LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 88, 13 April 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In the course of some remarks made at Palmerston North on Wednesday evening, Mr. Massey said that in the course of a day or so they would read in the newspaper^ an announcement by the British Prime Minister on the subject of the Imperial Economic Conference and the Imperial Conference. The question of Imperial preference had' to ■be taken into consideration. In this connection Mr. Maasey said that to-day New Zealand was giving preference to 400 articles of British goods. The question raised was : While the Pominion was doing this for Britain, what was she doing for us? Britain flowed everything we produced to be landed on the Home markets with- | out charging one penny, but, on the other hand, foreign countries were • allowed the same privilege. There were maay ways by which Britain could give New Zealand preference, as for example with regard to financial transactions. With various qther items which he could mention, these were the problems that would come before the Conference, add^ ed Mr. Ma-ssey. The retail price of butter has been advanced in Wellington by 2d per Ib. A slight increase is shown in the number and tonnage of vessels entered inwards a^d cleared outwards at the ports of New Zealand during the past quarter I compared with the corresponding periodof' 1922. Tl'e chief returns are as follows :—Vesssls entered., March quarter, 1923: British, 513,458 tons; 1922, 479.----902; forei-rn, 1923, 14,876; 1922," 10,450; total, 1923 quarter. 528,334.; 1922, 490.----352. The tonnage of vessels entered at the four chief ports for the paßt March quarter, was-.—Auckland. £87,584; Wellington, 132,786; ' Lyttelton, 27,139; Bluff, 21,473. "I am instructed' to state that the theft of "Union Company's property is becoming yery prevalent," said OhiefDetective Kemp at the Magistrate's Court to-day, when a young seaman named Robert Runciman Morrison, on a charge of stealing knives, towels, a ring, a .carpet, and a spoon, the property of the company. The Chief Dei tective explained that the accused had in June last been employed on the Ma- ! Rama, and the stolen goods had been for the use of the crew. It was not a case of cargo broaching. Nothing had been learnt of the theft until yesterday, when Detective Tricklebank had searched the house at 57, Kent terrace, occupied by the accused, and had found the stolen property. " I can't pass this over," said the Magistrate, in sentencing th« defendant to one month's imprisonment. Some years ago considerable interest was taken in the Pominion in the question of "summer-tinte" or "daylight saving," but the war" put. the matter into the background, states the "Taranaki Herald." People who have visited Britain since summer-time has been & force there have fought back v«ry favourable reports of its advantages from the point .of view of outdoor games.. In this country, especially in the; North Island, summertime would be a most valuable innovation, as our summer evenings are_ much shorter than they are in Britain or in the more southerly portions of New Zealand. The change made is perfectly simple. At some period in early spring, say the first Sunday in October, the clock is put on for an hour, and sijc months later it is put back. Some people are alarmed at the idea of gettin.e up an hour earlier than usual, but they do not do so, everything happening at the same time by the clock as formerly. The only difference observable. is that it ie light for one hour longer in the summer evenings. A short and vigorous ' campaign would ensure the adoption, of summer time next enrinpr. and once adopted, it would certainly be retained Although the electrical part of the work is not as far advanced as the other WQfk in connection with the Qtira Tunnel line, Mr. F. S. Greenshields, the sub-oontractor in charga of the power station and overhead wiring," has been pushing it forward with all reasonable speed, "reports the "Lyttejton Times." The greatest drawback has been the very unfavourable weather experienced this year. Until Easter the weather was very broken, and during the past week there was a considerable amount of rain. The weather affects particularly the overhead wiring, which has to be carried out comparatively slowly. At the Arthur's Pass end hardly any overhead wiring has been done except in the tunnel, but at Otira the foedor wires have been fixed about the power house, nine of the trolley wires have been fixed at Otira, but the bracket arms are not all in position yet. If the elect 'cal part of the line were ready it would be possible for trains to be taken through the tunnel in a few days. Viewing the matter from tha present stagos that the work has reached, it is highly improbable that the opening ceremony can be held before June, and it is doubtful if a regular servico could be maintained until the end of Juuoj^

