LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 234, 29 September 1914, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

St. James' Sunday School, l'ukekohe, holds very interesting soiroes in celebration of its jubilee, which are always enjoyable. This annual function takes place on Thursday evening next in the Masonic Hall. Full particulars are advertised.

Parents should allow the children to witness the famous reproduction of ' The Battle of Waterloo " which will lie shown at the Premier Hall to-night and to-morrow night. The historic and educational value of this picture is considerable.'' 1

The recent rains made a wonderful impiovement in the gardens of tlio district, made effective digging possible, and lout themselves to ploughing in the fields. During the past week there has been a marked improvement in the condition of district pastures.

A gentleman interested in the daily trade informed a New Plymouth paper that buying firms are prepared to buy butter straight out at a very satisfactory price, or to give advances on consignments that are very little below the rates ruling in recent norm.il years,

Tlio Hag was flown from tlio Pukckohe post-ofiice yesterday. It was not in honour of some great victory or-of the proclamation of peace. It was to signalise Dominion Day. The local banks and law offices were closed. Otherwise business affairs took their usual course.

Mr .). Lawrie, of Mahuraugi heads, father of Mr C. iv. Lawrie. Mayor of Pukckohe, was a visitor to this township on Saturday, and returned to Auckland to-day. Although -S3 years of ago the old gentleman is .-till physically active, enjoys good eyesight and hearing, and keeps closely in touch with current happenings.

Another working bee operated on the Pukekohe bowline green on Saturday and a lot of good work was done on the Ibwcr beds. Messrs Barter, Perkins, Jackscn, Lames, W. Adams and J. Houlston were the toilers for the afternoon. It is astonishing what a little enthusiasm will do, practically applied.

The brethren of Lodge Excelsior, 1.0.1 '.P., and Loyal Pukekohe, M.U. Oddfellows, met in the Oddfellows' Hall last night to do battle for the Cock of tlio Walk trophy that is held by the Excelsior Lodge. After an interesting and enjoyable contest which lasted for two hours, the M.H Lodge succeeded in defeating the holders of the trophy by i-> 7 games to 11 I. Brother Perkins provided an excellent supper for the players and the proceeding-, were brought t<> a c]om> in peace and

harmony at 1 I n.lll. with the singing of Auld Lang Syne. the intention of the ExceLim - Lodge tn issue a challenge to the holders to play another content for this trophy at an early date.

Iho lir> 1 bacon and ham in New Zealand. Dimock's Swan brand. Ol> tainable from F. PERKINS & Co' Pukekohe.

On Saturday the Pukekohe Ladies' Hockey Club flayed the Otshuhu Club, a drawn game being the result, neither side s.orin.?. Play, which f:ok place on tli3 t'ukekohc school ground, was fa<?t and even throughout. The Pukekohe team, whose lirst match it was, showed very good torm and proved that with experience and combination they will bo a hard team to beat. After the game the visitors were entertained at eiiLiitr at the Pukekohe hot I. Mr H. 1 hornt n Mere d. The wi.in-luit M'iianii, which opened (',ll ly ill July, Iris been tiiatked by regular ati<l ]-Ifnl 1 ful catches id' Ihli, and, a!togeth< v, a highly->uc< essful season is ljf-ic experienced by thoso engaged i:i the industry. A number of men are employed mi the liver in iieUing 11 ic lisli, which are chiefly found between tho Tuikati lauding anil the Waikato Heads. I)aily consignments aim sunt t) Auckland in cans.

In spite of the war there is a good demand for land in and around this district. Mr W. lioulstui reports the sale of two farms last week, Mr F. Shelller's propert' of Nl acres at Puni being soi l to Gibson 13r05., of Tuakau, and "Mr P. S. Hunter's property, of I'! acres, at the Mauku, being sold to Mr A. M. Brown, of Auckland. Mr Roulston states that he has other clients coming through to inspect local properties within the next few weeks. He also advises that lie has on his books several clients with propeities in and around Auckland who are anxious to exchange for farms so that if there are any local farmers who are willing to move into Auckland it would be advisable for them to call at \V. Rolllston's oltice and inspect the list of properties and securities that are offering for exchange.

