, considering the reductions recently made in money order commission, in postal note commission, in postages, and in private box rents, is really an astonishing result, and clearly demonstrates that so far as the Post and Telegraph is concerned, the business of the Dominion has steadily increased. It is highly gratifying that such an excellent barometer of commercial activity and the people’s prosperity as the Post Office undoubtedly is, gives such splendid results this year. Some Immigration Figures. It is interesting to note that last year’s gain by immigration constitutes a record for recent years. The figures successively since 1898 were: 1887 in 1899. 1831 in 1900. 6522 in 1901, 7992 in 1902. 11.275 in 1903. 10,355 in 1904, 9302 in 1905. 12,848 in 1906, and 5730 in 1907. Much of the increase for 1906 was due to the exhibition. People arrived in great numbers before the end of that year, and departed early in 1907, thus imp tverrshing the credit figures for the latter year. The 14,261 of last year was more than doubled in one year of the Featherston Administration, when men ■ were wanted for railways and other public works, and for general development work. Quoting from memory, a Government officer says that in one year, when Mr. Maurice O’Rorke was Minister for I inmigration—he thought it was 1870—the gain was 30,000; but those were days of free passages and sure work for “new chums.” Steadily last year the steamers brought “assisted” immigrants. The total was 4478 (including 737 children). The immigrants brought capital amounting to about £IOO,OOO (an average of a trifle over £2O each). Details of the figures (quoted by the "Post") show that the United Kingdom, with 8713, easily heads the list of contributions to the 14,261; New South Wales follows with 2563, Victoria 2005, Tasmania 734, Pacific Islands 403, Fiji 126. Chinese arrivals from Australia totalled 538, and the departures 248, making a Celestial increment of 290. Tables giving the birth places of the immigrants show that the newcomers from non British countries number 1732, (Austria 241, Germany 238, United States 145, France 137, Denmark 74, Russia 66, Italy 50, Sweden 46, Syria 32, Norway 23. Charged with Murder. Dr. Goode will be brought before the Court at New Plymouth today on a charge of murdering Mrs. Klenner, at Waiiara. The inquiry is expected to last three days, as fully 30 witnesses have been subpoenaed.

Germany in the Pacific. A cable from Vancouver appeared recently, containing a statement by Major Daniels, an American scientist, who has been visiting New Guinea, to the effect that a strong naval base had been established at Sinnsonshafen, Matupi, in German New Britain, one of the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. The scientist also remarked that the defences and fort were quite formidable, and he cautioned Britons to “watch Germany’s growing power in the Pacific.” Dr. Inner, German Consul-General for Australia, is at present on a visit to Auckland, and a “Star” representative who called on him at the German Consulate, was given a complete contradiction to the statements made by Major Daniels. Dr. Inner was in Simonshafen only a year ago, having been, for a time, practically Governor in this district. “There is absolutely no fort there,” said Dr. Irmer, “and the only gun there is a “pass” weapon for saluting purposes. It, is the only one in the whole of German New Guinea. The wharf and the buildings are the property of the North German Lloyd Co. They have a small dock there in order to effect repairs to their ships, but a fort—there is certainly nothing of the kind. It could not have been erected without money, and that can only be got from the Germany Government by the Reichstag, the accounts of which are all open to the public. The German Government built one house there for the Governor, when the official headquarters were shifted. They gave the money for this building only, and no more for any other purpose.” Continuing, Dr. Irmer stated that the German Governent had only two small cruisers in the South Seas, the Condor and the Planet—one of these being only a small vessel. He ridiculed the idea that there should be any alarm amongst the people of the British possessions at the statement of Major Daniels. A New Degree. A proposal to establish a degree of Bachelor of Literature has been under discussion on several occasions by the present University Senate. The proposal was brought up in definite form last w’eek, when Mr F. E. Baume, M.P., moved that the Senate should seek power from Parliament to establish the degree of bachelor of literature. Profesor Salmond, said that this was not the right way in which to go about this thing. It was a very important matter. The B.A. covered almost any possible degree, including such degree as bachelor of literature. M*at we needed here was in reality to institute a degree, which would be purely a bachelor of science distinction. The B.Sc. was a compromise between the 8.A., and the modern demands. What they should do was differentiate. They should keep the B.A. degree as it was, and institute a degree of pure science. Professor J. R. Brown opposed the motion for other reasons. One objection was that it would give the University another degree of an unorganised kind, practically the same as the present. There would be several degrees, with practically no difference between them. Mr Baume said that if there ought to be only one degree, that should be a bachelor’s degree. As to the proposal to do away with mathematics in the B.A. examination, if mathematics was cut out Latin would go too, and they would soon do away with all the compulsory subjects. The degree should not be altered for the reasons advanced. He had never contended that the bachelor of literature degree would have the value of the B.A. degree, and he did not think that anything which did not include mathematics would have anythihg like the value ’of the B.A. degree. His motion opened a thorough and practical way of providing relief for those students, who could not do mathematics. The motion was carried by eleven votes to nine. Departmental Returns. The revenue for the quarter ended December 31 amounted to £2,591,387, showing an increase, compared with the corresponding period of 1907, amounting to £ 143,590. The following table shows the sources of revenue, and includes a comparison with the same quarter of 1907: — Post and Telegraph: Revenue, £67,810; increase, £ 5227.

