LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 23, 27 July 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Finance Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon considered in detail tha schedule of the proposed new loan. The report of Mr. L. Birks on the power-house scheme has been adopted by the council, and the Mayor intends now to push on with the loan proposals as rapidly as possible.

Mails despatched from Wellington on the 17th June, per R.M.S. Marama, via San Francisco, arrived in London ok tlho 24th instant.

Speaking at a meeting of the Broken Hill Miners Distress Fund Committee last evenii%, Mr. J. B. Williams denied the statement that had been made that the strike was nearing the end.

An interesting and instructive lecture was delivered in the Island Bay Methodist Church last evening by Mr A Beeson, late Canadian Field Artillery' The lecturer dealt with the subject "Why Russia Turned Bolshevist," and gave an explanation of the present-day tragedy based on personal experience in Russia during the Tsarist regime.

Sir James Wilson, President of the Board of Agriculture and of the. New Zealand Farmers' Union" is certain that the flocks of New Zealand have much improved on the whole, judging by the standard of, say, ten years ago. The sheep were better bred, and the ho^ets were reared better, and, except in unusual seasons, the death rate was considerably reduced.

During the meeting of the Boys' Institute last evening, it was stated that the members of two visiting football teams had -visited the Tepid Baths, and had expressed surprise that they had to be closed during the winter months^ owing^ to the subsidy from the City Council having been reduced! In other parts of the Dominion similar baths are open alj the year round. ,»

The _ Dominion summary covering the operations of the Defence Department's educational and vocational training branch for the month ending 30fch June is to hand, and the figures recorded therein are- the highest yet reached since the inception of the vocational training scheme. The total number of soldiers shown on class rolls as undergoing instruction at the various military hospitals at which up-to-date workshops for teaming 'have been inaugurated throughout the Dominion is 2020, made up as follows:—Auckland district 622, Wellington district 822, Canterbury district, 336, Otago district 240. The ngures include patients attending, for instiuction in moxe classes than one, and! therefore constitute the gross total the net total, or tha actual number of soldiers receiving tuition in the Dominion under the scheme,. being 1206. " The settlement of the men who fought m the war is going on apace." stages the President of the Farmers' Union (Sir J. G. Wilson) in his annual address. "Those who remember the fiasco of such settlement after the Maori War, or who have heard the history of it, must realise how much better the system of settlement is to-day. Then the men were given scrip, and this could be used to pay for any Government land. Most of them, however, sold the scrip, and a ruling price for 60 acres was a five-pound note, and, it is said, a bottle of rum for a town section! '"The men drifted away, and the purchasers were able to collect sufficient scrip to buy large areas of land, which then cost them about 2s ian acre. To-day the regulationsmake the settlement much more secure, and from what I have seen the soldiers' settlements are going to be a success." In commenting'on the relapse of wool prices, the London correspondent of The Post quotes the librksliire Post, which finds that the depression referred to in regarded in well-informed circles in Bradford as only a temporary phase, though it is confidently predicted that the high prices reached a few months ago will not be touched again. One of tne most unexpected features about tiie situation is the almost sudden falling off of the demand from America. "There is," the writer adds, "not a little resentment in London wool circles at the rather tall claim of some Australian and New Zealand magnates to fix world prices for merinos." "They may fix them," said one prominent wool broker, "but fixing the price.and getting it.are two different things. I imagine these gentlemen will find, if they push their claims too far, that we also shall have a say in the matter. Nto • business will be d<jSe. p* t

About t thirty residents of Chatham ■Islands have been v making an enforced stay on the mainland of New Zealand, extending over many weeks, owing to their inability to secilre steamer paeeages to the Islands. The position was recently brought under the notice of the Government by Mr. C. Wishart, a ■prominent resident of the group (states a Press Association message from Christchurch), and, as a result of Me interviews with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Marine, the latter is arranging for the Government steamer Tutanekad to make the trip to the Islands in about three weeks' time. In addition to the 30 passengers, the Tutanekai wiE take about 50 tons of general cargo and 15,000 ft of timber. The general cargo •will be particularly welcome at the group, as a considerable time has elapsed since the last steamer from New Zealand paid a call tthere, and the residents are probably now short of certain supplies. The TntaMekai will make Lyttelton her final port of departure from New Zealand.

The President of the New Zealand Farmers' Union (Sir James Wilson) voices the protest of the fanner at the blame which is sometimes directed at him for the increase in the cost of living. The position, he states,-is not as is often set forth. "The woolgrower gets Is 3d alb for his wool; it takes about a pound of wool to make a yard of cloth and about five yards of cloth to make a suit; so that the manufacturer in New Zealand gets wool enough to make into cloth for a suit for 6s 3d. He has no competition, and therefore can charge his own price. When the farmer goes to the tailor for a new suit, he is told that 'on account of the greatly-increased price of everything, I must charge you 15 guineas..' If the farmer is wise he will say, ' I'll wait, and wear my old suit another year.' If the city man is told the price, he can say, ' All light; I'll pass it on '; and if a worker buys a suit he can say, 'Another rise in the cost of living, so I must have more wages.' A friend writes me: 'Of the four partners in the firm of Woolgrower, Manufacturer, Tailor, and Distributor, the first (the grower) gets 6s 3d for his wool, less the expenses of growing the sheep, shearing it, and delivering the wool. The other three get something like from £7 to £10 between them, according to the cost of the suit. No wonder the cost of living goes up.' "

v When household duties become *a drudgery it is time for the housewife to take Winox Wine Food. A glass three times a day will quickly restore her ebbing vitality.—Advt.

