WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAIRY CONTROL. CO.AIITLSIUX TO STAND OVER. (Special to “ Guardian. ) \YKLLIXGTON, December Id. Tlio members of the Free Marketing Lem'tic ; ii'o expressing warm approval of the “sweet reasonableness'’ ot (lie prime .Minister ant! (lie Minister of Wrietilliire in disoisssing the quosUon ,t ; - absolute control ” with the depu- ! pion that waited upon them in New Hviiintitli the other day. It was known ,U;,l Mr Coates personally was opposed t .., t he exercise of compulsion under .y f . provisions of the Dairy Produce !.\port Control Act, hut it was feared ,] at in order to “save the face” of l [.M inister of Agriculture lie would -land by bis colleague in giving cflcct to the resolution of the Dairy Board to take charge of all dairy produce intended for export as from August Ist next. But to the surprise of most of the mcm.bcrs of th.e ilepnlation Mr Nosworthy seemed as ready as his chief ( !i,l to meet their views in regard to the suspension of “absolute control. at least until a new Dairy Board had

! ~,.n elected under a more democratic -ystem of election than the one that returned the present Board. After staling that when he put the compulsory clause into the original Bill lie had no intention of bringing it into operation, lie implied very broadly that he would approve of its application bein,, ,|„|Vrrcd until a now hoard clearly entitled to speak on behalf of the proihicci - had been elected. nil* goykrn.mkxt pledged. •p[-e Prime Mini-dor was more cxlicit than las colleague had been, making i> (piite dear that his own inclination lay in the direction ol the •ward system” of voting. "The promise was made by the .Minister of Agricultiire.” Mr Coates said. “ (hat it any change in the system of election were to lie made il would lirst be submilted to the dairy companies. I understand that is being done at once, '-il far as the Government is concerned we want to bring in the ward system, hut, we do not. want to go into anything the ,|;,iry people do not want themselves. \Ye want to give them an opportunity Ol saying Whether the ward -vstem should come into elleei. Replving to a <|ttery front Mr George Gibsiiii. a very live memher ol the I* fee .Marketing League, the Minister said that his promise to move in the matter would he I’ll Hi I led before the next Board was elected and that the ((iiostion ol compulsion could then he derided. Mr Nosworthy. supplementing Ids chiefs remarks, said lie thought it would he a mistake to withdraw the power of absolute control irom the hoard altogether. That, however, was only his personal opinion, and he would he prepared to allow compulsion to “ stand over for a while.” The Minister admitted that Mr Massey and the Cltairhad declared that ahsolule control would he brought into eflerl only m rase of emergency. That, he said, had liven Ids own expectation. CO.MMKRCiA 1.1 SING CHRISTMAS. Al List there is hope ol Wellington raising its voire in protect against toe desecration of an old-time custom by itinerant brass bands that have haunted the suburbs ol the rilv lor many Christmases past making excruciating noises and soliciting money Irom tlnur unhappy victims. "The old-time eusw rites a correspondent in the “ Dominion " to-day. “ was a vert biviolilul one. honoured as a iradilionai ru; loin wherever the British llttg waves. Bill i-nmethiug approaehiug deterioration has set in ot recent ycais. something quit<> obnoxious to a great nuinv neoplt'. I his is the eustniu ot brass bauds to eninmeme an organised raid i n well-meaning folk in the early hmirs of tlm morning long bclorChristina.'. S>t>• 11 was I lie ease on Sunil:, y morning, when many city and siibijrl>:’u jicitpio were ernuseii ti'inii llnai sl::ti.':e.*s hv se tings of band- playing Chrisinia.s carols ami hymns, and then soliciting money at the doors lor thc’.r unpardonable intrusion. Ibis act ol making a commercial business out "I a solemn festival ol the ( hristiau ( litirel; is scarcely in accord with the ideas ol right-thinking people, and one may perhaps lie forgiven lor this protest in the hope (hat ihe-o intolerable bands will desist from indicting lurther torlure between dawn and break!'-!.' The “ band- “ last Sunday did not coniine their eperations to Be city and its •ei'-urbs. They I ravelled out to all i lie week-end resorts that could be leached b.v motor-ear and made (lie morning hideous from day-break. It is stated that the •' bauds,” some of which consisted of no more than two instruments am! a collector, east lots for “pitches,'' STATE ADVANCES.

An increase in the rate ol interest I,as been so long threatened by the Stale .Advances Olliee that no one was surprised bv th.e aiinoitm emeu! nv.ule yesterday'. Fp to December I. when lie new rales came into operation, money might be bail ai -It per teul p|Uc I | ;-r cent -inking fund, lor a term of .82) years. Previous rates on loan- to workers were 5 per cent : on loans other than redemption of mortgages to settlers, 6 per cent: on loans to local authorities s', per cent. The preseiil rate increases the above rates to It 1 , per cent for workers; bj per cent on loans other than redemption of mortgages: (i.J per cent on loans for the redemption of mortgages, and G per cent on loans for local authoril ies. Save in the ease of loans lor local authorilie-. tlm rales are subject- to a i-.-liate of : per cent for prompt payment. Loan- for building, tlierelore. will now available at (i.‘, per cent, reducible to 5:,' per cent net on prompt payment of interest, plus 1 per cent sinking fund or a proportionate percettj age if the morl gage is for a -liorter term than the usual 30J years." Even at 11 lo increased rales the Stale (Iffiee will have little margin between its borrowing and its lending, and appli-ant--till have lo lie grateful for such assistance as they can obtain.