LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 17767, 15 September 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Large herds of deer still continue to do extensive damage to turnip crops and ■pastures in the Hindis district (says the Cromwell 'Argus’), nightly raiding the paddocks in large nnmtors. Settlers are at their wits’ end to meet the position, and many are, heavy losers. Some settlers found it necessary to turn sheep on to the turip crops earlier than usual in order to get the benefit of the crop. The deer are rapidly increasing in numbers in this locality, and if allowed to go unchecked settlors therein will have to lace a very serious position. The deer there are a pest in every sense-of the word. Ladybirds are perhaps best known by children, into whoso play they enter, but they also serve a useful _ purpose as an enemy of certain plant diseases. A consignment of 7jCOO of a certain species ot ladybird has been received from California by Dr Tillvord, biologist to the Cawlhion Institute (Nelson), for liberation in aphisinfected districts. Some of theso_ ladybirds have been set free in the neighborhood of New Plymouth.

A report' that an owner of business promises in Devonport bad serve®, notices to quit on throe European temyits in favor of prospective Chinese occupiers, who were to pay increased rental, aroused indignation at a meeting of the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce. A resolution was passed deprecating owners leasing property to Asiatics, and thereby depriving Britishers of their means of livelihood. It was reported that the tenants concerned would refuse to be"evicted, and that they intended to leave it to the magistrate to decide the question on the point of equity apart from the legal aspect. At Hughenden (Queensland) some two weeks ago Christina Murphy, who had become demented through the loss of her baby a short while ago, went to the cemetery, dug up the coffin, and took the child’s body out. When a mounted policeman arrived she was trying to restore life by massaging the baby’s face with brandy. The policeman put the body back into the grave and conveyed the mother to hospital.

Stories of distress among returned soldiers, due to the prevailing unemployment, were told by members of the executive of the Wellington R.S.A. Ono member told of an eS-soldier who was turned out of his house by his landlord. The soldier’s wife had just given birth to their first child, and he was depending on jobs he received of half a day’s duration here and there. Another told of--a fanner, who, with his wife and two children, walked from Palmerston North to Feilding recently looking for work. Present juries would not be impressed by the treatment accorded Wellington jarors in 1861, on the occasion of a “clean” Supreme Court session. Loth to discharge tne jurymen before they' did something for the State and Empire, His Honor Mr Justice Johnston decided to improve their minds. to the Wellington 1 Independent ’ of November 8, 1861, the learned judge “had no desire to become rusty for want of work, and equally as little desire to allow much study to make him very lean and pale and leaden-eyed, ao he took the opportunity of preparing an elaborate address on law and order for the jurymen ”!

An old story of the early days of Now Zealand has found its way into tho Glasgow ‘Herald’; “Sheep-owners have often been on then- guard against tho depredations of aheep-stealcrs,” says the writer. “One of the boldest of these offenders was a certain Mackenzie, who ‘lilted’ a thousand sheep in one night in March, 1855, from a run near Timaru, and disappeared with them among the Southern Alps. The upland plaim'in which he took refuge commemorates h;s exploit to this day by bearing his name. Ho was rollowed, captured, and set on horseback ■with his hands tied, and then driven to Christchurch, 150 miles, distant, by men armed with loaded pistols. When eerving his five years, sentence ho made three dashes for freedom, at the third of which he was shot and, badly wounded. Ultimately be was allowed to leave the country, when tho New Zealand sheep-owners doubtless, thanked heaven that they were rid of a knave.”

At the Magistrate’s Court, Invercargill, yesterday, Thomas-James White was committed fox trial on a siajgo of the theft of £2O, with violence, from tho person of John Henry. Russell, a farm laborer, who alleged that the accord attacked him in the railway yard after ho refused to supply him with liquor, knocked him down, and abstracted the money from his pockets. At a largely-attended meeting of the South Canterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union in Timaru yesterday it was decided to emphatically protest against the suggestion that the Postal Department should levy £2'on the holders of all rural mail boxes. It waa further agreed' that only those who contribute should ba served with mails. Comment on the increase in crimes against property was made by Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at Christchurch yesterday, when a young man was charged with the theft of harness. The magistrate said that a deplorable state of affairs existed. On looking over recent statistics he found that the crime that had increased more than any other was the crime against property. Offences against persons had not increased, but crimes against property had increased 50 per-cent., and ho was sorry to say that a far creator number of offences had been committed by men between the ages of twenty-one and twentyfive. It looked as if a great many young thieves were growing up in the Dominion. There was only one way in which to deal with crime of this kind, and that was to impose severe sentences in the cases in which convictions were recorded. At tho aAnual convention, in Auckland of the Motor Garage Proprietors and Cycle Traders’ Association the following officers were elected :—President, Mr H. 0. Jones (Auckland); treasurer. Mr J. Belt (Palmerston North); auditor, Mr. Fuller (Palmerston North); councillors — Messrs F. J. Farrell (Auckland), H. E. Whittaker (South Auckland), P. B. Stanton (Taranaki), D. Baker Gabb (Hawke's Bay), J. R. Perry (Manawatu), H. S. Hairtmon (Wanganui), T. Wagg (Wairarapa), S. Winn (Nelson), W. Mathieson (Canterbury). H. J. Jenkins (North Otago), J. Black (Otago), P. H. Vickery (Southland). A statement' was submitted by the council to members of Parliament Concerning tariff matters, Arterial Roads Bill, universal traffic regulations, registration of cars, and the transport of petrol. Further correspondence has passed between the Miners’ Federation and the mine owners' with regard to the decision to refer the existing dispute to the ■Arbitration Court. Mr O’Rourke, who has just commenced duties as secretary of the federation,. repeats the request that another conference be hold to consider the drafting of a national agreement on a practical basis. The owners’ reply, signed by Mr Pryor, makes'it definitely clear that the association will not depart from the present 'policy of local agreements. A development,, held, to ,be worthy of special notice, is the work of the Internationa! Chamber of Commerce. . This organisation .is a federation of_ the main economic forces of the countries included in its membership. The international headquarters are in Paris. It has a board of directors, as well as various national organisations. At tho first congress of the Internationa! Chamber, held in London recently, delegates were invited from _all countries,-and were eligible for admission to the chamber. For the purpose of the congress, subjects for discussion were grouped under five headings—finance, production, distribution, transportation; and devastated regions. Each was considered by a separate committee, whose conclusions were at the end of the week brought before the whole conference. By arrangement with the High .Commissioner, the New Zealand Government „ appointed Messrs P. P.. Sasgood and A. Michia to represent the commercial interests of the Dominion, and these delegates will forward a report in due course. The development is regarded with great interest, and the question of New Zealand joining in. the movement 1 is to he seriously considered. Papers ..relating to the matter are in the possession of the Department of Industries and Commerce. _