LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 19785, 8 February 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

it is estimated that there arc some 750 acres under tobacco in the Nelson district (reports a Press Association telegram).-' Harvesting operations have commenced, and crop prospects generally arc considered by the Government instructor to bo satisfactory despite the spell of dry weather. Usually farmers devote about two acres to this crop, which, generally speaking, is in the ground from November 1 to the beginning of February.

Tho waterside workers engaged in loading the steamer Northumberland in ihe roadstead at Napier complained that the food provided was not satisfactory, and came ashore at the lunch hour. When the time for resuming came the men did not put in an appearance yesterday. The final payment of id per ih will be distributed to-day on all _ whey butter shipped in the pool. This will bring the total payments for the season 1926-27 to the following figures:— First grade, Is 2 7-16(1; second grade, Is 1 7-16 d; both per lb, f.0.h., equivalent to approximately 160 s for first grade per cwt on the London market, [u respect of the creamery butter and cheese pools the final account sales arc not yet to hand, but it is expected that the final payments will be made about the end of tho month.

That the present system of taxation for the maintenance of main roads is grossly unfair was a statement made by Or Al'Gregor at the meeting of tho Bruce County Council yesterday, when Cr Clark suggested that a portion of tho main south road should be tarsealed as an experiment. Although £35,000 had been borrowed, Cr APGregor stated, 205 out of 450 miles of road in the county remained unformed. It was recognised that 80 per cent, of the traffic on the main roads was motor traffic, but the rural ratepayer had to pay 40 per cent, of the cost of maintenance. So long as such a state of affairs was allowed to continue it could not be said that the users of tho road paid for their upkeep. “The motor is here, and it has come to stay,” said Cr Clark. What was tho use of railing against the motor car when the farmers owned cars? ho asked. It was the backblocks settler, however, who did most of the paying’. Cr APGregor said that the farmer-motorist paid liis full mn per cent., but. the visitor paid only 60 per cent. City motorists would not receive any of the petrol tax, said Cr Clark, and tho country roads would profit by what, they were paying. It was finally decided to instruct the engineer to supply the council with an estimate of the cost, of tarsealing five chains of road beyond tho borough boundary.

Forty members of the Kaikorai Football Club will be the guests of the Invercargill Pirates Club at Easter. A match will be played at Invercargill, and during the balance of Easter week the Dunedin players will be entertained at Stewart Island.