TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 122, 23 May 1908, Page 9

TELEGRAMS.

IMPORTATION OF FRUIT.

THE MINISTER FIRM.

[By Telegraph. — Special to The Post,!

DUNEDIN, This Day,

Australian fruit shippers complain — and the complaint is endorsed by local importers — of the regulations which forbid the importation of Australian citrus fruit unless accompanied by a certificate issued by the* Agricultm-al Department to the effect that no fruit flj exists within a mile of where such fruit is grown. It is urged that such a. certificate cannot be obtained, and that the Agricultural Department of the Dominion ought to be satisfied with an assurance that the fruit had been subjected to a rigid examination before being shipped. On the matter being brought under the notice of the Hon. Mr. M'Nab, he said : "When a deputation recently ■waited on me to object to the regulation in question, it was stated that the fruit fly was so prevalent in Sydney that no certificate could be given that itdid not exist within a mile of the exporting orchard. New South. Wales, therefore, being so bad as to be described in such terms by its own people, is New Zealand to allow its fruit to come in? No inspection at Sydney, I am advised by my experts, can warrant a. certificate that the fruit is clean. It is quite possible to develop after inspection. To let New* Zealand get into the condition New South, Wales is in would be a crime committed against the people of this country." NOTES FROM DUNEDIN. THE VICTDIISING OP UNIONISTS. COOK ISLANDS FRUIT TRADE.' — x Two matters which will probably be brought before the notice of the Minister of Labour by the Trades and Labour Council on his visit to Dunedin next week will be the question of the victimising of unionists and the extension of the principle of State control of the necessaries of life. The Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. R. M'Nab)' at the request of Minister in Charge of the Cook Islands (Hon. J. M'Gowan) has arranged for the inspectors of the Agricultural repartment to control fruit inspection in the Cook Islands. An officer is to be sent immediately to these islands to visit the various ports of shipment and to recommend what regulations should be enforced and where a man should permanently be located. In view of the stringent regulations rendered necessary with regard to the importation of Australian" fruit this should bo a- splendid opportunity for the Cook Islands developing, a big trade with New Zealand. While the growth of the fruit and its inspection will be under a Dominion officer it has been decided that the Cook Islands administration shall pay the services of this officer who will be one of the Auckland inspectors. The intention is that when a permanent officer is appointed he shall spend a couple of years at the Islands and then be brought back to New Zealand. (Mr. Kirk (Government Biologist) and. Mr.. Boucher (Auckland inspector) some years ago visited' the Cook Islands group and reported to the Government. This report goes to show the want of supervision and intelligent * work in connection with fruit growing there and the need of instruction in regard to early and late varieties. To meet this defect a small experimental station is likely to be provided. Special precautions .will be taken in regard to the fruit fly which at present exists on two of the islands The Prime ' Minister has accepted inv,itations to open the Dunedin winter show on 2nd Juno and to unveil the troopers memorial at Invercargill on 3rd June (Prince of Wales Birthday). The Minister of Labour will reach Dunedin on Tuesday evening and will remain here for about ten days. Mr. Millar will attend the winter show and the letter carriers' "social" on 2nd June, and during his stay will take the opportunity to address his constituents. The Works Committee of the City Council has granted an application from the New Zealand Express Company to j erect its new building in Bond-street in reinforced concrete. A start will be made in a few days with the erection of the- building which will be a handsome structure seven storeys high. FEILDINGJWATTERS. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK. [Bx Telegibaph. — Speoiai, to The Post.] FEILDING, This Day. Ideal weather has been experienced right up to date in this district. The growth of grass is rich beyond the dreams of a few months ago, and the frost can now be as heavy as snow and it will not affect the outlook for stock. Very successful fattening of stock is resulting^ in the Halcombe district, where there is competition amongst dealers for the fat lambs and fat sheep which are being bought almost at record cheapness from the bush settlers and sold at highly remunerative prices. There has been a good deal of talk in the city papers about a bad outlook for farmers because there has been low prices for wool, but the pastoralist in this district, who has good grazing grounds, has made more money on fattening cheap sheep than he lo&t on his wool. It is the new settler in the bush districts who has been hit by the slump in wool, for he has not •only lost on his wool but he has had to sell his sheep at forced sale prices because he has not had the feed 'to keep them going. The outlook for skilled and unskilled labour up this way in good, and there is nothing of a surplus nature hereabouts.

