LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 17766, 14 September 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Masterton farmer informed a ‘ Times 1 representative that he recently used up the last of his store of benzine, purchased at 17s a case shortly after the outbreak of war. The same farmer purchased a ton and a-halt‘ of sugar at less than 3d a lb for use on his table shortly before the acute shortage took place. The only thing his keen foresight did not prompt him to do was to sell his farm at the top of the boom, and for this ho is extremely sorry.

Making amends for another's mistake after six years had passed was the purport of a Setter received by an Ashburton grocer (says the ‘ Guardian ’). A former customer who has now left the district wrote stating he had' found, in looking over old receipts, that he had been undercharged by 10s on one occasion, and ho therefore sent a postal note for that amount to wipe out the debt. The grocer esteems his former customer’s _ sense of right very highly, but as the mistake was made six years ago, and long since written off, he intends to return the monev. So now the punctilious customer will still have his 10s, and can say with Shakespeare ; “I feel within mo a peace above all earthly dignities, a ttill and quiet conscience.”

Passengers on the Huddart, Parker steamer Jfcalandia, which reached Sydney on August 29 from Melbourne, Witnessed an interesting sight when the vessel was off Gabo Island. Nearing the island the officer on watch noticed that the water ahead was absolutely studded with fins, and half an hour later the Zealandia was steaming through an enormous shoal of fish, which extended on all sides as far as the eye could reach. They lay just below the surface, with their fins projecting above the water, and only moved when the ship came too close. Those on board ‘believed them to be sharks or black whales, but the general opinion in Sydney shipping circles is that they were a shoal of tunny. These fish periodically visit Australian Welters, and provide good sport for anglers.

At Friday’s meeting of the Southland County Council the county dork reported that the whole of the loan of £25,000 for six months at 6£ per cent, interest had been subscribed. lie advertised the loan on one day, and the whole amount had been subscribed by noon of the following day. As a matter of fact, in two days loan was over-subscribed by nearly TOO per cent. The report was received, and considered to be highly satisfactory. Two young sheep farmers residing in the Aki'tb district had seventy-four bales of wool at the recent Wellington wool sale. They have ja't received their returns, and have worked out their profit on the clip, and they are now wondering what it would have been had they sent the wool to London. The clip realised £4lB Is Bd, while the charges were £387 8s 7d, leaving a profit of £3O 13s Id. The charges were made up as follows: —Shearing £Bl, cartage and boat-loading £27 14s, woolpacks £27 14s, receiving, weighing, and cataloguing £lO 9s, freight (from Akitio landing to Wellington), and storage £49 ss, wharfage £3 14s, insurance (in transit) and stamps £1 10s 9d, cartage from wharf to store and insurance £4 0s 2d, shepherd and keep £150; total £387 8s 7d.

The following humorous paragraph, taken from the ‘ Methodist Times,’ is at the expense of Rev. W. E. Sleep, a luglilyestimablo gentleman who in recent years was in charge of Edendalc circuit: ‘ Punch ’ has got hold of a joko that for some years has never failed to raise a laugh in our annual conference. We have a home missionary named Sleep, and we have a home mission station called Nightcaps; and, by the most natural law of gavitation that can he thought of, the two have been drawn together. It seems, indeed, as if (,’ney cannot be kept apart. For some years the home mission secretary regularly reads the announcement; “ Nightraps—Sleep.” Then there came a break. Sleep went elsewhere, and Nightcaps became the domicile of somebody else. But the only place for Sleep was Nightcaps, and so, at the last conference, the disjoined pair were reunited, and the brethren raised again the laugh has caught the ear of dear old ' Punch ’ in far-away London.

A farmer in town yesterday received a summons for his rates. He forthwith went round to the council offices and paid £ls on account, and asked that the summons should be withdrawn, as he would pay the rest as soon as he could. This is an'instance of the tightness in money felt by sheep farmers. Members of the council, which' was then sitting, having no doubt a fellow-feeling, could nut bo too hard on tho man, especially as he was taking up dairying this year, and there was therefore a prospect of his being able to pay. The summons was withdrawn.— ‘ Wanganui Chronicle.’ • ,

At a meeting of the creditors of William Allan Hopkins, held at Christchurch yesterday, the Assignee submitted a statement- showing that the liabilities were £45,710 and the assets £19,441 —a deficiency of £26,269. The amount of secured debts was shown as £39,120, and unsecured £43,210.

Mr Kiss ell, Acting Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department, and Mr Gavey, electrical engineer in charge of the Lake Coleridge installation, returned to Christchurch last night from the lake, -whither they wont on Sunday to investigate the trouble discovered in connection with the concrete foundation at the new unit. Mr Kissell elates that the trouble was not of a serious character, though it would probably result in the postponement of the commissioning of the third pipe line recently finished. It had been hoped that the third pipe line would have been put into commission before the end of this month.

A man named Robert Hanna was charged at Rangiota yesterday with manslaughter. Accused was the driver of a hone and gig which collided with a motor cycle on June 25. A man named Robert Bianie, who was in the gig with him, fell out, fractured his skull, and died on Juno 30. The magistrate at the inquest returned a verdict, that death was caused by the negligent and reckless manner in which Hanna was driving. The monthly meeting oFthe Dunedin Athenajum Committee was held on day night, Dr J. Dickie presiding. It was reported that the income up to September 10 of this year exceeded that for the corresponding period of last year by about £39; that seventy-two volumes had been added to the library since last meeting; and that there had been a net increase of nineteen in the membership during the past month. The committee decided, in accordance with the custom of previous years, to offer again this year tickets of membership of the institute as prizes to the pupils attending the primary »ohoola of the city and suburbs and the local High Schools. A presentation was received of the Statistics of the Stale of Tasmania for 1919-20; and it was agreed to procure twenty new works recommended by the Library Committee.

The fourth annual general meeting and convention of the Motor Garage Proprietor® and Cycle Traders’ Associations of New Zealand' was opened at Auckland yesterday. Mr De Orozier, of Christchurch (president), was in the chair, and the members present were representative of many districts of the Dominion, somo coming from as far south as luvcrvargill. During the convention members will meet in deputation all the local members of Parliament,' and will discuss with them the following points: —Tariff matters, Arterial Hoads Bill, universal traffic regulations, registration cl cars, and transport of petrol. An open meeting of all members and friends and all parties interested in the motor trade will be held on Thursday afternoon, when an address upon the subject ‘ What Motor Traction la Doing for New Zealand’ will be delivered by Mr 6. B. Rodgers (president of the Wholesale Motor Traders’ Association). Mr A. Q. Cate, of the Vacuum Oil Proprietary, will alio speak on the petroleum situation. The annual report and 'balance-sheet ibowed receipts amounting to £4,987, and cash in hand £389. The working account showed receipts £2,507, and the balancesheet showed assets amounting to £1,292, liabilities £995, including a large reserve for possible defaults in payments and I subscription*.