LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 August 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A problem which is engaging the attention of many thoughtful New' Zealanders is the question whether this country can support a very much larger population than it is at present carrying." If such an increase is to take place without great inconvenience it is evident that much more attention must be given - to the profitable use of the land and the securing of large yields of farm produce at the minimum of cost: .The intensive study of agriculture should therefore engage our attention and the. best brains of the country should be concentrated on the solution' of our agricultural problems. No worker in Great Britain has paid more attention to the improvement of agriculture than Sir John Russell, the director of Rolhamsted Experimental Station. His lecture on Wednesday evening at the School of Music will be listened to. with very deep interest.

The first annual report of the New Zealand Bible League, which has just been issued, a year of numerical progress and devotional service. "We rejoice to record a steadily increasing interest in the work of.the league," it stales. "Branches controlled by strong local committees now exist at Invercargill, Nelson and New Plymouth, and brethren in other centres are interested in the work." A tribute is paid to the work of the Rev. Sale Harrison, of Sydney, who, with his wife, has visited many centres in both islands.

"One of the greatest principles to be followed in football is to behave in a gentlemanly manner. That means taking knocks without rancour, playing fair and never hitting below tho belt." So said Mr E. J. Parkins, captain of the English Rugby League football teamy who paid a visit last week to the young people's Community Club in Auckland. Mr E. Osborne, manager team, told the boys that football had been a lifelong interest with him. He had started it young, and the game had kept him voting", though he was not young in years. Amid cheers, Mr Parkin presented the club with an autographed football.

Gravity is a sine qua non with judges, but at times they exhibit all the stigmata of tho mere everyday human being (says a writer in the Auckland "Star"). In'tho Port Melbourne Court, Judge Williams recently heard a case alleging a serious offence against the prisoner. The jury found the prisoner "not guilty,'" 'to which the judge retorted, "Very well, gentlemen, the prisoner is discharged. I hope if ever I get into trouble von will all be on my jury." Thert. was a case of alleged peculation heard before a New Zealand judge. The jurv brought in a verdict of "not i'trllty," and the judge said: "You are discharged, but if you are ever able to pay the money back, do so."

The steamer Arahura, which has been under overhaul, including annual Government inspection during tho last few weeks, will leave here for Wellington this evening at 8.30 o'clock. She is to bo placed upon the Evans Bay Patent Slip to-morrow for the purpose of completing the inspection alter which she is to return to Nelson. She will resume her ordinary timetable running leaving Nelson on Wednesday, 15th instant. A rumour was circulated in town this morning that a stabbing affray took place at Wakefield last night. Inquiries have showr that the rumour is unfounded.

Writing from Johannesburg on 18th Juno the "Sun's" correspondent with the All Blacks says: Needless to say, the "grim, silent theory" about the New Zealanders has been resurrected. A Natalian who must have been reading some of tho fifth-rate criticisms of the last tour burst into print with 'the apparentlv novel suggestion, that, not only were we too grim and serious-looking as we- walked on the field and "silently" took our places, but we obviously took the measure of our opponents in the first- half of the game, and then retired to tho dressing-room, there lo> hatch and brew complete plans for. their complete undoing. The general practice over here is for a team to run gaily out on to the field in a fan-like formation, so our customary stolid walk may appear odd to tho people; but one's standard of judgment should not be mado to wobblo liko our Natalian friend's has evidently been, by such trivial differences. I leave it to those who have played Rugby to envisage the usual scene, which is no more than a conglomeration of hastily-sucked oranges and vigorously applied towels, while as often as not the game itself _is never mentioned. Perhaps lam unwise to be so frank about the matter, because the fictitious imaginings of such people as our Natal correspondent keep a "certain air of indefinite speculation alive on the matter. Still, if the ink has to be used it had better be spent on observations on the actual play.

Probably the oldest man in New Zealand, Hohepa Kaka, chieftain of the Aupouri tribe, died at the age of 120 years last week (says an Auckland paper). Kaka was one of Hone Hoke's warriors and was captured in a skirmish near Wharigaroa. * Tho British then, compelled him to carry ammunition on a forced march to Bats Nest Pah. He had, distinct memories ,of the days of cannibalism. Ho was baptised into the Church of England over 90 years ago by the. Kaitaia missionary, Joseph Matthews, and,did mucli to help British settlement in tho far. north. A'monster tangi was held at Hui House, Awanui, to mourn his passing. The rites concluded with the Anglican burial service in the Awanui native church in.tie presence of several hundred native and pakeha friends.

