Auckland Shipbuilding.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 10, 8 March 1911, Page 4

Auckland Shipbuilding.

If any verification of the statements made recently in these columns as to the magnitude of Auckland’s shipbuilding industry were needed, it is but necessary to state that during the past week contracts have been let, involving an expenditure of something like £35,000. This is apart from various small work, which is taxing the capacity of all the yards, and which will keep our shipbuilders busy for months to come. A round of the yards last week impressed forcibly on one that ouibuilders are cramped for space. “Had we adequate accommodation,” remarked several of them, “we could do as much work again.” And this seems so. The sheds are cramped as it is; and when a new boat is ordered for immediate delivery, the most advanced boat on ths Stocks has to he hurried along to make room for her. The builders want more space, and if the industry is to survive, they must have it. The yard space for the building of large boats, too, is cramped, and it is a fact that a large order would have been placed elsewhere were it not that the company concerned are so well pleased with local work that they are content to brook delay an/i wait until the work can be put in hand. The biggest contract has been let out by the Devonport Ferry Co., whose expenditure on two boats will run into about £20,000. It will be remembered that some time ago the Company, in response to requisitions got up by Devonport residents and (backed up by the Devonport Borough Council, promised that a new modern steamer would be provided for the Devonport service so •oon as it was thought such a vessel

would be necessary. Last week the dfr rectors of the Company considered plans for this vessel, and those of Mr. C. Bailey, jun., were accepted. The nev< steamer will be of the Kestrel type, but somewhat larger. The Kestrel is 138 ft. long, with 450 h.p. Mr. Bailey is novs getting together the materials for this vessel, and the keel will be laid in the course of a week or so. The cost of the vessel will be about £12,000, and she is to be delivered about October next. The other ferry boat will be a cargo carrier, similar in design to the Goshawk. This vessel, costing about £B,OOO, is to be built by Mr. G. T. NiccoL So far, the vehicular ferry service off the Waitemata is in its infancy, but the Ferry Company is encouraged so far that they have decided to venture on another boat, chiefly in the hope that the Harbour Board will erect a counterpoise stage at Northcote, where a deal of the city’s fruit supply comes from. One of the largest boats hflilt in Auckland for some years will be placed on the stocks by Mr. C. Bailey, jun., towards the end of the year. The order was given to him last week, but he cannot possibly cope with it until the end of the year. The vessel, which is to be « steamer, is intended for trade beyond Auckland, and will be of about 300 tons register, costing about £15,060. ~ Cabinet Decisions. A long sitting of Cabinet was held last week, when the following decisions were arrived at. To subsidise local authorities £ 1 for £1 up to £250 upon amounts expended for Coronation celebrations. To offer a bonus of £ 12,000 for an improved method of treating New Zealand hemp. To send a New Zealand rifle team to Bisley next year. To remove the headquarters of the Wellington military district to Palmerston North. j To appoint Messrs Reed, M.P., Ronayne, W. Evans, J. Coombe, and Stallworthy, MP., as a Royal Commission to decide upon the future route of the North Auckland Railway. To appoint Messrs Reed (Inspector of Miines), Cochrane, Grace, Dixon, Fulton, and Betts a Royal Commission to inquire into and report upon the sanitation and ventilation of coal mines. That the electoral rolls be printed by local printers, instead of by the Government printing office on a scale of prices approved by the Master Printers’ Association. ) To appoint Captain Renaut of the Union Company’s steamer Kaiapoi, assistant superintendent of marine at Auckland. Public Trust Office. Plans and specifications were approved for the erection of a new Public Trust office at Auckland on a site recently obtained by the Government. Tenders are to be invited (immediately for a handsome building with stone front. £SOO was authorised to assist in conveying water to the Tepo district, twelve miles from Rotorua. In this district many cattle recently died from scarcity of water. T he erectiion of a new post office and additions to bath houses .at Rotorua were also authorised. The netting of fish at Rotorua will be discontinued after 31st March. Death Sentence Commuted. The Governor has commuted the sentence of death passed upon Albert Alfred Cash for the' murder of his wife at Helensville on Christmas Day to one of imprisonment for life. No doubt the) Minister for Justice, acting upon thei strong recommendation of the jury which found Cash guilty on Monday last, represented to his Excellency the Governor that the case was a proper one for the exercise of clemency, and advice was received by the gaoler at MU Eden .Prison on Friday that the sentence had MLn commuted. Since he was condemned to die, Cash' has been confined in Mt. Eden Gaof, under a close and constant watch kept by warders. He has talked freely enough with his warders, but he has been apparently resigned to his fate. When he was informed on Friday that he was not to be hanged, he was quite unmoved, scarcely even interested. He is not by any means in robust health, butt his condition has not become any worsq since he was received into the. gaoL On the advice of the gaol surgeon. Dr. Murray, the authorities have removed him

