NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11254, 5 July 1922, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mr James Craigie, M.P., has sold out his interests in the “Timaru Post’’ to Mr R. Bell, and severed completely his connection with the paper.

A Maori hui is to be held at Tua. hiwi during the first week in August next, It is understood that approximately 3000 Maoris will attend.

What is known as the Pouakani case, touching native titles in the vicinity of the Wairarapa Lake, will be heard by the Native Land Court at its sitting at Greytown on August Ist.

A raft of logs broke away from the steamer Akaroa jn the Rangitoto Channel (Auckland harbour) On Saturday afternoon. The steamer Ngatiawa was delayed by the drifting logs when coming to Auckland on Saturday night. The logs were subsequently picked up.

At the restaurants at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924, nothing will be served which has not been grown or produced in the British Empire, said Major Belcher yesterday. There will be no Argentine meat, no Danish butter, and no American Cheddar there.

Advice received by the Dunedin agents for the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company states that the rate of freight on oats from New Zealand to the United Kingdom has been reduced to 555, and that on linseed to 60s per ton weight. The reductions are subject to the usual primage. They came into operation on Monday.

When America went dry, related Major Belcher to the Chambers of Commerce yesterday, California was seriously concerned as to what to do with her wines. A propaganda committee was and as a result, in all cases of grapes sent to America, a printed leaflet was enclosed showing American people how to construct their awn private distilleries.

“How much is half a gallon?” asked counsel of a witness in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court in an attempt to visualise in practical form just exactly how much the quantity would be. “Perhaps it would be easier to judge half a pint,” put in the Magistrate, and a smile went round the court. “Yes, that would probably he an easier standard of measurement,” admitted counsel.

No rent will be charged to the Dominion for the ground it occupies at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924, said Major Belcher in reply to the welcome from the Wellington Chambers of Commerce yesterday. The Dominions will only have to erect, equip and maintain their own buildings and exhibits, and if there is a loss on the exhibition the Dominions will not be asked to contribute a penny piece.

The New Plymouth Borough Council has accepted the tender of Messrs Briscoe and Co., of Wellington, amounting to £1779, for the supply of pipes for water main extensions. The tender stipulates for the direct shipment of the pipes from Home and this, it was explained at the meeting, meant that the tender was approximately 5 per cent, lower than it would have been had the pipes come via any other jxirt. The tender was below the estimate of the borough engineer.

The work of rescue carried out by the crew of the Katoa when the Wilt, shire was lost has been recognised by the owners of the wrecked steamer Those who took actual part in the work have received a substantial monetary reward. The party who made the journey overland to the scene of the wreck and remained there until all the shipwrecked crew were ashore consisted of the chief officer, purser, third engineer, and two seamen. Although they did not belong to the landing party, the strenuous work of the wireless operator and of the chief steward of the Katoa has also been recognised, and suitable rewards made.

“Years ago,” remarked Mr O. C. Mazengarb in the course of. an address on public speaking last evening, “I read a statement that Parliament, the pulpit, and the bar were filled with “murderers, mouthers, and 1 mongers of monotony.’ ” This was a severe indictment of the then standard of public speaking, but it was not and is not far from the truth. Think of the score or more olergymen in this city and tell mo how many of them yon really delight to hear. They wonder why" their churches are not filled, and when you tell them why they preach to you the doctrine that the Churoh is a place of worship and that your duty is to ho in your pew Sunday after Sunday—and if the sermon is not up to the sample, all the stronger reason why you should be there. I disagree. If the preaching of religion is not made attractive to church members, how can it possibly attract non-church-goers!” Mr Mazengarb also referred to the standard of speech in the legal profession, and to the pretence to oratory in “the marble talking shop in Molesworth street.”

Central Hawke’s Bay is experiencing colder weather conditions this winter than for many years past.

H.M.S. Chatham sailed from Wellington ax. 7 o'clock yesterday for Auckland.

