GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1222, 10 June 1919, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Mr Joseph Aslvr. who lias li< en a re-idem or New Plymouth for nearly forty years, lift by tie- Harawa i"««nvIv. it H-iug his intenticiti to live in retirement with his eldest daughter, Mrs \V. \V. I". Heed. :it Ma'aiti:i;.i. For the paM I3J years Mr Asher has Iw-in .-iss<Kf.-itrd willi Mr \V. F. Short, monumental mason, as outside representative Prior to his departure the members of the staff made .-1 presentation to him of a solid leather suitcase. ThV presentation was made by Mr Short, who expressed tegret n\ Mr Asher*s departure, hut hoped he would mjoy his well-earned retirement. The recipient suitably acknowledged the gift and good wishes.

Four acres of orchard and four acres or grass land, situated at Hie corner <if llarewood and Isleworlh roads, Papanni. Chrislehureh. have been leased by the Agrictillural Heparlnienl from Mr It. Ilerdman Smith for the purpose or an experimental orchard. A scheme of experiment lias been arranged, and is bein« put into operation rorlhwilh. The area is lo be under Ihe supervision or the district orchard inslruclor. and a working* overseer has been appointed.

A speaker at a Farmers* T'nioii mcr-t----iii!i at Wyndham gave a notable instame of the wonderful change in pro|>ert\ effected hv dealing properly with raM.'its (5.-IVS the Olngo Herald). Thland had been badly infested with ralibit s*. and its carrying capacity sciiotislv reduced. Firstly, it was secure!v wire-mlted, and then war was waged on the rodents in the enclosure, so that now there is not a rabbit to lie seen on the land. The consequence is that on an area of 230 acres 700 sheep arc maintained.

The Puncdir. Star says: As a set-oif to Shakespeare's whining schoolljoy, ""creeping like a .snail unwillingly to school/' we have an Otago hoy (his name is John Ker) who has licen dail/ riding 14 miles each way in order f.o attend the Middlomarch School, and it is oniv hv taking cross-country cuts that he keeps his ride to 28 milesThese facts were brought to the notice of the Education Hoard at last week's meeting by Mr T. It. Fleming, senior inspector.

"It is no wonder that many people refrain from having families when the maternity nurse's fees amount to eighteen guineas." said Mr F. V. Fraser, S.M., during the, hearing of an affiliation ease at Wellington the other day. The complainant. a woman of'lwenty-fivp years, had been called upon to pay over twenty-six guineas in connection with the birth of her child. It was pointed out that the woman had undergone two operations, which accounted for the fees heiuft so high.

The rirand Trunk Itoad "f India is. perhaps, the most astonishing highway in the whole world. This n»ad is over 3000 years old, and is 1 iOO miles in lenrlh. It runs through the vast northern Plain which skirls Hie Himalayas, and is as slrai.tfht as if ruled with a lee smiare. This hijrhway is composed of three distinct roads, only the centre one beini! or hard metal. A double bank of Irees Hank either side, and converls the whole inlo a stalely avenue, which Stretches; like a wliile-and-fMveii ribbon from horizon lo horizon.

At Blenheim. Mr P. L. CJ. Collins. S.M., delivered as important judgment in a ease in which W. B. Hilling ami Co. were charged by the Inspector of Factories, with employing llirec female employees nit tile- Wednesday half-holi-dav on April I). Kor lite defence, it was stated that the employees received a Italf.holiday on April Wih. Hefcrciiduin Dav. at their own wish, in pbu-e of the usual half-day, and cwtuisel tended that the case should l»c dismissed as trivial under section i>2 of the Justice of the Peace Act. The Magistrate agreed to use his di*eretioiiar>- powers under that Act, ami dismissed the case.

The .Mavor of Christchurcli (Dr. Thaeker, M*.P.) Jias received a Idler from the Motor-car. Horse-drivers and Livery Stable Virion, complaining of tlie slippery nature of the surface of nianv of the city streets, particularly Caslici Street, which are coated with tarred macadam. The Union points out the dangerous nature of such surfaces, and stated that accidents on them have lieen hy no means uncommon. The Mayor states that in London fairly large-size grit is put on the Mirf.-ue, "and an order is also enforced for the changing of horses' shoes. With the prevailing winds, however, the grit if used in Christchurch would llv alioiit and seriously affect people s eves. If the shoes of the horses were changed frequently, it would provide tin* real remedy.

" There is a wrong impression amongst many employees," said Mr. > K. McCarthy, S.M., in dealing with «

case in the MasdslraleV Ouirl al Chrislehiirch. in which the defendant was charaed with assaulting a fellow-work-er who had reported her to her ••uiplover on account of an alleged breach of duly. "Itis a houndcu duly, if one employe.' does WTollsr. for Hie other lo led the employer. When Hie employee, Willi a sense of duty, makes such a report, he is called a * blackleg.' e|i\, whereas he has only done his duly, and sometimes unpleasant reprisals are taken. The r.oiirt must protect Hie employee who does his duly."

Wrilins In a prominent business man in WVllinjrlon, an old-csl il.u'fhinl Birmingham linn says:—"\\> reel il is n»\v only right Ihal we should inform you how lillle prospect, there seems of any r«-!i*-r in tin* w;iy of decreased expenses or increased business. Krmii lli«.* n.ilii.n.il point «>r view lh'' outlook is mil or anxiety. Hi"- on.- certain fact remaining thai with a hill of nl least Kioo.nnn.nnn lo meet every year for interest on Hi.' National IM»t aloil. . the present burdensome lavs ar«' more likely lo be raised than reduced. An army «.r -2.000.000 mm is to !>.• mainf:>r lh«' present, ami lliis. add-n lo lhi» appallintr lisl oT casualties already incurred, will for a loiisr liui" deplete the iinliislrial population. Wsatioiis Cnvernment interferences l'i trail.- >till continue, ami lln-rc. is ample proof Ihal hiisin.'ss is hcinc «lir*-«-I«-«_l t > America ami oJlum- marki'ls. lb-sides this, ami shadow:"!!;; ever>lbinu else, is tin' prospect of llii« most serious in iluslrial crisis Ilia" has ever been known. We often Ihink that our friends ahroail •lo m>l r.-.ili.-- Dial Ihi* cost of living in this country ha.- increased ahotil !•''.<» per i-i'lll."