NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11250, 30 June 1922, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

When an increase in the output of Lake Coleridge power took place a short time ago the Christchurch City Council cancelled some restrictions that had been placed upon the use of power. A rush has since .been made on radiators (electric heaters), and over 800 radiator “points” have been installed since the restriction on their use was removed. Radiators consume a good deal of power, and the council’s electricity committee reported that if tho increase of radiator load 1 continued at that rate some restrictions would become necessary.

“When you go to the races, do you spend much?” asked Mr Glaister of a debtor at the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland. “Not much," was the reply. “Just walk around with your hands in your pockets, admire the horses, but never bet, I suppose?” Tho answer was in the affirmative, whereupon counsel said, “You’re a novelty, that’s all I can say.” The next question was: “Who was the lady I saw you with in Queen street yesterday?” to which the reply was, “A friend of mine.” “Do you spend much upon well-dressed ladies?” was next inquired. “Only what it costs to take them to the pictures,” was the reply. Some idea of the number of aspirants for work can be gauged by the numerous replies received by advertisers, many of whom are almost inundated by the number received. One day recently a bookkeeper for retail work was required, and the position was advertised in the Auckland “Star.” Eighty-one applications were received Tor the vacancy. Some indication of tli© trend of events in the matrimonial world can also bo gathered hy this means. A young widow recently notified the world at large that she was prepared to moot a suitable working man to assume the head of her household. Describing herself as English, aged 21, with two children, and being the owner of lior home, this young lady received no fewer than 66 applications for the honour.

Authority was granted hy the City Council last night for the extension of sewers at Park road, Miramar, and at .Broadway, Miramar. At tho Wellington Hospital Board meeting yesterday, accounts were passed for jiayment amounting to £8949 7s 2d. Tho credit balance was £13,297 16s 6d. A letter of thanks is to be forwarded bj' the City Council to Mrs Adamson for her presentation of one grey squirrel to tho Zoological collection at Newtown. A Taranaki firm has received telegraphic advice from Wellington asking it- to secure firm offers for AugustSeptembsr butter at Is 9ld per pound, f.o.b. A suh-oommittee is considering the question of levelling the front sections in Revans street, near the hospital, fencing in, etc., for the purpose of making them suitable as a play area for children. The first catch of whitebait foF the season was made at Waitara this week, about three-quarters of a pint being caught (states an exchange). According to the natives, so early .a catch denotes an early spring. The Secretary of the Treasury acknowledges in yesterday’s “Gazette” the receipt of a sum of £l, forwarded to the Treasury by a person unknown, as conscience money- to the Government. The 'City Council last evening supported a resolution forwarded by the county of Taieri suggesting that the Government be urged to make the oost of hospital maintenance a charge on the Consolidated Fund and not as at present a charge on local authorities. The consent of the Minister for Health has been received by the Wellington Hospital Board for the purchase of sections 1-13 adjoining the hospital grounds from the Department of Mental Hospitals at a cost of £5062 10s, exclusive of legal costs. The Director-General of Health has advised the Hospital Board that Cabinet has decided that in future no fees received from licenses issued under the Land Agents Act. 1921-22, after April Ist last would be paid to hospital hoards. The City Council last evening accept ed the offer of a property owner at Jackson street, Island Bay, to dedicate a piece of land to enable a dangerous comer to be rounded off. It was decided that the work of improvement should be put in hand as soon as possible. “New Zealand has