LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20463, 1 April 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sword for the King.—The Sultan of Oman was received in audience by the King at Buckingham Palace yesterday. After investing the Sultan with the insignia of K.G.I.E. His Majesty accepted a jewelled sword from him. British War Loan.—War loan, 3* per cent., is quoted at £lO3 7s 6d, compared with £lO3 3s 9d on Wednesday. Caledonian Society.—A Caledonian Society has been formed at Glen Massav and promises to be very successful.

Currency in London.—Fine gold in London yesterday was quoted at £7 Os o£d an ounce (£6 19s lid on Wednesday), the dollar at 4.961 (4.97) and the franc at 161 J (163 g).

Spread of Ragwort.—The Whangarei sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union has decided to request the Department of Agriculture to appoint inspectors to deal with ragwort, which is stated to be spreading extensively in North Auckland. It was stated that farmers did not seem to realise the great danger of ragwort and were not prepared to give information as to the location of patches.

Dispute Over Back Pay.—The inspector of awards at Tauranga visited Waihi and met officials of the Engine Drivers’ Union regarding enginedrivers and power-house essential men and a long-standing dispute over back pay. The dispute arose over the reduction of hours to the 40-hour week. Ihe decision is expected to be satisfactory to both the Martha Company and the men.

Certificates for Car s.—Motorists whose certificates of fitness were issued prior to the end of September, 1937, are now required to renew them, the previous certificates having expired yesterday. Those who have obtained them since that date are not required to undergo another inspection until six months have elapsed. A Hamilton garage owner said to-day that many motorists regarded the periodical inspection as an unwarranted imposition. However, the majority had beoomed resigned to it.

No Weakness In Union.—” When it considered that our organisation is purely voluntary it will be realised that it is not in such a poor state as has been suggested,” said Mr C. J. Pierce, of Ohaupo, at the monthly meeting of the Waikato sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union today in reply to recent attacks alleging weakness in the organisation of the union. “If the Industrial unions were not protected by compulsory unionism you would find that their memberships would drop considerably. In view of that, the Farmers’ Union is not as weak as recent statements would lead one to believe.”

Flax Industry.—Speaking at Foxton yesterday the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said If there was money in the Employment Fund he felt it cou'd be put to no better use than helping to establish such an important industry as flax. If the Government was given a chance it was going to make a real industry. “We are going to produce people’s requirements out of our own raw materials without sending them to Japan or Timbucktoo,” said the Minister. Scientists were at work, and very soon the Government would be presented with a report as to the best method of placing the industry on its feet again.

Higher Customs Returns.—-Customs, excise and sales tax returns for the 1937-38 financial year, which closed yesterday, showed an increase at Auckland of £603,465. The total collected from all sources was £5,G52,513, against £5,049,048 last year. The customs revenue, including petrol and tyre duties, amounted to £4,412,199, an increase of £451,564, or 11.40 per cent- over the figure for the 193637 period. Excise on beer produced £201,164, an increase of £23,630, or 11.7 per cent more than last year. The sales tax brought in £1,039,150 in the past year, and £910,879 the year before, representing an improvement of £128,271, or 14.7 per cent increase.

Btarlings Eat Fruit.—Starlings, birds which usually feed on grubs only, are beginning to eat fruit In South Canterbury. A resident of Temuka, who has a few pear trees, states that although he has never heard of starlings eating fruit on a large scale for the last three years his Bon Chretien and Jargonelle pears have been eaten right into the core by them. He knows blackbirds were not responsible for the damage. Trouble has been reported at Willowbank (the orchard of Mr A. J. Crystall, near Temuka), where birds have been spoiling the fruit, but there it has not been definitely established that they are starlings.

“Here at last . . . ” After waiting for three weeks our further shipment of the famous “Tiger Wear” Sheets is here, and we can now carry on supplying this popular line.—An unbleached sheet with superior wearing qualities, in fact as its name suggests it’s “a tiger for wear” I In single bed size 54in. x 90in., they are 6s 3d pair. In double bed, 80in. x 2|yds.—los 6d pair. By the yard this popular sheeting sells at 54in., Is 3d yd., and 80in., Is lid yd. The demand for these sheets exceeded all expectations, so if you have not already bought them, become value wise and line up with today’s thrifty purchasers at Hooker and Kingston Limited."* *

Company Dividend.—A Sydney message states that the British Tobacco Company has declared the ordinary quarterly dividend at the rate of 8 per cent per annum. Post Office Burgled.—Burglers entered the Runciman post office early yesterday morninsr. blew open the safe with explosives and stole £SO in bank notes and silver. Liner Released from Quarantine. — The Straithaird arrived at Sydney yesterday and was released from the quarantine imposed following the death of a woman passenger from smallpox. Only a few tourist class passengers were temporarily detained. A number of New Zealand passengers were unable to secure berths by the Awatea due to sail from Sydney to-day for Wellington. Measles Epldemlo. —Jit is reported that the measles epidemic in the Auckland Province is declining. No serious cases have been notified recently and school rolls show no marked decreases in attendance. Inquiries made from the Health Department at Wellington yesterday show that, except in a few areas, the measles epidemic does not appear to have spread to any extent, although scattered cases are appearing in other parts of the city. Auokland Valuations.—The rateable value of Auckland City last year, following the sitting of the Assessment Court, was £2,615,983, the Court having made reductions amounting to .23 per cent, of the total submitted. This year the rateable value was increased bv £136,189 to £2,752,172, and the reduction of £13,166 made by the Court and by compromise brings the net figure for rating purposes to £2,739006, an increase on last year of 4.7 per cent. New Air Base.—lncluded In the list of tenders gazetted as having been passed by the' Public Works Department is one of £105,127 for hangar construction at the new North Island base of the Royal Air Force at Ohakea, 24 miles from Fellding. The contractors, McMillan Brothers, Limited, have their plant on the" ground, and the hangars should be completed in about 15 months. Other contracts gazetted in connection with the R.N.Z.A.F. are: Flying Training School, Wigram, erection of main store, £6190 (J. and W. Jamieson, Limited), and erection of guardhouse, £1033 (D. Hall). Cycle Workers.—Rates of wages for skilled work in the Dominion cycle industry were considered at Wellington yesterday by the Second Court of Arbitration. Mr Justice Hunter reserved his decision. Mr W. J. Mountjoy, for the employers, said a complete agreement had been reached in Conciliation Council in August. “ The position is that the workers’ union considers the rate of pay should be according to the higher rate of 2s 7d an hour, while the employers are of the opinion that the Court should fix the rate at the lowest rate of 2s 5d an hour,” added Mr Mountjoy. Abuse of Drinking.—“ Whoever wants a drink at nine o’clock in the morning?” asked the Rev. C. E. B. Muschamp, vicar of St. Michkel’s, Christchurch, who arrived last year from England, speaking at a meeting In Christchurch. “If any man wants a drink then he should not be able to get it. On the other hand, to ask a man to have his drink in the short period after he finishes his work is asking for trouble.” There was excessive drinking in New Zealand, he said, and he was convinced that one reason for it was that people did not know how to use “ God’s good gift of fermented liquor.” It had been said that the publican in England was required to have a moral standing equal to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Certainly the standing of publicans in England was extremely high. Drunkenness was absolutely discouraged, and the English public house, which was open in the evening, was a place to which a man could take his wife and where the parish priest was not out of place.