LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 38, 13 August 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Petitions were presented in the House of . Representatives yesterday from grocers in. Ch'ristchurch, Lyttelton, and Blenheim asking lor an increase in the margin between the' wholesale and retail price of butter. The petitioners state that' the present price allows a margin of 6i per cent, on which to run their businesses against 13 1-3 per cent, allowed on pre-war prices. The grocers were faced with carrying on a seventh of their business at a loss, ceasing to handle butter, or committing a breach of the law as regards profiteering by loading the cost on. to other commodities. "'lt is seriously contemplated," states the petition, "that such breach shall be in the direction of ignoring any Order-ir.-Coun-cil which will not permit of 3d difference between the factory price and the retail price, as even 3d per lb would not cover us against expenses, more especially when the bigger amount of capital involved is taken into consideration.".

The Postal authorities advise that from the 15th. inst. the commission for money orders for payment ,in Canada and the United States of America will be reduced to 6d for each pound or fraction of a pound, and the rate of conversion is to be altered from four dollars eighty-seven cents to 'the pound sterling to four dollars thirty cents in the. case of Canada-,and four dollars in the case of the United States.

A cablegram has been received by the New Zealand Kugby Union from ■ the. manager of-the New Zealand team (Mr. T. Jones) as follows injuries can rake team Wellington, Wednesday, 18th. Amended Tules^now in force Australasia." The New Zealand team is to play Wellington at the Athletic Park on Wednesday next.

Mr. J. B. Armit mentioned w.hile speaking at the inaugural meeting of the retired Public Servants' Association on Tuesday that, while he was engaged in obtaining names to a petition which it was intended to lay before the Government requesting greater financial consideration for superannuated servants, he had come across many cases of real dis 7 tress of persons struggling to make ends' meet on altogether inadequate allowances.

"The Native race, has, in spite of many .iaduwsunte V.eld out b> i the League (a very pushing'body in Hawkes Bay), beeri most ioyal to the good old real Rugby ; the Maori expects, in whatever school he may be, similar treatment to hfs white brother." Extract from a. letter received by the New Zealand Rugby Union Irom the Hastings Eugby Sub-Ur.ion requesting reconsideration of the "decision to exclude the Maori Agricultural College from the Moascar Cup competition. ''■'■'.

"F.J.H.," who, as an old yachtsman, is familiar with" the New Zealand, coast, writes:—"Slipper (not Skipper) Island— so called 'from its shape—on which the schooner Te Teko was wrecked, lies about 17 miles south of Mercury Bay, four miles S.E. from Tairua Head, and two miles off shore. It is nearly two miles long. A few miles away is another island called Shoe Island, owing to its close resemblance to a shoe,'even to the tie. Both islands were so named by Captain Cook."

i With an eye to the future the Advisory -"Board of the War Belief Societies yesterday afternoon passed a resolution strongly advising that each society should set aside a portion of its funds for the benefit, of permanently and partially-disabled; soldiers and their dependents, and those! who may break down as the result of thsir_ war service. It was stated that certain of the societies had in view schemes for the.expending of all their moneys within the near future. Such a policy the members of the Advisory Board considered short-sighted and harmful.

It is seldom that a Chinaman is chaiged with the forging of a cheque, for in the first place .the average Oriental doss not' sign his name in a manner approved by the banks, and as he deals almost exclusively on a hard cash basis, his knowledge of the procedure whereby a slip of paper costing twopence may be transformed into s very valuable possession is probably shaky. The police allege that Thomas Ching Ting, a seedsman, 20 years of age, is an exception to the general rule. The charge against him, that of forging the,name of Kong-Lee to a cheque for £20. was mentioned at the Magistrate's Court' yesterday, but Mr. <T. S. Evans, S.M., remanded the. matter to Wednesday next. Bail was fixed at £75, with sureties of like amount.

A word of warning was sounded by, the Hon. C. J. Parr in alhiding to the difficulty of meeting all demands for education improvements. The Minister told a deputation yesterday that already the Minister of Finance had told, him that there might be difficulty in future in raising money even for, education. There were so many claims on the Exchequer, but Mr. Pan- hoped that it would not be necessary toy curtail the amount already allocated, at present three-quarters of a million was provided for buildings in each year, but this had to meet all demands for primary, secondary, technical, and the university needs. And it must be remembered that, owing,to the increased cost of building, three-quarters of a million <was worth only as much as £400,000 in 1914.

