PASSING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 3

PASSING NOTES.

“ Country Week ” has seen shop windows crammed with savoury comestibles and bearing the legend “eat well.” Most of us have our cakes and ale, with pippins and cheese to follow. And it is still the custom, in Dunedin, at public dinners and banquets for a member of the cloth, or other functionary, to render grace before meat. Many of these expressions may lapse into the formal, be devoid of sincerity and lack the ring of the old Scottish rhyming grace— Some hae meat and canna eat. And some hae nane, that want it; But we hae meat and we can eat And sae the Lord be thaukit. Here we have a simple but appropriate thanksgiving for health, appetite, and the good things of life. As Elia would have it, the plainest diet seems the fittest to be preceded by the benediction. That which is least stimulative to appetite . leaves the mind most free for foreign considerations. A man may feel thankful, heartily thankful, over a dish of plain mutton with turnips, and have leisure to reflect upon the ordinance and institution of eating; when he shall confess a perturbation of mind, inconsistent with

the purposes of the grace, at the presence of venison or turtle. Jor myself, I must confess the notion oi proceeding, at table, in medias pcs without the unction of a preliminary thankgiving is a repugnant one. And especially, on public occasions, is it unseemly for all the guests, at a .given signal, or else each at his own sweet will, like the lower animals, to gulp down his viands without the interposition of some formulary to garnish the process of gastronomy.

If grace be the initial portion of a public dinner, the toast list is the penultimate, before the cadence of “ Anid Lang Syne” and “ God Save the King/ What is the origin of the humble fry ol bread becoming applied to this catalogue of healths drunk in honour of p pular names’? The sippet of toast was first immersed in the liquor, to enhance its taste, and we have toast ir.d ale, toast and water. The Tatler, .under date the fourth of June, 1709, relating an in eident at Bath in the reign of Charles the Second, furnishes the sequel. It happened that on a public day a celebrated beauty of those times was in the Cross Bath, and one of the crowd of her admirers took a glass of the water in which the fair one stood and drank her health to the company. There was in the place a gay fellow, half fuddled, who offered to jump in and swore, though he liked not the liquor, he would have the toast. Thence to our toast of the King, of the guest of the evening, of the ladies, is an easy transition, as easy as the unhappy transition of drinking one’s health in lemonade, or other such illusory cordial.

The number of books issued from the Press and known as biographies, memoirs, and diaries must make it difficult for publisher or author to find a new and suitable title. The popularity of this kind of literature is accounted for by the fact that it deals with actual lives of authors in relation to their contemporaries and gives, as often as not, a truer insight into the state of society than is given by the professional historian. One feature is common to all biography, there must be a genealogical tree. Ancestor worship in the individual, the family, and the nation is a common " inheritance. We are all proud, justifiably, no doubt, of something or other in our forbears. Even in America, if there is no titled aristocracy, they still have ways and means nf Cx--1 ressing social distinctions. How many dollars has he? Has he done anything? Is he an educated person? And lastly, who was his grandmother? The beautiful and accomplished Countess of Warwick gives in her memoirs a string of her antecedents. On her father’s side she was descended from Oliver Cromwell, a puritan and soldier, whose motto in war was, “ Pray to God, but keep your powder dry.” The Countess was a personal friend of the late King. Was the Pro tector of the Commonwealth ever the theme of conversation between- them? But at the head of family the Countess places Nell Gwyn, the mistress of Charles the Second, who used to sell oysters in the streets and oranges in Drury Lane Theatre. Her son was created Duke of St. Albans, and through him, it would appear, her Ladyship claims lineal descent. Being a frank and kindly Socialist, she balks not nt narrating "Grannie Gwyn’s” end—she died drunk in a ditch near the site of Buckingham Palace. Genealogical trees should be given in toto or not at all. Sydney Smith once remarked he knew little of his ancestors, save that some of them disappeared during the tir.es of the Assizes.

In an interview Professor Picard said; “We seemed in an endless infinity of blue. It was like floating in the sea with blue water and blue shores all round. We felt an indescribable happiness. We took three hours to reach the straßiosphere and fourteen to descend.”

