FROM OTHER PAPERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 151, 20 March 1908, Page 9

FROM OTHER PAPERS.

-0 Some timo ago it was stated that a resident of Tauranga, in tho Bay of Plenty, had discovered sonio preparation which possessed tho qualities needed to bring about an immediate extermination of tho much-hated cockroach. This concoction has sineo been tried upon well-known Auckland coastal steamers, which tho travelling public havo reason to know were infested with cockroaches, and tho result, according'to tho "Star,"' is- romarkablo. Boats which were alive with tho pest are now absolutely free. Tho preparation has been tried ashor'o with similar success. A "Star" ropresontativo was shown tho btkehouso'-of a well-known Auckland . bakery, which for 20 years had been ovorrim with tho cockroaches. A week ago the Tauranga .patent was tried, with , tho result that.there has been a steady evacuation, and tho promises are now free of what has for many years been regarded as,an immovable host of cockroaches.

, Mr. G. Parker, of ■ Montreal Street, Sydenham, secured a romarkablo curio a few days ago in tho process of digging his garden. It was a very old flint-lock pistol, reduced by corrosion to the barrel and tho lock. , Tlio barrel is of brass, of less than half an inch horo, and on tho two side-plates aro tho names "R. Parrett" and "Sarum." Tho origin of tho -pistol is -a complete mystery, and, as far as the finder' has been able to discover, tho dato of tho pistol cannot be fixed. Tho inscription indicates its English origin, but it is probably a very long timo since brass was used for pistol manufacture. - The barrel is in an excellent state of preservation, not oven 'being blocked. Enquiry at tho Museum failed to throw any light on the matter, and, there aro no brass pistols at all among the exhibits. Sarum was the namo of tho original town, of Salisbury; ' i

One reason why grocers sometimes do not sue for long-standing debts is that the New Zealand law -requires (failing ail acknowledgment of indebtedness) that a fully detailed account shall accompany tho summons. This rulo (says the Hawke's Bay "Herald" applies oven to a case-in which a customer may always have been- behind in his payments. In such; a caso, if the' tradesman wishes to recover tho balance duo by the process of tho Court, ho must furnish particulars of all tho goods supplied, including thoso which may bo. taken to havo. been paid for. At a.' meeting. of the Napier' Grocers' and Produco Dealers' Association it was stated that the law on the point, was different in Victoria. There, it was: asserted, a bill, if not disputed by tho customer within a certain period, was accepted; by tho Court 'without details. Thero is somo talk of petitioning the New' Zealand. Parliament for. an alteration of the law to-bring it into line with the Victorian'practice.

The _ price ' of- flax ' (the Broco-. " Herald " says) is £10 a toil below What, it was this timo last year, and £17; is quoted for best grades f.o.b. Under these circumstances the Fairfax mill, employees, knowing it was a caso of closo lip or/reduce cxpondituro, arranged with tho owner to reduce orices for laboiir and material all. round.. It is not often the' erhployec's in these days of, combination and outcry'against capital tako.,so •fair a view of a matter, and this case stands out in relief from tho tisual.. . ■-

