WAIMATE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19057, 20 July 1927, Page 8

WAIMATE.

bAND OF HOPE. At the monthly meeting of'the Waimate Band of Hope, Ensign Whitely presided over a good attendance. The programme was contributed by the young people of the Salvation Array, assisted by friends, and proved a most enjoyable one. The programme comprised songs, recitation (Mrs Phillips) sketch, and several dialogues. Mr Bringans delivered an interesting address. The singing of "Nearer, My God, to Thee," with actions, by the young ladies, and the "Good Night" song by the tiny tots brought a very enjoyable evening to a close. B.S.A.

For some time past the members of the Wairnate Eeturned Soldiers' Association have been looking forward with great expectations to a visit from General Sir Andrew Russell, who is the Dominion president of the R.S.A. Advice has been received here that Sir Andrew will pay a visit to Waimate on August 9th, and the local Association is making arrangements for a suitable function in honour of its distinguished guest. The members of the Borough Council, with the Mayor, are expected to take part in the reception. Deputation to Wellington. In connexion with the proposal to use as a bridge the proposed dam which is to be -erected in connexion etvith the hydro-electric scheme to be established at the Waitaki river above Kurow, a deputation is to wait on the Minister for Public Works at Wellington regarding the matter. The deputation, which consists of Messrs H. B. S. Johnstone (chairman of the Waimate County Council), W. P. Black (Waimate County Engineer), Mr A. N. Hayes (chairman, Oamaru Harbour Board and member of Waimate'County Council), and Mr J. A. Sutton (Haka'taramea), leave for Wellington to-day,' and will be joined at Wellington by Mr John Bitchener, M.P., who is also a member of the Waimate County Council. Farmers' Union. At the meeting of \the committee of the Waimate branch of the Farmers' Union there were present: Messrs A. W. Barnett (chairman), A. Grant, A. E. Wilson, E. Sinclair, E. Stokes, E. J. Meredith, W. Bell, J.,H. Hodgeh, J. H.. Milne, E. C. Studholme, S. J. Bailey, and E. B. Harrison. The chairman stated that he had written to the Minister for Agriculture and the member for the district, asking that potatoes from Australia be submitted to the same examination, New Zealand potatoes received in Australia. Regarding the field experiments to be undertaken by the Agriculture Department, Mr. Barnett said Mr Patrick's paddock at Willowbridge had been selected as one in which to conduct experiments with wheat. A committee, consisting of the president, vice-president, and Mr E. C. Studholme, • was appointed to draw, up a statement regarding the cost of growing wheat for/submission to theslieader ofthe Labour Party and Messrs Forbes and Veitch. » In response to a letter from the Otago executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, the Waimate branch decided to make a grant of £2 2s towards the cost of the farmers' excursion train from Otago to Canterbury. It was decided to reply to the Auckland executive, which asked support for a resolution asking the Government immediately to commence a gradual reduction of the protective Customs taxation now levied on British goods, that the Union had already dealt with the matter and had approved of it.

It was decided to invite Mr Hudson, Fields Instructor of the Department of Agriculture, to deliver a lecture in Waimate during August, the subject to be the experiments of the past season in regard to top-dressing. Prices of Wheat and Potatoes. Regarding the report in a Wellington paper that it was the merchants' opinion that farmers were keeping up the price of wheat,-Mr Studholme said it was the merchants who were manipulating the price of wheat and also the price of. potatoes. Mr Studholme added that of the fourteen farmers, present at the meeting, only one was holding his wheat, which was'an average of about 7 per cent, of farmers holding wheat. Those. who were really holding up the price were the millers and speculators, and that would happen with the sliding scale. The price of wheat would be manipulated so that farmers sold their wheat at a low price, and flour was sold at a high price. Farmers had lost some £200,000 in this way, which had been received by millers and speculators, and the same thing was happening in the potato market. The merchants beat the price of potatoes down by stating that potatoes were numerous, when the yield was not large. The speaker referred to the faulty estimate o£ the potato yield by the Government Statistician, and stated that if the Statistician could not give a >vrrect estimate he should give none at all. Some • discussion ensued on the methods adopted to collect the necessary information for the preparation of the estimated returns of wheat and other farm produce.

It was decided to write to the Government Statistician, pointing out that the estimate, as far as the Waimate district was concerned, was too high, and to ask how the estimate was arrived at.

Magistrate's Court. A short sitting of the Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning was presided over by Messrs S. Grut and C. L. 11. Gunn, Justices of the Peace. For cycling after sunset without "iffhts, J. Forsyth and F. Fletcher were each convicted and fined 10s and costs.

A. McDonald, who pleaded guilty to a similar charge, was convicted and ordered to pay costs.

John "Werges. who also entered a plea of guilty, was convicted and fined 5s and costs.

Judgment for plaintiffs by default for the amounts claimed and costs was given in the following cases:—E. C. •Hayes v. Frank Wonnacott, claim £8 Is 6d, and costs £1 15s; Thomas Mcpherson v. George Frederick Woods, claim £1 Ss 6d, costs 8s; National Mortgage and. Agency Co., Ltd., v. J. Haskett, claim £2O, costs £1 lis. Rugby Union. The Management Committee of the Waimate Rugby Sub-Union met on Monday evening, the Rev. Father Knight presiding. It was decided to p,lay the final match of the senior competition on August 4th, and to start the junior knock-out competition on Julv 28th.

An application to have A. Pe'arse regraded from senior to junior was declined.

Mr P. V. Stevens was appointed manager of the junior representatives to travel to Oamaru on July 23rd. It was decided to hold another prac-. tice to-night at the Drill Hall, at 7.30 p-m.