Professor Picard’s ascent to the region of pure ether, his bolt into the blue, his claims for scientific data that should afford new equations for the laboratories, his amazing good hap in emerging from his adventure scatheless, all reads as a page of Jules Verne. Popping cork-wise to the outer surface of the atmosphere, a good ten miles up and a three hours’ trip, he discovers unwonted sensations of happiness, through floating in an azure void. Melancholic, atrabiliar humours, the blue devils, we are accustomed to associate with the colour black and its neighbour hues. To cure a peevish, acrimonious, and splenetic mood, we must then resort to the fraicheur of the rarer air, and ballads of the music halls of the future may glibly exhort us “ to get up and get under the moon.’

The Executive at Ottawa, to appease the Canadian dairy farmer, has closed, banged, and bolted the door against New Zealand prime butter. The tariff wall has grown steadily, and even synehron ous with Mr Forbes’s visit to the capital to negotiate, several more inches were added to its stature. This fact, in itself, seems a special grievance with the New Zealand Prime Minister To accord it the most benevolent intent, w e may safely say that if the extra duty had been imposed with Mr Forbes in transit, on the Pacific, or, America traversed, on the Atlantic, the gesture would have been the more sinister. As an inter-Dominion amenity, his presence within those hospitable shores must witness the surcharge. There is nothing for it, in return, but the lex talionis. an eve for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Our Canadian friends are no strangers to this guerilla warfare. Before the Great War disturbed international trade relations, England imported wheat for home consumption, 11 million hundredweights from the States, seven each from Canada and Australia, five from Russia and from the Argentine. And during Ihe late Imperial Conference the economic discussions turned almost wholly upon wheat—a question upon which there could be no agreement while Mr Snowden was present. As Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom were alone concerned in this problem, the conference resolved itself into a battle between two unyielding spirits—Mr Bennett and Mr Snowden. The rest were virtually spectators.

Apropos of the Harbour Board’s contract for the cutting away of the rock ledge within the Victoria* Channel and the numerous trials for the good humour and patience of contractor and employee in the shape of biting sou’-wester or nor’easter, a story is told by Sir Edwin Landseer, the famous painter. ITe Was walking with the Duchess of Sutherland through a glen in her estate where, under her Grace’s supervision, a number of workmen had made extensive alterations to the landscape. The Duchess was ever invariably gentle and careful in her language, even when greatly provoked. Her most demonstrative phrase under the most trying circumstance was “ Dear me!” Referring to the works which had been completed, Sir Edwin remarked: “ I cannot conceive how it has all been done.” Her Grace replied, in all seriousness, “ Oh, it’s just a matter of damming and blasting.” Sh c would have been much astonished, had she heard the subsequent construction lent her words by Landseer, when telling the story at hia club.

When records are, every day, going by the board, whether in the shape of running, continuity of pianoforte playing swimming, roller skating, and other sensible or eccentric lines of human prowess, it is fairly safe to chronicle one record, which it is hardly likely will ever be bioken. It is related by a lady who moved in royal society in England, as witness an extract from her diarv:

V ould it be lese-majeste to describe the small, fractious, and very naughty , boy. now the German Emperor? Well, if it be, I’ll take the risk. He was a tiny, pretty, delicate little lad, and he utterly abhorred the Highland dress. Somehow or other, the dirk belonging to his costume was not forthcoming, and he was lent one belonging to his Uncle Leopold. The first part of the ceremony he was pretty quiet, and it was discovered afterwards that he had spent the ;! me * n picking out the cairngorm and then casting it away. He began to fidget about. His mother tried to hold him to his two uncles, whose bare :9.8 s he bit, while they bore the pain like Stoics. I only hope they smacked him well when they got the young ruffian back to the castle. His little sister used to suffer a good deal at his hands. I once gave him a smart rap over the knuckles, when he was puhing her hair. He looked at me, but said nothing. I at least am glad to recollect that I once corrected the allpowerful Emperor before whom the whole world trembled. Crvis.

