LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 142, 16 June 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The purchase of the Sockburn aerodrome has been completed by the Government, a satisfactory agreement having been arrived at with the company. The Government will take over the whole concern at an early date. Some fruitgrowers have failed to pay the orchard tax. This was commented on very strongly at yesterday's conference of New Zealand growers, and it was decided to ask the Government to compel payment.

The Postal authorities have received advice from. Sydney that the. Manuka left at noon on the 15th instant for Wellington. She carries 394 bags of mails for the Dominion, including 300 from Australia, 25 from "beyond (which includes East 12 and Africa, 2), and 69 parcel receptacles.

Amongst remits passed by the Fruitgrowers' Conference yesterday were the following: That protection be afforded the raisers of new varieties of fruit trees; that no duty should bo charged on fruit trees or stocks imported for the purpose of obtaining hew varieties; that the Government be asked to appoint a special Commission to go into the whole question of the orchard industry.

The Associated Board of the R.A.M. and R.0.M., 'London, is holding theory examinations at all centres throughout New Zealand to-day. Wellington candidates, to the number of 146, were examined at Sydney Street Hall. It is probable that the results of this examination will be available about the end of July.

The Fruitgrowers' Conference yesterday discussed the question of' remedying damage by fire-blight. It was urged that certain fruit districts should be declared as fruit areas, so that steps could be taken to combat the disease. It was recommended that hawthorn hedges throughout New Zealand should be trimmed, and that cutting should be carried on, so that in time hawthorn would be entirely eliminated.

Alluding to what he had seen of the Waitomo Caves, the Rev. B. Frederick, of the Queensland Methodist Church, stated at the annual social of St. Paul's Methodist Church, at Palmerston North, that they were simply wonderful. More lighting would be an improvement, but in his opinion they had a greater scenic value than the famous Jenolan Caves of Australia, which were considered by some to be the grandest in the world. The weirdness of those at Waitomo lifted them into a prominence which the Jenolan Caves could not equal. The position of the Waitangi, which went ashore at Patea, has changed for the worse, states a Taranaki paper. It is unfortunate that just as it was hoped she would be got off, and was standing well up to the seas, some of the gear on board broke away under the strain and shd fell back broadside on again. It will now be necessary to wait for the highest tides afc the next moon. It is interesting to note in this connection that the highest spring tides occur as a rule about three tides after the new or full moou. On the coast round Patea. the wind has, Captain Finney, of Patea, told a Press representative, a powerful influence on the tides. With a northerly wind there is always a better hope of high tides and smooth water. He said he had known a sudden southerly cut down the tide by as much as eighteen inches. He hopes that if the wind and weather are favourable the refloating of the vessel will be secured after th« next moon in a few days.

Legal etiquette, like other forms of etiquette, is a changing quality, and it is difficut these days for the average observer to determine just how far an able counsel may go m the preparing of the defence. Some litls time ago (says "The Age") a Melbourne lawyer was accused of having stood within earshot while his client sought to persuade a witness to change his evidence. The lawyer~promptly denied having overhead anything, and' there the matter ended. It has been suggested, however, more or less playfully, that some criminal lawyers in Melbourne go so far in the direction of the preparation of a client's defence that there is too little left for that gentleman himself to tell. That, as it may be, however, few lawyers in Melbourne have ever been directly accuse.d of "making up a story" for a prisoner, or of attempting to interfere with the witnesses' for the prosecution. In olden day this latter interference-with the Crown's very eood case was a terrible crime—a crime ot crimes, in fact. It is related of one very promising yonntr lawyer in. the time ot King Charles 11. that he was convicted, ordered to be sat in a pillory, and fined £1000 fov attempting to persuade a complainant to forbid the prosecution of certain high-born gentlemen who were a nuisance to the Crown. The young lawyer was hurt, and he took out an information accusing his Judges of bias. His suit failed, and because it impugned the honour of the Judges it was ordered, on the prayer of the learned I>av, that his gown be pulled down over his ears—"which was thereupon done in his Majesty's Court on the spot, to the very great satisfaction of all upholders of clean justice"—and he was fined a further 4,600, iwrl ordered to be imprisouea until he paid it.

"I can remember as a boy when the duties of Native Minister were second only to those of the Prime Minister," stated the Hon. C. J, Parr in the House of Representative? yesterday.. Some great men had filled the office, said ijb\ Parr, and among the most capable who had done so was the late Sir William Herries.

On Monday evening next, in the plumbers' workshop, Mercer street, the gold medals presented by the Master Plumbers' Union will be handed to the winners by the president of the union, Mr. Key. The names of the successful students are as follow:—Fourth year, John Edward Craig; third year, Gilbert William Key ; 2nd year, Harry Brickman. There have been no developments .among the Makura passengers still at the Motuihi quarantine station, Auckland. The local Health authorities state that it is liHly that some of the passengers mo v be released about the middle of next we.' 1-, while the remainder will leave the island not much, later.

