Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL, _^ , - -i^fc '■—n.i The approach of winter is sending more applicants than usual to the Labour Bureau, in consequence of tho slackening off in farm work. Ploughmen are in strong demand in the South, and throughout tho country thero is aJi equally strong demand for labour in all tho building trades. Freezing works aro shortening hands, and the departmental bureaux aro receiving regular applications for employment. Plenty of bush-felling, it is anticipated, will be available for those- who are willing and capablo for that claw* of work, and co-operativo works in the Gisborno and Nelson districts aro still bhort of thoir lull complement of skilled pick and shovel men. It is not anticipated _ that relief ■works for tho unemployed will be required this winter. In, reference to the motion for a rehearing in the libel action, Massej v. the New Zealand Times, t'hero was n. misunderstanding yesterday as to tho date agreed upon The hearing^ wa* fixed for Friday week, nob next Friday. Tho Lovin Chamber of Commerce has resolved to promote a petition to tlifl Minister of Railways, asking that tho j Auckland express be stopped daily at Levin. Tho wholesale price of butter from a Tarauaki dairy company to v, Wellington firm went up by an eighth _of a penny a few days t\go, the price being now ll^d per lb in bulk, The Greymouth correspondent of the Chrhtchurch Press telegraphs that the Parliamentary election campaign for Westland has already commenced, and Messrs. T. E. Y. ScddonandH. L. Michel pro hard at work canvassing. The contest promises to bo one oE the longest and most bitter on record. _ Potato crops are turning out excep • tionally well in Southland. The News states that tho yield, taken altogether, must bo quite a third better than lai>t year, and in addition there is a much larger area than usual under potatoes. In the Orepuki district alono it is estimated there are 60C0 tons of potatoes to go on the market, which is equal to the total shipments from Bluff for last season. A remarkable feature of the crop this year, on heavy land, is the small quantity of btnaU tubors compared with former years, and, what is of most importance, an entire absence from all forms of disease. Pastoralists and other users of grassseed may be interested 'to know that, according to the Agricultural Department Journal, locally harvested and cleaned grass-seed probably reaches the highest pitch to which sueu-cleaning has been reached in any country in the world. New Zealand machine-dressed, cocksfoot, ryegr&sses, # and Chewing' s fescue are now recognised as of a higher degreeof purity than is general in other countries. This feature is regarded as particularly creditable to New Zealandera, as tho seed-cleaning machines here in use, and which are responsible for the good results achieved, aro the work of local inventors and local manufacturers. Marlborough appears to be having the same exrsrienco as many other parts of the South Island, in barely holding, or even losing, its population. The luepector's annual report to the Education Board states that tjie attendance at somo of the larger schools has .fallen, off, but that the small schools have increased in this respect. Tho total attendance is exactly thei sa'.no for 1910 as for 1909. Tho total increase einco 1905 'haa only been 382. In explanation, tho inspector says there is either rnoro settlement in the country or the natural increase tends to rema-in there, but from the closer settled districts there is much drifting to Wellington and other parte of the North Island. "It is strange," concludes the inspector, ''that a land co gifted with natural endowment a-3 Marlborough is, ehould bo unable to retain its people. There is _ evidently a call for statesmanship to discover the causes operating and their remedy." A rival to the Standavd Oil Company's specialties is shortly to come into the New Zealand market, and from America, the home of the Standard. Company. fThe steamer John Hardie, which left Philadelphia for Fremantle and New Zealand on 12th March, is bringing a full cargo of kerosene in case for distribution in tha four centres of New Zealand, where new, largo stores have been erected for its retention. The oil is being shipped by the- "Shell" Transport Co., or, us it is known in Australasia, the British Imperial Oil Company, the avowed rival to the Standard Company. About the gams timo as the John Hardie a cargo of motor spirit and benzine from the Shell Company's works in Sumatra ia expected to arrive in New Zealand. The Shell Company's oil-well interests are distributed all over the world— the United States, Egypt, Europe, Russia, and the ' Dutch East Indies. There is an abundant supply to di*aw upon. It is likely that Dunedin will be the first port of 1 call in New Zealand for tho John Hardie. Mr. J. A. Frostick, at the meeting of the Court of Directors of the Royal Humano Society in ChrLstehurch, _ referred to the advisability of the society working in conjunction with the Lifesaving Society. He said it appeared to him that to some extent thero wae a risk of the work of either society over-lapping tho other. Before that stage was reached the Royal Humano Society should approach the other organisdldo.il with a view of ascertaining whether d. working basis could not be arranged. It might be agreed that the Royal Humane Society alone should issue awards for bravery, and the Lifesaving Society should issue awards for competition work, and with a view, perhaps 1 , of making a- distinctive connection between the two organisations, the Humane Society should offer annual prizes to be competed for at the four centres under the auspices of the Life-saving Society. The meeting decided to set up a small sub -commit tec to consider tho question, and to report to the next meeting of the Court of Directors. _ In a telegram from Auckland, published yesterday, Tho Post correspondent said : — "In the course of the visit hero of Mr. C. H. Eiisor, of Canterbury, treasurer of the Farmors' Political Protection Federation, it has become apparent that there is a difference between the federation and tho Auckland farmers ia the matter of policy, llio lederatioii thinks that it is not politic to run a, farmers' party, while the Auckland Farmers' (Jniou ii right out for such a party. Again, the latter includes in iU platform what is known as the lifth plank, 'that taxation through the Cus> : toma shall bo for revenue purposes only, and not for protection purposes. This plank lias been dropped trom "tho federation's platform, and therein liea the opportunity for compromise between the Auckland "Union and the Political Federation. It is understood that Mr. Ensor will go South with a proposal that if the federation will go for an independent farmers' party in Parliament, the Auckland Union will subscribe to tlio federation's policy, and meantime give way on the matter of tho fifth plank." Mr. E C. Jack, secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, denies that the iifth plank has been dropped from tho federation's platform, and the Auckland Branch has no power to give way on tho subject, because plunk 5 is an integral part of the Funnel's' Union platform. Silk ninonß, in turquoise, pink, sky blue, mauve, groy, electric, vteux roee, whito ivory, cream, and black, at 3e 6d, 3c 9d a yard. Kirkcaldie and Staino, Ltd.— Advt.