Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, MAY 6,1908. THE MAY DELIVERY QUESTION. A DIFFICULTY AND 'A SUGGESTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 94, 6 May 1903, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, MAY 6,1908. THE MAY DELIVERY QUESTION. A DIFFICULTY AND 'A SUGGESTION.

OUR good friends, the milkmen oi Nelson, seem to have come into some measure of conflict with the con. sumers with regard to the recent arrangement to deliver only once a day, and to make the uniform price 4d a quart. In connection with the latter question it may be shown at once that 4d a quart for milk is not an unreasonable charge, In faot the lesser price of 3d or B^ d which had been taJcen by some vendors has I always been a cutting rate. Whatever may be said of the rise in the cost of nearly every article of food, no one can grudge 4d a quart for milk, in view of the fact that the Nelson milk is not subjected to adulteration, and that milkmen, in a small community especially, earn and deserve every penny they receive as members of a most hard-worked calling. It will be observed that a meeting of milkmen has been called for next Tuesday evening, and probably the whole question of delivery will be reconsidered. But in connection with the price of milk at 4d a quart being regarded as excessive, it may be stated at once that jpmparatively few of the public have ever paid less, that 4d is about the i standard everywhere, and that the rate is fair and just. j a m h s i

In connection with the single aily delivery, however, there is no oubt that consumers are up in xms, especially those who have oung families or invalids in their omes. It is unfortunately a con-, lition of the trade that suppliers nust accept the arduous duty of >arly and late work. The old •hyme about the {asks of men and vomen may well apply to milkmen— A. butcher works .till set of sun— A milkman's work is never dene. Holidays, fine days, wet tfay^, SVmlays—all are alike to Ise milkmen. Even if Ihe. fte sp-ared on rare occasions tw"o deliveries a 1 day, still he fias to milk his cows before dawn in winter, at cockcrow, in summer, and again in the afternoon. In a comparatively small community such as Nelson large. staffs ate but of the question and two or at most three putt's of hands and feet have Vo 3o everything— not only the milking twice a day, but also the weary round of delivery twice a day, A movement started a year or two agp to secure for milkmen a Sunday half-holiday— a single instead of a double delivery— was widely supported, and the system was carried out with some degree of unanimity for a time. But it is to be greatly regretted that the beneficent rule has been broken through, and thai the understanding that only during the scarcity of a month or two ir winter was there to be two deliveries on Sundays has been taken advantag< of to extend the double Sunday delivery somewhat indefinitely intc spring, if not actually into summer In fact, it is to be noted thai among the prime movers in the unnopular scheme of a general single 'daily delivery are one or two whe never came in wholly into, the Sunday half-holiday movement, am who opposed the latter from the first. • * * * In reference to the -system of i single daily delivery which has now been instituted, and against whicl newspaper correspondence has already started, it is obviously im practicable. In the first place though it is intended to observe th< system only during the cool month; of the year, it has been started ai least a month too soon. May is more late autumn than early wintei in Nelson, and some of the days anc night, say of the current week have been quite warm. In fact tin atmosphere has been humid witl threatening and falling rain, anc milk has been kept sweet with diffi culty. But even in the cool months line absolute necessity to mix th< afternoon's milk, with the milk o the following morning entailed 'by >; single daily delivery must rendei the milk more or less unfit foi consumption by many infants, younf children a'tid Invalids, a well knowi infantile and sick-room requiremen' being milk) from the one cow. Then by no process of reasoning cai mixed milk of this nature be re garded as fresh, while the very pro cess of pouring the warm fresl morning's milk into the cold ant cream-covered milk standing froir the previous afternoon is calculated to accelerate decomposition. Speak, ing from a consumer's point o view in regard to the present hour really fresh milk has been unknowr for four or five days in nearly al Nelson households dealing with Nel son milkmen. In all the circumstances', it is obvious that the move ment for a single daily delivery is unworkable and therefore retrogressive. • • * » But is there no. scheme by which the milkmen may secure for themselves a relief from arduous toil given by one round in substitution for two a day ? Union and cooperation in many businesses have helped to reduce labour, and ii seems to us that something of th€ kind may be accomplished by th€ milk-vendors. For instance, f-he Nelson doctors are in two partnerships, and by that means work, which would be almost incessant labour for all if carried out indivi- ! dually, is shared and thus rendered I somewhat more easy. If 'the milkmen could come to an arrangement t among l-hemselves whereby two of them might supply each household, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, the difficulty of two daily deliveries by each mi.kman could be overcome. Of course such a. system would entail in gome measure loss to the individual milkman. But it must be remembered that • even now some vendors have not sufficient milk to supply all customers, and they have to buy from others almost daily. It should also be realised that of a surety, if the single daily 'delivery were continued, many households would take less milk than if supplied twice a day. Taking these matters into consideration, it seems feasible to institute combinations of twos and twos in order that each member of the partnership might be required to mace only one round instead of two rounds a day. Any such imposition would be willingly accepted by the consumers. In fact, even now it is not uncommon for many families to he supplied by two milkmen. The i&rtnersi might "pool" their milk', arrange morning and evening deliveries week and week about, and both be the gainers, at least in easing their labour. • • • « •Meantime, pending the meeting of milkmen next Tuesday, it is hoped the vendors will seriously consider the position. They may be assured that popular opposition to the single-del ivery scheme is not insti- . gated by indifference to the condition of a very hard-working and worthy set of men, but by actual domestic necessity. The majority of the consumers are willing, and even anxious, to promote any means of relieving The milk-suppliers of a portion of their daily toil short of being compelled to lake mixed milk which., from its very nature can never "be entirely fresh. Hence, if the milkmen can make any sort of arrangement by which they may enter into partnerships or "pools" of twos and twos for. the purpose of dividing the morning) and afternoon 'deliveries iti will be welcomed and helped forward by public co-opera-tion.

At the meeting of the Committee of the Nelson College Old Boys' Association held last evening, at the Co-operative Society's Board Room, and presided over by Dr Gibbs, the question of the ' ground levelling scheme at the College was considered and discussed. In response to a letter sent to the Council bf College Governors, a reply was received to the effect that they could not render financial assistance with regard to the ground levelling scheme owing to their contemplated heavy expenditure on additions to both Colleges!. The Committee, however, have decided to take the ma»t'ter up themselves, and make every endea- j your to bring the work to a successful issue. The ground levelling j scheme will cost about £700, and j it is proposed to raise this sum by ( subscriptions amongst the eld boys j lof the College, and also to accept contributions from persons' who have -. an interest in the College. When the proposed additions to the Ccl- , lege are completed, and the ground ' levelling scheme is carried into ef•ct, Nelson College will be second to none in the colony as a sc'nolas- ] tic institution. •■ A' committee meeting of the Nelson Poultry Association was held j last evening. It was resolved to appoint Mr Maude, of Melbourne, judge in all classes. Mr Maude is one of the best judges of poultry in the colonies, and through engaging j! that gentleman's services the Association will no doubt receive a good number of exhibits from other parts '" of .New" Zealand. *

Another arc lamp is bein|^H^H|t bhe corner of Collingwood 3J^HHra|streets to-day. When the in position, another one will the corner of Hardy and Clalß^^pflIt will be remembered th|jHp||lJMy the City Council employed flp^jS^DS of Mr Cutler, an Australian ||^S(io report on the drainage sch^H^WHP 3 city. It is understood that '■S^HB^> which has arrived atid Will at the meeting of the Oouncil^E«fl|ftr, advocates a scheme similar to MHPfpKF The Government parad^g^p II Battery was held I^^Hhß Cantain S. Trask, Adjutei»are|Ke District, inspecting the HW| the absence of Lieut.-Coioinl«HHß| Captain Lrask presented iHHHk Captain Trask presented ;heir commissions. Q uar^ e lßH^B|" Sergeant Cooke was presen^MHi' a handsome silver-plated tW^HBj a wedding present, and j^HHs Mookett was also presented jfjßßflfc teapot and butter dish. a||jMß^ ding present. Alter parad^|^J| resolved to hbjd a social a flHM^ in the Provincial Hall lateffißaMi A complaint reaches us that a trough recently erected by the Corporation opposite a hotel is dangerously situated, being out of the light and right in the way of persons coming out of the hotel after dark. A portion of tlie re-made portion of Bridge-street (East, near Milton-street, over which the roller was taken recently, is very soft, and already ruts are beginning to form at the sides. If the Corporation does not want to waste money and spoil what may be made a good job witl a veiy little extra attention, it will instruct its engineer to run the road rollei over this part of the street for a couple of hours or so. Otherwise, the conditeioi of this part of Bridge-street (just at th< turn into Milton-street) wiH be worst than ever by midwinter. A first offending inebriate was con victed and discharged at the Magistrate! Court this morning before Mr H. W Robinson S.M. . It is understood that news has been re ceived from Mr Cadman that his iron sand Company has been definitely an< finally floated in London. Mr F. K. Beeves, of the Evening Pos literary