TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 154, 25 March 1922, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

7 NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

In response to an inquiry from the inspector of Awards for an interpretation of a clause in the Otago and Southland shearers’ award, the Arbitration Court (states the “Otago Daily Times”) has ruled that the bonus of 2s. 2d. (less 20 per cent.) is not payable where the shearing done is m the nature of a test only, as when the shearers do a couple of sheep to ascertain whether they are dry enoughfor shearing. As evidence of the lafrge number of girls out of work at the present time, the recent experience of the Lyric Ineatre management in advertising. tor three ushers is worth citing (states the Auckland “Star”). The total npplications were in the vicinity, or oUU, quite a number being from wives whose husbands were out of work. Another case was that of an agent who advertised for a typist and received 50 applications the firstjnorning. A visitor who recently loft Thames to return to Fiji, where he is engaged in mercantile pursuits, stated, that the ability of the Fijians in acquiring European ’ methods in sports was remarkable (reports'tbe Auckland Herald ) He organised a Fijian Rugby football team, which had beaten all-comers during the last three years. It was probably the first time that an all-Fijian football team had been officially heard of, and it would be interesting to fee how thev would fare at the hands of a New Zealand team. “The automobile engineer got ahead of the road engineer, and it is onlv now that we are catching him un. said Hr. A. Greville V nlkor, the Devonport Borough, Counci s engineer, at the inauguration of he Devonnor, rending scheme (reports the He - aid”). The advent . 5-ton and 6ton lorries on the highways, Mr. Walker explained, shook the foundations of the ronda. and a concrete formation was found to be the only safeguard Speaking at a .verV successful Mel demonstration rf dairy cattle at Knponga. Mr. 0. Hawken, ALP. (state, the “Stratford Post”), mentioned that lie expect"! the railway, would be running through to Kapuni during the sprin", which spoke for progress-in the district. It would also have the effect of lessening unemployment, which he was sorry to say was ralher disquieting. He referred to the effort of the Valuer-General. Mr. Flanagan, to effect agreements between mortgagors and mortgagees, and noped the Government would be able to do something to stabilise methods of finance. A witness, when asked what he paid for a house in Auckland (reports the “Star”), during the hearing of an application for possession of a tenement, replied. “About £1000.” “Are you not adding the legal costs to the price?” was the next question, and the prompt answer: “No; the lawvers did that,” caused a smile to pass round tho courts It was 74 years last Thursday (the “Otago Daily Times” lemmds the public) since the first pioneers landed in Otago, and the day is being celebrated as practically a general holiday. All Government offices were closed for the anniversary.

Wandering stock are a. source of annoyance and danger to the residents of' Castlcchff (states the Wanganui “Chronicle”). On a recent night Nemesis, in th" form of a trnmcai, overtook one of these nocturnal wanderers, and the consequent impact resulting ■in "the dea'h of tho unfortunate animal, a big draught horse. It appears that the horse, evidently disputing tho right of wa.v first tr e.l conob.if’ionß with car No. 13. on which it inflicted some damage witn a weighty pnir of heels. Later on however car No. 11 came along and challenged the belligerent gee-gee to mortal combat. Tho elate was effort and decisive, and when . the ear moved on towards its seaside destination it Icit a very dead horse on the roadside. In the interests of its constituents the Town Board might well give its serious attention to this wandering stock nuisance.

“This is one of the most remarkable bankruptcy meetings I have ever been connected with” said a solicitor In the course of proceedings at a creditors’ meeting in New Plymouth (reports the “Daily News”). ’lhe nosition was certainly peculiar. There were only two cred’tors one of whom was bankrupt’s father. , As he had not supplied proof of his debt, there was only one man at the meeting entitled to vote. This man moved a motion, but though it Could nut be seconded., rt was adopted.