Mr. Edward Ellison, a brewer, who had resided for many, years in Feilding, died yesterday, agecr 59 years, after a long illness.

The Feilding Ministers' Association is urging the Borough Council to close the billiard saloons at 10 o'clock instead of 11.

There was a fairly large crowd of farmers in town yesterday for market day, and fair business was done in the saleyards. >'

fPUKSa ASSOCIATION.! COST OF LIVING

AUCKLAND, 22nd May. "The cost of living in New Zealand is such now," said a speaker at last night's annual Farmers' Union dinner, "that it costs my family £500 a year to live, where a year or two ago it cost £300. 1 admit I am a little mad on the subject, but I feel strongly about it, and cannot leave it to discuss the blackberry pest or matters of minor importance."

MO A BONES

OISBOIINE, 22nd May. An interesting discovery ol" nioa bones was made on Thursday last by Mr. B. Watkins, on Mr. Wallis's property at Tuparoa. Enteiing a case on the side of a mountain, near Hikurangi, Mr. Watkins found the bones of at least four moa birds. The cave is rather damp, but tho bonea Hi'f. in a fair state uf jaxaaarvat.inn. JTJak i& Jaaliajuid. UkJoa.

the first discovery of moa bones in that district. WAIMARAMA DIFFICLTY SETTLED. NAPIER, May 22. Word was received this evening that' the difficulty between Miss Meinertzhagen and Mrs. Donnelly and party, regarding certain Waimarama lands, has been practically settled, the parties having substantially agreed on all terms. EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION FORMED. GISBORNE, 22nd May. About sixty persons, representing all classes of employers in Gisbonje, attended a meeting to-night, and listened to an address by Mr. Pryor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation. It was unanimously decided to form a local employers' association, and to affiliate with the head organisation. TEN MINUTES' LIBERTY. CHRISTCHURCH, 22nd May.- * Yesterday a prisoner named William Bell, who is serving a sentence of three months' imprisonment in Lyttelton gaol for theft of a bicycle at Christchurch, made a sudden dash for, liberty, but was recaptured after being at large about ten minutes.

DIRTY BANK NOTES.

AUCKLAND; 22nd May. Dirty bank notes formed the I subject of a letter received by the Council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce from the District Health Officer (Dr. Purdy), who suggested that all such notes, which were in a filthy condition, should be perforated by running a file through them, and this, whilo not destroying their face value, would probably prevent their re-issue. He would also suggest that the Minister for Internal Affairs be asked for an opinion on the subject. The letter was read.

CELEBRATING EMPIRE DAY.

AUCKLAND, 22nd May. Empire Day was celebrated at several are the city schools to-day, the principal feature of the celebration being addresses by Lord Plunket.

Addressing the children, His Excellency spoke of the greatness of the British Empire, and of the ' responsibility that would fall on them as they grew to be men and women in maintaining the Empire at its present high standard. It was his wish that Empire Day might be celebrated from one end of the Dominion to the other, but here the facili ties were lacking for a general observance. There was unhappily a division of opinion as to whether Empire Day or the Prince of Wales's Birthday should be celebrated by the general public, and it was unfortunate that the events should be in such close tarpximity. He concluded by advising tne children always to try to conduct themselves in a manner which would not bring- discredit upon themselves, their parents, or the country to which they belonged, for it was not only the men who shouldered their muskets and went into battle that were patriotic, but also the little boys and girls who behaved themselves we'll.

BATHS FOR PALMERSTON.

PALMERSTON N., This 'Day. A public meeting was held here last evening, when an influential deputation was formed to wait on the Borough Council with a view to raising a loan of £3590 for municipal swimming baths. Tho bath will be' tepid, and built much on the lines of that recently opened in Christchurch.