LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1326, 2 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

, No new development occurred yesterday in the (rouble which lias arisen between tho Harbour Ferries Company unit its employee.-;. Tlio boats ran the schedule throughout the day, (ho only interruption to their passago being- that which arose from a heavy wind. The last train which left Wellington for the Wairarapa. yesterday forenoon was delayed for about un hour by the heavy wind. The engines were loaded to llieir fuil capacity, and the pressure of the ;stroil™ wind made it necessary to divide, tho train and Imul it up the heavier grades in two section?, ,\ correspondent has drawn our attention to sonic singular items appearing in the list of "instruments registered," published in the ".Mercantile"Gazette" of December '.'O. It is thero recorded that seven farmers resident in Tongitu, near Ohurn, borrowed from the Minister for Lauds, on tho security of eoi<:s and heifers, sums ranging from .£l6 to J.bO, at S per cent.

Since September 9 thero has been In effect in Sew York a law which permits the destruction of any commercial sign or advertisement on a highway." It authorises the destruction ''by anyone"' of such .signs' and'.advertisements "within tho limits of a publio highway." .Taking advantage of tlio law a squad of antomobilists, representing" tho' Automobile Club of America, has been touring tho State, armed with axes and hatchets,-de-stroying 'thousands' of. advertising signs which have disfigured the country roads. On fences, rocks, and trees throughout tho State, the wandering advertiser had erected these defacing signs, and the law was the result of a general protest by automobilists and others. Of course, the law does not apply to cases where owners of land near cities, or elsewhere, have 6old tho privilege of erecting advertisement signs, but it is made a crime to paint or erect any advertisement on private property wjthout the written, consent of the owner, although private.persons are riot authorised to destroy, such signs on private property. Already, it is reported, the appearance of the country highways of New York has been greatly improved by reason of the activity-of tho sign-destroyers.