WAKATIPU LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19041, 11 December 1923, Page 8

WAKATIPU LICENSING COMMITTEE.

The quarterly meeting of the Wakatipu Licensing. Committee was held, in the courthouse, Queenstown on Thursday; present— Messrs George Cruiokshank, S.M. (chairman', D. F. Sutherland (Queenstown), Wm. Reid (Arrowtown), O. A. J. Thornton (Glcnorchy), L. Faigan (Miller’s Flat), and Charles Murphy (Alexandra). Inspector M’Namara (officer in charge of the Southland police district). Sergeant M’.Glono (Clyde), Constables O’Shea (Arrowtown) and Dunne. (Queenstown) represented the police. Mr R. Gilkison, jun., was the only solicitor present. The following business was transacted Ida Valley Hotel, Poolburn W. J. O’Connor). —Adjourned application for removal of license to new site.—The police reports that the new building was now in course of erection.—Adjourned to March meeting. Moa Flat Hotel, Moa Flat (James Riordan).— Adjourned application for renewal of publican’s license and for removal of license to a new site. —Renewal granted; application for removal to be granted when new house erected. —The. committee directed that the latter be .constructed in accordance with plans originally submitted to them, six months being given in which to complete the work. Railway Hotel, Lauder. —Application for a permanent transfer from J. A. M’Ledowney to Thomas Holland.—Granted. Railway Hotel, Ida Valley.—Application for temporary transfer from William Dundasa to William Healev. —Granted. Commercial Hotel, Waikaia,—Application for permanent transfer 'from William Cronin to P. Robert Darling.—Granted. Inspector M’Namara asked that a few minor requirements in respect of a couple of hotels in the district be attended to.

THE CITY WATER SUPPLY. TO THE EDITOR. i Sir, —I notice that your correspondent “Auckland” speaks of the “long-suffering people” of this city. Why long-suffering? By whose fault? In this groat dominion we have a municipal government which has been aptly described as “of the people, for trie people, by the people, from the people, and to the people.’’ Why, then, do they suffer ? On important issues a poll of ratepayers is taken, but how many of them consider it worth the trouble to record their vote at on© of the very numerous booths? The "apathetic middle-classes” err enormously in this respect; interested in their own business and pleasure, they in many cases take no heed of the matter. Just above the letter from “Auckland” will be found the figures for a poll taken at St. Kilda for the election of two councillors. In that borough there are 5800 electors on tha roll. Only 1265 votes were recorded, the majority of the electors not apparently, oaring by whom they should be represented. This, when a few years ago women in England were burning churches and suffering imprisonment gladly in efforts to obtain the franchise. In some countries voting is, I believe, compulsory. It might be a good idea to disfranchise, for the ensuing election, anyone who failed to record a vote without some valid reason. A wise man has sasd that our wishes will be granted if we not only “desire but deserve.” What have we done to “deserve - ’ a plentiful or a pure supply of water? A poll was taken on the subject, and, there being no drought at the lime, the "Noes” easily carried the day. “Auckland” mentions an “autocrat” in the water department. Who this man is I do not know, but had the engineer been an “autocrat” the Lee Stream would have been utilised well before the war. It is now 'about 18 years since he. took over the management of the wale? department, and from the first he was instructed to recommend means to alleviate, the inconvenience caused by the water shortage. He urged continually the necessity of bringing in the Lee Stream, pointing out. the length of time the scheme would require for completion. Not only would this course have provided an abundance of water, but the open race, with its permanent expense in upkeep and supervision, and its shrinkage from evaporation in dry weather, would have been superseded by steel, pipes, thus preventing pollution and waste. Where water is brought in an open race all the land on the mgh side should be owned by the corporation. _ ’Where water is led in in pipes this area is greatly reduced. It can be seen, therefore, from these considerations that at £l2o,ooo—the pre-wiar cost —the Lee Stream scheme would have had great advantages in economy over the present one with its heavy expenses for upkeep in wages, etc. Something further than the enlarging of the Southern Reservoir will, apparently, have yet to be done, but, alas, for the cost of the delay ! It can only be hoped that the ratepayers will have had a salutary lessen and will take sufficient interest in their city to know when a poll is being taken on a vital matter, study that matter as they would their own business, and record an intelligent vote.—l am, etc.. Thrift.

