LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 28 July 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A special return presented to the House of Representatives yesterday, telegraphs the '‘Mail's” Parliamentary reporter, shows that the total amount outstanding in respect of advances under the Fruit Preserving Industry Act as at 31st March, 1927, was £4-1,613. Arrears for the year just closed amount to £2333 3s 3d, comprising as defaulters the .Marlborough Fruit Packing and Preserving Company, £1325 Os 3d; the Nelson Co-operative Fruil Company, £BSB 3s 9d; and Apsey and Company (Hastings), £l5O. The distinction of being the poorest paid man in the, country to day was claimed for the country blacksmith by Mr ,Munro at the meeting of iHe Auckland Provincial executive of me Farmers’ Union last week. The matter was raised by a letter from the Taneattia branch, containing a complaint about the high prices charged fur shoeing horses. Mr .Munro said lie knew something about blacksmitliing, and he would he sorry to see any such protest go out from the executive. He knew the charge for shoeing was high—higher than the farmer could afford to payhut the" smith’s overhead expenses had' gone up greatly. He had known a group of farmers starve out a blacksmith with a large family and then starve out the man they had put. in to carry on in his place. Mr Snelling said the smith did not. now get half the horses that he used to have to handle. “Did you ever seo a blacksmith who made a fortune?” lit* asked. A member took up the challenge, and stated that, lie had known two. The discussion, however, was not carried further.

Dr. Gibbs said at the Rotary Club lunch yesterday that while in Canada lie went, to see the. "longest bridge in the world” over the SI. Lawrence at- Quebec. Incidentally he remarked that during his tour ni' North America lie had seen five bridges each of which he had been assured was the longest in the world.

''Nothing causes so much liavnv with elect!ie liglit lines as trees,” said All \V. J. ltoldsworlh, chairman of the Auckland .Electric-Power Board, at a meeting: this week. He referred to-a recent ease, in the South Island where an owner of trees won his ease against a power hoard which had attempted to slmrien them and thus clear them from contact with a power line. A remit before the recent conference of powei hoards in Wellington aimed at protecting hoards in the, matter. The, Auckland Board experienced considerable trouble in the 11,000 volt area- on 14tb July, when during a storm branches of trees were blown across lines. The engineer reported that steps were now being taken io have all trees endangering the lines cut down.

The difficulty of forming an inierna liurial football team in a ronntrv lie' si/e of Canada was mentioned h'y the manager of the Canadian Association lootlaifl team, Mr J. Adam, at- the Bo tary Club luncheon in Auckland. -MrAdam said the Canadian .Association had to select iis representative players from a population nt 10.000.000, spread over an area of 3,700,000 square miles. Wane of I lie players chosen had to make a two weeks’ railway journey in order to assemble at Vancouver.

In a condensed report published yesterday. nrr a trip through Canada an obvious error <ocnrrod, Victoria the capital of British Columbia being called the capital ( I Canada.

Men’s Suits! Your chance In save [rounds; oddments clearing out at very low prices, from 425. Sen window. Tra then’s.*

Taffeta Evening Frocks, dainty slurries, 30s each, Friday and Saturday, at. McKay’s.* Boys’ Jerseys! A our last chance to buy below cosi. 20iu lo 2Gin, 4s lid; 23in ro 32in, 5s lid. Trat-hen’a.*

A start was made yesterday on the concrete footpaths on the new Trafalgar street, bridge. These, will lie. on both sides and the surface will not he. oxact.ly flat. but. slightly slanting towards the centre of Hie bridge, thus ensuring a dry surface always. The big drain leading to the septic tank has now boen placed in position across the river undei the new bridge. Excellent progress i.<? being made with this work. ‘Hie present spell of bad weather has ;,o far not adversely affected the leaning of the service cars’ the usual time-table being adhered to.

It. was reported in town to-day that, llm Kaikourn road was blocked owing to a slip, but. inquiries from the Public Works Department failed to verify the truth of the report. If a slip has occurred, it is on the Christchurch side of the’ Clarence River bridge, which is not m Die area covered by tho local branch of the Department.

