LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20525, 15 June 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Cruisers. —A message from Sydney states that H.M.S. Lei'.h and H.M.S. 'Wellington will visit Norfolk Island and other islands in the Pacific before returning to New Zealand.

Malls Arrive In London.—Mails despatched from Auckland by the R.M.S. Aorangi on May 17 arrived in London on June 13. An air mail despatched from Auckland on May 26, via the Sydney-Singapore service, arrived in London on June 9.

Woman as Manager.—Mrs Annie Wilson, of Hokitika, has been appointed manager of the Hokitika Savings Bank, a position formerly held for some years by her hu-sband, Mr William Wilson, who died a few weeks ago.

More Drivers’ Licenses. —A substantial increase in the number of drivers’ licenses issued by the Hamilton Borough Council has been recorded so far. To-day over 3300 licenses had been purchased for the current period, while at the same time’ last year just over 3000 had been secured.

Pokeno-Paeroa Railways.—The surveys and preliminary works for the new Pokeno-Paeroa railway have been almost completed, and - it is expected that a start will be made with the earthworks within the next few weeks. About 60 employees of the Public Works Department are now engaged on the job at Pokeno.

Footballer’s Condition. Considerable improvement has been made by Mr Trevor Gilling, the footballer, who was seriously injured in a match In Hamilton on Saturday. Mr Gilling, who leceived badly fractured ribs, was dangerously ill when admitted to the Waikato Hospital, but his condition is now satisfactory.

Power Consumers.—The number of consumers of the Central Waikato Electric Power Board is steadily increasing and the total is now 6171 according to 1 lie report of the engineermanager, Mr .T. R. Lillis, which was submitted to the meeting of the board to-day. During last month 26 new water heaters were installed, while the number of ranges and motors also increased considerably.

Control of Ragwort.—“We can say to-day that we are pushing the ragwort back, instead of allowing it to be the great invading army that it was formerly,” said the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, at Horsham Downs last evening. “At one time it was pushing the men off their farms, but now we are driving it right back. With the work that the Cawthron Institute is doing with the parasite, I hope that we will be able to do even more in the near future.”

Transport for Farmers.—“ When there is no transport available in a district you may be sure that temporary licenses will he issued," remarked the No. 1 Licensing Authority, Mr E. J. Phelan, at a meeting in Hamilton. Mr PheJan added that he was determined that the farmers should get service. Particulary in a case where seasonal demands resulted in a .shortage of transport, the authority was prepared to see that the farmers did not suffer.

New Zealand’s Defence. —“Under the Labour Government the defence vote for this Dominion has been doubled,” said the Minister of Agric-ulture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, in reply to a question at Horsham Downs last evening. “The defence vote this year will be approximately £1,000,000. I can assure you that the Labour Government is fully alive to the needs of this Dominion as regards defence, and we are doing our utmost to fulfil those needs.”

Heavy Orange Loss.—Unfit for sale, about 10 tons of rotting oranges were taken by launch and dumped into the Auckland Harbour yesterday. The fruit compirsed inferior Raratonga oranges which were allocated to Auckland following the arrival of the Matua from the Islands on June 3. It is believed that over 100 tons of the shipment had to be thrown away, the estimated value at 10s a case being £ISOO. As the produce is owned by the Government under the control scheme the loss will presumably be borne by the State.

Quality of Produo©.—“Constant improvement in quality cannot be stressed too strongly or too often,” stated the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, in opening the National Dairy Show at Palmerston North yesterday. “ One has only to consider the manner in which our competitors have leaped ahead in recent years, thanks mainly to the stress they have laid on up-to-date methods and equipment. If one considers also the marketing position of restriction in some form the paramount importance of the quality of our produce will be all the more apparent.”

Aviator arrested.—Arrested under a writ of arrest on board the steamer Doric Star a short time before its departure from Auckland for England last Wednesday night, Commander Basil Adair Blythe, formerly chief pilot of Union Airways, Limited, appeared before Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court, Auckland, yesterday. Four firms in Palmerston North proceeded against him on a judgment summons and three other claims to recover debts totalling £299 Is 9d. On the judgent summons Blythe was ordered to pay £47 9s id forthwith, in default seven weeks’ imprisonment. Judgment by confession for £252 17s Bd, with costs totalling £22 i4s 6d, was givlen against defendant under the other claim.

Rainy weather finds the faults in that last season's raincoat. Turn to page 9 and see the description of the delightful new “Feathersilks” showing now at Hooker and Kingston. Ltd. Light as a feather, semi-transparent, completely weatherproof and above all the smartest shower coat yet, they are really remarkrjile value at 32s Gd Obtainable in plaids, spots and checked effects you will be delighted with every feature of them. While you are there, ask to see the range of new season’s umbrellas. Uncommon ana unusual shapes abound here and the prices are reasonable for all their smartness.

Sunday Football.—An application by the Canterbury Rugby League to the Christchurch City Council for permission to play matches on Sundays was rejected by 10 votes to 7.

