LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 28 August 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the period April 1 to July 24 the revenue derived from Dominion railways was £1,975,059, the North Island contributing £1,139,083 and the South Island £836,876. The expenditure totalled £1,473,281, the respective component amounts being £798,730 and £674,561.

Marked im-provement is apparent in the supply of fish for Auckland, one trawler alone bringing in a load of 14 tons, on Thursday last. The catch was principally composed of terakihi. Oysters, however are in very small supply, on account of the rough weather preventing picking operations..

Word has been received from Wellington by the Auckland officials of th e Board of Trade that the retail price of milk has been definitely fixed It is to remain at 8d per quart from September I■' to April 30, but during the winter months, from May 1 to August 31, it may b e 9d per quart.

At" this week's meeting in Whangarei of the Esperanto Club the Region Delegate presented Mr W. King with (the 'Order of the Green Star., and also declared him Consul for the District. In an accompanying address of congratulation the Delegate said that Mr King had well) earned the honours conferred, as it was primarily due to his energies .that the new Club had ibeen established.

The sugar shortage is so acute in Christchurch that a number of grocers are supplying only regular: customers with the commodity, and then only on a rationing basis of Itwopound lots. The position is likely to become still worse for a time;, as fresh supplies will not be available for a fortnight from the period when manufacturing is started again at Chelsea.

"The rain it raineth every day" is still the axiom of -Whahgareii Information furnished by Mr L. Hanlon, Meteorological Observer, shows that the local rainfall for this month up to 8 a.m. to-day has been 18.25 inches, which is 4 inches in excess of any ful.-_n.onth measurement previously. Computed in weight, the rain this month amounts to 1825 tons per acre. It seems likely on present appearances that the 20-inch mark will have been reached on the expiry of the month.

Full endorsement has been given by th e Hon. J. G. Coates to the Hobson County Council's request for an export tax on Kauri gum to provide funds to local bodies for roading. The Minister of Lands advised the Council that the subject had been considered and would be kept in view when an intended amendment of the Kauri Gum Industry Act was under consideration. As the matter was considered to be urgent, the Hobson County Council has taken further steps with' th c object of having to dealt with during the' present session of Parliament.

A Westport telegram says that the State Miners' Union has decided to hold a stop-work meeting next Monday morning to consider further action regarding disputes existing at the Taratu, Green Island, and Matatura mines It is believed that all th e other Coalminers' Unions in the Dominion will tak c a similar course, the general burden of complaint being that the coalmine owners have failed to adhere to the terms of last February's national agreement. As a species of protest the men engaged at the Taupiri Company's mines are using "go slow'" tactics, whereby the output is lessened to- the extent of 100 tons a day.

Despite had weather prevailing buds have /been noticed on many shrubs and they herald the approach of Spring. To be ready for the advent of that welcome season Mr R. G. -tasking, the well-known clothier and outfitter, has opened up a large consignment of new .Spring millinery which has just • arrived and is well worth early investigation. New and attractive lines in crash camisoles, d'oyleys and cushion covers, are also amongst the fresh stock, while men wanting a new suit and a real Stepson, suitable for the incoming Spring and Summer, should take advantage at once of the new consignment offering at Mr Hosking's establishment.*

The Hobson County Council has made public the proposals to float loans for road formation in various parts of that county, totalling just over £25.000.

Under a new regulation appearing in the current "Gazette" any person proved to be loitering in a post office or telegraph office may be summarily ejected and becomes liable to a fine up to £5.

Both visiting football teams were met at-the Onerahi wharf this morning by members of the North Auckland Rugby Union, and by Mr L, J. Brake. President of the Whangarei Union.

The Crown Solicitor has instituted proceedings against the Auckland Tramway Union in connection with th e tramway strike which arose out of th c jockeys' dispute. The hearing has been fixed for September 22.

A message received by the Wellington police from Martinborough states that during a quarrel between two men another named David Carlston went in to stop them and was stabbed between the „ ribs. Carlston was removed to the hospital in a serious condition. His alleged assailant was arrested.

