NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4462, 14 September 1909, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Of late business men and others have been congratulating themselves on being able to converse through the ’phone to merchants, etc., as far as Auckland in one direction, and

Otra Thames in the other. Telephone This privilege, we regret Exchange, to chronicle, was exexceedingly short lived, as we have been advised by Mr J. G. Beswick, Postmaster at Te Aroha, as follows :—“ I have to inform you that I have been advised that in future communication by telephone will be limited to Exchanges separated by one exchange only. Thus, Hamilton will be our limit on one side and Thames on the other.” We trust that at no distant date the Department will revert back to the old order of things.

Our J’s.P. are worth very little, judging from the reply received by the Member for the District (W. H. Herries, Esq.) concerning a petition sent by Justices of the Peace from this district, asking to be supplied gratis with copies of the Consolidated Statutes, in order that they might be enabled to better carry out the duties appertaining to their high office. Apparently the Government consider that the honor attached to being a Justice of the Peace, is in itself sufficient remuneration for services rendered. • The undermentioned letter from Hon. Dr. J. G. Findlay, explains the position. The following has been received by Mr W. H. Herries, M.P., for this Electorate, dated Wellington, Sept. 2nd., 1909: “ I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th August last, forwarding petition from the Justices of the Peace of Te Aroha and surrounding districts praying that they may be supplied with copies of the Consolidated Statutes ; and, in reply, to inform you that I regret that, owing to the great cost of preparing and printing the Consolidated Statutes it is not possible to supply them to Justices of the Peace free of cost. It has. however, been decided that the Statutes shall be supplied tp any Justices desirous of purchasing them, at the price of seven guineas (£7 7s) for the set, the ordinary price being twelve guineas. Application should be made to the Government Printer.”

The Great Hbtaid