got into a habit of extreme extravagance,” said' a speaker at the Farmers’ Co-op. Association meeting at Hawera, and he added that Taranaki was the worst offender. He said they could not get a man to buy a dairy cow unless he was taken to see it in a. costly motor-car. During the course of the hearing of an application for possession of a, tenement heard at Nelson, the magistrate (Mr J. S. Evans, S.M.), in granting the application, said there was no undue hardship olause in the Act now, and the law said that if a tenant did not pay his rent a landlord could claim possession. The conditions recently approved hy the City Council with reference to the erection of hoardings were. amended last night to provide that in the case of ornamental hoardings, where the design and construction are to the approval of the city engineer, tho maximum height shall be increased from 12 feet to 15 feet. On the cargo steamer Rona, which stranded on a rock when entering Auckland harbour, ia a pet parrot. According to members of the crew the bird was asleep when the vessel struck, and the shock naturally wakened it. “Polly” evidently was awiare that something unusual had happened, and called out, “Well, what do you know about that?” Steps are to he taken by the City Council to promote a local Bill on the lines approved by it in Deoenfber last, authorising the granting to the New Zealand Institute of the fee simple or any lesser estate of a portion of the Botanical Gardens Reserve. area, not exceeding one quarter of an acre, for the erection of buildings for astronomical purposes, as provided for hy the Carter bequest. The Mayor will probably take charge of the Bill. At a meeting of the Hawera Dairy Company, tho chairman, referring to the disposal of the company’s butter, said 1000 boxes in May had been sold at Is 4Jd, 2000 boxes had been sold at Is sd, and 550 boxes at Is 4Jd, which carried the sales up to the end of May. For June, July, and August the butter had been sold for Is 6Jd, and for the September make Is 7id had been obtained. The company had offered to sell the October, November, and December make for la 7Jd. The value to Taranaki of the improvement in the prices of produce was stressed hy Mr.J. S. Connett at tho annual meeting of the Farmers’ Co-op. Association at Hawera. He pointed out that the improved position in the dairy market meant hundreds of thousands of pounds to Taranaki, and might he the means of saving many who thought earlier in the season that they would be unable to pull through. He urged them, knowing as they did the vidua of co-operative concerns to the industry, to remain loyal to their own concern. A pedestrian who found it necessary to oross the road over the hill at the back of Victoria College late last evening had an unpleasant experience. Mounting the road was quite simple, hut once near the crest of the hill the unevenness of the surface proved very deceptive. The darknteiss on top of the hill was intense, and there were no lights whatever on the whole sweep of the track. He missed his footing on the greasy turf and fell several feet, being badly shaken and wrenching his ankle. The spot seems made for acoidents, particularly when in a slippery state, and it is remarkable that one has not occurred before. When tlie Earl of Onslow was Governor of New Zealand a son was born to His Excellency and Lady Onsloiv. As a compliment to the place of his birth the child was christened Victor Huia, and the compliment was appreciated by Europeans and natives alike. The Maoris were particularly interested, and their Excellencies received many tangible acknowledgments of the courtesy. A large gathering of influential natives was held at Otaki at which meeting the Hon. Victor Huia Onslow, then a baby in arms, was accepted as a member of the tribe as its honoured' “white” chief. The news of the death of tlioi:r chief, which was received hy cable, will bo mourned by the natives, and no doubt the ancient tribal rites in honour of the passing of the chief will he carried out. It is understood that the late Hon. Victor Huia Onslow had his health seriously impaired through an accident when bathing, and that his death was primarily duo to the effects of that accident.

