LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 641, 14 June 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of ratepayers of the Waiuku Hiding it' was desided to set up a Ratepayers’ Association for that riding. Mr J. Withaxn, of Glenbrook, }nesided. Rules.are to be drawn up and printed, and/it is hoped shortly to halve-, the cigaqisation in full swing.; ; ■ Many of our readers ’will have seen ■with regret the announcement of the death of Major Lusk, one of the earliest settlers in the Mauku district, and intimately associated with the pioneering work in this county for many years. In our next issue full pwticu’ais will be found of his activities during tho early days of Fwmklin,

The price of bricks in Wellington to-day is £5 10s per thousand.

“A better train service means n better and bigger Papakura,” says a letter received by the Papakura Town Board last evening.

The Takanini Welfare League has requested the district traffic manag'd of railways to give preference to the evening- workers’ trains over special race trains.

The last six months have seen the Wanganui river at the lowest it has ever been. The felling of bush has left the river dependent on springs for its source of supply, and even these seem to be drying up.

Much curiosity and some anxiety has been felt for some time regarding New Zealand’s quota of Imperial-ly-owned meats in the Homeland’s cool stores. Information received by the Feilding Stab shows that, apart altogether from the beef purchased and held by Vestey’s, the following quantities of the New Zealand meats are still unsold in England : Ewes, 600,000 ; wethers, 200,000 ; lambs, 100,000.

“Quick transit to and from the suburbs for workers, is the chief incentive to induce settlement in the suburban areas, which in turn relieves the town congestion, as well as being a permanent source of remuneration to the department," says a letter from the Takanini Welfare League to the district traffic manager of railways, with a request that the 5.17 p.m. train, Auckland to Papakuia. be speeded up and suggested that the train revert to its pre-war timetable and leave Auckland at 5.7 p.m.

A friend from Australia, speaking to a Cambridge resident last week, deplored the railway service between Hamilton and Cambridge. “I have heard it freely stated in Sydney and Melbourne that the train journey from Hamilton to Cambridge is the slowest vin Australasia," observed the visitor. “On the other band, your drinking water is generally considered by Australians to be the finest obtainable in New Zealand."

A distinctly cute letter is published in the “Autocar" from a gentleman. who had bis overcoat stolen from his car. He plaintively remarks : “Would the person who inadvertently removed a blue overcoat from a two-seater Rover car outside 2 Nottingham Place, kindly return it to Dr H.S.Gv, as the owner is feeling the cold severely after Ids recent attack of small-pox. accompanied by severe and extremely infectious manifestations of . incurable skin complaint."

The “N.Z. Trade Review" makes some interesting' disclosures in regard to the market for cement. It points out that although quite recently there was such an alleged shortage of cement that the Government found it necessary to set up a Control Committee, there is now a surplus of supplies, and at least one producing company has found it necessary to close down until the surplus is absorbed. The “Review’’ thinks that some light should be thrown upon the cost to the Dominion of the Control Committee. It says it has a very fair idea that certain members of Parliament interested themselves in assisting the committee in its distribution, and that as a result of this some allotments were*made where unwarranted, and some in excess of requirements, where more important works were going short. There was also great delay in delivery, shipments lying on the wharf for weeks, while plasterers were out of work for want of the cement. The ‘‘Review’’ significantly remarks: “There appears to be more behind this than is apparent to the public." The Minister of Industries and Commerce may be aide to throw light upon the subject. But, is he prepared to do so ?”

Sir Ralph Williams, K.C.M.G., who is making an extended tour through New Zealand, and is much impressed with the resources of this country, in the course of an interview says “My idea in coming to this country was not to see the beauty spots, of which I have seen so many ir: many parts of the world,” the visitor explained. “I wished to learn what the conditions were here. I have formed the opinion that New Zealand is capable of supporting a very much larger population, and it is a thousand pities, it does not possess such a population. Any tendency which may exist among Labour classes to check immigration into the country is very deplorable. I think the only thing that can make a country suc-’cssful is development by means of an abundant population Any iJt-a that you increase wages by keeping bm*k population is founded on a fallacy, of course. T think-nil the farm ng land is marvel’ously fertile and very, very moduetivo. I are immense l v struck by the country and the quality ef ‘t I know no other part of the world, except the Old Country, which lends itself better to farming on a moderate scale.

The Farmers’ Union Tradi r g Company have an announcement to-day notifying' the public regarding a big drapery sale.

The annual meeting of the rate payers of Papakura town district will lake place in the Picture Hall on. Friday next at 8 p.m. A full attendance is requested. See advt.

Mr W. K. Cor ring?, who recently lectured here on pig raising, has sent a number of copies of plans of styes and details on feeding to Mr H. Dell, from whom those interested may secure a copy.

A very practie ti letter deal in c with town-planning, beautifying, arts and crafts, will appear in cur next issue, being unavoidably he'd over today. Readers are urged to carefully study this important letter when it appears on Friday.

There is no more popular auctioneer in Auckland (or the province) than Mr Geo. Chignell. of 93, Karar.gahape Road, and the phrase “Let Chignell Sell it,” is known far and wide. Mr ChigneU (who has a business announcement on our front page today) specialises in outdoor sales and that he is successful is proved by the rapidly expanding business he is do-

A Hurleyville settler had an experience of the fall in prices last week which he will not soon forget, says the Patea Press. Having half-a-dozen store cows to dispose of he brought them in to the Kakaramea sale yards and after selling them came into town to purchase an overcoat. “You

can imagine my feelings/ 7 he said “when on inquiring the price of an overcoat T found that I would have to give the whole of the proceeds of the sale of the cows and some 5.2 to boot.' 7 A year ago the price of a hide from one of the cows would have sufficed to pay for the coat,

An instance of Christian practical kindness has been brought to our notice by a patient recently discharged from the Auckland Hospital. Every Sunday a man and Iris wife visits the hospital and presents each patient with a small package of confectionery stamped on i which is “With best wish.es for speedy recovery from members Waterside Workers. Firemen and Seamen's Union. 77 This practice has been in vogue for years and as there are 580 odd patients in the hospital, it can be easily understood the expenditure and labour entailed in distributing the gifts. The kind action of the union is greatly appreciated by many inmates of the institution. The patient also adds appreciation and uniform at tent ion received from the doctors and nursing staff of the hospital.

Reference is made in the annual report of the National Dairy Association to the climate experienced by. the dairying- industry during last season. The report states that the winter last year “was long though net severe. Unfortunately for dairymen, it extended into October in many of the districts of the Dominion. A succession of hard frosts for nearly three weeks in the early part of the spring retarded growth, and there was practically no progress until November and December, at least six weeks behind schedule titme. The pastures during these months were abundant, rain plentiful, but the sunshine was lacking. With the coming of the new year, with its rapid development of heat and lack of moisture, the grass wanting body and strength . withered with the consequent result—a rapid diminishing supply of milk..' The want of rain, together with cold nights and frosts in early April, has left the fields bare of autumn pastures.”