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Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 119, 20 April 1932, Page 6

Looking to an increase of freight to and from the Antipodes the Canadian National Steamships are contemplating separate services via the Panama Canal to Australia and New Zealand. At present the routes are combined. According to the estimate of population at the end of 1931, Australia lias 122,654 more males than females, ilie total population is 6,525,918, an increase of 49,886 on the figures for 193 U; The rate of increase of population for 1931 was 0.77 per cent., which is less than half the average annual rate ot increase since the 1921 census.

In our report on Monday of tire speech given by Mr J. Thorn in the Opera House on Sunday, an error occurred in which it made it appear that Mr Thorn said: “If we cannot get the Government out by the force of indignant public opinion. . . . we must get them out by any other means.” What Mr Thorn said was “we cannot get them out by any other means.” The error occurred in “setting” the copy, and we publish this correction in fairness to Mr Thorn.

Extract from an American paper: Patti once visited a London insane asylum. In a corridor an aristocratic gentleman inquired if she were not the great Patti. For years he had worshipped at her shrine and recalled a particular night when she was in magnificent voice at Covent Garden. He had a profound knowledge of music and the singer could not believe he was an inmate. But he told her he had been railroaded by rich relations and nothing could be done. Finally she asked him to sit with, her on a nearby bench. ‘l’d like to,’ he said, ‘but I can’t. I’m solid glass from the hips down.’ ” Coal cost the Palmerston North Hospital Board last year £2,884 17s 7d, electrict liglrt and power £674.19s Id and gas £3U) 3s 2d. Comparative returns for the previous year disclose that tho figures for that period were £26-45 Is sd, £1026 14s 9d and £336 18s 3d respectively. “It will be recollected that special steps were taken early last year by reducing the power of various lights to conserve electric current,” stated the inanaging-pecre-tary at the board meeting on Monday afternoon. , “This, together with the fact that the Wilson Block has been closed during the summer months, is responsible for the saving in cost of current. Steps are now being taken to reduce the consumption of steam and gas by insisting on greater care on the part of the staff.”

The series of fortnightly dances being conducted by tho Fire Brigade have proved exceedingly popular, and many favourable comments have been passed in reference to the high standard of the functions. Tonight’s dunce should bo quite the equal of the three successful dances held this season.

There will be 42 Rugby football teams playing each week under the auspices of the Manawatu Rugby District Council in the coming season. Owners of radio receiving sets in Canada now are paying an annual license fee of two dollars (eight shillings) to the Federal Government. The tax recently was doubled, having stood at a dollar from the establishment of broadcasting. Fine autumn rains throughout the whole State of Victoria have created ideal conditions for the 1932 season, particularly for wheat growers. Stockowners and dairymen are assured of winter feed, and the prospects in general are exceptionally favourable. A preliminary estimate of the Government Statist is that South Australia’s wool cheque this season will be £2,155,000 —£350,000 better than that for 1931. The average price for 59 million pounds of wool in the grease was 7.5 pence, compared with 6.82 pence for 1930-31. The number of sheep in the State, 6,500,000, was nearly 600,000 more than in 1930.

Based on her export trade for 1931 Canada moved up from sixth to fifth place among the trading nations of the world, replacing British India which took sixth position. Canada is surpassed in this respect only by Great Britain, United States, France and Germany. Due to a sharp decrease in imports the Dominion is in sixth place for total volume of trade. The Federal Government contemplates a general tariff revision, but undertakes to retain adequate protection for Australia’s chief industries. The Tariff Board, accounted strongly Protectionist hitherto, will be asked to make recommendations. It is intended to revise the duties before the Australian delegation leaves Australia for the Ottawa Conference.

In the course of his presidential address to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening Mr C. J. B. Norwood stated that in 1910, when the population was just in excess of one million, there were employed in vessels registered in New Zealand and employed in the home trade 2598 men and boys, whereas to-day the Dominion. with a population of a million and a-half, employs but 1900.

According to the Comptroller of Prisons (Mr W. J. Gall) there are fewer prisoners in the Brisbane Gaol to-day than is usual. Mr Gall said that it seemed as though people generally were more careful in bad times, than when the country was in a, highly prosperous state. The small numbers of persons undergoing punishment at the present time in Boggo Gaol indicated that depression did not mean more crime.

A paper bag containing pepper was thrown at a naval officer during the rioting in Karangahape Road, Auckland, on Friday night. The bag struck the officer’s steel hat and burst, but fortunately little of the pepper went into the officer’s face. The bag was thrown at a time when one of the naval parties was dispersing a crowd on the footpath. On the same evening a large bottle labelled “ammonia” was thrown at a party of sailors. The bottle was caught in mid-air by one of the ratings. It was empty. In March, when the farmers of the New South Wales wheat belt are prepared for sowing, rain opens up anticipations of a good season. Splendid falls right through the wheat country have caused general congratulations among the growers. Experiments in that State show that better yields result when the crops are sown seasonably, and as the falls came just when wanted the wheat crop next season should be a good one. In the pastoral areas the rains have assured winter feed. Arrangements have been made for a combined meeting of Rotary Clubs from the Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Manawatu districts at Palmerston North on May 6 to entertain Mr Sydney Pascall, of London, International Rotary Governor. The president of the Palmerston North Rotary Club (Mr W. G. Black) reported to members on Monday that he had finalised arrangements with the District Governor (Kotarian H. Guthrie, of Dunedin) for Rotarian Pascall’s visit to this centre.