NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10511, 12 February 1920, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

The ladies' committee hi connection with the Wellington Voluntary Motor Corps is to entertain returned soldiers ab a social evening, to be. held &t the Soldiers' Club, 292, Lamb-ton quay, at eight o'clock this evening.

The wheat harvest is in full swing in tho Willowby, Eiffelton, and Longbeach districts, in tho South Island. Tho grain is reported to have filled out splendidly during the dull, foggy weather, but following hot days has caused a rapid ripening.

Tho appointment of a deputy-Mayor to carry out tho Mayoral duties during the absence of Mr J. P. Luke M.P., on the Parliamentary trip to tho Islands, will bo ono of tho matters ' for consideration at to-night's meeting of the City Council.

Tho Eire Brigade was summoned at 2.37 p.m. yesterday to extinguish a goi'se tire at Brooklyn. The flames quickly spread through a- gully "between* Boxhill and Wellington avenue, and it took the firemen nearly an hour to beat out- the tiro. There was no destruction of property.

Tho petition that was presented to the C'itv Council from tho ratepayers and residents of Jiathitai and Wellington East with reference to tho regrading of Hawker street, the construction of a new road from Moeller street to Grafton road, and also .tho_ proposed motor 'bus aorvico to the district, will bo reported upon by the finance committee at this evening's meeting of the City Council.

A Christchurch citizen has suggested to tho secretary (Mr W. E. Lcadley) of the Returned Soldiers' Association a novel means by which the returned men could give .'* reception to the. Prince of Wales. Tho suggestion is: "That the returned soldiers should meet tho Prince on his arrival a,t Lyttelton- and draw him in a carriago over the Port Hills to Christchuroh. If the day be fine an excellent view of tho city r,nd plains would ho obtained." As Christchurch is several miles from Lyttelton, and as the Port Hills aro no easy climb, the "diggers" have not so far taken 'too kindly to 'tho proposal, As one said: "What's wrong with the train, or if that won't suit, \vha,fc price tho motor-car?''

The yearly toll exacted hy the kea throughtout Canterbury is estimated to be close on 20,000 sheep. An instance of tho difficulty of dealing with tho kea is narrated. Recently ho' shot a "killer," and in tho vicinity there wore several sheep lying that had been kille.d by kcas. Owing to the hush providing plentiful cover ho found it necessary to wait in hiding till this particular bird came down to start his nightly operations. The kea began on a mcib of sheep on a spur • about_ a quarter of a milo from his hidingplace . When he h;-.d worked his way towards the bird and had shot it, ho found that the kea had succeeded in attacking tho sheep's kidney. During the past season ho estimated that he lost 2000 as the result of the kea's fondness for tho fat in the vicinity of tho kidneys.

Complaints arc again being made of tho charging by taxi-drivers of excessive fares from the Thorndon and Lambton railway stations. In somo instances, tho fares exacted from passengers are grossly extortionate, and wholly out of proportion to tho scale authorised by the corporation. The practice is not general, because as n rule tho taxi-drivers are fairly reasonable, but in somo cases that have come under our notice an example ought certainly to Ije made of tho offender. Tho charge to tho centre of the city ought to be more clearly defined than it is in tho scale issued by tho City Council. One taxi-driver interprets tho scalo as lie pleases, with a fine exercise of language in support of his claim if it is disputed, and on tho question of mileage ho is an authority that will admit of no dispute. A frequent traveller informs ua that from tho city to either railway station thero is often a difference of 100 or 150 per cent, between tho faro charged by one driver and the next that he employs.

In moving a vote of thanks to Sir liobert Stout, Chancellor of the New Zealand Umvorsitv, for his able address at the Allen Hull, Dunedin, Professor Thompson said that he was glad to notice that Sir Robert had paid a tribute to Mr James Macandiw. The mention of Mr Macandrew's name, brought- lo h's mind a story relating to the high esteem in which ho was held by the people of Otago. In the old davs a. postman was required to travel "round the North Taieri district delivering letters, and ho signalled his presence at the various houses i>y blowing a horn. A subsidence had taken Tilacc in tho locality and a man who had been drinking not too wisely tout too well had fallen into the holo and gone to sleep. As the postman nearcd tho hole he Mow his horn. The sleeper awoke with a start. "It s tho last trump," ho said. 'Til gang with .Tames Macandrowl" The awakened sleeper evidently had no doubt that Mr Macnndrew would havo a hearty welcome when he approached the portals guarded by St. Peter,

Tho Prime Minister, referring yesterday to tho suggestions made that a number of private individuals throughout the Dominion aro hoarding a considerable amount of sugar, stated that ho could not say definitely whether anything of the sort .was going on, but ho thought it was unlikely. The Auckland Sugar Refining Company, ho added, was still turning out 1200 tons of sugar per week; a departmental officer had been sent to the northern city to supervise the rationing of districts in proportion to population; and everything possible was being done to secure a fair distribution of the available supplies. He attributed the pi*vailing shortage of sugar to tho following reasons:—That tho had been bare of sugar at the opening of tho fruit season, chiefly owing to tho loss of ono whole cargo of sugar, which the waitorsiders at Auckland would not unload, that the fruit season hf.d been a good one, making the demands for sugar for preserving very heavv, and that the population of tho countrv had boon increased by the return from the "war of thousands of men, all users of sugar.