VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1921, Page 4

VARIOUS DOMINION ITEMS.

TELEGRAMS.

i_BV T ELEGIIA PH—-IfER PHEBB ASSOCIATION]

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. EOUR RE-ABI*OINTMENTS. ' WELLINGTON, July 16. The appointments ot the following Legislative Concillora expired yesterday; Messrs J. W. G .Aitkeu, G. Carson, W. E. Collins, J. Eisher, J. MacGregor, T. Mac Gibbon, 0. Samuel, R. K. Simpson, and It. Moore. The following have been re-appoint-ed: Hons W\ E. Collins, J. MacGregor 0. Samuel, and It. Moore. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. WELLINGTON, July 15. A new list of Justices of the Peace will he published shortly. The appointment of women Justices is under consideration.

MASTERTON GUN CLUB

MASTERTON, July 15. The Gun Club Meeting concluded with a £2OO live pigeon match. L. P. Hughes (15), Auckland, F. Seccombe (15), Te Awamutu, took £75 each, and K Groome (Otane), F. Cooper (Masterton), and H. Allen (Masterton) -14, each took £lO ‘is 3d. Twenty-seven competed. The Cooper Gold Medal was won by Hughe*.

OBITUARY

WHAKATANE, July 15. The death is announced of Mr Richard Joel Paltridge, aged 90 years, who picked up tho survivors of the wrecked warship Orpheus at Manakau. He was then master of a vessel trading between the North anti South Islands. Later, he was signalman and Customs officer at Manakau, and pilot for warships at Port Waikato during the Maori war. Ho was horn in London and catne to the Dominion when 20 years of age.

[H. M. S. Orpheus was wrecked on the Manakau Bar on February 7th, 1863. One hundred and lives wore lost.]

TEA MARKET PROSPECTS. WELLINGTON. July 15. Tea im{>orters state that the Ceylon tea crop, which amounted to 190,000,OOOlh in normal times, was curtailed to 100,000,0001 b. by finer plucking, while the partial failure of the monsoon rains caused tho Ceylon estimates to he further reduced to 145,000,0001 b. 'I he Indian crop shows a probable reduction of 15,000,0001 b. Java is expected to produce 30,000,0001 b. This is less than normal, consequently with this reduced general production it is considered by souq, well versed in the trade that there is no prospect of a fall in prices in the Colombo market, the one in which New Zealand is most concerned, and certainly no fall to the low levels ruling in. say, January last. The total shipments from Ceylon to New Zealand from January to May this year are barely 2,000,00011). as against 8,000,00011) last year, which was more than double normal requirements. Meanwhile there is no falling off in eonsumption, which Ts 750,000]1> to 800, _ 00011) per month. Stocks of Ceylon teas in New Zealand are very small, hut heavy stocks of Indian and Javan teas are held.

CHARGES OF SMUGGLING. AUCKLAND, July 15. Alexander Butler, a dealer in antiques. was fined £2lO on charges of smuggling and making false declarations in regard to three lots of antiques and old ehinawnre, which he had 'declared as household effects in order to evade (Imlt.

LOYALTY IN SCHOOLS

a ‘‘.MAORII.AND worker STATEMENT DENIED

WELLINGTON. July )5. Ihe following statemoul, which appeared in the “Maorilnncl Worker,’’ ol June ]sth., was rcicntlv brought under the notice of the lion. ('. J. Parr (Minister of Education), who immediately ordered an investigation: “In Palmerston North one girl, we know, has beer, repeatedly flogged at school because sh< refuses to sing more than “Three Clmer' for the Red.” and they have' not converted her to jingoism.” The Departmental officer who investi gated, reported as follows: “An enquiry regarding the matter was add res. sod to the following schools; West End. Campbell Street, College Street. Terrace End, Newbury, Longhorn, Tirit<*, Wniranga, Whakaronga, Kitzher bort East and Kelvin Grove. Tn each case the head-teacher replied that nr child had been punished in the school Iveeause she refused to sing the song “Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue,” and moreover, that the song referred to had not been sung this year Tho editor of the Maorilnncl Worker” was also asked to give the name of tin school referred to in the extract. No reply has been received. It is quite evident that as far as public school' are eoneerned the statement is nothing more or less than a maleious fabrication.”

OPOSSUM KILLING. WELLINGTON, July 14. Some 7100 opossums were taken in the short season during which killing wna allowed this war in the 'Wellinpcton district. The host season for the fur is when the females have the young in their pouches, so their destruction involves also the killing of the young opossums. It is feared that under these circumstances they will he soon exterminated. Tt is therefore suggested that the district he cheßshoarded, and that killing he limited to certain areas only, in rotation.