A man residing at Te Kopurn (Northern Wairoa) has a fox terrier which has a peculiar penchant for searching for ambergris. After the'recent heavy gales the man and dog visited tho beach, where the terrier recovered several sections, the total weight being lib. 12 oz., worth £129 10s. This fuel can be. vouched for. Were, it not for the dog’s acute sense of smell the ambergris might wash to and fro in the surf without coming ashore, and. would gradually deteriorate. .So keen- is fhe terrier’s recognition </f the odour that, When, some ambergris wa's ru bboxl v on. a;. man’s hankerchief in Daugaville, the 'dog went almost frantic ill its efforts to find out where the scent emanated from.

■ A plan showing the. front elevation of Messrs R. Hannah and Co.'s now building in central Trafalgar street is now .being shown in the firm’s temporary . slurp'window. The frontage will be a handsome one and in conformity with the architecture’ of adjacent, premises recently constructed.

An unusual condition prevails in the l.omlon market for lamb at present, judging from the cabled reports received of daily transactions at Smith lipid (says the Poverty Bay “Herald'';. '1 he Gisborne Sheepfanners’ K.M. and M. C'o., have received information to the effect that prime lamb, “twos' grade, killed at the Haiti works, has been disposed of at. per pound, while seconds from the same works brought 0 13-1 Gel and B)jd per pound. The two grades were shipped by the same vessel, and by the curious state of tbe market buyers who paid perhaps id per pound less for seconds on the hooks are receiving a substantially greater price for this class of meat, than for the better grade. The. prefenence for the second seems to arise from the popularity of small cuts, with little waste in fat, among the English householders at this time of the year, when Britain is enjoying its summer months.

“New York is certainly one of the wonders of the world,” said Dr. Gibbs at the Rotary Club yesterday. That great city contained *a theatre capable of seating 6000 people and with an orchestra of 250 instruments. There was also a huge organ and if it were required the orchestra sank through the floor and the organ rose up where the players had been. The theatre gave, six performances a day and there had never been a vacant scat in if since it opened.

Attributing the failure of the electric power on one of the transmission lines from Lake Coleridge to Christchurch to a magpie, the “Sun” says: Magpies have been quite a source of trouble, there being several breakdowns of power on the Tiinaru line at one time, within a very brief period, from this. cause. Cnee a zealous official, with the idea of substantiating in the minds of his superiors a cause of a breakdown, sent a par-tially-roasted bird to headquarters in Christchurch. Between the. bird’s death and its arrival as “exhibit A,” some time must have elapsed. Anyway, it was hustled off the premises with very quick dispatch. According to Dr. Gibbs who has just returned from a trip to Canada arul America- the dollar in those countries is looked ori as of about tho same value as we attach to a shilling, and the quarter, nominally equivalent to the shilling, really equal to a threepence.

When Stevenson ran his first railway engine a man on horseback rode in front waving a red Hag (writes “Tho Man About Town” in tiie Auckland “Star”). When road steam rollers were invented a law of England enacted that a pedestrian should walk alipad with the Lit of red bunting denoting danger. The steam roller often gained a surface velocity of one mile per hour in those days. ’ The speed lias increased. A Devoiiport man with a stop watch asserts that over a measured mile the speed of tbe Devonporl steam roller is two miles per hour. The public in 1927 as in 1836 are protected from these terrifying vehicles. Under that law, which distinctly concedes to the pedestrian the first right of tbe road, the steam roller must still be preceded by the flagman. While the man with the flag is saving people from death per steam rollers, cars, limousines, buses arid trolleys pass at the rale of thirty or forty miles an hour. As the law insists on safety from steam rollers in l)evonport, might one ask for men on fast motor-bikes to precede each oil-driven vehicle? It’s only fair. Mr Weller stood in a Devonpnrt street and watched the man with the red flag. “Sainivel,’ said he. “the law’s a haps.”

Readers are reminded of the jumble sale to be hold in the- Methodist Hal; In-morrow, commencing at 2.30 p.m. The sale consists of cakes, sweets, vegetables, books, clothing, etc. Goods may bn left with Mrs Jackn. 97 Collingwood Street, or at the Hall on Friday morning.

