GRAND THEATRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12285, 6 April 1918, Page 9

GRAND THEATRE.

Harold Lockwood, the popular and handsome -Metro star, will be seen at tho Grand Theatre all next week in li live-act Metro wondorplay of unusual fascination, entitled “The Square Deceiver,” willch has been adapted frojn the novel “ Love Ale for Atyself Alone"” by Francis Perry Elliott. Included in an excellent supporting programme are interesting and educational film, “Small Cat Animals,” a. laughable comedy, “The Lady Detective,” and (he popular “Co-operative Wgekly.”

Captain Northcote, well known as an officer of the Defence Forces in Christchurch, is at present confined to bis house at Cashmere Hills. Inquiries to-day elicited the information that be was much improved, having passed a good night. Lieutenant A. Aiillikon, reported wounded, is the second son of Air and Airs W H. Aiillikon, of Tc Arolia, Auckland, formerly of North Canterbury. He was at one time a pupil of the Boys’ High School, Cliristblmrcb, and win more recently engaged in fanning in the North Island. Lieutenant Aiillikon was the second of four brothers to join the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. An elder, brother, Lieutenant Al. J. Alilliken, left New Zealand with the Alain Body, and was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 8, 1915. Lieutenant T. Aiillikon and Corpora! E. H. Alilliken are at present in New Zealand. A Dunedin merchant, who is not speaking from interested motives, stated to a. representative of the- “ Otago Daily Times” that while the Government had, in a number of instances, fixed the price at which the producer must sell bis commodities, it had not followed the system right through to what would be considered its logical conclusion, by fixing the price for the consumer. For instance, tho Government has named the price at which the fanner must sell his wheat, and the price at which the miller must soil the ilonr gristed from the wheat, it has only recently, however, decided, more or less tentatively, the price the baker can charge the consumer for bread. Smilarly the Board of Trade has arranged the price to he paid to the farmer for fowl wheat, and the price at which such wheat must be sold by the wholesale buyer, but im provision is made for the price the retailer can charge.. Then, again, oatmeal is one of tho staple food commodities of tho Dominion, but tho Board of Trade has so far taken no steps to arrange the prices of oats. At the present time tho oats market is very firm, and prices are, if any thing, on the up grade. Some of the merchants hold the opinion that there will be a shortage this year in the quantity garnered in the Dominion, and that the quality is disappointing. On the other hand, some reports state that there are enough oats to carry on till next year, and that the quality—more especially in the south—i s of a more than average high grade. A considerable amount of speculative buying is going on, and if it continues values must become higher than they are today—4s 2d to 4s 3d on country sidings —and the price of oatmeal will advance in sympathy. The current quotation is £‘22 per ton for 2o’s. This time last year it was £2O per ton.