The first prize in the Wanganui Amateur Boxing Association, art union ■ —a. gold specimen valued at £loo—was won by a resident at New Plymouth.

At Taupo on Saturday there were 32 earthquake shocks and a. further seven on Sunday morning before 8 o’clock.

The Wairarapa Lake is higher at present than it has been for some time. The water level is up to the Western Lake road at several points.

The building returns in New Plymouth lor the month of June show that permits for buildings costing £13,000 were granted, including nine new houses ranging in prioe from £650 to £I7OO.

The postal authorities at Hamilton are engaged on the work of purging the electoral roll, and have up to the present collected 1000 fresh claims for enrolment on the borough of Hamilton.

The Postal authorities have received cable advice from Suva that the Makura left there on t-he 3rd instant for Auckland. She carries 632 bags of mails for Wellington.

The Taupo road is reported to be in a very heavy state at the present time owing to the recent rains, and users of the road have to use chains in order to get through with motorcar’s.

At the last meeting of the Greytown Chamber of Commerce it was resolved to formulate a Rimutaka Deviation League, and to ask local and other public bodies interested to join up, so as to make “one big union” with the one specific object in view.

As showing the effect of the intense cold of last week (relates the Otorohanga “Times”), Mr D. Turner says that, on going to the weir for eels, he found them frozen to death in the water, a thing that he has never known happen before.

There has been a big increase in the registrations of unemployed with the Labour Department in Napier during the past week. The number at present ou the department’s books is 235, of whom 95 belong to Hastings. It is anticipated that relief work will be found for some of the men this week.

Rabhitskins fell with a dull thud last week, Dunedin prices being from Is 6d to 2s per lb below those of a fortnight ago. But this is a decline from an artificially high level, and even at the reduced figures trapping is a very profitable occupation if a man can be sure of his rabbits.

At the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, Greytown, a letter was read from . the Mauriceville lime-kiln proprietors showing that the clay at Papawai was of too pure a nature and would require a certain proportion of sand mixed with it to make a good brick.

Out of every 100 ft of timber imported by Great Britain, 80ft came from foreign markets, yet the colonies could supply her wants for centuries to come. —All the cotton used in Lancashire could be grown in Queensland alone.— Major Belcher, at the Dominion Farmers’ Institute yesterday.

,Mr C. F. A. Whiteford has now withdrawn from the contest for election to the Wellington Education Board as representative of the Marlborough Ward of the rural area. Mr D;. McCallum, being the only other nominee, lias therefore been elected in succession to Mr R. McCallum, M.P. The matter of a military defaulter playing Rugby was discussed at a meeting of the Otago District Council of, the Returned Soldiers’ Association, and it waa ultimately decided to ask the Rugby Union and the Athletic and Cycling Union to disqualify any mem. heirs who were military defaulters.

Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) desires to ask tile Minister for Labour whether he has taken steps to apply the law empowering him to insist on first-aid equipment being installed in all faetoiries and sawmills; and, if not, whether he will see that such" equip, merit is installed in the immediate future ?

Mr A. Harms (Wnitemata) gave notice yesterday to ask the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the Hciusing Department having dosed down, he will this session liberalise the operations of the State Advances Act by providing that higher advances can be made Ihan the terms of the statute and the administration makes possible at the present time ?

Mr S. J. Moran, solicitor, of Masterton,' has lodged a notice of appeal against the decision of the judge at the recent sitting of the Native Land Court in Masterton in reducing a certain charge in the case of Matenga Potangaroa from £75 to £25. The appeal will be heard in the Native Appellate Court at Wellington on August 23rd.

Two Timaru boys, on April 13th last, threw into the sea at Timaru a bottle containing a piece of paper with their names, address, and date on it. They have received a letter dated June 23rd, from F. Babbage, asßistant-lighthouse-keeper at Castlepoint, stating that he picked up the bottle that evening on the beach, so that it had travelled 310 miles before being washed ashore.