staff who has been sojourning at Cable Bay "for the past fortnight left for Wellington to-day. The appended iettor (abridged) an< rejJy appear in the Wellington " Post, and are of interest to Nelson : — " Sir,— . . . the 'following facts in connec tion with the Easter steamer arrange ruents of the company seem t me such a justification (for criticism. A . large number spent their noli days in Nelson. From Thursda; night to Sunday fivti or six steamer carried passengers from Wellington t Nelson> most of whom wished to ge hack to Wellington either on Tupffda; or Wednesday morning. WbAl provisioi was made for carrying them ? On steamer — th« Penguin — left Nelson fo Wellington on Monday evening, and n other boat came across before Wednes day. The result was that the Penglii: was crowded with passengers who wer discontented (a mild phrase!) at havin; had a day cut but of their short holidaj Much thinking upon the matter stil leaves obscure the reason for the com pany's neglect of the obvious. A steame from Nelson was wanted on Tuesda; night and none was sent. Further, , tli Nelson steamer arrangements ft£ a whol are very • unsatisfactory-. About once .; fortnight it happens that the Monda boat from Nelson leaves, before 10 a.n The next leaves on Wednesday. Thi practically means that letters for nearl all parts of the colony and elsewher must be posted in Nelson on Saturday i they are to arrive in Wellington faefor the following Thursday > * 1 I am, etc INSANIENTEM NaVIT A BOSPORUM." — [Edi torial Note : "We are informed upo: inquiry that your statements are hard! correct. The Penguin on the trip yo ; mention carried only 76 saloon passer gers, and the steamer that left Nelson o: the Wednesday only 47. The conipan had no boat available for Monday, bu had there been one, what inducemen was offered for the expense of r'uhhinj her ? Half the passengers by the Wed nesday steamer (we are told) were Nelsoi people booked for Wellington ; that wouli leave about twenty for Tuesday, eve: supposing they had' all wanted to tak ship that day. As regards the Nelsoi steamer arrangements being unsatis factory, that is inseparable from a tida port. If the steamer waited for the lat tide, 10 p.m. , instead of sailing at 10 a.m as you state, passengers going Up COuntr; from West Coast ports and Nelson coul< not catch morning trains and would bi forced to stay a day in this city. Whe] the Nelson harbour scheme is complete( these difficulties will be overcome. — Ed W.E.P."] Colonel Bell, who will probebly lecturi in the School of Music, received a veri flattering testimonial from the Thame: Committee on tho occasion of his leetur< in that city. Very high praise is given and his leoture is spoken of as an intel lectual feat seldom witnessed in a lift time. Messrs W. Kout and Sons announc* the following sales : — To-morrow, 2.30 pictures, at salerooms ; Tuesday next clearing sale furniture, implements, etc. on account of Mrs Eyles. Champion road Wednesday next cleoring sale of stocl at Stanles Brook on account Mr H. P Knyvett; Thursday, May 14th, genera] drapery, Cash Drapery Company, Bridgestreet ; Saturday May 16, building allotments, Ngatitama-styeet, in the estate of the. Janifes Burnett. On the recommendation of the' Lane Purchase Board, the Government has decided to acquire the whole of the Mount Vernon Estate, between Waipawf and Waipukurau instead of only a parl of it. The property, which was owned bj the late Mr. John Harding, formerly oJ Wellington, consists of 21,000 acres and is said to be very suitable for clost settlement. Gone ! Vanished ! Absolutely cured The old man's cough is gone ; for years h« was troubled with Asthma ; now he is quite cured ; Bock's Balsam cured him : It has cured others ; has cured thousands ! Bock's Balsam cures Brnchitis in all itt stages, old standing coughs, ordinary colds. Heals cuts, cracked hands, etc, Back's Balsam is free from narcotics, Relieves everybody. Thousands testify to it. Many a blighted life made happy by it. Is, at W. C. Ancell, Chemist, Nelson ; Granville Bros, Brightwater ; E. Hooper Wakefield ; A. J. Palmer, Foxhill— Advt. The advent of Williamson's "Sherlock Holmes" Company is looked forward to with great interest, and will be a treat to playgoers. Mrs Mumbles objected to Jim going; xo see "Shylock's Holmes" as he had just got married, but Jim says, "What yer givin' us ?. Didn't I furnish at Lock's, and didn't Polly buy her Atlas Sewing Machine at Lock's ? Lor' bless yer, we've saved enough money to buy front seat tickets for the next twelve months, and a little nest egg besides." There is no doubt whatever that Lock's is far and away the cheapest place to buy furniture and furnishings. Mr Lock has completely furnished out over 1000 happy homesi, for Cash or on his Easy Payment System. Lock has the largest stock, best quality i goods, most up-to-date styles, and lowest prices. Large direct shipments of carpets, blankets, rugs, sKetings, damasks, crockery, curt&'« \, etc., just to hand. The Atlas Seeing Machines and Miner Ranges are the best in the market.— Advt. Breakers ahead ! the cold and rain Will soon be with us once again, Soon Winter's 1 breath will freeze the air, For ccughs and colds we must prepare, Complaints that cawse so much distress, . Y"et everyone will, soon confess rhat the remedy good and pure Is some— VOODS' GREAT PEPPERMINT CURB.