The London correspondent of The Post writes that Mr. E. Howell, supervisor in woodwork to the Wellington Education Board and lecturer on handwork to the students at the Wellington Training College, is paying a very brief visit te idie Mofchei Country, accompanied by Mrs. Howell. During his stay he is studying the most up-to-date methods in his own part-iculai line of ..education, and he. has already visited several schools in London. During an enforced stay m 'Norfolk, Virginia, Mr. Howell was able to visit several schools there, where lie gleaned much insight and valuable information. Mr. and .Mrs. Howelt expect to leave for New Zea r land about the middle of August after a brief tour through England to Scotland.

In delivering judgment in the moneylending case, Simpson v. Balkind, at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, his Honour Sir Bassett Edwards stated that at the time the loan was made the current rate of interest was. about 6 per cent. Balkind had lent the rnqney on chattels, a. class of business that, most money-lenders would not hd bothered with/ It entailed a certain amount of risk: For instance, anything happen to a motor-cycle, or to a piano, for that matter. Therefore when money was lent on chattels the lender was entitled to a greater rate of interest than that ruling at the time. Money lent oh chattels was more or less a gamble, but in tho case under review Balkind whs not gambling. Balkind'had a good security, and what was more important Balkind knew he had a good security—a security of considerable value. . Simpson wanted money in a hurry, and when he borrowed £100 he agreed to ftpay £155 at tho rate of £3 per week. It was only necessary to review one action. Nobody could possibly pretend thnt that rate of interest was not excessive. Simpson had offsred to pay 20.per cent. Even 20 pc-r cent, was 100 much, and under thi; circumstances could be called excessive. Coriiiiinly it was nuitc enough, and he would reduce the rate to 20 per cent., which me,lnt that the amount due In BrVKirid'wtis £161 Op lOd. He gayo judgment ar-mi'ijingjy. Simpson to p"sy. in addition, (-ho rests'of proceedings Unit had been liiken ngajnst him in tho Magistrate's Court. The question of fwt* in tlul Supreme Court action was reserved. ' . .

Fourteen Mormon elders rbturned' to New Zealand by the Niagara from Hawaii and the United States on Moriday. . .

Twelve out of fourteen Chinese who arrived in Auckland from Vancouver by the Niagara on Monday passed the educav tion test. The other two will ha sent back. „

"Auckland is swarming with qfcacks in the way of masseurs," said Mr. Clutha Mackenzie at the meeting of the Advisory Board' of . the War Belief Societies yesterday.

| Amending regulations increasing the subsidy to mining prospectors by 30 per cent will probably be published in next week's Gazette, states the Prime Minister. ■ - I The .arrivals in the Dominion during the month of July totalled 3606, and the departures 2942—an excess of arrivals „over departures of 664. Included in the arrivals are 130 Chinese (including two females), and 38 Chinese left the Dominion during the same period.

A committee has been set up by the Canterbury Industrial Association to interview 1 the freezing companies with reference to the feasibility of manufacturing anhydrous ammonia in quantities in the Dominion, and of laying the matter before the Manufacturers' Association, with a view to approaching the Government about it.

A lecture on the production of- a newspaper was given at the V.M.C.A. last evening by Mr. H. Hardcastle, of the Evening Post's' editorial staff. 'The processes of collecting news, preparing it for publication, composing, and printing "were dealt with in detail, and the linotype and other appliances and machines were explained. Some dataregarding the consumption of paper, and timber for paper pulp, caused by the magnitude of newspaper operations, wer,e found impressive. The audience expressed its appreciation of the lecture by generous applause and an expression of thanks. ;

A fine portrait of the Prince o£ Wales, the work of Bartlett and Andrew/ Wellington, has just been prepared for distributior by the Navy League to all school members. Probably some SCOO of these portraits will be distributed by the league in the Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Taranaki, and Wanganui areas. The N photograph was specially autographed by the .Prince. He is seen wearing a. most agreeable smile. Extracts from the Prince's letter to the children of New Zealand are printed to face the portrait. The Navy League feels that the distribution of the portrait will help to inculcate in. the children the, true loyal and patriotic spirit. * ■ ■ ■ '.' .

Help for the d&velopmefrfc of oil-boring in the Hawkes Bay Province was sought by a deputation which met the Prime Minister x yesterday. The deputation ■was introduced by Messrs. Nash and M'Nicol, M.P.'s, and comprised Messrs. Mitcbjll (chairman 'of directors), Redpath, and Andrews, representing " the Waipatiki Oil Wells Co. They asked for a geological report and- also for a subsidy. The bore at'the,wells was now down 3650 feet, and good progress was being made. There was no trouble with water,-but the expenses were very heavy. The' Prime Minister offered to send an officer of the Geological Department to report on the wells, and to place 1 therequest for a subsidy before Cabinet.