Doesn't the floorcloth look lovely after your've polished it with Keep Smiling Lino Polish. It, takes less time, too, and saves backache.—Advt.

Windy Wellington is not only a familiar taying among New Zeak-ndors. In various parts of tho globe you will hear people remark that Wellington is the city where people lose move hats at street corners than anywhere else. We all agree that a continual circulation of fresh air does good, similar to a regular whirlwind circulating bitrga-ins at O. Smith's, Ltd., thii week. Just follow the breeze tr, all depirtmeate,—Advt.' :

Though there are several collieries in the Grey district (states a Press Association message), local coal dealers complain of being without any supplies at present. The shortage of railway trucks is given as the explanation.';

The shortage of coa] is being seriously felt by the Auckland Gas Company, with the result that effort was to be made from last evening to conserve the present supplies by reducing pressure of gas between tha hours of 7.30 p.m. and 5 a.m. until further notice. The company has not sufficient coal to carry on at the present rate of consumption, hence the precautions.

Eeference is made by the President of the New Zealand Farmers' Union in his annual address to the death recently of the late Mr. W. J. Birch—"a true patriot and friend of the union which ha served so faithfully for many years in many capacities; an old settler who had gone through many vicissitudes in his time, which rendered him all the more sympathetic and tolerant to those with whom he did not see eye to eye." "

The Australian military authorities have deputed Mr. M. A. Kelly (larta staff-captain, A.1.F.), to furnish information to.ex-A.I.F. soldiers resident in New _ Zealand in regard to the wac gratuity. He has received from MeP bourne copies of the Acts and various forms of application for the gratuity to soldiers, widows, etc. Forms may ba had on application to Mr. Kelly, 31, Hunter-street. Information is being sought by Mr. Kelly from the Commonwealth Defence Departlment' as to tha means by which soldiers' gratuity bonds may be negotiated for cash, particular* of which will be furnished to the Dominion press when received.

The question of the amalgamation of Petone with other districts in the Hiitlt Valley was raised by Councillor Anderson at last evening's meeting of the Petone Borough Council. He said that some steps should be. taken to arrive at a basis for amalgamation'in the valky, as it was clear that many economies could be effected. He ws not prepared! to say if amalgamation with the city would be advisable. The Mayor (Mr. j. W. M'Ewan), outlined some of the advantages thaiti would accrue if amalgamation -with the city took place. If it was made legal to pool special rates, the Petone rates would be lowered; amalga-' mation would enable Petone to have the advantage of the new city water supply • the city could make bettei terms for electric supply; trams would be provided. It^would be advisable to keep the matter m view; and set" up a commibte* at a future daltte.

the explanation given in the Magistrate's Court this morning, that Hindoos and other overseas natives look upon coin as more valuable than paper money, is correct, or whether the natives change their notes into silver with an eye to business against the time when their ship shall reach Eastern ports, where the silver-in a shilling will fetch more than.the equivalent of a shilling the fact remains that coolies arriving, in New Zealand as seamen are always anxious to convert their paper-money pay i? com- -A- few "^y* ago a member of the crew of the City of Winchester, l'akir Bawa by name, placed his trust m John Abercrombie Gale, a boarder afc Young s Private Hotel, banding him six one pound notes, and allowing him to co m search of change. Fakir Bawa and' his friends waited an hour for Gale's retorn, and then went in search of a constable. Gale was later arrested, "but maintained that he had handed the money back. He repeated his explanation this morning, but failed to convince Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., who convicted 1 and ordered him to com» up for sentence when called upon, on condition that ha repays the money.

Mr. A. P. Dryden, who has retired on superannuation, will be succeeded as Chief Postmaster at . Wellington by Mr. H. I). Grocbtt, who is at present filling a jimilar position in Ohr'stchurch. Mr. Grocott entered, the Post and Telegraph Department in 1881. After being stationed at Christchurch,. Dunedin, and Oamaru he was transferred 'to Wellington, and in 1893 was appointed a rhorthand-writer in the General Post Office, which position he occupied until 1907, when he became record' clerk. The following year he was appointed chief correspondence clerk in the Prime Minister's office, a position he held until 1912, when he became a private secretary. In. the following year he returned to the Secretary's office and remained until his appointment as as-sistant-postmaster at Dunedin in 1914. Two years later he was appointed Chief Postmaster, Oamaru. In 1918 he became Chief Postmaster, Nelson, and towards the end of last year Chief Postmaster, Christchurchr He will take up his duty at Wellington in the course of a week or so. Mr. F. J. Chisholm, who has been acting as sGhicf Postmaster at Wellington for several months past, was notified some time ago that he had been appointed Chief Postmaster at Timaru, but he may now be transferred to sew other centre. ...