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Western Star, 16 April 1920, Page 4

Many visitors and owners (says “ Grandstand ” in the Winton Record) have a just complaint that only one steeplechase event was provided on the second day’s programme of the Riverton race meeting. The former say that -it is the steepleehasing that takes them to Riverton, otherwise they would attend the Christchurch fixture, while owners say that it discourages them to prepare horses for cross country to have only three put of the sixteen events to compote in. Personally, I think the Club would do well to have two steeplechases each day, and the recommendation is worthy of consideration.

FernlnlJ Station, Wyndham Valley, having recently been soldi by Mr T. C. Ellis to Mr Robert Brown, brought about the removal of Air Miaitthew Mil burn, who had been manager of the estate in question during the past nine years. Air Alilburn and his good lady, during their residence in the Wyndham Valley, have given active support to everything tending to 1 the welfare and social spirit of the community;' and their daughter, Miss' Cathie Alilburn, lias been a favourite singer at the local concerts. On Tuesday afternoon the family took their departure, for Invercargill on route Ihr Ak-rrivale Estate, near Otautau. on which property Air Alilburn will take up the management on behalf of the same employer as at “ Fernlull.” They were accompanied by Air Adam Scott (a brother of Mrs Milbuvn). who, as at.“ Fernhill,” will act as shepherd. These good people are accompanied to their new quarters by the best wishes of the commumiby. —Wvndham ‘Farmer.’

For some days past there have been rumours of an early revival of the schcelite industry at the Head) of the Lake, which industry suffered a serious set-back just on twelve months ago, when the contracts for supplies were cancelled by the Minister for Munitions (says the Wakatipu ‘ Mail'). When visiting Glenorchy a 1 Mail ’ reporter observed a distinct buoyancy ■amongst the people of that district concerning the prospects, so an interview was sought with Mr George Reid, managing director of the Glenorchy. Sehcelite Mining Company, relative to the matter. Mr Reid said the position in brief was that the stocks held by the Imperial Government at the time of the cancellation of contracts have now been disposed of to British steel manufacturers, hence inquiry was now being made for further supplies Of the mineral, and Continental and American purchasers had shown a slight advance in price. Mr Reid and his Company have never been other than thoroughly optimistic in regard to the future of the, scheelito industry. Though a setback was a natural sequence on the close of the war, they had been convinced that with the re-establishment of peace-time industries there must come a keener demand than ever for scheelite.

By (Do doaLli - of Dr Cecil 15. C. Lyster, of Wimpolo street. London, one more mum; U added to the roll of heroic -victims-- of X-ray resorach. Dr Lyster, who \yas GO, was for 17 years in charge of the. electric therapeutic department, of Middlesex Hospital, and was a pioneer in X-ray investigation,. particularly in relation to the.' treatment of cancer. Through exposure to the ray in the early days of research, lie himself contracted the disease, but in spite of much suffering he insisted upon pursuing hi.s invaluable work until a few weeks ago, when he wn-; compelled to lay U aside.

Those persons ; of an allegedly humourous turn of mind who, wlh'e.h speeding a- departing bride and bridegroom on their honeymoon, chalk the words “Just married,” in a prominent position on the side of a railway carriage may be surprised to learn that such an act constitutes a legal offence (says the Lyttelton Times). Several cases have recently come under the notice of the Christchurch railway staff, and it is intended to take steps to ensure the punishment of the offenders. It is stated that chalk will ruin the varnish used, on the carriages, particularly if the chalk be of the scratchy kind, and even after a fresh coat has been applied the marks will often show through the varnish. Chatting to Mr J. R. Hamilton, M.P. for Awarua, on the sugar shortage, he expressed the opinion that this household commodity would go up in price (says the ‘Record’). Mr Hamilton based his opinion on what ho had seen and heard during the Samoan trip. He informed the reporter that the cost of production must necessarily advance, and gave instances in support of this. Between the rows of sugar there is a: great weed growth, and mules are worked to keep the weeds down. It now costs £SO to land one of these animals from America. Then there is the freight charges and the evident increased cost in labour. “Up to the present,” remarked Mr Hamilton, “New Zealand has been getting sugar at about half the price it ha-s been costing the consumer abroad.” The first award for hank clerksi that has so far been made throughout the Commonwealth was announced the other day by the Queensland Arbitration Court per Judge McOawley, who delivered judgment on the application of the United Bank Officer’s Association of Queensland. His Honour fixed an officer’s salary at a minimum of £2OO at the age of 21, rising by increments of £ls to’ £260, and then by annual increments of £2O to £3OO. He allowed the matter of the classification to stand over. Female clerks other than those now emrployed would be paid the same salary as male clerks. He decided not to alter the existing conditions. His Honour added that the employers should understand they could not take up the attitude that, they would not recognise the association.

