TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2670, 27 November 1909, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Now that aviation has been developed so far that a A Flighty Subject. company has been formec for the manufacture and sale of Wright aeroplanes, it seems as if the everyday navigation of the air is within the grasp of mankind. It is considerably less than two decades since the petrol motor-car was a costly novelt3 7 and an erraticallj- experimental mode of conveyance. yet to-day the modem motor is *a marvel of reliability and speed. If aeronautic engineering only produces improvements at the same rate as those which followed the placing of the automobile on the market, twenty years or so may even see a passenger service of airships from Sydney to Auckland, while in any case the private aeroplane will be as common —or should one say as rare? —as incomes over three or four thousand a 3-ear. One of the best auguries for the future of aeronautics is the fact that mechanical flying has already entered' into the realms of sport, and that races and contests for different types of vessel have been held. It was* racing that developed the awkward high-bicycle to the perfect type of safety that has been in vogue for the past ten years, and it is racing that has brought out the most important improvements that have been made in motor-cars since they first came into use. At present aerial racing has a larger element of risk than either of the other sports mentioned, hut doubtless succeeding fatalities will develop fresh contrivances for safety, till one day perhaps even baby’s perambulator may bo fitted with wings. Ana in any case if the interview between Mr Stead’s medium and the spirit of the mangled French aeronaut, Lcfevre he genuine, falling from a height is a fairly easy death after all.

Shipping intelligence in_ this morn ing’s issue will be found, on page 3. The contest between the boy scorn patrols of Gisborne and Waerenga-a liika, which were arranged to ta‘k< place to-day, has been postjioned. The services in Waerenga-a-hike church district to-morrow are to be a: follows: Waimata 2.30 p.m., Wae-renga-a-hika 't p.m., Makar.Tka /.3( p.m. “The sole object of extending the groyne was to put this district to the expense of extending the breakwater,’ said Mr. Lysnar at yesterday’s meeting of the Harbor Board. As an evidence of the longevity oi the average Napier resident it is or record that thej ages in the last sever consecutive deaths registered were 66 65, 94, 86, 79, 87, and 75. The average death borders on 79. At yesterday’s meeting of the Harboi Board, Mr. \V. I>. S'. MacDonald, M.P., stated that it was the present intentior that Parliament should either be pro rogued or adjourned on December 22, It was decided that the next meeting of the Board' should be held on that date at 2 p.m. At the Baptist Tabernacle to-morrou the Rev. W. Lamb will preach at the morning service on “The Inwardness of Christ’s Religion.” In the even in*, he will preach a special sermon t< young women, when his subject wil he, “Some Essential Elements in the Life of a True Woman.” The choii will render the anthem “Consider Thj Lilies,” and Miss Glover will sihg a solo. A rather characteristic telegram was sent by a Clutha elector to the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie on Friday morning oil the Budget (says the ‘Leader’). It read: —“Larceny; m high places; you have robbed Opposition. Land proposals should be satisfactory; compulsory training specially so; licensing, 55 per cent: right, rest doubtful; increase debt alarming-; increase taxation right shoulders. Congratulations yourselt influence formulating policy. In fu--1 1 ’

] ‘■'Under the Flog” is the star film of j the new programme to ue shown for the * first- time this evening. k The chairman and members of the Harbor Hoard have been invited to be present at the school sports meeting to be held at Victoria Domain on Tuesday, December 14 th. The Invercargill Labor Office reports that flaxmillnm and twine works are in full swing. Flaxinill hands have been in demand. The number of mills in operation, in Southland has increased very largely during the spring, and a fine* sample of fibre is being turned out. The Wesley Choir desires to thank Messrs Nicholls and Griffiths for the loan <jf liarvesting implements, Mr. D. J. Barry for a load of hay, and other friends who assisted to make the performance of “The Haymakers” a success. \ The attention of the Harbor Board ’ has been drawn to the fact of fennel ,a noxious weed, being allowed to grow on the Kaiti beach road. At yesterday’s meeting it was questioned by members if any were growing there, and if so the overseer was instructed to have it removed. At the meeting of the Gisborne Hosto increase the staff of the hospital and pital Trustees last night, it was decided