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Evening Star, Issue 18811, 9 December 1924, Page 6

The Postal Department recently repainted pillar boxes in various parts of the town and suburbs. These have apparently proved an attraction to irresponsible youths who tales a delight in defacing the boxes and scratching out the collecting times painted on them in whits lettering. This is wanton destruction of Government property, and anyone caught disfiguring the boxes will bo brought before tho court. Hearing of the application by the Kaituna Lawn Tennis Club for a writ of injunction against the Kaituna Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club Company to prevent the Tennis Club from being dispossessed of the tennis courts has been fixed for "Wednesday morning of next week. Probate has been granted by His Honor Mr Justice Sim in the estates of Elizabeth M'Kinlay (Port Chalmers), Andrew Turnbull Anderson (Dunedin), and Gilbert Buchanan (St. Leonards). In the estate of Mary Jane Persson (Hyde) letters of administration have boon granted. In the Supreme Court at Blenheim today Richard Titus Gragg, aged thirtyeight, charged with illicit relations with a girl aged fifteen years and two months, was found not guilty.—Press Association telegram. The Milford Track walk is already being booked for at the Dunedin office of the Tourist Department, and there is widespread inquiry for accommodation at the other holiday resorts in Otago and Southland. Tho prospects indicate a busy tourist traffic, and persons who are arranging for holiday tours would act wisely by getting fixed up without delay. It is reported that an option for six months has been secured over an area of I2£ acres of land in South Dunedin by the local promoters of an amusement park. It is understood that the Otago Rugby League is the prime movers in the matter, and that Mr E. Anscombe is preparing a report which will shortly bo considered by the League. Judgment for the undermentioned amounts, with costs, was given for plain- * I'owinq- undefended cases at the Magistrate’s Court this morning J. and W. Faulkner v. John Wrathall (Rotorua), £33 2s, goods supplied; H. Paterson v, R. Graham (Bavcnsbourne), £5 ss. clothing supplied; J. Robertson v. A. M'lntosh (Midd’lemarch), £62 19s Id, amount of dishonored promissory note, and interest at 8 por cent.; Peter Noil M'Cubbin v. Geo. Bruce Courts, £5 10s; B. S. Power v. George Ross, £9 3s 9d ; E. Phimester v. Thomas E. Rogers, £l4 7b fid; Robert Borthwick v. S. H. Childs, £4 ]9s 7d ; E. T. Crawford v. P. Hampstead (Moeraki), £ls 18s 7d; same v. Park Tina (.Moeraki), £2 17s 9d: same v. H. Johnstone, £l4 7s fid; M’Lean’s, Limited v. Frank Henry, £8 Bs, and Wm. Little (Taieri Plain), £5 10s, all for amounts of accounts stated. _ Costs only (£1 11s fid) were awarded in the case Tonkin and Co. v. Margaret Rodgers.

A marvellous crop of something that looks very like oats has sprung up at Logan Park within the uncovered framework of the motor building, and every exposed part of the park is carrying a green coaling. The harbor spoil is evidently fertile. It will bo a very flue subsoil. for the horticultural operations, since the root drainage in such sandy stuff is all that'could bo desired, and we see now that there is no noxious ingredient. A resident of Ings avenue brought to this office for inspection yesterday a length of wafer pipe that was dug out of his ground after being down for only eleven years. The pipe was rusted right through, ’hie drainer who was called in to lay down a now pipe found what seemed to him to be the explanation of the rusting. The bedding was in hematite clay. The fact is worth noting. It may give a clue to other leakages, and thus to some extent account tor whatever is mysterious in the shortage of water in that borough. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Stock Exchange Mr Croagh, chairman, said the past year had been a period of greater prosperity than the previous twelve months. The business of sharebroking was on a better footing than it had ever been previously. A largo percentage of the public had learned that mortgages were not the only form of investment worth consideration. Ho believed that the number’of these who in the future would bo prepared to consider investing capital in gilt-edged securities would increase. At the same time, it was to bo hoped there would before long bo a larger amount of money for mortgage purposes than there hail been for some time past.-—Press Association.

