THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, OCT. 25, 1909 DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 202, 25 October 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. MONDAY, OCT. 25, 1909 DISTRICT PARS.

On Thursday next, October 28th, Mrs Cros«s will terminate her series of dances with a plain and fancy dress ball. Messrs Saunders, violin and J. Hetet, piano, have been engaged for the evening, and as good music practically makes dancing a success, the function on Thursday evening should be one of the best yet held. We wish to draw the attention of the public to the fact that Mrs Williams has started a laundry business in Mr Boddie's house, at the corner of the Esplanade and Rora Street, and guarantees satisfaction in all branches of the business.

The annual concert and dance in aid of thePacmako School prize fond will be held in the school room on November 19th. These annual entertainments are always looked lorward to with pleasure and this year the function promises to be even more successful than its forerunners. The Main Trunk train from Wellington to Auckland was delayed one and a half boors on Friday last reaching Frankton at 5 o'clock next morning, owing to the engine breaking down at I'almerston North. On arrival at Ohakunc a number of passengers dismounted ana had a snowballing match, the snow being fifteen inches deep in places along the line above the Waimarino Tlains. The excellent heating arrangementas to the Main Trunk trains enabled the pamengers to view in comfort the bleak outside surorundings. Petitions in favour of compulsory military training are being circulated for signature in Auckland under the auspices of the National Defence League. The first of the petitions, with some 2000 signatures, will probably be presented to Parliament next week.

The Dominion's postal revenue during the September quarter totalled £llß, 088, compared with £111,361 for the same quarter of 1908. Telegraph revenue was £59,946, as against £57,374 for the corresponding period of last year. Attention is drawn in this issue to a Salvage Goods Sale. All goods comprising Drapery, Fancy Goods, Saddlery etc. will be sold without reserve. The sale is being held in Young's Auction Mart, Taupiri Street, on the 28th, 29 and 30 of October. Dr. Sommerville, brother of Mr R. M. Sommerville of Te Kuiti, was on Thursday last elected first Mayor of Wairoa, Hawkes Bay. A considerable ! amount of excitement was infused into i the election of mayor and councillors for the newly-formed bourough. Dr. Sotnmerville's majority in the mayoral <-ontcst was one hundred In the house of Representatives on Thursday Mr E. H. Taylor saked the Minister of Mines whether the Government are preparing to acquire a State coal mine in the Waikato, or to extend the privilege of the sale of State coal in the northern district. The Hon. R. McKenzie replied that the question of establishing a State coal mine in the Auickland provincial district has received some attention from the Government, but, owing to the limited funds at the disposal of the Mines Department for this purpose, it is not anticipated that any immediate action will be taken. It is not at present intended to establish a State coal depot in the Auckland district. An endeavour is to be made thin year to reorganise the Piopio Cricket Club and a meeting of all those interested in the game is to be he!d i". *' Miroahiuao Hall on October There arc a number of playrrn ;:: district, and a very crc'iitai'K t< ;.:.-. could be placed in the :.••.•! :i '.'■" ■■•'■' could be got together. ,

The Scttlcrs'annual picnic at Piopio has become established in favour and a meeting is to I•■ h<<id in the Miroahuiao Hall en ().;t;j:jc-r '■)>-{ h for the purpose of arrar.pinfj preliminary details in connection v.ith this year's reunion. Settlers' are requested to muster in force. j The approach of summer is bringing ', with it a quickening in the athletic world, and sports meetings are being j pojected in various parts of the dis- ■ tricL On December 15th the annual \ meeting of the Ohura Sports Club will be held at Toe Toe and two days later the Matiere Sports gathering will be held. Excellent programmes including wood chopping and sawing, running, jumping, and other field events have been got out and successful meetings should result. A company to be called the Waipa Railway and Collieries, Limited, is being floated to work on Royalty a new coalfield at To Akatea, Waikato, about six miles from Ngaruawahia. Th<» proposed capital is £BO,OOO in £1 shares, of which 78,500 are being offered to the public, and 1500 are to be allotted to the Ngaruawahla Coal Company, Limited, by direction of the vendors. In the prospectus of the proposed new company it is stated, inter alia, that the areas over which options are held to acquire rights to mine coal on royalty, are approximately 1774 acres. The present owners have spent a considerable amount in opening up the coal seams, which are reported to be exposed on rising ground permitting "level free " working. A deputation of Southern Kawhia settlers, introduced by Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., urged on the Premier that certain unoccupied Crown Lands, surveyed some time ago, be thrown open for selection; that the Government should reserve Ntaive lands at Marokopa Heads, and open a township site on the freehold tenure; that the felling of bush on the Ratanui township site be completed, and further backblock telephones be provided. 4Jir Joseph Ward promised to look into these matters.

According to Mr Ell, M.P., the guarantee given by the State to the Bank of New Zealand was one of the best investments which the Government ever made. During the course of his speech on the AddresE-in-Reply on Friday evening, he recalled the fact that in 1905, when the Government purchased 75,000 shares in the bank, their face value was £6 13s Id a piece. Mr-Ell continued: "The money involved is costing the Government less than three and a half per cent. What do we receive from it? In 1905 at 5 per cent, dividend amounting to £25, 000; in 1906 another 5 per cent, dividend of £25,000; in 1907 a 7£ per cent, dividend of £37,000; in 1908 a 75 per cent, dividend of £37,500; and in 1909 an 8£ per cent, dividend amounting to £43,750. In five years only we have received £168,750, while the amount paid in interest on the purchase amount comes to £81,113 per year." It is understood that Mr Ell and other members who favour the extension of State control in connection with the bank intend to deputationise the Prime Minister again this session.

In the course of an interview at Chriitchurch Sir Albert Spicer, M.P., president of the London Chamber of Commerce, made some interesting remarks in connection with free trade and the colonies. Sir Albert, who is a staunch free-trader,-«aid he had always held that the country which produced large supplies of foodstuffs could not afford to play with protection. There was no doubt that at the present time it would be a very serious blow to many industries in Australia and New Zealand were free trade to be introduced suddenly. At the same time he could not shut his eyes to the fact that Australia and New Zealand were agricultural countries, and their wealth was in those industries. Under a protective system the agriculturist was always producing under a system which was naturally expensive to him, while, on the other hand.Jic had to sell on a free trade basis. If he lived in Australia or N*w Zealand he would be a free trader on principle, and he should aim at giving each industtry that had protection a limited number of years to enable it to become established with a view to ultimately withdrawing the protection. He was, however, bound to say he believed that protection bad too strong a hold in Australasia to make it likely that an alteration would be made in future. A deputation of unemployed interviewed the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Labour, last week, requesting that work should be found for them. Mr Millar replied that farming work was available in Southland, Otago, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa. The deputationists answered that the unemployed were not used to farm work. The Minister advised the rr.m ot seek private employment, a= the shortened expenditure of public work? would reduce the Government'.- power to find work for the unemployed. Answering one of the doputatier i.= iremarks that men would not u" '■■ ■'■■'■ the country without money, Mr Mikr.r stated that they could not L ■■■ of t: stamp of men who mado the ecu::iry.