LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Arrangements are being made to broadcast the speeches given at the civic welcome to Mr. Massey at the Auckland Town Hall to-night, states $. Press Association message. A set of microphones on the platform will connect with the broadcasting, static. What appears to be a moa bone, with many gizzard stones, has been found at the foot of the Alps, behind the Rangitata Gorge, on the Erewhon sheep run, states a Press Association message from Ashburton.,- .

The annual conference of the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association is being held in Wellington. The election of officers resulted as follows :—President, Mr. A. Ross (Wellington) • secretary, Mr. C. J. Ward, jun. (Wellington): treasurer. Mr. T. Langley (Wellington); executive. Messrs. H. Clark (Auckland),' J. Staples (Wellington), H. R Best (Chnstchurch), and J. B. Frame (Dunedin). .

According to a Press Association message, the ratepayers of. Greater Chr-ist-church yesterday, rejected a proposal of the City Councirto raise a special loan of £77,259 to .provide additional headworks and equipment, to enable the high pressure water supply to be' carried into those areas of the city at present without that service. The"; votino- was:—For 1118, against 1172; majority against, 04..

It \tas agreed at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday to call a meeting of those interested in trade of the West Coast of the South Island, and appoint a committee which all could approach for information. Several members, as a result of their recent trip, statedi the conclusions at which they had arrived in respect to the prospects of the "West Coast and .Wellington trade. (

At Tuesday night's meeting of the Marlborough Hydro-Electric Power Board a Wellington firm, Messrs. Vickerman and Lancaster, were appointed engineers to the board to carry out surveys, with the object of advising the board of the best hydro-electric proposition for Marlborough. The report, states a Press Association message from; Blenheim, is to be made within two months.

At a meeting of the No. 8 District Highways Council yesterday^ steles a Press- Asm.i'iation message from Wangamn, it w*.s decided to recommend to the Highways Board that the present Wellington-New Plymouth main -road through the Rangitikei, Waitotara, and Patea counties, and. the Parapara road frpm the Wanganui County boundary to Ohakune, via Raetihi, be declared main highways.

The present condition of the boot industry was discussed atr some length at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' ' Association yesterday, and reference was-made to what was alleged to be {he escessive importations during the last few months. It was urged that there should be closer examination of the quality of imported boots, for which power had been granted by legislation.

There was a number of people of the opinion that the shortage of wheat could be made up by importations from Australia, remarked Sir John Lul>e, in an interview at Ashburton. Si;/ John added that his own opinion was that if we did obtain wheat from that country it would be at an enhanced price. Australian shippers would1 prefer to send flour, and thus retain the pollard and other by-products for use in the Commonwealth.

Figures .for the past month placed before the "Harbour Board last evening showed that, there was a credit balance of £42,914 18s sdj in the imprest account a credit balance of £4665 os. 9d, and the fixed deposit account stood at '£95,000. Payments were made as follow :—lnterest, etc.,1 wages, £44,224 0s 3d; progress payments on contracts, £2725 7s 2d; salaries for January, £1691 8s Bd. Total, £48,640 16a Id.

Members of the Returned Soldiers' Association met last evening for the purpose of making arrangements in regard to the selection of a queen for'the military and naval pageant to be held in March next. Various suggestions were made^, and it was finally decided to enter a candidate to be known as the Nurse Cavell Queen. A committee was set up to select the queen and the maids of honour.

A letter from a Sydney lady criticising the steamer arrangements in regard to early hour of departure, etc., at the stopping places on the Wanganui River 'excursion trip, was read at the meeting of the \yellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday. The chairman, Mr. J. flyers, remarked that although he had buffered some inconveniences on the trip, he realised .that the best possible was being done for the passengers. It was recognised by travellers tlyit early starts had-to be made from some !of the stopping places. Mr. A. L. Hunt remarked that overseas tourists would not put up with what we might perhaps content ourselves with. He suggested that the Wunganuj Chamber r>( Commerce be asked to -take .the matter up.

A visit of inspection to Wallace street was paid by the City Council and Corporation officere yesterday for the purpose of going thoroughly ovef the areas which would be affected by one or other' of the schemes proposed for the extension of the Wallace street tram line to John street and Adelaide road.

The Napier Harbour Board has communicated with coastal, shipping firms, pointing out the desirableness of there being only one brand or mark visible on cases shipped, in order Ho avoid complaints and mistakes. IA letter to this effect from Messrs. Richardson and Co. was read at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

j Remark was made by the chairman of the Harbour • Board, Mr. G. Mitchell, last evening on.the fact that while the iron constructional work for the Pipitea .Wharf shed was progressing at a "cry satisfactory rate, the same could no., be said of a concrete work, and he hcped that better progress would be mado in the future. The chairman also mentioned, that a start had been made with the building of the Miramar Wharf extension, after some little delay in securing timbering, but no fears were entertained that that work would be behind contract time.