Attention is drawn to the advertisement outlining the arrangements mad* 1 in reference to entertainment of the visiting jfobtballeis. with special reference to th e Band Concert in Mair Park to-morrow afternoon, to which a cordial invitation has been extended to the public to attend.

At 1.5 o'clock this morning a sneak, thief was seen to decamp from a certain property on Kamo Road with a benzine tin wheh he had extracted from an open case alongside a shed. The pilferer- will not even have the chance of a joy ride, at any rate in his own car, as a result of his mean practice, because the t" 1 happened to be filled with water, not benzine.

Cheers were given at the railway station, as th e train departed to -day, for the Whangarei ladies who left to join the Auckland Provincial Ladies' Hockey reps, in their match against Poverty Bay at Gisborne. Misses Lowe and Braun left from Whangarei, and Misses Sloane, Crawford, and Draffin joined the steamer at Marsden Point.

Through road transit for motor cars between Whangarei and Dargaville by th e Houto route has held up this winter by a bad stretch of only about a mile, and as the Hobson County Council has already arranged to have the necessary work carried out at the earliest opportune ity it is probable that this winter will be th e last i n which communication between the two centres will be blocked, even if the Wheki Valley route is riot put into good order during the forthcoming year.

A horse and buggy caused a little excitement in Cameron Street this afernoon. The turn-out was standing in front of. Wallace and Co's when 'the horse suddenly made off. By the time the corner of Walton Street was reached the animal was going at a good pace, but the post on the corner caught a wheel as the horse turned to the right and the vehicle was upset. The unauthorised journey ended soon afterwards, the horse being stopped by a passer-by. The buggy will require new spring, a new shaft and other minor repairs.

A civic welcome was accorded in the Town.. Hall this morning to the visiting footballers from the South Island and to the Auckland schoolboys, many local enthusiasts also being present. The Mayor expressed the satisfaction of the citizens at the visit of the sportsmen, and incidentally mentioned that he was very sorry that the ground at Kensington Park was not in a better condition. The County chairman, Mr W. Jones, also extended a welcome on behalf of the country districts and remarked that, as an ex-Southerner, he advised, from personal experience, any of the district's guests who might want a change of residence to come and settle in th c North. Acknowledging the expressions of welcome, Mr Howe, manager s of th e South Islanders, declared that when the members of his team were asked whether they would extend their ti'ip to Whangarei. they had been unanimously in favour of it, and were indeed glad of the opportunity of visiting the North

"The Racial Tangle in Europe" was the subject of a most interesting lecture by Dr. Mcllraith last night. Despite unfavourable weather between 50 and 60 assembled at the Town Hall Supper room, when Mr F. Mogford. the vice-president of the Workers' Educational Association, took th c chair. A series of maps— ethnographical and ordinary—proved very interesting and enabled the lecturer to point out the many huge changes effected and now under way. The popular, but erroneous idea tha< such lectures are "dry as dust" was disproved by the fact that the interest was well maintained for two hours. The lecture was full of apt illustrations, striking facts,, pleasantries, and wide knowledge attractively presented. In conclusion the lecturer stressed the acuteness of the problem, and stated that it was incumbent on statesmen to be conversant with the facts and to give earnest attention to the complex issues involved. Mr Blakey moved and Mr Long, seconded a hearty vote of thanks to th c leetui'er, which was carried by acclamation. The lecture will be reported at length in a later issue. If rapid expansion of a business in its early stages of life in a township can be taken as a criterion, the concrete premises in Vine Street recently opened by Arthur Yates and Co. Ltd., grain and seed merchants, wjll shortly become one of the leading centres of the district. Transactions already effected there have kept the staff fully occupied, and the contention of the manager, Mr Stringer, that a supply of goodquality produce can demand custom, has already borne fruit. At the present tim e seed potatoes, manures, and seed" oats form the chief items of trade, although th c demand for other lines has also been more than encouraging. Try Dobson, Piano Specialist, for better results. 686