"I saw the reference in 'Meat and Wool' about the show of New Zealand meat in the High Commissioner's Office in the Strand (writes a New Zealander connected with the meat trade, from London to that journal) and I have just been down there and had a look at it. Very disappointed; New Zealand better off without any show at all. Carcases of mutton especially far too big, colour of meat dreadful, stale look does not describe jt. Pon't think the idea a good one; as if we can't put in a. clean, fresh-looking carcase, far better not vto show anything at all. Our show as it is to-day is a bad advertisement for frozen meat, and New Zealand at that." During his x recent visit to South Westlandi the Commission of Crown Lands visited Welcome Flat, between Waihio and Copeland Paaa, on the way to the Hermitage. The hot springs at Welcome Flat, says a Press Association message from Hokitika, are forming terraces of a bright yellow colour, a miniature of the former pink and white terraces at Rotorua. The Commissioner considers Welcome Flat a delightful holiday resort for alpinists, which only requires improved facilities to attract large numbers of holiday-makers. He states a hut is also required at. Douglas Bock, on the Copeland track., to give shelter when the we.ath.er conditions are unfavourable for crossing the divide. . "The Labour Party are not fools. We have had experience in the rough and tumble of life. . . . We are particularly concerned that everything we do of a public nature should be successful." These remarks were made by Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., in the course of his Mayoral election address at Newtown last night. "We are not prepared to i embark on any scheme, no matter how enticing or alluring it may be, unless wa are first satisfied that it can be made a success, for we know this only too well, that let Labour try and let Labour fail, our movement, which is the only hope of humanity, will be set back. Therefore, we are prepared to go slowly and surely, rather than rush at things and make a mess of them." The queen competition, held in connection with the Easter Monday, gala day at Lower Hutt, closed last evening at 8 o'clock. The result was that Miss Lorna Chapman, the municipal candidate, was elected, with 36,106 votes, representing £451 6s 6d. The sports candidate, Miss A. Noble, was second, with 29,304 votes, representing £366 6s. The ratepayers' candidate, Miss Doris Hickson, up to the time of closing, received 15,321 votes, representing £191 10s 3d. In a speech, the Mayor (Mr. W.- T. ■ Strand) congratulated the candidates and their committees on the excellent spirit shown. He stated that the financial result of the competition, over £ICCO. was extremely gratifying. It is expected that the balance-sheet in connection with the carnival will be available next week. On charges in connection with the unlawful possession of a firearm, three youths, Alexander MacKenzie, John Kenneth Fawthorpe, and a juvenile appeared before Mr. F. X.'Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate^ Court to-day. "The matter is not a serious one," said SubInspector Cummings, "but the Act must be enforced. MacKenzie procured the rifie gome time ago, but thinking that it was obsolete he made a present of it to the juvenile, who in turn handed it on to Fawthorpe. The last mentioned was a 'bit of a mechanic,' and after much manipulation he succeeded in again making of it a rifle." A conviction was entered against each of the defendants, and it was ordered that the rifle be forfeited. • ■ ■ A compliment was paid to New Zealand soldiers for their gopd conduct by Miss Lily Butler, C.8.E.. when addressing the students of Wellington College yesterday. Miss Butler said the New Zealand soldiers were the best in the world; they were so splendid, so. clean. Never once did one of them come drunk to a "Corner of Blighty." She did not say this because she .was in New Zealand. She had maintained the opinion right throughout England, Australia, and Canada., and the soldiers there had agreed with her. Miss Butler heartily supported the establishment of a soldiers' cli^b. The speaker urged the boys to cultivate a epirit of thoroughness and help for others, beginning with their parents.

