LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160814, 23 November 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Wellington branch of the Home Service League passed a resolution pledging itself to continue the work of the League until a satisfactory eettle* v ment of the League’s demands has been obtained.

With reference to the Boston Guild's collection of pictures at the Art Gallery a correspondent writes that many local residents who desire to see the paintings cannot find it convenient to do ea during the hours the Gallery Is open# and suggests that on one or two nays a week it be opened later in the day and remain open till 6 p.m., or that an y evening or two be set asid# when the Gallery could be visited.

In connection with the recent serious accident to a returned soldier, Mr John Amos (who is reported to be progressing favourably at the Hospital), at Mangapurua, it Should not be omitted to give the fullest credit to the crew of the river launch which brought him to towp. On the news being received, Mr G. Terry, of Messrs Hatrick and Co.’s staff, accompanied by a Maori bapd, set out in the middle of the night in fearful weather, and mado remarkably quick time both up and down the river. As a result of the final “washing-up’* of last season’s operations, the TanjakJ (Dannevirke) Dairy Company ia paying out to its suppliers this week a bonus of 5-8 dpe rpound butter-fat. This brings the average payment for last season’! butter-fat in this company to 2s 0 l-8d per pound, which is a record for the district. So far this company is haying very sucessful season, as the factories turning out between 50 and 60 mors cheese per* week than they made at this time last year.

In connection with claims for' the possession of tenements, Mr McCarthy, S.M., at Christchurch yesterday issued a warning to houseowners who seek to obtain through an order of the Court the opportunity to profit by, the prevailing enhanced values. “When the owners of houses come to the Court and say they desire to have a tenant evicted so that the owners may be abls to occupy the house themselves, and they subsequently tell the houses m question, these people are laying themselves open to prosecution for perjury, said the . Magistrate.

At a meeting of the Poverty Bay Provincial District Farmers’ Union, the president (Mr C. H. Bridge) placed before members information relative to the cattle tick in the North Auckland district, and a resolution was passed:; “That this Union insists on an Order-in-Council closing the Poverty Bay district against the introduction of all stock as defined by the Act from a tickinfested area till they axe dipped to ths satisfaction of an inspector.” It was also decided that the Government be asked whether a board of control can be set up to prevent the introduction of cattle tick into Poverty Bay, and more stringent inspection enforced on all stock passing from infected areas.

News has been received In the Dominion of the death of Mr Victor Marsden, of the Morning Post, London, who represented his paper in the recent tour of the Prince of Wales, and was one, of the British journalists who visited Wellington, His death was the result of impaired health, as the outcome of his imprisonment in Eussia. It was thought the trip with the Prince would have restored his health, but he suddenly cbllapsed. Deceased was for a time imprisoned in the Fortress ofi Peter and Paul at Petrograd. During the Prince’s tour of New Zealand Mr Marsden remained most of the time on the warship, his poor health preventing him from taking part in the festivities.

A large crowd disembarked from the lonic at Wellington yesterday. One distinguishing feature marked the whole complement, and that was the tanned complexion and fine healthy appearance of each now arrival, male or female, on stepping ashore. “They ve a very good crowd,” remarked the Under-Sec-retary for Immigration, “and just the kind the Dominion is in need of.” The complement numbered about 660, the largest since that which was brought by the Mahana. and it included 201 nominated passengers, 210 taking advantage jof the Imperial overseas settlement scheme, and a number of returning New Zealanders and ordinary passengers. Amongst the nominated passengers was a party of 26 domestic servants.

Catalogue-time has come, and has cash its usual spell over amateur gardeners (says the London Daily Mail of Septem* her 13). The price of all bulbs has risen, yet while the new rich are catered for by one firm with single daffodils np to .£ls 15s each per bulb, it is still possible to buy good bulos at prices varying from 3d to 6d each. The .£ls 15« (daffodil is one of the new varieties, by name Gladiator —“a grand flower, mgeunnfc 3} inches across, with creamy perianth and an immense open-spreading crown, fiery red shading down po gold, and beautifully fringed and flanged at margin. The wealthy amateur can also pay from £1 is to £5 5s per bulb for the othef daffodil novelties. All the lists contain special offers of Darwin tulips, which have made great advances in popular esteem during the last few years. They, can be bought for from Is 6d a dozen bulbs. , i

Potato blight has made 4ts appearance in some of the crops in Feilding district. , '

The Daily Express understands that Lord Willmgdon has been appointed Viceroy of India. Cabinet has made an additibhal grant of .£SOO to the Workers’ Educational (Association, which applied to the Government recently for assistance in extension of„ its work. f Linseed oil has eased again at Home by about 6d a gallon, and white lead by 30s a ton, but it will, be some time yet before merchants will be able to land goods from present quotations. " .