to the prison hospital, where he his liberty and opportunity to talk with other prisoners. A Miner Entombed. A fall of coal, which occurred unexpectedly in the State mine at Greymouth on Friday, resulted in a man named White being entombed. The fall was a heavy one, and White ■was completely buried. A rescue party set to work to remove the coal, but despite the most strenuous exertion the task proved a long and futile one. It was midnight when White’s body was recovered and extricated, and it was then found that life was extinct. (White was a recent arrival in the district. Another man who was working in the same locality as White had a narrow escape from a similar fate. New Zealand Officers for England. It has been definitely decided that Lieut.-Colonel Abbott, D.S.O. (Auckland), Oapt. Seddon (defence staff), Lieut. Standish (Royal New Zealand Artillery), and Lieut. Turnbull (at present attending the Tauherenikau camp) are to go Home this month for a course of military training. The Dominion Cadet. The following interesting private letter has been received by Lieut. A. C. C. Stevens, of the Junior Cadet Department, Wellington, from Field-Marsnal -Lord Roberts: — , “ Englemere, Ascot, Berks, “ 14th January, 1911. “ Dear Stevens, —I am greatly obliged for your letter of November 22, giving me most interesting and useful details of the working of the new Defence Act, 1910, in New’ Zealand. It seems to me quite extraordinary that the Junior Cadets can be clothed, equipped and trained for approximately 10/ per head per annum. This speaks volumes for the efficient way in which the Junior Cadet Department under the control of the Minister for Education is worked. I send under separate cover a copy of my book “ 41 years in India,” for the best allround Junior Cadet of the year, and shall be glad to hear to whom it has been awarded. I am much obliged to you for letting me know of Lt.-Col. Bauchop being at the Staff College, and I will make a point of meeting him, and if a am at any time in the neighbourhood I will certainly call on your sister Mrs. Conrin, at Yew Tree Farm. Please tell your storekeeper, Mr. Mears, how' glad I am to hear of his welfare. It is a great pleasure to me to know that an old soldier who served with me in Afghanistan is doing so well in civil life. ‘‘Yours very truly, “(Signed) ROBERTS, F.M.” Auckland Aviators. 'the honour of being the first New Zealand aviators, as well as the first successful makers of an aeroplane, in this country, rests with two young Auckland engineers, Messrs Leo and Vivian Walsh. For some time past they have been conducting satisfactory experiments at Papa, kura, and have achieved one or two very

