NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10852, 18 March 1921, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

There was a slight shock of earthquake at Christchurch shortly before 8 o’clock yesterday morning. No damage was reported.

“The only leisured class in this House—the so-called Labour Party.”— Mr D. Jones (Kaiapoi) in the debate on the Address-in-Reply last night.

The testing of the Auckland city water supply by the hospital authorities is to cost the City Council £l2O per anrium. This decision was arrived at by the Auckland Hospital Board. For this sum four tests are to be made each month.

An election was held for the appointment of a Crown tenants’ representative on the Auckland Land Board in consequence of Mr A. B. Harris retiring by rotation. There were four candidates,’ and Mr E. F. Andrews, formerly secretary to the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, -was elected by a very large majority.

Mr jL H. Howden, chairman of the Hamilton Fire Board, has resigned owing to that body having entered into a transaction to the amount of £lO with a firm of which he is a director. The financial gain to the firm was negligible, and the board expressed regret that, it resulted in the loss of the chairman’s services.

“There are men in the country seeking employment and are prepared to take it at 10s per day,” declared a country member of the Wanganui Harbour Board at a meeting. “On some of the farms men have actually suggested to their employers that they should be ■ allowed to remain on at a less rate of wages,” he continued.

The reply of the Miners’ Federation to the Coal-mine Owners’ Association concerning the refusal of the employers to agree to a conference until certain demands are withdrawn (published in the “Times” yesterday), wae received yesterday morning by the association’s secretary. The letter will be referred to the executive for consideration.

While Mr A. Dunne, engineer, was starting a large five-seater motor-car in the motor died at his house in Albert street, Hamilton East, it backfired, and was instantly a mass of flame, and before the brigade could arrive the ear and shed were completely destroyed. The car was the property of Mr James Shannon, a resident of Auckland, and was not covered by insurance. Mr Dunne escaped injury.

At Awakino recently a large sum of money belonging to the Public Works Department was stolen, and Mr W. T. Jennings suggested in the House yesterday that in future payment should be made by cheque. The Hon. J. G. Coates replied that he thought the suggestion well worthy of consideration, and that he would consult the officers of the department on the subject.

“The market for parcels of butter in cold storage is very dull, while attended by considerable depression, owing to offerings of Government parcels now quite satisfying all requirements. The Ministry of Food will finish buying and importing butter on March 31st next, when the present Australasian contracts will expire. After that date free imports will be allowed” (reports the London produce manager for the Bank of New Zealand).

“I know it will be said that I am like a pelican crying in the wilderness,” stated Dr. Newman, M.P., speaking on the Address-in-Reply debate yesterday; “but I have been urging for six years,- and I urge again to-day that the construction of branch railways, which are not feeders, but bleeders, should be stopped, and motor-’buses and mo-tor-lorries put on instead.” There was £160)000 a year, he said, being spent in interest on railways only partly finished, and that, surely, was very bad finance.

A person who has been masquerading in the role of a borough inspector has been making the round® of New Plymouth during the past week, his activities including visits to a number of houses, allegedly to inspect sanitation, and a call on a motor garage, where he made exhaustive notes as to the numbers of all cars. It was through the last-mentioned incident that the matter came to the knowledge of borough officials, and the garage owner was informed his visitor had been merely assuming the role.

“I’m a man of peace, and I don’t like to see these war trophies placed about in public buildings,” said Councillor T. J. Stokes at a meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council. “These things should be forgotten; I don’t think it is well to bring them continually under the notice of the youth of the country, and the mothers and fathers of those who lost sons at the great war.” The council, however, passed a resolution to the effect that the borough’s war trophies should be placed in the Town Hall, Councillor Stokes being the only dissentient. '

At a Hospital Board meeting at ’Wanganui Mrs Gomyns stated that a woman receiving charitable aid was the best-dressed woman on the lawn at the recent Wanganui races! “In fact," added Mrs Comyns, “I got such_ a shook that I could not get flyer it.” Mira Comyns then went on to state that the dress worn was violet satin, and she considered it wae nob proper for people in receipt .of charitable aid to patronise races in flash attire. She was not hard-hearted, and she believed in helping those who helped themselves.—The board promptly decided to discontinue the charitable aid.

“I am not a constitutional lawyer, or indeed a lawyer of any kind,” stated Mr D. G. Sullivan, member for Avon, in seconding the Labour amendment to the Address-in-Reply yesterday. “It was an obvious fact (he added) that there were none of ‘the Devil’s own’ in their corner of the House.” (Laughter.) The Prime Minister: “A good many people think you have several of them.” (Laughter.) Mr Sullivan said that he was not surprised to hear that from the right bon. gentleman. It was not so very long ago that Mr Massey had described the late John Bailance, the late Mr Seddon, the late John Mackenzie, Sir Joseph Ward and others as “the seven Devils of Socialism.” (Laughter.)

Amid much laughter from other members and the blushes of the Labour members, the member for Christcrurch North (Mr L. M. leatt) quoted in the House of Representatives last night from a lady writer, “Margaret,” in the “Maoriland Worker,” a description of the members of the Parliamentary Labour Party as the handsomest men in the House. “They are all sunbeams,”. she added, “big sunbeams or little sunbeams,” and they all had “tanks” or “harrelß,” and the “tanks” were “full of love.” (Laughter./ “Mr Holland, the leader of the party, is a sunbeam!” said Mr Isitt. “Look how ho is smiling on me now.” (Laughter.) It moved him to drop into poetry—■ “Eight little sunbeams all in a row. Listen to their adjectives, and then you will kflOK,” (Juaid laughter.)