Another Snake Found.—A live water snake was discovered at Bayly’s Gorge on the west coast beach, near Dargaville, by Mr G. Cumming, of Rehutai. The snake, which was killed immediately, was black on the back with a bright yellow body and yellow stripes.

Credit for Prosperity.—“l say that this Labour Government is no more entitled to claim credit for the present prosperous conditions than it is entitled to blame the last Government for the slump,” said a speaker at the meeting addressed by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, at Horsham Downs last evening. “The slump was world-wide and so are the prosperous Conditions.”

“ No Cricket Talk, Please.” —To be a rabid supporter of Australian cricket at present is to invite stinging comment from those whose support of England has let them down in the past, says the Taranaki Daily News. A New Plymouth retailer who is widely known as a “ Dinkum Aussie “ Is In a most exposed position. He has, however, made an appeal. On his window is a notice reading, “No cricket talk today, please.”

Potato Marketing.— That the plans of the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, for marketing potatoes, would have the fullest support of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union if those plans did not involve compulsory State marketing, was emphasised by Mr W. W. Mulholland, president of the New 'Zealand Farmers’ Union, In a statement last night- He was replying to the Minister’s remarks on his earlier statement.

Escaped Prisoner. Forty-three charges of breaking and entering, 29 of them relating to houses and the remainder to business premises, were admitted by Francis Henry Gordon Guilford (48), In the Police Court, Christchurch, yesterday. Two other charges were also admitted by accused, one relating to his. escape from Paparua prison on May 2, and the other to the theft of £23 in money and a gold watch valued at £B. Accused was committed for sentence.

Men on Sustenanoe. —“To-day the Government is keeping young men in the prime of life on sustenance and Is doing it at the expense of the farmer,” said a settler at the meeting addressed by the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, at Ilorsham Downs last evening. “What do you intend to do to eliminate that?” “If you will show me cases where able-bodied men are still on sustenance while other work is offering I will see that they are taken off sustenance and put on the other works,” replied the minister.

Maintaining Guaranteed Prioe. —“lf the price on the London market dropped to abo>ut 60s how would you propose to keep the guaranteed price at is per lb?” was a question put to the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, at Horsham Downs last evening. “It would be done out of the national credit. There is no other way In which It could be done,” replied the Minister. “It certainly would not be paid for out of taxes, but It would be dealt with in the same way as the State housing scheme.”

New Mortgage Commission.—With a view to expediting the hearing of mortgage adjustment applications from the country, the Minister of Justice, the Hon. H- G. R. Mason, has appointed a new commission, to be known as the Auckland Rural (No. 2) Adjustment Commission. The No. 1 rural district, which is now being divided, formerly extended from Thames to Wellsford. The chairman of the new commission is Mr E. H. Burton, and. the other members are Mr H. O. Mellsop, of Henderson, and Mr David A. Dickson, of Auckland.

Purging the Roll. —The pre-election task of purging the rolls has been occupying the attention of the Hamilton Registrar of Electors, Mr G. Clark, and his assistants during the past week or two and the Initial stage of the work, that of sending out a preliminary inquiry as to residential qualification to all persons on the existing.roll, was completed to-day. All persons receiving such inquiry notices are requested by the registrar to return them as soon as possible. If confirmation of the residence standing on the roll is not forthcoming from the elector, objection must be made by the Registrar to the retention of the name on the roll.

Maoris and Oil Search.—The opinion of the Maoris on the subject of oil royalties from production, which might be secure-d from native lands was given in a special haka performed before the acting-Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. F. Langstone, at the gathering at Mangahanea, near Ruatoria. The haka, which was accompanied' by gestures and expressions conveyed to everyone present the objections with which the natives viewed the Government's oil policy. In replying the Minister remarked that he did not feeL that the Maoris should look too deep into the earth for their natural wealth. It appeared that the natives felt that the Government's policy was against the provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi. He would not place too much hope on the search for oil.

Advance of Socialism.—A contention that the Industrial Efficiency Act gave the Government a stranglehold over the industrial, commercial and professional life of the Dominion and that it would be more difficult, perhaps even impossible, to discover in any part of the British Empire a single statute which placed more power than that in the hands of one political party wae made by Mr R. M. Algie, organiser of the Auckland Provincial Freedom Association, speaking at Te Kuiti last evening, in another attack on the Labour Government. In one brief Act, claimed the speaker, there was all the machinery needed for the complete curtailment of private enterprise and for the introduction of State control. “So far as legislation is concerned, the socialisation of the means of production is to all intents and purposes complete in New Zealand at present, but,” he added, *' for obvious political reasons the screw has not been rigorously applied so far.”

Ruakura Farm Experiments.—“ The last Government did not agree to allow Ruakura Farm to carry on as an experimental station, but insisted that it should pay for itself.” said the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, at Horsham Downs last evening. "In that way they did away with the chief function of a particularly beneficial institution. However, when I came into office I changed that and allowed the farm to carry on its experimental and instructive work, and lately an advisory committee was appointed with a view to getting the best possible results. I hope that the Ruakura Farm will be- as great in the Waikato as Massey College and the CawIthron Institute are further south.”