LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 19 July 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) asked the Minister of Agriculture (tho Hon. G. W. Forbes) in the House of Representatives, whether, in view of tho prevalence of sheep-stealing, h.e will extend the provisions of the Stock Act to stock carried vehicularly other than by train, in order to prohibit the removal of stock between tho hours of sunset and sunrise;' also whether he will provide for the appointment of special officers by arrangement with local vigilance committees to assist the police in the suppression of this crime? The Minister replied, I will go into the question of so amending section 68 of tho Stock,Act so as to maJce it applicable to stock carried by road in motor-vehicles. As regards the appointment of oflicers to assist vigilance committees and the police in the suppression of sheep-stealing, this is a matter for the Police Department, but inquiries are being made as to whether the present officers of the Department can in the course of their duties afford some, assistance in this direction. The Auckland Automobile Association has officially decided to join in the North Islaiid Motor Union mutual insurance scheme for the insurance of members' cars in place of the insurance scheme at present in force. The council of the association, as the outcome of negotiations with the North Island Motor Union Mutual Insurance Company, has adopted that company's motor-car insurance policy as the official policy of the association, and in consequence three months' notice of the termination of the existing arrangement with Lloyd's underwriters has been given to the New Zealand agents. Answering a question in the House of Representatives the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ranso'm) said lie was advised by the Highways Board that its financial arrangements for this year were such that the balance at the end of this financial year in its revenue fund, which was the fund from which maintenance moneys and moneys for the payment of interest, etc.', were derived, would be no more than sufficient to carry on its works for two months; in. other words, roughly, something over £200,000 (telegraphs "The Mail's" Parliamentary reporter). These figures were made up before the earthquake occurred. Modifications would now be necessary, as the amount of damage was very large, and also extremely difficult to estimate, because, in addition to material which had already slipped, there wag a great deal more which had been loosened and would come down from time to time, probably for years. ,'fhe Highways Hoard had always expressed the opinion that in connection with its funds caution should be exercised both with maintenance funds and construction funds, and these maintenance moneys should' never be depleted, as in the event of any crisis, particularly a financial one, new construction could always be stopped, but maintenance should never be stopped if the value of the assets produced by the spending of capital moneys was to be sustained.

"Now that leprosy has been removed from the Cook Islands," states the Resident Commissioner in his annual report, "and campaigns against yaws and hookworm successfully ca.rried on, our efforts should be concentrated on tuberculosis, which is prevalent in Rarotonga and the islands of the Lower Group. The medical officers have been asked to gather data as to the ravages of this (liscase, and it is proposed to go thoroughly into the question of the erection of a sanatorium or a separate hospital for the treatment of tubercular patients. There is no doubt that such provision should be made as soon as funds are available, but the difficulty will be to provide the necessary money for lands and buildings, and for the subsequent cost of slatting, upkeep, and maintenance."

Four months ago the accounts of St. Peter's Cathedral chapter (Hamilton) showed a deficit of £3OO. Since then the duplex envelope system has been placed on a better basis, economy has been practised, 1 and the deficit has now been reduced to £9O. When the chapter's share of the income due from Lot 50, a business area owned by the church, and other outstanding receipts have come to hand, the deficit will be out. The chapter will then be in a position to employ an assistant curate, whose services are urgently needed in the cathedral district! , That the intensity of the recent earthquake in Westland was about equal to that which wrecked San Francisco, was one of many interesting facts disclosed by Dr. E. Marsden, F.N.Z. Inst,, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in an address to the Palmerston North Rotary Club. In reference to the supposed forecasting of earthquakes, the speaker said it could not be done, and characterised the. rumours that had been circulated as the work of scaremongers and most reprehensible. Oftentimes, when the earth was straining, there might be one or two shakes before the final rupture. There were invariably many afterwards. For the first few days after the Westland shake the earth rocked continuously. In his address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Forestry League at Wellington, the president (Mr James Deans) said that cheap timber was a necessity to the welfare of this country, but unless the charges of wages, transport, and handling were reduced there was very little prospect of a reduction in costs taking place. It had been stated that it cost as much to bring timber from the mills in the centre of tlie North Island to Wellington as it did to ship from the Pacific Coast to N T ew Zealand. This enabled timber to ■nine in and compete successfully with our own, a state of things which made it almost impossible for the timber trade to reduce prices to the consuming public. i A genera) meeting of members of the Moulere Hills Fruitgrowers' Union will ho held on Monday evening next in the Mapua school.

Tho decision of the Labour Government not to allow tho exiled Trotsky to iind refuge in England is interesting from two distinct points of view, comments tho Auckland "Star". Tho chief objection to Trotsky's presence in any country is the inveterate habit of intriguing and propagandising which he shares with all Bolsheviks. It might therefore be surmised that Mr MacDonald and Mr Clynes have resolved not to tolerate Bolshevik machinations in Britain any further; and this would appoar to indicate that, if Britain resumes relations with Russia, she will do so only under rigid conditions and restrictions. But there is still another question to bo answered—has Britain refused tho right of asylum to Trotsky for fear of offending Stalin and the Bolshevik hierarchy? . If this is so, the prospects of a renewal of diplomatic :uid commercial relations are bright for Russia and proportionately gloomy, in our opinion, for Britain and the Empire.

