LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 December 1913, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We are advised by the Postmaster, Helensville, that Pensions due on the Ist January will be paid from the 23rd inst.

A northern school teacher, Mr Banks intends to maich with a party of school boys 12 in number from Te Kao to Auckland during the holidays.

On Christmas night in the Foresters' Hall a magnificient programme of beautiful sacred items will be given by the Wielaert Pecbotsch Combination.

The rainfall locally for December to date (registered by Mr A. J. Hill) is 5.13 in. Of this 3.'65 in. fell on three days, 9th to 1 ith inst.

Mr J. M. Scott, photographer, whose advertisement was inadvertently omitted last week, is continuing his business in Helensville and hopes to have his business premises ready shortly.

Woodward and Hosking. barristers and solicitors, have been unable to attend Helensville lately owing to Mr Woodward being on special police duty, but their visits will be resumed in January.

The School picnic takes place at the Hot Springs on Friday. Stewart Bros' lorry and Hunter Bros' brake will convey children free to the Springs; adults will be charged usual fare. The brake will make its nret trip at 8.45 am. and again on arrival of express.

Five bags of mail matter were stolen from the Taumaranui Post Office on Friday and the contents ransacked. Registered letters were opened and scattered about and negotiable docu^ ments presumably taken. Iha value of articles stolen cannot be estimated until losses are proved.

A man named Robert Irwin Moaclem, alias Cooper, alias Blabk, was arrested in Helensville the other day by Constale Driscoll for alleged false pretences at, Hamilton by obtaining a cheque for £3 18s 6d from the firm of Fleming and Mcintosh, When taken in charge the accused denied that he was the man wanted, but later admitted his identity. He was taken on to Auckland by Constable Driscoll en route for Hamilton.

"As showing the extraordinary shortage and demand in the United Stastes for meat it is a remarkable fact that recently over 8000 quarters of beef per week were being re-ported from Liverpool to the States, while a few years ago England looked to the United Ststes as the principal source of her beef supply", stated Mr M. A. Eliot, in his address to the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce.

By the new Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Bill the scope of the divorce law is widened. u Wilful desertion" is defined as occurring when a married woman is left habitually and without cause without reasonable maintenance for any period, whethor this occurs after separation by mutual consent or by judicial decree. It is further provided that the court may, on the application of the respondent make absolute a decree nisi for the dissolution of a marriage, and his application shall have powers equal to the application of a petitioner.

A Kaipara farmer of the progressive typo recently demonstrated to us again the advantage to be gamed from tasting the individual cows of his herd. He is a practical man and ttsts his cows ence every month, tie began operations two summers ago, and, at tlie end of the first summer had re^ duced his herd from 30 cows to 17 tlis avorago income por cow for tho first season was under £7 and the sucoud season for the 17 his income averged per cow Ll2 10s, from which it is evident ho made as much as he did from the :i0 tlie previous season. He now tells us that ho is in the hope of milking more cows and gettiug an averago income of close on £15 per head per annum. An argument like this needs no comment from in.— Wiiiroa 8011. Speaking on the Labor Disputes Bill Mr. W. A. Yeitch (Labour member fu- Warn, anui) said the Minister was to be commended for introducing tho Bill. It contained much that he approved of, especial!}' as it retained to the workers the right to strike. tie then proceeded to argue that Parliament ought to have intervened in tho strike as its inaction was the greatest conlirmation of the argument of the syndicalists, who said political action was no use to them. His advice to the strikers w->s to go back to work at once and start from to-day and reorganise so that at tho next election they would oomph tely strengthen the hands of Parliament. He was sorry to say that Laboui had lost the light. It is seldom that any member of the House is listened to with the rapt attention with which Mr. Millar was honoured when speaking on ihj Labor Disputes Bill In extending his hearty support to the Bill he gavo the House the benefit of his experience as an experienced labour leader of 30 years' standing of the utter futility of strikes. "I have had three strikes in my time," he said, "and I am wondering when the workeis are going to learn the. lesson and realise that sti ikes never do any good to the workingman. He expressed surprise that any representative of Labour should oppose the Bill, as it supplied a missing link in our legislation. Mr Millar also referred to the oft-reiterated statement that the Government should have done something to settle the strike. He asked what the Government could have done. Had he been Minister for Labor he did not think he could have done anything to settle the strike. "'I have the same sympathy with Labour" said Mr Millar in conclusion, "as I had SO ; years ago. No man in New Zealand j would uo more for Labour 10-day than I I will, but Labour must be sane." |

After hearing addresses by counsel at Auckland in the case of Carroll v. Rodney County Council, a claim for damages alleged as the result of fire caused by defendant's workmen. Mr Page, S.M. reserved his decision. The evidence was taken at Helensville some time ago. A written judgment will be given later.

Mr Isitt, M.P., speaking on the Gaming Bill the other day reviewed the increase of gambling, and contended that the history of the totalisator was sufficient to give the country pause. The figures for New Zealand in the present year totalled about £4 10s per head of the population through the totalisator, while the Australian States gambled about £1 per head.

Cigarette smoking may cost a young American, named Grevel E, W. Acker L 9,600. This sum is left to him by the will of his uncle, a tobacco merchant, with the condition that, when he comes to claim the legacy, he is able to prove that he has "abstained absolutely from the use of cigarettes."

The number of persons employed in connection with mining operations in the Dominion last year was 9567. In addition about 1000 gum-diggers were engaged in producing that resinous product, and 60 persons were employed in connection with boring operations in search jf petroleum in tbe North Is~ land. In coal mines 3198 miners wore employed below and 1130 above ground; in gold mines, 5162; and in other mines 77 persons.

The Fruit Preserving Industry Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives the other day provides for authority to raise moneys for the purpose of advances for the establishment of fruit preserving works. The total sum to be so advanced is limited to L 25,000 a year. The sums raised bear interest at a rate not exceeding 5 per cent., whilst the rate to be charged to the associations or persons to whom the advances are made shall not exceed 51 per cent. The advances, which are limited to L3OOO, are to be secured by a first mortgage of a freehold interest in the site of the works to be established, or by such other real or personal security as may be required.

A stricter test is to be applied in future when a Territorial claims exemption through beiug medically unfit. He is to be examined by an officer of the New Zealand Medical Corps, who will state definitely to which category the rnah belongs: (a) Temporarily medically unfit; (b) fit for training in general training section only; V,) permanently unfit. In tlie case of (a), the man will be granted leave from drills, etc., for the period ordered by the medical officer. If, at the end of that time, he still claims to be unfit, a further examination will take place. In the case of (b), the man will be transferred to the general training section. In the case of [c], the man is to be discharged forthwith.