DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 89, 10 December 1912, Page 8

DOMINION NEWS.

THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

(Per Press Association.) Masterton, December 9.

The Rev. A. T. Thompson, Presbyterian minister of Master to;., in a powerful and outspoken sermon last night, challenged and condemned the silence of the pulpit on the social problem and sexual vice, supporting ids contention by the plain, blunt treatment of these facts by the prophets, JesusSt. Paul, and the Bible generally. Tin most hopeful begin.ii ng of a reformation was a plain recognition of the blunt facts. The church and religion ought to bring the impact of then life and power upon the evils of society in order to secure their healing. The church needed to come to a new valuation of human life in its totality, and as a unity, with a new sense of the regeneration of the race. Ignorance, silence, mock modesty, anu genteel humbug, in reference to hu man life and its divinely created functions the, body-devouring and soul-de-vouring deivls of our age, leading tc the corruption and abnormality of one of the most fundamental impulses placed by God in us. I'lie care of the adolescent is out of the most crying obligations of parenthood and society. The neglect oi the adolescent spells the physical, mental and moral ruin of the individual and society. The medical inspection of schools by wise men who are als proper adolescent specialists should bi compulsory, with individual instruction to adolescents to supplement tin work of parents, which is primary, but hopelessly neglected or inefficiently done. The capture of our scholars and tlie parents of. the next genera turn are assured. What is needed throughout New Zealand most to-day is a new ethic of the sexes, a raising of the moral tone, of the creation o. a wholesome atmosphere charged wit. scientific knowledge of human life. Christchurch. December 9.

The New Zealand Federated 800 l Trade Union appointed the followinj. delegates to represent it at the con ference convened by the Minister o Customs to discuss the tariff in rela tion to tiie boot and shoe trade: Messrt d. C. Brown (Dunedin), C. A. Watte (Auckland), and G. 11. Whiting ;Christchurch). The Federation hat decided to ask its representatives t> try and secure an export duty on al iiides. The Canterbury Trades and Labout Council has addressed a circular tf unions affiliated to it urging them t( be represented at the Federation el Labour conference, as they recognise the need of unity among the worker; and welcome any movement white has for its object the consol.dation e; the working class.” ' The City Council to-night, on tin recommendation of the Electricity Committee, agreed that a loan o £120,000 be raised to provide foi transforming plants, mains, street lighting services, meters and buildings to utilise the supply from Lake Col o ridge. Auckland, December 9.

A poll of the municipal electors ol Parnell borough, which was taken _ today on the Greater Auckland question, resulted in the proposal to amalga mate with the city being carried by i majority of 293 votes, 703 for and ■135 against. • Tirnaru, December 9. The Prime Minister, bound north, stayed here a couple of hours between trains, and was entertained at luncheon and congratulated on the victory of his party. Mr Massey was interviewed by Mr R. L. Orbell, on behal of the A. and P. Associations and tin Farmers’ Union, and asked when he could inspect a dozen or so farms offered for experimental farms in South Canterbury. Mr Massey replied that ho could iiot go into the matter just now. He would be down again in March, and would have time then to go into it. He sa : d that Canterbury would get at least one experiment a. farm (three were asked for). The North Island experimental farms hat. been a rank failure financially, bm Canterbury and Otago had different conditions, farming there being high ly developed. Wellington, December 9.

At a conierenoe of the boot and shoe retailers of Wellington, held today, resolutions were passed (1) urgng representatives at a conference to i>o convened by tlie Minister of Customs to oppose any increase in the existing tariff, and recommending tinu all footwear tiiat cannot profitably bt manufactured in the .Dominion be au mitted duty free, or at least to beai o per cent revenue including men’s, women’s and children’s slippers with uppers of any material otnei than leather, evening shoes with top pieces or wood heels, goloshes, plim miles, gumhoots and all other rubbei shoes, buckskin boots and shoes with leather, rubber, mercury ■ or chronic soles and all children’s footwear up to size one (inclusive). (If) Opposing tne justice of tne existing spaciut uiity on all footwear, and in the besi interests of the public generally strongly recommending its removal. (,'f) That owing to the high standard 01 living adopted in this Dominion, and tne constant change of fashion demanded, the conference considers ii impossible for New Zealand manufacturers to cope with the increased output, owing to the scarcity of skilled labour, both male and female. Fines varying from 20s to 40s, plus costs, were imposed in the Magistrate’s

Court to-day on three city milk vendors for selling milk not up to the] standard required by the Health Department. For inciting to resist arrest James Patrick Bassett, whom the police have observed indulging in similar behaviour, was sentenced to-day at the Magistrate’s Court to a month’s imprisonment. Hassotfc was also fined £3 or fourteen days’ imprisonment for obscenity On the same occasion.

When*Mr Singleton, assistant .Dairy Commissioner, visited Canada a few months ago, he was commissioned by the Government to secure some new blood for diffusion amongst the State Holstein dairy cattle. Each of the five animals selected has a performance pedigree and a milk or butterfat record backing it. These cattle arrived at Wellington yesterday In the Jnveric, and after going for a term in quarantine will be drafted into the State Holstein herd at Weraroa. The same vessel brought five other Bolsteins, which are consigned to the Cluney Farm, at Plimmerton. A drover of Gore, named George Russel, was charged last week with cruelty to animals by railing from Southland to Ashburton a number of j ewes on the point of lambing. Some lamlis wore born in the trucks and several ewes and lambs arrived dead. ! Others were in a bad condition. Sub- ' Inspector Cruickshank, prosecuting, 1 said he regretted that those really I responsible could not be brought before i the Court, as defendant was only enI gaged to look after the sheep on the journey. He, however, had not done I all that he might have done for the sheep’s comfort on the journey. The Bench regretted that the other parties were not chargeable, and fined defendant £T and costs.