Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, 1917. ON THE LAND.

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 September 1917, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, 1917. ON THE LAND.

The high prices which have ruled for some time past for all classes of fat and store stock have placed farmers on the West Coast on a much better footing- financially- This, of course, applies to all parts of the Dominion, but on account of the many disadvantages under which our settlers have- laboured in past years, the increased revenue has been especially welcome to them. It is gratifying to know that the West Coast can supply fat stock much in excess of local requirements. Not very long ago we had to depend to a great extent upon the arrival of cattle shipped from the North Island and , what was driven over the ranges from Canterbury. How things have changed! From the Grey Valley and South Westland alone large

drafts of prime cattle are constantly being' sent to the freezing works at Christchurcli. Other parts of the West. Coast also supply frequent consignments, and a big business is being done between the two coasts. The increased facilities provided in the way of rail connection have, of course, been instrumental in providing an outlet for surplus stock, and it is anticipated that when the Otira tunnel is completed the large trade now in existence will lie substantially increased- The West ('oast contains admirable cattle country, and as our settlers are becoming more alive to the adaptability of their land for this purpose a big future is predicted for those who are engaged in the

agricultural industry- Although

ii lethargic spirit lias hitherto prevailed among West Coast farmers, they are awakening to the fact that the thorough cultivation of the soil is of paramount importance if farming is to he carried on successfully. During the past year the plough has been fairly'extensively used, hut it is regrettable that' those avlio can best afford to till the land are content, to draw their profits from merely grazing their stocks on the same pasture year after year. It has frequently been said that when Canterbury and other outside farmers are made aware of what our land is capable of producing, some of those holding

large tracts of country on tiie West Coast will have to give way to incji thoroughly conversant with up-to-date farming methods. When the prevailing prices of land in other parts of New Zealand are compared with those now ruling on the West Coast, and taking into account the productivity of both, it is but natural to assume that the time is not far listant when we may expect a jooni in our broad acres. A mater which should be brought mder the notice of the Minister )f Agriculture, is the necessity 'or having an officer in the disrict who could give farmers ex)ert advice. The guidance of such in expert would frequently be invaluable. The farmers are avoured at intervals ' throughout he year by visits from several iffieers of the Department, but al-

When the prevailing prices of land in other parts of New Zealand are compared with those now ruling on the West Coast, and taking into account the productivity of both, it is but natural to assume that the time is not tar listant when we may expect a jooni in our broad acres. A mater which should be brought mder the notice of the Minister )f Agriculture, is the necessity 'or having an officer in the disrict who could give farmers ex)ert advice. The guidance of such in expert would frequently be invaluable. The farmers are avoured at intervals ' throughout he year by visits from several iffieers of the Department, but al-

though these yentlemen are most courteous and obliging, they cannot possibly attend to their multifarious duties and be of tiny great assistance to a fanning community in a scattered district such as the West Coast. It is the general opinion that the appointment of an expert to be engaged solely in periodically visiting all parts of the West Coast for the purpose of advising and assisting farmers would result in incalculable good. The district as a farming centre is growing, and will grow in importance, and the farmers would hail with satisfaction if the Stock Department's present inadequate staff was supplemented as suggested.. MILITARY TENSIONS. The Government proposals dealing with military pensions and allowances will be submitted to members, probably to-night, at a secret sitting of the House to enable an informal discussion before the Pensions Bill is brought down. This Bill, together with

the schedule relating to allowance, is framed on an entirely new scheme of payments, in which the position of wives and widows will be the outstanding feature of the increased provision. It is understood that the proposed scheme, though elaborate and complicated in its allocation of benefits respecting other dependent, contains fine simple essen-

tial in the shape of an allowance to a soldier's wife, which will be nearer thirty shillings a week than £l. With this as a basis, the provision tor children will be made not by direct increase in the present allowance, but in the shape of extra, allowances to the mother, while the schedule will provide for a special allowance in cases of motherless children and other dependents under the regulations. The actual pensions, as Sir James Allen already stated frequently in the House, will be only matters fixed by statute, and it is understood that the'pensions scale will be somewhat lower than that of the allowances owing io the lengthy period over which the pensions operated- The Govern-