The best friend of a motor lorry driver in this district could not honestly claim for him that he is a .strict observer of the rule of the road (observes the Napier “Daily Telegraph”). Almost invariably he travels along country roads on the wrong side and vehicles wishing to nass huh have to wait for a favourable onportUnitv to do so. The other evening a collision occurred between a lorry and a car on the Newstead Road. The lorry came off second best. Unfortunately .the four people in the car escaped ‘injury. The lorry was said to have been on its wrong side.

When a case was called against a judgment debtor at the Auckland Magistrate’s Court,' the solicitor for the creditor suggested that an order, if granted, might have the effect of causing the man to be bankrupt which would be best for him. and fairer to ♦.he creditors as a whole (states the “Star”). Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., said that was not the object for which the Act was passed. The proceedings ef the Court were not intended to punish a debtor, who could only be imprisoned if the Court was satisfied that he had the means, lut neglected to pay his debts. Under the circumstances no order was made.

The Bulgarian bug sour milk habit, which started in Auckland, seems now to have got a firm hold in Wanganui (says the “Herald”):, A Wanganui resident states that while his wife was away on a- holiday she committed to his care the “bug” .with instructions Mint he was to dose it with fresh milk daily. All went well for a. few days until the novelty of housekeeping on his own account wore off. and he forgot all about the “hug.” At the time he had no milk in the house, but havhi" a square “rigger” of beer handy, ho poured some of it over the “bug” to see how it would act. Greatlv to his surprise the “bug” continued to thrive, arid what was better stilly from the resident’s point of view it materially improved tho taste of flat beer.

The nomination of Sir Ernest Rutherford for the presidency of the British Association is the latest of many honours that have fallen to this famous New Zealander (notes the Auckland “Star,” # editorially). It is one of the most interesting, for the British Association for the Advancement of Science is the chief association of its kind in Britain, and its meeting is the event of the science year. Founded ninety years ago to help to remove the reproach that England was backward in science, it has attracted the most famous scientists to its discussions and covered the widest range of subjects. Sir Ernest Rutherford was clearh- marked cut tor such an honour. He is in the very front rank of the scientific workers of h’s conntrv and the world, and there, is. ave'rv likelihood that he will become •tfff more famous.

General approval of the Government’s nominative scheme in connection with immigration was expressed to (in Auckland . ‘ Star” reporter by nn Officer connected with the Salvation Army’s operations in that direction. He went on to. say that a very good class of citizen was on the whole being introduced into the country, and generally they were very well satisfied with conditions w'hen they arrived here. Up to the present he had not had any difficulty in placing them, and they were not very long In the city, except in certain cases. “So long as the Government can' find work- for them ,that is what wo want,” ho continued. “Up to the present we have not had any difficulty, because their friends very soon take them off our hands. It is only in exceptional cases where the Government has "ad to conic to their assistance.” Conditions had been so bad at Homo that the men were anxious for any employment, and he considered that things could not be any worse .in the Dominion to wjiat they had experienced in tho homeland. What they desired was a living wage, and the right to work. That was fhe attitude he concluded, of the average emigrant with whom the Army had come in contact.

Three months ago (states the Auckland “Star”) Zealand butter, old stock, was as „nv as 12s. to 115 s. in London, and the Imperial Government offered to sell it to the New Zealand Government at 100 s. Now sliinment butter was quoted at 120 s. To-day our butter is quoted in London . at from. 148 s. to 1505., a rise of eight shillings in a week, and an advice of nn even highejr "notation has been received in the V\ arkafo. This latest ‘rise may be due to some extent to temporary conditions, but there are other signs that the butter market is moving upwards. For one thing, realise tem of the old stock is clearing the way for the new butter and giving it a hotter chance. ( Butter carried the country on its shoulders lor some time after wool failed, and it was when butter began, so to speak, to go in the knees, that the country’s position became really grave.

