The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, .MARCH 12, 1929.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, .MARCH 12, 1929.

THE STATE ATI) THE TRADER

Wuhn .Mr K. L. Ziman, of Auckland, read a paper at the conference of the New Zealand Law Society on trading by the State, lie was not the first New Zealand lawyer, says the

•‘Star” of Auckland, to discuss publicly the evils that have grown up with the system, but the fact that he addressed the New Zealand laiw Society gave his remarks a special importance. For who should be more zealous for justice than lawyers; who should be readier to point out the dangers threatening tin* community I rout toe eomhiuation of widespread State trading and special powers and privileges rseerved to the Crown ‘t No less a person than the Chief Justice of England has not only addressed the profession and the public on me perils inherent in a privileged bureaucracy, hut lias written a hook in which he points out to Englishmen that their ancient liberties are in danger. Privileges enjoyed by State trading departments. Mr Ziman points out, not only create a sense ol rankling injustice; they tend to under-

mi lie respect for and obedience to the law. and respect for the Courts. It is, as lie says, a serious thing if judges are forced by the Jaw into giving judgments that are obviously unjust. Yet we have -seen that happen. We have seen judges reluctantly giving judgment for State departments because those departments .have taken refuge behind the privileges of the Crown. Mr Ziman says that departments have acquired enormous privileges, not by direct grant, so that Parliament realised what it was doing, but by the simple and ingenious method of establishing trading activities in the name of the Crown. The Crown enjoys certain privileges, conferred long ago, before, such trading activities were thought of, but these privileges are now employed in competition with private traders. The situation is monstrously unjust. Mr Ziman would not take away prerogative rights from all State departments. He would, however, convert trading departments in law into what they are in Du t, trading and industrial corparali as. and endow them 1 with exactly tli 1 same rights and privileges as private corporations, unless Parliament in its wisdom thought tit expressly to grant special privileges to any particular department. 'I liis policy would remove trading departments from the general sheltering privileges of the Crown, ami cause each case to he judged on its merits. The relations between State trading and private trading are, as Sir .Joseph Ward realises, overdue for overhaul, and if the United Party did nothing else hut this it would earn the gratitude of the country To the attention of Mr T. K. Sidev, file new Attorney-General, the necessity of removing or restricting .the privileges that trading departments enjoy as -appanages <il the Crown, may I>c especially commended. Nothing in our law is in so great a need of overhaul as the Crown Suits A(t and its applications.

Comim.i.m KN’fAKv remarks wore passed at the meeting of the Westland County Council on Tuesday relative to the financial position revealed by the County Treasurer’s statement of the year’s operations. In particular. Mr E. A. Wells. County Chairman, was complimented on the fact that during his term of office the overdraft had been paid off. and the Council ended the year with a credit balance at the bank. The result was achieved notwithstanding a year of considerable activity in road work etc., and some additions to the machinery plant. Mr Wells stated, however, that the use of the plant had helped towards the satisfactory result, and the time was approaching when it would In* found the Council could do with more plant. One of the Councillors stressed the fact that by eliminating the charges on an overdraft a very useful saving could lie made. And this is so; while last year interest only amounted to £OO. turning uj> some former balance sheets, we find the charge mounted up to four times that sum. Praise was given also to Mr Millner. County Overseer, lor his alien! ion to duties, and his callable direction of the public works. Naturally a great deal depends on the outdoor staff, and the note of appreciation expressed, indicates that tin*

Council has been well served with its Mail’. The .suggestion in the Treasurer’s report to discharge some ol the I uhlic debt appears a good one, not only as a means of saving interest annually, hut also to do a measure ol justice to those settlers at Harihari who are saddled with extra rating now a.s .a result of protection work for part ol which the River Board is responsible. The proposal appears to he an equitable one in the face of all the circumstances, as also does the suggestion to remove the haulage levy on timber in the ; Piilral hiding, if additional roads arc brought under the Secondary Highways. This is a special tax for a particular locality and was only enforced 'indcr stress of circumstances. With the situation eased, there is reason and justice in giving the relief to the sawmilling linns alFecjetl. The general tenor of the report should he satislaetory to the ratepayers. Ihe statement shows that, the County is not unduly rated, while at the same time I lie mlministraton lias given excellent value. Altogether the C unity ratepayers find themselves under their local body in a very pleasing and satisi a dory position.

