VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1921, Page 3

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

TELEGRAMS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

j A SUDDEN DEATH. i INVERCARGILL, January 18. 1 William Richards over 40 years of age married, with five children, collapsed in the bowling pavilion at 5.30 this evening. He entered the pavilion to get his bowls and five minutes later a cluhmate noticed him lying across a form. i A Doctor was called, but Richards died befora t!4e doctor arrived. He Imd suffered from heart trouble for some years. I DEATH OF EX-M.P. i ! AUCKLAND, Jan. 19. ! Mr Frank Lawrv, member for Pni* nell from 1887 to 1910, died to-day, aged 77 years. He leaves a,widow nnd one daughter. ! A NEW STEAMER. I DUNEDIN, Jan. 19. Another steamer, the ninth within a few months, has been purchased b.v the Union Company. Tips is the ex-Ger-man ship Antwerfen of 3080 tons gross. She has been rechristened the AYiagain i, and left Britain early this month for’ Melbourne and Sydney via the Cape.

SMALL SHOPS

DUNEDIN, January 16

A meeting of small storekeepers was held here on Saturday afternoon relative to the amending clauses to the Shops and Offices Act compelling stores to close at 6 p.m. A petition was brought forward and extensively signed protesting against the Act. Various speakers pointed out the hardship to returned .soldiers, widows and others keeping small stores, particularly the suburbs, seaside resorts etc., where the hulk of business was transacted after six o’clock. A strong protest was also made against business being rushed through Parliament in the closing hours of the session without members or the public being alive to what was. going on. Eventually it was cockled to set up a committee to ronfer with memlmrs of Parliament, with a view to securing their co-operation.

ALLOTMENT of SHIPPING SPACE

DUNEDIN, January 16

Air G. Lamb, secretary of the Smith Island Dairy Association has roceivid advice from the Overseas Committee of the following allotment of space for butter and cheese : —Durham, from Bluff, Dunedin and Lyttelton to West Coast of England, 10,000 crates cheese (Space has also l>een allotted on the Durham for 3200 boxes of butter from I luff); Papawa, from Port Chalmers for London 16,000 boxes of butter; Raranga, 4750 crates of cheese; Somerset from Lyttelton, 28,000 boxes of butter, 3750 crates of cheese.

New charges for grading

WELLINGTON, January 16

Some difficulty is being experienced in finding sufficient insulated shipping space for the quick removal of cheese now coming into grading ports in heavy volume. The production of both huttec mid ohees was heavy up to within ten days or a week ago. when the effects of tlie long ,spell of dry weather was beginning to tell. The coming of rain should lie followed b.v full supplies of milk to factories.

In order to help the dairying industry in its early days and to ensure die export of both butter and cheese of the highest quality, the system of compulsory grading was instituted. Millions of pounds worth of business is done on the grade notes of Government graders, who are responsible to no ono but their official chiefs. Tlie cost of this service to the dairy farmer in particular was borne by tho Dominion as a whole. It is now to be paid for by the dai>y factories. The charge for grading wil be an impost of Id per box on butter and of one penny and a third per crate on cheese.

The gradings for the twelve months ended December 31st were: 251,156 Ikixos butter, 214,757 cwt. of cheese. This produce would have given a return to the Government for grading services of approximately £I7OO. WHEAT GROWERS. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan 19. Representatives of the wheat growers of Canterbury, Otago and Southland met the Minister of Agriculture, and discussed arrangements lor the present season, and il there should be government control of 1921-22 crops. A committee was appointed to confer with the Minister in February in regard to the first question, and the motion for Government control ho continued for the 1921-22 crop was lost. HANDLING OF N.Z. MEAT. WELLINGTON, January 15. The Prime Minister states that the Government i.s taking steps to set up a Commission of Enquiry to investigate the charges made hv Mr H. E. Holland M.P., in the House of Representatives regarding the slaughtering and handling of New Zealand meat. No decision has yet been arrived at as to the personnel of the Commission. GRAND JUNCTION MINE. AUCKLAND, Jan 16. The Waihi Grand Junction Mine, for the period ended December 31st treated 5630 tons of ore, for a return of £12,014 an increase of £5407 on t.ie yield from 440 tons in the previous December. The estimated yield for 192 C is £74,486. The total won from the mine to date is £1,940,631.