LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

We wish to acknowledge the receipt of'£l from Mr. M. McGavin (Hokitka), and 10/- from Mr M. McLoughlin (Ngaherc), pea- Mr M. MeGavin towards the funds for the relief of the Broken Hill miners. The ketch Wakaiti is now running between Hokitika and Okarito, and was due to leave Hokitika yesterday on her return to the southern port. The next mail for Cook Islands, Tahiti, Penrhyn Island, U.S.A., Canada. Central America, lite United Kingdom and Europe, via San Francisco, Tofua, at the Greymouth Post Office, on Thursday next at 7.40 a.m. In the House last week Mr MeCombs asked the Minister of Publiu Health if he -would favourably consider altering the regulation under which hospital nurses wishing to qualify in midwifery have to give cix months' service without remuneration at a St. Helens Hospital? Mr. P. C. Webb has been laid up some time suffering from an attack of the prevailing "flu," with theresuit -fcha-fc he has not been, able to attend to the affairs of the State Miners' Union (of which he is President), but Mr. Webb expects to be back in harness within the course of a few days. A practical bushnian from Canterbury, who recently visited the farm of Mr William Farrell at ' Ikama^ua informs us that he saw growing on. the property a red pine tree which he considers to be the largest red pine tree in the South Island. Ho estimates the girth at the, ground at 17 feet or over, and tho length to first limb at 80 foet, and so even is the bole that he estimates the tree will produeo 6000 feet of milling timber. Tho tree can be seen within a mile from the railway station. _ It is a trait inherent in the average healthy Britisher to look on the bright Bide of things", to be optimistic, and not meet trouble half-way. At times, however, when the blood is out of order and the system run down, one fofalfe pessimistic and the general outlook appears dul and dreary. This is the time when Parkinson's Quinine and Iron, Wine should be taken. It invigorates the system by enriching the blood and toning up the nerves, thus supplying energy and vigour. "It is the finest tonic going." Take .t regularly according to directions :or a few days and see how much n-ighter the blue sky appears arid ;he apparent rosiness in Nature. No nistake, good Tobust health is a fine hing and Parkinson's Quinine and iron Wine is the thing to promote it. 5/6 and 4/6 per bottler- Advt.

The Secretary of the Hokitika Labour Party desires to acknowledge trom Mr J. D. Lynch, of Greymouth, a donation of £2 2s towards the fund in aid of a disabled Westland tim Dor Worker. A mail W as despatched from London for New Zealand on Thursday last by the Tainui. . which' xfomes via lanama with a large number of immigrants. Mr Davies, of Reefton has been spending the week-end in Greymouth. It is six years since Mr. Davies haa been m these parts. He met many old friends, and looks as hale and hearty as ever. '. In 'the House" of Representatives Mr Holland gave notice to ask the Mm« ister i;n Charge of the Forestry Department if he would give consideration to a resolution carried at a pub-, lie meeting at Westport, urging that a school of forestry be established at Chris tchurch, which is the most suit--I able centre for such a school, owing (to its proximity to the large' virgin forests of the West Coast and the extensive plantations throughout tho Canterbury Plains?

■j Messrs W. Ritchie (Bruce Bay) and , M. Purcell (Wataroa) have been , visitors to Hokitika during the past [ few days (writes our co-respondent). , Mr Ritchie has left on his return to \ Bruce Bay. Mr P. Johnston, of Hoki-- '. tika, has also left- for Bruce Bay, whore he enters the sawniilling in* \ dustry. [ In the House on Tuesday, Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) gave no- . tice to ask the Minister of Public \ Works, whether the casual employees are now directly under the control of ' the Public Service Commissioner in 1 all matters relating; to _ their wages and employment; and, if so, under what statutory power" has the Public Service Commissioner assumed sucb. control. Mr. R. Spencer, president of tfl| Rewanui branch of the State Minr ers' Union, resigned the position at a meeting held on Thursday last, owing to his shortly leaving the district. The resignation was received with regret, several members referring in glowing terms to the splendid work done in the cause of Unionism f o? the past seven years by the retiring President, and a minute expressing the appreciation of the members was recorded in the books of the Union of the work which Mi*. Spencer has done. A euchre tournament in aid of Inchbonnie School prize fund, was held in the school on Wednesday night last (writes om* correspondent"). Considering the adverse weather, the attendance was splendid. Mr. Maughan in the absence of Mr. "Ryder (chairman of the School Committee), worked enthusiastically in making the /unction a success. Mr. Herring. (B^ketown) won the gent's prize, the ladies' prize going to Mrs. Rothery, who defeated Miss Leamy and Miss Campbell in the final. Songs were contributed by Mrs. Maughan, Mr. Rothery and Mi\ Herring their items being well received. Tn the House of Representatives on Tuesday Mr Holland gave noitce to ask the Minister in Charge of the Pensiony' Department, whether he would take into consideration • the matter of altering the law to enable the amount of the'" old age pension to be posted to pensioners who are so old or feeble as to make going to the post office a burden? Mr Holland mentioned one case which had been reported to him of a woman of ninety years of age. who attended a certain post.office to col lect her pension, and on being told it had not arrived broke down and declared she could not make the journey again. Judging by the reports one hears from the workers as regards the increased price of butter, most of the, workers are going to take to dripping (writes our Hokitika corresponr dent). Doctors recommend plenty of butter for children, to make them strong and healthy; but the poor toiler can ill afford to pay more than

1/8, so his children will have to go without butter. Of course we know this does not worry Mr Pat. Theit health does not count. His motto is; "Dollars and still more dollars/ and no matter what line ha put 3Ms mighty hand on, he is always success-, ful and squeezes the last farthing from i the poor toiler. Yet many of the toilers could not see this before the last general election, and missed their opportunity of remedying this evil; but when the worker asks for a fevr extra pence to meet the ever increasing cost of living, Mr Fat uses every means to prevent him from getting it. Not long ago, it was "men. and still more men." Now it's "Money; and still more money." One supposes this is another "square deal," but there will be a day of reckoning some day, and let us hope the sooner tho better. . New Floral and Venetian Striped Dress Voiles. Prices 2/11, 4/11 and 6/11 yard. New white Voiles. Prices 2/9, 3/3, 3/9 yaTfl. New Plain Coloured Voiles 3/11 and 4/6 yard. McGrucr and Co., Greymouth, Eeefton, and Hokitika. — Advt. ' Tho Persian people have *>eca mucfc depressed by the series of events which have followed the suppression of their national Parliament in 1911, and particularly by the assumption of a protectorate by Great Britain. The government of the country is in the hands of an autocratic clique, ana the British Government in return for a loan of £2,000,000, has secured the power to appoint and dismiss all the Persian advisers. The National Democratic Party of Persia has issued a manifesto .against the Protectorate. t In J* c House nf . Representatives last Tuesday. Mr H. E. Holland save notice to ask the Minister of Railr vvays whether he would give instructions that the full amount per hour collected from ships on account of railway workers employed on the waterfronts shall be paid to the men so engaged? He pointed out that on certain waterfronts the Department co'lects from the ships fin amount of fid. uer hour less than the "Waterside Workers' Union rates, janging from a mimimum of 2s 7d per hour to a maximum of 3s lOd. but only p&vs 2s an hour to the railway worker, the , Department thus making a clearpflro* fit of from 7d to Is lOd per hour oq acb, man's work,