LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 21 February 1931, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A few days ago a shed owned by Mr A. Beatson,' of Ngatimoti, was, together with a quantity of harness and the season’s hay crop, - totally destroyed by lire.

“Y'ou’d better make it three weeks,” said defendant to the Magistrate. Mr T. F. Maunsell, at the Court yesterday afternoon when the time for the payment of a fine was being discussed. “Oh had I,” replied the Magistrate with a smile. However, the. three weeks were granted.

A first offender for drunkenness was convicted and discharged by Mr C. M. Collins, J.P., at the Magistrate’s Court this morning.

As two minor outbreaks of fireblight have been discovered in Christchurch and Kaikoura respectively the Waimea Fireblight Committee, in an effort to safeguard the district from an infestation of fireblight, requests fruitgrowers and the public generally to notify the local orchard instructors, Messrs J. Thorp (Nelson), M. Davy (Mapua) and G. Stratford (Motueka) of anything of a suspicious nature affecting fruit trees or hawthorn hedges in particular which come under their notice.

“A wrong impression seems to be made by what has appeared in the papers about the Melbourne-Bluft steamer service.” said the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle at Dunedin. “That service is not abandoned. Cabinet has authorised me to negotiate with the shipping company in due time as to a renewal of the subsidy for a resumption of the passenger service next summer. Meantime there will bo a cargo steamer every three weeks.”

“There seems to be some dread of loss of land titles,” says Mr R. F • Baird, District Lands*Registrar at Napier, in a statement made to the “Daily Telegraph.” “The position is,” he continues, “that a title remains when the written evidence has been lost, and the question is only one of the weight of different classes of evidence. Possession is a good title against anyone, except where another person can show a better title. The Lands and Deeds Registry records are destroyed but probably nine-tenths of the titles are evidenced by the outstanding duplicates which are outside the office and have not been destroyed. Special legislation will be passed and a registry will be reestablished in Wellington for llawkes Bay, and brought back to Napier at the earliest opportunity. Building necessities, questions of staffing, material, etc., make it impossible to act anywhere but in Wellington, but the District Lands Registrar gives his assurance that there is no need for fear.”

The huge increase in the expenditure on outdoor relief in January, 1931, as compared with the expenditure in the corresponding month last year, was commented on by Mr Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, at a meeting this week. The expenditure during tlie last ten months, continued Mr Wallace, was £46,711 19s 4d, which already exceeded the estimate for the year by £9511 19s 4d. He estimated that the expenditure by the end of the financial year would be over £55,000.

A request by the Public Works Department that the Crown be placed on the rate roll in respect of premises occupied by Government Departments in Hawera was criticised by the Borough Council and characterised as a mean expedient to save money. It was decided to communicate direct with the Prime Minister protesting. Previously, said the town clerk, private owners of the premises Pad paid the rates. Apparently the idea was that if the Crown were entered on the rate roll the premises would not he subject to the payment of general rating, in which case the Departments concerned could apply to owners for reductions in rent commensurate with rates saved. There has been considerable correspondence and the Crown’s attitude seemed a most remarkable one. ‘lt seems rather a mean thing they are trying to work,” said the Mayor, Mr E. A. Pacey. “Departments like these could savo money in some other way.”

While there has been some controversy, especially since the Prime Minister’s economy proposals have been announced, whether there has been any appreciable fall in the cost of living, there is no doubt there has been a drop in prices for some household commodities (says the “Otago Daily Times”). One well-known firm of soap manufacturers, for instance, has announced, for the third time within 12 months, a substantial reduction in prices, and other soap manufacturers throughout New Zealand have been compelled to follow suit. As a result of this policy soap is now being sold at practically pre-war prices.

Alfred Gould, announces an extensive auction sale of real Irish linen to be held at the Y.M.C.A., Bridge street, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday next (26th, 27th, 28th February respectively) at It a.in. and 2 p.m. each day. It will be remembered that Mr Ford held similar sales in Nelson four years ago. The Nelson Provincial Scottish Society is arranging to hold another of its successful “Inglesides,” as advertised.

System run down ! Take Dr. Don’s Granules. Hodgson’s Store, Wakefield, Motupiko and Murchison.*

“A Canterbury farmer who has just returned from a trip to the Nelson and Marlborough provinces—which, by the way, are attracting many more holiday makers this year —remarked that conditions had been very dry there, particularly in Marlborough” (says a writer in “The Press”). In Nelson, where booms and slumps are not the disturbing element they are in other provinces, stock, pasture, and the extensive apple orchards were looking well, and generally were little different to the normal year. Wheat comprises only a small area, but it was looking quite well considering the lack of rain, and should yield quite 30 bushels to the acre. Just at the moment, with its variety of production, the province probably is resisting the effects of the prevailing depression better than any other part of the Dominion.”

