LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 12 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Railway Department’s delay m removing the Anneebrook Level Crossing Death-Trap will sooner or later, possibly sooner, result in another fatality, Even with, every pare by en-gine-drivers and the users ox, the .joga, ft only requires a certain set of ; circumstances to render a terrible accident absolutely unavoidable. The Returned Soldiers’ Club has been presented with four enlarged photographs by Mr Kingstoru, ot tile Broma Studio. The photographs include 'one of the. Prince of -Wales, one of General Birdwoocl, and two ot Snowden’s Bush. The pictures have been framed, and provide a welcome addition to the walls of the clubhouse. Returns from the gold mines of the Auckland district during the year just closed show a decrease upon those ot 1919 (states the AucklanjStar). -the value of the total ouput as recorded by the Waihi Company, th© Warm Grand Junction Company, the ialisman Consolidated Company, and the Golden Belt Company is £384,813, as compared with £414,767 for the preceding twelve months, For the maj or portion of '.this output the Waihi Company’s mine has been the source. Tonnage of ore handled by it exceeded 169,300, and the actual gold recovered wae valued at £296,872. This company has already to its credit during its long record of operation an output of gold valued at no less £12,943,045, It has paid £5,771,442 m dividends. Sal© ■of the bullion in London, which has yet to take plape, w ul probably increase the value of the output for the part year, th© figures included in th» above total being estimated at lower than probable London values.

Is the “Chinese Peril” about to play the chameleon’s part and change its colour from yellow tb black (asks a writer in the Manchester Guardian) ? One is tempted to ask the question on account of the many reports regarding the Celestial Empire’s alleged activity in regard to the oxportation of coal. It wsis even stated the other day that China was sending coals to Newcastle, but . this was denied. It is true, however, that certain European countries have been giving Chinese coal a tijial. It is less certain what the result has been. But the important point is that at the Sankey Commission it was stated that China is the richest coal counti y in the world. She has 232,500 square miles of coalfield—virgin and undeveloped. Great Britain has prospered on 12,000 square miles Chinese coal is stated to be good and easy to mine. Much of it is anthracite m fair seams lying quite near the sin face. The Big Sale at McKay.’g will go on again To-morrow.- Ladies and Burberry Coats to be absolutely cleared at less than cost.* Several • very ■ important amendments wore made last year in the Marriage Act. Estate and Succession Duties, Shops and Offices Act. These embodied in Lu«m’ Almanae !or # 1»1. Secure year copy without delay. . Persons interested i» gardening—either flower# or vegetables—'will find in Lucas’ Almanac a great deal~ef useful information specially compiled to euit the local conditions. Tho hoek contain* 331 pages of general inf expiation for the office, homo, and farm, including a diary and receipts and expenditure tables.* Special Costum© Bargains at the Big Sale at McKay’s! Fawn Gaberdine Costume, £lO 10s, now £4 15s.* Wanted Known: Lucas’ Almanac en sal© throughout the Provincial District of Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast.* An interesting addition to the Legal Memoranda in Lucas’ Almanac for lyM is a lengthy statement regarding the provisions of the Housing Ac# This should be carefully studied by prospective householders.* Those in need of a reugh diary could not do better than secure copy of Lucas’ Nelson Almanac. This is part of a book of 331 pages containing a mass of useful information for the office, home, and farm.*

“The year just closed has easily been the most active and progressive in the history of our district,” said the Chanirfan of the Wellington Education Board (Mr. T. Forsyth) in the course of an interview. “In ifo programme for new schools,” continued !Mr. For-, syjth, “the aim of my board has been, wherever possible, to place the new schools abutting on, or as near as possible to, the Town Belt or reserves, so that-the children may have ample play-ing-grounds, as I am strongly of opinion that wherever there is education there should also be recreation. The acquisition of new sites has been a big task, and has entailed a groat amount of negotiation; and this has taken much time, so that some of oar critics have become a little impatient at our seeming delay or inactivity. But "it is confidently anticipated that very soon the settlement of the whole of th© new city school sites will be an fccoraplisbed fact,”

Discussing the letter-writing procli-1 vities of the world’s people, Australia, with 130 letters per year per head of population was placed first, states an exchange. Tims a writer in.the British Australasian, who asked where New Zealand came in: “New Zealand, I am told, by a correspondent,, does not beat Australia at letter-writing, it.i average per head lor 1918 being 112, as against Australia’s 130. My correspondent, a lady, .and a New Zealander, is generous in giving me ihe.se figures to disabuse ■my mind of the idea 1 had that her country beat Australia in the epistolatory line, but she adds to her note, “if post-cards, newspaners, and parcels bo included, this 112 is brought up to 154 per head of mean population for that year (1918), and this latter total has been exceeded. As far back as 1912 New Zealand’s total in this regard was 157 per head, and in 1914 and 1915 actually exceeded 160 per head.’ Perhaps the post-card explains it. .Many New Zealanders are ot Scotch descent, unci ‘though on letter-writing bent, they have a frugal mind.’ ” Wonder at the lack of friction as the result of the setting back, or putting foi'ward, of the* clock in England in conformity with daylight-saving ideas is expressed by Mr, A. R. Atkinson, who hae just returned to Wellington after an extended visit overseas. “I landed in England on the last Saturday of March, when the clock was _to he put forward an, hour for the spring and summer months,” said Mr. Atkinson to an Evening Post representative. “Although there were 45,000,000 people affected, there was hot the slightest hitch pr inconvenience. It was just as simple when th© clock was put back an hour at' the end of the summer. In the latter part of summer farmers may have ibeton slightly inconvenienced through the operation of th© daylight saving principle, but the saving in lighting and fuel must have been enormous.” Mr. Atkinson inquired as to the fate of the Standard Time Bill introduced bv the Government last session for the purpose of setting New Zealand time half-an-hour ahead, and Had to be informed that it had not been given the opportunity to mature. Th©"matter of charging retailers for fruit ’cases supplied with, fruit was again 'discussed by the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association at its monthly meeting on Saturday evening (says the Lyttleton Times. The chairman (Mr. F. Cone) said that some merchants were charging for cases and some were not. If they were not unanimous the scheme would break down. If growers sent their fruit only to those merchants who Advertised that they charged for cases there would be no difficulty in the matter. The committee had discussed th© subject fully, and bad decided to send men to the various growers to'explain the. position to them. It only meant “hanging together” for a few weeks, and th© whole ipatter would be settled, In reply ,to a question, the Chairman said it was useless approaching the retailers. They would ’not discuss th© matter, and flatly refused to pay for cases, Mr. E. Philpot-Crowther, a visiting agriculturist from Australia, said that in Australia otaes had to be paid for.' There was no trouble about it —if the growers were loyal to each other they should settle the question very quickly. They had th© matter in their own hands—it was only a question of standing : firm and the retailers would have to pay for cases. At this stage further discussion of the matter was taken in committee, and no report was made when open business was resumed.