to raise the salaries of the matron and charge nurses. In future the nurses’ working hours will be limited to 50 a week. This reform is embodied in a Bill now before Parliament. The Timaru Inspector of Factories lias applied to the Arbitration Court for an interpretation of the Timam Carpenters’ Award on the point whether the award remained binding on {in employer, who, at the time the award was made was a member of the South Canterbury Builders’ Association, named in the list of parties but who subsequently left or resigned from the Association. A Glasgow doctor who recently made a holiday tour of New Zealand was so impressed with the beauties and prosEerity that he has since arranged to sell is practice and settle in the Dominion ; and not only that, but he has induced a land-owner friend to follow his example. The two gentlemen referred to are expected to arrive in New Zealand from Scotland at an early date, says the “Press.” Mr. A. G. Swalhtw, the travelling representative for Thomas’ Dip will arrive from South this morning and -.rill be spending a few days in Gisborne. If sheepfarmers desiring to meet him 'nil! communicate with Mr. TV. Lissant Clayton, the. agent for Poverty Bay, he will be pleased to make appointments. The testimonials from local sheepfarmers j as to the results obtained from this dip should warrant 'others in giving it some consideration. Two tinv African squirrels brought oat of the Turakina as pets, have been acquired by Mr. E. J. Bight-on, secretary of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, for the Sc-ciety, and will be placed in the Domain when habitation for them has been prepared. Mr. Righton noticed the squirrels when he was aboard the Turakina inspecting the deer consigned to the Society, and he lost no time in procuring them, on most advantageous terms, for his Society. That New Zealanders are essentially a sporting community there can be no doubt, says the Christchurch “Press. ' At Sydenham. recently the important question of raising a £7OOO loin hardly attracted notice, judging by the meagre attendance at a meeting held prior to the poll being taken. Last week, however the matter of levying a special rate to obtain £750 to complete the purchase of a piece of land for a recreation reserve was responsible for a comparatively large audience at the Tennyson Street Congregational Church schoolroom. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new High School buildings in Stanley Road will take place to-day at 3.30* p.m. The st-one, which is being prepared by Messrs F. Harris and Sons, bears the following inscription : “This stone was laid on behalf of the Honorable George Fowlds, Minister for Education, and the Hon. James Carroll, M.P., native Minister, by Mr. W. D. S. MacDonald, M.P.. Nov. 27, 1909.” After the ceremony those present will be entertained to afternoon tea bj r the Governors. Messrs Clare and Sons will have charge of the catering. Speaking at Timaru last week. Captain Blunt, of H.M.S. Pioneef, jpaid a very warm compliment to Captain Hooper, of the Amokura. for the splendid way he trained his boys.. “How he does it, I don’t know,” said Captain Blnnt, “but- he does it, in a wonderfully efficient and successful way. (Applause.) The boys were splendidly trained on the Amokura, there was no better training anywhere, and Captain Hooper turned off the finest lot of sailors it had ever been liis (the speaker’s) lot to come across. He was. however, handicapped through lack of 'funds, and the people (through the Government) should place more money at his disposal. An important auction sale of property is to take Mace in His Majesty’s Theatre at 2.30 p.m. to-day, when Messrs C. B. Hoadley and Son, in conjunction with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, under instructions from Mr. H. M. Strachan, will submit the Kowhai estate to public competition. The estate consists of 6571 acres, subdivided into nine blocks, varying in area from 340 to 1280 acres in extent. On Block No. 6, containing 745 acres, stands the handsome dwelling in perfect order and up-to-date in everjj respect, lawns, orchard, garden; together with all necessary outbuildings, the whole forming ono of the mosti desirable homesteads in the Waimata Valley. On Block 8 stand a cottage, woolshed, yards, and dip. On Block No. 20 stand a cottage, woolslied, yards, etc., forming a complete working farm. The property is situated in the Waimata Valley about 20 miles from the port of Gisborne. An inset giving the opinions of various firms in the Dominions as to the efficacy of an International Correspondence School training appears in this issue. The schools are now fully established in England. At a banquet given in the Hotel Cecil, London, to the I.C.iS. Field Staff recently, ther* were present many prominent-' public men. members of Parliament, leading employers