■ Four well-known New Plymouth residents sat round a fire the other afternoon celebrating the birthday of the youngest of them. One was a retired schoolmaster who still takes a prominent part in the public life of the town, two were retired farmers,* and one was a retired public servant who once occupied an important, position of responsibility. Though their ages' are 76, 78, 80 and 90, respectively, aggregating 324 years, all four join occasionally in a game of billiards and three of them are active members of the New Plymouth bowling clubs. .

Comparing the sentences imposed on criminals many years ago. with those of the present "day, Mr C. R, Orr-Walk-er', S.M., stated" at a social gathering of Justices of the Peace in Timaru that 110 years ago at one sitting of the criminal court in one county in England;, 14 persons were condemned to death. For breaking and entering and stealing a bottle-green coat, a velveteen jacket, and three waistcoats, a soldier pensioner was sentenced to death; a boy of 15 was sentenced to death for entering a house,' breaking open a desk and stealing a purse and £3 3s 6d; and another youth and two men received the same sentence for entering a house to rob. Sentence of death was meted out to a youth of 19 for setting fire to an oat stack; to two men for assault and robbery;"to a man of 20 for stealing a mare, 'saddle and bridle; to two men for sotting fire to a threshing machine and a quantity of oats and straw;-to a young man of 20 and a 'young woman of 19 for burglary; and to a man for breaking into a shop and stealing a pair of new shoes, a half boot, and a half boot top. The saddest feature of that awful record was the sentencing to death of young people for what today most of them would receive probation.

At present the ' ■ Christchurch . City Council has before-it, awaiting consideration, no fewer than 45 applications for loans for workers' dwellings. Up to the present the Council has advanced £IIO,OOO for workers' dwellings and recently applied to the Local Govern-ment-Loans Board for authority to raise an additional £75,000, but was given authority to raise' only £50,000.

Speaking at Hurford Road (Taranaki) Mr W. 1 Maloney referred to the remarkable improvement that had taken place in that district since the. introduction of top-dressing. The land there had responded wonderfully to the application of fertiliser, and .with herdtesting production had greatly increased. In fact, it was to the credit of the district that a herd from Hurford Road had topped the list for butter-fat in the Mew Plymouth group, giving the tineaverage of 311 lb. of butter-fat.

Premier McCormack, of Queensland, recently said that Labour's objective and practically the main plank of its platform was "the nationalisation .of industry. There was nothing wrong with (hat 'plank ji they got social service. They had been absolutely' compelled to close clown the State instrumentalities because they could not get the service necessary to render them sufficiently profitable to justify carrying them on. There was no question in. the rase of the sugar mills of the boss having ruined State enterprise. Take. Babinda sugar mill. The conditions there were excellent. The men were paid good wages, while the conditions and accommodation provided were also excellent, vet the Government could not carry that enterprise on without incessant and constant trouble. Men who did not give any trouble to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company gave constant trouble to the State mills. Babinda mill had been handed over to the farmers, and .the efficiency was 30 per cent, higher, while there was no sign of trouble. It made one think and hesitate.

Early in 1914 a Wanganni business firm sent a large sum of money lc*Germanv as a deposit on an order for the printing and engraving of a book, comments the "Chronicle." But the war broke out and the deal was considered closed. In 1919, however, the Wauganui house wrote lo Germany applying for the return of the money, and /ere told that the deposit had been given to a clerk. Air application was then , made through the International Tribunal, and there "the matter apparently ended. But recently a cable was received in Wariganui informing the firm that their case had been considered at law, and they liad been awarded the return of the deposit plus the accumulated interest over a period of 14 years.

Alfred Gould announces details of an auction sale o<f household furniture and effects to be held on Friday, 17th August, at 1 p.m., by order of the District Pul'lic Trustee in the estate of the late "A. E. A. Best, 144 Collingwood street.

Last evening whilst, proeeedirig towards town oa tiis motor cycle, Mr L. F: Parcel] of Trafalgar street, met. with an accident near Brightwator. A dog suddenly rushed on the roadway and Mr Parcoll was thrown from 'his machine. For a time he remained on the road in ■a stunned condition, but upon recovering somewhat was able to proceed to his destination. He suffered a rather severe shod: and also some facial abrasions, and it will he a few days before he gets over the misadventure.

Yesterday afternoon members of the Nelson Rugby Union met the Otago Rugby representatives who were on their way to Motueka, where they play the Golden Bay-Motueka representatives tomorrow. Mr A. McDonald, why was a member of the 1905 All Black team is the manager. The team returns to Nelson at the end of the week and plays *tho Nelson representatives on. Saturday next.