Building operations in New Plymouth, particularly in the business area, are very brisk at present, and .iud.ginjj by the number of buildings now under way and projected in the near future, the value of permits issued this year should break all previous records, says the "Taranaki Herald." A reliable authority estimates the total value of buildings in hand and contemplated to be at least £125,000, exclusive of the large number of houses which are being erected. An interesting case of a partially blind woman recovering full possession'of her sight, through the shock of a fall occurred aboard the Remuera on the voyage from England (states a Press Association message from Auckland)." Mrs. Parker had partially lost her sight, and two Scottish specialists had eaid that they could eta nothing for her. She fell down the ship's gangway on the voyage out, and fractured a leg. A few days afterwards her sight wasi completely restored, and this is attributed to tha shock of the fall.

An optimistic note in regard to the prospects of the saddlery trade was sounded-at the Auckland Master Saddlers' Association's dinner on 'Wednesday evening. Mr. J. W. Wiseman stated that many large distributors in the United Kingdom were discarding motor vehicles and substituting horse-drawn vehicles. Mr. J. A. Graham said a similar movement was taking place in the United States, particularly in regard to short-distance haulages. Many motor tractors, he said, were being replaced by horses, owing to the former proving too expensive. -

One of the only two known fossil pearls m the world was placed before those present at the meeting of the Otago Institute on Wednesday night, (states the "Otago Daily Times"). It was an exhibit of extraordinary rarity and interest. Mr. D. H. Skinner explained that the pearl had been formed in the mudpliocene days of Hawkes Bay, and it was estimated that its age was. about three million years. The only other known fossil pearl was founa in the same locality by the late Mr. Augustus Hamilton, at one time a leading member of the Otago Institute.

Writing to a friend in Taranaki, a resident of Long Eaton, England, says: "With the exception of .Canter-bury lamb" we never s.ee the name of New Zealand on anything. The other day the manager of the local store told us he had some New Zealand butter, which was the best he had sold for a good while. At the same time it stood on a plain slab wfth nothing to indicate whence it came. The same applies to other shops. Lately, however, a firjn has advertised New Zealand butter. The advertisement runs: "Delicious butter; straight from New Zealandj glorious pastures; fresh new grass all the year round. Our El. Dorado."

In 1920 the agency of the Public Trust Office at Whangarei was converted into a permanent office, in charge of Mr. A. Marshall, as District Public Trustee Previously the. whole of the work of management _ and realisation of estates under administration in the whole of the North Auckland district was conducted from Auckland. Some little time ago an excellent site was acquired adjacent to the Tow n Hall, Whangarei," and a contract has been let for the 1 erection of a four-storied structure in reinforced concrete. The building- has been designed and planned by Mr. Stanley W. Fearn, architect, of Wellington, the successful tenderer being Mr. George Sutherland, contractor, of Auckland. The contract price is £22,555. A iSomewhat peculiar position has arisen in respect to the bankruptcy of John Francis M'Millan, blacksmith (states the Christchurch "Star"). Several claims having been made against him in the Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, he was advised to file a petition in bankruptcy, and did so; but his relatives are fairly well off, and his mother has come to his help, with the result that he has paid some of his creditors in full and the others have accepted 15s in the pound in satisfaction of their debts. Mr. T. S. Dacre appeared for M'Millan in the Supreme Court and asked that his bankruptcy be annulled. Mr. A. W. Waiters, Official Assignee, in reply to his Honour Mr. Justice Adams, said that debtor's conduct had been fairly satisfactory—quite satisfactory as far as his business was concerned—since the bankruptcy, but he was not very attentive to his duties. All debts proved, and a few in addition, had been paid. An order was made for annulment of the bankruptcy.

The love of Aucklanders for their city, and the public-spiritedness and generosity that are frequently being manifested by its citizens, have made Auckland the most richly-endowed place in the Dominion in the matter of private gifts, states the "Star." Other cities can boast of State grants and Government assistance, but Auckland has been the envy of the whole. Dominion in the generosity of its sons, native and adopted, for the betterment and beautification of their home town. Among the many striking instances of this private munificence and civic spirit are Cornwall and Campbell Parks, Myers. Park and Kindergarten, the Costley_ Home, Leys Institute, Dilworth Institute, Knox Home for Incurables, Ellerslie Convalescent Home, Leslie Orphanage, Mackelvie art bequest, and Atkinson Park. In brief, their name is legion, and another has now been added to the long list by the Hon. Arthur Myers, by his gift of- .£SOOO towards the establishment of a Karitane Home in Auckland.