Engineers in New Zealand may have to study the likes and dislikes of the fish inhabiting rivers to be bridged, especially salmon. Mr Herbert Morrison, British Minister of Transport, tells a story of how the presence of salmon in a river caused controversy about the material to be used for building a bridge. It was found, he said, that the most convenient and economical form of construction was reinforced concrete. The designers were, however, warned that the salmon were prejudiced against reinforced concrete, and would refuse to return to the river if it were adopted. In the long run the objection of the salmon was overruled and the fish are now reconciled to the appearance of the new bridge. It is, indeed, reported that salmon are more plentiful in that river now than before the bridge was constructed.

The Dunedin and Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Associations are continuing the competition which was instituted some time ago for the largest membership. So far, since the new financial year was commenced, Dunedin has the lead with 883 financial members, compared with the Christchurch figure of 833.

In the year 1892 Robert Louis Stevenson was in Auckland, where Mr W. H. Triggs, then a young journalist, and now a member of the Legislative Council, was spending a holiday. He was met by his friend, L. H. Balfour Wilson, a cousin of Stevenson, who asked him if he would like to see. the writer, who was on his way back to Samoa. He gladly accepted, met Mr Stevenson, and, as one result of the interview, wrote an article on Stevenson’s life in Samoa. Wishing to have Stevenson’s approval of what he wrote, before publishing, he sent the article to him, asking him if he would point out any inaccuracies or delete anything he thought should not be published. ' “ R.L.S.” returned the article, together with 12 closely-written pages of annotations and supplementary information. The notes enlarged on Stevenson’s life in Samoa and on native customs and character. They have been presented by Mr Triggs to the Turnbull Library, Wellington.

If a Christchurch tramway man succeeds in a claim for moneys in Chancery, 10 Now Zealand members of the family and a branch in California, will benefit from a fortune running into over seven figures. Mr Clarence Pentecost, of 59 Wyon street, Linwood, is the man contemplating taking action for the recovery of the money. A huge fortune was amassed by a Mr John Meek, an Englishman, who died in 1811. On his death the money went into Chancery, said Mr Pentecost, when interveiwed. In 1848 a William Pentecost married a granddaughter of the millionaire, Mr Meek. He came to New Zealand in 1852 in the Duke of Portland with a family of two, of whom the father of Mr Clarence Pentecost, Mr Isaac Henry Pentecost, was one. The second son .was at one time a wellknown cabman of Christchurch. He had a family of three. Mrs I. H. Pentecost now resides with her son, Clarence, at Wyon street. Mr Pentecost received a letter on Thursday from the American branch of the family, Mrs George Hayden, of Porterville, California, asking for papers to substantiate the claim with a view to taking proceedings for the recovery of the estate from Chancery. The interest on what in the first instance was a huge estate must by this time have reached an enormous figure.

The council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce decided on Thursday night to urge Parliament to revive the BilF prohibiting the use of the “ free gift coupon system.’ The Christchurch Hairdressers and Tobacconists’ Association wrote advising that it was still of the opinion, expressed in December last, that the free gift coupon system unjustly interfered with legitimate trade. As far as the tobacco trade was concerned, the traders were made a tool of by the manufacturers on account of the coupons being wrapped up with the article to be sold, making them a party without their consent. They asked for support in having the system made illegal. Mr A. 0. Wilkinson said that the chamber should give the Hairdressers’ Association its support and assist the Associated Chambers in urgiii» Parliament to revive the Bill. He moved to that effect. Mr W. Bottrell. said that the Minister had practical!}’ brought the Bill into effect by Order-in-Council, but, owing to pressure, the Bill was not canied through in the emergency session. He hoped that the council would support the Hairdressers’ Association to the utmost. The motion was carried.

