ANOTHER COMMISSION ?

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 210, 4 September 1919, Page 4

ANOTHER COMMISSION ?

When in doubt, lead a Royal Commission. It is one of the rules of political whist. The Prime Minister seems to have come down to the House yesterday with no thought of a Railways Commismissiou in his mind, for he moved the setting ( up of the usual sessional committee. Later, when Mr. G. W. Russell was indicting the service and proposing to give this committee a special .task of inquiry, the bright idea that has burst upon so many men in similar positions occurred to Mr. Massey. A Royal Commission! The very thing! It would assuage public indignation, and by the time the commission reported things might be much better, and at any rate most people would have forgotten about the " cut."' So Mr. Massey is to ask bis colleagues to agree to the setting up of a Royal Commission to inquire into the '"cut" and other conditions of the railways. Xo doubt Cabinet will agree. But the public is tired of Royal Commissions, and will not welcome an inquiry with so limited a reference as that suggested. It has seen Commission after Commission abide its destined hour and go its way. Indeed, they come like water, and like wind they go, and what good do they do? We have had two such inquiries in the past six months, and who is a penny the better or the worse for the findings? Th e railway "'cut" itself, or the general condition of the railways, is not -worth a Royal Commission. For one thing, the Ministerial head responsible for any defects that there are no longer controls the Department. Mr. Massey, as the new head, ought to be a;ble to discover in a few days or weeks the truth about the "cut," if he does not know it already. A Commission with a really wide order of reference would be a different -matter, for which a good deal could be said. A strong Commission might do some good by inquiring into railway policy generally, into construction, the wasteful system of piecemeal building, the relations between the Public Works and Railway Departments, the failure of the Department to handle suburban traffic efficiently, th? prevalence of conservatism and red-tape in the Department, and the general efficiency and comfort of the service as compared with services elsewhere. A report on these lines would be valuable, and even if Government •pigeon-holed it, Parliament ' and the people would have its data and conclusions as a basis of criticism. But the proposed commission, with .its restricted field of inquiry, is a waste of time aud money.

The Weather Bureau forecast for 24 hours from 0 a.m. this day is as follows: "The indications are for variable and strong breezes, westerly prevailing, with a southerly tendency. The weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled. Rain probable. Barometer unsteady. Seas moderate. Tides poor."'

Reports from ITotuliii indicate that the steward who was removed from the Niagara on Tuesday suffering from a mild attack of influenza is very much improved in his condition, and his temperature has fallen. Tho two contacts who were taken to the quarantine island with him have shown no further developments, and will probably.be released from quarantine this week.

The North Auckland Land Board yesterday afternoon considered a plan'for the subdivision of the Crawford Estate, near Dargaville, recently purchased by the Government for soldier settlement. The plan provides for 15 sections, ranging in area from 160 to 500 acres. The arrangement is that the owners retain possession till the end of the year, but the Board intends to put the hulk in the market in November, in order to enable the applicants who are successful at the ballot to take over their holdings immediately they are available.

The values obtained for sheep at the W ecstfield fat stocw sales yesterday were the highest experienced this season. Discussing the position yesterday, a representative of one of the leading city butchery establishments said that butchers were losing heavily on sheep, particularly wethers. A fortnight ago the loss on a wether worked out at 10/, and this after allowing 12/ for the skin. The purchasing price was approximately lid. per lb. and the selling price approximately 7id per lb. On yesterday's price he estimated the loss per head on wethers at

The difference of levels of the OneTree itlill and Onehunga districts is practically prohibitive to the proposal of the former .body to obtain its water supply from the Onehunga plant. An alternative scheme .was mentioned at the meeting of the One-Tree Hill Board last night by Mr. T. Rowe. He suggested that an abundant supply of clear water could be obtained by linking up with the Mt. E.oskill system, he understood this body were agreeable to the .project, the basis "of which was to use the One-Tree Hill reservoir. Members favoured the scheme generally, provided assurance was given that there was a sufficient supply for both districts. It was stated that all that was nece?sarv to make the plant available for both bodies was linking up of the respective mains from Greenwood's Corner to Golf Eoad. A sub-committee was appointed to confer with the engineer on the practicability of the scheme.

A suggestion was made at the of the North Auckland Land Board ves°terday afternoon by Mr. J. E. Wells "one of the members, that about 4000 acres of Crown land at Omahuta, near Hokianga, should be opened for soldier settlement. Mr. Wells pointed out that the land adjoined the Omahuta State Forest and was very suitable for the. purpose suggested. The Commissioner (Mr E P. Greville) said he had seen the land some three or four years ago, and could not understand why it had been held backso long. It was- decided that the block be surveyed with a view to offerin" it for settlement. °

The .necessity far ipubße slot tele-| phones in the Epsom district was urged' at the One-Tree Hill Road Board meeting last night. A private subscriber | testified to the keen demand by the 1 innumerable occasions on which the use of the convenience was solicited by resi- ( dents who had not installed the 'phone.' It was -decided to place the matter before the Telegraph Department, suggesting installation at the corner of Market and Ranfurly Roads.