In answer to a question from Mr. B. J. M'Gowan, the chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr. G. Mitchell, stated last evening that about ten years ago an agreement was reached between the Harbour Board and the. various shipping companies granting the companies the use o£ the rooms now used by them as pay offices free of rent. That arrangement was convenient to the~ board at that time, and certainly the offices were very convenient. to the companies, but whether that arrangement was to continue in force in future was a matter which the board would have to decide. Mr. M'Gowan intimated that he would bring the matter up at a future meeting of the board.

An exceedingly busy day was experienced by the Eastbourne ferry service on Anniversary Day, the three steamers carrying 5100 passengers across the harb?ur,,during the day- T^e beaches at Muntai and Day's ' Bay were thronged with plensure-seeWers, a very large percentage of whom were children. A large number sought coolness in the sea, which was ideal for even those who are' not expert in the water, while a number of picnic parties made for the shelter of the bush at the back of Eastbourne. In the cool of the evening the large crowd which had crossed the- harbour in tb^e early part of_ the day were returned: to the city without undue deliy and without accident —a tribute to the ferry captains and the management generally. »>

The difference of opinion between1 the chairman of the Otago Education Board and tlie Department are not yet overcome, judging, by the following Press Association message from Dunedin. Mr. Wallace, chairman of the board, in replying to Mr. Caughley's challenge of a month ago re his statement that the whole business of the Education Department seemed stuck up in the Hon. C. ,L Parr's absence, said this was only a side remark in connection witli the Forbury plans, but ]fe had otlier matters in mind, such as the dental school, Forbury verandah, and the new scale of'teachers' salaries. The dental school delay was admitted by Mr.' Caughley, and a telegram .that had now been received from Mr. Parr showed the Department had been afraid to do anything in' the Forbury matter till lie returned. The board agreed to the,scale of salaries,two months a<ro, but was asked to consider communications private till Mr.' Parr returned, so that was quite sufficient authority for'his remark. It was just a remark, he said, not a complaint, and the board was being well treated by the Department. The Hon. G: J. Anderson's remark that the statement was made to discredit the.Government was utter bosh, as he personally nominated a Reform candidate at the General Election.

• "I wish frankly to say," remarked Sir John Luke at Ashburton, "that the trusts, orpools (meat, butter, and so on), ■ with which the Government has been, and is, associated, having representatives on the boards, have made difficulties for some of the Government's representatives of city electorates.' For myself I have felt that the Government should not be distinctly associated with trusts. My desire is that while I would offer every facility and help from the Government to those carrying out co-opera-' tive enterprise in the Dominion, the Government, to my mind, should keep out of actual representation on boards. I think the sooner we come back to freedom of action and permit elbow room for those who have the courage to devejop the resources of the Dominion, it will be- better for us, Those same people, by combination among themselves, have the capacity and ability to' carry out the arrangements necessary not only for producing, but also for marketing the products." Sir John paid a tribute to Ashburton's representative^ in Parliament, the Hon. W. NoswoHhy. "'White one may differ from his views on several matters, particularly with regard to-some of the work associated with the pools, I am bound to say that one must have a great regard and admiration for his devotion to public duty and his honesty of purpose in pursuing a policy that he thinks is best for the primary industries, -which, after all, represent .the backbone of. this Dominion."

Sir Frederick Chapman stated in Christehurch recently that sorao years ago he discovered in the Pelorus Sounds district a variety of the white manuka, Leptospermum scoparium, with a white flower much larger than tho ordinaryflower, so much so that the variety was quite conspicuous and exceptionally beautiful. It was soon after the war began, and he decided to name, the variety Gallipoli. He took steps to have it cultivated, with the object of having it planted on -Now Zealand soldiers' graves on battlefields of the Old World. He sent some of the\seeds to Egypt, but, apparently, they had notsucceeded. Sir E. Heaton Rhodes, who kindly took an interest in the c* peiiment, did not meet with anjl greater success with aoeds ha planted ai his residence at Otahuna, Tai Tapu. Sir Frederick added that he had not lost sight of the idea, and intended to make further efforts to have the largo flowered variety cultivated for the pur. pose lie had in view, as the shrub, in addition to the beauty of its white flowers, had a high . sentimental value to New Zfialauders. He was doubtful whether it would thrive in Belgium, but it should do Well in Franco and on Gallippli (reports the 'Xytteltou Times"). With the same object, he. sent to a friend in England seeds of Oleari.i insignis, the handsomest Olearia in New Zealand. It is a shrub, several itel high, with large daisy-like powers produced in cups shaped like the flowerhead of a Scotch thistle. It. seems to be a. native of parts of the Nelson and Marlborough districts, beautifying tho banks of the Conway, Clarence, and other rivers.

The latest in Bedspreads. is a spread and • pillow sham combined. Very pleasing designs of applique work in clue, gold, and rose on a cream ground. They are made for both single and double beds, and the prioe is 47s 6d for either size at Kirkcaldie and Stains Ltd.—Advt.

At the first sign of a cough or cold give your children a dose of Bonnington'a Irish Moss. 2s 6d and Is 6d, from all chemist*.-—Advt,