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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16871, 28 October 1925, Page 6

A Dunedin contracting firm that advertised the other day for fifty carpenters received’ applications from abouttvventv.

Mr S. P. M’Callum, an ex-pupil of the Ashburton High School, and a New Zealand Rhodes scholar, lias passed the degree of Philosophy at Oxford. The Westport Borough Council has agreed to take over the control of the Municipal Band as a sequel to the recent proposals for the revival of that combination. The estimated value of the assets is £SCO and the liabilities £IBO.

“We will have to bar these big bats in Court,” said Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Auckland Police Court, when a witness wearing a large straw hat that covered her face, was giving evidence. “They come right- down over the face and we cannot hear anything,” he added. The witness promptly removed her hat.

Tho Christchurch Sun suggests that in view of the .significant fact that Dunedin enjoys tlic cheapest gas, trams, and electric power in New Zealand, all the other administrators tli rough out the Dominion should visit Dunedin ’s great Exhibition next month and seek an essential lesson or two on hoiv to make civic enterprise profitable and popular. | Travellers from Rotorua on Friday (slates a Whnkata.no correspondent) report a further phenomenal rise in the lakes. Recent rough weather has caused further serious erosion on the road, particularly around Rotoma, also several slips, making motoring difficult and dangerous. Some telegraph poles are down through undermining, and telegraphic communication with Rotorua by this route J.s impossible. . A deputation from Hamilton waited on tho Minister of Internal Affairs last July, proposing that a tax be imposed on petrol. The Rural .Counties. Association has received.a. reply; from tho." Minister stating that further inquiries were being made regarding the substitution of a petrol tax for the present method, l’endTTig the report of a Government officer visiting the"United-States and England. It was impracticable to fully consider the matter. The association decided to bring the matter before the district members of Parliament in due course, and ask their support to a’ movement to impose a tax on petrol. The late Dr. Petrie, who used to be inspector of scbople in Otago, blit retired and went to live in Auckland some years ago, left his herbarium to the Wellington Museum. Mr. Oliver, of *the museum staff, has come to Auckland to make arrangements for bringing the herbarium; to Wellington, and will be in charge of it when it is net out there. Dr. Petrie’s is a wonderfully complete collection, so that with it and 1 the previous collections made by Sir James Hector, Buchanan, and others, and the Oolenso herbarium, which the museum has on deposit, the exhibits will be representative of practically every species of plant in New Zealand.

At one of his Invercargill meetings Mr. Hargest threw an interesting light on the principles of Labor. ' “ You will rcincinber,” he said,'“that, in orio of the State collieries last year a body of miners dccided’to work on co-operative lines, which enabled them to earii increased wages —the gang averaged 27s Oil peiNlay per man. When the Labor organisations heard of this, they asked the men to ktop. Failing that, they asked the Minister of Mines to enneel the contract; and when that was refused all the miners struck. They did not want these men to get the benefit of co-operative wages with a larger output.”

In regard to the closing of shops and factories on polling day, November 4, the Inspector of Factories points out that section 123 of the Legislature Act, 1908, provides that where the halfholiday is usually required to be observed in each week on. another day than Wednesday that half-holiday shall, in -election week, be observed on Wednesday in lieu thereof. Shopkeepers are required to observe next Wednesday from 12 o’clock midday as the statutory closing day. for the week. In inspect to factories the occupier of a factory ne*d .not close the factory on the polling day, but he shall afford to each of his employed: a reasonable opportunity. of recording his or her vote, and no reduction shall bV made from the wages of any such 'employee in respect to the time occupied in so racording his or her vote, provide! that such time does not exceed one working hour.

Show day in Hawke’s Bay last week established a. record, the attendance oh Peoples’ Day alone being estimated at 20,000. What,the exact attendance was is pot vet available, but it is known that the Society lias easily established a record. in tho amount of gate receipts. Twelve months ago on tho occasion of the last show on the old grounds at Hastings the receipts’ for the two days, totalling £IOSO. established: a record for the Society. Bat receipts for Wednesday and Thursday reached £1335, an increase of £275. That amount is almost double the receipts for 1923, when, despite the wet weather, £752' was taken at the gales. The railways, too, benefited by the extra support, accorded the A. and P. Society, between 6CCO and 7000 people travelling to the grounds by train. It must have been gratifying to members of the com-; mittee and. Society to hear the concrratu-1 ini ions of visitors and: exhibitors. It was, (lie unanimous opinion, that the grounds! are the finest in New Zealand ; in fact, one visitor went, so far n.s to say that he. had been on most of the showgrounds in Australia and New Zealand and he had never seen better,

Included amongst those members of the Gisborne police force who gained passes in the recent police examination was Contable Harrison, who qualified in the first section of the sub-inspectors’ examination. •' j

The Wellington' Council has decided to co-operate with the Christchurch City Council in protesting against- the Government bringing down regulations in connection with the control of cinematograph machines and the storage of films,A considerable quantity of timber, has been going into Greymouth lately from the Westland mills. -Last week a train arrived from Moss carrying about-250,000 feet, and another on the following day from the same locality, carried a similar quantity. The Railway Department i 6 finding no trouble iff coping with these large quantities. The annual, report of Hie J. C, Williamson firm states that “in the’ face of difficult industrial conditions atid everincreasing- expenditure", the financial results of the year’s trading have been well maintained.’’ It is mentioned-by tho directors that after a period of sevetal years’ stagnation the company’s New Zealand business shows signs of iifiprovelnient. - (> 1; ' 1!“ f

