CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 206, 20 January 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

FERTILISERS. A railway from Moturoa to Oaonui would have the ell'eet of doubling the producing capacity of the coastal land. At present the use of fertilisers, which the land is hungering for, is restricted owing to the very high cost of cartage. Fifty per cent, on the cost of the fertilisers—that is the extent to which the farmers are penalised. There are tons and tons of fertilisers awaiting delivery to the coastal fanners, but the transit facilities are unequal to cope with the quantity. If a railway existed the demand for fertilisers would in a very short time be increased tenfold. WEATHER REPORTS. The weather reports which \/e publish daily are much appreciated by settlers, who oftimes base their plan of operations upon the reports. A suggestion was made to us the other day that Ave should endeavor to secure the reports on Mondays and holidays. We have endeavored to have them telegraphed on Sundays (in time for next morning's issue) and on holidays, but without success. We are informed that owing to the telegraph ollices only being open between 5 and o.'M) on Sundays, messages <io not come to hand on winch to base a report, and to a large extent this holds good on holidays. There is also, we, suspect, a natural disinclination to work on Sundays and holidays. Therefore, the prospect of getting the reports in time for Monday's paper is not very rosy. TUE SOUTH ROAD. "The trouble about the South road is that the ratepayers expect to maintain the road for the same amount of money now as suflieed .fifteen years ago," : remarked a farmer to a Xews man the other day. ''Rut they ignore the, fact that the traffic since then has increased at least tenfold. Why, in the last year or two, by reason of the companies drop- ' ping the making of butter and going in ; for cheese, the wear and tear on the roads has doubled. But the rates have , not increased proportionately." The , Egmont County Council lias increased ! their rate pretty substantially. For- - merly the county used to try to scrape . along on a %d rate, but this year it has , been increased to l'Vid. plus the Road Board rate of another' y 3 d. Still the road has not improved; in fact, it is in I a worse condition now than ever it was. I There is no getting away from the fact that to keep the road open a big loan will have to be gone in for, and after that it will take the whole of the rate to maintain it. This also applies to the part of the road under the jurisdiction of the Taranaki county, which part, in truth, is in a more deplorable state than 5 Egmont's portion, notwithstanding the 1 fees received from the toll-gate. A rail- > way is the only salvation, but meantime l something will have to be done with tire road or the settlers will find themselves bogged in the winter.

STRIKE TROUBLES. Additional complications threaten to arise in Petone unless the meat works' dispute is quickly settled. A Dominion reporter who talked the other day with some of the employees of the Gear Meat Co., gathered that they were very indignant at the attitude taken up by shopkeepers, who have decided to refuse credit, and to insist on cash transactions. Already a proposal has been mooted to hold a meeting, with a view to instituting a boycott of traders who decide to refuse credit. The workers who were spoken to —none of them were slaughtermen—take the view that men who have habitually paid their way should not he refused credit in a time of trouble. The position of the storekeepers is one of great difficulty. -Some of them are still feeling the effects of the last meat-works' strike, and have not yet cleaned their books of debts incurred at that time. Probably they will hold a meeting, in order to discuss the position from all points. Possible developments from the awkward situation that now exists are, on the one hand, a ring of traders mutually, agreeing to refuse, all credit, and, on the other hand, an agreement by the workers concerned to go outside the borough for their supplies, rather than submit to the conditions imposed by their local storekeepers. It is currently reported in Petone that the meat-works' employees, other than slaughtermen, have resolved to resist any attempt to man the killing boards with farmers and their sons or other volunteer labor. Tt is stated that if any outside butchers are employed, the men working in other departments will down tools forthwith, and proclaim a sympathy strike with the slaughtermen.

