LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1580, 25 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Quite recently the rates of freight on wool from New Zealand ports to London were advanced 50 per cent, by the various shipping firms. An announcement is now made indicating an increase in the rates for tow and hemp shipped' here for London. The increases, per ton, are. as follow:—Hemp, from £% 10s. to-,£3 155.; tow (covered), .£3 ss. to £t 10s.; low (uncovered), £i 15s. to .£6. The rise came without notice, but it is said that it was not unexpected. The advance will not affect contracts already made, but all new business will be governed by the revised Tates. It is expected that one effect of the increases will be to bring down the prices paid to millers of hemp by 28s. per ton, and tow by 80s. per ton.

In connection with the. Ketail Fruiter, ers' Association's objection to paying for sacks and cases containing: their purchases from the fruit and produce markets when tho same are not returned, it is pointed out that this charge is not made for tho benefit in any way of tho merchant. The. charge concerns the farmer and local fruitgrowers, who look for the return of these receptacles (or their equivalent in value), in order that they may be used over and over again. If they are not returned by the merchant the market gardener who markets his cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, etc., in sacks, and his lettuces nml celery in cases, has to eecuro more elsewhere. It is therefore, pointed out that if the association is successful in avoiding payment for sacks and cases (when they arc- not returned), it is tho former who must suffer. It is understood that there is to be a conference 'between tho retailers and merchants to-day.

As Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh was reeling off the names of a lot of American States whilo the Housn of Representatives was engaged in debate on the Land Bill last night, Mr. E. P. Lee interjected the question: "Is there anything about the North Pole there?" "I think you have lost the polarity of your intellect, for the moment," retorted the member for Wellington South.

The telegraph office advise that tho Auckland wireless station was opened yesterday for public business. The rates aro the same as are now charged at Wellington. The hours of attendance at tho Auckland office aro as follow: Summer— i a.m. to 8 a.m. and !) to 11 a.m., 1 to G p.m. and 7to 9 p.m. Winter —S a.m. to 8 a.m. aiid 9 to 11 a.m., 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. The hours of attendance at the Wellington wireless station are now continuous.

The tender of Messrs. S. Luke and Co., of Wellington, has been accepted for the supply and erection of boilers at the Tokanui Mental Hospital. Tho contract price is .£975. Messrs. Seager Bros., Auckland, J. J. Niven. and Co., Napier, and W. Cable and Co., Wellington, also tendered.

A story is told on the steamer Surrey, which arrived at Auckland on Monday, of a little escapade indulged in by a dozen of the vessel's crew when she called at Cape Town. When the timo arrived for her to sail from the South African port, no fewer than twelve of her crew were missing. Upon a search being made in tho city, it was found that they had been hnving a convivial time together in a. hostelry. Efforts to inditco them to return to tho ship quietly failed, but in jolly mood the twelve of them clambered aboard one hansom cab and went for a drive round the town. In the meantime, tho Surrey had gone out into the stream, but could not proceed without the .defaulters. The latter were at last persuaded by tho police that it meant either the cell or the ship, and they returned to their vessel in a motor launch. They each paid 15s. for their liltlo change from the tedium of tho long voyage.

Tho Legislative Council is to take in Monday as a sitting day, commencing from the beginning of next week.

No tenders were received by tho Oddfellows' Lodge's trustees for tho purchase of the city premises occupied by the Commercial Union Assurance Co. and the Central Club. The power to deal with the property without reference to a general meeting of the lodges concerned (Loyal Antipodean and Britannia) has been given to the trustees of those lodges.

Nows'has been received privately from Messrs. Anthony Hordern and Sons, of Sydney, slating that at present tho firm haa no intention of extending its activities to New Zealand.

"Would anybody here liko to start work on a dairy farm f asked a fanner on tho steamer Surrey, which arrived in Auckland with some 155 immigrants on Monday night, 110 then detailed to tlio strangers gathered about him tho conditions of work. "Good pay, easy time, nnd pleasant surroundings" he explained. Tho immigrants listened attentively, to his pleadings, and were very interested in tho production of some photographs of tho district ihc farmer hailed from. Through his energy the dairyman will take Kick to tho country with him at lenst ono burly Englishman, who has had no experience in farming, but who expresses great faith in his ability to loam tho new life and make a success of it.

Tho secretaries of tho Victoria and Navy Leagues aro meeting with satisfactory success in their quest of finding accommodation for tho Canadian Cadets, who are expected to arrive in Wellington on Wednesday, November 0. They will probably stay here for about four days, and during that time will be entertained by his Excellency tho Governor, tho Mayor of Wellington, and the Defence Department. Many of our leading citizens, including the Bishop of Wellington, have kir.dly promised to house the boys whilo they are in this city. Tho secretaries of tho two leagues, Mrs. Chatfield and Mr. Cecil Palmer, have still a few names on their list of those who havo yet to bo provided with accommodation, and they would bo glad of any offers from citizens who would be willing to give accommodation to the boys during their brief visit to Wellington.

The number of children under H years of ago at the last census (1911) was 297,295. Of this number it is estimated that approximately 100,000 belong to families in which moro than three children havo been born to the marriage.

Thcro havo been complaints during the last fen* days at tho lateness of delivery into the private boxes of letters and newspapers arriving by regular mails. On inquiry it was elicited that tho delay was occasioned by tho fact that the stnff of sorters havo yet to get used to the "lay" of the boxes in the now building. There are 900 boxes to bo located, a number which cannot bo learned in a day or two. "If the public," jays Mir. Gannaway, "could only bo induced to include the Post Office box number in the address of .thp person or firm to whom they are writing, the work would bo easy, as all the box numbers in tho new mail room run in sequence, which was not tho casein tho old building, but when tho nnino of each private box-holder has to be noted, and tho location of each one's number fixed in tho mind of the sorters, the task at first is not a light one. People will havo to bo patient for a day or two."

November 1 has been appointed the date for the election of one member to tho Masterton and the Petone Firo Boards by the insurance companies concerned.

A notice in tho Gazette states that Parliament has voted tho sum of iMOOO for distribution among the public libraries of the Dominion. The distribution will take place on February 3, and claims aro to bo received by the Secretary for Education on or before January 25 next.