LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160710, 24 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Fighting has been suspended _ m China. The Premier is endeavouring to mediate. The Governor-General of Australia has granted Henry Lawson, the poet, a pension of £3 2 per annum. A Melbourne cable states that after a conference with the gas companies and strikers, Mr Lawson announced that the prospects of a settlement were brighter than over. The West Australian Government’s terms for settlement of the civil service strike are being considered by the strikers. It was anticipated the strike would end yesterday. Amongst the proposed war memorials in Auckland is tnc erection on One Tree Hill of an obelisk of dressed granite, 80i't. high, at an estimated cost of £2400. At the request of the Council of the League of Nations, President Wilsen lias summoned a meeting of the Assembly of the League in Geneva on November 15th. The Consumers’ Council in London report recommends that the Commonwealth bo invited to ship larger quantifies of jam for which there appears to be a growing demand. Cheese buyers are active throughout the district (says the Western Star, Riverton), and is 2d lias been offered for cheese. Very few factories havo accepted as higher prices arc likely to be obtained. Telegrams from Yera Crux state that* v strikes have tied up the railways and demoralised industry thioughout Mexico. The Government is considering operations by the military. Conliieta between strikers and strikebreakers are threatened at many points. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has received inquiries from American firms able to handle two million carcases of mutton and lamb in opposition to the Meat Trust, They are willing to pay more than the British Government paid during the war. Colonel Amery, in the House of Commons, informed Lord Robert Cecil that he will consult the New Zealand Government regarding the laying on the tablo of the House tlie ccrrc&pondcnce between Britain and Now Zealand on indenturing Chinese coolies for Samoa. It is now generally believed the Ne*A South Wales Government will establish a State wheat pool to deal with the coming harvest, as enough shipping will be available outside the comhiuo for the requirements of the State. It is known also that the Victorian Government favours continuance of the pooling system. Mr E. T. 'Whiter, representing foul hundred railroads in America, announces that they will need an immediate increase of 18 per cent, in freight rates to meet the wage addition of six hundred million dollars for 1,800,000 workers on the pay roll, which is now 3344 million dollars. The railroads have already made plans to pass the burden on to the consumer. German wireless stations have re-, sunied full and unrestricted operations, which are proceeding on a more fied scale than before the war. Nauen resumes sending out Press news, reaching far distant countries, while Koenigxnasterson, the central station for the interior, transmits an economic service emanating from the Foreign Trade Bureau, also a news service. A r.able from Washington states that thirty million United States city residents are menaced by infected drinking water because the authorities ar« unable to obtain alum aud chloride for purification owing to the railway con geation. Medical officers are alarmed at the prospects of a gigantic epidemio of typhoid fever, and are making frantic appeals to Washington for supplies of chemicals. The Maynooth College Alumni Union entertained Archbishop Maimix and Mr De Valera at a dinner, says a New- York cable. Archbishop Manaix said: “I was told I would not be allowed to land in the United States, but the hierarchy of the Church and the people of America have made my sojourn here a veritable march of triumph. I made enemies in Australia because I never forgot I was an Irishman. I found systematic British propaganda in Australia against Ireland.” Good progress has been made with the scheme for increasing salaries in the railways and other departments. Details are not decided yet, but it is known the total will be a sum approximating two millions sterling. Tills, however, includes three or four hundred thousand sterling required for the bonus recommended by Mr Justice Stringer. Details of increases may bo expected in a very few days. It is understood the proposals have been formally accepted by all except the Locomotive Society, though no hitch is anticipated there. A deputation from the Counties’ Association waited on the Ministers of Native and Internal Affairs yesterday to place before them remits approved by the conference. Special emphasis waa laid on the difficulty of collecting rates from native lands. Sir William ITerries said that if an amendment of tbo Native Rating Act was made this session ho would incorporate a clause making it possible to secure rates by lien placed on land held in common, and on other lands besides those under Land Transfer title, on which a lien could ho placed. At present the ncW Native Trust Department would be empowered to advance money on land held in common and would have a clause in mortgages requiring rates to be paid. A charge li.id been laid against the Featherstou Dairv Company of attempt ing to charge the city of Wellington an unreasonably high price for milk— Is 6d pier gallon. Counsel said tho city was able to arrange with farm, ers at a race which represented Is 5d landed in the city, but Foatherston sup pliers demanded Is 6d at tbo factory. The Council offered Is 3d, but the suppliers refused, and there had been a serious shortage for some months. Thfl information had been laid with tbo consent of tho Board of Trade, but tho latter had settled upon Is sd. In consequence of next year s prices being fixed at a higher rate, it was felt that no good would be served by going on with the proceedings, and he asked to have the information withdrawn. “1 do not think this is a case in I should consent to withdrawal,” saidf tho Magistrate, “for if Viero was A breach of the law it should be followed 1 up. The fact that the parties havo come to an agreement with reference to prices to be paid for future supply of milk does not seem to me sufficient reason for my consenting to the withdrawing of a criminal prosecution, but if you offer no evidence in support of the charge I shall strike out the case.” This was done, with costs to the company- ________________

