STOCKTON NOTES

Grey River Argus, 20 February 1932, Page 7

STOCKTON NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Two destructive fires occurred in Stockton during the week-end. Mr A. Merrett’s residence was razed to the ground early on Sunday morning, and the residence of Mr A. Ellis was destroyed early on Monday morning Many were the willing helpers, when it became known that Mr Merrett had suffered such a set-back, and he wishes to convey his heartfelt gratitude to all those who came forward with practical assistance during his trial. Picture benefits are being provided for the two sufferers. The Union ballots resulted: President: Mr J. Mcßride 152; Mr A. Merrett 132; informal 2; majority 20. Two Check weighmen: D. Stevenson 75, J. Lambert 71 (elected), J. Mcßride 63. The directors of the WestportStockton Coal Co., Ltd., have been paying a visit to the company’s mine at Stockton. Miss T. Slowey has resumed teaching at the Stockton School after a period of enforced absence through sickness.' Miss Connor has taken charge of the infants at the school.

The Stockton Picture Company are having very good houses, and, of late, the pictures have been of the best. There are strong rumours of the talkies being put into the hall at Millerton. If such is the case, Stockton will inevitably lose some patronage as many of the Millerton residents patronise the Stockton pictures.

Mr W. Harris has been off work, suffering from rheumatism. Mr R. Jose has purchased a boot and shop repairing business in Westport, and his friends all hope he will be successful in his new venture. He has been a constant sufferer from sciatica, for a long time and is unable to follow up coal mining any longer. The mine is idle all this week again. It is pleasing to see by the “Argus” that Dobson is again to resume operations after five months of idleness.

Miss N. Clarke, of Wellington, is a visitor to Stockton.

Mr D. J. Rees, a deputy, in company with Mr G. Campbell, met with a painful accident while inspecting the mine in the early hours of the morning on Friday last. Both men were buried by a fall of coal, and it was fortunate the deputy had a companion’ with him. Mr Campbell was not injured to any great extent, but was compelled to seek the aid of Dr. Hooper. Mr Rees is still confined to bed, but is improving.

Dr. Simpson is expected to return this week, after spending his holidays in Christchurch. Dr. Hooper has been attending to Dr. Simpson’s patients. Mr Dave Clarke is laid up with an attack of pleurisy. After a very good spell of dry wea ther, a welcome rain storm was in evidence on Wednesday night, but the tanks are not full yet. The gardens, however, are looking all the better for the refresher.

According to the press, U.S.A, prices are on the rise again and, as usual, the speculators are busy. Now we shall see in these processes the “blessed” word rationalisation to the fore. In 1928 the rationalising of industrial concerns in the United States of America and Great Britain /caused enor mous boom periods, partly caused by a real demand in trade, and partly duo to the artificial stimulation of the financiers. These financial fevers occur from time to time, and during 1928 the prospects of making fortunes were so great in the United States, that a sum of £600,000,000 was waiting to be invested in America. This sum of money was all British capital! However, as America is quite capable of making all her own goods, and, as America did not at that time want the £600,000,000 to go there as. ordinary commodities, this meant that the only “merchandise” which was acceptable to America from Britain was gold. As a good many of the investments would be credit manufactured by the bank, this meant a drain on the banks’ gold for speculative purposes, and was inflation. Tho Bank raised the rate of interest, speculators were thereby discouraged, and a check was given to the scramble for shares, which played no small part in the collapse of tho 1928 American boom. Almost immediately Mr Hatry’s fortune making methods were disclosed, and tho British boom canie crash! The crash came and with it the inevitable losses. The money of thousands of people was lost in the smash, but tho money lost by one is gained by another. And someone collected the losses of the crash. The same thing applies fto money lost in a gambling house. The money lost by one is gained by .another. There was no less machinery in the world. The buildings or workshops were still in existence. AH that was lacking was the demand for labour’s products caused by a pernicious system of gam bling with the people’s means of exchange. In this smash, the Hatry Companies lost £13,500,000, British controlled Oil Fields £11,000,000, White’s Cotton £15,000,000, Artificial Silk Companies £20,000,000, and Jute Industries £3,000,000. .Those are not all the losses, but they are sufficient to show the enormous amount of the other fellow’s” money taken by the finance sharks throughout the gambling dens called stock exchanges. JMd when these things take place, the purchasing jxnver of the world passes from the people who wanted to buy things, into the hands of speculators, already rich, who only want to invest, or, in other words, who want to live, not by useful productive methods, but by a process of robbery, no matter how much legality may bo attached thereto. There have been many gibes thrown at. Ghandi for only wearing scant covering, but if the conditions of the workers become any more depressed, a I loin cloth will be about all they’ll be table to purchase. “Government by

the people and for the people” seems a long way off yet. It won’t ’be long now before we- shall get some;’indication of the. further ‘ fleecing o£ ’the workers by their masters—the’Forbe'sCoates twins. Special 'commisSiohs of all sorts seem to he the order of the day. It seems we have Government to govern until a crisis arises, ami then special commissions are appointed to lead the blind politicians! There is an old saying: * 1 When the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch.” And in the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king. And we should say with Browning: “Why stay On the earth unless to grow? ’ ’