The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdaya, and Saturdays. Saturday, July 24th, 1915. CURRENT TOPICS.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6372, 24 July 1915, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdaya, and Saturday s. Saturday, July 24th, 1915. CURRENT TOPICS.

A considerable amount of time was lost in the House on Thursday night in a disoussion on Hr T. K. Sidey’s time-saving bill, known technically as the Definition of Time Bill. Under this measure from the hour of 2 a.m. of the first Sunday in November of eaoh year until 2 a.m. of the first Sunday in February in each year New Zealand clock time shall be one hour in advance of New Zealand standard time. The proposal has many good points, especially for the city dweller, who will ho compelled to'rise an hour earlier in the summer months, whether he likes it or not, and will have an hour longer for outdoor sport. But

the conditions do not apply in the aountry districts with the same force, and a juggling with standard and dock time is not going to help the farmer one jot. But quite apart from this it does Beem a pity that our legislators should waste valuable time and money at the present junoture in disoussing a question whioh does not affeot the welfare of the oountry one iota. This is the day of big things, but so far our Parliamentarians have failed to realise it.

Mr 0. Hunter, M.P., is again pressing home on the Government the desirability of providing for the oonvenienoe of travellers on the NapierWellington seotion of railway by having a refreshment oar attached to the mail train. We sinoerely hope he will be successful, but very muoh doubt it. The experiment was tried some time baok, but in such a manner that it was doomed to failure from the start, and after three months’ trial it was abandoned. The Hawke's Bay public are long suffering. It took them years to convince a department bound with red tape that the so-called “express” trains oould be speeded up very considerably without imminent danger to the lives of the travelling publio, and it will take as many more years to make the heads of the department see that we are entitled to the same measure of consideration meted out to other parts of the Dominion.

Mr W. Dibble, assistant fields instructor in the Department of Agriculture, is at present in the Hastings distriot delivering lectures at various centres on lucerne growing, and we would suggest that efforts should be made to induce him to visit Waipawa. There is a lot of good country in this district suitable for dairying, but an essential to success is continuous green feed, and luoerne is the only thing that fills the bill. This valuable plant has been grown round Waipawa with varying suooess for some years, and we feel sure that the advice of an export would lead to considerable development of this branoh of the farming industry. Mr Dibble’s leotures are both interesting and instructive, and a visit to this district oould not fail to have benefioial results.

Considerable discussion took plaoe in the House the other night on the Btate Fire Insurance Department. Mr Wilford urged the re-enaotment of the provision that borrowers from the State should insure with the Government. This was the law under the Liberal regime, but Reform in its wisdom threw it out and left it open for the borrower to insure where he liked. Mr Massey objeoted to Mr Wilford’s proposal on the grounds that “it would bring about a monopoly, and a monopoly was just as objeotionable on the part of the State as a private individual or a financial institution.” Very nice in theory, but how does it work out in praotice ? What about the Government monopoly of the railways, the post and telegraphs, and the water power of the Dominion ? If monopoly is bad in one instanoe it most assuredly is in another. Take another aspect. What financial institution lending money to a farmer or investor would not require the borrower to insure with the company with whioh the institution does business ? It is admitted that the State Fire Insurance Department has done excellent work in breaking down tbe exorbitant rates formerly oharged by the insurance ring, so that there is every reason why it should receive the support of those who borrow from the Government.

Another very interesting letter from Mr Malcolm Koae, the Dominion’! war oorreepondent at the Dardanelles, will be found on pages 1 and 4.

Additional donations to the Equip meet Fund .'—Mrs J. Oorekie, six body belts ; Miss Britten, three pairs Books ; Mrs Kittow £l.

A Hag sold in Tinui (Wairarapa) on Thursday night in aid of the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund realised £7455.

A wireless from the emigrant steamer Beualla, whioh oaught fire in mid ocean, states —“All well. Tbe fire is in No. 2 hold. Will arrive at Durban on Friday.”

At the adjourned meeting of the oommittee of the Waipawa Oouoty Baoing Club last evening tbe programme with a stake money of £SOO wes adopted. Mr A. E. Renouf, of Napier, has accepted an invitation to officiate at an auction sale to be held at Masterton on August 4th (Declaration Day), On Thursday afternoon heavy rain fall in Napier, and as a result there was a miniature flood in Hastings street. This hat always been a weak spot of Napier's drainage system.

Te Aute people do not take kindly to the change of tbe name of the township to Opapa. The signboard at the railway station has again been defaced, for about the ninth time since the change was made.

Bishop Sedgwick has fixed Thursday, August 4tb, being the anniversary of the outbreak of war (at far as Britain was concerntd , as a day of special intercession. A form for a memorial service throughout the dioocse on that day is to be istutd by the Bishop. General Godley has oabled the Minister of Defence a request for ten extra medieal men and eighty ambulance men to be sent to make up for wastage that has oocurred in the ranks of the Mediotl Corps. The recommendation has been approved, With reference to the Napier Chamber of Commerce request that week-end excursion fares be introduced on the Hawke's Bay railways, the Minister of Railways states that the question is being considered and that a decision will be arrived at in time for next season.