The manager of the Fruitgrowers' Council. Mr. Hunter, states that ha has now secured three-fifths of the Nelson fruit acreage in favour of compulsory standardisation,; and that Mr. Campbell, Director of the Orchard Division, has approved of the manner in which the figures have been set out. The petition will be formally adopted by the Fruitgrowers' Council, and will then be forwarded on to the Minister. The Hawkes Bay and Marlborough Provinces are being asked to co-operate with Nelson in regard to standardisation. Mr. Hunter has just returned to Nelson from Wellington, where, he says, prices for apples are still deplorably low, though there is a slight improvement in Cox's orange. Ten-pound cartonp would probably sell at quite satisfactory prices, and Mr. Hunter inform^ ed the "Kelson Mail" that Wellington tracers are prepared to -handle these. 'h,e cartons woujd bring perhaps 3s for Jonathan? and Stunners. The steady progress of Lower Hutt is shown by the large number of buildings which is in course of erection. Besides the dwelling houses which are going up, several large buildings in the business area, which, for many years has been at a standstill, are either being built pr- projected. The largest of these, for which it is understood a contract has been let for at least a portion, is a brick and concrete structure comprising several shops, a picture theatre to seat 750 people, and. a large social hall. This is to be erected by Messrs Campbell and ,£3on for Mr. G. E. Gvantham, from plans prepared by Mr. J. Hoggard," between Mr. Grantliam's present, shop and the. 1 Methodist Church. The cost of the whole buijdjng will be £13,500. A block of shops is at present in course of erec- J fcion by Messrs.. Campbell and Son for Mr. A. Y. Lees, next to his present premises, at a cost of £1500. A site is being prepared for up.to-date premises, which are to be erected, by Mr. B. Tremain for Mr. A. T, Shearer, almost opposite his present shop. This building will cost about £2000. ' Nqtihing new und.er the sun. Not even I the discovery by an Eltham citizen as to the juiciness and tenderness of beef cut from a fattened working bullock. Many years ago,'says' the Dunesn i'Sltar," at a great spread at Middlemarch, attended by leading citizens and, the princes of the commercial travellers, the novelty of the cold luncheon was a side of beef roasted whole and carved athwart the ribs.' Many present declared they had never tasted such beef. It cut as sweetly as cheese, it was beautifully marbled instead of being in streaks of fot and lean, and it hada rare flavour. Second helpings were asked for all round. Then the guests wanted to know where sutti rave beef came from, and the reply elicits ed the fact thntfc it was a working bullock that had been, specially fattened at Gladbrook. Not many persons can nowadays enjoy such a dainty, for workiiip; bullocks are practically non-existent, unless in the outer uackblocks, where there ia no timo nor disposition for epicureanism. The very best beef available is that which oan be got friim a well-bred heifer. That is the declaration of an experienced breeder of fat sto;-k. He says that if the Kins; were coraing tb;3 way, and preparations v.-ere bcin.tr mads for a banquet, the bast plan to ensure a royal joint would be to rive an order for a spcyed hoifer. about two y&ws nnd a half old, cf the He • !ord, charthorn, or polled Angus bued.

Reserved decision in the case of Loader v. Lodder, a petition for tho fixing of alimony, was given at the Supreme Court to-day by Mr- Justice Sahnond. His Honour ordered that this respondent should pay alimony at the rate of £25 per month during his lifetime, and should provide for the payment after his death of alimony at the rate of £150 per annum.

>( The exporting of Otacro potatoes *.o Auckland!, Napier, and other parts of tfcj North Island usually begins in March, and 13 in full swing during April. This seaeon the shipment has not vet commenced, and inquiries from the north are very slack. The suggestion is, says the Dunedin "Stat" that the northerners are buyin? from, Canterbury at a lower price than they expected to pay for Otaeo potatoes. The main crop in Otago is just coming forward, but none of ifc worth speaking of is yet in the merchants hands. The farmers are: holding. The price is quoted at £6 or £6 10s per ton wholesale, about the usual fjjure at this time of the year.

An unusual cla?s of summons case I*o3 called before Sir. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, torday, the defendant., J. J. Curtis, for whom Mi. H. yon Haast appeared, having to answer to a charge of failing to properly stamp a receipt. According to Sub-Inspector Cumrnings;, the defendant had' given the Palmei'ston North Borough CounQil a duly stamped receipt for £101 0s 2d. A little later, this became lost, and the council made a. request for a duplicate which was supplied, marked "copy," but which was not stamped. The Department held that this was necessary. The duplicate was. not a copy or it also, would have borne a stamp. "I am not going U> waste any time over this," remarked the Magistrate. "The duplicate was marked 'copy.' Information dismissed." The-presence of two suspicions-iooking bottles in a photograph of the outfit of an alpinist shown by Mr. Julian Grande during his lecture this week at Duncdin led him to assure his audience that they contained nothing stronger th\n cold tea, states the "Times." Leading climbers and guides never\ touched alcohol while in the mountains. Mr. Grande, at a_ later stage in his lecture, was referring to the fact that, whereas climbers in New Zealand were provided with their food, they had to carry their own supplies in Switzerland, fliey carried as little as possible—not as much as was available in this country—and the main supply was brown bread. He was glad that brown, bread was sold in the shops in New Zealand, for it was good in the homes as well as in the mountains. Unfortunately, the only place it was available in Englund was the gaol. (Laughter.)

