LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 86, 8 October 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A further reduction has been m»de in the price of butter. It can now be purchased in Wellington for Is lid for certain registered brands.

The Postal authorities have been advised that a mail wae despatched from London for New Zealand on the 4th October per Westmeath, via Panama. The s.s. Maheno sailed at 4 p.m., on the sth instant for Auckland. She carries a small mail for Wellington and the South.

Monday is a Chinese national holiday, on which is observed] the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Remibic The occasion is to be celebrated by the Chinese* community of WeWingtor by a sports meeting at Newtown Park. The event* will be many and various; some of them will be novel to New Zealand speotatom, and the meeting should ba both amusing and interesting.

With a decrease of Id per lb in the price of butter this week, and a reduction of lid per lb in sugar promised for next month, together with one or two other reductions, the alluring vision of a cheaper breakfast table seems a little nearer 'fulfilment for financiallyharassed Aucklanders than it has been for a very long while past (states the New' Zealand Herald). Tea has fallen by about a shilling per lb on all fairly-, good grades during the last six months, and can now be obtained at from 2s to 3s per lb. Milk is now 8d per quart"? and will remain at this price right through the year. This is a penny cheaper than it was during the winter, but one penny more than last year's summer price. There has been practically no drop in oatmeal or breakfast cereals, while bacon still remains at Is 8d per lb. A substantial fall in the price of eggs adds a somewhat more cheerful tone to the situation, and has undoubtedly saved the position with regard to the traditional breakfast dish of all good Britishers, no matter whether they consume it within the sound of Bow Bellt or within the shriek of the Auckland waterßiders' siren..

Sodden grounds after the recent heavy rains have necessitated a postponement of the opening of the cricket season in Canterbury.

"Is a wieketkeeper a fieldsman?" A telegram_ to this effect, sent by a Nelson official, was read at last evening's meeting of the New Zealand Cricket Council (says the Lyttelton Times). The secretary reported that he had replied, "Yes, undoubtedly." A member of the council said it would be interesting to know what the point was. It might be something to do with a substitute playing on the second day.

Supplies of deep-sea fish for the Auckland market are reported to be arriving in fair quantities.- The prices of some— particularly kawhai,. trevalli, and tarakihi—are very low, largely owing to the ■falling off of the demand following on the hot weather. The present unsettled weather may have- an effect on the supplies brought in by "the smaller boats, but the large trawlers are bringing in fair, hauls for the time of the year- ■ ■ . .

Eggs have become a drug on the maTket in Ashburton .this year, says the Guardian. The fine weather is partly •responsible, but retailers say farmers' ■wives are bringing in every egg they can this season to. raise a little ready money., The result is that eggs are retailed at Is 3d a dozen, whereas last year they never fell below Is 9d. There is no decrease in cost of production to account for this, wheat and pollard both being dearer than last season. If supplies continue to come in heavily a. further price reduction is expected.

A good Maori story vras told by Mr. W. J. Poison, Dominion president of the Farmers' Union, at & meeting of farmers at Aehburton. Mt. Poison told of a storekeeper who received a cheque in payment on account from a Maori customer. The storekeeper lost the cheque, and wired to the Maori telling him to stop it at the bank,. He received a telegraphed reply:' "Never worry. Cheque, he sto{ himself." Mr. Poison said the present financial depression wa3 helping to create a similar position -for other people' than Maoris—the cheques were stopping themselves.

An interesting though serious fact, due to the leakage of electric current from street cables, vas revealed at a meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council, says the Guardian. Th« power-house engineer (Mr. A. ML Guild) reported that an examination of a water main pipe recently excavated showed extensive corrosion due to electrolysis owing to a leakage of electric current from the street wires. He stated in his report that if this were not stopped it would result in serious damage to the water mains. Mr. W. G. Hillier, chairman of the Lighting Committee, said that the company already had the matter in hand, and had been at work endeavouring to remedy the trouble.

