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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 5 August 1929, Page 4

I Rumours have gained currency that I Major-Oeneral R. Young, general offiI cor commanding the New Zealand forces, is to retire this year in order to ; become Commissioner of Police, and that Brigadier-General M. M. Gard'ner, officer commanding the southern comi mand, will bo General Young's successor. Tho matter was referred to the 'Prime Minister who gave the suggestion an emphatic denial.—Press Association. Whitebait has made its appearance at Hokitika, and is selling at 6s per pint (says a Westport paper) At Westport on Wednesday 8s per pint was being asked.

That sheep stealing was going on .all oyer the Dominion and was ono of the greatest problems the farmer had to contend with was an opinion voiced at last week's meeting, of the Wanganui Farmers' Union Provincial Executive by Mr A. P. Melville, of Fordell (states the "Chronicle"). Reporting on the recent Dominion Conference of the Union, he said that the discussion there showed that sheep stealing was going on throughout New Zealand. The only members who spoke of not experiencing the trouble were Otago men. A Voice: "They're Scotch." It was a very difficult question, Mr Melville proceeded, and the farmers had to face it. That police were going into thei matter and a report would be made through the Commissioner later on. A remit before the conference had suggested that a. drover must have a permit to drive stock on the road, but, said Mr Melville, a delegate immediately replied to that by saving that he often drove his own stock. Who was going to give him the permit? He (Mr Melville) had been impressed with the idea of stopping the movement of sheep by lorry at night but against that a delegate had pointed out that ho had sold lambs that had to leave his property at 11 p.m., so it seemed that even that restriction would be a hardship. No matter which way they looked at it, the problem was a difficult one and the report from the police would be awaited with interest.

"Havo you any expectations?" asked the Deputy Official Assignee at Wanganui of a bankrupt who stated that ho would be leaving his present occupation in the course of a day or two (reports the "Chronicle"), "Yes," was the reply. "Work?" queried tho Assignee. "No, I wish it was," said the bankrupt. "What then?" was tho nexl question. "Another one in tho family," was tho enlightening reply. In July a total of 58,659 tons of goods passed through tho Otira tunnel, a record for any month since it was opened for traffic. For the corresponding month of last year the total was 51,047 tons.

"Wo have a whole crop of people in this country who are bringing out new companies, good, bad, and indifferent. There is a good deal of share hawking, and some prospectuses published in the newspapers have not complied with the Companies Act," stated Mr T. N. Gibbs at tlie meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce (reports the 'Christchurch Times"). Mr Gibbs urged that tho chamber should lorward a remit to the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, urging the Government to bring the Companies Act up to dri'e and so protect tlie public in rega.d to the flotation of new companies.. Mr Gibbs said that Britain and 4ina -Australia had been visited by waves of company-promoting, and now New Zealand was visited. Both England and Australia were feeling sorry for themselves. It was decided to draft a remit along the lines suggested by Mr Gibbs. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research held a meeting on Friday of earthquake authorities at which various types of seismolo'gical instruments were discussed at length (reports "The Post"). The chief quest for consideration was the type of instrument most useful for recording and giving information about local shocks. Tho most suitable localities for the installation of such instruments were also discussed. It is generally recognised that without such instruments an accurate knowledge of local seismic conditions cannot verv well be obtained.

Seen last week' by the Groymouth representative of "The Press," Mr T. A. Johnston, district engineer to the Public Works Department, stated that arrangements were in hand for the construction of a temporary bridge at Williscroft's ford, near Maruia. Without this bridge there would be times, especially in wet weather, when it would bei difficult for cars to get across the ford. Possibly a permanent bridge would be erected at Deep Gully creek, beyond Station creek, where the present structure was not satisfactory for the increasing traffic on the route. Owing to the very heavy expenditure involved in tlie reconstruction of the Buller Valley road between Murchison and Inangahua Junction, the present expenditure on the Reofton-Maruia-Murchison detour would be limited to such reconstruction or improvements as were necessary to maintain the road in a reasonable condition for through traffic. It was obvious, however, that any expenditure on that road would directly benefit the settled areas, and indirectly improve the inter-district access when the Lewis Pasa road was ultimately constructed. The Buller Gorge road from Inangahua Junction to Westport was, Mr Johnston stated, now in very good order.

Indications point to a good yield of strawberries in the coming season, which will commence about October (states the "N.Z. Herald"). The plants are stated to be well forward and thriving, the recent wet and cold weather in most cases not having retarded their growth. Their resistance to tho inclement weather is attributable to the favourable conditions prevailing in the planting season in May. and June.last. The period of planting was stated by one grower to have been the best for 20 years. So far the plants have been free from blight and in the Birkdale district unaffected by root disease, which has proved troublesome in that locality in the past. Last year the prices realised for strawberries' were the lowest obtained since the Great War, the low values being due to a greater yield of fruit in proportion to the number of plants. Given warm and fine weather another prolific yield is expected this year. It is estimated that about 3,500,000 plants are being cultivated this season in the districts of Northcote, Birkdale, Glenfield, and Avondale South. The largest beds are at Birkdale. The number of growers, as compared with last year, is slightly increased, the area of the plots having been in some cases reduced. The cultivation of this variety of fruit necessitates a large amount of care and attention, four dressings of manure having to be applied. A common enemy of the strawberry plant ijrower is swamp or water grass, a weecT that rapidly grows and chokes the young plants. '