Rider Haggard's "Pearl Maiden," s one of the books of the day. It las been published in more oastly form, but the cheap edition in Longnan's Colonial Library is how . available. The pericd of tihe stirring story of love, adventure and mysticism is in the years just following the Crucifixion of Christ, and in the characters are presented Christians, zealot Jews, hermit Essenes, Romans, and Phoenicians. The book is full of incident, and, dealing as it does with places and a pericd of history memorable to all Christians, it is being very largely read. Reporting Colonel Bell's iecture in Wellington, the "Post" says :— "A very appreciative audience assembled at the Exchange Hall, when Colonel Bell, the American orator delivered his stirring oration entitled "Triumphant Britain," Mr Joynt, who occupied the cha' 11 ". said there was no need for him t<? introduce Colonel Belt to a Wellington audience, but it gave him great pleasure to accord him a hearty welcome. Colonel Bell kept his hearers ihteres l ted from start to finish, and his American humour was much appreciated. He showed that Britain's greatest triumphs were in her industries, the abolitionof slavery, and her wealth of territory. He spdke of Hie friendly feelings existing between America and Britain, and laughingly remarked that the Americans were really English, revised and brought down to date. He also spoke in the highest praise" of New Zealand, which he considers a most beautiful country, and one for which he predicts a great future. At the conclusion of the lecture, a hearty vote of thanks was given to Colonel Rel! on the motion of Mr A. de B. Brandon. At a meeting held recently it was decided to resuscitate the Golf Club, and the following new members .were elected : — Drs Andrew and Gibbs, Major Taylor, Messrs Allen, Perston, Coney, R. B. Jackson, A. E. Jackson, Rowley, Deßchlferj Leslie Reynolds, Lowi-y, and Harris. Col. Wood, and Messrs Perston and Wratt were appointed a Committee. The ground is to be openod for play on 16th May. Lieut. Colonel Wolfe. O-.CM). returned to Nelson from Blenheim to-day, where lie lias boon inspecting the Volunteers in that district. A meeting of volunteer officers will be held in the Farmers Club rooms on Saturday evening, for the purpose of discussing details in connection with the field day and review to be held either on Empire Day (25th May) or Prince oi Wales Birthday (June 3rd). Officers ol country corps are particularly requested to attend. A report was submitted at a conference at Hobart between members of the Trades Hall Council, the Council of the Churches and representatives of temperance organisation in favour of the nationalisation of the liquor traffic in five years' time The consideration of the report was postponed until about the end of this month Miss Thaw, the American heiress who has just married the Earl of Yarmouth with a dowry of ,£20,000 a year, is said tc be very bpauijfv). She is a native oi Washington, the American official capital. Ldr'd Yarmouth is a future Marquis the eldestson of Lord Hertford, a man oi 31, and once an officer in the Blacl Watch. Most of us have our jeunesst orageuse, and Lord Yarmouth is no ex ception to the rule. He was fond of the atricals, a clever actor, and an agile dan cer, and on more, than One occasion per formed a pas seul in ballet skirts. Th( Seymour family, of whom Lord Hertford is the head, takes rank as one of th( greatest and most historic houses. Th< name was once St. Maur, and the farnih arrived from Normandy in the 13th cen tury. Some very valuable historical picture: have been unenitliiid from a shop ii Christchuvcft, and deposited in the Pub fie Library. They comprise (says th< " Lyttelton Times ") a collection of 14 and were published about 1849 as illustra, tions to Mr E. J. Wakefield's interesting work entitled " Adventures