The Dominion Swimming- Championships are to take place in Dunedin this year, commencing on sth February. Ever since the outbreak of war swimming has held anything but a high place among sport in, "Wellington. Nevertheless, the Wellington Centre is anxious to send a team south if the necessary funds can .be rinsed. Who will comprise that team is an open question. The centre, decided last night- to hold a series of tests or “tryouts.” ; The championships are now in three grades—school children, intermediate, and senior. The 50 yards test for school children will take place at the tepid baths at 4 p.m. on Mon day, 17th January, and will be followed at 5 p.m. by the intermediate »and senior tests over 100 yards, 440 yards, and diving. On Tuesday, 18th January, additional testa will he; . School children, 100 yards; intermediate and senior, 220 yards and 880 yards. The team will be selected on the forni shown in these tests and must train* at the tepid baths, where the conditions will be the same as those, met with in Dunedin, • The centre is now arranging for a carnival, at which the Auckland. Wanganui, and Napier teams will compete on their south'.

One only Navy White Striped Costurae, £8 ss, for £6 10s; at McKay’s Sal©.*

‘Marriageable girls, now listen. We advise you all to learn the violin so that later on you too may experience the great delight, of playing “Homo, Sweet Home” while “No Rubbing” Laundry Help does the weekly washing.—Kelson Grocers. Gar magnificent stock of Knitted Silk Sports Coats reduced to less than cost price.— McKay’s Big Sale.* Buy Boys’ School Clothing at McKay’s Sale.* Emma’s Mail‘Cars leave Nelson foi Takaka daily, from his Booking Office, 29 Hardy street (’Phone 527), at 8 a.m., arriving in Takaka at 1 p.m. Leave Takaka for Nelson at 7.45 a.id., arriving in Nelson at l .p.m. Cars meet in Motueka at 10,15 a.in.* Your Autumn or Winter Dress Material! Buy it now at the Big Sale at McKay’s. Every line reduced.* When one can obtain a motor-car absolutely guaranteed _as regards economy and durability it is certainly difficult to avoid an investigation. The 'Overland Four is an extraordinarily fine engineering achievement, and the popularity it is gaining ie a proof of' public confidence. The easiest car for ladies to drive.* Splendid values in White Sheetings at McKay’s Big Sale.* Six year*’ concentration on the first mediinb six-cylinder car made in America account# for th© popular position th# Oakland Six hold* for professional mad private use. The exceptional features in economy, comfort, and power are just those that count in present day motoring.—J, G. Carpenter, P.O. Box 23, Cadillac and Oakland Agent,*

' The importance of the tomao industry in Nelson is not always fully realised. "Several hundred cases are being sent to market daily, and on one day recently the number reached 3000, The New Majority, the official organ of the Chicago Federation of Labour, under date 11th December, publishes several reports from scattered districts in America showing that many industrial parts have lengthened their hours, curtailed production, a‘nd reduced wages. Here are some typical reports: —New York: Union officials estimate ■ conservatively that more than 100,000! needle workers are now idle in Greater i New York, Of these, nearly 60,000 ar e j men’s clothing workers, representing j 90 to 95 per cent, of the total number j in the industry. Total unemployment | here in all lines is estimated at i 300,000. About 200,000 needle workers . are laid off throughout the State, and; the total unemployment in the State j rune hear 600,000, it is estimated. Bos- j ton: Curtailment of production in the ] New England textile industries has reached a point where Jess than half j th e normal output ia being produced, j In most mills the workers have been olfered th« choice of a 10-per-cent, cut or a shutdown. The Lawrence Manufacturing Company in Lowell has reduced wages about 23 per cent. Many mills are on .part time, Seattle, Wash.: Reduction of wages 6 cents per hour in the Schwnger-Nettleton Company’s lumber mill, in Seattle, is announced. Clark-Niokerson Lumber Company, of Everett, has cut wSgha down 90' cents per day. Anocortes mill men contemplate a, reduction of 1.50 dollars per. day. Pittsburg: About 50 per cent, of the men employed in a number of the independent steel mills of this district have had their wages cut from 46 cents an hour for eight hours, with time and a-hajf for any overtime, to a straight 46 cents an hour wage. This means a 15-per-ceut. reduction for 12 hours and 10-per-cent, reduction for tenhour men. Warren, O.: Steel-mill operations in this city have been cut 50 ner eent. Cincinnati; Eight thousand persons are out of work here, according to estimates made in well-in-formed circles. Boot and shoe workers are working only two days a week, and thousands of machinists have been laid off. Every Costume heavily reduced at McKay’s Big Sale.*