Stamps: Revenue, £326 051; increase, £2176. Land Tax: Revenue, £557,328; increase, £ 62.736. Income Tax: Revenue, £3795; increase, £44. Beer Duty: Revenue, £34,871; increase, £ 1650Railways: Revenue, £774,962; increase, £80.521. Registration and other fees; Revenue, £24,530; increase, £ 4371. Marine: Revenue, £11,173; increase, £975. Miscellaneous: Revenue, £49,641; increase, £8373. Customs: Revenue, £707,663; decrease, £ 22,104. Territorial Revenue: Revenue, £ 33,557; decrease, £ 26,028. Expenditure for the quarter was £2,449,831, or £97.055 more than that of the December quarter of 1907, the increases occurring under the following heads: —Railways, £24.000; police, £12,00C; defence, £14,000; agriculture, £11,000; education, £24,000; public buildings, £BOOO. The value of goods imported into New Zealand during 1908 was £17,471,283, as compared with £17,302,796 during 1907. The exports for 1908 totalled £16.317,541, ns against £20,071,636 for 1907. Parliament Bi-ildings. Last session members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives were rather at a loss for accommodation in the improvised Parliament Buildings, to which the Governor’s residence at the corner of Molesworthstreet and Lambton Quay had been converted. On Monday the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, informed a “Star” representative that it is intended to at once proceed, with the erection of a new Legislative Coimcil Chamber. The additional building will be of wood, and will be constructed alongside the present Parliament Buildings near the entrance from Bowen-street. It will also contain a room for the Speaker, and three or four committee rooms. That portion of the chamber used for Legislative Council purposes will now be added to the House of Representatives, and almost twice the accommodation available last session will thus be at the disposal of members of the Lower House in future. The new Legislative Council Chamber will only be a temporary structure, calculated to answer the purpose for several years. By carrying out these adidtions, there will be ample accommodation for members! of both Houses, and likewise for the Press and the public. Last session the space available was so limited that no strangers’ gallery could be erected, and there was comparatively no provision for visitors. When these improvements are effected, Sir Joseph points out, it will be possible to carry on the erection of the new Parliament House, to replace that destroyed by fire, slowly and effectually. Asked when a start would be made on the new Parliament Buildings, the Prime Minister replied that Cabinet would consider the question of competitive designs next month. ' The Timber Industry. The Royal Commission to inquire ~nu matters relating to the timber industry is to be set up immediately. Sir Joseph Ward, interviewed by a “Star” representative on Monday, stated that the Commission would comprise ten members. He was asking the sawmillers to suggest two members, the representatives of the middlemen to suggest two members, the representatives of the timber workers* unions two members, the builders one member, and the Government would nominate three members, making a commission of ten. It was intended, the Prime Minister said, to carry on the inquiry in the four chief centres, and it is estimated that within six or eight weeks the commission will be able to gain all the necessary information. Evidence will be taken in regard to the general conditions of the timber trade, the prices charged by millers and timber merchants, the existence of an alleged timber ring, and other questions of importance in connection with the industry. The Government and Parliament wanted to fully understand every side of the problem upon which diversity existed. One side said a limber ring was keeping prices up abnormally. Those interested replied that this was not so. Others said the middlemen were responsible, and the middlemen in turn affirmed that such was not the case. The fact remained, however, that the price of timber

had gone up enormously to the actual user during the last few years. The commission would also deal with the allegation that the introduction of shipments of Oregon pine was responsible for a reduction of the output of the sawmills. Another important question the commission would have to deal with, the Prime Minister said, was in regard to the bush areas still available. The Government had collected a considerable amount of information, which was now in the hands of the Forestry Department, ■and would give some idea of how long the available bush throughout the country, based upon the average consumption, present and prospective, would last. The names of the members of the commission, the Prime Minister added, will probably be announced within a few days, and the commission will commence its work almost immediately. '‘Gross and Degraded English,.” Some very pointed remarks fell from one of the members of the University Senate last week, in the utterance of which the speaker condemned the New Zealand pronunciation and conception of English. The Authors and Periods Committee made the following recommendation with regard to the definition of English for the entrance examination: —"That in matriculation the subject be defined as follows:—(1) A