LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 108, 31 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice that the s.s. Koromiko sailed from Sydney at 10 p.m. on January 25 for Dunedin. She carries fifteen bags of mail for New Zealand. The s.s. IVaiwera left Sydney at 7 p.im on January 25 for Auckland, carrying 97 bags of mail, including mails from the United Kingdom anti Africa.

The public schools of the Wellington district will reopen to-morrow.

There was one fresh case of infantile paralysis notified in the Wellington district last week. The case was at Haleoinbe. Another ease from Lower Hutt was also reported, but it was an ola eas, which has been under observation for some weeks as suspected infantile paralysis. The Health Department considers the position in Wellington distinctly reassuring.

A t about 10 o’clock on Saturday, white working at the Orongoronga. tunnel, a quantity of timber fell on Mr. 11. Semple, causing a compound fracture of his right leg. The Petone ambulance was dispatched to the scene, and Mr. Semple was removed to the hospital. An operation was performed last night. The s.s. Ihumata sailed from New bourne at 5 p.m. on January 24 for Auckland, with 92 bags of mails, including mails from Africa and the East. The Kaituna also carries 460 bags of mails from the United Kingdom to New Zealand. ex Naldera, particulars of which were not given by Melbourne.

The s.s. Ihumata sailed from Newcastle on January 28 for Auckland. She carries 37 bags of Australian mails for New Zealand.

There has been no change in the dispute at. the Patent Slip, but developments are expected to-day. In reference to the Press Association telegram from Christchurch, which appeared in Saturday’s Dominion, stating that the Government had intimated to a number of large taxpayers in Christchurch that it was prepared to give terms in connection with the payment of income-tax, the Income Tax Department stated on Saturday that the information -was not correct. All that had been done was that in one or two cases the Commissioner consented to an arrangement between the taxpayer and his banker for accommodation. No concession was given, and the amount of the tax had to be paid in cash by due date. The accommodation was really between the taxpayer and banker. Over £446 has been paid by the Ashburton County Council for birds eggs for the period October 1, 1920, to date. For the corresponding period, last year payments amounted to 42262. Part of the increase is due to the advance in the rates paid for eggs, which bring 4d. a dozen this year, compared with 3d. last year. The increase was asked by a number of Mount Somers boys in a petition to the County Council and their request was promptly granted, especially as the reason given—the rising costs of clothes destroyed in bird-nesting—seemed a. very cogent one. The number of eggs actually paid for so far this season is 321,468, as against 251,760 for the corresponding period last season.

The officers of the horticultural division of the Department of Agriculture at Christchurch are embarking on a. crusade against neglected, orchards, in which they hope to obtain the co-opera-tion of all fruitgrowers, states the Christchurch “Press.” It is pointed out that if the dreaded fire blight gets a footing in the district it will be due, in some measure, to the existence of neglected orchards, and, consequently, in the interests of all, it is highly important that fruit trees should be kept clean. It is recomemnded that all dead and useless trees should be cut out at once and destroyed, a\id that codlin-moth infected fruit should be picked and destroyed immediately.

As a result of the storm yesterday, most of the yachts at Petone were subjected to rough treatment. Nearly all broke their moorings, tho Nautilus and the Petrol coming in for the greater share of the damage.

What was described by defending counsel as “an ingenious device to evade the provisions of the War Regulations Act’ was a claim for mesne profits on tfie tenancy of a boardinghouse in Manukau Road, made by Mary Catherine Sealy against the owner, James Henry, the occupier. before Mr. J. IV. Poynton, S.M . in tho Magistrate’s Court, Auckland. The profits claimed amounted to 4135 assessed at the late of 10s. a day since November 18. Counsel for the defence submitted that the claim for profits had been mads by plaintiff in substitution for a demand for increased rent, which might have been difficult io obtain. The War Regulations provided that 28 days’ notice must be given of an increase in rent, and defendant, a returned soldier, would havo contested this. Counsel also complained that insufficient evidence as to the capital value of tho premises had been given, so that it was impossible to decide whether an increased rental would be justified. He added that plaintiff was probably the first house-owner in New Zealand to put forward such an ingenious claim. The Magistrate said that if counsel’s statement of the position were correct, tho War Regulations were evidently, m respect to the rental of premises, open to evasion. Decision was reserved accordingly.