The alteration of tho boundaries of tho electorates 1 for, Parliamentary representation is still' causing considorablo dissatisfaction in some quarters. "This question of'repre- . sontation of. districts is one that, I think,' is working out very , badly in', practico," said' Mr. 1). I'eid, jun., M.P., to ono of tho "Otago Daily Times" reporters. "Tako tho, Tniori district. The commissioners have rd.clod to it tile' district behind Mnunpiitua. which has little 'interest'. with, tho Taieri and which is associated altogether Tuapi'ka County. ■ 'they h'av'e putj 'into Taiorf electbr.Vfc" ; tho 1 district in that: neighbourhood'' whoso' interests: are all 'identified,.with ,tho Bruce County. ;' " It _ practically, means;' thatthese districts are' disorifraiichi-sed, seeing.that, thev havo'riot interests,in common,with the bulk of tho electorate. The'commissioners do not. seem to have mado. use of tho quota so. as to cut up t-lio"district's in a/way that would give them , community of interests. • Whet-ier thoro should ;bo an 'alteration of 1 districts nvery timo a census is taken is also a matter, for : consideration. I should: think that if tho districts wore, roallotted overv ten. years, it wojild bo bettor' than constantly-clxinginjr districts every fivo years. Tho' North 0 Island has gained, a certain, amount of population for tho .time being, 'duo to'tho openins, up 'of..lands there, and in cmr n all. the constituoncies ini tho South'"-Island' have to bp ,altered,. Possibly, within" tho.. : noxt fip-o years.;that population may bo.retnntin? •south,.if'a-time of depression ca.mo in ! the North Island, ,as ifc likely will. .Thoro. has been more'extension in.'the North Island than in tho South 'Island, and tho consequence is that if. dxill times' .comothere,.' would be harder times there,' and tho floating. popu-, Intion would come.back. ' Besides, a lot of tho increased population in the North Island' is . duo to public works expenditure, which bolonas t-o 1 the whole: colony,, and also,to. the fact that tho mail 'services and the shipping take, passeneers to the ,Jforth Island, and, land them'there." ' .'

- "Revolutionary Socialism" .was. in, evidence to somo extent at a recent afternoon's gathering'of tho Dunedin. Branch ,of the Political , Labour League (says the "Otago Daily Times",). Ono of tho speakers, a recent arrival from the, Commonwealth, expressed dissatisfaction that the League''was not "pronounced" enough in its declarations to suit his views.. "i.am a revolutionary Socialist," lie said, "arid I do not bolievo in palliatives as panaceas , forr social wrongs.In asking for tho nationalisation of all, means of production wo aro not demanding confiscation; wo • aro' only claiming back f.vhat lias been stolon from us." .. Another speaker, who . also claimed'to bo revolutionary in his Socialistic opiuioris, 'said: "Wo demand tho ■abolition of tho system of capitalism because it has proved itself to bo rotten. . We want no alliance between Liberalism and Labour with Liberalism,, t-lio shadow, in tho •forefront, arid Labour, tho substance, in tho background. . I disagreo with a . remark passed by tho president that we ishould not look to the political machino to accomplish too much.. Wo want to use tho political machino to its fullest extent, and return to power our own Parliament, which will do what wo want it to do. People are not made for Governments, but ■ Governments for, the people, and Socialism is . tho . only panacea for olir wrongs." The remarks quoted met with.a-few."Hear, hears" from a-small section of tho audience; and one or two other speakers referred to tho Arbitration Court and past Labour legislation as palliatives and not panaceas, for the ; industrial and social problems which wore agitating tho public mind. v , .

A lonely old man of seventy-three made a pathetic figure at the Dunedin City Police Court on, Saturday (says the "Otago Daily Times.") Ho had onco been* a bluejacket, and had settled down with a .wife' and family. Subsequently ho had been granted an old ago pension, but had -lost it. Recently lie had been discovered drunk on tho 'Town Belt, and now ho faced tho Court. "But " bo argued,.'"they allowed mo to drink on board a man-o'-war. All hands drank, and no ono said anything. 1 had my grog every day.". ■ ■' ■ • • 11

"A good example of tlio conservative nature of the early settler was met with on tlio coach from Naseby to Ranfurly," says a passenger. "An old identity, Mr. - Seth Holding, was'on board, and lie supplied the following information to the writer:—Ho arrived in tho Dominion in ISGI and wont to the Gabriel's Gully rush at Lawrence, thcnco ho went to Clyde, and from tliero to the lllackstono Hill district, where ho lias 'ever since resided. During all his residonco in that locality, 43 years, ho had not once seen a train, and although ho had seen the smoko from passing trains; he kept away, because the railway had mined his business of keeping an accommodation-house. 'Today, 1 ho said, 'is the first time I have travelled by coach in New Zealand, and I am also going to have my first railway ride.' Forty-seven years in Otago without onco coming into Duuedin or oven travelling by coach or rail surely, constitutes a record."