Page 6 Advertisements Column 4

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19, 24 January 1911, Page 6

As showing the strides the port of Timaru is making, Messrs. Ivinaey and Co., agents for the Federal-lloulder-Shire hnes, are advihod that tbe s.s. Dray ton Grange, leaving Liverpool on Ist April, has" been iixed to take the West Coast U.K. berth for direct discharge at Timaru, in addition to usual New Zealand ports of call. Tenders for the supply of water-pipes under the £100,000 loan scheme for the duplication of the Wainui water-main close at tho end of the present month. With the acceptance of the tender the last obstacle to the commencement of the work will disappear. The end of March or the beginning of April is generally believed to be the earliest possible date for the start of the great fonstruction work, which will furnish employment for many workers during tho coming winter. By the Athsnic, which reaches Wellington to-morrow, Mr. T. E. Sedgwick and his 50 boy immigrants will arrive in New Zealand, the latter to carve out futures for themselves in the Dominion. On arrival they will be met by officials of the Labour Department, which has already made arrangements for them to bo engaged by employers of good repute. The boys will be scattered all over New Zealand, and each party will be conducted to its destination. It is not expected that any will be located actually in Wellington. The experiment will be watched with interest. For some considerable time past codlin moths have proved very destructive to the apple crops. Then these pests attacked the pear crops, and tins season (according to a local nurseryman), a fairly large proportion of the plums have been eaten into by the moths. An orchardist informed an Ashburton Guardian reporter that he has never heard of plums being previously attacked. What with various parasitic diseases that were common, and to the hailstorms and generally boisterous weather that occurred practically every year when the fruit was at a green stage, fruit growing was far from being profitable to those engaged in it. Rapid progress was made with the harvesting in North Canterbury during the past week of fine weather, and a large quantity of grain is now safely in stack, in the pnmest condition, reports a Southern exchange. A start has been made with threshing from tfaa stook, and some very satisfactory returns have been lecorded. During Saturday night lieavj* easterly showers of rain fell, but a brisk breeze and warm sunshine yesterday prevented any damaging effects the moisture might have had on the stocked grain, and stacktops disturbed by the north-west gale on Friday morning. The root crops continue in a satisfactory condition, and will receive benefit from the rain. ' •It may be safely assumed (says the Oamaru Mail) that the Government will resume 2500 acres of the Waihao Downs —that portion of it called the Serpentine. It is stated to be the best portion of the estate, and will leave Mr. Richards, the owner, with the 2500 acres on_ which the homestead stands. The price asked is but 10 per cent, in advance of what Mr. Richards paid per acre for the whole property some years ago, when he purchased it from the late Mr. Douglas, jun., and it would cut into numerous small farms lo advantage, and togother -nith the upwards of 2000 acres in the vicinity recently purchased by the Government trom Mr. Allec,- would confatituto a prosperous settlement for v large number of land-seekers. Speaking the other day to a representative of tho Christchurch Spectator, a police officer expressed his entire approval 'of the new idea of retiring inspectors at the age of 60. " What the service wants," he said, "is to be made , more attractive, so as to induce a better class of men to join it and stay in it. At present the chances of promotion are very few. Cutting off the age at 60 instead of 65 gives hope to men who would otherwise be dispirited." " But don't you think a man ought to be at his best up to 65?" asked the i reporter. "No; riot a policeman," said the officer. "I shall be quite content to go when I reach that age, and think tho superannuation scheme will make adequate provision for me after that." Upon reliable authority the Spectator learns that Inspector Gillies's retiring allowance will be £292 per year. From another quarter it also hears that if he had completed liis term of office up to sixty-five years of age he would have had a pension of £37 more than he will now receive. Publishers and booksellers complain of the set-back to business that will, they insist, accompany the process of a general election m December, writes Sir Henry Lucy, under date 9th December, in the Sydney Morning Herald. There is one department of book-making that will certainly suffer, not necessarily in sale, but in efficiency. It is the library of which "Who's Who" is the best known and most popular representative. During the current year the multitude who are accustomed to consult that indispenSable volume have had occasion to lament absence of its usual fulness of information. It goes to press early in December, and with the general election tins year falling in January, the dissolution at a blow made misleading all it& Parliamentary, and some of its Ministerial, information. Those who in its columns we find distinguished by the magic letters M.P. were members of the previous Parliament, not the one with which we have lived for ten montlib, and that came to sudden, unexpected end last Monday. Worse still will be the case of "Burke" and other books of tin peerage, should the continued obstinacy of the House of Lords compel Mr. Asquith to claim fulfilment of guarantees he is understood to have obtained from Hiß Majesty, involving tiis creation of sufficient Peers to override resistance of the Backwoodsmen to the declared will of the country in the matter of the veto of the House of Lords. Nothing less than 500 will serve. [ The Victorian Fruitgrowers' Association has for some months past been negotiating for a shipment of Williams'* Bon Chretien pears on a large Hcalb, to be sent to the- London market. Arrangements are (reported the Melbourne Argus on the 14th inst.) now complete for sending 6000 cases by the Federal Houlder anire liner Somerset, leaving on 11th February. Every care is being taken" to ensure the fruit leaving ?vlelbourne in the best possible condition. It will be packed principally in trays, and will be cooled to a temperature of 34deg at the Government" Cool Store, Flmders-street. Free cool storage has been granted for the shipment by Mr. Graham, Minister for Agriculhire. Tho siiip't. chamber will be cooled and maintained at a temperature on the voyage of33dcg. The incentive for sending this shipment^ is that very large plantings ot Williams's pears have been mado in almost every district in the State. They succeed equally well in the north or south This sason the crop piomises to bo abundant, and it was felt that the iime is opportune for sending a cuppiy to the London market. Ciphers are taking the matter \ip «nlhu&iasucally, and already a largo amount of space 'is booked. They lealiso that the future of pear-growing is largely dependent on their being able to placs the fruit on the London market in good condition. There seems no reason why they blioukl not, for pears are regularly kept in Victorian cool storage for several months with perfect success, and forwarded to interElate markets until late in the season. Kirkcaldie's summer sale begins on Thursday. 26th Januaty. and the store will be closed to-morrow to enable assistants to mark the goods. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd. — Advt,