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Otago Daily Times, Issue 18199, 21 March 1921, Page 4

The Christchurch Press understands that the commission which is taking evidence in view of the revision of the Customs tariff during next session of Parliament will open its sittings in Dunedin about the 29th inst.

The Dunedin and Roslyn tram service was suspended on Saturday afternoon as the result of the rope coming off the terminal wheel. S

The Mine Owners’ Association, in reply to the Miners’ Federation, reiterates its refusal to consider six points in the new demands on the grounds that if granted they would mean a, substantial decrease in output and a very considerable increase in price. The letter proceeds:—“You raise the point, however, that your federation would have the right to discuss the proposals before the Arbitration Court if they were filed under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. If the federation will take steps to bring the matter before^ the court I am instructed by my association to say that I am quite agreeable to this course.”

A Wellington Press Association telegram reports that the. Minister of f Industries and Commerce announces a suspension of the building regulations in the meantime as supplies of materials aie now improved, and that the necessity for obtaining permits for supplies of building materials is now waived. The Building Committee will be now disbanded except in Wellington.

A special meeting of the City Council will be held this evening for the purpose of receiving a report from the Domain Board on the erosion at' the Ocean Beach and also to continue the discussion on the tramway extension proposals, which were put forward at the last meeting.

A Gisborne Press Association telegram states that the case Charles W. Ferris versus Frederick John Lysnar, over partnership accounts, was concluded in the Supremo Court on Saturday. The defendant controlled property on behalf of a partnership. The' plaintiff claimed that there should have been more stock and more wool during the; partnership. Defendant averred that the losses of sheep were heavy on account of natufel causes. The jury was absent for six hours, and unanimously decided that Lysnar did not deliberately conceal the financial position of the partnership from Ferris, but Ferris> had he known the financial'position of the partnership, would not -have entered into the arrangement which he made, in connection with the sale of property, and that Ferris knew only the bank liability. By seven to five the-jury agreed that Ferris was not entitled to charge Lysnar with any amount with respect to his claim.

A Press Association message from Wellington reports that a fire occurred on Sunday in a block of buildings adjoining the Grand Hotel, in Willis street. The brigade quickly extinguished the blaze, which was confined to the roof, but had to pour a considerable quantity of water upon the burning portion, with the result that damage was done to the stock of Mr E. C. Brown (mercer), Mr Bartlett (photographer), and Mr Haywood (dentist). The insurances, which are said to be heavy, are not available.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a- rowdy street scene followed the arrest of an intoxicated man on Saturday, night He stoutly resisted, and the assistance of other constables had to be enlisted as the prisoner was still fighting and calling on the crowd, which became threatening. The police handcuffed the man, and, followed by a large crowd, carried the prisoner to the police station. Some stones were thrown, but no one was injured.

A Wellington Press Association telegram reports that a girl, before the Police Court, who pleaded guilty to pocket-picking, said she had watched a man in a crowd pick pockets, so she followed his example. A Stratford Press Association telegram states that an important sale of railway leases by auction was held on Saturday, Mr Newton King submitting 36 Broadway sections on behalf of the Minister on the terms of 21 years, with the right of renewal in a further 21* years. The bidding was very keen, in the aggregate fully 20 per cent above the upset prices 'being obtained. ■* \

Replying to a question asked in the House by Mr T. E. Y. Seddon (Westland), the Minister of Defence (Sir R. Heaton Rhodes) said that an endeavour was being made to trace New Zealand deserters in England 4 (wires our Wellington correspondent). These men had recently been grafted an amnesty, and steps were being taken to repatriate them. Their dependents had received pay up to the time of desertion, but no gratuity or pension. It was a case of the dependents suffering for the sins of the deserter.

A request that a supplementary J.P. list should be issued as soon as possible was mad# to the Minister of Justice (the Hon. E. P. Lee) on Saturday by Mr W. T. Jennings (Waitomo), wires our Wellington correspondent. The ‘member explained that there was great difficulty in some of the outlying districts in obtaining the services of a justice of the peace, because scarcely had some men been made J.P.’s when they left the country for the towns. The Minister said that a new list was in course of preparation. He agreed that the difficulty -mentioned by the member did exist. It was met all over the, country. If Mr Jennings had any suggestions to make for hia district they would bo considered at once.

