LAWRENCE NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20070, 9 April 1927, Page 10

LAWRENCE NOTES.

— s (From Our Own Correspondent.) LAAVRENCE, April 8. Tho weather hero continues to be stormy and rough, and is retarding the balance of harvesting operations. March, which is generally looked upon as one of the best months of tho year, was very wet, the rainfall totalling 4.69 in for 15 days, l,7iiin falling on March 23. The rainfall for tho corresponding month of last year was 1.93 in, rain falling on four days, the heaviest being i.49m on March 3J. VITAL STATISTICS. The vital statistics for the year ended on March 31, as supplied by Mr M'Nalty, register of births, deaths, and marriages, for the Tuapeka District, are as follows; Births 28, deaths lb, marriages four. SCARCITY OF RABBITS. Never in the history of this district has there been such a scarcity of rabbits as at the present time. This is attnouted to the wet spring and tho concerted action by the farmers who, encouraged by the hiyh prices of skins, waged war on the; offensive pest by poisoning with strychnine. Some of tho rabbiters who have had blocks in this district for many years, have had to seek pastures now, owing to tho scarcity of “bunny,” and it is considered tho day is not far distant when the natural enemy of tho . rabbits will keep them in check hero. , „„ PROPERTY SALES. A number of properties have changed hands recently in the town and district. The residence with a few acres of ground attached seems to be most in demand, and in tho majority of cases when sales have been realised the figures have been satisfactory. A DEBATABLE QUESTION. Periodically the Borough Council receives letters from ratepayers requesting that trees be removed from the avenue on the score of danger to pedestrians and damage to homos and gardens. Four ratepayers wrote to the last meeting of the council and their requests were debated. One councillor pointed out that from a tourist’s standpoint the avenue was one of the town’s chief assets, and that tho tree beauty of the borough was commented on by visitors from all over the Dominion. GABRIEL READ’S MONUMENT. At tho last mooting ot the tuapeka Domain Board the question of asking tho Otago Laud Beard to reserve the are,, whore the present monument exists, that, indicates the spot where Gabriel Read .in 1861 first found gold, was discussed, Ti wa s pointed out that the Land Board had no jurisdiction over this land, and it was decided that a deputation wait upon the Hon. G. J- Anderson, Minister of Mines, with the view of impressing upon him tho necessity of erecting a more appropriate monument to perpetuate- this historic spot. Thu present sign is an iron pillar surmounted by a pick and shovel emblematical of the' minor's tools. At tho diamond jubilee celebrations the remnant _of the pioneers assembled .at this .historic spot, in company’ with Mr Anderson, wore photographed, the .Alini.-ter remarking that something more substantial and appropriate should be erected to commemorate such an historical event as the finding of gold in Gabriel’s Gull}-. MUNICIPAL POLITICS. The chief interest, if any is taken, in tho municipal elections centres around tho contest for the mayoralty. Mr .1, Edithas delinilely decided to coldest it witli the present Mayor Mr J. K. bimpson Cr Fraser, who also intended to stand, hadecided to withdraw in favour of Mr Editso as to obviate the splitting of votes. For tho position of councillors, no new blood is so far prominent, and it is questionable if sufficient nominations will be received to fill tho six peats It is known that two, if not three, of the preent councillors, are not seeking rc-clcction.

TUAPEKA JOCKEY CLUB. The committee of the Tuapeka Jockey Club is busy putting its house in order for its Easter meeting, and with the introduction of the i.os totalisator expects not only a successful, but a record meeting. The nominations for the meeting are firstclass, some well-known owners and their horses will be present and invest the race meeting with more than ordinary interest. MINING NOTES. Mr Hopkins, of the AVaihi Gold Mining Company, who has been paying a visit to most of the goldfields in Otago, recently made an inspection of the AVeatherstones held and was greatly impressed with the auriferous deposits that abound there. He collected data and other information of the cement deposits and early history returns of the claims that have worked here. A mining expert from Waihi is due here shortly to prosecute further investigations. AUSTRALIAN IMPORTS. INCREASE PERTURBS MANUFACTURERS. “ Our imports for the seven months ended January 1927, have increased by £7,750,000, as compared with the same seven months of the previous year,” said Mr R. A. Marks, president of the L miher of Manufacturers, recently, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. “At the same time, our exports have decreased by £14,250,000, a total of £21,000,000, which the export of much bullion and specie has in part made good. In the previous six years our imports exceeded our exports by £41,000,000. Since the Commonwealth began we have had but one year more disastrous than this. The person who can view these figures unconcernedly has no true regard for his country’s welfare. " Apparel imports tor the period totalled £4,333,000, an increase for the seven months of £500,000. Textiles (not apparel) totalled £18,500,000, an increase of £1,750,000. We imported textiles at the rate of £2,500,000 a month. Amongst apparels are such items as socks and stockings, nearly £5,000,000 worth of which we have imported in the three years ended 30th July, 1926. Trifling adjustments in the 1925-26 tariff of a 10 per cent, increase on socks and stockings containing wool, and a 5 per cent, increase only on hose of silk or containing silk, have been of little value to the industry. No increase was granted un cotton hose. Every effort has been made to urge the Customs administration to refer the needs of this industry to the Tariff Board for consideration, but so far the matter does not apnear on the latest list of Ministerial references to the Tariff Board. Cheap, shoddy inipor tations have retarded the expansion of this industry, and were the cause, a few years back, of forcing many mills in Aus tvalia to close down and others to reduce output, with resultant unemployment. On the other hand, the butter interests were made a matter of urgent reference within three weeks of a deputation to the Minister, w ; '' ut much apparent pressure from the Country Party interests In the year 1924-25 (later figures are not available at the moment) we imported but £7BB worth of New Zealand butter, the subject of this hurried reference to the Tariff Board, whereas in the same year we imported more than 2000 times its value in socks and stockings—namely, £1,701,032, whose claim for Tariff Board attention lias gone unheeded since November, 1925.”