LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 114, 18 May 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

• Several hundreds of motorists and pedestrians visited the burial place of the late Prune Minister at Point Halswell over the week end. Yesterday, particularly in the afternoon, there was a regular stream of traffic up the zig-zag track cut in the side of the hill in preparation for the funeral procession. The beautiiul wreaths, arranged in pyramid formation to a height of about thirty feet is easily visible from the heights of the city and from most points around She harbour. Among the visitors to the vault yesterday were Mrs. Massey and her two daughters, Mrs. G.. L. Xavloi and Mrs. C. \V. Salmon, and the Minister of Railways and Public Works (the Hon. J. G. Coates). The foundation stone of the new Convent of Mercy at Palmerston North, which is to cost £18,000, was laid by Archbishop Eedwood in the presenco of a large crowd of parishioners and citizens yesterday, states a Press Association message. Prior to the Eucharistic procession from the church to the site of the building, the church authorities stated the demonstration was the largest of its kind held in the Dominion. The Mayor and Mayoress, and the member for the district (Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P.), as well as many ecclesiastical dignitaries, were presont at the ceremony. "This has. nothing to do with the milk business—it belongs to tho red hen-ing trade,' 1 remarked Mr. Justice Alpers during a trial at the Auckland Supreme Oonrt last week, when counsel for two men connected with a creamery was cross-examining a witness as to weight of butter-fat and other details, referred to by his Honour as "tiresome." A minute or so later, the cross-examination having continued on the same lines,-his Honour said, "I think that the red herring is almost beginning to—er (sniff) go stale !" ■ (Laughter.) "Over £1,000,000 worth of fruit is produced in the Auckland province annually, and none of it is exported," said Air. G. A. Green, at the annnal conference of Auckland fruitgrowers. He was talking about the Hoard of Control which deals with the export of fruit only, and urged members of the conference and' fruitgrowers generally to look after their own interests in a better manner (reports the "Auckland Star"). Later, in the course of his remarks, he stated that ifX™^l™s produced approximately £5,000,003 of fruit and by-products, of which huge sum only about £250,000 worth was exported. "I believe that in Liverpool there was at one time a certain class of people who made a -living, by the manufacture of pips for jam, ' said Dr. Sperrin Johnson in the course of his address on the use of tho microscope at the Dunedin Rotary Club luncheon on Friday, "but here again the microscope was used in detection. The artificial plum stone, for instance, no matter how fine tlio sculpture, can be identified as a fraud merely by an examination of the minutest shaming. Wood has a distinctiv* structure, and it looks now -as if the practice of supplying artificial stones Will die out. Prior to sailing from Wanganui, Captain Harris, of the steamer City of Madras, expressed the opinion that the port of Wanganui, owing to its geographical situation, and the largo area of country which it serves, had a bright future before it. From a navigator's point of view, he saw no difficulty in the working of tho port by oversea vessels. He was pleased to bo in charge of the first ship to swing in tho new basin, and he thought that the board should push on with the 'further dredging of the same as speedily as possible. He could not sec any rer«pn why, given tho necessary depth of water, and sufficient room to swing a vessel comfortably, Wanganui should not be a regular port of call for the overseas liners. He also approved of the policy of tho board in obtaining a powerful tug to assist in the berthing of oversea vessels. A cordial eulogy of the public activities of the commercial travellers was voiced by Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., at the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Commercial Travellers' Association recently. "During my period of office as Mayor of Palmerston North," said Mr. Nash, "I came in contact with the commercial travellers a good deal, and was acquainted with the many good things which they did. . . . When I look at the photograph ou the wall of the late Prime Minister," he said, "it calls to mind the affection and esteem which he had for the commercial travellers in Wellington. Mr. Massey valued the work done by the commercial travellers in Wellington, and it redounds to their credit. Not only did. they do their duly at the war, but helped the country alonji at home." Mr. Nash proceeded to allude to what the commercial travellers did at Christmas time for the children. It was a good thing, he said, that, owin_g to Palmerston North's central position, they had a number of commercial travellers banded together hare. The association could bo such a powerful factor not only in Palmerston North but all over the Dominion

It is a well-known fact that Mr. Massey never forgot an old friend, states the "New Zealand Herald." Some time ago, when he was on a: flying visit to Auckland, word came to him that an old resident of Otahuhu was in failing health, and had asked to see him. Although unusually busy, Mr. Massey immediately took a motor-car and visited Ins. old acquaintance, much to the latter's delight.

"Women will live in town instead of going to the country with their husbands," Eaid Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland, on Imday, when a young woman intimated her refusal to join her husband in the country. Counsel for the husband said his client had been brought to the Court on one occasion by writ of arrest. Mr. Hunt: "Not issued by me." The husband: "This woman " Mr. Hunt: "Stop. If you talk like that vbu cannot expect her to live with you. Take her out for a cup of morning tea, and then go back with her to your home." The wife: "I will not go.' Mr. Hunt: "Then you will not get an order for maintenance. You go back to your husband." The Magistrate asked Adjutant Gordon to do her best to effect a reconciliation.

"One of the most difficult things the. suburbanite can set himself out to accomplish," remarked a Lyall Bay resident to a "Post" reporter to-day, "is to convince the Corporation authorities that his street is not sufficiently lighted. The good old standby answer is that the lines are already fully loaded, and thai-, material is not available in any case, but surely the t-ouncil will answer requests differently in such localities as are being changed over. In these districts every foot of street line is being overhauled, and as the city now has ample power, as far as the changed-over areas are concerned, there seems to be no real reason why the outer streets and roads should not be more reasonably lighted. It is strange, moreover, that the city authorities do not recognise the fact that the dingy lighting apparently preferrd for various tramway shelters in the outer parts of the city encourages their use in a manner never intended by the tramway authorities, and definitely discourages their use as waiting sheds^" A lively difference of opinion has occurred in tile Bay of Islands electorate in connection with the selection of a site for a. wharf in Whaneaxuru Harbonr. It appears that 'Colonel Allen Bell the member for the district, arranged to have £850 placed on the Estimates for the construction of the wharf. Unfortunately, the settlers could not agree on tne selection of the site, and Colonel Bell, who is a nun of extraordinary virility, and who has an astonishing freedom of expression, was asked to settle the question. On arrival atJiVhangaruru (says the "Northlander"), Colonel Bell said : "I have come to meet my constituents, give them the glad hand, and to consolidate the vote for next election, not to take part in your local disputes. Since I was returned to Parliament I have been a man of peace. I never attend a meeting in any district Where local troubles are ventilated, nor do I intend to do so. It is quite plain tome that if I select your wharf. site I run a chance of having the disappointed parties voting against me, as I am going to ask you to allow me to appoint Captain John Bollons as the scapegoat. H» w thoroughly capable of selecting the site, and not being dependant on | your votes, does not care a damn for any of you." The same paper states that after an inspection of the sites a lively discussion took place between the contending parties." Colonel Bell was evidently so impressed that b* decided to leave the selection of the wharf site to Captain Bollons, who is advised to give ill's decision by wireless after his steamer has got clear of Whangaruru Heads.