When Canberra is completed it will, in the opinion of Sir George Fowlds, be the most beautiful city in tho world. Telling the Auckland Rotary Club about his recent trip to Australia, he said tho Government had already spent about £10,000,000 on the new capital. There was a good deal of criticism of Canberra, especially in Melbourne, whose citizens would now have to go further when they*wantcd to bring pressure to bear on Federal Ministers, but all the same it was right that tho capital should bo thus separated from the rest of the cities. The sito was a glorious one, tho planning had been admirable, and there were simply millions of trees planted. Canberra had a magnificent climate and a splendid water supply, which could be increased to meet growing demands with a minimum of expense and trouble. Altogether the now capital was born under most favourable auspices, and he was sure if. would in time become a very beautiful place—none more so in the world. would tho Minister in charge of the Pensions Department introduce legislation this session to enable a woman who is legally separated from her husband to qualify for the family'allowance? was a question put forward* in the House of Representatives by Mr R, A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) (telegraphs "The Mail's" Parliamentary reporter). The Minister (the Hon. W. A. Veitch) said that provided a woman and her husband botn made application for the family allowance, the woman was not debarred from receiving the allowance if she was legally separated from the husband. It was not considered desirable to amend the law in cases where the husband was unwilling to make application.

By the use of an invention for transmitting drawings by wireless telegraph, the steamer Silvermaple, which received severe damage to her upper rudder stock while en route from Oran to New York last March, was saved over £2OOO loss. As soon as the owners' New York representative was informed of the damage he cabled to "London for a drawing of the rudder stock to be sent by wireless, in order that a new one could be forged and machined in readiness to be fitted in the vessel in New York or sent to Bermuda to be fitted there. Tho three drawings were "radioed" on the afternoon of one day, and delivered in New York the next'morning. The work on the new stock was completed in two days. The cost of the wireless telegrams was about £6O, which was almost negligible, considering the ship was saved about seven days' delay. For a steamer of her type a day's delay meant a loss of £3OO. *

At a special meeting of the Waiiganui City Council this week recommendations of the Tramway Committee were adopted, thereby bringing into effect curtailment of the tram services by about 25 per cent., with a view to effecting economies. It had been estimated that the general rate would.have to carry a current year's loss of £4OOO on the trams, exclusive of interest and sinking fund charges of £16,000 paid annually out of the general rate. The cut will materially reduce the anticipated loss of £4OOO/ By finalising the matter of the trams, the council is able to fix the rate for the current year at 2s 6d in the pound on the general account and 3s 5d for interest and sinking fund and special rates, making a total of 5s lid. A motion to strike tTie rate was carried. The Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, has asked the Director General, Dr. T. H. A. Valiutine, to investigate the possibility of making a change in the quarantine system. Mr Stallworthy says that New Zealand and Australia seem to be the only countries which send steamers and a ship's company into quarantine when disease of an epidemic nature occurs. The practice in such ports as Southampton and London is to isolate those who have contracted a disease and possible contacts, and, after taking the usual precautions, to allow the steamer to berth.

The following letter from Dr. L. Cock, ayne in reply to congratulations on the recent honour he secured, has been received by 'Mr G. A. Green, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Association:—"lt is highly gratifying to receive «o warm a congratulation on my C.M.G. from your association, and please accept my most sincere thanks. During my more than 40 years of botanical activity I have known mostly the, leading nurserymen of New Zealand, and fully recognise what an, important part they play, both in botanical science and the advancement of the Dominion. Congratulations then, coming from such an association as yours, representing as it does the nurserymen of New Zealand as a whole, must be welcome to any botanist, and especially to one who may also claim to be a 'gardener."

The erroneous impression that a Government export quarantee exists upon New Zealand-grown tobacco was referred to this week by Mr J. A. Campbell„,of the Horticulture Division, when discussing the prospects of the establishment of a profitable tobacco-growing industry in the Dominion and the interest that is being tnken in the project in Auckland, as well as in other parts. Mr Campbell said that some misconception existed and he wanted to make the position quite clear. In 1925 the Government agreed to a limited guarantee scheme for a period of three years. That arrangement expired with tlie 1928 season and consequently no such guarantee now applied. The League of Nations Union meeting convened for to-night has been postponed until September. Quite a lot of 'Flu about! It's unfortunate that even one person sickening for or recovering from this dreaded complaint may give it to any number of others. And so the scourge spreads ! An Auckland doctor snvs there's nothing like _ tobacco-smoke to ward off infection. His advice is:—