On the subject of Empire Defence, the Saturday Review (says our London correspondent) comments; “As is no doubt perfectly right, secrecy has been maintained respecting the further deliberations of the Imperial Conference, since these have been concerned partly with forign policy and, to a much greater extent, with the problems of Imperial Defence. Naturally , the dominion Ministers in their speeches outside have said nothing that would break this reserve, but Mr Massey who is a very forthright sort of man, has been drawing attend tion to the pressing' necessity that exists in the view of Australia and New Zealand for a considerable increase in the fleet and in the Air Force in the interests of the security of the Empire, especially in the Pacific. To hint it is clear, as it has always been "to us, that the mubh-bclauded Washington treaties do hot give anything like adequate protection to British interests in the Pacific, but, on the contrary, are a danger to them. Even Holland sees the worthlessness of these treaties) and is building a fleet to safeguard her East Indies.” Many interesting facts regarding the growth and movement of population tn New Zealand are set forth in a report issued by the Government Statistician. He states that the increase during 1922 was 25,431. equivalent to 2.05 per cent, of the mean population. “This increase may bo definitely classified as ’ subnormal,” the statistician remarks. “Taking the toe an of the percentage gains of population for the five pre-war years 1909-13, it appears as 2.66 per cent,, whereas a similar mean for the three post-war years 1920-22 gives only 2.43 per cent. This slackening of the rate of increase bears much significance and is accentuated in no small degree when account is taken of the increase of immigration which might reasonably have been expected to ensue from the post-war conditions of European countries. Healthy bodies and healthy minds are inseparable twins, and a person possessing these two qualities is obviously much more suited to enjoy life and his work than his less fortunate friend. Realising this, several of the big English manufacturing firms, and some Australian firms! for several .years past have instituted, among other workers’ welfare schemes, physical culture and gymnastic classes for the benefit of their employees. One of these firms is Cadburys (Ltd.), which recently opened a chocolate factory in Tasmania. On the steamer Balranald, which arrived at Melbourne from. London recently (says the Age) was Mr A. Dickason, who is going to Tasmania to conduct the gymnastic classes at the Tasmanian factory. These classes) he said, were to be conducted, on the same lines as at Bourneville, where there were BGOO employees, who, for two half days each week, were instructed in the art of physical culture, and how to keep fit. The scheme has been. a great success 'from both the employers’ and employees’- points of view, and the classes there had won many big' prizes for gymnastics. Mr Dickason him- ■ self has gained, among other awards, international honours at Stockholm as an allround athlete in 1912. ' * A shipment of valuable stock arrived at Auckland from England by the Commonwealth and Dominion Line steamer Fort Victor last week. The vessel had on board 14 pedigree Jersey cattle—eight bulls and six heifers—as -well as two Clydesdale stallions, and four sows and two boars. The cattle are from the Jersey Islands, and are for Mr A. G. Martin, of Canterbury. All but one are yearlings. Their sues ini elude Blonde’s Golden Oxford, Observer, Golden Maid’s Double, La Gloria Cid, and Xenia Sultan, which wils recently sold to an American ■ buyer for 5000 guineas. Although the first part of the voyage' was stormy the animals arrived in good condition. t The Governmentally-assisted immigrants for the years 1920-22, according (o the report of the Government Statistician, averaged 7324 persons, per year, contrasted with an annual average of 3479 persons during Despite this revival of State efforts, the ratio of increase of population lias fallen! An estimate based on the experience of the past four decades. gives a prediction of a European population of 2,080,000 in 1943. A comparison of the rate of growth of New Zealand with that of the principal countries of the Empire is not wholly favourable to the farmer. A statement showing the percentage increase in population between the census enumerations of 1911 and 1921 is appended Australia, 22.04; Canada, 21.96; New Zealand, 20.87; South Africa (whites). ,19.05: Wales, 9.00 England, 4.80; Scotland, 2.50. A survey of the past history of population-movement suggests that this steadying-down of the rate of growth was inevitable, and that unless some striking economic change were possible which would entail an occupational redistribution of the population the relative decline would continue. “Openly the Germans are very good citizens, but secretly they are bad,” said the administrator of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea (Mr E. A. Wisdom), who arrived in Melbourne on November 29 on departmental business. Mr Wisdom is preparing bis annual report for the League of Nations, and he will not return to Rabanl until January 16. He has frequently complained of German propaganda in the Territory, and unon his arrival in Melbourne he remarked that there were always “little things cropping up” which indicated that the propaganda was still active. There were about 40 Germans in the Territory- hi addition to 270 Gorman missionaries. Referring to the progress in the development cf the Territory, Mr Wisdom said that the erection of many new buildings indicated the prosperity of the country. Under the new land laws, 15.000 acres, including considerable new land, were sold on lease this year. Some of this land bad previously been disposed of ■under permit by the Germans and military author!-