In the Dominion

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 291, 8 December 1928, Page 8

In the Dominion

Nature Smiles On Wellington “Nature has been tremendously good to Wellington,” remarked Mr C. J. B. Norwood, at the last meeting of the Harbour Board, in describing some of the impressions of his recent trip abroad. In addition to occupying the central position in the Dominion, he said, it had the advantage of great natural facilities which it had been possible to improve with a minimum of expenditure, while other places in New Zealand were much less fortunately placed and endowed. Mr Norwood said he had been greatly impressed, in inspecting harbours in other parts of the world, with the concentra tion upon every detail that made for lower cost in the handling of ships and cargoes. He aded that it would pay tb A Harbour Board to watch closely every development in that direction. Timaru Rating System A Timaru business man informed a newspaper reporter that there was considerable dissatisfaction with the system of rating on unimproved values so far, at all events, as those in the business area of Timaru were concerned, and he would not be surprised if a movement to change the incidence of taxation were set on foot at an early date.

Auckland Dairy Production The dairy production of the Auckland province for the first five months of the season up to the end of November, is just over 11.1 per cent, in advance of that for the corresponding period last year. Monthly, statistics of dairy stores continue to mount as f o season advances further into the period of flush production. Last month furnished the greatest monthly yield to date this year—just on 319.000 boxes of butter and over 26,300 crates of cheese. The figures, in terms of butter fat, represent an increase of over 5.1 per cent, above November, 1927

Profit in Tourist Traffic The Auckland branch of the New Zealand Tourist League has issued a leaflet which states that if the tourist traffic were properly “exploited,” it would bring £10,000,000 a year to Now Zealand, on the basis of £lOO a tourist. “This business is the most profitable we could develop,” says the leafletNeed I or United Action

At a recent meeting of the One Tree Hill Road Board, Mr R. G. Clark drew attention to the resolution passed by the Moul! Eden Borough Council, agreeing to a reduction in heavy traffic fees, provided the council’s share of the revenue was maintained at tile same level frem petrol ca. fund?. Mr Clark said that if other local bodies were of the same frame of mind, then heavy traffic fees should be reduced. He thought the Board should request the Mount Eden Borough Council, as the senior local body, to call a conference of local bodies. “Something will have to be done to get the petrol tax,” said Mr Clark. “At the present time 92 per cent goes to the Main Highways Board, and only 8 per cent, to the boroughs. It is a question of united ac tion.” Finds In Rubbish Heaps

No difubt articles of value at times find their way to the rubbish hea, is not so long ago, indeed, that a small quantity ui radium went astray in this manner in Dunedin, and it cost some money and a considerable amount of trouble before it was recovered- While it is mostly more or less worthless flotsam ana jetsam that is tipped into rubbish, heaps, it is remarkable the numb of pennies and other coins of ail periods, which are discovered in these places.’A Daily Times reporter was sliown a number of coins which a diligent searcher had found in rubbish neaps. One bore the inscription: “The Olden Times, Dei Gratia,” and its date was 1588. Two pennies were of the years 1773 and 1779; another coin—a French one—was of the year 1656, and there was a Napoleon 111 coin of 1853. Time had obliterated the dates and inscriptions of a number of the other coins recovered by this ardent collector. Officially Not A Member An unusual incident occurred while the members of the House were being sworn in, in the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon. All except Mr W. J. Jordan (Manukau), who is absent abroad, and Messrs F. Fraser (Wellington Central), E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), and J. McCombs (Lyttelton), who wished to be sworn in by affirmation took the oath of allegiance on the Bible. Mr McCombs intimated to the Clerk of the House that in order to avoid publicity ne wished to make an affirmation with those who were being sworn in in the ordinary way in groups of four. The Clerk of the House (Mr E.'W. Kane) object ed to this irregular procedure. Mr McCombs thereupon withdrew from the House and was not sworn in, while his colleagues, Messrs Fraser and Howard, each made an affirmation. The effect of Mr McCombs’ action, therefore, is that on some other occasion, he will have to proceed to the Clerk’s table and be sworn in alone, thus drawing the attention of the whole House and galleries upon himself. Otherwise he will not be able to take his seat in the House. Officially, Mr McCombs is not yet a member of Parliament. Exit House Committee

It is worthy of note that, as the outcome of the general election, every member of the House Committee, with the exception of the Hon. Sir Charles Statham, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has been defeated. The personnel of the House Committee lust session was: Messrs. J. S. Dickson (chairman), G. Eliott, J. A. Lee, T. E. Y. Seddon, R. W. Smith, Hon. A. D. McLeod, and Sir Charles Statham. The chairmanship of this important Select Committee had been held by Mr Dickson for a number of years. As the name of the committee implies, it is a body of members set up for the purpose of arranging and ordering various services in Parliament Buildings to the best advantage, so that the club life of legislators in leisure hours may be as happy as possible. No other committee suffered the fate of the House Committee, although in every case some of the most active members have been unseated. “Queer Creatures”

Women’s whims and a man’s schemes for the management of a ( house were given an airing during the 1 hearing of a case in the Magistrate’s Court in Wellington on Monday. The A defendant said he was sorry to say he ? id not trust his wife in monqy mat-

ters. She made out a list of the things required in the home and he purchased them. He gave her no housekeeping money, but some pocket money a pound or 15s—from time to time according to his financial position. In reply to a question from the wife*s counsel, the defendant said it had not occurred to him that his wife might have become tired of his housekeeping system. “But some women are queer creatures, aren’t they?” suggested counsel. “Absolutely,” was the reply in a tone of firm conviction.