LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 42

LOCAL AND GENERAL

‘According to a statement made in the Blouse of Representatives by the Minister for Justice, there is no intention on .she part of the Government to make jny general increase in the pay of the oolice foroe.

Miss A. Mousley, who for a number of yearn was teaching in the Wairarapa district, and had charge of the Alfredton and Matahiwi schools for some time past, was married last Saturday to Mr Alfred Barton, of Cleveland, Auckland.

Messrs J. B. Heywood (Secretary to the Treasury) and Mr W. Gray (Secretary of Post and Telegraphs) were on Monday, at the conclusion of the meeting of- the Executive, invested by his ‘Excellency the Governor with the Imperial Service Order. The Premier and all. the Ministers were present-. Lord Plunket said : —“ Mr Heywood and Mr Gray: On the recommendation of ' the New Zealand Government, I submitted your names to his Majesty the King, and he has been pleased to confer upon you the Imperial Service Order. I would just lake to say, in connection iwith this decoration, that though the Imperial Service * Order is a modern order, it is none the less one of the most distinguished, because it is conferred upon absolutely nobody unless they have served their country long and well, and I think you may well be proud of the distinction which I now have the pleasure to hand yon.” The recipients returned thanks for the honour conferred on them.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Land Board a settler from the Mangaweka district applied for an extra section of land, his plea being that, despite having expended a good deal of money upon his present selection he could not make a living upon it. The Commissioner (Mr J. Strauchon) set his face strongly against granting the application as the extended area asked for included certain bush scenery, which, he feared, would be defaced by fire if granted to applicant. Mr A. Reese thought the Board should assist settlers by considering such requests. “It is an awful thing,” he remarked, “to have a man settling down against a beautiful scene, and starving!” The Commissioner spoke of the unwisdom, in his opinion, of • the Board giving away scenic* serves, and then having the Sceiibry Commissioners coming in, as they Were doing, in that very district (M a'tijgaweka), and buying hack the sections at £8 and £lO per acre. Further consideration of the application was deferred for ranger’s report. Tlie annual report of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association (Christchurch) shows net profits amounting to £22,538, which with £1934, balance from last year, makes a total of £24,473. A dividend will be declared of 6 per cent., besides a bonus of 4 per cent, on paid-up capital, a bonus of 4 per cent, on shareholders’ purchases, and a bonus to the staff at the same rate on the wages and salaries earned ; also a refund of 25 per cent, on all diet commissions earned. It is proposed ;to carry forward £2OOO to the reserve fund, £IOOO t'o the special fund for eon-v tingencies and doubtful accounts, and write off 10 per-cent. for depreciation.