LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3518, 3 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A statement made by the Administrator shows that the state hotels at Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory. are losing at. the rate of £BSOO a year, and retrenchment and increased prices arc proposed. The total turnover of the four hotels last year was £*o,ooo.

About 25 men working on (ho Lyt-telton-Sumner Road downed tools yesterday ns a protest against the Public Works Department employing foreign labour. The imported men number five, and are Indians, and it is alleged that they were sent by the Department from Auckland. A tragic story has reached Eltham. Three young men—Messrs John Elsener, of Rowan, and F. Attermot and J King, cf Auroa—left New Zealand in February last to visit Switzerland, their native land. They arrived there about April 20, but had apparently contracted severe Influenza on teh voyage, for they were almost immediately placed in the Kanton Hospital aT Lucerne, where Attermot succumbed on April 21, and his two friends two days later.

At the Methodist Church on Sunday at 7 p.m. Mrs Banks will act as solo,sL The Bov. W. Lee will take ms subject:—“Hell, as experienced by Christ, ’ 3

The fining of an English grocer for profiteering reminds a correspondent of the Sunday Pictorial that in the Middle Ages ;a man who unreasonably raised prices was called an engrosser. But he was not only fined. He was placed in the pillory and pelted with rotten eggs.

The proposal made some time ago that an alteration should be made in the standard time in New Zealand is given effect to iu the New Zealand Standard Time Bill. From tfie date On which the Act comes into force, October 3rd, 1920, New Zealand stand-

ard time is to be twelve hours in advance of Greenwich mean time. This, of course, advances the clock by half an hour as compared with present conditions.

Speaking of the deepened interest in the Salvation Army in all coufitries since the war, General Booth said that during the last year he had received a request from Germany to institute street work there. Prior to the war the army’s street meetings had been prohibited in practically every European f country, but Belgium and Denmark, as well as Germany now permitted them, and other countries would probably do the same beTore long.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands leports that the returned men who took up virgin bush country in the Retaruke and Whirinaki districts, and at Owhango and Piriaka, have made splendid progress, having already felled and grassed over 10,000 acres, all of which is now carrying stock.- This was most gratifying, he said, as by their efforts they were rapidly bringing into production, and thus increasing the primary products of the Dominion, land which had hitherto been unproductive and returning no revenue. " A class for the best and cheapest working man’s dinner for four formed part of the Winter Sriow at Ashburton. The dinner which secured first prize consisted of soup, roast rabbit with potatoes, marrow, swedes and onions, with baked apples for the sweets. The total cost was 10Jd, and the individual items w r ere pearifle cartridge to kill the rabbit |d, coup 2d. onions 2d, marrow 7d, swedes 2d, potatoes Id, apples 3d. Against this was set the sale of the rabbit skin lor Is, leaving a profit on the provision of a dinhef for four of l|d.

j ‘As a matter of business we must as soon as possible find some means of recovering for British markets the vast output of copra which is now almost all going to the United States/’ declared Dr Guy Scbolefield, in his lecture on the “History and Problems of the Pacific” on Thursday evening at Wellington, “The result, naturally,” said the lecturer, “is that American manufacturers come back in payment, and that American influence will tend to supplant the British. even in the British islands. This is most important., both fcr our own welfare in the islands and for what we can do for the natives.” A curious little incident occurred at Clevedon on Wednesday morning, which shows the unusual rigour of the frostg experienced in that district. At a farm belonging to Mr Holder it was noticed that a sparrow which had been crouching on one of the rafters in the cowshed was fluttering and struggling as if it was secured in some mysterious fashion. Upon investigation it, was found that the head feathers of the bird were firmly frozen to the zinc of the roof, and were left adhering when the bird was pn 11 away. Sad to say the escape was but moment ary, as the farmer at once wrung the neck of the unfortunate captive; the enmity between farmers and the small grain thief being proverbial Sir Thomas Mackenzie who was en- j tertained at luncheon, a day or two] ago by His Majesty the King, will re- j turn to New Zealand with an honour | that has not previously been confer*- j red upon a New Zealand statesman — 1

the Gran? Cross of the Order of St. Michael and Sty George. This is a very high and unusual distinction for a man in ihe public service of one of the Dominions. Sir Thomas Mackenzie. who was made a K.C.M.G. in 1916, is (he first New Zealander to receive the Grand Cross of the Order. It is of course the highest class of the Older, and hitherto the only holder 'of the Grand Cross in New Zealand has been the Governor or GovernorGeneral. The high esteem in which Sir Thomas Mackenzie is held has lately been conspicuously manifested at distinguished gatherings in his honour held in Britain, and the Dominion he has done such wonderful work for has maintained the chilly silence of Ingratitude. For Goughs and Colds, never fails, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure,

The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey), has been informed by the directors of the Hikurangl mine that they last week were able to make available 484 tons of cca] for cement works. For some weeks the quantity available for this purpose has not been greater than 98 tops.

We regret to have to record that Mr and Mrs J. Gilchrist, of Utika, have sustained a great loss in the death of their third daughter, Roberta. The deceased was a bright little child six years of age, and the sympathy of their many friends will go out to the bereaved parents in their sad bereavement. The funeral will take place at Rata on Monday.

Dairy farmers in various parts of New' Zealand appear to think that prices for dairy (produce will remain high for many years, and even go higher, but Sir Walter Buchanan, M.L.C., of Master ton, does not think so. “Some people,” states Sir Walter, "are optimistic, enough to think that high prices -would rule for dairy produce over a period of years. I do not think so. These people forget that in the Argentine alone there are some 90,000,000 head of cattle, which can bo put to dairying as soon as the meat market recedes, or at .least a large proportion of them. Wo will be ‘small potato’s* indeed if the Argentine becomes a serious competitor. Brazil cannot be overlooked, either. I think that returned soldiers would be far better off if they kept their little nesteggs in their pocket, went out to work, and waited until land values recede, which they most assuredly will do.”

In an editorial, the Christchurch Sun says: During- the session members will be asked to vote themselves an increase in salary. It is a uniquely happy position to be in, but the country will agree that £3OO per annum is not a living political wage, when an expert' and hap’d-working miner can earn £G per week, and skilled tradesmen almost as much. With payment for services rendered going up and up there is no reason why the salary of the M.P. should Remain stationary. When the £3OO rate ■ was fixed years ago it was a fair remuneration, all things considered to-day it very obviously is not. “It has been suggested tha‘t the salary should be £4OO. That figure is probably in the Government’s mind.” The Sun urges Mr Massey to make it £SOO and have done with it. Why should M.P. ’s receive only a 33 per cent, rise when other increases have been based on an advance of 02 per cent, in the Cost of Living? “When it is remembered that politicians have so many unfeeling and thoughtless demands ou their slim purses, we think it will he conceded that £SOO per annum is little enough.”