ment's present proposals, though not yet entirely completed, are estimated to represent an increased amount of! liability of between £850,000 and £1,000,000, The chief provision, apart from the pension schedule _ improvement, is a clause providing that a pension shall be awarded upon a basis of physical disability regardless of the pensioner's earning power which, owing to his own efforts, may increase after the pension is settled, without prejudicing his claim to a pension as 'at first iixed. While the Government's proposals will fall considerably short of the Second Division League's general demands, it is considered by administrators that the most essential provisions are better and at the same time_ based on greater financial stability.

A DESERVING APPEALWe readily respond to the request of the Salvation Army's local representative to draw the attention of our readers to the fact that the annual self-denial appeal has once again come round. This year greater demands than ever before are being made by the 'Army, so that its good work may be carried on. The Army has over 80,000 destitute people (because of this war) under its care, and nearly 1,500,000 soldiers and sailors are cared for every month, so this will give readers some idea of the magnitude of the work of the Army in connection with the war. It has also become one of the largest missionary organisations in existence, operating in no X' j.1.„-. r-A nn „«kmc .iiirl nnln_

fewer than 54 countries ana colonies, and preaching the Gospel in over thirty different languages in different parts of the world. During the next few weekstbe people are requested to exhibit, the true spirit of self-denial; these are truly limes of self-sacrifice and this' is undoubtedly a noble and

worthy cause. Donations may be sent To Captain Gil-IngUs. or given to any local member of the Salvation Armywmmmhmmbmm——wrin Don't, forget the children's concert in St. John's Church Hall,. Guinness Street, on Wednesday 26th inst., at 8 o'clock. Musical items,' recitations, frowning of Flower Queen. ■ Admission 6d, children 3d.—Advt.

The lion, secretary of the Soldiers' Tobacco Fund begs to acknowledge, with many thanks the receipt of 17s from Mrs J. Curtain. Totara Flat, being proceeds of a social; also 5s from Mrs Holmes, Blaketown. A member of the Grey County Council yesterdav expressed the opinion that there will be very little change in the personnel of the Council after the November elections. This was used as an argument in favor of a particular scheme, which it was decided to defer until members had been to the hustings. For bronchitis or asthma inhale Nazol

through the Nasrol Inhaler. Immediate relief will follow. Nazol is penetrating and germ-killing. Start taking it to-day. —Advt. The lambing season has been most satisfactory, and the percentages in tlie Grev Vallev and other parts of "the cl

trict are said to be a record, there being an abnormal number of "doubles." The winter generally has been a very mild one, and, with the advent of a comparatively early spring and a good growth of grass, the young stock should make good headway.

Special Value—Violet Copying Pencils, 6d each, or 5s 6d per dozen, obtainable from A. E. Kilgour's, the shop for value. —Advt. Several experiments in regard to lucerne growing are being carried out in various parts of the West Coast and the result is being awaited with considerable interest. Lucerne has "Been established in the Grey Valley, and the owner, of the plot is so pleased with the abundance of the growth of this incomparable fodder plant that he is about to cultivate a much larger area. * When colds and influenza are prevalent let Nazol protect your family. One dose r, day keeps colds away. Good for all ages." 60 doses 1/6.— Advt.

It is quite evident tliut the standaid ot physical illness for active service has been relaxed in so far as tenth-ballot reservists are concerned. The CI camp might have some bearing on the point. The fact remains that the Military Medical Hoard, at present sitting on the Coast, has notably increased the percentage of "fit" men. "Do as ] do, and use the famous 'No Rubbing' Laundry Help on washing days. It saves clothes time and labor. Only Is for seven weekly washings. Local grocers."—Advt. At yesterday's meeting of the Grey County Council it was decided to apply to the Inangahua County Council for tiie hire of the hitter's steam road roller, to be employed on the main Grey Valley road. It was pointed out that the (scarifier would dig up the sides of the road and spoon the metal, of which there was a. sufficiency, to the middle of the rood, and that the machine would do the work at a less cost than the old method. Everybody's praising it —N&zol. fetter than mixtures or syrups for relii?viii K coughs and colds. Ready for use in office, shop or Sixty doses 1/6.—Advt At the next meeting of the Inangahua County Council Cr H. Betts will move that the resolution granting a war bonus of one shilling per day to the Council's workmen be rescinded, being of the opinion that the financial position of the Council should be carefully reviewed before the bonus is paid. Cr Betts argues