good circular flights, besides many aerial excursions over shorter distances. It was hoped to have given a public exhibition about the beginning of last month, but the day before the official trials were to have taken place, a mishap occurred, and the machine was somewhat damaged. This, however, Mr Walsh, sen , points out, was a blessing in disguise, as it served to demonstrate a structural weakness which has now, with the assistance of the latest Howard Wright plans from Home, been entirely remedied. The alterations necessary are just about complete, and it is hoped to make a public flight from the Papakura racecourse at an early date. The machine was “christened” by Sir Joseph Ward on his visit to Papakura In the course of a few days an exhibition will be given before Press representatives, and other visitors, and it is expected that a lengthy flight through the Papakura Valley will be made. The machine, which has been constructed by the Walsh Brothers, is a duplicate of the Howard-Wright machine with which the English birdman, Sopwith, recently won upwards of £4OOO in prizes. The machine is 36ft 6in wide by 36ft long, and is driven by a 60 horse-power E.N.U. engine, which is the make and power used in the Howard-Wright biplanes at Home. The whole structure only weighs 11201 b, including the engine, ■which weighs 2871 - It Is built to carry two, and has been successfully worked by both of the young engineers mentioned. An influential Auckland syndicate is backing the venture. The N.Z. Dreadnought. Sir Joseph Ward states that the launch of the New Zealand Dreadnought has been fixed for June 25, but he has not heard of any arrangement for the christening ceremony. It had been suggested that the vessel should be altered to a super-Dreadnought, but owing to the advanced stage of construction that had been reached, any such alteration could not be considered. Dr. Richard Arthur, M.L.C., of New South Wales, had written to him on the subject, but he replied that a change was out of the question, as the vessel would be ready for launching in June, and had, therefore, reached too late a stage of construction. Moreover, the greater part of the cost of building had already been paid. The New Zealand battleship is being built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Co., Govan, and it was originally intended to launch her on Thursday, June 29. Treatment of the Ailing. Mr. T. Copeland Savage, president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, had something to say last week in regard to hospital administration. He remarked that the mental and physical well-being of the individual members of the community was a matter of very pressing moment to the, city and the State, and every healthy man or woman ought to be an asset of the State, hence the necessity for the preservation of individual health and the prevention and cure of diseases by all means possible. To this end all over the country in all big centres, and also in many ridiculously small ones,. hospitals had been established. With the

increase of population these institutions had increased in size. Complaints were heard of the expense of hospitals to the ratepayer and taxpayer. This was frequently a very short-sighted point of view. In thickly-populated centres disease tended to increase in a ratio greater than the actual increase in numbers, hence hospital expenditure may be expected to increase in geometrical rather than arithmetical progression, and whilst he urged as strongly as anyone the necessity for the economic management of these institutions according to all the most strictly business-like and commercial methods, yet in no case should efficiency be sacrificed to economy. The large hospitals should be equipped with all modern conveniences and appliances which had been proved useful in the treatment of disease, and the community would save in the end. Hospitals established in ridiculously small districts was an unwise and* wasteful procedure. No small hospital could be thoroughly well equipped except at extravagant rates, since if equipped for all emergencies large sums would be wasted in appliances which may never be used, or used so seldom that 'when needed they were out of order, and those in charge of them had never had an opportunity for becoming expert in their use. Country hospitals should be receiving stations for the urgently ill, and for severe accident cases. - Other cases of serious disease should be drafted at the expense of the small districts to a hospital in a large centre, for only in a large centre could every convenience be economically provided, and only in a large centre could the experience of disease be developed to its full, and the patient got the advantage of expert skill. The Urewera Block. The Hon. James Carroll informed a “Star” reporter on Monday that the purchase of native lands in different parts of the Dominion was proceeding as quickly as the slow nature of the negotiations permitted. At present chief attention is being devoted to the acquisition of areas in the Urewera country. Arrangements have been made for the purchase of approximately 60,000 acres, but the Minister expects to acquire 100,000 acres before closing the negotiations in about two months’ time. Something like six hundred owners have to be dealt with, and while most of them are anxious to sell, it is necessary to see that sufficient provision is made for family holdings for the natives themselves; therefore, the extensive inquiries to be made renders the process of purchase a very slow one. The areas that are being acquired are heavily timbered, and typically rough bush country, but are reported to be exceptionally suitable for pastoral purposes. When the negotiations are completed, the land' will be handed over to the Lands Department, and a great deal of survey work will be necessary before the areas can be made available for selection.