A satisfactory statement in regard to the ships with refrigerating space available for conveying New Zealand produce to the Old Country has been made in the House by the Prime Minister. Mr said he had arranged with one of the officers of the Government, who was a business man, to look into the wholo matter. This ollicer had beon engaged upon the investigations for a week or ten days, and his advice was that theio were ijuite a number of ships available for the carriage of our produce until December :)lst After that date there was a possibility of some difficulty. Since tlioD, he (Mr Massev) had been in communication with London on the matter, and 110 had been informed that ships would be available to carry all our refrigerated produce Home. He lnped to be able to work with the shipping companies who had been sending ships to our coasts for years, but if these ships were cot available there would be no difficulty—or, at any rate, no difficulty which the Government could not deal with—about getting the ships necessary. The New Zealand Sulphur Company declines to recognise any claims for compensation arising out of the disaster on White Island, and considers that the matter should be referred to the Arbitration Court to determine whether any liability rests upou the company. The <[Uostion is raised : '* Can an explosion be included in the catalogue of risks to which an employer can be held responsible in any industrial enterprise?" A representative of one of the insurance companies stated that no parallel could be drawn between the disaster at Iluntly and that at White Island. In a coal mine, the risk of injury by explosion resulting in personal in jury has always to bo borne by the miners; but, in the case of White Island, the employer could hardly be expected to anticipate that the peculiar natural conditions were indications of a destructive explosion. It is expected that the Court will bo asked to give judgment in the matter.

A manifesto has been issued by the National Trade Detence Council in which it state? that "while holding that no majority has any right to decide a minority in matters of eating and drinking, we desire to commend the action of Parliament in not throwing to the dogs, so to speak, the people's liberties, the country's revenue, and the property and businesses of the trade. A simole majority ot voters having nothing to lose has no right to determine such vast interes's. We appeal to all fairminded electors, whatever their predilections otherwise may be, not to hand over the keeping of the Dominion's all'airs to such a wanton and irresponsible party as the Prohibitionists have proved themselves to b->. While openly declaring that the trade as a trade has no politics, it is hopeful that its friends and supporters will not encourage by their votes the return of candidates to Parliament who are ready to placo prohibition lirst and the industrial, commerical, financial and social interests of the Dominion nowhere. This council is more concerned for the country's than its own interests when it says that the return of such candidates to Parliament would be a calamity far-reaching, disastrous, and iniquitous to New Zealand."

At a meeting of ttie executive of the New Zealand Moderate League a resolution was carried directing the publication of a statement showing that immediately the British Empire became involved in the war the Moderate League cancelled all ite arrangements IVr public meetings throughout the Dominion, and had since used every endeavour to avert internal strifo by making ftrong public representations for the postponement of the general election, while the prohibitionists proceeded with their lectures, meetings anil selection of candidates for Parliament, regardless of the internal bitterness and dissension they were stirring up. Further that, as the New Zealand Alliance has now called upon all its supporters to subordinate every other issue to thai of prohibition at the furthcoming j Parliamentary elections and to secure j the return to Parliament of those candidates only who arc pledged to carry nut their extreme demands, the general public arc warned of the danger attaching to this action I and arc urged to tike active steps to prevent the Legislature from . being dominated by an organisation j whose only claim to public notice i and whose only policy lies in a ! persistent attempt to place exaggerated, tyrannical and nnprarticable legishtive restrictions upon the | social habits of the people.