that it is more in the interests of (Tie men at, present employed to pay lis per day and keep all at work, rather than pay 12a and discharge some, and thereby do an injustice. A new stock of Ladies' Blouses just opened for Spring and Summer wear. Dainty styles in Crepe-de-chine, Tussores, Jap Silks in white cream, sky, pink, etc. Prices run from 12s 6d, 17s 6d to 30s. These new Blouses were made specially to our order, 'ihe latest showing of new Blouses is well worth a visit. W. McKay and Son, Leading Drapers, Mawhera Qiiiiv. —Advt. Mr C. Lilley, of Ashbnrton, had a unique experience while motoring from Ashburton on his way to Waimate (says the Ashbnrton Guardian). He was travelling along a road with a high crown formation, near Carew when something went wrong with the steering gear, and the car swerved almost at right angles, and landed on top of a seven-wire fence. Mr Lilley had shut off the petrol and applied the brakes before the motor reached the fence, so that when it landed on the top wire, which it broke, the motor did not turn over. Only slight damage was done to the under-stnicture of the motor.

W. McKay and Son have just landed from London a dainty lot of Children's Millinery in Silk and 'Mnslin effects. The prices are the lowest, 4s 6d up to 17s 6d. Ladies' Ready-to-Wear Hats, in the new styles for spring 7s 6d, 9s 6d, 12s 6d. If you want the latest styles call on W. McKay and Son, the Leading Drapers, Mawhera Quay.—Advt. ■

The khaki-clad women serving in the army in various capacities have a most admirable effect on military tempers, says a writer in the London Daily Express. A sumptuous motor car was being driven along the Strand by an Army Service Corps woman driver. The only occupant of the car was an elderly officer. Suddenly a reckless paper boy darted off the kerb. The brakes were perforce jammed on sharply, and the red-tabbed officer was rudely pitched forward. He looked up angrily, only to catch the smiling eves of his chaffeuse. Then he picked up his cap, his glasses, and his papers—and said never a word ! We have just opened up a new range of

■White Silk and Crepe de Chine Blouses. They are all in good qualities, with the new shaped sailor and cape collars. These Silk Blouses are priced wonderfully low ' at 10s 6d, 12s 6d, 14s 6d and 17s 6d' each ' and the Crepe de Chine Blouses, white, " black and colors, at 21s, 255, 30s, 35s ea,ch. ) 'At Walker's, Boundary Street. —Advt. , The scarcity of labor for the carrying on of public works was again referred to at yesterday's meeting of tfie Grey ' County Council, when a report by the! > Engineer (Mr J. Higgins) was received on the proposal to organise a working . party to carry out works in the backblocks, authorised for some time past, but for which no labor has been offering. It was stated that a flying. squadron of 1 workmen would cost the Council some- > thing like £7OO a year the cost of trani sit being a considerable item. Individual workmen are practically unobtainable in many parts of the County at present, but just how labor is going to prove more plentiful on an organised basis was not quite clear, unless it be the cruarantee of continuon employment. The Council eventually decided to leave the matter stand over until the middle of November, to be considered by the "new" Council. A lovely display of Ladies' Summer Hats is now being held in the Showroom, of C. Smith, Ltd. The firm have been exceptionally forturate in securing r.ome very fine models, and as there will be a scarcity this season we would advise ladies to make an early selection. C. Smith's are in a position to sell you a sinele hat at wholesale price.—Advt. An interesting description of Chinese domestic customs is given in a letter recently received from a New Zealand mis-

