LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19662, 15 September 1927, Page 13

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Regarding the decision of tho Gisborne Farmers’ Union to approach the Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, and Wairarapa sellers of wool with a view' to fixing reserve prices for offerings, the Wanganui Provincial Executive of tiie Farmers’ Union yesterday decided that tho time was not ripe for tho establishment of a price controlling wool hoard in New Zealand. The president, Mr T. Currie, said that on the basis of land at £8 an acre it had been stated that the production cost 1 of wool w r as 13d a Jh. Apparently the reserves would be made’on this basis. the president pointed out that most of the wool growers put reserves on their wool at present, but if this new' proposal were put into effect he thought there would he a grave danger of ruining New Zealand sales.

Subsequent to the hearing of a charge of the misappropriation of a cheque for £l7 11s lid, tho property of the Mangonni County Council, ou which Charles M’Kinnon, the county treasurer, was acquitted by justices in the Kaitaia Court, twm further chaajes wore heard by Messrs W. R. Grigg and J. H. Bedggood, J.P.s Tho first of those alleged that on December 1, 1926, the accused received £45 2s 3d in money from V. P. Casey on terms requiring him to account for it to the County Council, and had failed to pay the sum in as required, it was further alleged that on the same date the accused had knowingly furnished a false return for the sum "of £146 18s collected as rates by him from V. P. Casey for the County Council by substituting therefor a sum of £9B 5s 9d. The accused ivas committed to stand his trial at the Supreme Court on both charges, bail being fixed in two sureties of £513 each and one in self for £IOO. Reserved judgment has been given by Mr E. Page, S.M., in the ease in which the Labor Department proceeded against Messrs Thomas Perry and Sun, Ltd., footwear manufacturers, of Christchurch, for having sold shoes the soles of which wore not wholly of leather, without having a statement of the materials composing them clearly stamped on each one. The magistrate said that the charge was laid under section2 4 of the Footwear Regulations Act, 1913. Section 3 of this Act provides that the word “ sole ” includes tho heel stiffening or the heel counter, but the Act contains no definition of leather hoard or of skivings, or of scraps. The evidence had not made it very clear whether the sheets of leather used in tho shoes adhered together as a result of the natural gelatine, but assuming that it had been established that some adhesive had been used, ho did not think the effect w'ould be to bring tho shoe within the statute and to require it to he stamped. Tho magistrate wont on to say that the statute was designed to prevent material having the appearance of leather being passed off as leather, hut there were many substitutes other than leather in an “ all leather ” shoo, ft could not ho suggested that the presence of tho glue with which thin slips wore stuck together rendered stamping necessary. In tho circumstances tho ease would he dismissed. Security for appeal was fixed at £i(3 10s.

The quarterly meeting of flic Dunedin City Corporation and Drainage Board Employees’ Sick Benefit Society was held this week in the lecture room at the Y.M.C.A, Mr J. McDonald presided. Tho correspondence dealt entirely with applications for sick pay, and this, in ever}' case, was granted. The secretary reported having paid £2O 10s in siek pay. The secretary also reported having paid accounts amounting to £ls 18s Bd. There was a balance of £75 9s 8d in t lie bank. The membership now stood at 302. Mr M‘Donald reported that, after tho dance hold recently by the City Corporafion and Drainage Board employees, a surplus of £2 3s (id remained,' and this had been paid into the fund.