Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1915, Page 36

Interprovincial

In the House of Representatives on Tuesday Dr, Thacker asked the Minister of Finance if he would recognise the seriousness of allowing the banks to issue old filthy notes as legal tender. Serious diseases were going about, he said, and such notes would act as carriers of infection. Mr. Massey said that there appeared to be no legislation on the subject, but there had been a distinct understanding between the banks and the Government that when notes became filthy they should be called in and destroyed. Dr. Thacker said that was not being done. Trentham Camp is still a hive of industry (says the /him ion). Carpenters are at work in fair numbers, and a large number of carters and laborers are employed in the metalling and gravelling of the place. The camp is totally unlike what it was a while back. Almost all fhe tents have disappeared, and the number of hutments has increased. -The roads, which but a little while ago wet e. in a deplorable condition of. bogginess, are now dm, and in most cases metalled. The ground in general, also, is dry, probably owing to the absence of recent rains. A railway has been run into the camp from the Mutt line, and on this the gravel and metal are carried. A coi i espondent of the II anymiiii Ilf mid vouches for the following story:— lt happened in a countrytownship considerably less than 100 miles from Wanganui, A scheme to raise money for .patriotic purposes was initiated. As money was required to pay the preliminary expenses of the scheme, a meeting was held to discuss wavs and means. The meeting was largely composed of farmers. In the course of discussion the suggestion was put forward to canvass the business men for funds. Then one farmer arose, and, fixing the meeting with his eye. spoke somewhat as follows: Lea\e the business men alone ! Everybody gets at them, and they are always being asked for money. Door people are always giving, too. Let us show what we can do ourselves ! We have made a lot of money out of the war. lam £3OOO better off this year than last. Now I will give the whole of that £3OOO if everyone present will also give the extra money lie has made out of the war.’ The speaker paused for a reply, but not a man stirred or spoke. Construction work is being resumed on the new pa i liamentary buildings (says the Wellington correspondent of the Ofayo Daily Time*). The company which is to supply the marble from the quarries at Sandy Bay, near Motueka, lias been reconstituted and fully subscribed, and, as the new qiTarry opened up some months ago is reported to give promise of plenty of good marble, no further difficulty is anticipated regarding supplies of stone. The Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) has assisted the contractors by building for them a tramline to the new quarry and also a small wharf, at which scows and steamers may load. This assistance amounts really, Mr. Fraser explained, to a loan to the contractors, for they incur liability to Hie Government for the money expended. The Minister lent them the money, but the Public Works Department saw to the expenditure of it. Work on the big building is ffoing on more steadily now. The brick work on the walls is being resumed, the concrete flooring of the first storey having been completed. The terms of the contract required this to be done before the walls were raised above the level of the first floor.