For the recently advertised position of resident janitor at the Caversham School the committee received 152 applications, including one from Auckland and several from country districts. A special meeting was held, each application being read and considered. This involved a meeting which lasted five hours, until finally the number had been reduced to seven. Each applicant was invited to meet the committee on Thursday evening. After the committee had heard each applicant a ballot was taken, and at the second vote Mr Melrose, a Caversham resident, was appointed to the position. At the Devonport naval base on Friday members of the Auckland Navy League presented a cup to be known as the Veronica Cup to the Naval Division in appreciation of the navy’s assistance at the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. The cup will be competed for in sport. The splendid work done by the commander, officers, and men of the Veronica at Napier immediately following the earthquake was recognised at Government House, whe n the Governor-General presented to Commander H. L. Morgan a silver plate of honour for the Veronica on behalf of the branches of the Navy League in the Dominion. Lord Bledisloe paid a tribute to . the work of the ship’s company, and said that but for their presence and prompt action there would undoubtedly have been a serious panic.

The following figures relating to arrears of rates in the city of Dunedin have been compiled by the city treasurer (Mr H. 11. Henderson). The arrears of rates on March 31, 1931, amounted to £8448 13s 9d, plus previous arrears £2638 4s 7d, making a total of £11,086 18s 4d. In April and May £949 3s lOd was paid, leaving the amount outstanding to date £10,137 14s 6d, or a percentage of 3.4. The figures for the year ended March 31, 1930, are as follow:—Outstanding rates £5523 4s 2d, plus previous arrears £1560 4s lid—total £7083 0s Id. The amount paid in April and May of that year was £1627 Ss 4d, leaving an amount outstanding at June 1, 1930, of £5456 Os 9d, or a percentage of 1.9.

The Finance Committee of the City Council will recommend to the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night that the general order of the Arbitration Court, reducing wages under awards and agreements by 10 per cent., be brought into force in the case of employees paid weekly, from the first pay period after June 8, and that in the case of all other employees the cut be made effective as from June 1. The committee will -also recommend that the salaries and wages of all other employees not governed by awards or agreements be likewise reduced.

The Finance Committee will recommend to the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night that authority be granted to expend a sum of approximately £lOO out of tlie Andrew’s Bequest Fund to cover the cost of illuminating the South African War Memorial at the Oval on the same lines as the memorial in the Queen’s Gardens.

The special weather report from the Wellington Government wireless station, sent out in the evenings for the benefit of shipping, but discontinued some months ago, has been reinstituted as from Wednesday evening.

At a representative meeting of the Otago Ironmasters’ Association, held on Thursday evening, it was unanimously decided to reduce all wages 10 per cent, in accordance with the terms of the recent order of the Arbitration Court.

In connection with the reported increase of native birds, hitherto said to be dying out in the Wellington district, the president of the Acclimatisation Society, Mr L. O. H. Tripp, said he thought the activities of opossum trappers had a good deal to do with it. In laying out their lines of traps for opossums they caught stoats, weasels, ferrets, wild cats, bush rats, and hedgehogs. A rough estimate supplied by the rangers for one year was 3500 rats and 2500 stoats and weasels. In order, however, to obtain more accurate data on this subject trappers in the Wellington district last season were supplied with cards ruled off for each day of the week, on which they were asked to note the animals trapped other than opossums. A pre-paid envelope was supplied each man to enclose his return. The society had received 100 replies, which was considered very satisfactory, said Mr Tripp. If the other trappers obtained approximately the same returns from their traps as those who had forwarded returns the resultant catch would have been as follows: —1123 stoats, 117 wild cats, 158 weasels and ferrets, 382 hedgehogs, and 12,500 bush rats. If the catch was anything like that number, it must mean the saving of a great number of birds. Perhaps one of the most disconcerting things was to realise that the hedgehogs had got into the forest areas.

A pointed answer to the question *' Do shags eat trout? ” is supplied in a report to the Waimate Acclimatisation Society by Constable Berry, of Glenavy, who is an honorary ranger and inspector of fisheries. Mr Berry gives particulars of the contents of the stomachs of 22 shags which were shot by himself and two sons during the last six weeks:—No. 1— One trout about 1-Jlb and six smallertrout, fairly fresh. No. 2—Five small trout, about Bin long and parts of other fish partly digested. No. 3—One red cod lOin long; no other fish. No. 4—Nine small trout, all identifiable. No. 5 — Four herrings. No. 6—One trout about Iflb and parts of other digested fish. No 7 —Three trout, small, and parts of other digested fish. No. B—One large trout about 21b and parts of other digested fish. No. 9 —Ten small trout, fairly fresh, about Sin long. No. 10—Nine small trout; five fresh and four partly digested; all identifiable. No. 11—One red cod and remains of partly digested herrings or salmon smelts. No, 12— Remains of partly digested fish; not identifiable. In three cases the birds were too badly shot to examine. Seven shags were empty, being shot early in the morning. There were no signs of eels in any of the shags. Answer: "The reason for a shortage of trout in our rivers.”