Some memorable quotations from "The Safety of the Nation," a book by Mr. I. D. Colyin, were given by Mr. J. A. Prostick in an address at Christchnrch recently. The following are the main principles stated by Mr. Colvin:—"The welfare of its industries is the chief interest of the nation, no matter what nation when it supports the interests of nation which it supports the interests of that nation. Commerce is injurious to a nation when it injures the industries of that nation. The importation of raw materials may be beneficial to the nation. The exportation of manufactured goods is beneficial to the nation. The importation of manufactured goods is injurious to the nation if these goods can be produced by its own industries. The exportation of raw materials is injurious to the nation if these materials can be used in its own industries."

A further protest against the use of school buildings for election purposes was made by the Auckland Education BoaTd on Wednesday. It was stated by one member that the use of schools for this purpbse was free, and that classes had sometimes to be abandoned in favour.of political meetings, which were not usually the most ruly. It was ridiculous that schools should have to be closed for a day for local body elections, as had been the case in Epsom recently. The chairman, Mr. E. C. Banks, concurred with this view. The seoretary, Mr. B. C. Purdie said the Department had been approached by the board previously on the subject. The Department was sympathetic, but could not persuade the Betgistrar of Electors to concur. "The Epsom School Committee had protested on a "prior occasion, and the protest had jbeen forwarded on to the Department. The board decided to renew its representations to th» Department.

There was a light interlude at the meeting of the One Tree Hill Road Board recently, when the ranger waited on the board to give an account of his stewardship (remarks the N.Z. Herald). He described, to the amusement of the board, a few of the little episodes in hit work. On one occasion he met one of the most persistent breakers of the bylaws at a place outside the district. "If I'd known you were to-be here to-day," the man, remarked, "I'd have Act all the horses out on the road." Having heard several instances of shrewdness on the part of bylaw , breakers, the chairman remarked that the ranger seemed to be in aeed of a racehorse. "I'd need a flying machine to catch some of them," was the reply. "However/ he remarked, as he left with the board's assurance that his \eork was satisfactory, "it's not a bad game at all, and. there's a lot of fun in it."

"One of the greatest defects of our high, school system i« that 85 per cent, of the boys when leaving school have received no training that fits them to take up any definite occupation," remarked the chairman of the Auckland Education Board, Air. E. C. Banks, in the course of a discussion upon the Technical College annual report. "Only about 10 or IS per cent, entei the learned profes-. sions. The other 85 per cent, come out of the high school at the age of about 18 without the slightest idea as to what work they wish to take up, and go into offices and become N clerks or enter some ' 'blind-alley' occupation. ■ The worst of it is that they come to look down on the man who takes off his coat and does manual work. Some of'the parents of these children—particularly the mothers—:think their sons should not do manual work, while at the age of 18 they are often too old to take up other occupations." Mr. J. D. M'Kenzie .expressed the opinion that training in agriculture would be one of tne best the boys could have. It was futile to look forward to the time when New Zealand would become an industrial community./ The country's future depended upon its agricultural pursuits, and the boys should be given a useful education in this direction, and every effort should be made. to encourage secondary schools pupils to pay more attention to agriculture.

Speaking on the Animals Protection Bill yesterday, Mr. T. E." Y. Seddon (Westland) said the latest advice from Mt. Cook Hermitage was that N the cljamois were thriving and increasing in number; but it was necessary that newblood should be introduced or the herd would deteriorate. He suggested that these animals and the Russian thai' should be protected. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart promised to confer with the Minister of Tourist Resorts on the matter.

• Quite a series of incidents enlivened the seven o'clock trip of ifye Sparrowhawk from Northcote to the city the other morning (records the Auckland Star). Some cattle were taken aboard on the opposite side of the harbour, and when about a third of the distance was covered one took it into its head to go overboard. There was a big splash, and the interested passengers lined the vessel's side. The animal struck out wildly, but made good progress, and after getting U> within a short distance of Birkenhead, diverted and returned to Northcote. Later in the day it found its way back to pasturssi fresh where it was driven from earlier in the morning.