The Hunted Bookie. “Would it be an exaggeration to any that there are sixty bookmakers in Wellingtonasked Mr. T. M. Wilfor l of Detective Hammond when the latter was in the witness-box at the Magistrate's Court last week giving evidence in a prosecution against Henry Jackson for alleged street betting. “I think it would,” said the detective. Later, counsel asked the witness: “ If you are sure this man used Willi.s-street for the purpose of betting, don’t you know that other men are just as liable to be run in?” “ I suppose they are,” said the witness, “ but I don’t think you could prove that they were betting.” The. witness said he

•opposed the time would eoroe when pereons who bet with bookmakers in the street would also be arrested,, and he thought that the number of bookmakers about town had increased since their licensing had been abolished. Mr. Wilford was of the same opinion. He knew that the abolition of the licenses on racecourses would drive the.n to the streets, and that was why he voted against the measure passed last session. Sty-Grog Selling. The Wellington Licensing Committee has been considering the seriousness of the sly-grog cases that are now coming so frequently before the Court. Dr. McArthur, said at the annual meeting last week, that members of the Committee were of opinion that the real basis of these cases was to be found in the dealers who supplied unauthorised persons with large quantities of liquor from time to time. The Committee came to the conclusion that the police should be asked to furnish it with the names of those wholesale dealers who have been concerned in supplying liquor to people know as sly-grog sellers. So far as the committee’s authority extended it was going to deal with the trouble very severely. People who sold liquor in wholesale quantities to private persons would have their licenses dealt with at 'he next annual meeting. The committee was determined to take every possible step it could- to assist the police, who were so much worried over this matter at the present time. Every encouragement would be given the police to stamp out the illicit trade carried on with sly-grog sellers. Inspector Ellison said he was very pleased to hear these remarks. He had no reason to complain about 99 persons out of 100 in the wholesale trade, but there was one dealer about whom he had suspicions. That dealer carried on a trade which bordered on what he might call a " piratical trade.” Liquor bottles had been found in a great many places where the purchasers could not have hern using them for their own private purpose. On the whole, however, the police had very little reason to complain about the conduct of the wholesale trade in Wellington. A ffUidcl Suburb. The suggestion made by Mr A. M. Myers, M.P., at the Town-Planning Conference last week in regard to the acquisition of Orakei by the Auckland Ciity Council for the purpose of establishing a model suburb is approved by Mr C. J. Parr, who has consented to contest the City Mayoralty at the forthcoming election- Interviewed by a “Star” represntative on Monday, Mr. Parr stated that Mr .Myers deserved the thanks of the community of the idea. There was much to be said in favour of the project, and it would be a thousand pities to let Orakei fail into the hands of the private speculator, who would naturally ent it iq- so as to get the last shilling out of the ileal. “Orakei lies at the very gateway of the city,” pointed out Mr Parr. “Every visitor who'comes here by sea will get his 'impressions of the future Auckland from the appearance of the Orakei suburb. We must see to. it that such an excellent site is not spoilt. It could easily le made the most beautiful and attractive suburb of Auckland. With a wide roadway or boulevard and the ocean front planted with suitable trees, with a park taking in the fine beach, and with wide avenues or streets sweeping through the seven or eight hundred acres that composes the block, it might indeed be ea-ily transformed into a model or garden suburb.” As a business proposition Mr Parr considers it would pay the city to purchase the I lock to road it, lay it out, and let the sections on long leases, with provcisicn for compensation at the end of the term Strict supervision would need to b<- exercised over the building operations, so us to get, if possible*, a model suburb on Hie lines of the garden city which was catching on in England. He recognised thst a fair price would have to be palid th - Native o wnera for flic land, and he that payment take, the form of corporation storks or bonds, which enuld be held by the Public Trustee for the benefit of the Natives- By a good ferry service the suburb would only be a quarter of an hour from Queen-street, And when Hobson Park and the Parnell esplanade were realities a tram service would reach Orakei in about the same time. ••.I sec no reason from the financial point of view to doubt success, M con-

