LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 112, 8 November 1920, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Press Association message from Auckland states: — "A telegram received by the Arbitration Court Registrar from the Registrar at "Wellington reads :—'Applications for the new bonus should be received, but will not be heard by the Court until the next sittings in Auckland. In the meantime, the parties to awards should be served with a copy of application "in the ordinary way or notified of the same by advertisement in accordance with the rules.'" New Zealand may yet have a Country Party in '■ 'poetics. The Auckland Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union ha* already decided to organise a farmers' political party, and the proposal is meeting with considerable support. The Auckland and suburban branch has affirmed the principle. The Oanterbavy Cricket 'Association, has agreed to a match, Wellington v. Canterbury, at Christchuxch ■ on' 25th, 27th, and 28th December, subject to these dates not affecting Auckland's tour South. A second-grade representa-. tive match will be played in Ohristchurch !a.te in, January, if possible. A man named Joseph Norman, aged 29, died suddenly on the ferry steamer Maori yesterday morning. Deceased, who was a, travelling showman, was travelling with his . wife and son to the Christchurch Shpw. His home is in Wanganui, and he'had been under medical attention for heart disease. "Uncle Tom's" appeal in The Post to Wellington's children to help to save the lives of staiying boys and girls, in Central Europe lias not been in vain. There is various evidence that the young folk here are moving. Among the .first in ■ with collections are Allan Hempton, Donald Carr, Rex Carr, and Allan'Carr, who raised 15s on sth November, and passed in the money to Mr. R. Hill (organiser for the Saye-the-Cbildren C#mmittee). >, ' ' * . In the Porir.'ia riding considerable interest has been aroused in the Makara County election, whio'i takes place ore Wednesday. Seven candidates have been nominated for four vacancies, and, with the object of giving each district in the Porirua riding representation, * ticket of four has been, formed, and by advertisement in this issue the electors ai« urged to vote for that ticket. Xhe ticket comprises : Messrsi E. Windley, j S. Bryant, L D. Nairn, and S. Styles. A protest against the remarks that had been made about the long list of divorce cashes.coming before the Supreme Court sittings in Wellington was made in the House of Representatives on Saturday, by Mr. T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition)., Mr. Wilford said that the lists contained cases that had come to Wellington because of a desire for special counsel, and for other reasons. There were also several cases that had been previously through the Court and postponed. ( , , ■ . , In view of the recent prosecution of a farmer and grain broker for selling wheat over the Government price, the Farmers'» Union on at Timaru resolved to ask the Government to amend the regulations regarding under-grade -wheat. The mover said the. regulations were "iniquitous." A fanner must sell such I wheat to a broker at a fixed price of j 7s Id, and the broker must sell at not more than Id profit, but the next purchaser may get as much as he cares to ask. Retailers are now selling at 10s a 'bushel, up to £2 2s a bag. ' "The Significance of the American Presidential election" was dealt with by Mr. P. Hickey in aii address delivered last evening under the auspice* of the Social Democratic Party* He stated that the vote 'cast for the Republicans was not so much a vote for Republican principles as a vot& against Wilson, inrevenge for the disappointment he had caused the German-Americans (in allowing his "fourteen points" to be torn to shreds at the Peace , Conferencd), the Irish-Americans, and the progressive element in the States. .! The working draught horses exhibited at the Palmereton North Show this year by the Wellington City Corporation wera quite a feature of the equine section. A four-horae team,' sent to the Show for exhibition purposes only, attracted a great deal of attention. The Corporation showed the -champion gelding, and was also awarded the Russell Cup for the best of working draughts. Having won it two years in succession, the cup is now the property of the' Corporation. Other awards gained by .the Wellington Corporation were :—Gelding, four years and upwards, first, second, and third; single horso and dray (driven), first and second; pair of heavy horses (leader and shatter), first and second; pair of horses in lorry, first. . . The Wellington District Methodist Synod will hold its annual meeting at Masterton, commencing on the 22nd inst. Following are the local: delegates:—Wellington (Taranaki-street), the Rev. H. E. Bellhouse, Rev. J. G. Chapman. Wellington (Central Mission), Rev. G. Knowles Smith, Lieut.