of labor, officers of the principal engineering societies, etc., and 1 no fewer than fifty representatives of the daily and technical press. The War Office, after exhaustive enquiries into the I.C.S. methods of instruction, have arranged with the schools to teach a certain number of soldiers and 1 noncommissioned officers each year, so that when- their time comes to return, to civil life, they will ■ have no difficulty in finding employment. The Schools ask their work to be judged by results, and those results are not only of surpassing interest to the ambitious man anxious to win a position for himself in the industrial world, but also to tlie v employer who recognises the necessity of trained and efficient workmen if his business is to be progressively success■Hi IS 8181

The Waiapu Comity, Council PjjfWj* a special order declaring inil& tins and Bathurst burr noxious veeas^ At the Juvenile Court this morning, before Mr. W. A. Barton, 5.M., charges c f entering dwellings ami stealing therefrom will be preferred against four schoolboys. “It is a position that I always nzre, and always will, shrink from, this swallowing holus bolus of engineer s incuts without locking into the correc ness of them.”—Mr. W. D. Lysnar at the Harbor Board meeting yesterday. The Governor has been informed from Downing Street that there is no objection to the substitution or a wreatn of fern leaves for the wreath of laurel leaves on the Governor’s flag, according to the proposal of the Government. The necessarv amendment will be made in the Admiralty flag book. The Telegraph Department notified last evening that owing to storms communication with Constantinople and Tuikey in Asia is defective. Telegrams subject to considerable delay should oe accepted at sender’s risk. The Department also notified that the Jamaica cables from Porto Rico have been repaired, re-establishing communication via Porto Rico and places beyond. The following passengers arrived from the Coast by Messrs Redstone ano Son’s coaches yesterday afternoon i From Waipiro, Colonel Gudgeon, Messrs MeAra, Thompson, and two natives; from Tokomaru. Miss Busby, Mr. McG'nll an ; from To’oga Bay, Miss MeMurray, Messrs McAlister. Boland, D. Mcßae, and Dcgril: from Turehau, Mr. Brown. Dunedin is beginning to reel uncomfortably cramped, and its municipal authorities are looking out for the best direction in which the city can spread. At a meeting last week it was stated that Dunedin could only grow towards Anderson’s Bay, and that space was becoming an increasingly difficult problem. One of the speakers said that Dunedin would soon be as cramped as cities in the Old Country. It is reported in Christcbnren that a number of fruitgrowers have received intimation from the Department that unless they take more effective steps to comply*with the Orchard and Garden Pest Act, prosecution will be instituted. Fruitgrowers in other districts have been similarly warned, and it is evident that- the Department has entered upon a vigorous crusade in the South Island. Entries will be received by Mr. F rinbach, Lowe Street, up till December 11th, for a handicap cycle road race, of 12 miles, to be run on December 16th on the Makarui route. The first prize is a gold medal presented by Mr. A. I*. Hailey, the second a trophy presented by Mr. J. F. Jeune. Trophies are offered as third and fourth prizes, a gold medal, presented by Mr. Fishbach, for the fastest time, and a trophy, presented by Mr. Cook, for the tast&t time by an unplaced rider. Early in the proceedings of the Har- j ber Board meeting yesterday, Mr. C. j J. Parker rose and said tkatr lie liad & j little statement to make which need nor cause anv controversy, but which a*- i fectod his position on the Board. It j had been publicly stated that he naa ■ entered into a clique to deprive Mr. i Townley of his position as chairman, j He wished to say that this was wholly untrue, and he had done no : such thing. He knew of no such clique, 1 nor vet was he bound to any party on j the Board. As an instance cf the vagaries or the tides in Cook Strait. Commander R. A. Edwin, R.N.. late director of the New Zealand meteorological office, reports that at 10 a.m. on September 4 1909. when steaming alongside the cable-buoy in the New Zealand Government s.s. Tutanekai, the flood stream was found to be running at 5 1-3. knots per hour by patent log. This was two ana a half hours after H.TV. at TVellington. riie rate is somewhat in excess of that given by the Admiralty charts and m the “New Zealand Pilot.” The Rev. Win. Mawson, M.A., of the Canton Village Mission. China, will occupy the pulpit of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church to-morrow, morning and evening, and will address a meeting of the combined Bible Classes of the town in Wesley Cliurcli at- 2.45 p.m. In the morning he will speak on “Missionary