LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20503, 20 May 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ourrenoy In London. —Fine gold was quoted in London yesterday at £7 0s lsd an ounce (£7 on Wednesday), the dollar at 4.96 S (4.97 j; and the franc at 177| (1771).

Higher City Rates? —The possibility of the Auckland city rates being increased this year by 2Jd in the £, mainly as a result of the hospital levy being increased, was mentioned last night by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis. Last year the rates were increased from 3s 114 d to 4s 3*d in the £.

Steamer Laid Up. —The crew of the steamer Kaimero, at Auckland, “having refused to take the vessel to sea owing to a fireman being dismissed without a satisfactory explanation, the Union Company has paid the men off. and the steamer is temporarily laid up.

Prisoner Recaptured. Francis Henry Guilford, who escaped from Paparua prison on May 2, was arrested in a house in South Dunedin yesterday. An intensive search for fugitive extending to North Canterbury, has been maintained since his escape.

Air Force Display. —The biggest display vet attempted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force will be seen at Rongotai Aerodrome, Wellington, on June 4, when 22 machines will participate. An inspection will be made by the Governor-General, Viscount Galway.

Deer-Culling. —As the outcome of the deer-culling operations during the last three months in the Lake Monowai district, Otago, by the Department of Internal Affairs, 2400 animals have been slaughtered as shown by tails submitted. Animals wounded but not found are not included in the total.

Non-Labour Chairmen. —The new Auckland City Council last night expressed a willingness to allow Labour members to occupy the chair on three of the council committees. This offer, according to information gathered yesterday, was declined on behalf of the party, with the result that in every case non-Labour chairmen have been chosen.

Will Soon be a City. —Speaking of the growth of the Lower Hutt borough at his installation, Mr J. W. Andrews, Mayor, said that the borough was 47 years old and in that time the population had grown from a couple of hundred to 19,000. The borough town planning officers estimated that In 1941 the population would be 22,000, and In 1946 31,000.

Celebrating Anzac Day. —A proposal that Anzac Day in New Zealand should be celebrated, as in Sydney, by not only a dawn parade but by limiting the solemn observances to the morning, making the afternoon a more cheerful occasion, has been made by Air E. P. Titchener, president of the Australian Imperial Forces Exservicemen’s Association, in Auckland.

Huge Postal Turnover. —The total turnover of the Post and Telegraph Department, including receipts and payments made on behalf of other Government departments, reached the colossal figure of £295,000,000 for the financial year 1937-1938, being an increase of £90,000,000 over that for 1934-35 and £50,000,000 over 1936-37, said the Postmaster-General, the Hon. F. Jones, at Whangarei.

Body Exhumed. —The unorthodox action of two Maoris in conveying the body of their father to the tribal burial ground on Alokoia Island without a certificate of death being issued was responsible for a visit being made to the island by the coroner, Mr W. L. Richards, and three police officers and the exhumation' of the body of Air John Graham Te Kiri, aged 83. The body will be reburied on the island.

Costs and Prloes.— ln a remit carried at the Provincial Conference of the Farmers’ Union yesterday the opinion was expressed that the primary industries of New Zealand should combine to contribute toward the permanent employment of a costing expert and his staff to record constantly the relationship existing between the average cost of production and the price received for produce.

Cannon Fodder. —“ Some delegates at the provincial conference of the Farmers’ Union in Auokland yeste'rday considered that parents were not anxious to have children as they were merely required as cannon fodder. Howeve'r, one delegate stated that it was just as intelligent to refuse to raise children because they might be required for cannon as it would be to refuse to raise sheep because they might contract facial eczema.

License a Trust. —“I don’t think a Judge should be mealy-mouthed about cancelling a man’s driving license,” observed Air Justice Blair in the Supreme Court at Wanganui on Tuesday. The giving of a driving license imposes on the person it is given to an important trust and entitles him to drive a highly dangerous instrument on the road. Any failure in common law or Statute law to observe the conditions of that trust requires that we should not be mealy-mouthed about cancelling the license.

Motor Relicenslng. —Good progress has been made with motor relicensing at the Hamilton depot in Knox Street, 1525 vehicles having been registered up to yesterday. In comparison to other years applications have come forward more steadily this year and there should be less rush on the final days if the progress made to date is maintained- The Knox Street depot will close on June 4. Returns show that whereas in the first fortnight of May, 1937, 6994 licenses were renewed in the main centres, this year the total from the same areas has reached 11,830.