Although the campaign for tbe Southland soldiers’ memorial has not yet been properly launched, the secretary of the Southland League states that close on £IOOO has already been promised towards the project.

This yield will take some beating (says the Wyndham “Herald”): —Mr J. A. McDonald, of Ota creek, obtained 120 bushels of oats from his field—the mill tally. This is keeping up the fame of Edendale as prolific oatgrowing land.

A returned soldier, whose resignation has been accepted by the executive of the Dunedin Association, advanced thb unusual reason that, having been converted, be now belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ, and could find noting in His Word to allow him to belong so any society.

At a meeting of the Taneatua Chamber of Commerce, objection was raised to the proposed Whakatane harbour loan of £20,000, for which a poll is to be taken. A resolution was passed to the effect that in the opinion of the meeting any further loan expenditure on Whakatane harbour at the present juncture is premature.

The Board of Trade will hold an inquiry into the question of the egg trade generally, in Christchurch, on March 22nd. Representations were . recently made to the Government for prohibition upon the importation of Asiatic eggs. Opposition to such a prohibition comes from bakers, pastrycooks and confectioners, and the hoard has invited representatives of producers, importers and users of eggs to be present.

A point of interest to husbands whose wives run up bills was emphasised by Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., at a recent sitting of the Christchurch Magistrate's Court. He said that the law clearly laid it down that where a husband made a wife a regular and adequate allowance she must not use his credit to obtain goods, and if she did tradesmen could not recover from him.

On a recent morning while SeniorSergeant Jackson was standing on the railway platform at Lyttelton, a man approached him stating he had a revolver to register, and pointed it towards the sergeant, who warned him to be careful. The man answered that it was not loaded, and to demonstrate, was about to pull the trigger just as the sergeant stopped him. On examination it was found that the chamber contained three cartridges.

At the present time, according to a report received by the Auckland Education Board, there are 180 halls and private buildings being used as temporary schools in the Auckland Education Distriot. These are costing the hoard a. matter of £3373 per year in rent. The board pays no rent at all for 45 of. these temporary school®, and the other 135 are rented quite cheaply, the weekly payments ranging from five to six shillings up to £2 for large places snch as those used at Whakatane and Hamilton.

Everything is going along very smoothly on the Dunedin waterfront. A large number of watersiders are employed in loading the Tarawera for Auckland and discharging the timber from the American Bchooner Samar. As these are the only vessels in port at the present moment, there has not been sufficient work for all the members of the union on some days. The prospects, however, will be much brighter, as several vessels are expected, including one or two large oversea steamers.

The taßk of recovering the yacht Celox, which sank off Matiatia, Waiiieke, on Saturday, resulting in the owner, Mr T. S. Spencer, and his son being drowned, was successfully undertaken by four launches manned, by a number of volunteers from the Victoria Cruising Club. The launches Kirita, Daisy, Sunray, and a hired boat, with the aid of the Auckland Harbour Board’s sweeping gear, located the Celox in 13 fathoms of water, only a few yards from where she sank. With the assistance of the windlass on a scow belonging to the Devonport Ferry Company the heat was towed about two miles to shallow water in Matiatia Bay, the operation occupying rearly six hours.

A remarkable experience befell the first south express from Auckland on Tuesday. Nearing To Awamutu the driver observed a man on the line ahead signalling him to Btop. The train was brought to a standstill, and investigation revealed that about twenty feet of both rails was buckled into an S shape, this having been caused by tho rails expanding with the heat. The train moved slowly over the bent rails and proceeded on its way. The damage to the rails was first discovered by a surface-man who waited to warn the driver of the express, which was nearly due. Had the damage not been discovered in time for the express to puff up, the bend was so. pronounced that a serious accident might have resulted.

The official graduation ceremony of Otago University students, which was revived last year after a lapse of several years, will be again held this year. The Senate of the New Zealand University passed a resolution that if the council of any of the affiliated colleges saked permission to hold a public graduation ceremony they should be allowed to do so. At the request of the Professorial Board, tho University Council decided tp take advantage of this permission. Dr. Cameron (the Chancellor) said that they had been granted a graduation ceremony last Jre ar on account of it being their jubiee year. The function was a very successful one, and there was no disturbance whatever. The council unanimously decided to apply to the Senate for permission to hold a public graduation ceremony.

There are now two Chinese furniture factories in Auckland, and although the workers are comparatively few in number they are managing to t”m out fairly large quantities of goods. One of the places of business has been run. ning for about a year. The other eetablishment is more recent, having been opened about the beginning of this year. General cabinet-making is carried -out, but in neither place is there any modern machinery. The Chinese, it is stated, adopt their own methods, using Eastern benches and Eastern goods. As ie not infrequent in the case of Chinese businesses in this country, the cabinetmakers are excluded from the operation® of the trade award. The more recentlyestablished factory, for instance, is run as a company, the hands being copartners, to that hours of labour, wage®, and such-like are their own concern. Both places, of course, are subject to the provisions of the Factory Act 60 far as the conditions of the factory are concerned. At present the question of future restrictions has been left in the hands of the Cabinet, but the matter will be raised by the Labour members of Parliament during the session now opened.