Mt. Benger Mail. Be just and fear not. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mt Benger Mail, 6 August 1919, Page 2

Mt. Benger Mail. Be just and fear not. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

* This district is experiencing very mild weather at the present time. So far no very severe frosts have occurred and it looks as if wo are in for an early .spring. The weather conditions have been very favourable for stock owners, and any anxiety they havo had as regards winter feed has been entirely allayed. Mr W. G. Gould (manager of the Cooperative Fruitgrowers of Otago) has felt compelled to resign his position owing to ill-health, and the directors have agreed to accept his resignation. The directors have been fortunate in securing in his place the services of Mr J. H. Waigth, who is at present Mayor of Koxburgh.

Mrs J. T. Bruce, of Gibbston, Otago, writes to the Surrey Herald, correcting the impression which seems to have got abroad here (says the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) that the English wives of New Zealand soldiers are not welcomed in the Dominion. Mrs Bruce, who arrived by the Athenic, says : '' We were welcomed in by some hundreds of children in a decorated steamer. Then civilians came out and shouted 'Welcome to Now Zealand, English wives and children.' On Thursday we were drawn alongside of the wharf and were greeted by hundreds of people with hands. As we disembarked ears were waiting at the wharf gates and we were driven through crowds of waiting people who cheered the wives and soldiers and pelted them with flowers and rice. Coming from Lyttelton port to the south, at every station crowds were waiting to welcome us with fruit and refreshments. lam sure no wives had such a welcome from the population as we had. I thought this would interest the girls who are returning with their husbands to Now Zealand. They can be assured of a hearty welcome from all*"

It was stated at a meeting of the Canterbury Fruit Growers' Association that it least 2000 fruit trees, mainly peaches, apricots and cherries, woro needod for planting in Canterbury alone. It was decided to ask the Government to removo the embargo on the importation of Australian fruit trees. "It is an extraordinary thing, but no matter what New Zealand produces, that production is of the best quality in the world," remarked Mr J. C. N. Grigg in his address to the local branch of the Royal Colonial Institute last week. Incidentally, Mr Grigg remarked on the enormous value of the Panama Canal to New Zealand, and said that whatever New Zealand could spare would have a great market in New York iu future, a matter which it would be extremely foolish to ignore. The July number of the N.Z. Beekeepers' Journal publishes the crop reports for the year. From this it appears the average returns for the various provinces were as follows:—Aucskland, 53.b'lbs per hive ; Wellington, 42.041bs ; Canterbury. 82.711bs ; Otago 50.911bs ; Southland, 2tslbs; Westland, 42.491bs ; Nelson, 47.7t)1bs ; Marlborough, 70.831b5. When men of scientific mind get on to a popular belief they usually dismember it. At the Otago Institute meeting the other night Professor Waters set one o fthese beliefs on its feet. The topic of the moment was ants. The professor said that iwa he lived in Australia his quarters were invaded by ants. Having heard that these ants would not cross a chalk line, he such a line on the table, and the ants stopped at it and tried to march round it. He and his mates thereupon chaked circles round the legs of tljytucker cupboard and Other articles oiTirrniture, and the experiment succeeded. He did not know the explanation, but could vouch for the fact that the ants would not cross the chalk. The fact that registrars of electors throughout the Dominion havo received instructions to push on the rolls makes it assured that the General Electiou will be held before the close of the presont year (says the Lake County Express). It is not generally known that the Electoral Boundaries Commission of 1917 knocked out the Grey electorate at present represented by Mr H. Holland, and formerly by Mr P. C Webb. Solvvyn and Otago Central have also gone in the South Island, while Taumarauui has been eliminated in the North Island, and four new electorates created. These are Roskill (between Grey Lynn and Pamell), Rotorua (between Waikuto and Bay or Plenty), "Waitomo (between Stratford "and Raglan), and Manawatu (between Rangitikei and Palmerston North). The number of electorates is the same—namely, 80—but the North Island has gained three at the expense of the South Island. A lady, who was most probably the oldest inhabitant in the dominion, Ria Tikini, of Puketeraki, widow of the late Tikini Paha passed away at the residence of Mr Henare Parata on Saturday last. Ria Tikini was born at Ruapuke Island about the year 1810. Those who are conve*sant with the different Maori histories and with the history of the Kaiapoi raid by Te Rauparaha. will find in the Rev. Mr Stack's book on Kaiapoi that the raid happened about 1827. At that time this old lady was about 17 years of age, and this will attest almost her exact age. She came from one of the principal sub-tribes of the Ngaitahu and Ngatoraamoe tribes. "What is the rato of duty on the fur j coats that are seliug at prices up to 200 guineas in this town f" wa sa questoin put by Mr C, A. Wilkinson, M.P., chairman of the Parliamentary Industries Committee, to Mr W. B. Montgomery, Controller of Customs, when the latter was givin gevidence before the Industries Committee, says the* Post. Mr Montgomery remarked that the duty was 25 per cent, ad valorem on British goods, and 37* per cent, ad valorem on, foreign goods. The chairman said he would like to know if the public was getting a fair deal in regard to such goods. Did the very high prices charged in the shops represent fair values, Mr Montgomery said that it would be a tfneation for the Board of Trade to consider. A comparison of invoice prices and retail prices would disclose the f aets. The question might be asked regarding many of the articles 9old to the public. Mr "Wilkinson : "Would you approve of a special tax on such luxuries t" Mr Montgomery: "The taxation is pretty heavy already. If an artiste i» expensive the id valorem duty