Speaking at a meeting in Christchurch recently, which was called to discuss the question of South. Island shipping facilities, a member of a Westport committee said, that the question was of immense importance to the West Coast. The insistence- with which the West Coast committees had applied for information as to the opening of the Qtira tunnel was dictated by a wish to inform overseas shippers "when they could send goods to Lyttelton instead of Wellington. A big proportion of the West Coast trade would be with Christ-church houses when there were better facilities. _ Any change might have very wide bearings on the export of timbers from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. Anything connected wjth the Port of Lyttelton had a vital interest to the West Coast. Another.speaker said that in the early days ■Jfokitika was the first port of call from Sydney, and in case of Lyttelton being blocked at any time the West Coast ports could be used again, when the tunnel was available.

Sir Joseph Ward, on hip arrival at Invercargill on Tuesday, was welcomed by the deputy-Mayor and a number of representative citizens. Replying to'the regrets that were expressed that Tauranga, electors had not seen fit to return him to Parliament, Sir Joseph Ward said that he did not propose at that stage to discuss Tauranga, but later would speak throughout the Dominion on the political situation, Jn the recent campagin he had dealt only with matters of urgent public interest and he regretted that others had not done the same. Some people had evidently thought it undesirable that he should be returned and he felt as happy about it as they did. To combat politically four Ministers, as well as seven private members of Parliament, was an achievement to be proud of. He did not feel defeated or/abashed, and his health had improved considerably. Sir Joseph added that he thought the majority of "the people of New Zealand were fair-minded, and under the circumstances he would not dream of turning back from the course he proposed to take. Sir Joseph will remain in Invercargill for a few days on private business.

This year's National Conference of Labour Women" will take place at York on Bth and 9th May. Invitations to political and industrial organisations are now being issued over the signature of Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., who points out that "the General Election has shown very clearly the importance of the women's vote. This conference should do much in consolidating the interest of working women in the Labour movement." The actual resolutions to be submitted are not yet formulated, but the draft programme indicates that among the questions to be considered will be those q{ the education of children in. the ideas of the Labour movement and of peace, motherhood, and child •ndowment, the work of women Magistrates and th« penal system, the workers' standard of life, matters of general education, housing and public health, infant welfare, unemployment, and. methods of relief, says, a writer in the London "Daily Telegraph." There will be a further business conference, over which Dr. Marion Phillips, chief woman officer of the Labour Party, will preside, and this is to give special prominence to questions as to the organisation of women in rural areas, the distribution of literature, and the formation of advisory counoils.

The executive of the Canterbury Progress League on Wednesday evening decided to take active steps to urge improved shipping facilities for .the South Island. The question was introduced by the league's organiser, s,ayg the ''Lyttelton_ Times." He said that the San Francisco and Vancouver contracts under the New Zeajand Government would expire in March, 1924. The Vancouver service had a subsidy of £20,000 and the San Francisco service had £25,000. The president of the Chamber of Commerce said that the position hud been clearly placed before tho associated Chambers of Commerce at Dunedin in December last. It was much to the credit of the Nprth Island members at the Dunedin conference that they supported, the proposals. The position was particularly marked in respect to the shipment of fruit. A visitor to the meeting said thafc geographically the South Island had a disadvantage compared with the North Island. There should bo a flat rate. Something could be put on to the charges at Wellington and Auckland. It cost Ohriattfhnroh merchants Is 8d a case more than it cpst North Island merchants to obtain Cqok Island oranges. An effort had besn made to Establish a case-timber trade between Lyttelton and the Islands, but nothing come of it. He thought that members of Parliament a'-ionld bo as'.roci whit they intended to do in tlic matter. The people's food supplies were pnsf"ii? away while coc'nl «"I>. jec-J-s weve being discussed in Parliament. Chi'istohi'roh was being simpi'y rvished oi't, although at one' time it ■••• a< warded ss being as good as Weilingtcn.