TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 159, 31 March 1922, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

In regard to soldier settlers, said the Prime Minister at Moerewa, the policy of the Government was to stand by the “triers.” The men who were not “triers” had better go back to their original occupations.—Auckland .“Herald.”

Half a dozen cases of whisky make * bulky parcel for a man to get away with, if he took it all at once (says the Dunedin “Star”). Frequenters nf the Dunedin waterfront who have heard of the matter ere wondering liow it was done. Perhaps there may be a public revelation as to this matter before long. Meanwhile the stevedoring firm has had to make good the loss.

That New Plymouth is not only a particularly orderly' and law-abiding as well as financially sound community l.° clear from the Magistrate’s Court records of the Dominion (states an exchange). During 1921 there were 96 arrests in New Plymouth," and comparing the figure with those in other centres we find that in Hamilton, a town of about the same size, there were 350 am-ests. in Gisborne 413, Whangarei 243, Hawena 133, Hastings 164, Napier 421, Palmerston 503. Wanganui 323, Ashburton 74, and Timaru 320.

Encouraged by the damp and cloudy weather, mushrooms have propogatcd themselves in great profusion about Ashburton this year (states the “Guardian”). Some thrifty people, by rising early in the morning, have harvested great quantities of tho fungi, selling them to local fruiterers. Tho latter retail this autumn delicacy nt Bd, per lb. Some huge specimens to be seen in the shops indicate how favourable the season has been for mushrooms.

When the Public Service salary ’’“out” was being discussed at a meeting of members of the police force in Auckland on Tuesday, it was stated that while the first “cut” now in operation was announced as £l's on salaries between £l9O and £320 the constables were really losing £lB ss. It' was thought (states the "Star”), that this was due to the fact that police salaries were based on a sevenday week, and that the reduction had been fixed at one shilling a day. The general secretary of the New Zealand Public Service Association, Mr. F. W. Millar, who was present, agreed that this did not seem fair, and promised, if supplied with comparative figures, to look into the question, together with other alleged anomalies, when he returned to Wellington.

The spirit of Lord Chesterfield still lives. Thus the Rotorua “Chronicle”: The young gentlemen who removed the stirrups, and stirrup -leathers from the saddle of the pony tied up in Mr. W. Steele’s yard 'on Saturday night (with the intention of returning them on Sunday morning) would greatly oblige the owner, Mr. Chas. H. C. Worthington, by carrying out their good intention. Riding without stirrups is inconvenient and age has its limitations. They are invited to kindly leave them (or a now set) at the “Chronicle” office at their earliest convenience, as he is at present indebted to the kindness and cotirtesy of Mr. Steele for the loa.n of his stirrups.

Now that all New Zealand telephone Bubscribers have painfully, and under sharp correction from “central,” learnt' to say “0” instead of “nought” when calling for a number containing the zero digit, a new Regulation has been s-ilomnly promulgated making ‘nought’ right and “O” wrong (states tho Ashburton “Guardian”). Strange perversity of human nature —now that we are all word perfect iu the art of saying “0,” and conscious of our/rectitude in saying it, we are once more to be corrected- in our hardly-learnt lesson. So when we say “O,” the “Hello girl” clips in with an admonitory “nought,” | Wherefore shall we ask in . indignant confusion —is this economy, or deficiency or retrenchment, or tho pure cussedness of a Government department ?

The Post and Telegraph Department has refused to pay the Wanganui Borough Council the sum of ,Is. per week for the removal of rubbish from the Wanganui Post Office qsays the Wanganui “Chronicle.’) The council took the step of discontinuing the service, with the upshot that'the Department has now threatened that the rubbish will be removed at the expense .of the council. The council consequent! v sought legal opinion, and has been advised that the Department’s stand is untenable.