The regular shipping service between Auckland and Norfolk Island, which lapsed when the Government withdrew the motor ship Maui Pomare, will shortly be M resumed by the establishment of the service to be brought about by the extension of one of the services conducted by Messrs Burns, Philp, and Co. It is their intention (says the Auckland correspondent of the Christchurch Times) to run the Morinda in a six-weekly service which will embrace Sydney, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and Auckland. Making her initial trip of the new service the Morinda is scheduled to leave Sydney on July 18 and is due at Auckland on Sunday, July 26. She will sail from here on her return trip to Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and Sydney on July 27. On her second trip the steamer is due at Auckland six weeks kiter.

“ The trouble is that the people of New Zealand have not been trying to keep New Zealand going,” said the retiring president of the Wellington Advertising Club (Mr Will Appleton) at the annual meeting last week. “If every person in New Zealand put New Zealand first, we would get a tremendous fillip to our own industries, which would help to alleviate our. evils. If we took the principle of saying ‘We are producing stuff in New Zealand —why not use it and keep our own industries going,’ we would prevent much distress. I heard recently' of a manufacturing concern which is closing up. Between 40 and 50 girls are going to be put out, simply because frocks are being imported into New Zealand, and sold at prices which make it impossible for that firm to compete with them. Instead of the present system of Customs duties it seems to me that it would be much better to charge say, £2 or £3 on each imported frock. Those who would buy expensive frocks anyway would still buy them, and it would make things much better for New Zealand. If we took for our motto for the coming year, ‘New Zealand Goods for New Zealanders,’ we would be taking a wise step.” The Labour majority on the Christchurch City Council last week with the added vote of one independent councillor carried a resolution making a special order to raise a loan of £39,500 for the relief of unemployment in Christchurch, together with an estimated contribution of £42,500 from the Unemployment Board, this sum to be used in the reconstruction of roads, the planting of reserves, the formation of recreation areas, and the clearing and levelling of land for a cemetery.

A Gazette notice recently issued contains a notification regarding the payment of bonuses on deer tails. All tails presented must contain the tail bones, or at any rate, the last one of the tail bones. The bonus, which was formerly 2s a tail, has been altered so that on Virginian deer destroyed on Stewart Island the bonu° from June 1 will be 2s 6d, and on and after July 1, the bonus on other deer, chamois, and that, destroyed in the South Island will be Is 6d per tail.

There -were six bankruptcies in Wellington last month, compared with three a year ago. Three of the number last month were miniature golf course proprietors. The total for the year to date is 44, compared with 24 for the five months of last year.

A Wanganui Herald .syndicate has drawn Lightning Star in the Irish Free State sweep on the Derby. Robert Saunders and Thomas William Wilson appeared in the City Police Court last week charged with Assaulting William Gabriel Rossiter, with intent to rob him. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for Saunders. arid Mr H. Barron for Wilson. Chief Detective Quartermain said .that neither Mr ' Rossiter nor Mrs Rossiter was in a fit state to attend the court. A remand until June 12 was requested. Mr White asked whether the adjournment was to be final. The chief detective replied that he understood that the witnesses had been subpoenaed for that date. The adjournment was granted.

The Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Real Estate Institute decided last week to recommend the parent body to abandon the ahnual conference this year and devote the money saved—about £2O0 —to assisting members in the Hawke’s ,Bay district who have been affected by the earthquake.

