FREIGHTS ON BUTTER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 133, 3 October 1913, Page 3

FREIGHTS ON BUTTER.

Mr Massey Answers a Question. The Minister for Agriculture (Hon. W. F. Masses) was asked en Wednesday,by Mr A. Harris (Waitemata) whether his attention has been called to tha substantial advantage conferred upon Wellington as against. Auckland shippers of butter to San Francisco and Vancouver, whereby tie former rre enabkd to ship at a throvgh freight 0 £ Id per lb, wherias Auckhr.d shippers, under existing arrangements, have 'a pay 1 1-5.J to ltd psr lb, according to tf:c route used for the same service. He was further asked whether he will take immediate steps to see that both Wellington and Auckland shippers are placed ucon exactly the same footing.

Mr Massey made the following statement in reply:—"The position ij that Wellington shippers cannot send butter to Vancouver via San Francisco unless it happens that the space is rot wanted for butter consigned to San Francisco. As a matter of fact the whole cf the space up to and including December is nquired for San Francisco shipments. It is understood that Aucklanj shippers may send baiter to San Francisco via Vancouver at a freight of lcl p=-r lb provided that the spscc is not required for butter consigned to Vancouver. The Union Company is being csked to confirm (his understanding, but in view of the present promise of the trade to br.th Vancouver and Sen FraßCisco there seems but little prospect of butter being taken to either of these port 3 for transhipment to tha other."

A new arrival recently complained iu a Wellington paper of the difficulty experienced by immigrants in finding employment, and indicating his own penor.al disappointment with his prospects in New Zealand. "A Lancashire Man" tf.ua writes in reply: "Ten years ago- my wifa and 1 arrived here, not knowing a poul, and totally without recommendations and fxperknee in faim work, We obtsired the first billet I applied for, viz., as married couple on a fhsep station, ard although I knew absolutely rothirg about the work, itil!, by perseverance and keeping my eves open, 1 quickly picked up all the boss required of me, and in six mor,th3 cculd command £l2O a year and t;ll fout.d, tesides living a healthy, free life in a glorious cuuntry. Certainly I had to work fairly hard, and sometimes up at 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning, but what cf that? I cm no worse for it. Fancy me, % commercial traveller, wearing a fidck coat and silk hat at Heme, now cow-spanking, killing sheep, draining—anything that comes along: it's all work. It co:-ts me next to nothing for dress, and I can save the best part of my wages. My wife has verv little more to do than if she was managing her osrn homo, and no worries."

While the joys of party telephone lines in the country are many, there ia at least une thorn which subscribers would fain hava removed. It is the habit of listening to conversations intended for other people. Under ordinary circumstances the lifting cf a receiver can be detected, b'jt the practice is said to have reached such a fine stage in certain quarters that the receiver hoks have been padded with paper in order to break the Eound. Q?,e country branch, writing to the Auckland executive of the New Zealand farmers' Union, in response to a general invitation for information concerning the working of the rural Eervices, draws attention to the habit as being a source of continual annoyance. As a remedy the branch suggegts that before the installation cf party line&, subscribers should enter into a bond to refrain from overhearing c; nversatiocs by other people on the line, under penalty of being struck off the list for an infringement. A further suggestion for the adoption of codes for private business talks is also made.

Franklin Ccunty Council and Pukekohe Borough Council are both interested in the pound question, bo are the people who graze the "longacre"—especially tho;e who ai\2 caught. A ratepayer wrote to the Kemuera Road Beard the other night complaining that he had been compelled to pay 14s Li recover a cow of his which atrp.yed on to the road one clay at uooi\ and was discovered two hours later. He wa3 charged fid for pounding, Is tor the cow's release, and 12s for two advertisements in the two Auckland papers, The poundkeepsr, whsn called before the Board, explained that seme residents were so for.d of grazing their cattle on the roads that the ordinary charge was not a sufficient deterrent. Ke h3d taken advantage of the powers given him by the ac*, aid inserted advertisements whenever he did riot know who the owners were. Mr J. G. Rutherford wanted to know whether in this case the cow had not been removed before the advertisements were inserted, but the poundkeeper replied that he sent them in immediately. Mr a. M. Moore-J«ijea moved that the Board make it a rule that advertisements be inserted in every cas?, but the chairman considered that this would be an undue hardship to some residents who tried to keep their cattle off t;ie roads. Eventually it was decided simply to confirm the poundkeeper's action.