Tlie 'Committee of the Westland Racing Club meets to-night at 8.30 o'clock.

The order of Masses and Devotions in St. Mary’s Parish on Sunday, April Nth. will he as follows: —Arahura 10 a.m., Hokitika 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Kokntabi Gun Club will hold a clayin’ rd match at Kokatnhi on Sunday. ; \pril 14th. A modal donated by Mr Fort Crept) will l?e awarded for the first barrel performance in an event of nine birds. Nnm. As. Other sweepstakes to follow. Shooting to start at 1.30. Advt.

Definite evidence of the presence of sharks in the Grey Roadstead has been secured bv the crew of the trawler Nile. A forty-pound fish was hooked, hut before it could lie hauled aboard it was bitten cleanly in two, just below the head, hv a shark. The head was brought into port a.s an exhibit.

A roll of honour has been published ’•v the Defence Department giving a I'- 11 list of members of the New Zealand’ Expeditionary Forces who were killed in action or who died of wounds sustained on active servic e. Ihe list also includes those who died subsequent. to the war from war injuries, and those whose deaths were due to disease or accidents on active service, or while training with the forces.

At a meeting of the General Committee of the Tvokatahi-Koiterangt Winter Show, held last evening, it was decided to hold the annual Show on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28th. and 29th. It was resolved to affiliate with the South Island Poultry Association, and the Show will he conducted under its rules in future. A silver oup. donated by Mr Wright, one of the Otago farmers, who visited the district last year, was allotted to the District Bay competition. Considerable interest is being shown in this year’s fixture. and the annual gathering gives promise of being as fully successful as those of recent years.

South Westland is catering well for tourist traffic, which is a steadily increasing quantity. At Waiho, MessrsGraham Bros, continue to make additions to the Waiho Glacier Hotel, which is now one of the best appointed bom tolries in the Dominion. There is an (••(•client service, and the popularity v' o house is growing, while the sceni attractions of the locality are inducing visitors to make more prolonged stops. T).p wayside accommodation houses or tin* southern route, also, cater well for travellers, so that visitors have no occasion to complain of the catering provided throughout the south trip.

Tin' protection work at Little 'Wanganui's, South 'Westland, where the rain overflowed endangering Harihan settlement, is quite a considerable work. It was inspected this week by the District Highways Council. Some (it; chains of earth wall with a toe of laced scrub and stone are being put in. Spurs branch off at points and the ends are secured by aprons of crated stone. Upwards of LT,()()() have been expended to date, and a considerable expenditure is still involved to secure the position. The work being done promises to be effective, and its completion is being expedited in order to as secure as possible before the major floods of the season are due.

Shags live on fish, which they swallow whole and. of course, there is a limit to the .size of a “mouthful.” says the Westport Times on Tuesday. 'lbis morning Mr M. Mexted. of Pahautanni. found evidence that that limit is large enough to bring other risks than choking. Seeing a shag in the water unable to fly, he chased and captured it. and found it overburdened with freight. Tt contained a trout lflin long and 31 inches deep and weighing lib 6nz. The trout was still alive and showed no marks of injury in the brid’s beak, but digestion had already commenced on the tissues of the head. The Acclimation Society's office was consulted, and it was found that the biggest trout swallowed bv a shag, within the society's ollipial knowledge, was 12in long.

.Tost in from London — Undies’ new Cardigans. Ss lid, 12s fid. 17s fid and ■l.ls. Ladies’ Jumpers, 13s fid. 10s lid. 22s fid. A fine lot in new designs at MoKav’s.Advt.

Our prices are right for the latest In blinds, made up complete in the newest plaiting and pleating, fall to-dav and inquire before purchasing elsewhere.—Addison’s, Advt.

A new range of ladies’ coats (lur trimmed) opened to-day at Addison's —Advt.

