The News of the Week

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 11, 17 March 1909, Page 5

The News of the Week

Fires Too Prevalent, ZqF PEAKING at the Fire Brigades’ wnL Conference at Auckland last ZS J ■week, Mr Hugo, the Government Inspector, said the proportion of fires in the Dominion was far too large. There were in Wellington, for instance, in 12 months, no fewer than 139 fires, and the brigade had been -called out 257 times. This was in a town of about 60,090 inhabitants; and at Home a city nearly six times as large would not have any more fires. In his opinion a great number of the fires were due to overinsurance. He did not attribute the largeness of the number to direct incendiarism. as to the earlessness induced by over-insurance. He thought over-insur-ance was the greatest- curse of the century. Alpine Climbing. •The Tourist Department reports that more high-climbing was done this year round Mr. Ckiok than in any former season. Mr. Earle, of England, Mr. J. Clarke, and Mr. A. Graham made- an ascent of Mt. Cook the other day by a new route, the entire trip occupying 15J hours. They climbed up the rocks on the western face from the Hooker Glacier, directly under the main summit of the mountain, in 71 hours from the Bivouac, and descended by the north-western route. Addington w orshops Inquiry. The inquiry into the allegations concerning the manner in which the work has been carried out at the Government Railway Workshops at Addington was opened last Thursday at Christchurch, tha Board consisting of Professor R. J. Scott (Chairman) and Messrs. J. J. Niven and E. Roberts. Mr. A. L. Beattie represented the officers of the Locomotive Department. The men, who had at first declined to be represented after the Minister had refused to allow Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., to appear for them, at the last moment decided that Mr. Hampton, one of their own number, should appear foe them before the Board. In giving evidence, Mr. Ronayne, the General Manager, said the letter which he had written to the Engineer-in-Charge, and in which the words ‘'Government stroke" had appeared, was not the result of his own observations. He could not divulge the name of the expert who had given him the information. Mr. Ronayne said he had the utmost confidence in the men prior to receiving the information referred to. A number of witnesses, have so far been examined. Burning Fatality. C»n Friday at Gisborne Mrs Holloway received terrible burns about her body. She was melting beeswax on a stove, when the wax boiled over and shot into the flames. She rushed to the stove, caught the dish in her apron, and, endeavoured to take it out. The burning wax set her dress alight, and she rushed out screaming for assistance. Several neighbours were soon on the scene, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames after the woman's dress had been almost burnt off. Although suffering intensely, she had the presence of mind to tell her helpers that the house was on fire, and two gentlemen who had arrived by this time immediately went in and succeeded in putting out the flames before any serious damage was done. Mrs Holloway

was carried into her room, where doctors, who had been sent for, bathed her wounds in oil and limewater and wrapped them in lint. She succumbed to her injuries at 6 o’clock on Saturday. Deceased, a young woman, leaves one child. Submerged Object in Cook Strait. We are informed by tue local superintendent of mercantile marine that the s.s. Manapouri, whilst proceeding from Wellington to Lyttelton last week, passed a submerged object 16 miles south, 18 degrees west magnetic, from Pencarrow light (at Wellington Heads). Masters of vessels should take warning to navigate very carefully in the vicinity. It is possible that the obstruction consists of the remains of the long-overdue vessel Rio Loge. Important Korero at Tokaanu. An important native gathering convened by Te Heuheu Tukino and 12 other leading chiefs, is to be opened at Tokaanu on April 10. It is expected that several thousand natives will be present, The object of the meeting is to urge upon the Maori people to combine throughout the Dominion to insist upon the native race being placed on the same footing as the Europeans in regard to land, civil and electoral rights, with the reservation of fishing rights over certain lakes extended by the Treaty of Waitangi. His Excellency the Governor and the Ministers of the Crown have been invited to be present, School for Niue. As the result of representations made by Nine residents, the Government have decided to establish a school in the island. It will be under the control of Mr. G. H. Malcolm, teacher of the native school at Takahiwa. The school building is well on towards completion. Mr. Malcolm leaves shortly for Niue to take up his new duties. Penguin Memorial Fund. A meeting of - ladies, convened by the Mayoress, was held at Wellington to promote a fund with the object of establishing a memorial to the brave stewardesses who were lest in the Penguin wreck. It was decided to collect funds to found and endow a bed in Wellington Hospital for the use of any stewardess incapacitated by illness. If the funds warrant it, beds will be provided in other New Zealand centres. Dominion's Population. Annually the Registrar-General makes up an estimate of the population in the four chief centres c-t the Dominion, basing his figures mainly on the returns of the number of inhabited houses, as supplied by the town clerks. This year's figures show that the chief cities remain in exactly the same relation to each other, as far as population is concerned, Auckland leading, w : th Christchurch. Wellington, and Dunedin following in that order. In compiling his return, the RegistrarGeneral does not take ordinary city and borough boundaries, nor does he follow the course adopted in some countries of taking a circle. The plan followed is to take the cities and their suburbs, including contiguous boroughs and land board districts.