Opportunity and Obligation.” in the afternoon on “China’s Young Men,” and in the evening on “China’s Awakening and its Significance.” As Mr. Mawson lias an intimate knowledge of his subject, liis judgment has considerable weight and has been widely quoted. On Tuesday evening next Mr. Mawson will give a lecture on China, illustrated by beautifully colored photographs. Special collections will be made at all these meetings on behalf of the mission. Germany’s drastic methods of dealing with aliens who earn their living within her boundaries have_ again been shown at TCoattwitz, in Silesia, where the proprietor of the Kaiser Cafe, an Austrian subject, has received a police notice to leave the country withirGeight days (reports the “Standard’s” Berlin correspondent). This case of expulsion is all the more noteworthv because idle man had lived in Germany for twenty-four years, and enjoyed general respect- at Kattowitz, where he was one of the most prominent business man of the town. Recently he was convicted and fined for infringing the Act- relating to hours of labor for women by allowing one of his barmaids to work overtime." Following this conviction he received the order of expulsion, at the same time liis son-in-law and his nephew, also Austrian subjects, received similar notices. TVe have had the most exciting experience of our lives.” remarked "Captain A. Hollingworth, of the Tyser steamer Indradevi, upon arrival of that vessel at Melbourne last week from New York. The forecastle head, upon which thousands of tons of water has descended during furious storms, presented a badly-strained' and shaken appearance, whilst the starboard iron rail for about 50ft hud been bent and broken by the seas. The weather which wrought this and other damage was encountered between the Crozets and Kerguelen Island, in about lattitudo 464 S. The wind, which was blowing with cyclonic strength from the southeast, brought up enormous cross seas, in which the liner plunged and labored prodigiously. Rushing along her decks •with overwhelming force, the immense weight of water carried all before it, and several of the crew had narrow escapes. It was at this stage of the storm that practically all the damage was done. In addition to the destruction of the starboard railing, and the injury to the forecastle head, the skylight of the engine room was smashed; the wheelbox and steering gear were carried away, as well as other damage of a. less serious nature inflicted to the ship’s fittings. Subsequently the vessel was “hove to’’ for three days. Heavy seas in the meantime swept her decks, which were constantly flooded. Finer weather ultimately setting iu, the Indradevi was put upon ker course for Albany, where her bunkers were replenished before the voyage to Melbourne was continued. , ri

1 A (Jjirbftwsx tr atidt&ic o: work UriJl be held in Thursday and Voter* scaaaber$ caaaber gh and 17 tin Y \ epeoial meeting of tiu>Xo-U<*&* j/We wifi be toad m bt. Andrew * VAltoom™ Monday erenwg at 8. j The oxoexiGive committee «iu fflttn. iu I the fcumo The annual concert in aid of tae G»_ borne Onreui }5 Hk Majesty k Tiieaire on Thursday j November 2nd, where the drama* “Tara ” adopted from the opera “Fi>W. “Imb. SMoj dies” wiJ bo giron. 5 The sendees at the Methodist i Church to-morrow wj J bo conducted m I the morning hr Mr. Grubo and in tno I evening hr the Bow. J. A. Locaore, ! who is to return from MdJirgton to,]oV Mr. Jyodhoro will make some reference to the proposed licensing legis- ! lotion at the evening eerrioe. ! 4t the meeting of the Harbor Board I yertordaw, Mr, K'Zls urgeri the erection: 1 of a public telephone at some suitab.e L-pfP- on the wharf for tne convenience of shipping people, oaseeagers, and the vahY'f generally. several members rryA'o against the proposal, but it was eventually decided that a telephone be installed, the site to be approved by the harbormaster. Tice secretary of the Har bey Beard - jv-ntsoned at yesterday s meeting that : little trouble had arisen in connect:on ~ with the Tuahine lighthouse site, i it appears that the site was the gift cf i t kte Mr. Win. Cooper, but that as I there was no aooess by road, registration had been refused. It way decided j hr the meeting to take the site under ! the Public M'orks Act. thus obviating | the necessity for the proclamation of a j road. 1 The sum cf £34 ISs is row owing for ! wharfage and storage on the 99.000 ft timber 'dying at the wharf ex scow I Tramp, since early in October. The | secretary of the Harbor Board has noti- | fled both shipper and purchaser, the | parties to the dispute, that if the timj ber is not removed before the 30th fast, jit w : l] he removed and stored at the « movers risk. It is stated that the timI ber is much below the quality ordered, i its non-acceptance by the con--1 signees. ! Usually the early summer is marked