NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10966, 30 July 1921, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

A case of diphtheria was admitted to tlie Mas ter ton hospital on Thursday.

A party of natives at GpoUtama, Hawke’s Bay, has been engaged during recent months in an effort to create a whaling industry. All the appliances have been secured, and a large boat is included, but so far the necessary whales have not been forthcoming, in spito of the efforts of the-Maoris.

Tho Board of Governors, of Wellington College decided yesterday on the recommendation of the headmaster (Mr T. R. Cresswell) that the second term should end on August 19th, and that the third term should commence on September 12th. Tho annual football tournament is to be held in Wanganui in the fourth week in August. In consequence of this_ arrangement it has been deemed desirable to take a week off the present term, and add it to tho next term.

: Despite the increased cost and difficulty of getting coal supplies (writes a correspondent), tho Hamilton gasworks duiring the past twelve months showed a profit of £5004 from the working account, and £720 from fittings, making a total gross profit to appropriation account of £5745. Of this £3385 goes to pay interest and sinking fund. The balance, £2359, has been used for the extension of plant, mains, and services. In ten years £19,789 or profits have thus been used, and if the town had grown only half as quickly there would now bo a substantial cash. reserve.

The announcement,that he had sanctioned the use of the Auckland Boys’ Grammar School hall for the old boys’ and old girls’ annual dance, made by Professor A. P. W. Thomas, at the last meeting of the Board of Governors, brought the immediate remark from one member, “But, surely, Mr Chairman, you are not going to risk bringing on this board the anathema of all those pious people opposed to dancing ’’ “Oh, the chairman can only follow precedent,” replied the professor, amid laughter; “it is for the hoard to institute a morality campaign.” A suggestion that the chairman be deputed to. attend tho ball as social censor was also made, but was not received with enthusiasm by that gentleman. The board decided to eonrm tho chairman’s sanction of the use of the hall.

The new valuation cf the borough of Takapuna shows a total ratable capital value of £1,601,549. The previous total was £1,147,756, the increase therefore being £453,793.

Investigations carried out in respect to U'rops of sugar beet grown in the vicinity 1 of Christchurch show that the yields have ranged from 12 to 22J tons per acre.

Buyers are already making inquiry in the Horowhenua district for forward delivery lambs, it being anticipated that there will he a good market ruling later on.

The Farmers’ Conference yesterday varried a motion by 24 votes to 10, "That auctioneers lie required to- give both the vendor and purchasers’ names ,<vhen selling stock at public auctions.”

The “Poverty Bay Herald” says it is reported that a local company has notified the members p f its staff ‘of its intention to reduce salaries to the extent ol : 20 per cent.

At Taumarunui a man has been fined £lO and costs for giving an order for whisky to a Palmerston North firm, and failing to give the person to whom the order was sent a. statement in writing of his name arid' address.

There is evidently some interest in London in the report of tho Gaming Commission, for Mr Massey lias cabled to New Zealand for information Concerning it. A short summary of the recommendations has been sent to him in return.

Though milking has commenced on several farms in the Kairanga, it is not expected to be in full swing until early next month. Despite the mild winter there has not been a substantial growth of grass owing to the protracted dry spell in the autumn.

The slump is malting a considerable difference in the population o>f the Kurow district, Otago. One station that kept 23 employees last winter lias only three this winter. The unfortunate thing is that many married men have lost their employment!

Tama ngu fishermen report, that fish are plentiful. A party on hoard a launch secured 11 kingfish in the harbour one day this week, several of the largest weighing about 401 b. An exceptionally fine lot of 24 dozen sclinapper was also secured by the same party.

Advice has been received at Dannevirke that the certificate for the establishment of the Southern Hawke’s Bay Power Board! has been issued. It is expected that all the preliminary steps will have been taken in the next few days, and the first election will be held in a few weeks’ time.

“Ragwort is a dangerous noxious weed as far ns the dairy farmer is concerned, but it is not S, menace to the sheepfarmer, as sheep feed upon it, keep it down, and in the: course of time eradicate It.” So said Mr C. K. Wilson at the Farmers’ Conference yesterday afternoon.

Since Christmas, Ratana, the Maori faith-healer, Jras received 40,000 letters from all parts of Australasia, and even from Europe and America, whither his fame has evidently travelled. One letter front Italy contained a substantial sum of money, which Rabun a, who never accepts payment, promptly returned to the sender.

In reply to a question By Mr J. Sheat at the Farniers’ Conference yesterday, as to whether the cattle tick disease was spreading, Dr. C. J. Reakes (Director-General of Agriculture) said that the departmental officers were keeping a close watch on the tick disease, and was preventing vt spreading as far as was passible.

Mr W. A. Banks drew attention at the Farmers’ Conference yesterday to the fact that many of the delegates who attended the Farmers’ Union Conference did not have an opportunity of meeting each other, and he suggested that the conference meet in future on a Friday. A social, h& added, could be held on Saturday, when delegates could meet each other and exchange/views.

Mr C. IC. Wilson, a delegate from the Auckland district at the Farmers’ Union Conference, said that more encouragement should be given children to collect the eggs of birds which were destructive to crops. He mentioned that ho knew of an instance where a little girl collected 9000 eggs in a season in a district where the local authority offered a small amount for the collection of qmall birds’ eggs.

“The railway employs a number of porters, but they do not appear to be able to put a can of cream on a. train,” said Mr J. Slieat at the Farmers’ Conference yesterday. Mr A. Banks (Canterbury) said that the railways in the South Island were not paying, and it was not advisable to osk the Govern ment to incur more -expenditure at the present time. The discussion arose oven - a motion to reduce the charge for placing cream on trains.