The North Canterbury Unemployment Committee has disbanded (states the Christchurch “Sun”). The bal-ance-sheet shows that the subscriptions received totalled £2087 17s. lOd. After all payments have been made, a balance remains of £2 ss. Id. There are at present forty-five fit men and twelve men fit for light work en the Labour Department’s and the committee’s books. On the Repatriation Board’s books there were 39 labourers and. 13 men wanting . light work. The chairman states that if there were any need of an unemployment committee during the coming winter, a new committee will hare- to he set up. He hopes that the need will not arise, .as it is expected that a certain amount of work will be forthcoming in the district, and elsewhere.

The coptracts for the tunnelling work at Mangahao have all been let except one very wet one at the Middle Camp (reports the Levin “Chronicle”). The price for the other tunnel at this camp was £2 19s. 6d. per foot. The surge chamber- tunnel was let for £3 55., and the other two at this end at £3 55., and £3 9s. 6d. respectively, £2 ss. being the price for the cross-cut leading to the latter tunnel. Work had been commenced on the No. 1 tunnel at Mangahao under the new contracts, and the excavation is to be pushed on with rapidity by three shifts. So far the tunnel has been taken 32 chains into the hill, leaving oyer a mile and a half still to be done.

In a letter to the_ Christchurch “Press” the Rev. J. K. Archer complains that in .that paper’s discussion of the idea that the Post and Telegraph’s Officers’ Association should link up with the Alliance of Labour, it failed to “get to the root of things.” The root problem, he. said, was, “Why have the postal officers in any considerable numbers come to look with favour upon the idea of joining the Alliance of Labour?” His own answer to this question (observes the “Press” editorially) is that the cause is “the incompetence, unfairness, and sectionalism of the present Government.” We do not care to think that Mr. Archer is merely seizing an opportunity to indulge in electioneering rhetoric, but the alternative explanation of his diagnosis of the “unrest” and “discontent,” of which we are invited to regard the postal officers’ ballot as a symptom, is one which we adopt with regret. Most people had Thought that Mr. Archer belonged to the Socialist intelligentsia, and it is rather a shock to discover that he is. after all, only on the mental level of the Liberal politicians and publicists.

A member of the bar rose to conduct his own case at the Te Awamutu Court. He was charged (states tho Waipa “Post”), as one of a farm syndicate, with putting lico-infested sheep in tho Te Awamutu municipal yards for sale. He pleaded guilty, but suggested to the magistrate that as the sheep had been driven for several - days bunched with those of another farmer (previously convicted of the same offence), that they might have left the farm clean, and become infested on the road. “Might it not be equally possible,” queried Mr. Young, S.M., mildly, “that your sheep infested those of the defendant already fined?”

“It was not the time, nor the place, nor the hour to pass the time of day. You should not have molested this girl. You will be fined a ‘fiver’ and ordered to pay witness’s expenses (10s.) and costs (75.).” In these words Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at Christchurch, addressed Charles Gordon Malzard, a youth, who had pleaded not guilty to a charge of having assaulted Ethel Mabel Woodfield in Hoon Hay Road, Cashmere. on March 3. The. evidence showed that the girl was riding along the road, when the accused called out to her claiming acquaintance, and, putting his arm round her neck, caused her to fall from her bicycle. Subsequently he apologised for his conduct.

Mr. Justice Stringer had a few remarks to make anent the work of the private inquiry agent in a divorce case Hint came before him at Hamilton. “When,” said His Honour, “a town had dirty streets the local governing authority employed a scavenger to clean them up and bury the garbage. The private detective engaged on this class of case was what might be described as a moral scavenger, who followed women about and spied on them in order to gather what garbage he could from their immoral acts : but instead of burying his garbage he brought it into Court as the foundation for divorce. A legitimate occupation, certainly;” added His Honour, “but a very uncleanly one.”