The figures are »s follows.- — Auckland.—<i’.y and borough-. 75,145; road districts. 18.199: total, '.8A44. Christchurch and suburbs, 62.196: road districts, or -ts thereof, 14.613; total, 76 709. Wellington City, 69.357: suburbs, 3,430; total, 73.697.’ Dunedin City. 38.V18: suburbs. 22.731; total. 612879. The Peaguin Casualty. Captain Naylor, master of the s.s. Penguin, has appealed again-; the Court’s finding on the ground that it was not proved that the casualty was due to his negligence or default, or that, under the eucumstanees, shelter should have been sought or the vessel’s heal put to sea; that it was not proved the master was guilty of a breach of the rules for preventing collisions at sea. or that sounding should have been taken: that there was no evidence to show that the steamer did not strike an unehartered rock or wreckage: and. generally, that there was no evidence warranting the Court in suspending the master's certificate. ■Northern M-crri Election. In the Northern Maori election it is expected there will be nine candidates for Mr Heke's seat. Some of these, from the Bay of Plenty, -are not likely to secure niueh support, and the election of Dr. Buck, the Government candidate, is considered certain. A Forgotten Ticket for £4OOO. A peculiar case is reported from Ngaruawahia where an old man named McDonald. familiarly known as “old Mac” throughout the Waipa. died some time ago, without friends or relatives in the country, and. to all appearances without any money or property whatever. The local constable while going over the few effects which the old man left, found some papers, amongst which was a ticket for the winner of a recent Melbourne Cup. carrying with it a prize of £4OOO. Nothing is known of where McDonald came from or whether he had relatives or friends, so that though the money can be secured the question is, to whom is it to go? Perhaps the' Public Trustee may answer the question. Ohinemuri Licensing Commission. The scope of the Commission on the Ohinemuri licensing case is now available. The commission to Judge Sim says:—"Whereas it has been alleged that in connection with an application made to the Ohinemuri Licensing Committee in •June, 1900. by Maurice Goggan Power, for a grant of a license at Waihi, money was paid to several members of the committee as bribes to support the application. Judge Sim is appointed a commission to inquire into the allegations, and as to the necessity or expediency of legislation.” His report has to be furnished to the Governor on the 30th of this month. The Timber Industry. The Government lias appointed the following Commission to Investigate matters concerning the timber industry:—Messrs. T. Y. Duncan, M.P. (chairman:, J. F. Arnold, M.P„ \V. H. P. Barber (Wellington), S. I. Clarke (Auckland). H. G. Ell, M.P., W. H. Field, M.P., T. A. Hanan, M.P., VV. T. Jennings, M.P.. W. B. Leyland (Auckland), F. Mander, M.P.. W. Morris (Greymouth), J. Stallworthy, M.P. The Commission is to inquire into the following matters in respect to New Zealand timber:— 1. Cost of felling. 2. Cost of cutting at a mill.

