GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14392, 6 January 1911, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS.

SEVEN LUCKY SKIPPERS. XTnder the above heading a northern, journal baa the following: "Adr.uca Timara-arul They are having high jinks there: the spirit of conviviality survives. They have the record ruinber of entries for the Caledonian Society's meeting, and now they *ire celebrating an important extension of the harbour works. The chauiaau of the Board is entertaining the rf?en lucky skippers who happened to' bo m port. It is to be presumed that tho chairman, if a teetotaller, is not a bigoted one, and that he will do the thing handsomely. The nautical palate doesn'it tike kindly to drinks, probably because the seaman is so much exposed to the air outwardly. Now," if the chairman does the right thing (and a Timarn <h> itman mostly does) he will ha£e given those seven skippers a royal time, so that each commander will pricfc off Timarn on his chart as a desirable port, and boom the harbour in. shipping circles." RECORD CUSTOMS RETURNS. There is no surer way of ganging Hie prosperity of Tinwrnthan by perusing a yearly report of the over-sea trade. '! he slapping business shorild of course re an important factor in the calculation, and this has. undergone an nnuso3l increase of late. A "Herald" repn-ter yesterday had an opportunity >•? inspecting the Customs returns for +he pt.=t twelve months, and found that these constituted an easy record for th~ port. In 1909 the sum of £4l V'< 9 17=; 6d was collected by way ->f Customs duties, other receipts amounted to £3064 S3 9d, and the total was £44.224 6s 4d. The year just <nd«l =nw the Customs duties amount to £49.604 9s, and other receipts to £•3273 13s 2d. the total being £52.8.3 13s 2d. It is noteworthy that this is the first time that the amount has exceeded £50,000. DEFENCE AND MORALS. Rsplying to a letter in the "Wjllitu;xon "Dominion," which made t Tave allegations as to drinking, obscene language, and temptations to ni.moraiity at military camps, Major-Geii?ral Godley C.8., Commandant of the iVW Zealand Forces, stated as follows: >"lt is the-steadfast intention of tre military authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure that there is no drinking or immorality within or around militarv camps, and that lapt-fs in this respect will be most severely dealt with." As regards obscene language, the remedy for that lies, it it added, in the hands of the men themselves, and in those of the non-com-missioned officers in charge. S-ece obscene language is a matter, frr discipline, no more need be said. eis punishable in the British Army,, and it should be and will be also in aHis Dominion's defence forces.