LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 131, 4 June 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In the course of his presidential address before the Farmers' Union Conference in Dunedin, Mr. E. H. Murney (repotrs'The Post's" correspondent)' said that the wages paid to those employed in 3tfew Zealand by the textile industry amounted to about fi1,300,000. He contended that if the people of New Zealand paid these workers their wages for doing nothing they -would be making a saying of £59,000 per annum by purchasing imported goods, providing the latter were admitted duty free. At the Farmers' Union conference at Feilding a delegate said that on one occasion he filled in a gully and buried a blackberry bush fully ten feet deep, but in a couple of years it had reached the surface and started to flourish.

There are probably more motor vehicles in the Kairanga County than in any similar area and rural, population in the world. , The number of motor vehicles registered was 1987, . and the population of the- county is 4835. Ac'cording to these figures there is a motor vehicle for every 2.444 persons.

The ferry steamer Maori had a rough passage on Monday evening from Wellington to Lyttelton, says a Press Association message from Christchurch. After leaving Wellington at 7.50. p.m. she encountered a south-east gale with mountainous seas, which frequently broke om board. So great were the odds that Captain Irwin ordered half speed, and the vessel.was kept running at that rate until 3 a.m., much to the comfortNjf the passengers. Subsequently the wind fell away, and the Maori bowled along at over 18 knots. She reached Lyttelton at 9.5 a.m. yesterday.

An Australian water snake over three feet in length, which has been caught on Pakiri Beach, north of Hodney Point, was brought to Auckland on Monday by Mr. F. J.. Jackson. Tllia snake (states "The Post's" correspondent), which is said to be of a harmless variety, was seen leaving the water to cross- the beach by Messrs. J. Mahon and It. Clark; of Maugawai, who promptly dispatched it with an oai\ The reptile had a black skin with white underside, and a carpet pattern tail. Residents of the locality could not account for the presence ot the snake on the New Zealand coast, although it is stated that a similar catch was made there some years ago.

"It has been argued in Wanganui that if this district were represented by a supporter of the Government it would get its full share of public expenditure," said Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., to ,'a reporter, when discussing political matters. "I am afraid," he went on to say, "that the supporters of the Government who use the argument do not realise that it amounts to a charge of political corruption of the lowest type, a charge which I, for .'one, an opponent of the Government, have not levelled against it. I have travelled through three electorates represented bv supporters of the Government, anci, after experiencing conditions of roads and other public facilities,. I have returned to \Vangamn more convinced "than'over that the charge of corruption, made by its own supporters against the Government, has no foundation, "-

Mr. A. J. Boberts, a New Zealander, mentioned in the cables recently as having been associated with Mr. lirimdell Matthews (inventor of the <f Matthews' ray), was formerly a resident of Patea says the "Press." He was at one time employed by the Patea Borough Council as electrical engineer.

Mr. H. T. Morton stated at Te Kuiti that enormous sums were being spent in the cities- of the Dominion and very little in the country districts. "Where does the money come from to build huge wharves, public buildings, tram services, and other utilities in the big towns?" asks Mr. Morton. "It comes from the country districts, "which supply the wealth of the Dominion. The primary producer is the wealth producer, and should thereTore have more consideration than he is having at present." Auckland would be a very poor town if it were' not for-the work oP those in the country."

Apparently Wellington citizens, taking them generally, have an intelligence more, in keeping with the needs of a busy commercial centre, and also have a -deeper understanding of the intricacies of registrations of all sorts, than have the residents of one of the Southern cities. A paragraph was published in "The Post" earlier in the week .mentioning the number of foolish demands that were made on the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages of Dunedin— anything from the demand for the registration of a patent medicine to a request for a building permit. In Wellington the office cannot quote one such instance. If the office has visitors who do want to register a dog or something of the sort the visitor usually makes the call merely to inquire for the location of the proper authority.