The rainfall at Motueka for the month of July as recorded by Mr- G. D. Huffam totalled 6.80 in. Rain fell on seven days, the maximum precipitation being on the 7th, with 2.73 in. In Nelson city the i'all was only 3.20 in.

A largely attended meeting of ratepayers of Taumarunui Borough last night discussed the position in regard to the Wanganui river steamer service, which Hatrick and Co. propose to close down at the end of the year. The unanimous opinion was expressed that the river, as one of finest scenic.attractions in the Dominion, should bo kept open to serve tourists and many settlers on the river bank. The meeting appointed a deputation to wait on the Minister of Public Works and the Minister of Lands with the object of getting the Government to metal the road from Taumarunui to the houseboat. .If this is done the trip from Taumarunui to Wanganui can be accomplished in ono day, instead of three as at present.-—Pressx Association.

Intimation has been received by the executive committee of the Hospital Boards Association from the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, that an endeavour would be made to bring down this session an amendment of the Hospitals and, Charitable Institutions Act embodying most of the put forward by the association, including provision to assume a minimum subsidy of 14s per £1 on levies, power to dispose of unclaimed property, -' and provision that time spent in semi-public charitable institutions. shall not count in establishing residence in a hospital district under section 92 of* the Act. In order to utilise the crater of Mount St. John as a sports ground, the Ono Tree Hill Road Board, .Auckland, instructed the clerk to invite offers from tennis clubs for the lease of an area at the bottom, the club taking over'the area to complete the work of levelling and to fence the courts (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The chairman, Mr H. B. Bobbie, said the area would be ideal for the purpose, as it'was sheltered from all quarters. He had been informed that the ground would be too small for football,' but tennis courts *could easily be formed. At the end of last year the board.decided to level the bottom of the crater to form playing grounds, and the engineer then reported that: a space- of about 85yds by 75yds could be obtained, providing a space which, although small for football, would make a useful area for such sports as tennisv The crater is not cup-shaped, like that of Mount Eden, but consists of an uneven space which has been levelled, surrounded by an escarpment. The work of levelling the bottom of the crater has not in any way interfered with the rim, and the appearance of the summit has not been altered.

The question whether • nitrogenous manures, which have produced, such remarkable results in England would be equally successful in this country, is one that can only bo determined by experiment, according to Sir John Russell, the eminent English agricultural * scientist, who .visited Hamilton "lately. In a brief conversation with a "Star" representative. Sir John said it was risky to give advanced opinions on matters affecting agriculture, as very frequently the results proved the reverse of that expected. As far as nitrogenous manures went,.it was absolutely essential to have moisture, but the experiment was_ always the deciding factor. .These things had to be approached with ap absolutely open mind. If the country were dry it could be safely said, however, that th'e nitrogen would not act, Even if the land Were moist the experiment might go wrong, however. He knew that where the rainfall was 30in in a year it had acted very well, while it had also done well under 20in. Experiments were, he understood, being conducted in the Waikato with nitrogenous manures, and, as he said before, the experiment would decide. .There was no other way. _.- \

At a meeting of the executive committee of the Hospital Boards Association last week, correspondence with regard to prisoners in hospitals was read, including a proposal made by the Prisons Department that reduced charge's should be made to the Department on the lines of agreements with society and other associations promoting hospital bed schemes. It was agreed that the latter arrangements were not on a parallel, and. boards had without exception replied that a concession could not be agreed to. <* The summing up of Lloyd's concerning the mishap to the Norwegian whaling vessel C. A. Larseri, at the entrance lo Paterson's Inlet in February last, is contained in a letter received by Messrs T. Brodrick and Co., the.. Invercargill agents., The letter states: "The case appears to have been handled very ably, and it is a matter for congratulation that the loss is less serious than the first reports regarding the casualty appe.Tred to indicate." The letter states, further, that the motor ship Spinanger has do Jivered at Pensacola, Gulf of Mexico, the £B6O tons of oil taken from the- Larsen. With regard to the Larsen itself the.letter\states that the'temporary repairs effected at Port Chalmers proved satisfactory, and that the 'vessel is on its way to Newcastle-on-Tyne for per minent repairs, the costs of taking the \cssel Home and chartering the Spinanger being very .heavy. The work at ■Stewart Ishnd in connection with the floating of the vessel cost in all £26,500, While the temporary repairs at Povt Chr Imers necessitated an expei dilure .f from £15,000 to £16,000, bringing the total up to about £42.000 for the work done in New Zealand.