“Gambling on the Stock Exchange is America’s form of sport,” said Mr L. A. Paish, his Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, when speaking to members of the Auckland Creditmen’s Association last week, “ and when there are indications of a boom, people will buy anything, without having any idea of what they are doing.” Thus, he said, were values'inflated, and the bubble so created grew and swelled until there came a breaking point. When the inevitable crash did come, • the fall became precipitate, and ruin stared in the face many of those who had speculated ignorantly. The reaction was always worse on such a market than on one where the dealing was seldom far from normal.

Under the will of John Lane, who died on April 2, £5OO is bequeathed to the Christchurch Presbyterian Social Service Association for use in orphanages in the city, and £lOOO to the Presbyterian Chinch Property Trustees, to be equally divided between Home and Foreign Missions.

The hope that every winter sports club in New Zealand would combine in a huge meeting at Mount Cook along the lines of the big events held in Switzerland, Norway, and such countries has been expressed by Mr A. Brustad, of the Hermitage guiding staff. “ Within the six years I have known New Zealand,” he said, "mountaineering and winter sports have gained rapidly in popularity. New clubs are constantly being formed, and if all kindred bodies can be encouraged to send representatives to an annual meeting I am sure we shall be able to stage a sports carnival comparable with those of older established countries. Some people are inclined to- think that if there’s no snow at the Hermitage, sports are off. That’s a big mistake; there’s always snow in the mountains. From June until the end of August conditions are ideal; in fact, it would be difficult to get better anywhere. If one went out every day for three months, one could not exhaust the grounds.” The director of the Zoological Gardens in Melbourne tells of an interesting incident that occurred a few days ago, and in which Jimmy, an ourang-outang, was concerned. Jimmy, who was captured when very young, had probably never seen a snake, yet he showed much resentment and a good deal of fear when a small carpet snake itas put into his cage as an experiment. As soon as Jimmy saw the intruder he wrapped himself up in all his bags and immediately retired to his sleeping compartment and slammed the door. After a while he peeped out several times, his resentment getting the better of his fear, and as he was apparently meditating an attack on the reptile, it was removed hurriedly. The director regards this as a curious instance of inherited memory. It was not that the snake was objected to simply because it was a stranger, for when other visitors from the collection have been introduced to him from time to time Jimmy has always done his best to make them welcome, and. to set them at their ease if they seemed embarrassed. But it was a very different matter when it came to a snake, even if it was a small and non-venomous one. Here was an ancestral enemy and Jimmy at once recognised it as such.

“ I have watched very closely the development of the Russian five-year plan,” said Sir George Fuller, Agent-General for New South Wales in London, on his return to Sydney recently, “ and the way wheat, butter, and timber, produced under conditions practically of slave labour, are being dumped into Great Britain to the serious disadvantage not only of the producers there, but also those in the dominions. I do not think much help will come from the present British Ministry; but the electors, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, will bring into power a Ministry which will safeguard the interests of the Empire.”

Mr Justice Kennedy has granted probate in the estates of the following persons:—William Paris, of Dunedin, hairdresser (Air C. L. Calvert); Henry Kirby, of Balclutha, boarding house keeper (Air G. J. Kelly); Matthew Latta, of Owaka, sawmiller (Air G. J. Kelly); and Alexander ATLennan, of Wedderburn, blacksmith (Air J. I. Fraser). Letters of administration were granted in the estates of Rosetta Rhodes, of Dunedin (Air F. B. Adams) and William Chadwick, of Alosgiel (Air W. P. Hartstonge).

The secretary of the committee which had charge of the erection of a monument on Puketapu Hill (Palmerston) in memory of Sir John APKenzie, has received a telegram from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Air P. A. de la Perrelle) stating that, if the Prime Alinister (Air G. W. Forbes) is unable to be present at the unveiling of the memorial, he himself will perform the ceremony, which takes place on Saturday, June 13.

“ If. there is one fear which any of us feel for the future of the Empire, it is that we may look to Governments and other bodies to do the work which, in the old days, people were proud to do for themselves,” remarked his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) at the annual meeting of the, St. John Ambulance Association at Auckland. If that were to happen, it would take from the race its self-reliance, resourcefulness, and, more important, its self-respect, which had done so much to build ug the Empire. His Excellency said there were three forms of help—Divine help, selfhelp, and' public assistance. The mbre that was done to develop self-help and mutual help rather than public assistance the more likely tire Empire would be to hold its place among the nations of the world.

