NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10812, 31 January 1921, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

James Archer, formerly of Masterton, who recently pleaded guilty to a series of charges, will come up- for sentence at the sessions of the Supreme Court this week. It is stated that a company has been formed to enter the firewood-cut-ting business on a large scale for the purpose of supplying the Wellington market. _ A block of country has been secured in the Reikiorangi district, and operations are to be commenced at an early date. There were no bankrupbede® in Wellington in January, and one estate, wtfiere the assets were lesis than the liabilities, woe administered by the Official Assugnee. For the three months ending December 31st, 1920, there were three bankruptcies in the Wellington district, compared with one for the corresponding period in 1919. So enormous is London’s passenger traffic that every 24 hours 2,500,000 persons travel on her omnibuses, 1,300,000 in her underground trains alone, and 560,000 in her trams. So many, in fact, are her day’s passengers, that if they were formed into a • column, four abreast, at intervals of a yard, the head of the column- would be on the sea' froiit of Brighton before the rear rank had left John o’ Groats. A moitdion carried at the annual meeting of the Auckland Railways and Development League was as foUiowe: — “Thait in view of the statement, (by the Minister for Public Works, that there is a shortage of man power to carry out the construction of railways and roads in the Dominion, this 1 meeting os' of opinion that the High Oammisaioner should be instructed to send out some shiploads of navvies or those who have been used to excavating.” A warm tribute to the scientific work of Mr T. F. Cheeseman, curator of the Auckland Museum, was paid by Mr E. H. Wilson, of Harvard University, who is in New Zealand on a scientific mission for the study of New Zealand trees. “Mr Cheeseman’s reputation extends far beyond New Zealand, and beyond the British Empire,” he said. “He is the world’s authority for the flora of New Zealand. I have never met him, but I know of him; as a scientific man. We have his book in our library.” A fifteen-year-old boy was charged before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court on Saturday with breaking and entering a dairy in Kawkestxrae street, and stealing therein, a packet of cigarettes and £2 10s. Tho laid admitted breaking and entering the dairy, but he denied that he had taken more than 3b in money. The juvenile probation officer (Mr F. S. Shell) agreed to a proposal that the delinquent, Whose previous record-had been good, should be placed under his supervision for six months. It was also directed that the money musjt be refunded, and the boy receive, wiith the consent of his parents, a birching from the probation officer. In a communication to the Masterton Chamber of Commerce in reply to queries Colonel Mitchell, M.P., wrote: “On reoeipt of a later communication from your Progress League, I saw the Prime Minister aiid again urged the matter of the Rrimutaka deviation. I have since written to him asking for further information on the matter, and you Oan rely on this league giving the Minister a monthly reminder of his promise to you.” Mr C. E. Daniel: “You should give him every support, as he is' the live wire regarding tho matter.” On the motion of the chairman, it was resolved ta thank Ocflonei Mitchell for his letter, and the keen interest he had taken in the project-. Mr H. Miller, of Masterton, who returned from a trip to Australia, was by no means enthusiastic regarding present * conditions in the Cbmmonwealth. He found business extremely slack in Melbourne, where unemployment was rampant, and living very expensive. Conditions were somewhat improved in Sydney, hut the shops in both cities were stocked with high-pric-ed goods which the merchants would not unload at a reduction, and which the people refused to buy, believing that a fall must come in time. He had heard the opinion expressed in Australia that conditions were not satisfactory in New Zealand, hut in his. opinon the Dominion was a paradise to the Commonwealth just now from the worker’s ooint of view.