GENERAL PROGRESS

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1928, Page 3

GENERAL PROGRESS

NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY,

MI? A. 1?. CRANE’S OPINION. Some very interesting and instructive general comment was made by Mr A. R. Crane, in presenting his annual report at the Chamber of Commerce mooting last evening. Whangarei, he said, owing to its being lavishly endowed by Nature, was very conveniently situated for the establishment of secondary industries, which would prove really the life-blood of the district. Instances of their importance to the community were Wilsosn’ Portland Cement Company and. the Hikurangi coal companies. Manufacturers looking for a base had every natural inducement to come to Whangarei, whore there was found water, rail, cheaper power, light aml coal. The Harbour Board was always ready to assist by granting cheap sections on its reclamations. Air Crane expressed pleasure at the fact that there had never been inflation of land values in the Whangarei district. The true value was there, and financiers had to realise that making money easily available to the primary producers would assist the country to a greater extent than buying Government bonds. At present there was any amount of money in the country, ami it was pleasing to see that the bank rate had been reduced to fi per cent.

Not Guilty.—At the Sydney Criminal Court, Perbival Trapman, aged 20, and his wife, Amelia Trapman, aged 27, were jointly presented on a charge of murdering Percy Chung Gow, of Marriekville, about July 19, by arsenic poisoning. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty and both were discharged.