THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 4 August 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

, Poorer Alcohol j And Benzine. j A Lotioon cablegram state# that the * j Fuel Research Board has issued a -j memorandum regarding the empioyi ment of alcohol as fuel. After ‘refer- f ring to its great suitability for eerrain 1 ! clssses of motor vehicles. Sir Frederick j; Nathan, a member of the Board, states that alcohol is unproducible eeoaoml- , . cally ic Great Britain, bat there are I . large tracts available is the Dominion:-. 1 where the cost of production would -»•- . less, and where it would be possible to f i grow vegetable substances containing U j starch or sugar, necessary for power j aicohol. The matter- is being investi- , (gated in various Dominions and coioMolasses is very suitable as a f. | however, probably Lzve to tie uiiirecti, ) owing to the comnereial value of an;-- ; thing used for foodstuffs. He point, O j out that in tropical portions of the Emnire there axe vast quantities of 12

rabidly-growing vegetation suitable for the purpose. Research work is being l initiated with the object of treating such vegetation cheaply. One of the Auckland papers has been endeavouring to stimulate interest in the manufacture of benzine in New Zealand., pointing out that there is much waste product in this country that might well be used to produce benzine. This would not only help to-meet a world wide shortage of benzine, which is being used in increasing quuantities for essential industries, but would also provide occupation for much labour, and probably prove the nucleus of an important industry. A southern paper suggests that the Government ought to make representations with a view to ascertaining whether it is possible to prodfice motor spirit from potatoes, it being understood that potatoes can be used for such a purpose. We can produce potatoes in New Zealand at a very low price—at present they are selling freely in Canterbury at from fid 10s to £3 per ton —and the matter is worthy of investigation. If at all possible. the Government should certainly endeavour to promote the manufacture of power alcohol and benzine in the country, in order to supply the growing demand, and to render us to a certain extent at least independent of foreign supplies, which at present seem to be a very uncertain quantity. Tho Price of Suitings. ! In the course of his annual report to I the N.Z. Farmers’ Union Conference, I held at Wellington recently. Sir James j Wilson had some interesting remarks i to make with respect to the cost of men’s clothing. He said:—“There is some feeling engendered against the farmer at the trend of prices, blaming him for tho soaring costs. The position is not so at all. The woolgrower gets Is 3d a lb for his wool; it takes about 3 pound of wool to make n yard of I cloth and about Jive yards of clotli to ! make a suit; so that the manufacturer ; iu New Zealand gels wool enough to , make into cloth for a suit for (is 3d. ] He has no competition, and therefore i can charge his own price. When the i farmer goes to the tailor for a new suit lie is told that on account of the greatly-increased price of everything. ; ‘1 must charge you 15 guineas.’ If the ! farmer is wise he will say, ‘l’ll wait \ and wear my old suit another year.' If the city man is told the price, he can j say, ‘All right; I 'll pass it. on’; and if ! a worker buys a suit he can say, ‘Att- , other rise in the cost of living, so I must have more wages.’ A friend writes me: ‘Of the four partners in tlie firm of Woolgrower, Manufacturer. Tailor, i and Distributor, the first (the grower) gets 7s 3d for his wool less the e.v- ---| ponses of growing the sheep, shearing | it, and delivering the wool. The other three get something like from £7 to £lO between them, according to the cost of the suit. No wonder the cost . of living goes up.’ ” A writer in one of the Wellington papers corrects Sir ! James Wilson’s statement that five pounds of wool make a suit of clothes, j Well, even supposing that it took twice the quantity of wool that Sir James i states, there does seem a great dis : parity between the farmer’s profits and those made by the others who share in the production of such things. One cannot purchase a first-class tailor-made suit of clothes in this dis- )i trict for less than sixteen or seventeen guineas, and the farmer naturally jj wants to know who is getting nil the , firoftf. seeing that he is not. It was j stated by another farmer at the eon 5 : fcrence that woollen mills were making ; ■ profits up to 50 per cent. If such j statements have any truth in them, it ) would seem that the Board of Trade might turn it - attention to some ot these'big concerns, instead of prosecuting retailers for selling trifling i articles-that concern but a few. Part-Singing. Of late years interest in part-siug-ing has steadily waned, in Now Zen- ■ land at any rate. A few years ago nearly every little township iri the country boasted its glee club or some such organisation, but now. probably owing to the multiplicity of other attraction.-. -itch as picture theatres, motoring, etc., part s bigs ng is going out j of fashion, and promises to become a lost art. This i- a very great pity indeed. for it is one of the'most enjoyable of all the arts, both to those participating and to listeners, and tends to elevate and refine all who participate. 5Ve look back in reminiscent mood to the good old days when Otalii had a roost successful Philharmonic Society, and afterwards its Musical ■Society, but such organisations have long since been decently buried. It is pleasing to know that in Levin ineresr ir. part-singing ha- been revived. and a Male Choir has been form’d, which, under the able conductorhip of Mr S. J. Gilbert, has already made excellent progre-«. and TrrorrJ-es *o be a source of great enjoyment to -he members, and an acquisition to the town. We would that a similar choir, or a choral society of mixed voices. , formed in Otaki. We have,the latent. . if only the people would work unitedly ; and enthusiastically together. It may , be rather a bad time to start such a j movement, as the days are now-length- . cuing, but it is a matter ir which we , nope something may be done, if nor j immediately. :hen eariy next autumn. ,