The Germans seized Bela Kun and other Hungarian Communists and sent them back to Austria, instead of allowing them to go to Russia. The price of fencing wire is on the decline locally, and can now be obtained at £65 per ton. It is anticipated that within the next four months the price will have dropped to £6O per ton. Five members of tho stokehold crew of the Union Company’s Kokiri, which arrived at Wellington yesterday from Napier, were removed to the hospital suffering from influenza in a mild form. Replying to a question in the House of Commons. Mr Lloyd George said there was nothing in the League’s covenant requiring the submission of the Nauru agreement before it was carried into effect. Steps are to be taken, it is reported, for an improvement in the port of Foxton. It is pointed out that at present there is only one boat which can be got in, whereas previously several beats were available. _ The London Daily Mirror is pubSishing wireless pictures from America of the Shamrock aud Resolute, and cays that when the preliminary tuning is completed it will bo possible to publish wireless pictures from Sydney. The cargo fire on the Raranga at Wellington was extinguished at 1.45 yesterday morning, the damage being confined to a few bales of flax by fire, and by water to a few tins of meat and sacks «f kauri gum. The ship is practically injured. Its sailing has been postponed sine die. A single man "named Gustof Olsen, figed 52 years, who resided in a whare at Kai Iwi and did labouring work in the district, was found dead on the roadside about one and a half miles from Kai Iwi this morning. Deceased visited "Wanganui yesterday, and was evidently Returning home when he died. The latest maritime theft revealed in Dunedin is in connection with cargo just landed by the City of Winchester from New York, says an exchange. Out of one consignment, which included valuable leathers, £’4ooo worth has disappeared. Tho dunnage put in by the thieves included a quantity of American magazines and newspapers. An insinuation is being carefully spread throughout Germany (says a Berlin cable) that a bargain has been made between England and France at Germany’s expense. England receiving b free hand m Northern Palestine, the Dardanelles, and the Moseul petroleum district, France to be permitted to have her own way with Germany, weakening her and tearing her to pieces at leisure. Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., has asked "the Postmaster-General when we can expect to see the completion of the new automatic telephone exchange at Wanganui. He pointed .cut that this work was going on Tapidly until a few weeks ago, when all the men employed on it were removed, leaving the work nearly completed, while the general public are greatly inconvenienced by the shortage of telephones and an obsof lete telephone bureau. The head of a Wanganui firm states that ho considers this town and district is not getting a square deal in regard to the distribution of benzine. From information received by the firm, it is estimated that recently some 35,000 cases were landed at New Plymouth, and the Donald MacKay was expected to arrive at that port with another 15,000 cases, and in the meantime only small dribbles were being received in Wanganui. Kerosene was also in scarce supply locally, hut consignments were expected to reach here next week. “There is still a steady demand for farm properties in this district both for dairy farms and grazing properties,” said a local land agent to a “’Herald” representative to-day. He went on to say that there was a keener demand for dairying properties, but this was to some extent accounted for as this was the time of the year when changes were made, but nevertheless indications were not lacking that farmers had faith in tho continuance of good prices for dairying produce. The inquiry for grazing land was also strong. Farm property of ail classes was still changing hands at high rates. From information received by local merchants, it is gathered that a large area of hush will be felled before tho end of the year, and this is likely to cause a gcorl demand for grass seed for autumn sowing. At the present time the price of clover and ryegrass is firm, but being a slack season of the year, very little business is being transacted. The firmness in the price of white clover is being helped to a certain extent by tho picking that is going on for export for the Home trade. The oat market is dull in Wanganui at present, prices having dropped in sympathy with Christchurch, and there does not appear to be any reason to suppose that au immediate rise will take place. In conversation with a representative of a Wanganui firm this morning, a “Herald” reporter was informed that there had been a slackening off in demand for chaff in the district of late. This was due to favourable winter conditions, which at this time of the year .were much more favourable than last year. Generally speaking, there was a plentiful supply of grass, except iu the higher country around Mangamahu. In Wanganui district farmers had been able to hold on to their store stock, and particularly hoggets, and there was every indication that these would come through the winter in good condition to be topped off when the freezing works resumed operations. It was also mentioned that in the Makinkiri district one farmer at the present time was miming 3000 hoggets and 500 wethers on 15 acres of turnips, and the farmer was still holding 10 acres in reserve.