Referring to the “ Russian menace,” an English business man, who is in close contact with all manner of business interests, makes the following observations in a letter to a Christchurch resident:— “ Business here is shocking, and I don’t know what to think of everything. I am dubbed a pessimist, but really I can’t see what is going to be the outcome of things. This country buys anything— Russian butter made from ‘conscript cream, and dumped here for blending purposes. No one cares as long as money is made. I tell them if only they would realise how our folk are toiling to make ends meet they would support their own Empire. Russia is going to make us all lower our standard of living unless she is muzzled.”

“„Taken as a whole, the decision of the Arbitration Court to allow wages to be reduced by 10 per cent, is a wise one, and it will go a long way towards restoring prosperity in this country,” declared the Prime Minister (Air G. W. Forbes) on Tuesday. “It is only by facing the facts and realising that our ideas of values were above the level at which we could carry on, that we can get back to prosperity.” Mr Forbes said that the verdict of the court followed the lines of the Government’s action in reducing the wages of civil servants. The court, in a very close analysis, arrived at the same conclusion as the Government in regard to the percentage to be deducted. With a reduction of labour costs it would be possible for industry to carry on and to provide employment. If there had been no reduction, said Air Forbes, he believed that unemployment would have increased considerably. He was quite satisfied that the cut would reduce costs, and that therefore the real values of wages would be the same. “We must do our utmost to prevent an increase in unemployment,” stated the Prime Minister. “That has been in my mind all along, and witn cheaper production and more men employed we will be able to carry on with a greater degree of success. The fall in the value of farm produce has been so considerable that it was bound to have its effect on all other industries. This readjustment by wage reduction is one of the wisest steps, and I am sure that we will now be able to meet the conditions and overcome the difficulties that confront us.”

A Alasonic temple that is said to be the first in New Zealand designed in the Egyptian style of architecture is nearing completion at Palmerston North. This is the United Alanawatu Lodge, No. 1721, E.C. The architect is Mr E. V. West, who, it is stated, has copied the Egyptian pattern from pictures and conceptions of tombs and temples as old as 2000 years. Some of the characteristics of the temple of Solomon have been incorporated. The outside finish is to be of sandstone hue, which is the nearest possible approach to the colour of Nile mud. The corner pillars will slope so as to give a pyramid effect, and the front elevation will be surrounded by two spherical balls, one of the celestial canopy and the other a representation of the terrestrial globe. Above the entrance doors are engraved the wings of Egypt. Inscriptions from the Book of the Dead will be'- engraved on panels on each side of the entrance. The ceiling of the teiiiple will be coloured to represent a starry sky, and lighting will be provided by 12 sets of candelabra. The building should be completed by the end of this month, and is expected to cost £4OOO.

The fact that the majority of Auckland hairdressers have already reduced the price of hair-cutting from Is 6d to Is 3d was quoted as an instance that steps had been taken to meet the position in the hairdressing trade. “As a body we have not considered the court’s pronouncement yet,” said Air R. Al. Carter, president of the Auckland Tobacconists and Hairdressers’ Association, “but a great many of the hairdressers have brought down the price voluntarily in the last two months. The reduction, from the general rate of Is 6d to Is 3d, represents a fall of 16 per cent.” Other hairdressers spoke of the difficult period through which the hairdressing trade was passing owing to the cut-throat competition in the supplementary tobacconist business, which is attached to nearly all the hairdressing establistments. “ Hairdressing never was and never will be a profitable business,” said the manager of one saloon. “A great many establishments are riot bringing in returns sufficient to meet the wages bill, and to reduce the price still further will mean the closing of many businesses, for no reduction in the price of haireutting will induce people to get their hair cut more often.” As far as shaving was concerned, he stated that to reduce the price from 9d to 6d would mean a reduction of 50 per cent., which was at present unthinkable.

The births registered in Wellington for Alay were 192, compared with 214 for Alay of last year. The deaths were 86 against 87, and the marriages 110 against 123.