short essay on some easy subject, a choice from at least three subjects to be allowed: (2) grammar, not including* historical grammar, and the nature and classification of modern English sounds in relation to their bearing on orthography; (3) exercises in such divisions of English composition as the explanation and reproduction in precis or outline of prose or verse passages from the best-known plays of Shakespeare and from modern standard English authors, conversion of direct into reported speech and vice-versa, punctuation, sentence structure, arrangement of the paragraph, uses and misuses of words, and the detection and correction of errors and ambiguities of expression.” Mr. Louis Cohen said that he had regarded this , new prescription as the greatest advancement that had been made during his career on the Senate in elementary English culture. Mr. Cohen said that taking singing as an instance, Colonial boys and girls lost all the beauty by their faulty diction. ‘‘You have only to hear some cultured English man or woman sing to learn how gross and perverse our diction has become.” he continued. “I attribute it to the inability of the tecahers in the country schools to speak decent English.” He hoped that the suggestion would be adopted "so as to save the English people from talking degraded English.” The recommendation was adopted. Waihi Retrenchment. At a special meeting of the Borough Council last week, the recommendation of the Finance ami Works Committees for a scheme of retrenchment was adopted. The Mayor’s honorarium is reduced from £ 150 to £52 a year; the gas manager’s salary is reduced by £SO, tiro engineer’s salary by £SO, and the number of borough workmen reduced from 73 to 33 (saving £O3O per month), and the services Of tlie -unitary inspector are done away with. The total ‘saved by this retrenchment amounts to over 1 £7OO per month. The total revenue of the borough is £30,000 a year. False Entries. Iticliprd Whittingham, brewer, was fined £SO at Invercargill for making false entries in his books. The case had been previously dismissed by the Magistrate on the ground that the errors in the books were due simply to negligence, but the Customs appealed to the Supreme Court, which held there should have been a conviction. liepresentations will be made itp the Minister to have the fine remitted. Jjp. costs were allowed. Slang in Examinations. TThe examiner in history for the recent University examinations (Mr. J. I*. Grossmann,, M.A.) found in going through the papers that many of the condTdates had used very objectionable Eng-

llsli. “Slang” was freely employed. In a letter to the University Senate, Mr. Grossmann suggested that the Senate should combat this tendency by disqualifying papers which were disfigured by gross vulgarities. After having considered Mr. Grossmann’s letter, and the suggestions contained in it, the Authors and iPteriodis Comnvttiee recommended that the Senate should adopt the following: (1) That any paper disfigured by gross vulgarities be disqualified; (2) that examiners be instructed to take into consideration the spelling and composition in valuating the papers of candidates. Mr. F. E. Ban me corn tended that bad spelling in a history paper should not count against a student, and Mr. Von Haast said that a prominent member of a college governing board, whom he had 'known, could not spell at all. Mr. Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools, agreed with Mr. Baume. “There kq” he said, “an exaggerated importance attached to spelling in the present day. A similar importance is not attached in French. Children have been failed for a few remarks in spelling. That is ridiculous.” The recommendatiom to disqualify for the use of gross vulgarities was unanimously adopted, but the recommendation to instruct examiners to consider the spelling and the composition when valuing papers was lost by eleven votes to eight votes. Ruling Passion. “Two-up” continues to have its Votaries in Wellington, and they are not very particular where they play so long as there is enough room to give the “browns” a “fair go.” On Sunday last (says the “N.Z. Times”), during the height of the gale and rain, a small school was on the upper story of an old building in the vicinity of the Opera House, which is in the course of demolition. Though the roof was off, and the rain had no difficulty in finding out the players, they resolutely stuck to their games all the afternoon and until it was so dark that they had to resort to artificial light to see whether the pennies were “two ones” or “ins” or “outs.” Flat roofs have been found very useful by the fraternity, and more than one school has carried on its operations on certain roof tops in the city without the slightest fear of molestation and without the necessity of posting scouts. On fine Sundays—and wet ones for the matter of that—the morning train for Petone is usually well patronised by a number of men—young and old, presenting all appearances. They invariably get out at the Ngahauranga station, and appear to find great pleasure in the scenery of the gorge, as they always go up there. Tt is a well-known fact that there is a large and well-organised school in this locality every Sunday, and so far it has not received the attention of the police.