iby the arrival in New Zealand of a 1 large number of men from Australia, 1 attracted by the prospect of obtaining i work of various kinds (writes an Anck- ] land correspondent). The influx is ! not so marked this year as usual, as far las Auckland is concerned, but, never- ; theless a considerable number are ar- ! riving regularly from over the water. | The Union. Steamship Company report I that there is a brisk demand £cr steer- | age passenger accommodation frcm Syd_ ; ney to Auckland, and the boats betj ween, now and Christmas will probably i be well filled in the steerage. } The residents of Island Bay were re--ft ] cently agitated abc-ut the Salvation ▼ ■ Army’s decision to institute a prison 1 gate reformatory in that suburb. As a j result of that movement. Brigadier ■ Bray, an officer in charge of the social j work in the North Island, stated that ] the matter would be referred to the j Australasian headquarters at Mc-I-I bourne. An inquiry was made a few ! days ago to see if anv answer had | been received, and a “Dominion” rc- ! porter was informed that nothing de- | finite had been heard from Melbourne, j but- it was extremely likely that the j whole question would remain in abeyance until the visit of Commissioner Hay in January. By the courtesy of Mr. J. Poekover, there has been received at this office a enpv of the Illustrated Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the year 1908-1909. It- is a publication of remarkable interest, for it- describes the unique wc-rk which the Society is performing in distributing the Bible in the most remote parts of the globe. ’The extent- of this great- undertaking is scarcely realised bv mest neepie. but the fact- that nearly six minim Bibles were distributed by the- Society’s agents lasi year will give some idea of its dimensions. The extent cf the area covered and the a: vers itv cf the peoples thus catered for is shown when it is stated that the Bible is printed in no less than 105 different languages. The annual meeting of the local branch of this useful organisation is to take place on Thursday next. At Aldershot, recently, the Army ■obstacle race was the occasion of an exrrsordinary athletic feat on the part of ff the Ist. Royal Irish Fusiliers (says the “Standard”), who, for the second time in this event, won the challenge shie.d which was - presented by the Duke or Connaught, in 1597, to induce a high standard of physical fitness among tae troops. Each team consisted of 100 . privates, four sergeants, and two officers, and the winning team covered the mile of broken country, which was in- -. tersected by watercourses, ditches. * - ravine, an Sft wall, rail jumps, and a redoubt, in 7min. So 1-5 sec. For so many men to cover the distance in that, time would be creditable if they were clad in ordinary working clothes, but as they had to run in field-service uniform and carry a rifle and bayonet, the feat was wonderful. The standard time for the course was nine minutes, and this was exceeded by only two of the seven teams which competed. It stands to the credit of the 742 competitors that only nine cf that number fell out by the way. Iu addition to its eminence as the champion dairy province of the Dominion (writes a correspondent), Taranaki has the doubtful honor of being known as “The Land of Toll gates.'’ It seems curious that tollgates should exist in. any enlightened community in the twentieth century, but exist th-.y do. and are at present on the increase in the great land of butter and cheese. Tbe small antipathies of local bodies is apparently the reason, and it seems regret a bio that some arrangement cannot w be made whereby the tollgate system . might bo abolished. As a consequence cf trouble between two local bodies, a tollgate has been placed upon tbeMain South Road between Hawera and Manaia. Produce from the lvaupokouui Riverdale, and other factories has pass through this gate on the wav to Hawera. In the season from six to eight six-horse choose and butter waggons pass daily along this route, costing the companies over a guinea pev week. Last year the tolls as this’ gateamounted to £917; this year it is expected that the sum raised will lx? over £100(1- The same country has another gate situated, in another locality, in older to catch those who try to get but cf the district by a “back wav.” Then there arc. the two toll gates in the El* tham district, about ten miles from each other, whore the toll is on such a scale that cyclists are charged threepence. each, and motor-cyclists one shilling each. In the Hawera County cyclists are charged one penny each, traction engine with chaffcutter £2, and traction engines alone £l. Milk and whev are permitted to go through free 1 to the Riverdale Factory, which is situated between the gate and Manaia, b-ut the whole of tlie tax must press-: very heavily upon the farmers.

