LOCAL and general

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 55, 28 November 1921, Page 4

LOCAL and general

Not long ago it was no easy matter for county councils to find suitable men who were willing to accept employment an surfacemen. That things have changed since then, was shown to tho Waikouaiti County Council last week, when it received 24 applications for a surfaceman’s position. Tho wages offered wcru 13s. a day, and the successful applicant had to keep a horse owing to the nature of his work.

A rather unusual procedure was taken at tho Magistrate’s Court, Christchurch, when an old man, charged with being an idle and disorderly person, was dealt with in tho backyard (states an exchange). Accused was in a very dirty condition, and Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., ordered that he should not be allowed to contaminate the Courthouse. Accused was remanded for a week, in order that he might be put in a cleanly condition.

R. Arnst, tho champion sculler, who was in town on Friday last, said he had been doing steady work on the Wanganui River, and had already knocked a stone off his weight.’ He intends going into camp to-day just above the Upokongaro ferry—on the championship course. Tie expects Harry Floyd over from Sydney next week to put the finishing touches on his training. D Arcy Hadfield lias been on the river for nearly six weeks, and was doing good work. "1210 race is to take place on January 4.

The fondness that English women have for the cigarette was evidenced by the appearance on tho promenade deck of the lonic last night after dinner. Fully fifty women, young and old, were to be seen puffing away with apparent satisfaction. /

Although their names featured on the passenger list of the Tonic under the heading "Stowaways, 3,” three men who boarded the ship at various stages of her voyage', found themselves in the lock-up soon after tlle ehip r€ac hed the stream from London yesterday. Ono of them is an Aucklander. He shipped homo on the Arawa on her last trip, and stowed away before the lonic left England. Tho other two men boarded the vessel at Colon. They are British seamen. The trio, needless to say, worked their passage.

An article of great interest was discovered at a recent auction sale in Dunedin (states the Dunedin "Star”). It was tho clock brought out. to New Zealand in the ship John Wickliffe by the late Captain Cargill—a double-wheeled French clock enclosed in a beautifully carved mahogany frame. Tho clock has passed through several hands. It v s cleaned several times by an old Dunedin watchmaker, who had affixed his label, the last occasion being in 1910. The dealer who bought the clock had it thoroughly cleaned, and called upon an art connoisseur, who paid him a high price for the coveted article, which will bo forwarded to I.ondon for Christie s famous auction rooms. For the annual presentation of "The Messiah” the Dunedin Choral Society has engaged the Octagon Hall (states tho Dunedin "Star”). Madame Winnie Fraser is to be the soprano soloist, Miss Mabel Esquilant the contralto, Mr. Ernest Drake the tenor, and Mr. William Watters the basso. "It is easy to say. 'Oh, put on another tram,’ ” said Mr. A. S. laylor at a meeting at Christchurch, "but you will perhaps bo surprised to know that if we put on another electric car today it would cost considerably over £3006 a year. It would only take a few such cars to put our finances all on the wrong side.” Mr P J. Jones, chairman of the Canterbury ‘ section of the Public Service Association, after consultation with the committee, sent the following telegram to tho eight Canterbury M.P. s (imports the "Lyttelton Times”):- Canterbury Public servants ask your support fa fairness to the Public Service to strongly oppose any attempt to reduce salaries except in accordance with the'agreement between the association and Government in 19’0” Of the eight members approached, seven of them have sent immediate replies, which, from the association’s point of view, are satisfactory. Probation for two years was allowed Philip Frederick Deibert, who in the Supreme Court on Saturday before His Honour Mr. Justice Sim, hav ing pleaded guilty to theft. Mr. Sievwright appeared for the prisoner. Counsel asked for leniency on tho ground that Deibert was 54 years of age and had hitherto borne an impeccable character. The probation officer had recommended probation-. The prisoner was ordered to abstain from alcoholic liquor during the term of his probation.

"The number of persons to whom recess privileges or permits were issued was 757, the highest for some years, states the chief librarian of the Parliamentary Library (Mr. C. Wilson) in hi. annual' report. A largo proportion of the permit-holders, however, have only visited the library once or twice, and many of them have never taken books out The total number of Iwoks of all classes taken out by permit-holders was 12,290. No fiction has been issued to ordinary privilege holders, tho issue ot such literature being strictly confined to members of both Houses and those on the full privilege list. The stock-tak-ing this year dealt with three classes bibliography, bound newspapers, and periodicals, etc.; philosophy, psychology etc - and art, architecture, , etc. Jhe result shown by the stock-taking is very satisfactory. Since stock was last taken in tho first-mentioned class 1315 volumes have been added, to this class.. The result of this year’s stock-taking shows that only, two volumes are now missing. In each case the missing volume is a catalogue of no great importance In the second class every book catalogued was found to bo either on the shelves or entered on tho issue cards. In the third when stock was last taken, eleven volumes were found to be missing. Since then 400 volumes have been added in this class. Five books aro now missing The total number of volumes checked in the three classes was 6101.

For wantonly destroying a fawn deer that had been liberated on a Shaftesbury farm, two Manawatu youths weie each fined £1 and costs by Mr. Salmon, S.M., reports the To Aroha correspondent of the Auckland “Herald.” The animal had been caught in the hills by a party of pig hunters, and they had hopes ot it settling down among the d'any herd, like others have done in various parts of the district, but tho temptation to shoot it was too much /or the two accused.

