LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18161, 25 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have been advised that the Ulimaroa sailed for Sydney at 2 p.m. on Thursday for Wellington. She carries 555 bags of mails, including 189 bags from the United Kingdom' and 18 bags from the East and Africa. A feature of the Osterley’s last voyage from Australia to London was the meeting of 120 Freemasons. The New South Wales, Victorian, Queensland, West Australian, South Australian and Nek Zealand, Scotch, and Irish Constitutions were represented.

The Wanganui sub-provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union wishes to draw attention of farmers to a meeting to be held in the Farmers’ Union rooms on Wednesday next, at 2.30 p.m. Unemployment and general -wages, including crutching and shearing rates, will be under discussion.

In connection with the election of schools committees this evening, the editor of the "Chronicle” requests the chairmen or secretaries of committees adjacent to Wanganui to kindly phone the “Chronicle” Office after their respective meetings are held in order that the names of the members elected may be published.

Anzac Day celebrations to-day will take the form of a public memorial service at Cook’s Gardens at 2 o’clock. After the public memorial service the Roll of Honour presented by the Swanker’s Club will be unveiled at the Soldiers’ Club. The relatives of the fallen soldiers whose names appear on the Roll are invited to be present. Owing to the limited accommodation, not more than two representatives of each deceased are invited to the actual ceremony, but the Roll of Honour will afterwards be open to view by the public. The Association especially invites the mothers and widows of the honoured dead to attend. A parade of returned men will attend both ceremonies.

“Not only is there an uncertainty as to obtaining coal supplies, but the coal bills of the big business concerns are a serious matter,” said Mr J. C. Cooper at the hydro-elecjric power meeting in Masterton. “Take the case of the Wellington Farmers Meat and Manufacturing Co. In 1914-15 our coal bill was £6424. We dealt with 350,000 sheep and 12,000 head of cattle. In 1919-20 our coal bill was £28,340, and this did not include the cost of re-handling and other charges. In that season we handled 260,000 sheep, and about 11,000 head of cattle. Our coal bill for the portion of the season ended March 31, 1921, has reached £27,816 and before the season closes I expect it to touch £40,000. The Marton A.S.R.S. on Friday night resolved “that this branch wish to impress upon the Executive Council the extreme urgency of safeguarding the interests of members of our organisation employed by the department as casual workers. VVe recognise the necessity of the department having permanent members, but also recognise that casuals at present employed should not be victimised apd penalised to make room for immigrants. We contend that it is the bounden duty of the Government to give preference to New Zealanders, and it should not have inaugurated such an extensive immigration policy if it was necessary to displace those at present employed to find labour for expected arrivals. We therefore call on the Executive Council to take the necessary steps to prevent the same.”