The advantage of mechanical coal discharging was demonstrated at Port Pine a few days ago (says thei Melbourne * Age ’) when by means of this method the steamer Omana discharged 3275 tons of coal and cleared! the port within 30 hours of her arrival. Another vessel, the steamer Baron Minton, which arrived at Port Pirie on February 28 with 4200 tons of coal, did not finish discharging until midnight on March 8. In this case the old method of discharging the coal in baskets was employed. If the value of these two vessels for commercial purposes were assessed as low as £IOO a djay an idea may be gained of the loss which must result from the slow method of discharging coal by baskets. Further than this, there is the fact that tonnage dues are mounting up the whole time the vessel is in port, while the expense of paying the whole of the crew of the vessel goes on, all the time a ship is tied up discharging cargo.

The case°of men who are in arrears with their payments on account of furniture grants made to them by the Repatriation Department came again before the Canterbury District Repatriation Board the other night (states tire ‘Press’)- when Mr H. S. J. Godlman, on behalf. of the Board’s Sustenance and Furniture Committee to whcrai the matter had been conferred, stated that the Repatriation officer had informed him that 4 per cent, of the men had not paid at all, 15 per cent, were irregular payers, and 36 per cent, were in arrears to a greater extent than £6. The officer had stated tfat numerous letters had been written to the defaulters asking for payment. • Some of the men had disappeared altogether, and even the police had been unable to find any of them. A ‘collector had now been employed to deal with all oases in arrear, hut men who ralad© their payments promptly would not he visited by the collector, and) • special l consideration would be given in cases of sickness. The committee were of opinion that this would have the effect of keeping payments up to date. The repatriation officer would take steps to issue summonses, and from time to>- time would report to the committee.

We must produce more and consume less,”, said Mr Harold, Beauchamp, chairman of the, Bank of New Zealand, recently, in discussing the inflation, of currency- There was, he was convinced, no royal road •to the deflation of the existing unwcildy note issue. Deflation could only he secured as the result of increased production on the part .of every section of the community and general economy. If these changes could) bo brought about, they would be followed by supplies of commodities more closely approaching the demand, and os a natural consequence prices would fall. At the same timie the purchasing power of the sovereign would increase, and the note issue would proportionate! y clocreaso. Remarks “ Sir Modrod ’’ in the ‘Southland Times': —The fact that the actual competition of the two big steeplechases at Riverton was practically confined to the seasoned horses Silverspire, Zarkoma, Palladio and Grafton Tot—the latter in a lesser degree—goes to. show that well-known horses should be <asked to cany real weight. This applies even more so when it is remembered that there is now no race for green or novice horses on the second day at the seaside fixture. The R.R.C. would do well to reinstate a. hack and hunters event on Faster Monday, for after all, it is the jumping, contests that have practically made the Western District famous in the southern turf woild and this fact should not. he lost to sight in the days of prosperity. Iho steeplochasing game is a risky and expensive one and hardly receives the encouragement that is -its due vn Southland. Owners living in Canterbury and Otago would lie tempted to race here at Easter time if there was a valuable race, with adequate place money, ou oaclv day of the Riverton gathering.