TTcFters of appreciation of treatment received at the hospital by J. B. Teasdale, W. D. Haggett, and others were acknowledged at the meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday. Last evening, in connection with annual leave to corporation employees, the City Council affirmed the rule that leave be granted only on completion of each twelve months' service. There are now three picture shows open in Ohakune every Sunday evening (states an exchange). On the West Coast of the South Island all the picture shows are open on Sunday. The tender of the Chatteris Engineering Company, of London, was accepted by the City Council last evening for an electrically operated 25-ton overhead travelling crane for the turbine room at the Evans Bay station. “While visiting the backblocks recently 1 saw working on the roads men who had forsaken their farms, because they did not pay,” said Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., at the public servants’ meeting in Masterton. The power station committee was authorised by the City Council last night to arrange with the Wellington Harbour Board for the exchange of certain lands at Evans Bay power station site. Mr R. D. Martin, secretary of the Canterbury Bakers' Union, stated that the union intends to apply to the Arbitration Court for an interpretation as to what is the day set aside for the bakers’ picnic. The Waihi Borough Council propose purchasing an area of 70 acres on the tea beach (Boneen Town) for recreation amd camping purposes. The Court of Compensation is to sit at Auckland to determine the prioe to he paid to the owners of the land which, it is understood, w ill be in the vicinity of £BOOO. A contribution amounting to £26 15s lid is to be made to the Wellington Free Kindergarten Association by the City Council, on account of rates for the year 1921-22 being charged on certain of their property which under the Rating Act is exempt from payment of rates. The average number of in-patients in the hospital per diem under treatment last month was 344. Yesterday there were 356 patients in the hospital—lo scarlet fever, 8 diphtheria, 16 genian-urinary cases; . Ewart Hospital, 31 (22 males, 9 females) ; Fever Hospital, 11. Several farmers in the Western district (Southland) informed a “News” representative that the turnip crop is not as good as it promised to be, and many of the swedes are showing signs of dry rot. This means that they will not stand through the winter, which, fortunately, has so far been a fairly open one. The Hataitai Eleotors’ Association is to be informed by the City Council in reply to a request for a protecting fence at the cornet of Hataitai and Huia roads, that there is no money on this year’s estimates to enable the work to be carried out, but that consideration will be given to the request when framing the estimates for next year. A meat exporter expressed satisfaction at Ashburton at the manner in which the killing operations at the freezing works were being carried out by free labourers. * Of a line of 500 lambs killed on his account, only one had been damaged, which was, he said, a better proportion than the professional butchers showed as a rule. Information received in Auckland regarding the scow Haere, which is stranded about seven miles south of tho Cape Maria van Diemen lighthouse, shows that the rudder hns been carried away, and the dead wood, next tio the stern post, has also gone. The whole chip shows signs of strain. The weight of the cargo keeps the vessel in the breakers from half tide onwards. The arrivals at the port of Manukau for the month ending May 31st numbered 31 vessels, with an aggregate gross tonnage of 19,526 tons, or 9015 net tons. This shows an increase of three vessels abeve the arrivals last year, but a slight decreaso in tonnage. The bar was only unworkable for out-ward-bound steamers on two days in the month. A novel argument was advanced in the Conciliation. Council at Dunedin, when the agent for the Engineers’ Union urged that a reduction from 44 hours to 40 per week would operate as a means of reducing unemployment. The argument failed to impress the asnessors for the employers, and the proposal was eventually withdrawn, with the consent of the union’s representatives. A scheme for the lighting of the footpaths in Cuba street, by the erection of lamps under verandahs, proposed by the lighting department, and agreed to by the Te Aro Advancement Association, was approved by the City Council last night, subject’ to conditions laid down by the department. The annual cost of the scheme will be borne by tho association, which will be required to enter into an agreement embodying the stipulated conditions. Comment was made by the chairman (Mr H. R. Mackenzie) at the last meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board at the satisfactory manner in which debentures had been taken up in connection with the fifth, sixth, and seventh issues of debentures on account of the £IOO,OOO loan proposal. The secretary reported that the expenses were only 1.2 per cent. There would be no necessity for further loans until next year. “There are a. number oif men in the public servioe earning about 14s per day,” said Mr H. H. Brown, at the meeting at Masterton. “How does the Government expect them to feed and clothe their families if another 6s per week is deducted from their wages? Medical authorities have stated that much of the sickness in adults is due to malnutrition in their childhood rays, but the civil servant cannot properly feed his children if he is not paid an adequate wage.” Discussing the matter of the prisoner Hill having committed theft while under the influence of liquor, His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), in the Supreme Court yesterday, listened to tho suggestion made by . prisoner’s counsel (Mr A. B. S’icvwright) that prisoner should be placed under probation and restrained for a period from obtaining liquor. Hie Honour: How can you keep a man away from liquor unless the whole country goes dry? Mr Sicrwright; Can you say that, even then, Your Honour, the man can be kept from drink, judging by reports of things happening in the United States?