MR. PEARCE, M.P. We thought we would not have to wait in vain for a reply from the southern country papers to'the attack made on them by Mr. G. V. Pearce, M.P. The Eltham Argus, which is edited by the gentleman who, according to Mr. Pearce, successfully piloted measures through Parliament inimical to the interests of the ratepayers but advantageous to the "country rags," hits out thus:—"Mr. Peareo's statement is interesting and amusing, as being an evidence of the impertinent airs that some people are ready to assume when they become entitled to attach ''M.P.' to' their name. Tn the article we are referring to there appears a short report of a speech made by Mr. fieorge Va-ter Pearce, whom the Patea electors have the misfortune to be burdened with as their Parliamentary representative. It is certainly a misfortune, because a representative who is so befuddled in his brains as to imagine that one individual member of the Legislative -Council can f OR . t , ;l j>ill through both Houses of Parliament, contrarv to the desires of the rai ('payor.*, morel v to secure a little advertising patronage for his own newspaper, is not a representative with even an average amount of intelligence. We are almost tempted to designate Mr. Pearce by the same term that Mr. Humble used concerning the law—but we refrain. Did we not refrain we should be enabling Mr. Pearce to achieve the unfulfilled" ambition of Dogberry, whose earnest wish was expressed in the words. 'Oh, that T had been writ down an ass!' Our readers, we are sure, will appreciate our generous abstention from such a rude os'pressinn. It Mr. Pearce has been oorroctlv reported he attributes (lie parage of certain legation alfeeting Eltham, Manaia mid Opunake to 'the presence of an Eltham journalist in I he Legislative Council.' This is very handsome, and enlirclv unsolicited, tribute to the influence of the Hon. W. Cavncross. the Eltham journalist referred (o. but. uui'ort unaielv for \r v . Pearce. his remarks also afford indisputable evidence that wo should not have been diverging widely from the I iiith had we applied to him Mr.

Bumble's famous epithet. We are proud o f . our chivalrous generosity, and trust that Mr. George Vater Pcarce, the member for Patea, has a, due appreciation for leniency." IMIiJ-XT SHIPPING. Writes our Stratford representative: Stratford merchants are much interested ./i (he reported possibility of direct limine steamers to \e\v Plymouth. The i.-ivaiiaki Chamber of Coininereo shoiih! get busy immediately, and can depend on healthy support 'from these warts, A ..harbor ready for ocean liners will do more to -'boost" Taranaki than anything el-e can. APPRECTATORY. Says the Feilding Star:—The advertising .scheme promulgated from NewPlymouth with so much energy and good sense is bearing considerable fruit" already, the illustrated folders showing the attractions of the district being in great demand from all quarters. Outsiders are visiting there in large numbers, and are charmed with the beautiful surroundings so easily .reached; while the courtesy shown to inquirers is great ly appreciated. TO T0U1! CENTRAL OTAGO. The lion. ,\V. Eraser, Minister of Public Works, will be the Minister to represent the Government with the party of North Island members and re-prc-cjii.uivc local gentlemen who intend to leave Dunedin on the 23rd inst. on a visit to the Otago Central district (savs the Otago Daily Times). The members "of Parliament who have intimated their intention of making the trip are as follow:-. Messrs. R. E. Bollard (Raglan), J. 11. liradney (Auckland West). ,T. 8. Dickson (Parnell), J". tf. Escott (Pahiatita), D. H. Guthrie (Oroua). A. Harris (Waitemata). J. B. Hine (Stratford) F. W. Lang (Manakau). F. Mander (Marsdmj, fl. J. Okev (Taranaki), T. W. Rhodes. (Thames). G. R. Svkcs (Masterton). ('. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), C. K. Wilson (Taumarunui). J. A. Youn" (Waikato). and R. Scott (Otago Ceiv tral). ALLEGED SHABBY TREATMENT. A strongly-voiced complaint was made at a meeting of Maori War Veterans on Saturday afternoon by Mr. Humphries. He spoke of the way that some of the Veterans were being'treated by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, which body, he alleged, was endeavoring to raise the charge made for their maintenance at the Old People's Home from 7s to 12s per week. This was. he said, on the strength of the Veterans securing the new military pension. It was a shameful thing. Some of the Veterans had complained to him about it, and he hud advised them not to pay the extra nin, ,!:n:anded until he had investigated the matter. He resented very much the idea of depriving the Veterans of their paltry few shillings a week. The speaker also took the opportunity- to point out to Veterans that if they had any complaint to make it was their place to write to the Veterans' Committee, which body would spc that they got fair play. Various speakers expressed themselves in sympathy with the complaint.