LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17844, 27 July 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Chelsea Sugar Refinery will close * down early next week, owing to the shortage of supplies of raw sugar from Fiji. It is hoped that the factory will - reopen as soon as supplies are again assured. The price of meat at Ngaruawahia is the subject of a complaint received by the Auckland office of the Board of Trade. It is alleged that the prices charged in that town are from 2d to 3d a lb. in excess of those ruling in any other town in the Waikato. When the board fixed the prices to be charged by ■ certain country butchers, Ngaruawahia was not included in the districts to -which the schedule applied, but the board provided that in all places not specially named the price of meat should not ex--1 ceed the city rates. The person who made the complaint has been asked to supply the names of the butchers who he alleges are making excessive charges. Colds are stated to be fairly prevalent in Auckland at present, but not more so' than is usual at this time of the year. Some of the colds are in the nature of mild influenza, but such cases do not appear to be very numerous. Measles are much less common than they -were a month or two ago. ■ The attendances at the various schools in the city and suburbs are said to be very satisfactory for this period of the year. There were 16 new applicants for work at the Government Labour Bureau yesterday. A party of about 25 men was ' despatched to relief works at Mangonui, North Auckland, last evening. The announcement of a donation of I £500 from the trustees of the lata Mrs. W. S. Wilson was received at the meet- , ing of the Auckland University College Council on Monday afternoon. The money, it was stated, was to be utilised as the council should decide, but the wish ■ was expressed that it should be devoted . to the erection and equipment of the students' club and common room in the pro- '■ posed new building. The council decided ; that the money should be applied as suggested, and a resolution was carried ex- : pressing the thanks of the council to the donors. ■ A* young woman, Mrs. Hilda Critoph, : was admitted to the Auckland Hospital - yesterday morning suffering from the efi fects of poison. She had been attended at her home, Euston Road, Mount Albert, j by Dr. H. Pettit, who ordered her removal to the hospital. Her condition was reported to be slightly improved last ; night. Workmen employed on the Government relief work at Himatangi are reported to be very contented. In conversation with 1 a representative of the State Forestry De- ! partment, a reporter learnt that the men seemed to have settled down quietly to ' work. During the last month none of i them left the job. On an average, they > are earning £8 a months—this after paying ' for rations—so that a steady man may . expect to have a substantial amount to his credit when tho summer comes and the ' work is discontinued. Recently, the bell ' tents, which had been borrowed from the ', Defence Department, were returned, and t Indian pattern tents, such as were issued to the Rifle Brigade in England, erected in their stead. The work is now proceeding more satisfactorily, since those engaged have become familiar with the routine and method. A Palmerston North contractor, who recently advertised for a carpenter, was confronted by seven applicants for the ' job when he arrived down to work in the • morning. In an interview he mentioned ■ that the cost of labour for building was going down very considerably. This was • ■ not because the individual wages had dej creased, but because anxiety to retain , their jobs was actuating the men to put forward their best efforts, with the result ■ that greater efficiency was achieved and the work more speedily carried out. A few months ago the employee held the upper hand, and if- dissatisfied with one job, would immediately push on to an- • : other. Now the contractor can afford to pick and choose his men. " But how could that happen in Ashburton?" Mr. Justice Herdman asked counsel in the Christchurch Supreme i Court, when allegations of chronic alcc- ! holism were made against one of the . parties in the case being heard. " This was a good many years ago," counsel replied. " I thought that it was impossible in Ashburton," commented His Honor. 1 " For those who know, sir, and those who : want it," counsel said, "we understand that there are always places where it can be got." ; Farming in some parts of the Mana- , watu district has its exciting moments, as . settlers near the rivers can testify. Recently Mr. H. Byers, of Shannon, noticed the Manawatu River rising quickly. He at once proceeded to move 400 sheep inside the flood bank. The sheep were I over none too soon, for within 30 minutes . of the last sheep being over the bank . 3ft. of water covered the ground where ' they had been grazing. " I wish you would correct the extraordinary rumour that has gained currency that the Springboks would not play against the Maoris," said one of the ' South African team in Wellington on ' Saturday. " Why, we have practically ■ adopted the little son of Mr. Parata, and ' the reception we got last Sunday from , the Taranaki Maoris was one of the Dest, if not the best, experience we have had ' in the tour." _ " Since you have been sitting on the Bench, sir, I have found my work a lot lighter," was the grateful remark of the ' Taranaki County inspector to Mr. C. Orr Walker, S.M., in the New Plymouth i Court, when asked if he had found any i diminution in regard to the practice of . allowing cattle to be at large on public I roads. The magistrate accepted the compliment without any sign of emotion. An example of the value of snperannna- , tion funds was given at the Christchnrch Tramway Board's meeting the other day. An employee of the board who was a ! contributor to its superannuation scheme ' recently died. He had contributed £36 to the fund. His widow, however, will i receive a pension of £122 per annum on behalf of herself and eight children, all under the age of 14 years. ! " I really don't want to ask the lady any question," Mr. 0. T. J. Alpers said in reply to Mr. Justice Herdman in the I Christchnrch Supreme Court, "but I want to bow to the lady who gave us the Chalmers Ward." The witness was Miss . Jane Chalmers, of Ashburton, to whose • generosity the Christchurch Hospital owes the Chalmers Ward. The cash takings on the Wellington city tramways on Saturday amounted to £1096 7s lid. This constitutes a record for a single day's cash revenue in connection with the system. The record was due to ' the football match between the South Africans and the local representatives. The subject of many discussions in Wellington on Saturday night, after the Springbok match, was the time occupied in playing the game. It was noticed that : each spell occupied 40 minutes, instead ; of the customary 45 minutes. The reason of this was that the South African captain asked that each spell be 40 minutes, ' and Roberts, the Wellington captain ! acceded to the request, coming, as it did, p from a visiting team. • The practically unprecedented mildness > of the winter in Marlborough has had the i undesirable effect of causing fruit trees to i blossom prematurely. Almond and plum trees are among the first to bloom, and r fruitgrowers consider there is nothing surer than that late frosts will cause -heavy losses of plum cropSa -