Tli<* Loyal Nelson Lodge, M.U., 1.0.0. F.. will hold a euchre on Friday night, in aid of its Christmas tree fund.

Messrs Loudon and Brown, of tlie Ettrick orchards, Otago, have received cable advice that their shipment of Old cases of Stunners by the I’orl Darwin realised in London all over ,18s Hid per case, oi' 4s per case in advance of ilie price obtained for the apples siiipped by tbc Wairoa and sold |i_ week earlier. A small consignment of Delirious sen! to Argentine from the same growers fiddled 19s 3d per case.

Reporting on the. financial position of dm Wniiemata (Auckland) board fm the pnailer ended 30lh .'lime, the chair man said (be position wan most satisfactory. Jhe sum ot 1122,000 had been spenl nut r,4 loan money, and the. income had doubled. He assured members that llm position <fi the hoard was sound, adding that it would he difficult instate the exilel position until a balance-sheet was prepared at the end of the year. It uas reported that lor the (piarter ended 30th June, the hoard had paid £'2o9b to the Government for power supplied. The chairman so id Ibis was double the amount paid during ilm previous quar lor. Iho resident engineer assured !in> members that the. board’s income durin" that, poria! had more than doubled. Week End Specials! Ready to Wear Felt and Velour Hals, clearing at 4s 11.1 at, McKay’s.*

Men’s Suit Specials ! About 20' high grade suits, sizes 3 to 7, ranges are broken, so offering them from 25 to 50 per cent, reduction. See window. Trathen’s.* At, McKay's, Friday and Saturday ! Children's Ready to Wear Straw and Felt Hats all to go at 3« 6d.

■ Tippirig in America,” said Dr. Gibbs at. Dm Rotary lunch yesterday, "was mil nearly the bugbear that 1 expected il lo be.” The scheme of tipping had been systematized nn a basis of ]0 per cent. Tims if n meal costs 10 dollars die waiter expected a tip of one dollar.

The Nelson music-loving public will read wiLb pleasure that before proceeding back to Australia and England to fulfil engagements Mr Hubert Carter will give one recital only at the School of Music on Wednesday, 3rd August. On bis first appearance in England fit met with such success that ho was promptly engaged to sing at many operas, oratorios and concerts all. ovei England, Ireland, .Scotland and Wales. After 18 months he had taken the principal tenor roles in 160 performances, a record which very few singers can claim to have surpassed at the very outset o their career. Press notices indicate that' not only has Mr Carter a superb terioi voice; he also has a wonderful gift of interpretation and enunciation.

The question whether the members <>i (he women’s division of the Farmers' Union should be allowed lo send dele, gates to I lie. I'orifereiice with the sal no powers as the other delegates agitated the minds of the union's conference in Wellington this week (says ‘‘The Post”)! “We men shall have to look to oil) laurels if we admit the women," declared one member when referring to the activi.lv of the women in his. district.

‘•.The era lias passed when women wero considered'as inferiors of men; in this country we arc. enlightened enough to look upon them as at least, our equals,” said the president of the Cunfe'ierne, Mi W. .1. Poison. Another member declared that the admission of women delegates would be I lie thill edge of the wedge ami the time might come when women would out-vole ihe men, a. remark which other speakers characterised as absurd as it was a question only o» admitting- 1 wo women delegates. It was finally decided to admit two women delegates to the conference now silting, the whole question of the admission of. women delegates to be gone into later.

According to a report from Southland there is now a permanent resident in Doughboy' Ray, one of the most inaccessible bays of Stewart Island. East month Mr Adam Adamson, of ambergris fame, was landed there with equipment and stores to last, six months. A cargo of building timber was to follow, but so far the weather has riot, been suitable to risk visiting this exposed quarter. In the meantime, Mr Adamson lias made a temporary home in a fine sheltered cave which he discovered well hack from the beach. This cave had evidently been used ie the early days by sealers and whalers, as numerous initials arid indistinct names inv cut into the stone walls. In bygone days the Maoris made a yearly expedition to Doughboy Bay to collect lampreys, which are numerous there in their season.