A Wanganui builder reports that the trade is still very brisk; There is sufficient labour coming forward to meet the demand, but the same cannot be said of material. The supply 6i timber is fairly regular, but there is a scarcity ,-of cement. It is reported that a machinery breakdown at Mr W. Petrie’s fiaxmill, Foxton, last week, caused extensive dam- , age and a loss estimated at ,£2OOO. The main orank-shaft attached to the 85b.p. suction gas engine broke, destroying the engine and smashing the bed. The engine had recently been repaired. The takings to date for the Scottish Fair aggregate £1633. In addition various sums of money, including. sale of Art Union tickets, are yet to come in, and when the expenses are paid the Pipe Band will receive well over £IOOO. for equipment. It is plso anticipated that there will be a surplus to guarantee the Drum-Major’s salary for at least two years. - A shareholder' in the Bunnythorpe Dairy (Company informed a “Herald” reporter, that nis company had decided to relinquish cheese making for the present and return to the production of butter. At the present time the estimated cost of landing cheese on the Home market was 3d per lb, or about £1 per cheese. Advices from Home also indicate that the supply of cheese was exceeding the demand. One-'of the two ‘stretchers used to carry out Hr J. Amos from the Mangapurua soldiers’ settlement was given to the soldiers in the' block by the Wanganui Patriotic Association. It proved a great comfort to the in/jured man, who had to be conveyed through rough bush country. Two pf i his comrades, Messrs J. P. Ward and A J. Bill rode 20 miles on a dark foggy \ night over rough country for assist\ance. The river steamer, Wairoa, with the injured man aboard, under the command of Captain J. Tarry, covered the river trip of over 100 miles in 11 hours. Mr Amos is progressing 63 favourably as can be expected. Sir Thomas Mackenzie told a Welling ton reporter that when he left England the industrial situation was not good. The threatened strike of coal miners was a very serious matter. But he thought the sturdy commonsense of Englishmen, Scotsmen, and Welshmen would not allow the security of the nation to be imperilled. The “Red” element Vas not being permitted to take charge. He did not think that the Crown ever stood higher in the esteem of the nation than at the present time, and he was satisfied that it deserved its status. He had many opportunities during the war of seeing the ncvoted work of members of the Royal Family, and he knew that this quiet, unostentatious work had been appreciated by’the nation. ' A quite tone prevails fti the Canterbury grain and produce market and the few deals that are reported! are confined to merchants. Growers still r hold quantities of produce, which they are finding it„ practically impossible to quit. It is now fairly certain a fair quantity of oats will be shipped to the United Kingdom. The Port Kembla and the Shropshire are taking fairly large consignments. It is believed that about 100,000 sacks will he shipped Home, though it is difficult to arrive at reliable figures. Gartons are now quoted at 3s lid per bushel, f.0.b., s.i., a decline of about. 2d per bushel during the past ten days. -Dressed seed quotations range from 14 6d to Is 7d per lb., with little business offering.

The “Herald” of yesterday contained an intimation of a reduction in price of certain lines of groceries. In discussing the matter with a reporter, a local retailer stated that further reductions would take place at an early date. One of the reasons of the present . fall was the fact that abnormal dumping of goods was taking place. Some of the smaller merchants and indent agents had been having a good innings during the past few yearsj but had now reached troublesome times. The banks were not so liberal with

i their advances and many of the smaller J fry referred to were sporting £ offers to Hie retailers throughout the Dominion in order to gather in ready N| cash. It was only natural to expect \ that with _ travellers (Trom the ' said f firms making- cut prices the larger firms had to fall into line in order to retain their customers. While this cutting of prices lasts the public will get the benefit. f “The primary cause for men drifting is charity,” said Chaplain Eich- ■ mond before the Men's Institute in Sydney recently, “and it is the most cruel thing that can be offered a man, for it takes away his self-respect.” Chaplain Richmond, who served with the A.1.F., went on to speak of the necessity for Australia to “make drifters men,” and to describe the work that is already being carried on by the Church Social Campaign. It was a shame, he declared, that in a city like Sydney we had numbers of men who were neither workers or thinkers, but simply drifters. In the charitable institutions could be found men who possessed brilliant brains, but were not allowed to use them. The remedy was not charity but work. He held that men'who wanted work should bo considered, for unemployment was the greatest curse of modern civilise tion. The Government system of plac* ing men idly on a farm was to encourage criminal tendencies. < , “The social -side of our nature, and especially that of our young people, must receive attention, a fact that raises the question; Wha-t are we doing?” remarked the Moderator, the Eev. S. W. Currie, M.A., in the course of his inaugural address recently before the Presbyterian Assembly. “Are cur church buildings,” he continued, “fulfilling their functions in opening twice on Sundays and possibly once or bo during the week? Should every Congregation, even the smallest, not have a social hall for its young men and .•women, and Christian men and women, ob volunteers, to arrange for and supervise suchJ’falthy amusements as the vonng are at present the question, I’m 1 well a ware, is'a somewhat foolish one. But it shouldn’t he. If I’m right in magnifying the importance of amusements, and in claiming them for the Kingdom, there should be no dearth of volunteers to make these amusements bright, /and clean, and helpful. The hotel, we have to a large extent, closed down. AVhat- have we provided to take its ■ \j:lace. The fact is wc are too niggardly, and too lazy and too indifferent to take up the work as we should.”