LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19319, 4 August 1926, Page 9

LOCAL AND GENERAL

After being in Auckland for over four months the crew of the American barque Guy 0. Goss yesterday left lor their port of shipment. The captain, the mate, the second mate, and the American able seaman left for America by the steamer West Calera, which sailed in the afternoon for San Francisco via Wellington and Lyttelton, their passages having been arranged by the American Consul. The eleven other members of the crew loft for Vancouver at midday by the Aorangi._ They are travelling as distressed British seamen, and their passages aro being paid by the Board of Trade. The monthly meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was held yesterday afternoon in the Hanover Street Hall. The president (Mrs Hiett) occupied the chair. An address on the ‘ Artillery of Prayer ’ was given by Mrs Didham. Mrs Elliot, of North-east Valley, consented to _ represent the union in connection with the work oi backward children, which meant keeping in touch with parents and teachers. A resolution was passed in favor of the Bible-in-Schools Bill. It _ was decided to make a special effort in September to raise money for the general funds. Letters were from Sir Charles Statham, Messrs T. K. Sidey, W. Dowme Stewart, and H. L. Tapley, M.P.s, in reply to the remits sent from the last meeting. Each expressed himself as favorable. Two or three of the jemita aro being provided for in Bills now before the House. Votes ot sympathy were passed with the relatives of the late Mrs Thcomin, Misses Hill and Nicol, the members standing in silence. The meeting concluded with a brief talk on the subject “ That alcohol, even in the smallest doses, directly destroys all power of mental concentration that is necessary to original research work.’ In connection with unemployment, it was. stated tha,t three yoai-s ago England had 2,000,(100 men out of employment, and America 3,000,000 unemployed. England still has 2,000,000 unemployed, and America has a shortage of 500,000 workmen. The meeting wondered if Prohibition would help to solve the present problem of unemployment. At yesterday’s sitting of the Select Committee of the House of Representatives which is considering the motor bus regulations the Hon. J. Barr, M.L.C., gavo evidence on behalf of the Christcnurch Tramways Board. He stated that the board bad extended its tramways beyond the city area, and, in fact, beyond what was economically sound. The Chairman: “Have you reached the limit yet?” Air Barr: “ On one side the sea is onr limit, and we have reached that. On the other side Dunedin—or, in fact, Bluff—is our limit.” The witness replied to an allegation that had been made that the Christchurch trams ran at a speed of thirty-five miles an hour. It had been proved that the most they could gee out of the trams was twenty-two miles an hour. That was without stops, and with stops they were lucky to get nineteen miles an hour out of them. The Christchurch Tramway Board was in favor of the regulations as originally drafted. The- cool stores reports show that, unlike other parts of the dominion, Southland’s dairy season was marked by an increase in production. There was a slight shrinkage in butter, clue to the Gore district’s butter, usually over 200 tons, being shipped through to Dunedin. Tne following are the butter figures : —1921-25,' 32,825 boxes; 192526, 23,840 boxes, showing a decrease of 225 tons. The cheese figures are:— 1924-25, 120.331 crates; 1925-26 141,929 crates, being an increase of 1,542 tons. The monthly increases show an improvement on the previous year in all months from November to July, the season being prolonged to the winter period owing to the excellent weather conditions prevailing.