The North Canterbury Executive of the Farmers' Union decided at its meeting to support a remit from .the Little River branch asking that an endeavour be made to secure a duty on cocksf.>ot seed imported from foreign countries ,(states the "Christchurch Times"). The chairman (Mr Colin Mcintosh) said that an effort in this direction ' was well worth while. Tests had shown' that New Zealand cocksfoot was much superior to that imported from Denmark. Mr A. Fisher: Is New Zealand producing enough seed to meet requirements? The chairman said that enough would lie produced if the market were available. The position was that the Danish producers sold their seed at lower prices than tho New Zealand seed. Mr W. W. Mulholland expressed the opinion that there was very little chance of getting a duty put on'imported cocksfoot. The best results, he considered, could be obtained by way of education. The North Island people should bo informed that for the small additional cost they would be repaid a hundred times each year. A motion supporting the remit from the Little River branch was then carried.

The nationality of the 316 foreigners iv'ho-arrived last year with the, intention of Settling in the Dominion were:— Yugoslavs, 68; Italians, 48; Danes, 32; I a double farewell gathering at Ra Greeks, 28; Russians. 18; Swiss, 12;|},otu, Taranaki, last week, was unique, Poles, 8. While the great majority of, the guests being the local policeman and British immigrants came, from the Bri- the local publican. However, as one tish Isles, 1412 out of the fotal of 6339,1 spe aker put it, both were to a certain exor 22.3 per cent., came from Australia, tent servants of State. The publican op increase of 42 over the previous year s pa jd a f eo t<, the State to be permitted fibres. to servo the public, and the policeman The possibility of tramway authorities 1 ™,,P aid Jff th( ; State to see that the In the Dominion considering the promo- P»N"*n d '« n »t serve the pfiETTc too tion of legislation to prevent motorists giving their friends "lifts," thus robbing the tramways of legitimate fares, is not at all unlikely. In the United States at least two Slates already have legistfation dealing with "nde beggars," or "hitchhikers." In Minnesota, it is an offence for any person to stand in the travelled portion of a roadway for the purpose of, or while soliciting a ride from the driver of any vehicle, other than a common carrier. An offender is liable to imprisonment not exceeding three months, op a tine not exceeding 100 dollars. New Jersey has a similar law. It appears that motorists' good nature has been taken advantage of in some instances, and a "guest" has produced a gun, relieving the motorist of his money and automobile, and unceremoniously ejecting him to the pavement, many miles from home

Recent references to Switzerland and tourist traffic were commented upon by Dr. Leon Bossard, the Swiss geologist who is visiting the Dominion. Switzerland, he said, is essentially an industrial and agricultural country, and the percentage of people directly dependent on tourist traffic did not exceed 5 per cent. It was a good example illustrating that a country could welcome and be courteous to tourists without losing independence or national characteristics. The times were over when nations could shut themselves off.and thrive, and the sooner New Zealand realised that the sooner it. would grow to be the prosperous and generally important country every true New Zealander sincerely wished it to become.—Press Association.

Settlers in the Macquarie district of New South Wales are concerned about the activity of kangaroos, which have recently invaded waterholes and tanks in thousands, drinking the precious water which has been carried for miles to keep sheep alive. The kangaroos are becoming a big menace. A deputation of men on the land motored over 100 miles to Dubbo to interview Mr C. Akhurst, M.L.C., and urge him to make representations to have an open season for marsupials declared in the Canouba Pastures Protection District. Kangaroos, members of the deputation said, had eaten the country bare, breaking down fences and drinking water, which had resulted in many sheep perishing. The deputation would have proceeded to Sydney to stress the urgency of the request, only for the fact that owing to kangaroos drinking all the available water they had to return home to replenish supplies for the sheep. One member of the deputation said that he would take Mr Akhurst and show him 2000 kangaroos in five square miles of country, while another said he would show 500 within half a mile of his house. Mr Akhurst promised to bring the matter to the notice of the Government.

Scotland Yard's "Black Museum" is a sinister place. Here are preserved many things associated with great crimes and notorious criminals. Amongst them is a battered old briar pipe, once the property of Charles Peace, of infamous memory. Up smoked this pipe the night before his execution. Mighty is the power of the weed ! It can bring something of comfort and of solace to even the desperate criminal during his last hours upon earth—or so they will tell you. Injurious? Not if the'quality is right. The tobaccos manufactured by the. National Tobacco Co., Ltd., arc the purest of all. Unlike other brands they contain hardly any nicotine, and are therefore quite harmless—a point of importance to constant smokers. They owe their comparative freedom from nicotine to the toasting of the leaf. This is an elaborate process, the secret of the National Tobacco Co., (the pioneers of the tobacco industry in New Zealand). .Ask for Riverhead Gold (mild). Cavendish (medium), Navv Cut (medium), or Cut Plug No. 10 (full-strength).* Trathen's sale still goes on, but must soon end.*

Still plenty of sale bargains at Trathen's ajl this week.*