Referring to the question, of trading 'with Germany, Mr. David Perry, a Glasgow visitor to Auckland, said it would be to the interest of the textile industry to purchase German aniline dyes. No British substitute existed. The German formulas had been made available to Britisli manufacturers, and the Government had subsidised dye-making firms; but it had to lie ‘admitted that no British firms had been successful in producing aniline dyes of the quality of the German article. In Australia, ho nad found an intense patriotism absolutely opposed to trading with Germany under any consideration, but this went beyond trade policy. Bitter though the nation might be against Germany, no good purpose could be served by ostracising her. Speaking of the recent licensing polls in Scotland, Mr. Perry said l that while not a prohibitionist, and being strongly opposed to the method of local option in operation in Scotland, he believed that eventually prohibition would become an economic question in the British countries. If America remained "dry.” other countries would be forced, purely from economic causes, to follow suit.

“I do not think present prices will hold,” said Mr. David Perry, a Glasgow business man, in an interview in Auckland, ‘‘but I do not imagine for a moment. that they will ever return to the pre-war level, because wages will never return to the old level.” Speaking with a knowledge of the general opinion of employers in Britain, Mr. Perry said he did not think they would desire to sec wages go back to the original level because the old rates were not adequate for the upkeep of a healthy, sound people. Apart from this fact, he added, employers realised that if advantage were taken of a plentiful supply of labour to force wages below a reasonable living wage, it would breed discontent, which in turn might breed revolution. Speaking of trade generally, he considered that Australia,'"and probably New Zealand also—though he could not yet claim to have much first-hand knowledge of this Do-minion-had lost the greatest opportunity they ever had 'by not. extending their industries during the period when high prices abroad automatically provided a heaw protective tariff. When the question 'of capital was mentioned as a reason. Mr. Perry said that as far as Australia was concerned, far more money was being spent on pleasure than in Britain. It was no use grumbling about lack of money when It. was being spent, at such a tremendous rate on pleasure.

The nuisance caused at municipal band concerts by children rushing across the lawn and shouting out, was brought under the notice of the police by the Christchurch City Council authorities, and a reply has been received that .in future a constable will be on duty when band concerts are being held. “I believe the day will come,” said Sir Thomas Mackenzie, speaking at the meeting of the Canterbury Branch of the Royal Colonial Institute, “when this country will have to depend on its own strong’ arm for its own defence. You have alluded to the people who are willing to come to New Zealand. We could get 106,000 persons, the pick of the Old Land, to come out here and settle if we had ships enough, and if the organisation for their receipt, working in unison with their shipment from the Old Country, was sufficiently widely established. We could make room for them easily, and we should endeavour to establish a self-reliant policy, not to sever our connection with the Old Country, but to provide for a system of defence in the future. This land is too good to take' any risks with. (Applause.)

Upon discharging her cargo at Auckland, the steamer Ganges will sail for Fiji to embark about 1000 Hindus, who, having completed the term of their indenture are to be repatriated (states the "New Zealand Herald”). The Ganges is one of the steamers specially built for the transport of Hindu workers. She is registered to accommodate 928 adults, and counting children, she therefore carries about 1090 souls in addition to the coolie crew. Last year the Ganges made three voyages to India with Hindus from Fiji. A gentleman with an intimate knowledge of the matter, stated to a "Herald” reporter that seeing that the system of indenturing Hindu labour had been abolished Fiji would probably experience a marked shortage of labour before long. He added that many labourers who had clamoured to get back to India were jusu as eager to get.away from India when they got there.