• >*v. ~~a When discussing the formation of an agricultural bank at the meeting of the Fanners’ Union Conference. Mr W. .! Poison said that such a bank should be a bank of issue with a special watertight compartment for long term credits. Tt should be run bv farmers for farmers, and they should learn Lite lesson from Denmark. There an agricultural bank started off with a great flourish of trumpets, and was well managed by farmers in their own interests. Then the idea, got abroad that farmers could not possibly' know anything about finance, so two banking experts were, appointed to take charge. 'iVis they did, but launching out into all sorts of schemes, thev very quickly brought about the fall of the bank.

The Board of Control of flic Knwarau Gold Mining Company, after an examination of all data available, dpcided to issue instructions that the gates of the dam must be raised not later than 15th August, when it is anticipated, the dam will be holding its full capacity. It was arranged that the opening must be carried out earlier if unexpected conditions arise.

“I have been very much concerned at the amount of operating, particularly in country hospitals,” said l)r. T. if. A. Valintine, Director-general of Health, at* a meeting of the Wanganui Hospital Board (says the correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times”). Re added : “Much Loo' great attention has been paid to surgery in litis country, and there lias been a neglect of medical treatmentthroughout the length and breadth of the Dominion. “The work of the physician has been grossly neglected, and except in the four centres this has been done, by bouse surgeons. It is a great blot on hospital work generally that tried,ical treatment has been so neglected. The people of New Zealand are fortunate in the. men who are able to give their services in hospitals in anhonorary capacity.” Dr. Valintine went on to say that he did not altogether favour honorary .staffs on hospitals, but until times were better lie would be reluct 091- to advocate the appointment- of stipendiary staffs. An interesting observation was made in the Supremo Court by Mr Justice Hardman at Auckland during the making of fixtures, in view of the fact that it, was suggested in Parliament during Die week that the jury system was almost abolished from civil cases. The case was sot down by the petitioner in a divorce case before the judge alone, and Mr ,1. J. Sullivan, appealing on the other side, pointed out that it was similar to a case where, in 1925, the. judges of the Supreme Court made a rule that a. jury was essential. That rule had been approved by the Executive Council, and, therefore, lie applied for a jury. Mr Camp'bell, opposing counsel, said the case, had been set down originally before a judge alone, and later a defence bad been filed by Air Sullivan’s client, lie quoted authorities to show that a jury could not. now be obtained. The judge drew attention to the fact that the authorities were English, and in New Zealand they had regulations, made in 1925 in the Supreme Court, virtually ordering a jury in eases of the kind before the Court, ft an application for a jury bad been made to him in the present ease, he certainly would have granted ■t. .Mr Campbell was not prepared to argue the matter further, and the easewas set down for heating by a jury.

A demonstration was given to Alinistors uf the Crown and members of both Houses of the Legislature at the. Parliament, Buildings yesterday of a device, t he, invention of Air Brunei Millar, ot Gere, for the automatic recording oi election votes. The. demonstration was watched by a large number of interested members of the Legislature and others, and many questions were asked as tc the possibility of manipulation of tbc machine or of other illegal practice in the. recording of the votes. The machine is contained in a small cabinet, and the. voter, on entering the booth, is con fronted with a strip of white paper on the machine, with the names of the candidates or of the issues concerned set opposite. The vote is recorded l>\ pressure upon a key opposite the. name or issue fur which it is desired to vote, and the machine is so adjusted that. it. is impossible to vote for more than fineissue, thus avoiding informal voting. The registration number of the votei is marked by the returning officer at the end of the voting strip before tin voter acts, and is then antcmaticnlly gummed over by the machine. The machine keeps a progressive tally of thenumber of votes recorded for each issue, so that at the end of the day the result of the poll is ascertainable immediately. It is claimed that the machine is ahso luicly ‘Tool-proof,” and that it is adaptable to proferonlal voting or to all requirements of the modern polling system.

A very considerable amount, of spoil has been brought down at the cliffs ami now covers the whole width of the roadway and footpath right up to the protecting sea wall. Bong ladders are employed in the work, and the men are provided with safety' ropes. Some of the blocks brought down are of considerable size. The carting away will probably start next week.