sionary now in Pekin, particular reference being- made to the city "cries.* 1 Th» .writer says: "The strangeness of our surroundings helped to keep away sleep the first night, and also the fact that at regular intervals someone passed our place .shouting something in Chinese. Wo thought it must be a night-watchman, but ..... —..13 i.„ ti,„„„ :., <i,,> .i:o+„„„., , n .,^

we could bear others in the distance, iand sometimes the call would be different. Wo discovered next morning that salesmen come around until 2 oclock in the morning with all kinds of wares for sale, and the 'songs of the night' came from these gentlemen. Some of teh calls are very weird and worse than all the 'fishohs,' 'wild rabbits,' and 'morning papers' that ever were heard in the homeland." The unveiling of a monument to the late Maori "King" Mahuta took place at Morrinville, on the Auckland-Rotorua line, on Wednesday last. There was a

large assemblage of Maoris and Europeans —about 2000—the former largely predominating including such distinguished visitors "as Sir James Carroll, the Hon. Dr Pomare (member for Western District) and Tan ITenare (member for Northern District); Sir James Carroll, in an impressive manner, gave greetings to the dead and the living, exhorting the living

to unity in all things affecting the Maori race, and urging them not to follow after any "will o' the wisp." He said that matters affecting both races would be discussed the next day at the marae. The well-known chief, Rawhiti Te Whena recited the pedigree of Mahuta. The monument is l of beautiful design, a life-size statue of the chief, on a 'pedestal 10ft high; in his hand he holds a taiha, the chief's weapon. ■'That coin is well spent which saves you ten."—Proverb. You will s ave much

expense and annoyance by preventing a cough or cold with the timely" aid of Baxter's Lung Preserver. A big bottle of this famous preparation costs only Is lOd. An occasional dose will vitalise your . system, and ward off colds and bronchial • affections. Keep a bottle handy during the present changeable weather. Baxter's Lung Preserver is unique in its healing .and soothing qualities—gives immediate relief in cases of sore throat, tickling cough bronchitis, etc. Pleasant to take, good tor young and old.— Advt.

At the' monthly mooting- of the Groymouth branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants held on Saturday, September 22nd, the following resolution was passed: "That this Branch heartily supports' the Executive Council in their efforts to secure an increase of wages of 2s a day to balance the high cost of living, which to the lower men presses very heavily at present."

Stationery Boxes.—Notepaper and Envelopes, for Is 3d per oox, at A. E. Kilgour's.—Advt.

Cr H. Betts has given notice of motion for the next meeting of the Inangaliua County Council in the direction of striking a rate of one penny in the £ on the unimproved value to meet the demands for hospital and charitable aid purposes, the Council beine; the only conrrftmefin? local body in the Inangaliua Charitable Aid Board's district.

When buying Nazol—the money-saving remedy for coughs and colds —look for the name Nazol on the red carton. No cold is Nazol-proof.—Advt.

Since the establishment of the Labor Department in 1891, 118,468 workers have received practical assistance through the Men's Employment Bureau. Last year the number was 2966, a 1 decrease on the previous year of 3012. These figures are analysed as follow, figures for last year being (riven in parentheses: Married 1 , 41,881 (1140); single, 76.587 (1826); dependents, 152.961 (3518) : to private work 54,082 (2216)- Government work, 64.386 The best costs least when you buy Nazol. Sixty doses of this sterling remedy for coughs and colds cost eight eenpeiice—and every dose does good.—Advt.

The Hon. J. A. Ilanan, Minister lor Justice stated, in reply to a request from the Westport Borough Council, that tlie law be amended to make flogging part of the punishment in cases where, men were convicted of indecent assault on children, that the matter had been noted for consideration when the amending legislation was being introduced; under sections 154 and 208 of the Crimes Act, discretionary power was given for flogging to be inflicted in cases of indecent assault.

Orders are now lining taken for the special Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly News by A. E. Kilgour; price la 6d, postage £d. To save disappointment, order without delay, as only a limited jinmbar will be on sale.—Advt.