Although business is brisk in Dunedin there is a considerable amount of poverty, and the agents of the various philanthropic societies are finding heavy calls on their funds. One of these agents, in speaking about the matter to-day, said that his accounts when made up for the year will show about £4OO expenditure in excess of income, and ho has fined down his relief payments as much as possible. The distress is not only amongst the habitually shiftless, but also people who are really unfortunate, such as those who come from tho country to the town in the expectation of finding work here and find it impossible to squeeze in anywhere at once. Tho high prices of property and the high house rentals are leading factors in bringing many of these persons to poverty before they can get employment. Our informant adds that he does not think that the hope of getting work on the Exhibition is responsible for much of this distress, since the contractors have never held out inducements for workers to flock hither.

“ Mr Massey made a promise, and Mr Massay's promise stands. There's nn question about that.” The Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Pubic Works) made tin’s 1 remark during the discussion of matters relating to the Tckapo power scheme at Timaru yesterday, when considerable stress was laid hv the members of the deputation from the Tekapo Development League upon the promise made by Mr Massey in 1922 relative to South Canterbury people developing the scheme. “ We have never questioned that,” Mr Burnett, M.P. for Tcmuka, replied. “It is only the antLGovjcrnmcnt people who have done so.” “Mr Massey is our guiding star,” tho Minister said, “ and those who don’t agree with him I rather pity.” This in an earnest tone. “He is the gentleman I wish to bo loyal to, and shall he loyal to. My personal affection towards him is sufficient for that, as well as my regard for him as a man. The figure Mr Massey makes in Imperial matters. we as New Zealanders should be proud of.”—Our Christchurch correspondent.

“ The position with regard to unskilled jj-orkors is bettor than it has been for some time, but it should be better at this time of the year.” In those words a Christchurch union secretary yesterday summed up the present position with regard to the market for unskilled laborers. " The demand is equal to the supply as regards skilled men. The position regarding laborers was good last week on account of the opening of the freezing season, and the amount of work available in connection with the wool sale. Today, however, there are a good many applications from men out of work, and, considering the time of year, the position was not as good as it might be.” The Labor Department says that as far as work in Christchurch is concerned there are very few jobs coming in, though there are thirty men on the department's books all seeking laboring work. On the whole tho position is easing up as regards ■ those applying for work. It is more satisfactory now than it has been for ] some time, but there are still a good many , men in the city out of work. The posi- j tion in skilled trades is satisfactory. Tho demand for workers is being niet by a steady trickle of immigrants. As far as agricultural laborers are concerned, there arc more jobs offering than there are. men to fill them. There are numerous positions offering for ploughmen and the like, -and no men are available.-—Our Christchurch correspondent. Even in the ranks of the Labor Party there appear to be divisions as wide as those which the Labor Party says exist between it and other parties, finch differences of opinion have led to the ejection from two recent Sunday night meetings at the Labor Club of two followers of the principles of Communism, Mr 0. S. Thomson and a young “comrade.” The. disputes, which are reported to have caused a lot of “warm” talk and commotion at tho meetings, have led t<> correspondence between tho parties. Mr R. G. M'Donnell (secretary of the Otago Labor Representation Council) has written a.s follows to Mr Thomson:—-“I have been directed to inform you that you will not, be admitted to any future meetings of the Now Zealand Labor Party held under the auspices of the Otago Labor Representative Committee. I might point out that you have the right to appeal to tho Otago Labor Representative Committee against this decision.” To that epistle Mr'Thomson has replied: I desire to state that if a vote is taken at the next meeting of tho O.L.R.G. as to whether the 0.R.L.C., and not the executive only, is agreeable t-o_ hoar mo personally regarding the question of the determination of your executive to exclude the “Rods” from all the activities of the New Zealand Labor Party—and provided such vote is carried in favor of hearing mo, and provided also that a correct report of such hearing is submitted in your national executive for decision—■ then, and then only, shall I bo agreeable to make an appeal against ‘ democratic autocracy ’ and show why the work of vour executive is bound to be to the detriment of tho Now Zealand Labor Party," At tho Police Court yesterday William Henry Smith, who was represented by Mr G. J. L. White, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for n breach of a maintenance order made in respect to his wife. To-day application was made by Mr White and also by complainant for a rehearing of the case. Mr White said that added facts had come to light since yesterday. Smith had been visiting his wife regularly, and everything had been arranged for him to to the country to work. He had paid his wife 30s, and was actually arrested when reporting to the police. Evidence on similar lines to counsel’s statement was given by the complainant, who said she did not want her husband to be in gaol. Tho magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) formally granted the 1 rehearing, and then adjourned the case sine die on condition that accused paid £5 10s on or before December 31 next and kept up monthly payments of £7 each thereafter. He added that tlm maintenance officer was quite justified in taking the action he had.

