NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 121, 25 May 1931, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

I Successful Experiment. The crushing operations carried out at Moiling on Saturday in order to test the' gold content of material brought from Otago were quite successful, and it is believed that the results will bo- satisfactory. Tho Undersecretary for! Mines (Mr. A. 11. Kimbell) stated to-day that samples of the crushed material had been forwarded to the Dominion Analyst (Mr. W. Donovan), who would later forward a report to.the Mines Department. Brand for New Zealand Meat. ' An article from "Tho Post's" London correspondent published last Friday referred to the stops being taken by the Now Zealand Meat Board against tho wrongful practice of some British meat purveyors of selling other imported meat as "New Zealand." Last year the Stock Comniitteo of tho House "of had before it a petition requesting official recognition of an electrical devise patented by Mr. W. E. Hufton, of Lower Hutt, for the branding of meat carcasses. Mr. Hufton, who is a fitter employed by the Wellington Meat Export Co., Ltd., elainis that such a, branding appliance for use on carcasses exported from New Zenland would bo of immense value not only to the exporter but to tho country as a whole.' Tho Stock Committee recommended that the question, of adopting an identification brand for all exported New Zealand, meat should be considered. No official action has been taken in the matter, but the London officials of the Meat Board have been interesting themselves in it, and recently Mr. Hufton received a letter from the London office of the board requesting him to have sent Homo three carcasses —mutton, lamb, and pork—• branded with the device so that an inspection might be made. Two carcasses, one of mutton and the other or! lamb, have been branded and are awaiting shipment, and it is hoped to have one of pork ready to send forward later on. Exhibitions of Art. The differing functions of an annual exhibition of art, such as that organised by the Auckland Society of Arts, and those of a public art gallery, were discussed by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloej when he opened the jubilee exhibition of the society at Auckland on Saturday. "I notice that there has been a controversy about the selection x oi pictures for the Mackelvie Trust," said His Excellency. "This leads me to ask what may be deemed the objects of an exhibition such as this and of a pemanent public art gallery. If one does not know what one's objective is it is difficult to know how that objective is to be attained. Speaking as a man in the street on the subject of art, I should have thought the object of an annual exhibition such as this is to outline the progress of art. It seems to me that you would be perfectly justified in not merely placing on your walls attractive works of ait, but samples which showed evidences of genius in some direction." Howovor, when the filling of a public gallery was in hand there were other cosidorations, said His Excellency. A public ga.llery maintained by funds largely provided by the public should seek to promote withiu its four walls by tho silent eloquence of its pictures an inspiration and a comfort for the ordinary citizen of refined tastes. It seemed to him that as tonic for even tho physically indisposed a single picture might possess more invigorating properties than the physic of the greatest doctors. Farm Couple's Experience. The experience of a married couple in regard to a farm position, as related by the wife, has some public interest in view of the discontent over the unemployment relief system (states the "New Zealand Herald"). After eighteen months of difficulty the couple decided to seek a position as married couple on a.farm, with a view of securing a holding, of their own. They answered- an advertisement from a farmer in tho North, and he replied stating his terms. The husband, who at the time was at a Public Works camp in the King Country, telegraphed acceptance and walked fifteen miles to join a service car. He borrowed the money for the fare of himself and his wife to go to tho farm, and after a night's delay on the way owing to bad roads, arrived at the, farm, where the farmer told them ho did not want them. Finally he said he would consider engaging them under tho unemployment scheme. He expected the Unemployment Board to pay 25s a week and he ss. This the couple accepted, as they had no money and no choice. While waiting for this arrangement to bo completed tho wife found that she was expected to do the general housework, cooking, washing, .ironing, bread-baking, butter-making, and mending, which she considered excessive. Before the contract; was commenced, however, (lie farmer said he had definitely decided not to have :i married couple, as ho could not afford it. They were driven to tlio train, and had only three shillings and eleven-, pence to carry them to the nearest town, whore they found a friendly :it-| uiosplierc and some relief work.

