LOCAL AND GENERAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3446, 22 March 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Much less work in the country is offering at present than was available at even this period last year, the manager of a Christchurch labour exchange told a Sun reporter last week. A few teamsters were being placed, but conditions generally were very poor.

A broody hen sitting contentedly on a nest of eggs on the carrier of a car was seen at Featherston this week, when a district farmer drove into town. He said that the car had been in a shed for some weeks, and while it was there the old hen had made her nest on the carrier. He had had to go into town on business and did 'not like to disturb the foul, as the chickens were due out in .1 day or two.

Every form of transport with the exception of aerial services figures in the list of more than 1500 mail services in New Zealand published in a special Gazette just issued. The mail contracts vary from a few shillings a year u~ to more than £SOO, and packhorses, gigs, handcarts, launches and trams are included in the numerous conveyances used for delivery.

"It is realised at the present time that lessees and licensees of hotels are finding the utmost difficulty in making ends meet," said counsel for a defendant charged in the Christchurch Police Court last week with a licensing breach. "It is common knowledge that a few months ago the price of beer was reduced generally to fourpence. With the lower price of beer and the general hard times there is a greater temptation to indulge in after-hour trading. Within the last day or two, however, it has been decided to go back to sixpence for the price of beer."

"Have you done any honest work for the past 12 months?" asked the magistrate, Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., of the accused in a case at Christchurch last week. "No," replied the accused, "but I have done some work under the unemployment seheme. Apart from that—nothing." After the laughter had subsided the Magistrate said, "I'm going to find you some honest work for a considerable period—six months' hard labour!"

"The farmer loves the palatable ! untruth and hates the unpalatable untruth," declared Mr. F. J. Nathan, of Palmerston North, at a conference of North Taranaki dairy factory managers in New Plymouth. The speaker referred to statements in undue praise of New Zealand butter and cheese made by unqualified people after a trip to Great Britain. He related to his listeners the example of a doctor whose statements concerning the popularity of New Zealand dairy produce at Home had been given attractive publicity on his return to the Dominion. He had asked the doctor why he had ventured an opinion on such a subject. If he (Mr. Nathan) and on returning had stated that the hospitals in New Zealand were considered in England to be the best in the world the doctor would call him a fool. That was what he had called the doctor."

On account of the accumulated cases which the last few courts have been unable to cope with, Mr. F. W. Platts, S.M., will preside over a special sitting of the Magistrate's Court on April 7th. The usual sitting will be on the Bth, so that there will be two days instead of one in which to deal with the cases.

A litter of discarded telegram forms can be found in any large telegraph office in New Zealand. It is estimated that more than one-seventh of the forms printed are thrown away or converted into scribbling paper by the public. About 6,000,000 telegrams are dispatched in the Dominion annually, but another million forms are needed for the people who cannot write their messages at the first attempt.

The two-seater autogiro which was imported by a Wellington syndicate about a year ago was sold at Wanganui last Wednesday for £9O. The machine suffered damage to its rotor at Wanganui after comparatively little use, and it has been out of service for many months. The auction was conducted under instructions from the bailiff under a distress warrant.

"I don't know whether the Central Otago growers are making any money out of the sales, but I know that we cannot compete against them when they can sell peaches in the Christchurch markets for 2s and 2s 6d a case," said a Heathcote grower to a Christchurch Sun reporter. "When you consider railage and all the sundries connected with the marketing of the fruit, it is apparent that there cannot be much money in it. We cannot afford to sell at those prices when our fruit is being grown on £3OO an acre land."

Special Easter services were conducted at the Methodist a'nd Presbyterian churches on Sunday, when suitable anthems were rendered by the choirs. At the Methodist Church Simper's "King of Kings, Gounard's "There is a Green Hill Far Away," with "God So Loved the World" were effectively rendered, Mrs. Gray and Mr. Bates being the soloists. At the Presbyterian Church the anthems, "Rejoice Greatly" and "Hail Gladdening Light" were also sung with good effect.

After hearing cases of speeding by motorists the magistrate who presided at the sitting of the Magistrate's Court in a Canterbury town last week said: "It used to be said that licensing cases were notorious for the number of lies told in the witness-box. Licensees, however, have now come to the conclusion that it pays to tell the truth. I am sorry to say that motor cases are putting licensing cases in the shade. I daresay it will be a number of years before motorists learn the same lesson."

"Being an old man, I like to talk of the past," said Archbishop Redwood in his speech at the opening of St. Joseph's new school at Nelson. "Well, here I stand—a poor bundle of records. (Laughter). I have the record of being the first priest of New Zealand, the first bishop of New Zealand, and the first archbishop. I was the youngest bishop in the world when I was consecrated, and now I am the oldest. lam the oldest member of the Marist Order." His Grace is in his 94th year of his life and the 58th of his Episcopacy.

"I can't keen a family of five on 235. sd. a week, and have no chance of paying my rent," said a relief worker who was proceeded against on a complaint for an order for possession in the Dunedin Magistrate's Court. Counsel for the landlord said that the defendant had not paid his rent for six months. The magistrate stated that the case, like many others, was an unfortunate one. However, he had no alternative but to make an order when requested to do so by a landlord whose rent was more than one month overdue. The landlord could not be asked to hold off for more than six months.

It is estimated that between 70 and 100 members of the Roman Catholic faith in New Zealand will attend the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in June. The New Zealand delegation will take with it an extremely beautiful processional banner to be carried in the various processions. Of white silk velvet, the banner itself has been exquisitely embroidered in green and gold by the sisters of the Sacred Heart Convent at Island Bay. Another banner being prepared for the congress is one from the Roman Catholic schools of New Zealand. The fabric of the banner will be covered with the badges of all the schools of the Dominion.

When a man named Cocks was called on a drunkenness charge in the Christchurch Magistrate's Court the other day, a young traffic offender, who was sitting in the rear of the court jumped into the dock. His fresh complexion and general appearance did not stamp him as one who had spent some time in the cells recovering from a drinking bout, and he failed to notice his mistake even when the drunkenness charge was read to him, for he- pleaded guilty. It was not until the constable responsible for the arrest noticed that it was the wrong man that the young man realised his mistake, and it was some minutes before the smiles disappeared from the face of the magistrate, Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., and the other occupants, of the court.

Among the hundreds of unemployed boys in Christchurch there are a few who are practically destitute and homeless, according to Mr. V. French, of the Presbyterian Social Service Association (states the Christchurch Times). Last week the Association had to deal with the case of a 17-year-old youth, whose only relative was his grandmother, an old-age pensioner. The old lady fed the boy from her scanty supplies, but he was forced to share a tent with an unemployed man. The position needed immediate attention, and finally the boy has secured three months' apple picking in Nelson. The association was co-operating with the Chamber of Commerce Boys' Unemployment Committee, which was making a great effort to do something for workless boys. Two or three business men had agreed to create vacancies for youths with the hope that other firms will be encouraged to do likewise.