LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1509, 8 March 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The usual weekly dance of the Rail way Social Club will be held to-night

The Hon. G. W. Russell was a visitor to Palmorston on Saturday. Since being out of ofliee he has appreciably improved in health.

Several returned men belonging to this district, arrived by the Athenic, and were met at the station by the Patriotic Society on Saturday. A meeting of those citizens, ladies and gentlemen, who favour installing good roads and motor 'busses instead of tramways in Palmerston. will be held at the offices of Messrs Johnston ".nd Davis, on Thursday next, at 7.30

Central and Terrace End Fire Sta. received telephone messages late i. Mjrht to the effect that an outbreai. fire had occurred in Pirie Street. A thorough inspection in that vicinity failed to reveal anything- of the kind.

The blackberrying season in the forest reserve, Pohangina, is now in full swing, there being a record crop of this luscious but aggressive fruit. Many vain attempts to the JVoxious Weeds Department to remove the menace have been made.

A passenger in the train recently was describing the vicissitudes of a property owner near the Wairarapa Lake during a rainy season. He concluded with the words, '' The only stock left on the place was a d cat. and he was roosting in the forks of a cabbage tree."

Glorious weather prevailed for the Manawatu Trades Unions' picnic and sports gathering which was held at Ashhurst on Saturday. A special train was provided for the large number of folk on pleasure bent and a most enjoyable time was spent. Special interest attached to the sporting events for which many valuable trophies were given.

At a meeting of the Palmerston North branch of the Farmers' Union held on Saturday, Mr A. Buchanan was elected to represent the branch at a meeting of branch delegates to be held in Palmerston North for the purpose of appointing two delegates to represent the Wellington Provincial District at. the conference being convened by the Board of Agriculture to discuss the meat and shipping questions.

The passengers on the Aueklend express on Friday were startled by the flames from a fern fire flashing in at the open windows of the carriages. The Railway gangers are employed for quite a considerable time burning off the growth beside the line every year. This would be more effectively and inexpensively done by allowing adjoining owners to move their fences up to the line until the ground was required for a duplicate track.

The question of sending- a commission to England for the purpose of assisting the Government to solve the matter of disposal of New Zealand meat, was discussed at a large and representative meeting- of tire Farmers' Union held in Pahiatua on Saturday, and the following resolution was unanimously carried: That this meeting is not in favour of sending a Commission to 'England, but urges upon the Government the advisableness of retaining the services of Sir Thomas Mackenzie, in the interests of the producers of New Zealand.

Says the "Wairarapa Age":—That the police force in New Zealand is in an unsatisfactory condition is evidenced by the nature of the appeat for recruits that is being- made in the, newspapers of the Dominion. The Commissioner is willing - to accept young- men under the age of twentyone years, even though they have not passed Standard V, and to pay them 14/ per day. This reads very well in print. But, when such attractive pay is offered, why are men resigning from the force? Why is there grave dissatisfaction among the junior officers? These arc questions which have not yet been satisfactorily answered. It does not seem proper that men under the age of twenty-one yearsshould be taken into the force, even as probationers. Nor does the acceptance of men who have not passed Standard V make for efficiency. To secure admission to other brandies of the Public Service a proficiency certificate must he produced. Apparently, however, any old thing will do for the police force, upon which the maintenance of law and order depends.

There is real pleasure in cuttingout and making - your own frocks in the home if you have really fashionable and correct, designs to work from. In Pictorial Review Patterns you have the world's best pattern service at your disposal. Procure these from The C. M. Ross Co., Ltd., solo district agents.*

Dr Fitt, in conversation with a "Times" reporter, said; "I have returned to find that New Zealand is absolutely 'the' country of the present day, and it is certainly going to be the country of the future." judge Alden and Dr Carpenter, of the Chautauqua circuit, talking to a "Times" representative expressed themselves delighted with the Square gardens and Esplanade, Palmerston North. They consider that this is the many ways the most attractive town they have visited and predict a great future for the "Chicago of Xew Zealand." i''>.)-i'o::i;;- lii.s flight round the world, S'r Ross-Smith says: The day we started out from England the machine was uoatod with ice; then it was baked by , <■■ gyring sun of India, saturated by i.ionsuunul rains of the tropics, and subjected to the fierce heat of the Xoi them Territory whore the thermometer i for days at 120 degrees in tiu:shade. And yet —at the present time- -. ■ is a monument to Britisti workmanship. She is capable of turning her tracks and returning tc England!' Messrs Meadley and Gardner, the largest bread-makers in Palmerston, state that they employ eight hands at £5 per week, and that they make less than their employees. T'~°v are willing to hand over tne premises and plant to the Government or anyone else at a low rent, and work for them at the same wages as they now pay their staff, and would then be making more than' they make as employers. Urgent representation is to be made to Mr Massey through Mr Nash, M.P., to allow the price to stand at 6d. In the event of a refusal, it is understood that the association members will close their bakeries.

Referring to tlio statement in the Wellington Catholic Education Board's annual report that the penny collection in the four city churches last year nearly covered the expenditure for the twelve months (£760/10/10), the Wellington Church Chronicle (Anglican) says: "Our church has a similar system for collecting weekly pence for Church schools, and it is interesting to compare what we have done with these figures. Fifty of our churches (against the Roman Catholic four) collected People's Pence last year, and the total amount obtained was just under £2OO, or less than one third of the Roman Catholic sum. Our population is three times that of the Roman Catholics; the churches we collected in twelve times more, so that if we gave in like proportion, we should have obtained, instead of £2OO. something like £25,000. With such an income we could do an extraordinary work for our Church's children."

The New Zealand Welfare League in its latest circular says: If the reports appearing in the press are to be relied on, then the master bakers of Wellington seem to us to be acting rather wildly in talking- strike right away on receipt of the information that their increase of Id per 21b loaf was countermanded by Mr Massey. We do not know whose estimates are right, but we take the earliest opportunity of protesting very emphatically against the master bakers' strike talk. Where on earth is all this sort of thing- going to end if on every occasion when parties are disatisfled with terms offered they are going to threaten to hit the public? Here is . oody of employers who are indulging in the same kind of talk that they condemn the labour unions for adopting at times. It is surely most reprehensive that this should occur. What sense of responsibility have the Wellington master bakers, to shout strike in the ears of the public before even the delegates from various districts have got together and conferred?