LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16971, 3 October 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prices of beef at the Westfleld stock market yesterday showed little variation from those ruling last week. Prime ox sold up to £2 16s per 1001b, and heifer and cow beef from £2 5s to £2 lis. Steers ranged from £15 to £23 17s 6d, and cows from £10 10s to £15 10s/ Prime sheep sold at late values, wethers realising up to £2 4s 6d, and ewes up to £2. ( Spring lambs were easier, tho beet selling from £1 68 to £1 10s. Pigs made last week's prices.

Influenza of a rather virulent character has been epidemic in Auckland for the past three or four weeks, but a considerable diminution of the complaint- is now reported. In many cases gastric trouble accompanied the attack, and it is stated that tho aftereffect* of a particularly bad case are much worse than usual. "Heavy colds and sore throats are often called influenza," said one chemist yesterday, "but during the last few weeks tho trouble has certainly been correctly named. There are several kinds of influenza, but the present is one of the worst."

The proposal that the City Council should take steps for the acquisition of the Remuera sports ground from the Dilworth Trust Board as a permanent publio reserve will come before tho council at its meeting to-night. Tho deputation apEointed by tho meeting of householders eld at Remuera on September 23 will attend and place its request before the council.

It is understood that a draft' of boldiere, arriving at Auckland next week, includes the first contingent of Main Body men on duty furlough. They number about 45.

The erection of the new bureau of infor. mation for returned soldiers in Victoria Street East was begun yesterday, under the direction of the city engineer. It is not expected that the work will occupy more than a few days.

The extent to which horse-racing is taxed in the Dominion was the subject of comment by the Hon. E. W. Alison at the annual meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club yesterday. He stated that during the past year racing clubs alone bad paid approximately £180.000 in taxation. Donations for patriotic purposes since tiro outbreak of the war had probably exceeded £100,000, and subscriptions to war loans £50,000. He added that the spirit of the sporting community was indicated by the fact that the New Zealand Racing Conference had recommended recently that all surplus profits of racing clubs should be devoted to patriotic purposes during the currency of the war.

The desirability of paying more attention to the subject of jpiiblio. ■ finance, in view 'of - the great increase in land and income taxation, and of the growing burden of 'debt' brought about by the war, was urged by Mr. W. H. Hemingway in hie address on "Income Tax ana Small Shareholders in Companies," last night. "There seems to be something terrifying about the words 'public finance/" said Mr. Hcmiingwayi " but the general underlying principles of the subject are by no means difficult to understand. Yet, even in the House, when a finance debate is on, comparatively few members exercißo their right of speech. Ziast session, one Southern M.P., oluntly confessed that he had no knowledge of the subject, but was quite satisfied so long as any proposed measures were in the hands of the Minister for Finance."

Operations for the deepening of the channel alongside Bayswater Wharf .we being carried on by one of the Harbour Board's Priestman dredges. One of the large bucket dredges and one of the suction dredges will be docked next week preparatory to their employment upon the' approach to the site of the.proposed new oil landing in Freeman's Bay. It is expected that the dredging in this locality will be started early in November. Another direction in which activity will be resumed by the board nest week is the reopening of the Rangitoto quarries to provide the stone required for the completion of the reclamation' east of the City Council's electric-power station, on which the spoil from the Freeman's bay works will be utilised.

Upon the application of the union Messrs. A. Yates and Company and Messrs. Glover and Company, of Auckland, have been added as parties to the Auckland City United Storemen'e Award.

The Auckland fund in connection with the New Zealand tribute to France has wow reached a total of £2494 lis 6d. The honorary treasurer, Mr. A. A. Martin, acknowledges receipt in to-day's issue of the Herald of unsolicited subscriptions amounting to £416 2s Bd. Amounts received to date ,from stalls, etc., at the recent Eermesso Francaise in the Town Hall are also announced.

The Auckland Acclimatisation Society is taking steps to cope with poaching within the district. A reward of £5 it offered for evidence loading to tho conviction of any person shooting or fishing without a license, or taking or killing game illegally, or during the close season.

A protest against the continuous change of the financial policy'of the Dominion during war time was made by Mr. W. H. Hemingway during the course of his address last night. The speaker said that changes and even rumourß of changes tended to make taipayera and wealth-pro-ducers nervous ana uncertain, causing them to retrench and perhaps slacken their efforts at a time when they should be unhindered. He contended that the general uncertainty as to the nature our financial measures may take, the continuous experimenting first with "excess profits" and then with "compulsory loans," added to the fact that our direct taxes are retroactive, 'formed some of the weakest features of the financial policy of the Dominion in relation to the present war,

The drop in the number of births registered in Wellington in the last nine months,_ as compared with the correspond, ing period of last year is very marked] viz., 259. Deaths and marriages also show a decline.

A recent estimate of rents in North Island cities showed that a thTee-roomed house could be rented in Auckland for 7s Bd, and in Wellington for lis Id; fourroomed houses, Auckland lis 4d and Wellington 14s 9dj five rooms, Auckland 14s lid and Wellington 18s Id; six rooms, Auckland 17s 8d and Wellington 245. It j takes on' an average 4s Id more a week to khouse a family in Wellington than it does in Auckland.

A peculiar and violent form of influenza is prevalent in the Napier and Hastings district. Four deaths have occurred within a fortnight, and there are many other serious cases. While the cases do not show any marked similiarity with cerebrospinal meningitis there is eome similiarity between the two diseases. The public health • inspector states that "trench mouth " if increasing in, $«, district,