The goods traffic between South Island ports and Port Waikato is rapidly expanding and on her fortnightly trips up the West Const recently the steamer Progress has been always fully laden. The steamer arrived at Port Waikato direct from Lyttelton this week carrying 340 tons of cargo. Freight was oflering at Wellington and New Plymouth. but the steamer was unable to handle it this trip. 'The Progress has not previously made a direct trip from Lyttelton.

“Wakeful” writes Rust has deeply bitten into tin- chains on .the Rocks road, in places the chains are in a very bad stale, and so are the staples driven into the uprights. Ilad these chains been properly attended to and kept well painted ibis" would not have happened. The chains were a gift to tlie town, and they should surely have been looked alter decently.’

Religious teaching is being abolished in the schools of China, according to a statement made by the Rev. G. 11. McNeur. Since the rise of the Nationalist movement it has been required that all schools shall be open to inspection, that the head teachers must be Chinese, and that the school boards must contain a majority of Chinese. Not only is Christion teaching being abolished, but also that relating to Confucianism, Buddhism and Mohainniedisin. Any teaching that is given must be voluntary, and outside of school hours, also with the consent of the teachers. Information has been received in Auckland that Mr Zune Grey and party are planning another fishing trip to New Zealand towards the end of the present year, when it is intended to exploit a much wider area. On the occasion ot the last trip reports were received of big fish in the neighbourhood of the North Cape, and the Three Kings, a locality that has as yet not been explored'by deep-sea anglers. During the past few months the Zane Grey party lias been investigating the prospects of deep sea fishing among the South I act he islands, although a great deal of success lias not been met with.

The object, of the law prohibiting the use of a power boat or launch in the taking or killing'of native game was somewhat obscure and lie could not quite see its intention, said Mr Wvvern Wilson, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at llimtly. Tonga Malinin was charged with using a power boat in killing black swan on .Lake Waikare, and with obstructing the ranger. After hearing the evidence the magistrate dismissed the charge of obstruction, and on the charge of using a power boat, he fined Malinin £1 and £2 15s costs. The magistrate said the ranger himself admitted shooting from a power boat—i.c., a boat fitted with art outboard motor, and it appeared to him that even if a person cruised about in a power boat, without a gun, a breach of the regulations had been committed.

A collection of examples of the whole ot the surviving species of native birds of New Zealand has been suggested by Mr S. Irwin Crookes, a member of the Auckland City Council, as being a desirable addition to (fie exhibits at the Zoological Bark, especially in view of the fact .that some native birds are becoming extinct. The Minister of Internal Affairs is lo lie a sited whether his department would lie prepared to assist the council in obtaining the desired specimens. 'flie curator of the Zoological Park in Auckland stated that there were some rare specimens, such ns the stitch birds and safldle-backs, permits for pn> mring which the council could nevehope to obtain.

Evidence of the far-reaching effect of the closing rfi the Kawarau dam, thus shutting off l he-waters of Lake Wakatipn, is to be seen, in the phenomenally low state of the Molyneux at Balclutha. Groat stretches of sand and gravel are lying exposed to view that were formerly water-covered, and it would scent that the contention that the river is gradually silting up is not altogether a myth. At the beginning of tlie high protective hank at the back of the town there is an island fully a quarter of a-mile long that has evidently been in course of formation for many years. It is now accessible dry-shod from either end, and in course of time will no doubt effect a solid junction with the mainland. At though it is mostly composed of sand and gravel, already various plants are taking root, seeds being conveyed bv wind and tide. Included "in these growths are the beautiful native cabbage tree and the native flax, mingling with the. exotic willow growths. Tlio following resolution was sent to the Minister of Justice this week by the Auckland branch of the National Council of_ women : —"That the National Council of Women urges .that provision should be made whereby on the complaint of a parent, guardian, the police oi a probation officer, a magistrate would be enabled to bring umVr proper control and supervision young persons over 16 and not -over 21, without recording a conviction against them.” Under the present ruling there was no method of dealing with young people over 16 who were difficult- to manage, unless they came up for conviction before a magistrate. Many of these young people who bad got, beyond the age of the Children's Court, needed legal restraint. in some way, and it was suggested that, some probationary methods should be put into practice.