-Colonel C D. Mackintosh, Mr. L. L. C. Moore. Wellington IThorndon), Rev. C. C. Harrison, Blr. Ash, Mr. Heath. Wellington South, Rev. E. Drake, Rev. Dr. Pinfold, Rev. J. Dawson, Mr. J. P. Shand, Mr. S. Martin, Mr. f»C. Sweney. Wellington (Kilbirnie), Rev. T. F. Read, Mr. G. E. Shepherdson, Mr. P. S. Latham. Johnsonville, Rev. N. Turner, Mr. Lynneberg, Mr. S. C. Rodda. Hutt, R«v. W Row c, Rev. D. J. Mnrray, Mr. J. Stonehouse, Mr. C. Trim.* Petone, Rev. C. Blair, Mr. F. Lockwood, Mr. H. Mellish. : ; , . . Application was made recently by Mr. R. XA. Wright, M.P. for Wellington Suburbs, for land . for a new burial ground at Johnsonville. '" It ,was sugfested f.h-at an area in "the Paparangi ettlemerit, at present leased to the Agricultural Department, might be set apart for the purpose. The Minister of Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthxie) has now replied tos Mr. Wright, ac follows : —"I have to inform you that the proposed site has been inspected by the District Health Officer, and is reported by him to be unsuitable for the purpose. The reasons given for thin opinion are as follow :—(1) The ground is subdivided by two streams; (2) the subsoil ie clay; (3) a large amount of water-can be observed oozing from the bases of the hills and falling into the streams. This soakage water, if polluted, would create a source of danger in the streams which flow past farmhouses lower down the valley. 1 regret, therefore, that the application by the Johnsonville Town Board, to have the land in question sold to it for a cemetery, cannot, be agreed to." Sir William Herri.es intends leaving for England in January. He hopes to return about the middle of, the 1921 session.

The Natives' Association Band, under Lieut. Herd, went to Central Park' yesterday afternoon and played a fine selection of music, which was much appreciated by a large concourse of people. A bandstand is badly needed in the park, and there is also a great lack of seating accommodation in the reserve for the public. A special meeting of the Wanganui Borough Council on Friday decided to accept Mr. D. J. Reardon's tender to supply two Cambridge producer plants, each of 250 h.p., to cost £3475 erected, for the tramway service. It is expected that the first producer will be delivered by Christmas, and erected in about three weeks following, and the other.not later than 17 weeks hence. "Why do you not wish to serve," asked Mr. Justice Mann in the-Criminal Court, Melbourne, the other day, of one of a number of men who maue»applications for relief from service on the juries. "I am riot asking for myself, but for my. father," replied the applicant. "Then why does your father not wish to serve?" asked Mr. Justice Mann. "He was killed three or four years ago," replied the applicant. Mr. Justice Mann accepted the excuse, arid advised the witness to have his parent's name removed by the sheriff, from the jury list. •Lieutenant Arthur Byrne, M.C., who was selected by the Defence Department to write the' war ■'. history of the Ota-go Battalion, has now practically completed his heavy task. The volume, will comprise over 500 pages, and will include maps and photographs of well-known members of the battalion. Lieutenant Byrne, who was born at Lawrence, was formerly a member of the reporting staff of the Otago Daily Times, and returned from Australia to join up with the New Zealand Forces. He is at present com pleting a few minor inquiries. ■ ■■ The allegation has been made that tunber is being sent into Auckland from sawmills in the country, and sold at auction at: prices greatly in excess of those fixed by the. Board of Trade (says the New Zealand Herald). In one case it is said that first-class kauri, the fixed price of which is 48s per 100 ft, was sold at auction for over 80s per 100 ft. Representations have been made to the Board of Trade on the matter, and a reply received stating that it has been decided to take action to preclude the possibility of unreasonably high prices being obtained as the result of auction salei The Victorian Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Agriculture, Victorian Public. Service Union, Housewives' Association, and the Taxpayers' Association have appointed delegates to attend