tinned Mr Parr. “I believe the investment could be made reproductive almost from the start and eyho sh’all'say what a magnificent endowment the city will have in 50 years’ time through the increase of value? Already syndicates are buying land almost adjoining, and some early action will be necessary if we are to save Orakei from the hands of the speculator and jerry-builder.” The Mayor, Mr L. J. Bagnall, intends to move at the City Council meeting on Thursday night to have the matter referred to the Finance Committee for investigation and report. Safeguarding Society. When waited on at the Grand Hotel on Monday by an interviewer the Hon. Dr Findlay, Attorney-General and Minister tor Justice, was asked for his opinion concerning the attitude adopted by the New Zealand branch of the British Medical "Association concerning his proposals for the better safeguarding of the public in regard to the social evil. The following resolution, relating to certain infectious diseases, was passed by the annual general conference of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, which has just concluded its sitting:— “ (1) That the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, while recognising the efforts of the Hon. Minister for Justice to prevent the spread of the social evil, has doubts as to.whether venereal diseases are either on the increase or so prevalent as the figures which have been quoted indicate, and that this conference is of opinion that if coercive measures be taken to prevent the spread of such diseases they will result in driving persons who are the victims of them into the hands of quacks-aml unqualified practitioners, which is calculated to magnify the evil and its effects. “ Nevertheless, this Association, with a view to assisting Dr. Findlay, is prepared to recommend the compulsory notification of such diseases by numbers only, provided that no coercive measures be taken by the Health Department unless in the opinion of the practitioner notifying the disease such measures are necessary in the interests of the public health.” “ If, on the information gained by such notification, it would' appear to be necessary in the interests of public health that more stringent measures be taken, then this Association would be prepared to aid in the adoption of some such scheme as has been outlined in the proposals of the Hon. Dr. Findlay.” “(2) That in the opinion of this conference some modification of the Prisoners’ Detention Act, as in force in New South Wales, should be introduced into New Zealand.” " (3) That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the Prime Minister and Minister for Justice, and to the Press.” "The proposals the doctors make were really anticipated by me in an address I gave in Wellington a few days ago,” remarked the Minister, who went on to say that he had not changed his Opinion of the value and efficiency of Ms former proposals, but that he recognised that unless he could carry the medical profession with him they would have font a limited chance of success. “In view of this I expressed my willingness to modify the proposals in the direction of making notification of the case alone compulsory, and not that of the patient. This,” said Dr. Findlay, “would obviate the objections that patients and doctors have to the patient’s name being communicated even confidentially to the Public Health Officer. It would, however, enable the Public Health officers to reliably determine the extent and spread of this contagious disease. At present the prevalence of this class of disease is largely a matter of uncertain speculation. 1 have relied, it is true, mainly for my conclusions upon the evidence furnished me by the reformatories, by the prisons and by the hospitals of New Zealand. This, I am bound to say, amply justified the conclusion'l arrived at as to the extent of the c-vil. Moreover, I have been informed by a number of medical practitioners, whose practice gives them some special authority to speak, that my estimates of the prevalence are not exaggerated. “The first step to be taken fin shaping remedial legislation is to know the extent of the evil to be remedied, and it would be a very great help indeed if the public health authorities are placed in a position from time to time to deterinline the extent and spread of this disease. The representatives nt the British Medical Association here in Auckland said the other day, if the profession

