THRESHING MILL RATES

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21987, 11 January 1937, Page 5

THRESHING MILL RATES

CHARGES CONSIDERED TO BE EXCESSIVE PRESIDENT OF FARMERS' UNION PROTESTS < A protest against the increase in threshing charges, which it is understood will now amount to 55s 6d an hour in South Canterbury, was made by Mr A. E. Dobson, president of the Temuka branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, in answering enquiries by a reporter yesterday. "I would like to know exactly what the threshing charges were in 1931," Mr Dobson said, "it seems to me that they have gone ud a lot more. I think thev were about 45s to 47s 6d an hour. A rise to 55s 6d seems to me to be very big. The charge an hour appears to be out of all proportion to the rise in wages." Describing the charge as excessive, he said that he felt farmers would be affected adversely by such a high rate With the increased wages that would be paid this year, the approximate cost in wages paid by ,the mill would be 25s an hour. Compared with this figure the 55s 6d charge for threshing seemed to show a tremendous margin, and he did not know "how South Canterbury wheat and oats growers would react to it. IMPROVED RAILWAY BUSINESS REVENUE INCREASES BY £3767 Increased revenue of £3767. in a total of £15,282, is disclosed in a review of business handled by the Temuka railway station in the last nine months. The all-round increase is stated to be exceptional. Since March 31, 1936. 21,066 passengers—an increase of 2662—have travelled from Temuka. The increase in revenue from passenger traffic wa£379. the total being £2BBB, in spite of a decrease in the traffic over the Christmas period when 343 fewer passengers travelled. Details of the business are:— Outwards —Passengers, 21.066 (an increase of 2662); season tickets, 64; cattle, 2289 (Increase 1000); sheep 35,896 (increase 11,729); goods tonnage. 5149 (increase 1482); revenue, £7952 (increase £.1392). Inwards—Cattle, 396; sheep, 6788 (increase 3051); goods tonnage. 8175 (increase 2330); revenue £7830 (increase £2375). . COURT RETURNS NORMAL QUARTER REPORTED A normal quarter—without noteworthy decrease or increase—is shown by' the returns of the Temuka Magistrate's Court. Figures, supplied by the clerk (Sergeant M. E. Hill), on Friday .evening.: indicate that both the year and the quarter were average, though there were slight increases in criminal cases and civil plaints—l 94 in 1936. to 167 in 1935, and 173 to 142 respectively. " Returns for the la:' quarter of 1936 were:—Sittings bv" magistrate, 3 (3); criminal sittings, 3 (3); civil sittings of justices, 1 (2); criminal cases heard by justices. 9 (10); civil cases heard by magistrate. 1 (0); plaints entered, 28 (28): total amount sued' for, £271 2s lOd. (£3Ol 7s lOd); applications heard in chambers, 5 (13): civil warrants issued, 2 (1); summonses or other processes served by bailiff. 25 (33); judgment summonses issued, 0 (7); foreign processes received, 22 (23); summonses served by registered letter. 6 (6); criminal cases against males, 30 (32) :• against females. 0(1); children's court 7 (6); civil fees -ffixed in stamps, £25 15s (£23 16s); criminal fees in stamps, £l2 2s (£l7 16s?; fines in stamps, £45 7s (£36 15s); amount received in law trust account, £l4O 19s 9d (£l4O lis 6d); total payments, £l5B 13s 5d (£145 18s 8d). _____ NOR'-WEST WEATHER AT TEMUKA Temuka has had further extremes of weather in the last week, with fair skies and fine days, but with thunder showers and gusty winds' occasionally intervening. On Saturday a maximum temperature of 73 degrees sent' many bathers to the rivers, but yesterday, although there was a hot sunshine, conditions were made uncertain, by .high winds from the north-west and by isolated thunder showers through which the sun continued to shine fitfully. The rainfall recorded for the week was 124 points, the minimum temperature being 43 degrees.