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Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1918, Page 2

A trainioad of 1025 sheep being sent from th£ West Coast to Canterbury for freezing purposes, left Ikamatua yester day en route for Islington.

Tom O’Byrne, of the Southland Timber Workers’ Union will address tinmen in the timber industry at Hokitika on Thursday night in the Supreme Hall : chair to be taken at 8 p.m.

Barton’s Circus concluded their season at Hokitika last evening when the tent was again well filled. An excellent programme w r as presented and met with an excellent reception hearty applause being given. The Circus left this morning for Stafford where a. performance is to be given to-night. The circus then goes to Jackson next morning showing at Otira on Friday night and then going over into Canterbury.

Exclusive of Maoris and Cook and other islanders, the estimated population of the Dominion as on December 31st, 1916, was 549,895 males and 550,668 females, a total of 1,100,563. Including members of the Expeditionary Forces, the departures from New Zealand exceed the arrivals by 20,602 IV m'aljes. The latter number 23,033 more than the males for this year, whereas in 1916 they were only 1773 in excess. These figures show where most of the New Zealand male population has gone .

Speaking of the short session of Parliament to be held in April, Sir Joseph Ward stated that it would be a very short one, and there would be no Budget. A'precedent for such a session bad been established by that of 1909. As to whether a Bill would be introduced prolonging the life of Parliament, nothing had as yet been settled. Sir Joseph added that although there would be no budget there would probably he a statement submitted summarising the financial position and the Budget propej- would come down at the ordinary session of the year.

Replying to a deputation at Auckland urging the importance of various railway works. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, said his problem was labour rather than money. Then would lie a great scarcity ol such labour during'the war. He was determined not to pay men more than 11s a day. It was the Government’s duty to find employment for soldiers who return ed. The Minister said lie could employ 10,000 men now on public works if tluu were available. The number now obtainable was only 1600 to 1700, compared with 4000 to 5000 usually employed at this time of the year.

The Druid’s Hall was filled to overflowing last evening when the social and dance tendered to the Chorus of “The Gondoliers” took place. The floor was crowded throughout the night with a merry throng of dancers. Excellent music was provided by Mr. Lawn, assis ed by Misses Jacobs, Breeze, Mrs Houston, Messrs Fredo Bros, Bateman and others. During the evening Miss Perry Messrs Ivon'Wilson and, Clarkson, rendered solos, which were much enjoyed. A plentiful supper was handed a eleven o’clock and was done full justice to. The gathering came to a conchr ion before two o’clock, being voted a distinctly successful function.

The Westland Advisory Committee of the National Efficiency Board niet at the County Chambers yesterday forenoon to meet Mr. J. A. Frostick, National Efficiency Commissioner. There were present: Messrs Norman (Chairman) Lang, Butler, Chapman, Perry, Ward, Houliston and Murdoch. The Chairman extended a cordial welcome to the Commissioner who addressed the Committee at considerable length. Various matters of national efficiency and post-war conditions to be anticipated, were discussed at length, as also matters affecting the working of the Military Service Act, in respect to which Mr Frostick gave much useful information. In a discussion which followed, Messrs Ward, Butler and Murdoch, referred to various industrial undertakings, which the Commissioner enlarged upon, suggesting that the matters mentioned might be taken up by the .Committee with a view to promoting their advancement. These (included: bacon curing, increased egg production, and bee keeping. Mr. Frostick forecasted that tic Midland'railway would give the menus of access to a market it would be hard to satisfy with the commodities referred to Touching on water power, the Com missioner expressed the firm conviction that the rights to all sources of power should remain with the State. He stronglv advocated the establishment of local industries to retain and attract population to the district. Mr. Pci moved, and Mr. Lang seconded a vote" of thanks to Mr. Frostick for his address. In reply Mr. Frostick appreciated the cordial character of his recept-

Included in a batch of fourteen men who left yesterday by the Otira express eii route to the C-l. camp at Feattierston were James Christian Hende of Hondo’s Ferry and Edward Bochford of Kumara. _ 1 , Dogs are rather out of place in a flower garden. However well trainee], it is difficult to convince a pup that st cat is not lurking behind a dahlia or that a rabbit has not made S. shady retreat in a bed of phlox.

As evidence that we do not get more rain than necessary, a visiting horticulturist having a: look at Macandrew Square, remarked that the dahlias there were fit for any show and that he had never seen a finer bed of asters.

A striking feature of the vital statistics in last Thursday’s Gazette” ■ is the difference between the number of marriages in 19115 and 1917. The average pre-war rate of'marriages was about 8.5 per 1000 of the population. The 10,028 marriages in 1915 made the rate for that year 9.12 per 1000. Th 1917 there were only 6300 marriages, or 5.73 per 1000 of population. The ‘Folding Star’ says r—A lad who had taken on a, pupil-teaehersliip in this district at a salary to start with of £SO a year, received a telegram from a Government department offering him

a position in the service at a salary of £7B a year to commence with Yet. the Education Department is deaf to the frequent requests of the boards to increase the pay of pupil-teacliers and probationers, and even worse than that, deducts pay from those at the training college if they dare to take ir relieving work in their holidays.

An instructive booklet from the Discharged Soldiers’ Information Bureau gives information under the following three heads: (1) Employment of returned men, (2) training and of the partially disabled, and (3) provision of employment on the termination of the war. The booklet contains illustrations of returned wounded soldiers being trained in various occupations. It will be very useful as a guide to returned soldiers and also instructive to the public in showing the

practical way in which one of the most serious problems of the war is being tackled by the Government. - The booklet is issued by the authority of the Minister in Charge of the Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department.

A meeting of the District Kacing Committee was held at Greymouth lastevening. Present—Messrs M. Hannan (Chair) Walton, Coates, Wingham, Petrie, Pnrfitt. McMahon and Evans. Reports in connection with recent race meetings were received. Two trainer’s licenses were granted, including A. T Hargreaves of Hokitika. In connection with the Botanist case arising at Reef ton, statements were received from tin owner and trainer in the North Island. These were not considered ample enough and it was resolved to ask the attendance of the parties at next district meeting, failing which the Committee wontdeal with the case in their ribsence. Tin application for the removal of the disqualification of F. Langston,e was considered. Two years of the three years

imposed by the Westland Racing Chd have expired. The application was supported by the Trainers’ Association at Trentham where Langstone had beci performing military duties for a year until discharged as medically unfit. T was resolved to forward the papers to the New Zealand Racing Conferem and recommend the removal of the disqualification with the object of permit! ing Langstone to take up stable dutie: and exercise riding at Trentham.

Call and make your selection from tiltcomplete range of Warner’s rust proo: corsets showing at Misses Addison— Advt.

“NO RUBBING” Laundry Help in

l/_ packets—the delight of thrifty wives, John Pnrkhill, Fitzherhert. Street Arrived per S. S. Alexander, cases of tomatoes, nectarines, apples, plums etc. Paterson Michel and Co.. Ltd. Phono No 2.—Advt.

Misses Addison are making further great reductions to clear their entire stock of summer millinery. Your inspection is cordially invited.—-Advt.