Messrs Jeffries and Co. notify an auction sale of fruit and vegetables at. flic Mart. Sewell street on Saturday next, April 13th. at 10.30 a.m.

A practice match of the Kokatahi Junior football Club will be lieicl oi> Sunday next at 3 p.m. All those interested please attend. Meeting to follow.—S. O’Neil, Secretary. —Advt.

In the Associate Hoard Examination l<«lf| last November. Miss Estelle Kandnll, a pupil of Miss At. Davies, was sucssim ’ll! passing Rudiments o'f Music (Theory) and intermediate Grade (Practical).

Dr. Markham Lee, a distinguished English musician and lecturer, will visit New Zealand this year to conduct the practical examinations of trie , k oyal Academy of Music and the Royal tallege of Music.

The Returning Officer (Mr H. G. F. Coles) notifies that a poll to determine the statutory closing day in Hokitika will be taken on Wednesday. Ist. AI ay between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The appointment of the following Justices of the Peace was announced in the Gazette last night;—John M. Runt, Michael J. Fogarty, James L. Hill, James Kyle, of Greymouth; John Rvan and Gilbert H. Shaw, of Rotomanu. and George Edward Graham, of Waiho.

Sales of West Coast stock at Addington sales on Wednesday included fat lambs: J. Donovan (Okarito) 34 at 23s 7d to 23s 7d, W. Perry (Harihari) 160 shorn at 22s 7d to 23s Id, D. Kidd (Moonlight) 19 at 26s 4d to 27s 7d. West Coast client 31 at 24s lOd. l'at cattle: W. Jamieson (Koiterangi) eight, steers at €l6 7s 6d, eight cows at €ll Ts Pd to €l3 7s 6d, eight steers at L‘9 16s.

Visitors to Welieka have very comfortable accommodation provided at tin* Fox Glacier hostel, which Messrs Sullivan Pros, have erected and outfitted at considerable cost. The budding is two-storey, and splendidly fitted. It is lit and heated electrically and first class accommodation is provided. The hostel has a very pleasant situation and guests are made most com. Wtable. The vice-regal party trom New South Wales, who stayed at tin hostel were delighted with the service. Jt is conducted on the very best lines and will become very popular.

Alen ! Call and see the new overcoats at Padc’s. The new shop that has the latest in everything a man requires. Ask to see the new fur-felt lmts at I.os fid. nr good warm all-wool cardigans at 12s 6d. Also pull-overs ivul lumber (jackets at new prices. Frank Pade (late of McKay’s).—Advt.

Tlie usual fortnightly meeting Lodge Westland, F.A.0.D.. was held last evening, A.T). Pro. Lock presiding. Before the business of the even-j-Mj M as commenced a motion of condolence was passed to the wile and family of the late Pro. Isaac Brown, members standing in silence. After the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting, outward and inward correspondence was i-Pad and was approved and received respectively. Sick pay of £lO 15s and other accounts amounting to £56 16s 4d. (the major portion of which was Grand Lodge dues) were passed for payment. The A.D. and liis officers impressively initiated two new members. The delegate to the Grand Lodge conference reported to the meeting on matters of interest to tlie local Dodge and to Druid Kin general]v. The ritual competition for the challenge cup was won toy Y.A. Pro. G. Noble, alter an interesting recital bv six competitors. This concluded tlie business and the Lodge closed in harmony.

Superior Quality Ho=o just landed from London by McKay’s—“Violet Ping” full-fashioned Trepoint Cashmere Hose, eight new shades, fis lid; “Xulastic” expanding tops Cashmere Hose, six new shades, os 3d; “Lady Jane” pure silk full-fashioned Hose, twelve shades. 10s fid pair; “Kavser” pure silk slipper hoc!. 11s fid: half-heel 13s fid pair. Also hose of deeper quality at McKay’s.—Advt.

Wo ms’ Great Peppermint Cure For Children’s Hacking Cough

When ordering vinegar get the best —ask for Shnrlnnd’s Vinegar. Pure, piquant, strong. It is the best money can buy. In bottle or bulk.—Advt.