A great compliment has been paid by President Harding (a journalist himself) to the Press Congress of the EWorld, .which assembles at Honolulu in October next. He has appointed as 'Governor of the 'Hawaiian Group Mr Wallace E. Farrington, who is business manager of tlie “Honolulu Star-Bulletin,” the principal daily in that city. Colonel Lawson, D.S.O. (a cousin of Lord Burnham), who is assistant manaiging-pro-prietor of the London “Daily Telegraph,” will be head of the English delegation, of which Mr H. C. Derwent, of the “Bradford Telegraph,” is a member. It is reported that the United States delegation will be over 200 strong.

It is interesting (says a. contemporary) tp compare tho rate that the London investor gets from the New Zealand loan with the rate that local investors are prepared to take. The soldiers’ loan, 61 per cent., is quoted' on the local market at £9l 7s 6d, which gives a [return of a shade over 6 per cent. Mr Massey floated his loan at 96 and' 6 per cent., which give a return of 61 per cent., plus underwriting charges, which are not yet known. It might seem, therefore, as if it would pay the Government to invite subscriptions locally for money at 6 per cent., on which they would 'be able to impose, the full rates of inoome tax. -

A Patea correspondent writes to the “Times” as under:—“The one cow farmers of Patea have recently been relieved of some of the anxiety of finding winter grazing for their hungry stock, through the kindly intercession of the Borough Council, which has passed a by-law allowing the hungry herds to ream at their own sweet will through the back streets of the town. Tlie main streets are prohibited, however, and the residents thereof should have rea-, son to congratulate themselves on being free from the many unpleasantries their less fortunate neighbours in the by-lanes have to put up with, were it not, that the cattle themselves are seemingly not yon conversant with tho new by-law. Many indignant owners of nicely-trimmed green hedges, lawns, and flower-beds have had good reason to make complaint. Sympathetic councillors have lent an ear to their protests, and there seems to be every possibility of the by-law being rescinded in the near future,”

The number of pupils on the roll of the Wellington College during the month of July was t£2. The average attendance was 702.

A proposal to inaugurate a scheme of retrenchment is likely- to be brought before the Otago Harbour Board at its next meeting.

“Labour members must only bo sent to -Parliament to destroy it,” said a prominent delegate at the Australian Labour Congress.

A Press Association telegram from Gore states that the Mataura public school, a four-roomed building, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning. The cause is not known.

An influential deputation of leading Masterton educationists will probably wait on the Minister for Education during his approaching visit to Masterton with reference to the High School.

For the first time sine© the slump began, it ’lias been found necessnry to dispense with the services of some of the .casual employees of the Palmerston North Borough Council.

Hoodlums caused considerable annoyance at the Martinborough skating rink tins week by cutting off the electric light while a ladies’ learners 7 class was in progress.

The delegates to the Farmers’ Union conference were unanimous last evening that a Trade Commission should be appointed by the Government to further the Dominion’s trade in England.

At the Farmers’ Union conference last evening it was decided to urge the Government to improve the rural mail delivery services, which were considered to be inadequate.

For supplying liquor to a.person under the age of 21 years, Victor Sayers, a barman of the Cambridge Hotel, was fined £o on each of two charges, by Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

It was stated by Mr W. M. Singleton (chief dairy inspector) at the Farmers’ Conference that there were 900,000 dairy cows in New Zealand, and only a comparatively small number of them had been tested.

This morning a deputation of farmers is to wait upoii the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell), and the IVfinister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Nosnorthy) with respect tu furthering the suggestions made at the Farmers* Union Conference by various remits.

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the R.M.S. Tahiti sailed at 11 a.m. on the 28th jnst. for Wellington. She carries 211 bags of mails for oho Dominion, including eight from the East and four from San Francisco.

The damage done by hares in farming districts, more especially in the South Island, was the cause of a remit being favoured by the Farmers* Union Conference asking the authorities to alter the regulations so that there be no close season for hates. &

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that James Joseph Raymond, a farmer of Paparimu was, at the Police Court, charged with failing to destroy rabbits on his premises. He admitted the offence and was fined £ls.

* The Methodist Temperance and Public Morals Committee, at its meeting yesterday, passed the following resolution in regal'd to jacing permits:— “That this meeting strongly deprecates the proposal of the Racing Commission to materially increase the number of licenses to racing clubs, aud urges Parliament to reject the ’©commendation.”

Bible-reading in State schools was the subject of the following resolution by tlie Methodist Temperance *nd Public Morals Committee: —“Tills committee recommends ail our ministers to cooperate with others in taking advantage of the permission granted by the •Wellington Education Board for school committees to allow the Nelson system of Bible-reading in State schools.”

Appreciation of the Hutt Bowling and Tennis Club was expressed in a resolution by the Methodist Temperance and Public Morals Committee at its meeting yesterday, appreciating the decision of the club in. not allowing the members to play bowls on Sunday. Tlie committee also expressed the hope that the tennis club would adopt this course.

An arresting feature of the fire brigade superintendent’s annual report is contained in a table showing comparison of calls from 1910-11 to- 1920-21. Tlie calls received by brigade during the period of ten years totalled 2380, but in less than 60 per cent, of these* cases was the brigade required to suppress. actual fires, which numbered 1110. The number of false alarms was 536. Tj o hundred and thirty-six chimney, and 498 rubbish * grass and gorse fires also occurred in the period. Complaint was recently made to the Mayor (Mr R. A. Wright, M.P.) that through a delay of some minutes occasioned by the passing of trains at Johneonville, tho 5.25 p.m. train from Lambton station to Plimxnerton, residents of the latter district, travelling from the city frequently arrived at their destination late. The Mayor forwarded the complaint to the Minister for Railway, who has now replied stating that he is having inquiries made with a view to ascertaining whether an immediate remedy for the delay can be effected. The Minister stated that he would communicate the result of his effort® at a later date.