I The Ngatiwhakane tribe has telegraphied to the Hon. A. T. Ngata, requesting I hitn, to'j use £tery_, iendeayquyj t_q modify; I the restrictions imposed by the"Kihg' | George Hospital authorities at Eotorua' I on the public. entering the ■ Pultsroa reserve, in which the hospital ie situated. They point out that the reserve was granted to jposterity by their elders in 1880, and that when the hospital was j built the Ngatiwhakane tribe signed a ! protest, but abandoned it on an appeal being made to their loyalty, and an assurance given that conditions would r«)t last for ever Many of their dead lie in the reserve, and they consider the ! authorities' action a .wanton, harsh, and i unnecessary invasion of public rights. ,

Economic disability as distinct from physical disability was again discussed at yesterday's meeting' of the Advisory Board of War Relief Societies. It was unanimously decided to endorse a resolutioD (given below) passed at the annual conference of the Returned Soldiers' Association, and to request the various societies to give effect to it. The motion was—"That this conferencVis of the opinion that the practice of. paying cash grants to permanently-totally and permanently-disabled soldiers according to the schedule of pensions, is inadvisable, and urges that each case be treated on its merits, having due regard to-^he economic loss of the soldiers." The Chairman (Mr. L. O. H. Tripp) expressed thanks to the R.SIA. for bringing the matter under notice.

The ferry steamer Wahine did not leave Lyfctelton till 10.50 o'clock last night, the delay being due to the taking out of fresh articles. The old articles (says a Press Association telegram) expired at midnight, and arrangements had been, made by the Union Company to sign up in Wellington to-day. Yesterday afternoon, however, the stokehold crew presented what was in the nature of an ultimatum to'the company^ that new articles be signed that day or they would not take the vessel to sea. The men's contention was that as the old articles would expire some hours before the vessel's arrival in Wellington,* should any man meet with an accident his claim for accident pay would be prejudiced. The company objected that' insufficient notice had been given, and v; offered to guarantee that np such claims would be jeopardised. The men were obdurate, i however, and between 4 and 5 o'clock aj start was made with the taking out of fresh articles. The task was completed at 9.40 p.m., and the steamer got away a little over an hour later.

. Reserved judgment was given by' the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout)""yesterday in the case of the City Council v. the Wellington Milk Vendors' Association, Ltd. His Honour said the action waii commenced by'a writ issued on 19th November, 1919). claiming from defendants the sum of £4508 6s 6d. The writ bad an endorsement on it: "The plaintiff claims £9 9a for costs of service of this writ and costs incidental thereto." The writ was served on ite date of issue, and on that day the defendants sent to the collector of the Corporation the sum sued for but no costs. The question, sa-id his Honour, was whether the plaintiffs were aiititled to the costs' The question ai-ose, ought the Court, under the circumstances to either refuse' the costs or to 'modify: the costs. He was of opinion that he nad no power to do so. He was of opinion that the plaintiffs must recover the (amount of costs claimed. His Honour allowed £2 2s for the costs of the.motion', and gave judgment accordingly.

A public meeting <ji citizens in 'Ancle, land yesterday, convened by the Mny'oi*, passed 'a resolutior impressing on the Government the importance of the claims of Auckland ' University College to, ttia School of Forestry and expressing the opinion that the facilities offered in the Auckland University- district Were, unique fov the purposes for which the Forestry School is required.

Sheep-shearing contractors met in Christchurch a few days ago, and fixed the rate for shearing with portable outfits at £2 10s per 100 for the coming season. This is an advance of ss ', per 100 on last year's rate to cover increased cost of benzine and all machine-shearing requisites. The meeting represented over fifty contract outfits operating in Ccriterbury, and the aggregate number of sheep shorn in this way will be close on the half-million for the season. >

The discussion upon ths question of assistance to blinded soldiers was Antinued by the members of t,ne Advisory Board of the jffar Relief Societies yesterday afternoon after The Post went, to press. The main points at issue were as. to the amount which should be set aside, and a majority of members expressed opinions that £20,000 was an unreasonable amount to aim at. Some members favoured an amount of £10,0 CO and others considered that £15,000 should be set aside. , An amendment to the original motion 1, moved by Mi. E. H. Williams (Hawkes Bay) to'the effect that £10/000 should be set aside was adopted. Members also supported the following motion, moved by Mr. V. S. Lamer (Auckland): 1 "That for.the immediate care of blinded soldiers the Patriotic Societies be recommended to continue to assist in s similar manner to what has been done in the past, and that the commercial travellers be asked to provide for the supervision and assistance, as suggested by Mr.. ' Clutha M'Kenzie." It was" also decided to ask the Government to appoint a repatriation officer to undertake the care of blinded soldiers. ~ , , • .' .