3. Price when sold by mil! to —(a) consumer, (bi middleman, tci retailer. 4. Prt-v when sold by middleman to (di consumer, tel retailer. 5. Areas of (. rvwn land field for milling under Land Act, or Stat? Forests Act, sliowing names of liceu-evs and acreage held. 6. Estimated area Cn an land sii! available for -awtnilimg, but not taken with details regarding district- and area. >. Extent of the importations of Oregon timber and its clfett on liie local market and industries. 8. lain.ied cost ui Oreg< n timber, shew, ing freight and charges. separate non cost price. 9. Price of Oregon timber when sold by iui|H>rter to—(a) consumer, it,. mid dieman. (el retailer. And. generally, any matters which in the Commissioners' opinion injuriously affect the timber and timber building indu-tries. or would promote their de velopment. including the mt-e»ity o legislation on the subject. The Commission is to sit at Inver-’ar gill. Dunedin, Christelinreh. Greymouth Wellington. Taihape, and Auckland. ami to report by May 31. Death of Judge Reeve. Judge Reeve died at Taupo last Thursday. Mr. Roscoe Reeve was well known and highly respected in legal circles in Auckland. where he spent the greater portion of his life. He served his articles with Mr. W. Coleman, and afterwards remained with him as clerk for many years. He left Mr. Coleman to practise on his own account, and was in business for about three years. Last year he was ajs pointed a Judge of the Native Land Court, and although he had had no special practice in Native Land Court work, he speedily adapted himself to his surroundings. and showed every promise of becoming a most capable judge. More Salmon Ova. Half-a-million Atlantic salmon are be ing brought from England by Mr L. F. Ayson, chief inspector of fisheries, in the Rakaia. due at Port Chalmers on March 29. A previous consignment of half-a-million arrived by the Turaktna three weeks ago. Mr. Ayson may also bring on the Rakaia ova of haddock cod and turbot, and experiments were being made in England and Scottaad, ar the request of the New Zealand Marine Department. with the object of ascertaining the proper temperature conditions to be observed for transport of such ova. The difficulty is to retard hatching, so that it shall not take place before the ova reach their destination. Auckland Licensing Election. The result of the poll for the electios of a committee to administer the Jieensint laws in Auckland during the next thre« years was awaited last week with an eager interest, almost approaching what is manifested in a general election. Centred in this particular election was an issue that was generally recognised to be of wide importance—an issue between what is termed the "No-license” and th-’ “Moderate” factions to discover the second and maturer thoughts of the electors who declared at the local option poll last November that reduction must take place in the number of Auckland hotels. In the city licensing area there are 58 licensed houses, and "ieduction” meant that any number between three (five per cent) and fourteen (twenty-five pet cent) of these were to lose their licenses And it was this wide discretion which the licensing committee are allowed to exercise that produced (he keenest and in some senses the bitterest contest for a licensing bench that Auckland has witnessed. On the roll embracing the three electoral districts in the city arc 25.580 electors, and of this number 13.504 re-

coi<h*<i their votes last week, which can to taken a- an extraordinary polling in Au< kland for a local Issue. And as a result of the poll the fixe candidates nominated b\ the Citizens’ League, which espoused the •‘moderate” cause, gained a decided and substantial majority over the .“ticket’’ of five, consisting < f the existing committee, championed ly the No-license party. The following table shows the number of votes cast for each candidate in each of the three electorates, together with the totals: — CITIZENS’ LEAGUE TICKET. Auckland Auckland Auckland Central. East. West. Tl.

Bagnall . , 2189 2450 1O*?R 6567 Holland . . . 2182 2438 1875 6495 Mvniiie. . . 21.»6 2427 1844 6427 K ing 2162 2417 1S01 «3S0 joiner* .... 2038 2310 1798 6166 TEMl'EKA \<’E TIC KET. Casey 1384 1511 2529 5424 4’heal 1X58 1. » 2495 5373 Aiikm .... 1326 1479 2380 r»i x > Rees 1230 1372 2406 50« »7 Rosser .... 1142 * — • • 2001 4440 INDEI ENDENT S. Rxhnulson 859 737 985 °581 JmniVNOii . . 293 253 24 K7 751 Ni< <»1 IM 143 131 4.\8