“When Mr. I.vsnar says that only, the ‘go-slow’ man receives the- minimum wage he is talking through his neck,)’ said Mr. I). W. Coleman at-his meeting at T© Hnpa-ra Inst evening. “The Arbi', tint ion Court fixes the minimum wage; and the employers make it the standard wage. Mr. Lyehar. is casting n. great slur on the bulk of the people in New Zealand, because 99. out of evtu'y.lOO i«-ceive-only the. piinimum wage.” ;

Discussing the rocerit .breakdowns' iii' it he supply of electricity from Mangnbao (at the monthly meeting: of the Taratua .Bower Board, Palmerston North, Mr J. G. Brechin said that the fundamental fact was that the Government should not only have a duplicate line,.to Bunnythorpe, but should speed up and link up the wholo country. Ono had only to be in Wellington when a breakdown occurred to realise the seriousnessof it.

Interest, in the riding competition for girls undter 10 at- the Show this morning was increased by the fact thnt two of Hie young competitors had unruly mounts. One of the horses was particularly rebellious, rearing and plunging in a manner that seemed to the onlookers to be exceedingly dangerous. The rider ‘ was repeatedly advised to get off, but , declined to do so, sitting her mount splendidly, and giving an exhibition that . resulted in her being placed second 1 . ,

“At bis meeting in the City Hall, Mr. Lysnar said that wo had • a free breakfast table. I would like to ask Mr. Coleman what on the breakfast table are entirely free from taxes and Customs duty,’’ said an elector at tlic. Labor candidate's meeting at Te Hapara last evening. “No," replied- Mr. Coleman, ‘‘l don’t know of any.. They are n.r taxed either directly or indirectly'”— A voice: “Milk and water?'’—Mr. Coleman: “Oh, you.might get them free."

Something 1 must be wrong with the tar-mixing recipe Used, by the Greymouth Borough Council lately (says the Grevmouth Star). The half-set sticky tar on several footpaths has been-the cause of .many crosswords.. Sorae.pf these wpr© enunciated recently i.n vehement Chinese. An elderly native of,China, was proceeding along the footpath near, the police “ station, when his bools actually stuck io the tar, or vice versa. After .a comical look of astonishment, John decided io take his boot® off, and sat to do so. He couldn’t get up! Held fast by the clutching tar,, he sent out an “5.0.8.* call, b»d repeated it until reftoued by the strong arm of the daw.

The operation of the Arms Act ‘of 3920 appears to be much more farreaching than is usually believed, at any rate; it has come as a shobk Ho the • trustees of the Wanganui Museum to learn that the police require full . and minute details, on separate vouchers, of a. big assortment of ancient firearms stored in the local institution. As a , compromise the trustees offered to catalogue the collection, .but without rfesiiljt, and arrangements have now been made for the police to inspect the exhibits and record the information that is .apparently necessary to satisfy the law, Thb collection includ'es- Great War exhibit* donated 1 by the' Government, ancient cannons user! in the Maori War, and several weird trophies Which are sff j> posed to date back to the time of King , John. It will be interesting to. kfiow how the registering officer will schedule the makers’ names, numbers, etci, on many" of the rust-pitted. l weapons.

Busy times are commencing with thp> Tourist Department, reports the Dunedip Star. Several parties of Americans ate already on the way to New Zealand, and .are expected to tour the south as well as the north, and the indications atfe that there will be liberal patronage by , Australians and New Zealanders for all the southern resorts—Queenstown, Stewr art Island, Wanaka, Mount Cook, and * the Milford track. The huts on the Milford track have been enlarged, and- improved in readiness for the opening of the tourist season, and there is to be,a more frequent char-a-banc service be* tween Lumsden and Te 'Anau. The ■ steamer on Te Anau Lake is to make her / first trip of the season on November 3. Several parties are already booked for this, the finest walk in the world. Four fresh records nave been established in the'trade of .the port of Timarii during the nine months endled September ' 20. Three of the records are in exports, and the other in revenue returns. ;The r quantity of general merhandise handled was. the largest. The total of potatoes exported amounted to 130.016 sacks, the 1 * next nearest year being 91,444 sacks in 1921. Butter constituted the third re? ; cord in exports. The tptal revenue for the period was £27,540 5s Id.

The milling industry in New Zealand/ would appear to be in a difficult position at the present time (states the Otago - Daily Times). Australian flour for prompt delivery is now being offered at slightly under the New Zealand prices, and in a month or so New Zealand millers will be faee,d with even more serious competition. Quotations have (jeen received from Australia for JanUaify shipment at £lO 10s i'.o.b., and adding £2 10s fox ; duty and £1 10s for freight, etc., the landed cost at New Zealand ports will be about £l4- 10s. New Zealand millers somo months ago entered into an agreement with the wheat-growers under which minimum prices, 6s sd, 6s 7d, and 6s 9d, were guaranteed for all milling wheat grown this season, and they now realise that it will be impossible lor them to pay these high prices and grist flour to compote against the Australian article. It is,, under stood that, the millers have approached the (government to sec if any relief can be given them in view of the impending heavy- importations of Australian flour. Australia should have a large quantity available for export', and as . she has lost some of her overseas flour business, ik appears highly probable that she will desire to exploit thoroughly the New Zealand market. No reply has yet been received from the Government regarding what action, if any, it is likely to take. The question, no doubt, will have to stand over until after the elections. It is stated,'however, that millers would not be averse to the Government again introducing a commandeer system and by this means stabilising , their position and the flour industry in the Dominion. / . \ •A. ■