LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 30, 5 February 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Masonic party of American tourists who arrived from Honolulu on Monday have been pleasantly entertained during their brief stay in Auckland, states "The Post's" Auckland, correspondent. They were motored round the city and suburbs on Tuesday by members of the G.rand Masonic Lodge of New Zealand. The party left this morning for. the Waitomo Caves, and will afterwards proceed to Rotorua, Wairakei, and Taupo, going thence through Wiiimarino to Taumarunui, whero a boat will be taken down the Wanganui River. The itinerary includes a yisit to New Plymouth and Mount Eginont, concluding at Wellington, where the party will catch the Maunganui for Sydney. ■ "■ Church affairs in Sydney particularly are a long way behjnd New Zealandj" stated the Rev. Jasper Calder, who has just returned' to Auckland after an extended holiday in Australia. "My experience in Australia, was confined largely to the Sydney Diocese, and it struck me that the principal drawback was party strife among different schools of thought. It was well known in Sydney that the extreme Protestant section of Anglicans held a caucus before their gatherings to decide elections for various committees, and, having staged this beforehand, proceeded *to open Synod. This I regard as something bordering on hypocrisy." . In fining a motorist charged with drivjng in a manner dangerous tq the public, Mr. C. K. Orr Walker, S.M., remarked, at Lower Hutt yesterday, that the penalty under the new Apt, which came into force on Ist January, was £100 or three months' imprisonment, and tho Court had also the power to, cancel the license'held by the motorist.' The new Act also provided the same penalty for a person charged with being in charge of a motor-car while in a state of intoxication, the old Act specifying that it was a crime to be drunk while m charge of a car, which was a different thing. In the case at Lower Hutt the charge was under th,e old Act, the offence having been committed on Christmas Eve.

The Makara County Council,' »t a special meeting held yesterday, agreed to the proposal of the Main Highways Board m regard to work in connect tion with t,he county roads, and a survey of the \Vest Main road between Johusonville ai)d Paremata is to be mads with a view to obtaining estimates as to the cost pi surfacing the road with bitumen asphalt under the Wellington City.and Suburban' Highways Board scheme. When that survey has b.een completed, full information will be placed before the ratepayers -with a view'to having a poll taken. It is estiniated that if the proposals of the Highways Board are carried into effect there will be a big annual saving in maintenance costs The council agreed to' accept declarations making Paremata road a Government road, and also agreed to undertake the immediate repair of the Ngahauranga porge road, for which purpose a new quarry will shortly be opened.

Several of the orchardists and dairymen of Te Atatu (Henderson Point), in the upper reaches of the Waite-riiata Harbour, have this year taken to tobacco growing, and there are indications of it being a most lucrative industry for these- men. ; The Te' Atatu. land' appears to be most suitable for the purpose,' and although most of the farmers engaged arei new to tobacco culture, some very good crops are noticed (says the "Star"). This season eight growers have in all twenty-five acres in tobacpo. Profiting from last year's experience, better crops are noticeable, and indications are for heavy yields. The tobacco, plant is a prolific grower, an<| in eight weeks some 01 the plants have reached,.a height of nearly nine feet. These, however, have yet to be topped to allow' the lower leaves to make more vigorous growth. In conversation with one of tl)e growers it was learnt that on some lands there is almost no limit to the amount of manure that • can be put with tobacco punts, half a ton of manure being used to the acre in some cases. With his crops he used 3cwt to the acre. Another grower, however, stated that he used bewt of manure to the acre. The fertl!i^r wed for the crop was a mixture of blood and bone, superphosphate, and mtiates of ammonia and potash m tho following proportions : SO per cent of uopd and bone, 30 per bent, of superphosphates, 10 per cent, of nitrate of ammonia, and 10 per cent, of nitrate of potash. . .

Ihe best methods of securing health and preventing disease will be discussed at the annual congress pf the Healfch Assoqation of Australasia to be held in Melbourne in October next, tteprcsentutives of the various State branches will attend, and.it is hoped that a number qf delegates from New Zealand will aliio be present. Wonderful additions. have been made during the past fifty years to the knowledge of many diseases. Un -4he other hand, most thoughtful people realise that the improvement in morbidity and mortality is Hot commensurate with tho immense amount 'of knowledge gained.. It has been well said, states a, communication from the Health Association to the New Zealand Department of Health that if all medical research were suspended for ten vcara, and the ability and energy now <Woted to I .it were transferred" to its practical application, tho world would be transformed, so far as morbidity and mortality are concerned. Such a -course is, however, impracticable, and an alternate mode of action must be found. A new conception has entered into the minds PI the medical profession, the members of winch, aware of the damage being still inflicted, ask themselves whether it would not be more sensible to put their energies into the problem of prevention rather than continue to employ the best talent and to spend vast sums of money in rectifying conditions which should never exist. What, then, is the cause of the relative failure? The conviction has been borne in on those interested that the education^ the public in matters medical has become a necessity. The Rockefeller Foundation' in a recent report stated that the most perfect health organisation which could b.e devised, staffed by the most competent officers who could bo trained, might reduce prevetitible disease by 20 per cent., the. remaining 80 per cent, being controlled only when the public understand the issue. Hence it is that the Health Association, of Australasia has come into being. The bninphes gather \ annually ni one of the capital cities to discuss the difficulties (.hat arq liefprp them and to ■devise means of conveying Jjie necessary information to the pubjic.

