GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14321, 11 October 1910, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

COMMERCIAL STREET. At the meeting of the Borough Council last night the property owners in Commercial Street, whose properties are to be broken in upon for the purpose of street widening, notified the Council that they would object to Mr Virtue being valuer on behalf of the • borough, as. he was an interested party, being borough valuer. They named as their valuer Mr J. E. Hurdley. After a full discussion the Council decided, on the motion of Councillors Raymond and Porter, to appoint Mr D. Stuart as its valuer, a motion by Councillors Harney and Angland in favour of the appointment of Mr Virtue being lost.

EXPRESS CHANCES. From a visitor to the town, a gentleman ablo to speak with some authority on the matter, interesting information was given to a "Herald" reporter yesterday hi regard to proposed alterations in the through express service. In January next, he said, the Railway Department would endeavour to have the train journey between Invercargill and Christ-church covered in twelve hours, the express arriving in the latter city at 8 p.m. each evening. This would mean that the second express would pass through. Timaru at 5 p.m. and in order to facilitate these arrangements the two Yankee locomotives formerly used on the Manawatu line would be brought down for use on the Christchurch-Timaru section. The principal reason for these alterations will be the instituting of an every day service between Invercargill and Auckland instead of three times a week as at present, which. - would soon be possible, because the Union Company inj tended adding to their service a 20 knot boat.

COMMERCIAL MORALITY. A discussion which took place in the "Wellington Supreme Court recently regarding commercial morality in New Zealand has been the subject of considerable comment in Auckland. Discussing the subject with a " Herald " reporter, Mr J. H. Gunson, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said: " I am quite satisfied, so far as New Zealand traders are concerned, that their standard of commercial morality is as high as in any other part of the world, and will bear favourable comparison with Australia, from which centre, the charge against the New Zealand commercial community emanates. Repeated evidences are forthcoming that New Zealand business houses have secured confidence, no.t only in London commercial circles, but also in other centres with which New Zealand's connection is by no means small. With the larger portion of the commercial community in New Zealand, their word is their bond, and any engagement entered .into verbally is looked upon as being as binding as if it were a written contract.

"In every community, of course, there may be found black sheep, but this is simply another instance of where the exception proves the rule. In Auckland alone, from practical knowledge, I can state that thousands of pounds' worth of business every day passes simply by word of mouth! and there is never the slightest occasion for future reference."

SIR R. STOUT ON TOBACCO. Kefernug to the now celebrated uji-ti-tobacco sentence imposed by fcjir Hubert, Stout, the Australasian says: No doubt tlie lacks of the case, as elicited, persuaded the JudLje thai' the prisumer needed to bo maue a better man, and the elements of virtue in Sir Robert Sflout'is eyas are early Louis, domestic habits, and the banishment of p.pe aaid glass. It j a VCTV well from the blue nbooii reform uuiift of view, but as a judicial antidote to perjury the prescription seems -a iittle crude, it the New Zealand Ckief Justice, as a penalty for false swearing j s to enforce compliance with Lis own personal views on the subjects of drink, tobacco, and evening strolls, what is to prevent other Judges making their own fads a legal compuls.on upon any other class of offenders tor embezzlement we might easily see a convicted man bound over to a, vegetarian diet, a course of dumb-bells, and the reading of Jeremy Taylortor arson, cold baths, camomile tea! and the wearing of a Lair sh.rt might pa the regimen imposed. The wlii.le idea is clearly the outcome of judicial eccentr.city, which could not safely be encouraged or imitated.

ROWING ASSOCIATION. The annual meeting of delegates to tlie New Zealand Amateur itoving Association was held at Wellington on Jmday evening. Tins balance-sheet showed assets to xceed liabilit.es by -00. Officers were elected as follows": -(.resident, Mr A. S. JJisa (Wellington); vice-presidents, Messrs E. D Kesteven (Canterbury), an<l H. A. Marnner (Auckland); council, Messrs W. J. Gaud.'u (representin"■ Wellington and Canterbury), C. E. Hammond (Southlaud), U. M. Isaacs (Otago). G. Laughlan (Wangamii)| 13. A. .Mcr, ns (Wellington), R.. W. M'Villy (Otago) and J. E. Widdop (Wellington); secretary and treasurer, Mr A. O, Bawfield (Wellington): auditor, Mr G. C. Fache. It was decided to alter the umateur defiuit'on, making it a breach to enter for a stake or "money prize. It was decided that unless nn'v representative of the Council objected at least one hour should elapse between the starting of each championship race. The New Zealand championships were allotted to Wano-amr, "inch will give £2OO for a. regatta. and will offer £4O as an inducement for a Tasmania.]! crew to ccnipptc. The chairman said the Council had receiv. Ed a suggestion from +lm New Zealand representative in Melbourne that a crew from the Domiivrm should compete at the Henley-on-Yarra regatta. Tn view of the scarcity of funds the Council had dee'ded ta'iake. infirm ir+ tks m&i&ft..