GENERAL ITEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 18 April 1939, Page 4

GENERAL ITEMS

Drought Continues ! Although light rain fell at the beginning of the week the drought still continues and the position in the country districts is becoming serious indeed (writes "The Mail's” Waimea correspondent). The pastures everywhere are parched up. and even trees are showing signs of giving up the struggle for existence. Some years ago the : Nelson A. and P. Association estabj fished a pretty belt of native trees I along their frontage in Lower Queen j street. Richmond, and these added con- | siderably to the attractiveness of the | ground However these trees are now showing the effects of the drought. The whole of the birch trees, many of them over twenty feet high, are either dead or dying while many of the other shrubs are in a very precarious condition and unless rain comes very soon they will be unable to survive the drought. Appeal for Ex-officers The appeal made for ex-officers of the 1 Imperial Forces to register wdth a view * to service in New Zealand in an cmer- ■ gency has led to a large number comr ing forward, it is stated. Almost all - are vigorous and alert. Many have comr manded battalions or held other imp portant positions, and their qualifications for various positions are being classified. It is hoped in a few days to make a similar appeal for other ranks 5 to register. The object of this enrol--1 ment is to enable assistance to be ren--1 dered to the Defence Department by - providing disciplined and experienced ! men led by Imperial officers. Cost of Industrial Disputes 5 n Industrial disputes in the Dominion t during the twelve months ended 31st g December, 1938, resulted in the loss of 35,456 working day, according to the Abtract of Statitics for March. The * approximate loss in wages was £42,104. ) During the previous twelve months l 29,916 working days were lost through l disputes, and the approximate loss in J wages was £32,129. Coal-mining ac--5 counted for 20 of the 72 disputes in 1938. t shipping and cargo working for 17, and meat freezing and working in clay, 5 glass chemicals, etc., for 11 each. There 1 were 52 disputes in 1937. The number 1 of workers involved in disputes in 1938 t was 11,388 compared with 11.411 in 1937. I Uncle Adolf’s Funeral A discreetly-worded anecdote rei ferring to the position of the Jews iu F Central Europe was told by his Excel- ; lency the Governor-General (Lord , Galway) at the annual dinner of the ' Wellington branch of the Royal Society of St. George on Saturday night (re--1 ports "The Post”). "There is a storj 1 told of a certain country in the centre : of Europe where a certain people not : unconnected with Palestine are not hav- . ing a very pleasant time,” he said. * "They are not able to voice their grievances for fear of retribution. One of . them sent a letter to a friend in England, and fearing that it might be opened by the censor said: ‘All those stories about persecutions are quite untrue. We are enjoying a happy and peaceful life, ■ but Uncle Adolf did not think so. We attended his funeral last Tuesday.” A Sales Tax Record "Although showing a substantial drop from the peak figures of December and January, the amount of sales tax collected during February (£254,484) is a record for a February month, being £23,959, or 10.4 per cent., above the receipts for the corresponding i month of last year,” states the Ab- i stract of Statistics for March. ‘‘February always produces the lowest monthly figures in respect of sa*es tax, as the yield in that month is almost ; wholly in respect of sales made in Janu- , ary. and both wholesale and retail selling are at a comparatively low ebb in ! January, due largely to the reaction , following the Christmas shopping sea- - Illnesses Prevalent in Auckland Probably as a result of the long dry i spell the outbreak of gastric influenza < appears to have gained larger propor- ’ tions in Auckland. The influenza has i been prevalent for the past month, and < ordinary colds are also reported to be i fairly numerous. i Blindness in Sheep 1 Sheep in the Kai Iwi district are being affected by blindness, which lasts J for a period of between six and eight < days, according to a Waitotara County i farmer. He said that breeding ewes are i mostly affected. The sheep had dim- s culty in feeding, and were often found < at the bottom of gorges and cliffs. ( having lost their way. 1 Auckland's Views An interesting parallel between Auck- * land and the city of Bath, in England, { was drawn by the Rev. Dr. R. C. Gillie, c acting-minister at St. David’s Presby- * terian Church, in speaking at a reunion 1 of the Gloucester and Somerset Associ- f ation in Auckland last week. "I had * heard a great deal about Auckland,” he £ said, “but two things I had not been told about wtre its beautiful street ver- * andahs and its glorious views." He remarked that street verandahs were t unknown in Bath. In their place can- e vas shades were used, which could be i rolled back The views of Auckland’s c residential suburbs, the water and the r parks from the tops of the hills re- s minded him of the panoramas from the c Cotswold Hills, which partially encircl- F cd Bath, and overlooked the winding li River Avon

Harboui Board's Balance Shed A legal opinion read to last evening s meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board made it clear that by resolution of the board the balance sheet may be placed before each member who desires to see it. At the previous month’s meeting a protest had been registered by several members against being asked to adopt the annual balance sheet without first naving the opportunity of inspecting it: and the matter wi held over to this month’s meeting pending the legal deFinance For Harbour Improvements The question of harbour improvements and their financing was shortly discussed in committee at last evening s meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board; and it was resolved that a full statement on the Board’s work to date in this matter be issued at next month's meeting.