Reference was made at the fortnightly meeting of the Devonport Borough Council last evening to the utter inadequacy -of the omnibus .-service of the borough at rush hours. It was stated that people were constantly unable to get accommodation on the buses at these times, and when they lived at the extremities of tho borough were put to great inconvenience. It was decided to draw the attention of the company to the-auatter.

The rapid change that has taken place in the value placed by farmers on white pine during the last 25 years was referred to by a faroner yesterday. He said that 25 years ago if a man had suggested erecting a shed in white pine he would have been laughed at. "They would have told you," he said, "that it would not last." How different from to day, when they are only too pleased to use it for many purposes, but cannot always get it on account of the shortage. He remembered seeing kahikatea- trees in those days, standing as straight as an arrow, some .100 feet high and six feet through.

The Weybridge ex-soldier Ryan, who was charged with the attempted murder of the New Zealand soldier Algernon Worger by stabbing him five times with a knife in revenge for Worger's alleged "carryings on" with Mrs. Evan, was sentenced to twelve months' hard labour at the Surrey Assizes, reports our London correspondent. The local view of this "unwritten law" case, as it has been called, was shown on the evening of Ryan's conviction when the proletariat Of Weybridge revived the old-time performance of '"rough music" towards midnight to demonstrate the feelings against Mrs. Ryan. Neighbours, principally women, occupying ode of the working-class districts of AVeybridge, assembled in full force, and for a coasiderable period weird discords produced from 'household utensils and old tins "thrilled through the midnight air" until the police intervened. Whatever may be the real "rights and wrongs" of this sordid affair it is quite evident that tlie sympathies of Mrs. Ryan's neighbours are with the anan now in Guildford Gaol.

The position in regard to employment in Ohrigtchurch is considered satisfactory by those who deal with applications from men seeking -work. The secretary of the General -Labourers' Union in Ohristchurch, when the matter was mentioned to him, said: "There is practically no ■unemployment amongst men willing -to undertake ordinary labouring work of a more or less permanent nature, but there is a fairly Jarge number of men -who are content to drift from job to jab without wanting permanent -work. These men, -if work on the roads was offered to them, would not accept it. They are not members ol the General Labourers' Union, for moat of our members are willing and able to accept labouring work of any kind, and are usually in employment. Considering the year, I think the amoun* of unemployment'is fery small, and -the position on the •whole may be regarded as satisfactory from our point of view.'-Similar-opinions were expressed by the officials of the Government Labour Bureau.

At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board it was decided to enter a protest against the Department's decision to merely subsidise voluntary contributions for the installation of hot water systems in teachers' residences. It was considered that it was a disgrace that any question should arise about the provision of these absolutely necessary conveniences. ' The Department also intimated that subsidies would not be'pavable for drinking-fountains and bubblingheads, but to encourage the provision of i a more sanitary supply of drinking water ! than that provided by the ordinary tap, it was prepared to subsidise voluntary contributions for bubbling-heads, but the ! subsidy would not in. any case exceed £5. Other matters in which the Department was not. prepared to pay subsidies were j mentioned. Dr. Reekie characterised.the • communication as a "oundle of red tape that should be burned,-' while the chair- : man saidN that the letter was striking 1 evidence of the Department's cheeseparing methods. Mr. King referred particularly the refusal of the | Department to subsidise amounts expended on apparatus for organised games, and pointed out "that th 6 only cr.mes-material to be subsidised were basket balls. The practice of loading heavy vehicles which have to be on the street after sundown with goods in such a manner that the sidelight of the vehicle is obscured to persons approaching from the rear, has been more than once commented on by the police as a source of danger in the city street traffic. To-day three drivers, C. Wrathall, Wm. Harvey, and Alfred Weaver, were brought before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.H., for breach of a city by-law, in that they had driven in Customs Street after sunset with sidelights on their wagons which were obscured from the rear by heavy loads of wool. When spoken to on the subject they =tated they had not been provided by their employers with a. light to be hung on the back of the -wagons when they bad big loads on. One of the drivers had to support ten children. His Worship remarked that it was unfortunate that the by-law did not reach the employer instead of a driver who was probably not in a position to pay a fine, and was less to blame than the employer was in some instances. The defendants were ordered to pay 9/ costs apiece.

Seven notifications of influenza hove been made in the district since the Auckland Health Office issued its last biweekly bulletin. In the City two mild attacks were reported, one mild case was found in Matarnata, While Te Puke has had three severe ones and one mild. Dr. Monk is well satisfied at th e diminishing tendency that is apparent from these figures. Apparently :he was half expecting more cases, as August and the earlier part of September are considered to be one of the worst parts of the year.

A song lecture on "Robert Burns," the Scottish poet, wrll.be presented at the Epsom Library to-night 'by Mr. John Barr, chief librarian. Selections from Burns' songs and poems will be given by Mrs. Cyril Towsey, Miss Jessie Bartlett, Messrs. C. Mountain, Duncan Black,'and ■J. Robertson. Mr. Cyril Towsey will be the accompanist.

A record for local egg-laying competitions has been put up by an Indian Runner duck in the competition now proceeding at Mount Albert. This bird which is owned by Mr. E. W. Daniel has laid a hundred eggs in the hundred day's preceding Sunday ast, and is maintaining the same regularity of production on the road to the second century.