Our Wellington correspondent ■wires that the introduction of a patriotic primer into the schools of the dominion was advocated by Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) in the House pf Representatives on Saturday. The Minister of Education (Mr CL J. Pair) said that he entirely agreed with the proposal. The new Director of Education was at the present time considering the text book that had been recently prepared, with a view to incorporating ail, or part of it, in the curriculum

An amendment of the Noxious Weeds Act, of which notice has been given in the House (wires our Wellington correspondent) adds hawthorn to the third schedule %f the Act. This means that any local authority will have power to declare it a noxious weed within its own boundaries. Probably there will be a modification, providing- that the proclamation may affect only a portion of the territory controlled by the local body if that course appears preferable.

The statement that* the bottom has dropped out of the land market was hardly borne out by the results of a sale of land near Panmure, about nine miles from Auckland, on Saturday (telegraphs our Auckland correspondent). Thirty-three farmlet lots, making slightly over 300 acres, sold at prices ranging from £7O to £204 an acre. The areas varied from 2£ acres to 34 acres. The land is described as cabbage tree and drained swamp land. Many of the purchasers were residents of the locality. Mva small township lots were not sold, the reserve not being reached, thus showing the marked preforance for larger areas. The total realised was nearly £27,000.

Mr Thomas Walsh, of Shag Point, who claims to be the first white boy born in New Zealand, recently presented the Waihemo County Council with a copy of the first issue of the Otago Witness, February 8, 1851. This the council has framed, and it now hangs in the county chambers. Some , of the prices of commodities are rather interesting. Flour is quoted at £2 6s tl/j 2001 b sack; bread (delivered), la the Alb loaf; beef, 6d to 61d per lb; mutton and pork the same; fresh butter, Is 6d per lb; salt, Is 3d to Is Ad; raw sugar, 3)d to Ad; loaf, 7|d to 8d; cheese, Is per lb; milk, 3d to Ad per quart; potatoes, 6s to 6s 6d per cwt; firewood, “per cord, 10s to l£s. Postage rates are as follow: —Ship letters under £oz, Ad; under loz, 8d; over loz and under 2oz, Is ,Ad. “Letters for Now Zealand need not be prepaid and newspapers are sent free.” Among the shipping announcements is the arrival of the Titan, • which vessel, Mr Walsh claims, brought the first mice to New Zealand. The City Fire Brigade was called out at 3 o'clock on Saturday morning to a fire in a washhouse attached to a dwelling at the corner of Frederick and Forth streets. The shed was badly damaged. The house is owned by a Mr Moir, and was occupied by aMr Hindle. The insurances were not available last night. On'Wednesday evening the First Church choir will interpret “The Crucifixion” (Stainer), the solos in this beautifully devotional work being taken by Mr 4, Leech and Mr H. P. Desmoulins.-^ A first offender, for drunkenness, who had been remanded for a week for medical treatment, was brought before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., in the City Police Court on Saturday, and ordered to pay expenses (£1 16s) in default 10 days imprisonment. For a similar offence Robert James Hayes liowry was fined the amount of his bail (20s), with the alternative of A 8 hours’ imprisonment. Keen competition is already manifesting itself for next season’s goods for dairy factory manufacturing supplies (says the Otautau Standard). For over three years, has been a rare thing for merchants pushing their wares; in fact, it has often been a job for factories to get supplies except at prohibitive prices. All this would appear to be relegated to the limbo of the past now, as offers to supply goods are pressing in on factories. Rennet, bandage, caps, salt, the various classes of hardware and oil, all are on offer at very substantial reductions —some of the principal lines being quoted at just about half those Current for two or three years back. John Bull and Uncle Sam are getting fairly ‘ on the job ” to cater for the dairymen. So fab, no German goods are offering—at any rate, not in any direct way that would trace them back to the country of the Hun. The supposed loss of over £IOOO by a working woman on Wednesday morning now turns out to be merely a case of forgetfulness (says the Christchurch Press). As she was preparing to come to town to continue her search yesterday, she opened a brown paper parcel which she carried with her on the previous day, and in this parcel was the handbag containing the money. She had wrapped it up after getting the money from the bank, and forgotten all about it. For the first time since the war a consignment of telescope fish has arrived in England from the Far East, and a number are now in the aquarium at the Zoo. Though these are merely one of the many extra- » ordinary varieties of goldfish bred by the Japanese and Chinese, they are so unlike the household species that few people recognise them as goldfish. The telescope, in fact, is the. sort of creature one would expect to see in a nightmare. With grotesque protruding eyes (hence its name), globular body, two distinct tails, sail-like fins above and double fins below,’“it waddles through the water like a fat old fish-woman in the market. Compared with the tumbler, however, it is graceful, for the latter variety, owing to its curious form, is unable to maintain its equilibrium in the water. Another type, the Celestial, has its eyes on the top of its head, and, as these are always directed heavenwards, it is regarded by the Chinese as a sacred fish. Other aquatic bogies are fringe tail, with, an immense pendulous caudal fin of delicate texture, while the comet goldfish, some of which have been bred in the gardens, haxe extremely long flowing tails and fins —hence their popular name. Some of the rarer specimens may be said to be literally goldfish, for they are worth, their weight in gold. Unskilled labour is easy to obtain in Wanganui (says the Herald), in consequence of the tightening-up of the financial situation, and a large number of unemployed . men are reported to be in town. This is caused in the main by the slackening off in primary produce industries, the men coming into town to seek work. It is also that farmers in the back country are endeavouring to reduce wages for casual men employed in special jobs, such as drainage, fencing, etc. The ruling rate was £1 per day, aqd in one instance it is stated that a back-country farmer offered a casual employee £3 per week and meat, but the offer was turned down. The rate of pay for casual work is now stated to be 10s per day, and the worker to “find” himself. In the assessment of the amount of pay due to members of the Expeditionary Force upon discharge, the War Expenses Office adopted the practice of deducting and retaining a sum of £2 in case it was subsequently found the soldier had been overpaid. The onus was placed upon the soldier to subsequently apply for the sum held back. The Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association - has ascertained that large numbers of exsoldiers, either through ignorance or oversight, have not applied for the amount, and that the money is still held by the Pay Office. The association intends to ask the Government to remove the onus of application from the soldier and to pay the money wherever it is due. «