in New Zea land." There are several representations of Wellington, then called Port Nichol son, as it appeared about IS'U\ *?ne snow, ing whaling arid irmiUgraut ships in the narhour. Id the illustrations where towhshipfl tire shown the houses of set tldrS are depicted, and the names of th< owners arc given. There is a particularly good picture of Nelson. It gaves i typical scene in 1842 — surveyors laying out the roads, and settlers building anc attending to other" works. New Plymoutl in 1843 is also very well depicted. Th( pictures, besides being^ of great historical value, serve to show the great changes that have been brought about at th( sites of colonial towns and cities. Mr H G. Ell, on being acquainted' with the fac that tho pictures were on sale, brougln the matter uilder the notice of Mr A. E G. Rhodes, who immediately came for ward and secured them, Mr Ell has started a subscription list to obtaii funds for presenting the collection to the library. The Alpine mine manager reports i— The shaft was completed On Wednesday Started to cut out for chahlbW set or Thursday. No. 7 crosscut has been ex tended il feet, making the total distance 81 feet. I expect to cut the track betweei this and 100 feet. Empire Day will be celebrated on th< 25th instant, the 24th being a Sunday The Government haS asked the various Education Boards and School Commit tees to take steps to have the day pro perly observed by the schools. Souse, Farm and Station .Requisites The recent expensive alterations k Messrs Bisley Bros, and Oo.'s premise! enables them to can y larger stooks oi groceries, hardware, and produce, whiot they are now ottering to the public a1 wholesale bates. Parcels delivered tc any part of the City. Railway Station ©i Port. Stocks include 500 bags A 2 sugar at 7s 6d per 401 b bag, best Ceylon teas in 51b, 101 b, and 201 b tins and 601 b chests from Is 3d per lb Price's sperm candles from 6|d Nekon Boap from 6s 9d per box, rice, oatmeal, coffee, etc. Produce — bran, pollard, chaff, wheat, barley, potatoes, grass seeds. Also, for fabm and station use— fencing wire, wire netting from 8a per roll of GOyardß, roofing iron, roofing felt, nails.— Enquire Grooeb* Department Bisley Bros. & Co., Hardy-street, fci o ]son,-ADVT. Carpets, Baps, and Mats. — During our stock-taking sale we are making substantial reductions. Our stock is new and designs oxcellent. Bisley Bros. & Co. — Adr Special Price. -15 Ladies' Le Boy Bicycles, assorted colours, with brakes and sundries, .£8 17e 6d. Bisley Broa. & Co. - Advt Delicious *utter — first grade, Ask for the Victory Butter, made by the NelsoD Co ODerafcive Dairy Company Ltd. Bright water.— • Ad vt. | See the Conquering Hero comes ! ! The enemy rheumatism is vanquished ! ! Bock's Rheumatic Powder succeeds where hundreds of others have failed. It strikes the roots of evil, expels the Uric Acid Poison. Ensures perfect circulation of the blood: Regenerates the whole system. Has cured hundreds. Will cure you. Success guar» anieed ! Failure impossible, Price 3s 6d obtained locally frorr W. C. An cell Chemist Nelson, Granville Bros. Brightwater, E. Hooper, Wakefield, A. J. Palmer, Foxhill. Advt. For Children's Hacking Cough at night take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d and 2s 63. To buyers of Furniture, Carpet' and Linoleums -We are making & c r e dno _ feioos in all departments. See prices on . article. Bisley Bros, and Co.— Adrt deceived a large shipment of Lino- 1 leums ex tfiwaru from London. Splendid ! quality and patterns in 3, 6, 9, 10 ft 6in and 12 feet widths et greatly reduced prices a 27 *ys. Bisley Bros. & Co. -Advt Special Quotations —Just landed, dir eet; from Ceylon 500 lb packages pureCeylon Tea, at 6s 6d. or in 101 b nackaces 12b 6d. Thia ib undoubtedly tbe best ealufl offered to tbe public. Bisley Bros oad (X-^dvt.