Except that it starts without any noise, Auckland’s first steam bus looks like an ordinary Transport Board’s bus regularly running on the roads (says the “Star”). The city’s “Rocket” was given a trial run this week and it was most successful. Some 30 invited guests included the chairman of the Transport Board, Mr J. A. C. Allum, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Mr A .Harris, M.P., Mr G. C. Munns, M.P., and several local body representatives. The steam bus travelled very smoothly, particularly on the hills, and it attained a speed of f>o miles going out to Point Chevalier. Ascending Parnell Rise, which has a grade of one in eight, it went at 20 miles an hour to the top. There was no changing of gears and no noise. The engine, which worked perfectly, is controlled in a similar manner to a railway locomotive. The bus need not stop to replenish its water tank, as the steam, after use in the cylinders, is condensed and used again. Steam is generated with crude oil firing, which costs 8d a gallon, one gallon being sufficient to run five miles. The bus was made at Thames by Messrs A. and G. Price, Ltd.

The “Tablet” draws attention to the fact that the diamond jubilee of the Dominican Nuns is being celebrated this month in Dunedin. Sixty years ago Dr. Moran, first Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, who had successfully pleaded at Sion Hill Convent, Dublin for a party of Dominican Nuns, arrived at Port Chalmers in the sailing vessel Glendower, accompanied by a party of eight nuns and two lay sisters. The first primary school, under care of the nuns, was opened on GOtli February, 1871, with some 20 pupils, and the High School was opened a week later, with three pupils.

That serious consideration should be given to the question whether the number of members of Parliament should or should not bo reduced was the opinion expressed by a farmer in conversation win an “Otago Daily Times” reporter this week. It was questionably he added, -whether it was necessary to have four members representing a city. Three, in his opinion, would be sufficient. The reduction of countiy members in some of the provinces also warranted consideration. In view of the cost to the taxpayers no further appointments should be made to the Legislative Council.. The last appointments had not been justified either on the grounds of necessity in the public interests or the merits of the appointees, and they had only added to the burden of the taxpayers.

The amount of money lost through damage by fire in New Zealand during the last, ten years ivould be sufficient to reinstate Napier and Hastings,” said Superintendent C. C. Warner, of the Christchurch Central Fire Brigade Station (reports the Christchurch “Times.”) Losses by fire last year amounted to approximately one and three-quarter million' pounds, he stated, while in 1929 it, was about a million and a half. “When this large annual loss is taken into account it must be recognised that the onus is on the authorities to see that every precaution is taken to endeavour to reduce it. In over 75 per cent, .of the cases outbreaks are due to carelessness.”

The various scientific experts, geological and otherwise, whom the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research sent to Hawkes Bay immediately after the earthquake to make investigations, are to meet in Wellington to-day. Their reports, each having investigated the earthquake from a different point of view, should go a long way towards supplying authoritative information as to the nature of the earthquake and the amount of uplift. It was not till a considerable time after the Murchison earthquake that the full scientific story could be told, and it will naturally be the same with the Hawkes Bay upheaval.

The Nelson Ladies’ Committee for Earthquake Relief has forwarded to date 15 boxes of clothing and two sacks of potatoes. 'More clothing is still required and will be accepted at the City Council Chambers. The work of vvekas in keeping down some insect pests was commented on by a speaker at this week’s meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. The earwig pest, which w r as becoming more noticeable than ever, was partly due, he claimed, to the fact that the native birds were no longer in sufficient numbers to keep them down. It was not generally known that the weka was also an excellent rat and mousekiller. The Society is procuring 24 wekas from the Chatham Islands, which are to be liberated in various parts of Canterbury and on the Peninsula.

The combined choirs of the Motueka churches will give a concert on Sunday evening in aid of the Earthquake Relief Fund. Solos, duets, quartettes and elocutionary items will be included in the programme, also the following anthems: “Lift up your Heads, 0 Ye Gates,” “Lead Kindly Light,” and

‘The Radiant Morn.” Miss Aydon (Nelson) will contribute solos and the picture orchestrion will play. The attention of all ladies willing to assist* in entertaining the ladies who will accompany the delegates to the Fire Brigades Conference which is to be held in Nelson from the Bth to the 12th March, is called to a meeting to be held in the City Council Chamber on Tuesday afternoon next at 3 o’clock, for the purpose of forming a committee.

A jazz dance will be held at the Velma Hal lto-night, music being supplied by the Christchurch Dixie Land Band.

Constipation relentlessly drains the energy and vitality from your system. It is a method of poisoning. Medical science has, however, evolved a prescription, which is sold as 'Dr. Don s Granules’ and gives safe, rion-habit-forming, sure relief. Dr. Don’s Granules are obtainable at 1/6 box from R. W. Martin, Chemist.*

It will be seen from our advertising columns that an address on Pasture Fertilisation will be delivered in the Library at Riwaka on Wednesday next, 25th February, at eight o’clock in the evening. A good attendance of local

farmers is anticipated. Dr. D. Linford Freeman of the Department of Agriculture will deliver the address.

Alluring perfume of thousands of dew drenched Forget-me-nots—the new Petite Fleur Bleuo Perfume produced by Godit of Paris. —W. McKay and Sons, Ltd.*