A. request to New Zealand banks ia unify their note issue is to be considered as a remit from Auckland «t the Chambers of Commerce Conference to be held in Christchurch in November. "The bank notes in circulation at present are most confusing," utates the remit. "Some are too Bulky, others issued by various banks are of the same size, but ol different denomination, and after being handled for a while, show the Bams colour, while all of them are usually extremely 'dirty and disreputable. Onlyi one issue, circulated by the Bank of England,, is current in England, and if a similar system could be established in New' Zealand, the ,banki: ? would earn the grateful thanks of the community."

According to the views of a Dunedin citizen who has just returned from an extended visit to South- Africa, that country appears to be a paradise for married women (says the Star). I^or one thing, they experience no trouble whatever ,in obtaining , domestic servants. They engage a good house boy, who does the general work of the house and also the cooking for the modest sum of about £3 a month, while piccaninnies; (youths of about fifteen years of age), who are very useful in the garden and for washing dishes, can be engaged at 15s a month. This means that the average housewife has only to do the supervising, and she therefore has plenty of leisure time. This may be satisfactory from many points of view, but it rather tends to breed a certain amount of discontent, which exemplifies the old adage that "Satan still finds mischief for idle hands."

A kindly act has been performed by a> number of the senior boys at the New Lynn School for a disabled returned soldier residing in the district- (says the New Zealand Herald), The soldier, who" has lost the use of - his left arm, has just been discharged from the Whangarei Hospital, where he had spent five months, and his flower garden, in which he takes a great pride, had become overgrown and over-run with weeds during his absence. A suggestion was made to the headmaster of the school that some of the boys might be willing to form a working bee to dig and prepare the garden, as it was a heavy task for a man who could only use one hand. The 'suggestion appealed strongly to the boye; who were glad of the opportunity to render a slight service to an incapacitated soldier, and a number from the sixth standard, under the supervision of an assistant master, spent an afternoon digging up the neglected garden.

■ A lengthy report on the recent visit paid by a party of Christchurch delegates to Nelson and Marlbofough was read by Mr. H. Holland at'the meeting of the executive committee of the Canterbury Progress League (states the Press). Mr.. Holland said the conclusion the party came to at Otira wag that the tunnel would not be ready for traffic for eighteen months or two years. To the layman it seemed extraordinary that the ironwork in the roof of the tunnel was not put in while the staging 'was in position. The ironwork was necessary for supporting the electrical wires, and each support would requir* about six to eight holes drilled through the roof of the tunnel, and there would be some thousands to drill. It was difficult to understand why {hose were not placed in position while the lining was being carried out. The visit showed,that Nelson, Marlborough, and South Marlborough would stand behind any reasonable reqnest the Canterbury League would bring forward. The position now was that there x were five progress leagues linked up, with one determination to help each other to promote the beet interests of a rery large part of the northern-end of the South Island.

The carrying of British mails through San Francitco to Australia and New Zealand has been decimated, according to inquiries made in an official direction in San Francisco, for whereas some years ago it was no on-common spectacle to witness the departure of 6000 to 7000 bags of mail by mail steamer from San Francisco for "down .under," the mail nowadays does not usually exceed some ■600 bags. This official said: "The allegation to the effect that the postal' authorities are holding mails for despatchby any special route is without any foundation. in fact. The United States postal authorities are thoroughly alive to the necessity of forwarding all the! New . Zealand Dominion's mail by the very best possible route. However, the British through mails, which at one tima were forwarded exclusively by the contract steamers leaving San Francisco and Vancouver, appear* to be diverted to other routes, probablj from London, and possibly by direction of the New' Zealand Government.- Consequently, the despatch of British through mails through the ports mentioned does not exceed 10 per cent, of the number ot bags previously despatched by these routes. As the reorganisation of the United States railroad system has now been completely accomplished and reliable and expeditious despatch can now be depended upon across the American Continent in either direction, there would appear to be no reason, as a matter of expeditious transit between Great Britain and the Dominion oi New Zealand, why the bulk of the British mails should not revert to the old route, via San Francisco and Vancouver." %