The frequency of sites on the Otira Gorge, save a West Co" st correspondent of the ChristeLnrch “Sun.” has set noople on this s’de of the A’ns wondering what will happen when the opening of Otira tunnel no loncer necessitates tho constant attention and upkeep which the coach road over the mountain now receives. The slip which occurred last week was the largest experienced for some years, and only, 'the quick work of tile expert repair gan" prevented more serious delnvs. The destiny popularly planned for this historic road is that ’ts usefulness w : n continue as the only possible route for overland motorists, and as a resort for tourists interested in tho far-famed beauty of the Gorge; but if rain falls ns heavy as -t has recently, further landslides will occur, and who will effect repairs to tho road? Government, unless its financial position is much improved, is not likely to exert itself in the interests of casual traffic, and there is in any case a rumour that the Public Works Department will transfer the resnonsibil'ty of the road to the local body, with no incentive offering to clear debris away quickly and effie’entIv. It is not altogether improbable that the road, chocked with shingle, will in time become a broken chain.

As an instance of the increased prodii'.tivitv of the land of Central Otpgo under the influence of irrigation (states the “Otago Daily Times”). Mr. R. K. Smith, of Tairas Station, told the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Worjcs) the other day that, although in the past history of the station no fat sheep had ever been sent awav, he bad been able this year to fatten and dispatch to the freezing works from the irri"ated portion of his land no fewer than 3000 sheep. Mr Smith added that from cne patch of 80 acres of lucerne he had alreadv obtained 400 tons of hav, and be exported to harvest another crop before the, end of the season. In this connection it is also intcrostin" to no+e Ard"oi’v settler told the p ;' from one small lucerne paddock he had obtained the remarkable yield of M"ht tons to th" aero— a str-km" testimony to th" cnalitv of tho soil. As the nrice .of baled Iticerne. last rear was £t> a ton on truck, tee value of this profin-. 1 m'de nnssibk by irrigation, can easily be seen. .

Durin" the war farmers were forced to suhmdise the "gperal taxpayer by I,™, rill. «■/ te-een the price of far n P<o ducts and tee price that c-mld Ivie been obtained in a free jterke •; (comments the Christchurch “press ). It the Xnernl taxpaver derir'es a secure supply of wheat, he ou«ht to pared to pav for it- . , for a guarante-d minimum price is thus , 10t so unreasonable ns some people mnv think. Ncvertbo'.m's. we are still of the opinion, which w n hove often expressed, that it was a uRv_ teat the Government ever began to/'into fere with wheat prices, and thU we sooner it abandons its poltcv of control and guarantees the better it will be Farmers will not be obliged to take 2s Id. or anv other ridiculously inadequate sum for their wheat, and thev will not find wheat unpayalfle for more than one season, because they can cease to grow it and turn to something more profitable. Thev ough to bo assured, however, that they mH be permitted to enjoy the good luck of high prices as compensation toi their bad luck when prices are low.

The position regarding unemployed soldiers in Auckland has been brought under the notice of the Mayor by the Auckland Labour party with a request that he convene a meeting ot local bodies with a view to finding employment, if possible, for out-of-work returned soldiers (states the Star ). The step was taken at the instigation of the soldiers themselves, a deputation waiting on the secretary ol the Labour party, and submitting tlie suggestion, supporting it with a list, attached to which were the signatures of 350 ex-soidiers at present out of work. That this total by nd means comprises all the isoldiers out of work is quite evident from figures which have been supplied with requests to various authorities on their behalf during the past few days. A demonstration ot the soldier section of the city’s unemployed is to be held in Quay §treet on Suudai afternoon.

The extortionate prices charged for rooms in Auckland were commented upon bv a Salvation Army officer, who has had a good deal to do with assisting immigrants, when conversing with a “Star” representative. “There are some people, you know, who are not paying more than 255. to 30s. for the whole house, and yet thow charge almost as much for one room. up to 255. at least,” he remarked. “It is simply ridiculous. People cannot pay these prices. And as for children they will not have them near,” lie believed Chore was a great hick of sympathy among women. He had had several cases of real distress, including a young mother just out of hospital with her baby, and had experienced the very greatest difficulty in finding rooms for them. In these, instances the husbands had work in the city, and it was absolutely essential to find shelter of some kind for them.