LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16036, 29 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The delay on the United Kingdom eablc traffic is practically normal. Deferred messages and American traffic are still subject to considerable dclay. On a recent trip from Gisborne to Auckland the Monowai increased her passenger-list, a Maori baby belonging ta Nuhaka parents being born aboard. Out of compliment to the ship it was deccided to christen the youngster “Billy Monowai,” and as a start in life the passengers subscribed £5 for ao outfit for him.

“It seems quite lonely.” writes a resident of Salisbury (England) referring to Sling Gamp. “The boys, God bless them, have nearly all departed, and right throughout -the training camps it has been a sort of perpetual good-bye. The last of the Mohicans are soon hitting the trail for New Zealand, and our favourites from overseas will be but a memory.”

Staff-Captain. Bladin, of the Salvation Army, who was motoring through from Ta-jra'naki yesterday to deliver a lecture at Wavei’ley last evening on experiences at the war, had the misfortune to moot with a nasty accident, wihch prevented him fulfilling his engagement. While descending the bend of a hill near Unworn, in trying to avoid a motor car, {ho chair attached to his motor cycle lifted, with the result that the cycle capsized, throwing the rider heavily, inflicting considerable abrasions on the face, and a. bmisod leg. Fortunately no bones were broken, and Staff-Captain Bladin was enabled to pass through M anganui to-day by train for Palmerston. The cycle and chair were considerably damaged.

Whereas in pre-war times 80 per cent, of the world’s would-be emigrants desired to go to Canada, now nearly fifty per cent, preferred to go to Australia or New Zealand, according to Commissioner Lamb, of the Salvation Army) who (says a London cable) considers Australia could readily secure a great volume of the best type of immigrants if it desired. When Commissioner Lamb reaches Australia with General Booth he may place before the Government general proposals, but he especially asks if Australia is to do anything in regard to unwanted children and the overflow of women. He states that there are tens of thousands of the former from two to five years old as a result of the war, while as regards women there are now 1,350,000 more women than men in the United Kingdom. The position is threatening a social upheaval difficult to estimate.

“Two New Zealand cloth merchants visited Bradford (reports the Bradford Wool Record) in the hope of buying men’s wear fabrics. Both emigrated from this district many years ago and have done well. One of them stated that it was possible to buy from New Zealand' manufacturers good fabrics for men’s wear at half the price of similar cloths made in the West Riding, though the quantity being produced was far from 'sufficient. An example was given by mentioning lightweight serge, which cannot, bo touched in Bradford at 13s a yard, but which could be bought in New Zealand at 6s Gd per yard. One reason given for ibis was that manufacturer's in Now Zealand obtain wool from the Government at the appraisement values, which means that they are able to secure finer Cros'sbrcds and Merinos at less than half the London sale prices. Also taxation is much less, while wages arc no higher than in the West Biding, and the cost of freight K saved. The fact that inquiries for doth arc being made here does not speak very badly for the export trade, and we understand from other sources that mills in New Zealand are a long way from being able to satisfy all local needs.”

Some doubt exists as to whether the new time of smin 22scc for the quartermile, established by Norman Eoss, toe American swimmer, in the 440 yards New South Wales championship on January 7 will be recognised, as the late B. B. Kcirau s Australian time for a similar distance is omiii 19sec, and is recognised by the Australian swimming authorities as an Australian record. Some years ago, however, most of Kexran s world records were disallowed, as they were made in handicap races. The world s record as recognised by the International Amateur Swimming Federation of the World, which is the controlling body of swimming all over the world, was that of Frank E. Beaurepaire, of smin. 23sec, made at Budapest, over a 3.3 1-3 metres course in 1910. At the last Olympic Games the representative of the Federation in conference are reported to have agreed to vary the conditions somewhat as regards trial records, but the English representatives, amongst the most important in the world, decided not to recognise the altered conditions, and, though the Australian authorities recognise Kieran’s time of smin 19soc for the 440 yards, the English authorities do not. Kieran’s record was made in April, 1905, at Lavender Bay Baths, Sydney. Beaurepaire’s record was made five years afterwards.

Local bakers observed a close holiday to-day, the occasion being their annual picnic.

Advice lias been received by the Education Board notifying the granting of £2090 for additions to the local Technical College engineering workshops.

In order to minim iso the risk rf spreading influenza, the Wellington Education Board has decided to extend the ,summer vacation until February 1C th.

The United Stales is offering Franco a colossal statue, casting a quarter of a million dollars, 1o commemorate the victory of the Marne. The statue is to be erected at Means, the extreme point reached by the Gorman advance.