"Keep your pipe going when knocking about, especially when travelling in public conveyances." Wise counsel! But see that your baccy is right. The. purest brands of all are grown and manufactured by the National Tobacco Company, Ltd. (pioneers of the tobacco industry in New Zealand), and owe their marked superiority to the fact that they are tpasted, which process rids them of nicotine and gives their delightful fragrance and flavour. They are perfectly safe smoking. There are brands to suit all tastes. . Ask for Riverhead Gold (a mild aromatic), Navy Cut and Cavendish (both medium and both delicious), and Cut Plug No. 10 (rich, dark, and full-flavoured). Ttiese tobaccos are on sale everywhere.* j

The death occurred in Wellington on Wednesday, at the age of 55 years, of Charles Bush Harton, eldest son of the late Mr W. H. Harton, of Wellington. The late Mr C. B. Harton was educated at Wellington College and later joined the Government service. He retired on superannuation in May, 1927, after about 10 years in the Post and Telegraph Department. Ho was employed in the accountants branch a'nd at various times was accountant at the Nelson, New Plymouth, and Christchuroh offices, although most of his time was spent in Wellington .At tlie timo of,his retirement he was chief accountant for the Wellington Postal District in the Money Order and Savings Bank Department. He rose to the rank of colonel in the Post and Telegraph Volunteers Rifles. The deceased was of a genial disposition and was very popular among his many acquaintances. Ho was an active member of the Kelburn Bowling Club and the Wellington Orphans' Club, and was a past master of Lodge Waterloo of the Masonic Order. He leaves a widow and a son and (laughter. Mr W. J. Jordan (Manukau) asked the Minister of Education (the Hon. 11. Atmorc) in the House of Representatives, whether lie will introduce teaching on fire-prevention and fire-fighting into the school curriculum, as requested by the United Fire Brigades' Association? (Nolo. —At present New Zealand is stated to hold tire world's record for per capita fire loss.) The Minister replied: The following action has been taken with regard to instruction in fire-preven-tion in schools: (1) Provision is made in the revised public-school syllabus for instruction in dealing with such dangers as fire. (2) Fire drill is regularly practised in many schools. The following is an extract from the July issue of the "Education Gazette," circulated among all teachers:! "Fire drill in Schools. — The recent disastrous earthquake has emphasised the importance of fire drill in. vacating school buildings in the shortest possible lime without rush or panic. Such calamities as earthquake and fire come without warning, and head teachers should make sure that fire drill is carried out at regular intervals, so that the pupils may be ready to vacate the buildings upon any sudden (3) A course of lessons in fire-prevention and fire drill, drawn up by authority of the United Fire Brigades' Association, was published towards the end of last year in the "Education Gazette." These lessons were issued for use by teachers in the instruction which they will give to pupils on the subject. The organisation of a publicity campaign to stimulate the secondary industries and instructing the public -as to tho great advantages that must result from the purchase of locally produced 'goods instead of goods imported from overseas was suggested to the Minister of Industries and Commerce in a question asked by Mr D. G. Sullivan in the House of Representatives (telegraphs "The Mail's" Parliamentary reporter). "It is not considered desirable that the Government should organise such a publicity campaign," said the Minister (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) in reply. "It is preferred that the initiative should continue to be taken in the future, as in the past, by the New Zealand Manufacturers' Association, and that co-opera-tion and support should be given by the Department of Industries and Commerce. This support has readily been given, and has been greatly appreciated by manufacturers. At various industrial and winter shows the Department has rendered important assistance •to the manufacturing industries, and this policy will be continued and. if funds permit, may be expanded in the future."

The Commissioner of State Foresis was asked in the House of Representatives by Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) whether the Government would renew the bounty of Is per snout for the alleviation of the wild-pig nuisance, and whether it would consider making the bounty payable all the year round, instead of the months from July to September only. The Hon. W. B. Taverner replied that improved measures .for the destruction of wild pigs had been drawn up and were receiving the consideration of Cabinet as a basis for the formulation of the future policy in regard to the question. The Wellington City Council applied to Mr Justice McGregor for an interim injunction restraining tibe Goodwin Chichester Aviation Company from using IJongatiai airport without permission. The company has been using the ground for some time, but the council refuses to issue a permit, alleging that in its present condition its use involves danger to children. Mr Justice McGregor refused the injunction on the ground that defendants had not been served with notice of the application.—Press Association.

Having been on a visit to Australia for the purpose of advancing the interests of an afforestation enterprise in New Zealand, of which he is chairman of director's, there returned to Auckland by the Marama from Sydney this week Dr. W. H. Horton. Discussing afforestation in Australia. D.r. Horton explained that the Commonwealth was not doing much in this direction except in the tropical parts of Queensland —hilly country that had an abundant rain supply. Australia was badly in need of afforestation enterprise, as they were particularly short of softwoods. A venture that was likely to affect the pulp industry in New Zealand was being carried on in Queensland, where,the waste from sugar cane was being used to manufacture artificial silk, although as yet he was not aware of paper being manufactured from it. There was a feeling in Australia, which had from £2,000,000 to £3,000,000 invested in afforestation in New Zealand, that there should be some guarantee against "wild cat" schemes, and Dr. Horton thought that the Government might consider the question of giving this by supervising, though not interfering with, afforestation schemes.