Forty per cent, of tho early wheat presented at South Island ports for export has been rejected by the Government graders, or, rather, has been graded as not first class (states the Dunedin “Star”). Such is the story, apparently -well authenticated, now in circulation in ths Canterbury and North Otago market places. The wheat in ouestion was thrashed from the stook, and has suffered from the wet weather. But the recital is not alarming. Forty per cent, of what is so delivered is a very small proportion of tho whole yield from the districts referred to. The significant noint -is that the graders are earnestly doing their duty towards New Zealand bv preventing inferior grain going out on a grade above its merits.

Referring to the jump in butter prices tho Dunedin “Star” philosophises: “Mothers of large families will nrobably do ns their mothers and grandmothers did—scrape it a little thinner when preparing for breakfast, and tea. Numbers of us who are now grown nn used to deem ourselves Inpkv to get even a taste of butter. Drinning served for the children when butter was nt prices ranging nn to 3s 6d. per lber-a limit that was rcaeb-"d fiftv. years ago in a North Island district that is now a dairying centre. Even at tho present increased price Dunedin is better off as to butter than some of the other centred, owing to competition.”

“It does seem unfair that in order to pnv for these children in a receiving home the mother’s income should be attacked.” said Mr. E. W. Wh’tef in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court, during the hearing of n claim for maintenance on behalf of eiHit children' (reports the “Lyttelton Times”). 11, appeared that the children we.ee. in the Hamilton and Auckland receiving homes and under the Act application was being made to make the mother contr’hnte towards their maintenance Mr. White said the authorities wanted the mother to par 15s. a week each for ordinary maintenance and ss. each for education. He did not object to the ss. for education, but altogether the authorities wanted £B' a. week tn look after the children. That seemed excessive, but perhaps something could be. done to group the children into one homo and. work on the “wholesale prinqjnle,” ae it wore. The Magistrate made nn order for £7B a '•ear after hearing evidence that the mother, whose inr-omo was £492 yearly, suffered ill-health.

The trout fishing in the Taupo district this season has resulted in some fine fish beintr secured, many of them being over 101 b. in weight. Good fish have been secured in the Waikato River near Taupo, and most of them are m the nn'est condition. Although +hn Taupo rainbows are larger and in better cond-’tion than usual, the cat-hex by the flv have not been lame. This is nttribut"ble to the abundance of feed that is in evidence everywhere. An English angler who has kept careful records of his catches, savs that this season his avernmo has been 7lb. weight as against 3Hb. three years Jro. One fish of 161 b. weight has been caught at Tokani’i. and the outlook for even larger fish later on is considered excellent. It is most gratifv--j'g to note that >y>t on|v has the deterioration of the. trout been stopped, hut there is everv indication that they nre regaining something of the swe and weight of former rears, which made the fishing at Taupo famous throughout the world.

A students’ society has been formed in New Plymouth, the objects being to heln and benefit it® members by means of lectures, essays and discussions upon subjects of interest to those engaged in commercial pursuit® (states the Taranaki “Daily News”). Any person interested in the study and advancement of commerce is eligible to become n member, and it is hoped that the meetings will be taken advantage of by every person who is in anv way concerned with commercial life. A syllabus of lectures ha® been drawn up by the committees, and the subjects have been chosen with a view to being of service to all actually engaged in business as well as to student® of accountancy, law, banking, etc.

Many bargains were made at the auction sale of military stores in Dunedin on Tuesday (states the “Otago Daily Times”), and, from an onlooker’s point of view, purchasers were perfectly satisfied with their Investment. The bidding was brisk right through. The highest price realised for a pnir of sheerlegs was £32: for a telescone, £l2 10s.; for range-finders, £6; for electrical instruments, £5; for office desks, £3 to £4 : and for binoculars, up to £4 ss. There was a pood demand for coloured blankets. Twentyfour pairs were offered, and sold un to 15s. a pair. Military rockets fetched up to 30s. a case, and all want to one purchaser. There was good competition for flags, which brought £3 10s. a set (27 in a eet). There was also good competition for doors with bras® fittings, which fetched up to 18s. for a lot of ,font. Probably about half of the articles were disposed of, but there still remain plenty of handy, nse.ful articles for sale. >