CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12648, 28 April 1903, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS NOTES.

(Fitou Onn Ow.\- ConinssroKDEKT.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 27. The falling birth-rato is discernible in a fact discovered by the committee- of our largest local public school that fewer young children were being brought to the infant department , than was tbo case in past years. In 1599 288 children were admitted fo this department, 274 in 1900, 273 in 1901, and 245iu 1902.- ' At a meeting of the Board of the Canterbury Typographical Union on Saturday night replies were received from Messre Ell, Tanner, and Laurenson, members of Parliament, to the board's circular requesting assistance in the "direction of having tho tariff' increased on imported printed matter. Uach member expressed sympathy with the beard's endeavour to keep as much of that class of work in the- colony as possible, and promised support to any measure that might be brought in with that object in view. A reply was also received from the Department, of Trade and Customs stating that the matter would receive attention at the earliest opportunity. A commission ca:e drew tome scathing remarks from Mr Beetham, 8.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day. Fral Spmtt sued an old German woman na.med Pnsche for £31 ss, commission on the sale of a house. The plaintiff alleged that his former clerk, Alfred John Brockett, negotiated with Mrs Paschs for the sale of a certain property to one Oeorge King for £800. King declined to conclude the transaction, but afterwards bought the ,--ame property for £750. Mrs Pasohe- twice admitted in the presence of two witnesses that she had put the property in Broekett's hands for sale, but when a claim for commission against her wa3 menliorad she immediately retracted what ,slie liad said. The defence was a jenial. Mrs Tasche declared that Brockett bustled her eo much that she (Ud not know what she was saying, but she did not understand for a, moment that s>he had made any admission of authority. Mr Beetham characterised Brockett'e action "with a view to trapping Sirs I'arche into' an acknowledgment that she had placed the property into his hands" as "very sharp practice." He did not believe that any authority had been given. Commission agents knew very well that when they made agreements for the sale of properties everything must bo fair, square, and aboveboard, and to take two witnesses, after tbo whole transaction was : at an end, to endeavour to entrap an old German lady.was altogether " too thin," and ho did not believe one word of it. Judgment was for the defendant, mth costs. It is significant that the butcher 3 have liad nothing to say in response to the charge of oxacting exorbitant prices from tho public levelled against them the other day. Apparently they have no defence; 'indeed, there is none they can ret up. Meanwhile Iho publio is still paying through the nwe for its meat and the butchers are still pocketing enormous and entirely disproportionate profits. There is another phase of the question. The meat ring is not confined to tbo butchers alone, but extends to tte bncon-eurer* as well. Ac a matter of fact the bacon-curers are, if anything, more rapacious than th» hutobfM. While baconoH aro selling at 4Jd per tb, bacon and hams are. quoted at 9d to _10d; or in other words, the ourers are making a gross profit of 200 per cent., while, the retailers are securing a secor.-d profit.