aconference, at which tlie Employers' Federation will elaborate its proposal for the formulation of an economy policj. The president of the Federation,' ai whose suggestion the conference has been convened, considers that high prices, industrial unreet, and restricted development are involved in Government extravagance, and can be largely remedied by sound economy. Replies to the invitation to appoint delegates are being awaited from four other public- bodies. An- influential committee,.appointed at a meeting convened by the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, is already reviewing Federal and State Government expenditure in New South Wales, with a view to suggesting economies, and the Taxpayers' Association of Queensland is expected to take similar action. Speaking at the meeting of the Victorian Associated Ladies' Benevolent Societies recently, the newly-elected president -declared that in the industrial suburbs particularly there was a very serious lack of housing accommodation, and said that this must react-injuriously on the health of the community. She remarked that she. had recently . visited many wretched dwelling-places occupied by respectable working people m Fitzroy, Collingwood, and Richmond. It was not right that such people should be compelled through no fault of ttteii* own to live under conditions that were, highly undesirable for hygienic and other reasons. In one instance she found a husband, wife, and six children crowded into a single room. They had come from the country because work was offering in the city. This one room was the only shelter they could find. On the night they arrived a child was born. In a house of "ten .rooms she found four families and four single people trying to live in decency. The president gave many more instances to show how deserving people, through no fault of the.ir own, are compelled to live in squalid and unhealthy, surroundings, and to pay in not a few caßes exorbitant rents. The action of the Arbitration Court in granting a further cost-of-living bonus of 9s a week to workers is strongly criticised by members of the Auckland Master Grocers' Association. In discussing the position with a representative of the New Zealand Herald a member of the association said that only a month ago local grocere granted their employees an additional bonus of vss a week. He asserted that .there was no justification for an additional bonus of 4s, especially at the present, when there were.so many indications of a general .fall in prices. There had been much ado about the advance in the price of butter, but no allusion seemed to have been made to many reductions which had recently taken place. Within the last month or two the local grocers, had decided upon reductions in many instances, and among the lines were breakfast foods, such as oatmeal, rolled oats, creamoata, milk oaties, cocoa, arid tea, the reduction in the"latter instance being 6d a pound. There also had been reductions in rice, 3ago, tapioca, fruits, currants sultanas, tinned meats, soa.p, and potatoes, all of which might be classed as household necessities. •He a"dded that the grocers had good cause for complaint at being compelled to sell I butter ;;i a price which was not sufficient to pay expenses. • The Australian p«Mc is becomir/T frankly disgusted with the way legislators are earning their ■ self-increased salaries (aaid the Melbourne Argus on 29th October). In a characteristically flippant answer to a serious * question yesterday, Mr. Hughes announced that the House would adjourn from Friday until Wednesday in order that members might see a race run on Tuesday after. noon. The fact that the ordinary citizen has only one day's holiday for the purpose 13, of course, immaterial. Mr. Hughes went on to explain that the Ministry was anxious to enable members to pursue a course to their pecuniary profit. The solicitude of the Ministry for the pecuniary profit of members has been amply demonstrated already. An increase of salary of £400 per anaum is sufficient proof of that. The people of Australia might well adopt the attitude of the British Government towards the coal miners,, and stipulate that if .there is to be an increase in pay there must be an increase 1 in output. Mx. Hughes suggests with diffidence that the House might sit on Thursday morning so that. it might "devote to the country that attention which it might fairly ask. ' His remarks wore followed by laughter. If the happy holiday-makers are not very careful they will find that at the next elections the laughter ■will not be altogether upon their side.