Owing to the omission of a nought Mr H. 0. Campbell was represented as saying at the meeting of the Otago Harbour Board on Friday night that the earnings of a ■vessel of 500 tons were from £4OO to £SOO every 24 hours. The figures should have been 5000 tons. It is- announced in ouf advertising columns that the' Hotel Cargen,- Auckland, has now been placed under the management of Mrs Braik, well known as the hostess of Braeburn, Wanganui. We have received £1 from “Farmer” for Dr Barnardo’s Homes Fund. Sprung in the right places, built to resist road shocks for the rider, yet makes the machine durable —Harley-Davidson motor cycles.—W. A. Justice and Co., Otago Agents, 292 Princes street. Dunedin.—Advi Startling as it may appear, Dunedin women, storekeepers, and _ wholesale merchants are surely winning world-wide affection for their splendid enthusiasm in pushing Golden Rule Soap, “No Rubbing” Laundry Help, Keep Smiling Boot Polish, Golden Rule Writing Tablets, and B ; milar idealistic goods for the world’s betterment. —Advt. “The World-lifting Association favours” the formation of a huge “world-lifting combine,” embi acing all labour and employers’ unions, all churches. Governments, newspapers, educationalists, theatres—in short, everybody in every nation who can do some liftin'? in the direction illustrated by those wonderful lithographed pictures on the Golden Rule soap cartons. _ Obtainable from all grocers. “Where no vision is there the people perish.”—Advt. Ladies’ Black Cotton Hose, double feet end tops, greatest value ever offered; Is lid a pair at Mollisons, George street, Dunedin.—Advt. A. rl. J) Blakeley, dentist. Bank of Australasia, corner of Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office). Telephone 1859. Advt. Here’s r. paradox Watson’s No. 10 is A 1 whisky.—Advt. Choice Jewellery.—Large selection diamond rings, watches, brooches, pendants, and silverware Compare our values.—Peter Dick, jewellers. 490 Moray place.—Advt.