“ New Zealand has very many keen sports,” rema"ked the Hon. R. F. Bollard, in a speech during his trip to the far north, " and ihe country is the better for them. Take the All Blacks’ visit to the Old Country. Why, I have seen men waiting patiently oy telephones, especially during tho week-ends, with all the energy they possess showing in their expressions for the result of a match played on a Saturday. The victories the All Blacks gain seem to make the sports ready for the next week’s work, and there is no doubt that in them they get.a big impetus.’-’

Very heavy clearances of butter and cheese from the port of Auckland have followed the record consignments received at the Auckland grading stores (says the ‘ Herald ’). From October 10 to date steamers loading at Auckland have lifted about 440,207 boxes of butter for English ports, and about 32,343 crates of cheese. The butter deliveries from store, tho bulk of which were for export, totalled 187,578 boxes for November of last year, while the export shipments for November of this year are about 260,750 boxes, a considerable increase. The largest butter cargo from Auckland since tho beginning of October was 100,370 boxes, loaded by the Orari Other shipments have been as follow: —Rotorua, 78,866; Moimoa, 24,071; Mamari, 36,518; Port Caroline, 40,002; Ksramoa, 38,476; Tnrakina, 13,000; Remueia, 37,000; Hertford, 70,504. Among keen sportsmen with the rod are Mr H. L. Russell, dean of Wisconsin University, and Professor Mnckliu, at present touring the dominion, chiefly with a view to a close investigation of the dairying industry ns conducted in New Zealand (states tho Auckland ‘Herald’). They spent several days trout-fishing at Lake Taupo, and regard the trip as the acme of their experience with the rod. In one day the visitors took twenty-eight fish, totalling 2101 b. “ This will not be believed in America,” said Professor Macklin, “ even with our photographic evi. douce. Why don’t you advertise your goods in the United States ? The largest we have ever heard of as being caught in the United States was 711) only, and hero we caught a 13-pounder on our first day out. Why don’t yon toll the world about this fishing and your scenery generally ? ” The prevalence of parochialism in tho Labor movement in New Zealand is deplored by the ‘ New Zealand Transport Worker,’ which declares that the plain truth is that there are far too many parish pump politics in industrial affairs in tho dominion. In many of the federations little or no notice was taken of the central office or the parent body. Each local craft union acted on its own initiative, with tho result that the so-called national organisation soon became a paper outfit. It was sometimes said that tho national organisation was no good and that what was wanted was local organisation. Such statements demonstrated the weakness of craft federations and showed the terrible lack of discipline that existed. Unfortunately, says the ‘Transport Worker,’ Labor has a very narrow outlook so far as its industrial policy is concerned. It should be (heir aim throughout tho movement to establish confidence in the central organisation of Labor, for by that means ’(hey could very soon obtain an individual Labor organisation with unity as its watchword. There is to be a record exodus of Aucklanders this Ynletido to the beautiful lakes of Otago (says ihe 1 Herald ’). Local bookings for the southern highlands are exceptionally heavy, whi’e those for the Milford Track trip represent a notable record for Auckland. An official inspection of the famous track lias just been completed, and everything is reported as being in excellent order and condition. Tho West C oast of the South Island, and particularly the rugged district containing the lowest glacier in the world, has attracted a largo number of Auckland holiday tourists this year. Local bookings to Mount Cook are also very good.