Colonel Collins, executive officer of. the Dominion Rifle Association, lias been advised by the Defence Department that 500 new rifle barrels arc living shipped by the Tainui and 500 per week are promised by the maker’s. Building operations are rather expensive nowadays. A plain wooden classroom is to bo erected at a bonding school, together with very slight additions to outbuildings. The Government grunt, which was based on estimated cost, was £!)3o. more than double the amount rcciuired a few years ago.

An application to erect tents on the Town Belt because he could not got housing accommodation was made by a Wellington man to the City Council at its last meeting. The house he was living in, had been sold, and the applicant, his family and household goods, were put out on an order of the Court. Tiro Council refused the application. “That the, secretary be instructed to write to the Premier and the Minister for Education recommending that when the itinerary and ceremonial functions for the approaching visit of his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, arc being arranged for, full consideration bo given to the young people, his future subjects, and ('specially to those, in the smaller townships, where children in the outlying areas can lie assembled.” On the motion of Mr W. Bruce, the above motion was unanimously passed at the meeting of the Education Board last night.

Germany to-day is without a national holiday—a curiosity among- nations. The revolution gave a blow to the popular holiday celebration of “Kaiser's Birthday/’ and the loss of the war has put a quietus on Germany’s joy day—Sedan Bay. Hardly a handful of Hags were run up or hung out in all Berlin on the latest Sedan Day. A conspicuous “patriotic” exception was the Imperial Admiralty’s Building, over which waved the German ex-navy's war flag. At the foot of the monument of the Kaiser admirers of monarchism had laid one solitary wreath, decorated with streamers of the old imperial national colours—bluet, white and red.

It is reported from Southern Hawkes Bay that the heavy rains that have been experienced lately were much wanted, but the luxuriant "rowth. of grass which tiiey induced is Tacking in substance, and warm weather is wanted to put heart into it. The result has been that although milk has been coming forward to the factories in fair quantities, the actual tests have been rather low. Many of the oat cropn have some into ear while the straw is very short, and some of those havo ripened prematurely, with the result . that harvesting operations have already been commenced, but have had to ho suspended owing to the wot. Chaff will bo fairly short in supply this season, and at the present time £lO per ton is being offered for this commodity on the farms.

Deferring -on Monday to the conference in regard to bacon, the Prim« .Minister said: “Tin' real trouble is that there are no pigs in the country, owing to the lack of skim milk and other cause's. There is a controlled price for bacon, lint that is of little, or no use, because there is practically no bacon in the Dominion.” Mr Massey stated that the whole position had been fully discussed at the conference and all the industry's representatives were dissatisfied with the present arrangement. 'The important fact was that if things go on ns at present there would soon be no pigs. Tlie present number of pigs |i in the country was little over 200,000, which was a decrease of 113,000 since 1011.

The circumstances surrounding the death of the infant, Noel Joseph Stuart, aged .3,1 months, who died at the Home of Compassion on January 22nd, were made the subject of a, Colonial inquiry by .Mr E. Page, S.M., at the Police Court at Wellington on Monday. Kvidonoo was given that the child was very weak shortly after its birth and that it was unlikely to live. Subsequently it was admitted to the Home of Compassion, where it was seen by Dr. Robertson, who prescribed treatment. It developed convulsions and died. Dr. William Kingston Fyffc, who held a post-mortem examination, deposed that death was due to acute cerebro-spinal meningitis. He said that young children wore very susceptible to the disease, and that its contraction was not indicative of a lack of care or attendance in feeding. A verdict in accordance with the evidence was returned.

“Tlie American eagle is screaming rcry loudly about the position to which it has soared in the financial world,” remarked an Auckland business man to a New Zealand Herald reporter this week, “but it forgets that the lower it forces the value of the sovereign- y through Britain’s adverse balance of trade and Wall Street speculation, the higher a barrier is created against its goods in British countries. No To- lit; the present low rate of exchange Britain is faced with is . proving a wonderful aid towards the reconstruction of British industry. Even in NeW Zealand the exchange rate is acting against American industry. Within the last few weeks large orders have t>ecn cancelled by Auckland films, and have been transferred to England for delivery when possible. Under the present conditions there are many American articles we can do without, and others which wc ■can afford to wait for from anotbeS source,” ■

The real danger of America's action on the Peace Treaty and League of Nations does, says the Spectator, not concern herself alone. It consists in the fact that oilier nations, groat and small, in whom ambition is beginning to awaken,. may make the American reservations an excuse for abandoning the League. In .all probability the American Senators do not fully realise the enormous dynamic force which America now exercises in the European field. It is not so much to say that if the (Senate had passed the Treaty without reservation, no European State would have dared to consider the possibility of breaking away. With America apparently only hanging loose on the League, all the Machiavcllis, petty and great, of Europe are inclined to say: “Why should we tic our hands if America won’t tie hers? Let us be as free as she is.” If that evil counsel were to prevail, Europe would indeed be in deadly peril.