The annual meeting of the Gisborne Sheepfararers’ Frozen Meat Co. will bo held at 11 a.m. to-day at the Farmers’ Club rooms, Masonic .buildings. The Kaiti School Committee meeting, whieli should have been held last night, has been adjourned until next Friday evening.. It is encouraging to those interested in prospecting our local oil fields to learn than an enquiry has been made through an agent here, for five tons of crude petroleum for power purpose® for Samoa. The time for receiving tenders for the erection of a steel tank and a twolift gas holder for the Gisborne Gas Co. has been. extended to December 6th. The balance of the new plant for the company is on board the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co.’s s.s. Waiwera, which I was due to arrive in Auckland yesterday. Ohakune is nothing if not modern. Not only has this thriving Main Trunk township now a strong and efficient mounted rifle corps, among whose members there are many non-commissioned officers and men with war .service, but it has lately adopted the Boy Scout movement. There is a corps of forty boys in the .town, and the extent and' nature of the country available gives fine scope for. such work. At the meeting of the Hospital Trustees last night, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital referred to the fact that a witness in the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday stated that he sent his wife to a private hospital instead -of the public hospital as they refused to one rate at the latter institution. Dr. Wilson stated that the pat’ent in question had never been an inmate of the hospital, and an operation had neither been requested nor refused. The vexed, ouestion of the utility of the cut in the groyne was again brought tit) at tho meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday. During a discussion on the proposal to extend the breakwater, a divergence was made, and the Chairman moved that a second cut 50ft in length further up the groyne be made. Mr. Lysna-r seconded the- motion, which was vigorously opposed bv the Hon. Capt. Tucker and Messrs Kells and MacDonald. It was, however, decided by a majority of one that a second cut be made. The Government propose to issue licenses for the taking of seals on the Campbell and other sub-Antarctic Islands. One license is to be issued for Campbell Island, and the life of the license is to be ten years. Tenders for the purchase of the licenses must he sent to the Minister/ for Marine before January 22. There is a probability that action will be taken by the Canterbury Philosophical Institute regarding the Government’s proposal. Several members of the scientific party which visited the islands towards the end of 1907 confirm the statement that all fur seals on the island's will he exterminated in two seasons if licenses to kill them are issued. The “New Zealand Times” states that in the railway sheds at the Thorndon Station, Wellington, for the first time in the history of New Zealand, defence guns have been mounted on carriages, and a number of twelvepounders may be seen poking their cold noses into the air from the summit of the carriages. These guns are of the usual type of swivelling arm. which can he trained 1 on an enemy’s rear, front or flank. It is felt that a rapidly mobile gun, which can he taken'on a New Zealand railway at a rate of from fifteen to twenty miles an hour, is obviously a weapon that would’ be effective in cases where an enemy was within range of a railway, and had not blown up the line in front and rear. The railway weapons are for the Westport Garrison Artillery, and will be ' taken tp the Hutt, near Wellington, for a trial. Steps are being taken to petition His Excellency the Governor to commute the sentence of death passed on Arthur J W. Roberts at the recent criminal sitting of the Supreme Court in Christchurch, for the murder or Alice Edith Newman, on October 18. Mr W. J. Hunter, who defended Roberts when he was on his trial, states fhat at present he is preparing a petition to the Governor praying him to exercise the prerogative of mercy in tile case of Roberts, and to commute the sentence passed upon him. Mr Hunter is of opinion that the exercise of the prerogative of mercy would be clearly in accordance with tne recommendation of the jury in the case. He thinks it possible that the Government might order Roberts to he further examined as to his sanity. The petition now would simply pray that His Excellency would exercise the prerogative of merc v and commute Roberts’ sentence. The • contractors _ for the new post office at Auckland in front of the railway station are making satisfactory progress, and the piles are mow being driven for the foundations, By.Mondny week it is expected that sufficient progress will have been made to enable the contractors to start laying the foiirnlations. At the back of the railwaj station a number,of stonemasons areat ' work on the Coromandel-granite for the first stage of the building, which extends for twenty-five feet from the street. Above this-the front will.be in Oamaru stone. None of the blocks of granite weighs less than a ton. AllJameson, the successful tenderer for the construction of the post ounce. ! comes from Christchurch, and he is very enthusiastic over the Coromandel granite, which he is using for the first time. He* says its beauty and quality must make it the stone of the future in the Dominion for many important classes of work, and he would not be surprised if it were exported to other countries. , , It was understood so'me weeks ago (says the Wellington “Evening Post”) that the Harbor Board might be willing to instruct its Engineer (Mr Marchbanks) to prepare a report regarding the proposal that Wellington’s dock shoiild be enlarged’ to make it suitable for the reception of large Dreadnoughts. No official information on the subject is available, but a representa--Live of the “Rost” has that it is unlikely that the Harbor Board will see its way at this stage- to treat with tho contractors for a larger dock. An alteration of‘the "plans would’ naturally involve a heavy extra expense on the Board, even it the Admiralty agreed to share the burden. Negotiations -with the. Admiralty, which is already a contributor to one New Zealand dock (the Calliope Auckland) would require a considerable period of time. One pertinent question is asked: “What assurance of finality would ' the Board' have,‘ seeing that its ships are so rapidly superseded? Also it is questionable whether /the site of the dock at • Clyde-qua.v would allow' warships of the great Dreadnought order to-be conveniently manoeuvred into the ■ basin. '_ News travels, especially good news, and it’s remarkable bow folks from far and near write Grieve,, the people s ; -J jeweller, for particulars of his wonderful, value Engagement Rings. : Size cards sent to any addrass for the ask-