lu some natun n*»tos published last week Mr Jam s Drmnmond, F.L.S., says:—'' It is satisfactory to learn froui Mr E. T. Frost, of Tua kau, that tlie bittern, sinca it has been protee'e 1, his increased in numbers mi tlie marshy lauds of tlio Waikato liver. Ho has soon more bitterns this year than ho had soon fur a long time. The bittern is a notable illustration of the theory of adaptive co'ouration l>utli in X>w Zealand and the Old Country it lias nttr.u tod unusual attention on this a.voiiut. ' I have ofreu passed one that was standing like a statue amongst raupo,' Mr Fruit says, commenting on this characteristic, 'and I have turned my lifnd away and looked again, and if I had not markc 1 the plan I expo. i need some difficulty in liuding the bittern. \\ hen one of these birds points its bill tj tho sky, its streaky breast closely resembles tho dry raupo in whicli it makes its haunt.' "

In an interview at New Plymouth, Mr Newton King snM that New Zealand had practically captured the butter trade at Yani"..uver. The people were generally agreed that New Zealand was a finer quality butter than the local product. ''Our butter has made a wonderful name for itself," said Mr King, " and there is very little doubt that in future Yancouver will do a very big trade with New Zealand lieol is very high in America. When we got to Chicago it was soiling at 19.' dollars per 100lb, an extraordinary price for Chicago, and the general opinion of the moat men was that it would continue to rise. This was before the war. America a few years ago used to export meat, but to-day she is drawing all the supplies she can get from Argentine, and they have also oponed up in Australia, and it is < [ uito on the cards—in fact, it is almost cortain—that within a year or two sunn of firms will be entering into tho New Zealand trade."

The Now Zealand Trade Review ill reviewing the financial situation admi;s that "it is still very dillicult to form an estimate of the effect of current events on our local money market." Conditions remain fairly normal. The usual season's demands on the hanks fur assistance in gathering ami moving the season's produce are beginning to set in now, but the supply of funds continues sufficient for all legitimate requirements and lending rates are steady. Rates of exchange on London, however, have stiffened somewhat. The dairy export eeison starts this month and meat shipments will start a month or so later. There appears every prospect of excellent pricos ruling for these products. With wool, however, it is difficult to say how values will rule. " The g'oat thing for oar expert trade is for the trade routes to be kept open, and there appoars to bo a very good prospect of this being maintained. Uivoa this, a good export season liny fairly bo expected, while on the otlior hand importation will probably bo curtailed somewhat, and this wili leave us with an improved supply of money." An important announcement to the effect that the Imperial Uovernment ha 3 expressed willingness to accept 200 Maori volunteers from New Zealand for terfice in Egypt, was made by the Prima Minister in the House cf Representatives on Wednesday. Mr Masscy said that ihe matter hid been before the Government for some day*. They had communicated through His Excellency the Governor with the Imperial authorities, offering the S3rvice9 of a number of nativc3 volunteering for service at the front or anywhere ihe Imperial Governmant wished to make use of them. In reply, the Government had rccsived a statement to th? effect that the Home Government were willing to accept the services of 200 natives to go to Egypt. On receipt of this the New Zealand Government had made another suggestion to the Imperial Government, which proposal hi could not refer to at present. The matter was now in the hands of the Minister for Defence, who would, nn doubt, call for volunteers for service in Egypt. 'I here was every desire to make the contingent as representative as possible, as it might l?aJ ti greater things in tbe net distant future. He was sure that the natives selected would do every credit to New Zealand.

Some peculiar circumstances in connection with the death by drowning of a boy named Andrew Andorson, aged 17, iu tho Dunedin Public Baths were disclosed at tho inquest. Tho bathkeoper (Ernest Herbert Olds) said that at about 5.4.j p.m. a lad named Gillies told him ho had felt something on the bottom of the bath that seemed like someone down there. Witness stripped, and told his wife to ring the bell, as a signal to all to leave the water and stand by tlioir clothes. No clothes were left unclaimed, but nevertheless witness divod. He found nothing, and assumed it was a false alarm, which was not uncommon. Later when nearly everyone had dressed (about D.20 p.mJ, a boy reported some unclaimed clothes. Witness opened the valve and dived into the water, and at his fourth dive—iu about live minutes — ho camo upon the body in about 7ft fiin of water. Tho coroner tlieu found that the cause of death was accidental drowning, no blame being attachable to anyone.