During the hearing of a case nt the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., tho defendant proved so voluble that he seemed likely to 'go on for ever" (declares the Auckland Stai ). It was in vain for his counsel to keep saying, "Be quiet, be quiet,” and finallj, "Oh, shut up.” Still tho man went on relating how his wifo was such a clean woman that she was on her knees every day but Sunday, and always fond of her bath.” Finally he was pulled up by Mr. McKean saying: "Keep quiet or 1 shall have to commit you for contempt of Court.” Tho torrent of language was however, only checked temporarily, for the man was soon off again relating matters of no interest to tho case itself. The Invercargill correspondent of the “Otago Daily Times" reports that _ Mr. Stanley Hall, an Invercargill resident, and engaged in tho fruit business, lias returned after a fortnight in Central Otago, convinced that unless unforseen events occur, that district is going to experience a record fruit season as regards quantity. There are, he said, exceptionally heavy crops of apples, plums, and apricots. So heavy are the supplies of apples that ho is satisfied home consumption will not absorb them, and that export will bo necessary to ensure a profitable return to the growers Tne peach and cherry crops aro light, however, but strawberries aro being grown extensively. The season is about three weeks ahead of last year. He found that Clyde, Earnsoleugh, and Roxburgh had the best crops to show. The growers are being troubled a little with leaf curl (on peaches only), woolly aphis, and mildew, and they aro busy with the spray to keep these diseases under 1 .

Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., held at short sitting of the Magistrato’es Court on Saturday morning, and dealt with Iho following:—Percy Reginald Hill was remanded to appear at Oneliunga to-day on a charge of stealing £24 in money, tho property of William J. McCraig. George Watts was fined ss. for drunkenness, and for using obscene language after arrest he was fined 40s. Tho Christchurch "Sun" reports that a somewhat substantial purchase of Australian butter has been made by Auckland merchants from Sydney. It is understood tho price was Is. 3d., f.0.b,, Sydney, and with a duty of 20 per cent, ad valorem this will mean a landed cost of Is. 6d., plus freight. At this figure tho imported article will lie brought into competition with Now Zealand butter. In tho North Island butter prices have been kept on a higher level than in Christchurch, where the public has benefited by the fierce competition between factories. It was announced on Friday that the price-cutting will not continue. Various factories supplying the city trade have advancer! prices from Is. 53d. to Is. Bd. net, and the retail prices have been advanced from Is. Bd. to Is. 10d

One of tho largest shipments of wool taken from tho port of Otago for some time past will be lifted this week at Port Chalmers by the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Com jinny's new steamer Matakana (states tho Dunedin "Star”). Altogether the vessel will load about 8000 bales for London for tho Imperial Government, and also a largo quantity of cheese, butter, tallow, skins, and other New Zealand products.

Quito oblivious to the fact that he was lying iu a ditch with a motor-car upturned above him (says an exchange), a man who was arrested last week was very much surprised when awakened from a drunken slumber. Tho car, in capsizing over a bank near tho Waikato Hospital, on the Ohaupo Road, Hamilton, was held up by a gas mam, which is supported on trestles, otherwise tho accident might have resulted in serious consequences. When Constable Sutton arrived on the scene he found the man in question “dead to the world.” On being awakened the latter stated that his wife and child were in tho car. They were at that time, as a matter of fact, being treated at tho hospital for shock. The man was promptly removed to the police cells m a; taxi, and next morning he was fined £a and costs.

Tho recent discovery of a new good reef in the Rcefton district is mentioned in the annual report of the Mines Department. "Duffing tho early part of tho current year,” says the r ?l’ ort ’ “James Hurley, a Government subsidised prospector, found an outcrop of a quartz lode on a ridge near the A exandei stream, a tributary of tho Big Grey River. Considerable attention was drawn to this discovery by grossly exaggerated reports in the local P^ es s,- » ' sequent examination t>y Mr. P. G- Morgan, Director of Geological Survey, proved that the lode, as exceed in trenches for a length of less thain 100 ft., averaged sft. l£in. m width, and. tained an average assay value qt £1 is. 2d. per ton. No other prospecting work than the trenching referred, to had been done, amd the lode remains a mere prospect.” A man named Tliomas Gill, charged with assaulting a married woman at Utiku, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and ordered ,|o receive a flogging of ten st.roKv». The manner in which the Japanese Government displays the attractions of Japan to strangers was placed before the Auckland Chamber of Commerce by Mr 'Vh. de Schryver as a model that well be followed by New Zealand. The correspondent forwarded two profusely illustrated and well-written guide books which are issued by the Japanese Government Railways Department free of cost, remarking that our Railways and Tourist Departments might take advantage of this scheme of advertisement. "The two Departments mentioned have a gold mine at their very doors, but practically nothing is done to dig up .he gold,” commented Mr. do Schryver. Give an enterprising Canadian or American railway man a freeTiand m this country and ho would soon treble and quadruple the income of the Dominion from the tourist traffic.*’ t’rocetxling to make practical suggestions, he stated the raiwav railing-stock would have to be modernised and made comfortable, with parlour and observation cars and improved catering. Accommodation at the scenic spots should bo improved, and those nlacte should be made ea.si y accessible l'v railway. "New Zealand has in its limited area all the wonders of scenery of Europe and America combined, and with travelling made easy and comfortable it would draw thousand against the hundreds now visiting the Dominion added the writer, who concluded by stating that his letter was inspired at disgust nt finding; the despised yellow man being so much more enterprising than New Zealand administrators.