Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 48

e . Bishop of London spoke at the Town Hall in Auckland to a great gathering on ir i aftern °on on three national sins—selfishness, softness, and betting and gambling. He said (reports our special correspondent) that he wanted the overseas Gominions to take the virtues of the Old Country and not its vices. The bishop sai . ere was no evil in racing horses, neither would he convict an old woman who had five shillings on the Derby every year of committing a sin. It was when betting and gambling became an industry that it was the most corrupting of all the vices.

The Works Committee of the City Council is recommending the council to agree to permit the construction of private railway sidings in that portion of Fryatt street on the rabour reclaimed land between Willis street and Wickliffe street, the number of such sidings not to exceed seven, and the sidings to be across Fryatt street, tlie longitudinal lines being on the Harbour Board’s own land on the seaward side of the street. It is further recommended that the concession be subject to the special condition that property owners make provision for taking the trucks into their respective properties and do not make use of the street line as a loading and discharging axea. The terms regarding rental to be paid to the council, maintenance of street surface, etc., are to be dealt with upon receipt of individual applications. „ The Mayor has received a cheque from the Union Steam Ship Company for £250 as its contribution to the War Memorial Fund. This fund has now reached a sum that is about £l3O in excess of the amount which-was required to meet the cost of the memorial. It is proposed that this balar.ee will form the nucleus of a found to defray the cost of the bronzes which formed a part of the original design for the memorial, and it is intended that additional subscriptions to the memorial shall be applied to this object. The cost of the bronzes is estimated at £l5OO.

More immigrants arrived in Auckland yesterday by the Tamaroa from England. The new settlers total 265, including 40 domestic servants. A total of 103 will go to Wellington, 54 are for Auckland, 12 for Christchurch, and 26 for Dunedin. There is likely to be keen competition for the mayoral chair for the ensuing term at Port Chalmers. Several names are freely mentioned, in addition to that of Mr W. Love, who has definitely announced his candidature. On Tuesday Mr .1 Watson ‘.ex-mayor) was asked to offer his services again. In replying to the deputation Mr Watson said that he intended to address the ratepayers soon on municipal matters, and he would then give a definite reply. The third wool sale of the season was commenced- last evening at 7.30, and will be continued at 9 o’clock this morning. The following was the order of sale, and the number of bales to be offered by the various agents:— (1) New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co., 1900; (2) Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association, 1615; (3) Wright, Stephenson, and Co., 7501; (4) Donald Reid and Co., 3736; (5) National Mortgage and Agency Co., 4531 ; (6) Stronach, Morris, and Co., 1372; (7) Dalgety and Co., 6248;—total, 26,903. From April 1 the Family Allowances Act comes into force, aad there have already been some applications to the Pensions Office under it, but it is expected that the number will be greatly increased as the time for the beginning of operation draws nearer. A father of three or more children, whether sons or daughters, stepsons or stepdaughters, or legally adopted children, may make application, and payment is to be made to the mother, except under special circumstances, and the money granted is to be used for the benefit of the children. The allowance is payable at the rate of 2s a week for every child of the applicant in excess of two, but it is only payable when the average weekly income, from all sources, of the family of the applicant, does not exceed £4.

His Honor Mr Justice Sim has granted probate in connection with the following estates: —George Greig Sim, Anderson’s Bay (Mr John Wilkinson); Lucy Collie, Dunedin (Mr J. Lang); Lucy Rendle, Dunedin (Mr R. R. Aspinall). * His . Honor also granted letters of administration In connection with the following estates: — Ruby Louisa Porter, Tokoiti (Mr R. M. Rutherford); and Helen Isabella Munro. Palmerston (Mr W. C. Arkle).

Thq new organ of the Christchurch Cathedral is practically completed (reports our special correspondent), and by March 13, it is thought, Dr J. C. Bradshaw will be able to play it. The work of installing the organ has been speeded up in view of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York.. The organ, which is one of the best in the Dominion, will cost about £9OOO. A novel way of adjusting a garage account was suggested by Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., at-the City Police Court on Friday. A motorist, for whom Mr C. J. L. White appeared, was charged with having left an unlighted car at night on a public street, and, in extenuation of the offence, M r White explained that defendant, though he had left his car in the street, had telephoned to a garage asking to have it taken away. Unfortunately, the message had gone • astray, , and the garage authorities had not removed the car. “Then,” said Mr Bundle, “it was the fault of the garage people?” “Exactly,” replied Mr White. ' Defendant is fined 10s and costs,” observed, the magistrate, “and,” he added drily, “he can get the amount taken off his account.

Attention is drawn to an advertisement by the Workers’ Educational Association as to a correspondence class dealing with world history and world problems. Those joining wiil be shown man’s progress from the earliest civilisation to modern times Pioblems associated with democracy (U.S.A, and Russia), Fascism, nationalism, and patriotism will come up for study. Questions will be answered, and obscure points, if any, elaborated. To those who relish history and enjoy discussion on modern problems, the suggested method of spending the winter evenings should make a strong appeal. As Mr Ross, the lecturer, tersely puts it: “It is an effort to extend university education into those districts where it is impossible to send a lecturer.”

The position as far as the reopening of the mine at Kaitangata is concerned remains unchanged. There is no sign of work being resumed, and there are still some 30 married men unemployed. A farmer in the district, Mr Calder, presented a fat bullock, the carcase of which was cut up and divided among those in need. The men and their wives and families are deeply grateful to Mr Calder for his gift. The local Labour Department is still, like Mr Micawber, waiting for something to turn up in respect of the unemployment position in the city. There were five fresh applications for work on Friday at the bureau, making the total number of unemployed 252, of whom 136 are married men and 116 single. There was no work offering yesterday, so that no men were placed. “It may be well to point out that the factor of the cost of living does not enter so largely into the consideration of the court as is sometimes thought,” Mr Justice Fraser says in his memorandum dealing with the freezing dispute. “It is certainly a factor that cannot be ignored by any “wage-fixing tribunal, but nobody would assert that it is the only factor to be considered. It does, however, bulk more largely in the case of the lower-paid workers. The other factors considered are the general financial and economic conditions affecting trade and industry, the rate of wages generally paid to workers of similar grade, and the desirability of having a definite standard. This court has awarded the general labourer a rate of wages 60 per cent, above the 1914 rate, an increase that corresponds roughly with the increase in the cost of living since that year, but it has not granted the same percentage increase to the more highly paid workers. It has sought to fix minimum rates that, while being fair to the workers, will not be so high as to preclude an employer from paying higher rates to workers who are deserving of consideration, or to be oppressive in times of slackness of trade. It was not until September, 1925, that the court decided that it was possible to raise the general unskilled basic rate to an amount that would fully compensate for the increased cost of living, and it did so only after a very full consideration of all the factors involved.

A man, who gave his name as Robert Thomas Ferguson and who was represented bv Mr A. C. Hanlon, appeared at the City Police Court on Friday on remand from Palmerston charged with having, at Hampden, on February 19, stolen 426 sheep, valued at £639, the property of some person "or persons unknown.—Chief Detective Cameron asked that accused be remanded for a week to allow evidence to be collected, as the owner of the sheep was now known. It had also been found that accused’s name was not Ferguson.—A remand was granted until Friday next, bail being allowed in the sum of £lOO and one surety of £lOO, conditional on accused reporting daily to the police.