Interesting information as to tha manner in which forest areas are being depleted in tha United States is contained in a letter appearing in a Melbourne magazine, "The Comomnweal," from a student of the School of. Forestry, Creswick (Mr. C. E. Carter), who was sent to the Yale University, U.S.A., by the Victorian Forests Commission to undertake a course in forestry. "America," it is asserted, "is cutting out her forests five times as fast as she is growing them. The great mills _of the south and west coast are masterpieces of organisation; they may cut anything up to 1,000,000 feet of timber per day. This may mean a daily cut of from 50 to 60 acres of forest that took 250 years to grow. Hence we can look for a future shortage of timber in America, and the passing of these mills in favour of the less pretentious portable mill." Referring to conditions in Australia. Mr. Carter adds:—"Forestry is a thing which develops later m the life of a nation, but there is much that, must be done now to guard the future iuterste of this country."

Paid Paki is now the proud possessor of one of the quaintest and prettiest churches in Hawkes Bay, work on the erection of the building having now just about concluded. . The church, which cost £1000, has been paid for mainly through the generosity of Mrs. Tangiroa, Mohi, who donated £750 towards the cost. The Maori Committee gave £200, and to make up the required £1000, the Bishop of Waiapu supplemnated the £200 by a donation of ££0. Reserved, decision was given in the Supreme Court yesterday in an action concerning an involved land deal at Brooklyn. The parties were M'Gregor and Brattle against Timothy Twomey. There were several transactions concerning the property, which was under heavy mortgage, and defendant eventually repudiated the contract, and sold the property. The Chief Justice held that defendant had no right to cancel the contract. The Registrar was asked to report after hearing" evidence as to what extent the property was improved by defendant, what damages the plaintiffs sustained by the sale, and whether there was any fall in value after the agreement for purchase was entered into.

_ The widow of the late Mr. P. C. Corliss, Commissioner of Stamps, is petitioning Parliament for a greater gratuity than £1500, which the Government granted her last year. The substance of the petition, which was presented to the House of Representatives yeesterday by Sir John Luke (Wellington North), is that the gratuity granted is inadequate, in view of the fact that deceased's long and valuable services, and that had he survived his retirement when 64 years of age he would have drawn a pension of £733 per annum for the rest of his life. In pursuance "qf a section, in Uie Civil Service Act, authorising the eranting to a widow of an officer dying in the service a sum not exceeding the aggregate of his previous two years' salary, the petition states that deceased's widow could have been awarded £2200.

There are certain months of the year in which the people of Argentine, or those who have gone to that country from places were climatic conditions are milder, experience oppressive heat. A letter received by Mr. D. C. Bates, Dominion Meteorologist, from a friend in the Argentine states that the last summer in that country was exceptionally hot. The mean temperature for the three months, January to March, had only been twice exceeded during the past six or seven years, while the mean temperature of the second half of March was 74.3 degrees, against an average for that period of 67.6 degrees F., or 6.7 degrees above the normal, with extremes of 93.2 degrees and 60.3 degrees. The new Commonwealth £1 notes, which came into circulation in Australia on the 4th instant, whilst retaining to some extent the general appearance of the_ present £1 note, is somewhat smaller in* size, the exact measurements being 7in by_3in. The King's head and the Australian coat of arms both appear on the face of the note, whilst on the reverse side is a picture of Captain Cook landing at Botany Bay. The new issue is well protected "against forgery by intricate printing and watermarked paper of the highest quality. The board of the Note Issue Department of the Commonwealth Bank ha* decided to gradually replace all the existing notes of "the various denominations with new designs, all of which will 1 c the same size, but. will be readily distinguished by their different colouring The present notes are distinguished by their size more than their colour, and from the public jxunt of view the new notes being all one size will be a distinct improvement Each denomination will bear the King's head and the Australian coat of arms, and will have on its reverse side a picture typical of Australia and covering the various Australian essential industries

Despite the very prominent part played in the late war by representatives of the Commonwealth, and the great pub-, licity given to Australia, on that account, the amount of ignorance still displayed in regard to Australia by many residents in English-speaking communities is remarkable, says the "Age." Writing of his experiences at the Yale University, a Victorian student (Mr. Carter), states that "it is no exaggeration to say that the American knows very little about Australia. I did not meet one who knew how many Australian States there are. To them Australia is a small place, mostly desert, with many kangaroos ; a place of advanced and often experimental legislation, situated in the southern seas near the antipodes. An extreme case was the man who wanted to know who was King there now!" In regard to the "colour" question, the writer declared that many thoughtful! Americans,regarded the colour question of the south with consternation. There were over tan million negroes who had so far received bu the rudiments of education. The temperament of the ne»ro at present reflected his recent emancipation; but what would time do? He (Mr tarter) had met many men of several nations, and had learned to think colour was not everything. At the 'same time he remained "thoroughlhy sound for the white Australia."