in New Zealand are satisfied that the evil is as* widespread and increasing as many think, they would be prepared to favourably consider’ the full operation of my former syljeine. That is all wo want.' " I am very much delighted indeed that the profession, through this association, has agreed to the passing of legislation making it compulsory upon them to notify , each case of venereal disease coming under their notice professionally to the public health authorities, but in every case without the name of the ' sufferer. It will also be observed that the doctors agreed to a measure of co-operation with the public health authorities, where in their judgment such co-operation was necessary in the interests of public health. The attitude of the profession, as expressed by these resolutions, is to me exceedingly gratifying. I am well content with the step now suggested, short though it is of the longer step which I believe will ultimately be taken. It is necessary for me to add that these proposals of mine have not been considered by Cabinet, and that their necessity has been impressed on me in my office as Minister of Justice, Minister in certain reformatories and gaols, while also in administering the police department I have received reports in connection with a great variety of cases dealt with by the police.” Auckland's New Technical College. The trustees of the Auckland Savings Bank will consider at their next meeting a proposal to make a further donation to the funds for erecting the new technical college in Wellesley-sareet. Five years ago the trustees voted a sum of £ 10,000 from the bank’s surplus fund for that purpose, and Mr J. J. Holland, vice-president, has given notice to move at the next meeting of the trustees that a further donation of £ 10,000 be made. It appears that as only £25,000 is at present available for t-he work, the Education Board has been unable to authorise the erection of a five-storey building, as originally intended, the funds in hand being only sufficient for one of threestoreys. If the building is opened under the reduced scheme lit will not be large enough to accommodate all the students on the roll, who now number 14110, and are expected to show an increase of at least COO when the new eolJ.Cgq is opened. Medals for School Children. Cabinet last week accepted a tender of £175,000 for medals, which are to be distributed to New Zealand children as a Coronation souvenir. The medals will be superior to any yet distributed to the children. Cabinet decided that it could not take action re Baden-Powell's desire for a representative patrol of boy seouts and re the suggestion that a cadet team should be sent to the next Bisley meeting. Surveying the Coast. Since it has been disclosed that the Three Kings, as marked on the charts, are three miles out of their true position, the attention of New Zealand shipmasters and the public "generally has been drawn to the need for a proper survey of our coasts. The matter has also been considered by the Minister for Marine (Hon. J. A. Millar), who informed a Wellington “Post” reporter last week that he intended to bring the matter under the notice of the Cabinet at an egrly date in order to see if the Prime Minister could, not, while at Home, make arrangements with the Board of Trade to have the work carried out. If the New Zealand Government carried out the work unassisted the cost would be very heavy, and the survey would also take years to complete. When asked if it would not be possible to have the most dangerous rocks on the coast definitely located, Mr. Millar said! that in all probability something would be done in that direction. Cabinet had authorised the payment of a certain num for the carrying out of such work by the Terra Nova after her return from the Antarctic and before she went again to bring back Captain Scott and his party. In any case the vessel would be engaged in tidal and scientific research during this period, and it had been agreed to give £I,OOO as a contribution. Captain Scott had informed him that the necessary surveying appliances were on board, also an officer whose survey the Admiralty would take as correct. Thus it would lie possible to locate a few incorrectly charted points, but such location would pot the

place of a complete survey, which would be, considered by Sir Joseph Ward on his visit to Great Britain. The Science of Medicine, “How many people, I wonder, ever eontemplate the immense commercial value of tlie recent advances in the science of medicine 1” remarked Mr. T. Copeland Savage last week. “For example, the discovery by Manson and Ross after years of research of the fact that'malaria is always carried by a certain species of mosquito which can easily be exterminated; later, the discovery of the causes of other deadly tropical diseases—for example, sleeping sickness. Consider what this means —that huge areas of the globe up to now uninhabitable, areas rich in minerals, vegetation and general productiveness, will be thrown open to civilisation and the immense potential riches made available for mankind.” Buoyant Revenue. The Dominion revenue for the eleven months ended Tuesday last, exceeds that for the eleven months ended February, 1910, by £ 1,015,484. The details are as under: —

Customs 1910. £8,989,099 1911. £7,973,615 Stamps 1,366,736 1,109,310 Post and Telegraph.. Land and Income 175,127 ISO,220 Tax 1,017,770 005,317 Beer duty 104,425 102,902 Railways Registration and, 3,021,039 2,797,023 other foes 60,605 69,007 Marine 40.623 38,221 Miscellaneous 267,794 258,974 Territorial 005,080 165,177 Totals i 881,080,090 £7,07.3,61*