Banks Close Brandies. A sign of the times is the action-of some ok tlio banking institutions in Cliristuhurch in closing unprofitable agencies that were opened during a period of great rivalry three years ago, says an exchange. Among the agencies that have been closed were those of the Bank of New Zealand and the Commercial Bank ol: Australia at Now Brighton, that ot! the Commercial Bank at Ijinwood, and that of the National Bank of Now Zealand at Addington. It is al§o announced that the Lyttelton agency of the Union Br.vlc of Australia is to bo closed shortly. Sir James Parr's Warning. The abolition of tho Territorial system was criticised by Sir James Parr i when speaking at Whitf ord on Friday j evening in support of Mr. \V. W. Massoy, tho Reform Party candidate) in the Hauraki by-election (states tho "New Zealand Herald"), "I recognise the need for drastic economy, but I fear the Government, in wrecking the territorial system, has gone too far," said Sir James. "Once a position is surrendered it is difficult to recover." Sir James said he was not surprised at the action of tho Government, for it was in keeping with-its attitude at the Naval Conference last year. On that occasion the New Zealand Government had signed tho London Treaty, one clause of which reduced the British Navy from 70 cruisers to. 50, although such a< ro- ■ duction was strongly opposed by two exports in Lord Jellicoe and Lord Beatty. "I have no doubt that Mr. Holland is quite pleased with Mr. Forbes's attitude in these matters, but 1 feel sure New Zcalanders generally will not sympathise with a policy which experts declare has reduced Great Britain to second position as regards naval strength, and'has exposed tho Empire to grave risk," Sir James concluded. Maori Boy as "Exhibit." A well-built Maori lad in long trousers was the principal "exhibit" in a case heard in the Morrinsville Court before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, when the truant officer of the Auckland Education District prosecuted. To Mapc Wirir liana for not sending Ills child to school (states tho "Auckland Star"), Tho truant officer produced .papers from the headmaster of the Morriusville School certifying that tho child was entered on the school roll as being 12 years old, and had not attended, school this year. The defendant declared through an interpreter that the boy was born in January, 1917. lie had been enrolled by a sister, who made a mistake about the age. "I think tho boy is over age. He looks more than 14. 1 suppose this is the boy/ cominentod the Magistrate. Defendant gave an assurance that it was the boy. The Magistrate) dismissed tho ease, and gave instructions for the interpreter's fee to be paid by the Education Department. Return to Europe. A curious effect of the difficult times through which New Zealand is passing is tho drift back to Europe of members of the Dalmatian community (states the "New Zealand Herald.") There is evidence that this movement is steadily gathering momentum, although so far there is no marked difference in the number of actual departures this yoar, compared with those of last year. It is the practice of the Dalmatian gumdigger, upon leaving New Zealand for his own country, to sell prior to his departure any gum that he may hold. In this dealing ho is concerned less with the prico obtained than with, securing' ready money. The market lately has been decidodly aware of operations of this type. Tho coming and going of Dalmatians has always been a nioro or less seasonal process, contributed to by tho movement of those who have taken holiday trips' to their homoland and returned. This year, how-, ever, although the figures indicating this movement show no remarkable variation, it is stated that many of the Dalmatians leaving tho Dominion do not intend to return. If that is so tho effect should not be apparent until later, when those who leave now would, in the ordinary course of events, have come back to New Zealand. The major factors contributing to this movement are said to be the state of the kauri gum industry and the failure of the Government to make suitable provision for those men, for the most part born to the soil, to revert fo the land as a means of livelihood. Petrol from Russia? Dissatisfaction at the disparity between the landed cost of benzine and the price charged to the consumers was expressed by delegates at the annual Auckland provincial conference of the New Zealand Farmers-Union, which concluded in Hamilton on Friday (states a local correspondent). Several speakers considered that it would be to New Zealand's advantage to enter into trading agreements with Eussia, which was prepared to sell petrol at 2^d a gallon. It was alleged that already the public were using a certain amount of Russian oil without knowing it. Some information on the stato of the Eussian oil industry was given by Mr. A. Tetzner, 'formerly, a member of the Duma, and a governor of a province in Eussia. He said Eussian petrol was now being sold openly in England, and he saw *no reason why the Dominion should not purchase cheaper petrol from that country. A remit that the Government bo urged to take over the oil imports industry, eliminate the advertisoments, and sell tho benzine, subject to taxes, at the lowest possible price, was carried. . A suggestion from the Bay of Plenty branch that tho Government should 'be a factor in the control of the petrol trade, with a view to protecting the user and thus preventing exploitation, was also carried.