An extra special at Kirkcaldie's Sale. The "Ideal" Sewing Machine. A splendid little table lnachine of superjoi: British cqußtri'iction. They i»ro ' idea,} for "q, young girl or even for .fn' jdjjlt!' .Sale ju-icc 15s 6d eiicli. pjit of 3<jO tljßio are pnly a, few left,, Kirkcaldje ai)d Staips, Wdi—AUyi,,. ' ■";

His Majesty's Trade Commissioner (Mr. N. Elmslie) will leave New Zealand by the Aorangi on 17th March for England, on a.n official visit. Mr. Elmslie states that he has aoS-ised His Escellency the GovernorrGeneral, the Prime Minister, and the Chambers pf Commerce of his plans. He is goirig Home earlier than he intended, liut he requires to be back in New. Zealand in tim,e for the opening pf Duneam Exhibition on 12th November. During' his stay in England, he expects^ to spbnd' three months in yisitiuj chambers of commerce, trade associations, and individual firms, with the idea- of discussing New Zealand conditions aild reqqu-ements, and also informing himself as" tp tlie progress made at Hpme. The Assistant rlrade Cpmniissioner (Air. W. 1). gamble), will act for Mr. Elmslie during the latter's absence! . . n .

At a meeting of the executive council ol the Wellington Competitions Society, held l^sf. evening, a letter was received from Mr. Roland Foster, ef the Sydney Consei-yatorium, who has been appointed adjudicator in the vocal section at the ne*t festival of the society, tp be held in August npxt, confirming his appouitment. He also said that, he -wished to cpmphment the spciety's Selection V omn"ttce on tho very exceilei?t chqjce if had made in the various vocal sections, representing a distinctly higher standard than in any other co'mpetitipns south of^the Equator, and emphasised the educational value of fhe,' competitions und their continual progressiveness Singers of talent'and enterprise wquld, he said, be encouraged to put forth their best efforts, and,' whether successful or not, could congratulate themselves upon having done something real y worth while, and extend their musical ' horizon. i

Xhe finish Imperial Council of Commerce has written' to' the' "Wellington Chamber of Commerce,' drawing attention to ' hardships imposed by the British Rationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1922. While it is ppssible under the Act for the third generation of children born abroad of Brftisli parents to be registered as British subjects, if born after 4th August' 1922, children otherwise cqming witliin tJiis category and born ' during' the war but too old to be registered within the prescribed penod, are excluded. A resolution protesting against the hardships the Act imposed was passed at the'list congress ot Chambers of Commerce of the Umpire. The British Council of Commerce, in their letter, urged business men in the Dominions to use their influence with their respective Governments to see that the hardship us renioyed, as proposed by the resolution passed at the congress in London. It waa agreed by the Wellington 'Council yesterday that the attitude of the British imperial Council of Commerce be supported, and that the 'matter be bronchi under the noticp of the Prime Jlinuter. The xabled reference to the arrh-al of Lord -MadayWn Australia, and-to hi* forthcoming visit tp i^ew Zealand, recalled tp the mind of the Prime Minister tne which Lord -Maclay did for tha Dominion during the war, when M heW tj?e i-espppsible office of Shipping Cpntroller. In a statement u*ued i? '™t;J iWy yesterday, he remarked that: In ensuring for New Zealand a regular, supply of ships throughout a, most trying period, the Dominion owes ?. special Jebt of gratitnde' to Lord Maclay. It was only right to acknowledge, alsq the valued' co-pperation of forth ■Pn AniftA!iaerson and hold In^ifprth. All three genHemen proved themselves good j friends of New Zealand in fto.e dark days, and he hoped that Lord -■vlaclays tour wilps the forerunner o^ visits-frpiu each of the others. I am sure there is np necessity for me to be-' speak a very cordial welcome to Lord Maclay, and I hojj.e he will thoroughly emoy his stay jn the'Ddmiiiion.'V the Prune Minister. °