LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17477, 23 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was heavy holiday traffic yesterday, and Castlecliff and Kai Jtvi beaches were particularly well patronised.

It is announced in a London message published in Australia ;that the Foreign Office has leased an hotel in Paris for the accoiiimoda'tion ol: the Pea&e Congress delegates and "officials, it staff of (Wo hundred ofijcialis and clerks, headed by Mr. A. J. Balfour, Foreign Secretary, has gone to Paris.

On Tuesday last the Bluff Harbour Board decided to ask the Invereargiil Importers' Association to refuse to place orders oversea, unless the goods ar e landed ex direct boat at Bluff. The Invercargill Chamber of Commerce requested the union Company to replace the Bluif as a port of call.

The Minister of Internal Affairs has telegraphed Sir George Clifford and Mr. Rowe, President^!? the Trotting Conference, that Cabinet has decided that from and after February 1, racing might be resumed on the pre-war scale throughout the Dominion.

A large Australian and Egyptian mail for New Zealand was carried by the Federal - Shire Line steamer Devon, which arrived at Waitara from Sydney on Sunday No ovei'se-as letter mails were carried on the Navua. which urrived Pit Wellington from Son Francisco on Monday. She, however, had a parcels mail on board.

Notices are being sent out <to reservists summoned for camp next month, stating that they have been allowed leave without pay. Nona of the men set down for mobilisation next year will be required to enter the training camps, of course, but. the reservists will remain nominally liable until the disband-m-ent of the- Expeditionary Force Reserve is announced after the conclusion of peace-

Information from the Motueka district is to the effect that raspberries and hops are very laba tl»«s year, and, as regards, raspberries, tne yield this year Avill ha in pounds, as compared with tons last year. All stone fruits, including apricots and peaches. «ro reported to bo very scarce. On the other hand, tbo apple orchards, especially those in the Tjpper Mouter 6 district, are flourishing, and the indications aro Jhat there will be a plentiful yield.

There is acute rivalry amongst the crack airmen tat Home as to who shall first achieve the trans-All antic flight. Although Lieut Rene Fonck, 'the French "aco of aces," has announced his intention, of attempting ih@ trans-Atlantic flight in a big British machine, in March or April, he' may not b© the first to fly from Britain to America, or vie? versa. It has for years been th e great ambition or Major-General Sykes, one of th,a creators of the British Air Fores, to drive the first aerial express across the Atlantic.

County Councils are continually complaining about the poor class of labour that is available; but it has been suggested that if the Councils would only provide good cottages for it 8 roadmen, they would have a better chance of securing satisfactory workmen for the permanent staff. The Kiwitea County Council is going to try the experiment, the proposal being to build about eleven houses, which, with the purchase of the necessary land, will involve an expenditure of £1000.

Something in the nature of a rarity —a white kiwi—has been discovered at Tahora. The bird was run down .and killed by dogs a.i the rear of Mr -T. Robson:s mill. At first it was thought to be a fowl, but investigation prov<Hl it to be a kiwi. The skin was removed and'shown to several Maoris in Hawera, and they a'l said it was the first white kiwi they had s-een. The specimen will be forwarded to Prof. Drumniond, Wellington. The Hawera natives were very enthusiastic over the find and offered £10 for the skin, which was declined. —"Stratford Post."

Returned soldiers are displaying an increasing interest in the Australian Army Reserve. It has now attained a sKre-ngth of 17,000 men. and men are joiniu-r at the ratte of about 2,000 a month. Lieut. T. R Fair has reeen.iy been appointed organising officer far Victoria, and, largely as the> result of his endeavours, (526 enrolments were recorded in October. The object for which the Reserve was created (says the Melbourne "Argus") was to ensure ithat the ■experience gained abroad by members or th c A.l,l<\ might be utilised in case of emergency for the defence of Australia. Ij is anticipated that after the war Australia will have in the Army Reserve a trained force of 200,000 men.

An important, clause of the- Public Health Amendment Act is that which enal)le-t he Minisier, on the recommendation of ilie Board of Health, to establish and maintain lecturers, instructors, training classes, gymnasia, etc., in the interests of public health. This provision is intended to widen tho opportunities of training in nursing. Already suggestions have been received from tho Women's National Reserve and St. John Ambulance Society thait these organisations should be taken advantage of for the purposes of tho scheme, anl the Minister has promised that h>e> will confer with them before the scheme is brought into force. The intention, however, is that there shall bo no charges for the- lectures or for the certificates which will bs issued, and that the cost of knowledge on these matters shall be nil, seeing th c great importance of training in nursing being given to the public.

Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., has received the following letter from the Minister of Mines:—"Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the 21st ultimo re the shortage of coal supplies and the high prices charged for. coal at Wanganui. There is a shortage of coal throughout the Dominion at present owing to various reasons, the chief of which are the" decreased importations from Newcastle, the serious interruption of work in all mines through the epidemic and the partial cessation of shipping movements due to the same cause. Every effort is being made by the Coal Control Committee to afford relief to districts where the shortage is most pronounced, and your letter calling attention to the needs of Wanganui has been brought under the notice of the Committee. With regard to prices this matter is now being enquired into by the Board of Trade and the report of the Board will no doubt indicate what action, if any, can be taken to afford relief to the public.—l have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, W. D. Mac Donald, Minister of Mines.

We are again reluctantly obliged to hold over a quantity of reading matter, including a number of letters to the editor.

Colonel Collins has compiled a programme for the Dominion Rifle Meeting comprising tour service matches, a championship series and a champion teams match. The prize list totals £1023 in cash besides shield, cups and medals. The meeting commences on March 11 and lasts for five days.

Amongst the passengers by the Main Trunk express from Auckland to Wellington yesterday morning was Captain T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., who arrived in Auckland on Monday after having been for three years with the expeditionary forces overseas. Mrs. Seddon-Wood (nee Miss Rubi Seddon), who has been a resident of England since her marriage, returned on a visit' to New Zealand by the same boat as her brother. They were met at Auckland by Mrs. R. J. Seddon and Miss Seddon, who were also passengers for Wellington yesterday morning.

The Mayor asks leave to reply brieny to Mr JJvrouck's let.t e r on the loan. Mr JJymock fears that the property will be unproductive for the next five years. Evtn if that were so, in such a matt?-- it is necessary t o look a long way ftir.thei1 ahead than five years, and consider the future growth of the town. :Sot merely was the Alexander site the best for th- purpose, but it was now the only on e available. But lie thougnt the* property would return a profit long before nv e "y«a*"s passed. If the provevtv wero purchased, he ventured to sixv that in two years there Would be_ n handsome block of shops ereceted in tne Victoria Avenue, ami let at good rents. and in three years an up-to-date Opera Housa and Town Hall returning a good profit. Such 'an Opera House was a necessity, and would be a great boon to the community.

The "Herald" last- evening publishe<i the following paragraph. As we also published tho letter in question, we feel it is only due to the Borough Valuer that we should reprint the paragraph, viz.: "WiJh respect to 'Searchlight's' letter in last evening's issue, drawing attention to the big rise in the valuation of the Alexander property, the Borough Valuer informs us that there are many special circumstances connected with the case of which the public aie unaware. He admits that the valuation has been low for some years, but points out that under the terms of the la^o Mr. Alexander's will Miss Alexander could "neither sell not let- the property; she had to occupy it. These were heavy disabilities for her. and the valuer took these into consideration, as the-Aot'en-abled him to do. When, however, tl>e property changed hands after the death of Miss Alexander, and. when it was put up for auction, the valuer raised the valuation to £12,000. but subsequently reduced it to £11,000 on the application of the' owner. The Valuer also reminds us that for Borough rating purposes owners are allowed a rebate of 10 per cent- off the valuation of the property."

Following is the last annual report of the N.Z. Refrigerating Company:—The directors have pleasure in presenting to shareholders the balance sheet and profit and loss account for the year ended 31st October, 1918. During the year the large additions to various of the company's works referred to in last report proved to be fully required. A further storage extension is being made to Smithfield, in order to meet the requirements of the" coming season. It is proposed to transfer .the ■sum of £31,400, standing to the credit of share premium account, to the reserve account. The balance available for appropriation, as shown by the balance-sheet, is £83,919 Itis 9d, which the directors recommend should be disposed of as follows:— To pay a dividend of Is pet?, share, £15,000; to pay a bonus of-Is per share, £15,000; to add to the reserve account, £18,600; leaving an amount io carry forward of £35,319 16s 9d. The director retiring by rotation is Mr. H. J. Beswiok, who, being eligible, offers himself for re-election. The auditors, Messrs R. Hill Fisher and Sons, also retire and offer themselves, for re-election.