Genius, it has teen stated, is an infinite capacity for taking pains. There must be many geniuses in Dunedin, remarks the "Otago Daily Times." At the corner of George, and Pitt streets there is situated a pillar box arrangement from which are controlled certain city electric installations. A few yards .away is a real letter pillar bos. To look at the electric pillar bos, one would wonder how anybody could ever get a letter in the small crack at the side of the door. Yet by taking great pains it is possible to "post" a letter through this crack. One day last week a city electrical employee took no fewer than 25 letters from the. electric pillar bojc. It is easy to imagine the anathemas called down on the Postal Department by those who waste their time and patience push-" ing their letters through the interstice. It is also not hard to understand the disappointment of those people who are not receiving- their correspondence. Good progress is being made with the erection of 'the open-air classrooms at the Fendalton School, and the Education Board authorities express pleasure with the work already carried out, states the Christchureh "Press." Speaking of the open-air school scheme in connection with the erection of the new Richmond School, a local medical man stated that-he understood it was proposed to erect sixteen classrooms for the new school. An open-air scheme for sixteen classrooms, would prove too ambitious an undertaking for the limited area available for the .erection of the new school, he said, and it would be preferable to limit the number of rooms to eleven if'-the scheme, were to bo a complete success. He considered it a mistake to allow schools to grow so large as to become unwieldy, and it was preferable that the number^of pupils should be limited' to 800. In the case of:'the' Richmond School, with.its roll number of 660, the Department should not allow the roll to increase above this limit, and the new school should aim at provision for only this number of pupils. It was also stated that the" British Medical Association had decided'to support the local scheme of open-air schools, and the local branch had intimated that it was prepared to send to the meeting of householders and address them upon the open-air school question. The Richmond School Committee decided, however, that" it preferred to keep the meeting for householders only. While the immediate programme of the Commonwealth Government as regards the renewal of Australia's naval defence units will provide for the construction of two modern light cruisers, the programme has regard to the gradual replacement of the four light cruisers at present belonging to the Commonwealth, (says "The Age"). The Melbourne, which is to be overhauled, and the Sydney, which is finishing a period of overhaul and repair, will be the first to be replaced under the proposed new programme, while at the end of nine or ten years two new vessels would be ready to replace the Adelaide and Brisbane. In the propoaal to build one of the first two light cruisers in Australia and one in England, the Government, it is understood, has the support of the Navy Department. / Rear-Admiral Addison, on his recent departure for England, pointed out that while the building of one of the first two cruisers in England would b e advisable in the interests of early delivery of the vessels, the construction of a cruiser in Australia would have an important influence as regards the value of local experience in building a modern cruiser. About 50 per cent, of the necessary material, guns, etc., would have to be brought out to Australia and assembled here. This was one factor leading to increased cost. The Melbourne and Sydney were built in England, but the Adelaide and Brisbane \vere the product of the Australian naval dockyard, now under the control of the Commonwealth Shipping Board.

The commissioner of the North Auckland Progressive League, who travelled to Auckland by train on Saturday, was astounded at the havoc the heavy ra'ins had caused not only to-parts of the North" Auckland railway but also to private property, states the "New Zealand, Herald." The first serious onslaught made by the storm, he states; was very noticeable at Topuni, where, close to the station, the whole front of a fairly high hill slipped right into the river, bringing with it thousands of tons of debris. At.Wayby the signs of a heavy flood are to be seen, but a little further on toward Koteo the storm caused the principal damage. The land commenced to slip from the hilltops, bringing enormous boulders and trees down with it until the debris came to a standstill on the railway line. The Hoteo station site and adjacent lands very much resemble a hugs mud fiat with the tide out, and it will take a long time before this place can be brought back to its normal condition. Just past the station a gate is hanging up in the willow, branches about Bft above the rail Jevel. At. Tahekeroa, . where another big slip occurred, huge trees and' a quantity of earth were deposited on the line. 'The whole country around these parts resembles the scarred countryside around an active voloano. At Wavbv station yard • twelve trucks of scoria "were required to replace the scoria which was washed away. Notwithstanding the damage, the commissioner was surprised to see the country looking so »reen It was evident that feed was abundant- Ho considers the Railway Department did well to get this line opened again after such severe damage.

l-aiicy, Moral and Check Designs in Waterproof Aprons. These are vevy smart and ideal for any household use where the clothes need protection ' Today and while they last, 3s 6d each, in the Blouse Department at Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd.—Advt.

A few years ago it was demonstrated in evidence given to the Palmei'ston North Chamber of Commerce, says the "Manawatu Times," that a carbonising plant for treating seedy wool would pay handsomely as a commercial uudet'&iking, and put two and a half millions into the pockets of NW Zealand wool producers. Now, as the result of a. complaint that- such a . plant in "Wangauui i= rusting for the want of use. our sheepowners have actually learned for the first time of its' existence. We are told that "sweet are the uses of adversity,"- but the use of. advertisement is even more obvious and necessary to our welfare. "The loss of the-Ngahere should not encourage recriminations, but should be accepted as a lesson from which much good can be derived,"' remarks the Grey Star" editorially. "It was most unfortunate that the Nsjahere mishap occurred just when the board is considering schemes to attract more • seabornetraffic to Greymouth. Shippers may remember the loss of the Ngahere without also recalling how it was brought about. Efforts must be made to emphasise that Greymoutb. is quite safe, for ships,- if Nature's vagaries are always prepr.-ed against. Nothing should be permitted to induce a sense of false security, and it is better, to be too carefuhthan to ri«k further wrecks. The question of a little extra expense should not be a deciding factor in the stay of a vessel at the wharf, nor in the"use of the tug, when the tar is not on its best behaviour." : . ..--.-