Business under the Arbitration Act is summarised as follows in the Labor Department report: Indutrial agreements (inclusive of those made between parties without reference to a Conciliation Commissioner or Council). 63 : recommendations of Councils of Conciliation, 159: awards of Arbitration Court, 168; Magistrate's Courts enforcements of awards, etc., conducted by Labor Department 191, conducted by unions 3. Out of 19 "I industrial disputes, 159 were settled, or substantially settled, by the Commissioners and Councils of Conciliation.

Acts like a charm ! That's what thousands say of Nazol —the handiest and surest remedy for coughs and colds. 60 doses 1/6. Refuse substitutes. —Advt.

The first meeting in regard to raising the necessary guarantee for procuring the services of a. maternity and surgical nurse for the Moana district was held at Moana. last night. Mr Noel Peat occupied the chair, almost every resident of the district being present and willing to subscribe £1 per annum in advance; £l6 was raised in the soom. Further meetings are to be held at Aritika. (to-night), Te Kinga (Wednesday), Rnru (Thursday), Inchbonnie and Pberua (Friday), Kotuku (Sunday) and Rotomanu (Monday). The settlers at Rotomanu have already subscribed £35, and it is expected that the total guarantee asked for will be forthcoming before Saturday next. The treasurers are Messrs O'Oorman, Goss (Moana), -T. Nyberg (Rum), and C. Manson. (Te Kinga), Mr Peat, being, elected a delegate to represent the Moana'district. The need for an experienced nurse along the Otira line is an urgent one. and it is gratifying to note the settlers are taking up the proposal with such enthusiasm and self-reliance. It is proposed to hold a ball in the near future to augment the fund.

Following are extracts from a letter, dated 17th' May, written by a Russian lady living in Stockholm received by a resident of Timaru. "Life lias become frightfully dear, and many things are not to be had for money. We even have bread and sugar cards. Without these cards you can't get one slice'of bread, nor in the restaurants, either. You can't, buy more than about half a pound of bread per day per person. Instead of bread, of course, yon can get flour—half a pound—or 'Albert or

Maria' cakes. AIL the workmen complain that they have not enough to eat, and there was almost a. revolution here lately. As to sugar, one gets one kilo per month per person; that means just 6or 7 lumps a day. Just now in the whole town, of Stockholm there are no potatoes. People run from shop to shop and cannot find any. I hear from some people who have been in Germany that they have very little to eat; they only get about two or three ounces of butter a week. You don't get a drop of milk unless you are very ill or a young baby. You can buy meat only twice .a. week, and then very little of it. They have, too, egg cards, but Can't jget more than one egg every fortnight. Besides they had no coal some time ago in Berlin ; they were obliged to (dose some of the schools and keep little children in bed. You can't get for money what you want. There is not enough food."

Orders for the special Christinas number of the Auckland Weekly News, which will contain a number of colored plates of the ■world-war, may be booked with the local agent_ Mr W. Reid, bookseller and stationer, price Is 6d.—Advt.

"The habit of economy acquired cruring these days of severe taxation,V remarked the Hon. Arthur M. Myers, Minister of Customs, etc., at Auckland, ".will be a valuable asset to us as a people in the years to come. Of one thing I feel assured, that, notwithstanding the fact that the compulsory clauses of "our Liberty loan have been adversely criticised in some quarters, their introduction is justified, if only for the reason that they will have the effect of singling out the financial shirker, and of compelling him to do his part. The general result of the compulsory clauses of the 1917 Finance Act will be that they will make for national economy and efficiency, and will achieve greater results in this direction than "any other measure that could have been devised." As to the effect of the increased direct taxation, Mr. Myers said there could be no doubt that the burden, in the of instances, would be severely felt. "At the same time," added the Minister, "it is an outstanding feature that great cheerfulness.even eagerness, is shown by the great bulk of the people to shoulder their share of the burden entailed by this world struggle on behalf of liberty and civilisation. The inhabitants of the Home Country have set an example to the rest of the Empire by the uncomplaining manner in which they are carrying the heavy load of taxation that is their portion during this war."