The folly of children interfering with electric power mains in any way was stressed by members of the Napiei Borough Council the other evening, when it was decided to get in touch with the schoolmasters of Napier and ask them to bring the position before thenotice of the children (states the “Hawkos Bay Herald”). “If the children Hy kites with a wet. string and itcomes in contact with the wires thatwill he the stone end of them,” remarked Councillor •). 0. Brvant.

If is the opinion of Mr Benjamin, of the Forest Products branch of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Melbourne, that the pumice lands of the Waikato could by timber operations be made New Zealand’s greatesj asset. His reasons for I his belief, expdessed during bis visit to New Zealand, are contained in the fact that in Canada, land could be commercially worked where one acre grows six cords of limber in 60 years. in rxew Zealand one acre grows 60 cords in 15 years, a ratio of 40 to 1 in favour ot this Dominion. Ample and cheap power are available, in tlie Waikato, also water and reasonable access to fuel. The present plantations, so be says, will in 12 to 15 years commence to yield 1.600 tons of timber a day, and 000 tons of finished pulp, as well as great quantities of matter in pulp Jquors, while 8.000 to 10.000 h.p. would be required and 800 tons of coal a day. 'i’llis coal, approximating 250.000 tons, tonld be conveniently used in the form of slack. Considerable quantities of high-grade sulphur for pulping processes was also essential. The pulping would be worth some £3,500,000, and the timber no less than £7.000.000 every year. If the whole of the available area for timber planting were sown, within 20 years the industry would be the country's greatest asset.

Speaking at tho Rotary Club lunch yesterday Dr. Gibbs said that while in Canada lie had been, told that the rejuvenation of the huge forests was so rapid that in spite of the inroads of the iumber trade the standing timber was steadily increasing. The only menace to the forests was fire.

Few members of the Commonwealth Parliament know the mandated territory of New Guinea better than Senator li. ,1. Pavne, who painted an interesting word picture of this tropical land in an address in Brisbane lately, lie varied his descriptions by one or two amusing stories in which the "pidgin ’ English of the natives played an interesting part. An apt native description was that of a saw, which is described by the islander as "pulletn he come, pushern he go, brother like tomahawk.” Mr Payne also told a story of a planter who, compelled lo make a week’s journey, instructed his handy rnan to “give him plenty kiki” to half-a-dozen ducks which ho required to be fattened quickly. The native boy indicated that he "savvied,” but on the return of the planter lit- was dismayed to find the hints dead. Asked for art explanation, the hoy announced that lie had “given plenty kiki” with the aid of a “lit lit pump" borrowed from a bicycle, the idea having apparently been to pump air into the birds so as to make them big quickly.

The fact that portions of Queensland arc to-day in the throes of drought invests with special interest the consideration by the Federal Capital Commission of a scheme for the construction at Canberra ot what are termed "dew ponds,” to insure ample provision of water for sheep and cattle during dry spells. “Dew ponds,” while they are r,ot uncommoii oil the English countryside, although it is difficult to, see the pecessity for them there, are something of a mystery to most Australians. The dew ponds at the Federal capital, which las its dry as well as its very wet spells, are to consist of large excavations, the base of which will be covered first with a layer of calcium chloride, next with straw, and lastly with chalk. These pends, in Great Britain, are remarkable for the fact that they are usually full during the hot weather when other sources of water have beoorne exhausted. They are known in some quarters as “mist ponds.” The general theory in some parts is that they draw their moisture from the dews and fogs. Experiments, it is stated, have shown fairly conclusively that the rise An level of the dew ponds lias coincided with early morning mists. As Canberra, in the winter, is enveloped in mists and fogs which blot out the whole countryside, and as it is very dry in the summer, it is hoped that the idea will he practicable. If it proves itself, it. will be as manna from Heaven, not only for Canberra, but for other parts of Australia as well. No farmer will be without his “dew pcrnd.” Tt is a scheme, in short, to harness tha fog and mists.