Special prices throughout the store for Friday's business —Study the advertisement on page 9 to-night and you will see how Hooker & Kingston Ltd. save you money with these "special prices/’ Winter hose and gloves, blankets, coats from the showroom, sheets, etc., all come into this special effort —Handbags worth 15s 6d—l9/6, for Friday will be cleared at 10/6 each —Wool week still continues and the number of people that have purchased this week would amaze you. Hooker and Kingston Ltd. your market—lt will pay you I •••

Wrestling Draw.—ln a professional ! wrestling bout at Palmerston North j last evening Jack Kennedy and Pat Fraley drew, one fall each.

High Commissioner.—The High Commissioner for New Zealand, Mr \V. J. Jordan, was “ courtesy itself," and he was certainly popular in London, said Sir Thomas Wilford on his return to Wellington yesterday from a visit to England.

King’s Birthday. —A Gazette notice last night states that while King George’s birthday will be observed in New Zealand this year on June 6, in every subsequent year of His Alajesty’s reign it will be observed on the first Alonday in June.

Flvepenny Cheque. —A New Plymouth firm recently received a cheque for flvepence. Threepence had been spent on stamp duties and postage of the cheque, which, now framed, hangs on the wall of the company that received it.

Subsidies for Btalllons. —Subsidies for the owners of stallions up to but not exceeding a maximum of £l5O a year are provided for in the remount subsidy regulations, issued under the Remounts Encouragement Act, 1914, published with the Gazette.

Walhl Doctor's Claim.—ln the Magistrate’s Court at Waihi Mr H. L. Boughton stated that a claim brought by Dr. Hutson, late assistant medical superintendent at the Waihi Hospital, for £3OO against the Thames Hospital Board, had been settled out of Court.

•Bonus to Staff. —ln view of the successful trading year just completed by the Farmers’ Trading Company, Limited, the directors have decided to distribute £SIOO among the members of the company’s staff. The amount represents one week’s wages for each employee.

Crippled Children. —lt was stated at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society in Auckland last evening that there were on the files details of 529 cases of crippled children residing in the district and the numbers were increasing.

Tyre Industry. —Deep concern was expressed at a meeting of the Automobile Association (Auckland) yesterday regarding a persistent rumour in motoring circles of the Government’s proposal to create a monopoly in New Zealand for the manufacture of motor tyres.

Social Security Plane. —The Parliamentary committee which has been investigating the Government’s social security proposals has completed its deliberations. The report will be referred to the Government, and presented In the House of Representatives. Legislation will be prepared on the basis of the report.

Loss on Apples. —“ It is impossible for anyone to have any idea as to what will be the average price for apples at this stage of the season,” said Air F. Plcot, Director of Internal Marketing, when questioned in Wellington about statements that the local guaranteed price for home consumption apples would result in a loss of about £150,000 to the Government.

Exports of Oheepe. —Shipments of cheese to the United Kingdom continue to show an upward trend, last month's total of 6760 tons exceeding exports in April, 1937, by 130 tons. For the nine months of the season to April 30, total of 65,087 tons has been shipped, a decrease of 1344 tons over the figures for the corresponding period last season.

Auckland Power. —A surplus of £20,353 for the year ended Alarch 31 was announced by Air S. J. Harbutt, chairman of the Auckland ElectricPower Board, at the 16th annual meeting of the board yesterday. The total net revenue for the year was £710.021, compared with £650,693 last year, an increase of £59,328, but the total operating expenses increased from £409,333 to £474,624, a total increase of £65,291.

A Crossbred Duck. —An exhibit of interest to game sportsmen, produced by a deputation to the Alinister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, was a dead duck—obviously a cross between a wild grey duck and a white Pekin or Aylesbury duck. It was pointed out that there were many sportsmen who held fast to the opinion that the wild grey duck would not mate for breeding with the ordinary domestic duck.

Railway Regradings. —A list of 450 regraded staff positions in the Railways Department has been Issued by the general manager, Mr G. H. Mackley. For 12 months, a committee has been gathering information in preparation for a general regrading of positions and adjustment of salaries, and the list is based upon the committee's report. Applications for the regraded positions have been called for, the closing date being Alay 31. It is expected that appointments will be announced some time in June.

Timber Firms* Year.— A net profit of £2623, a reduction of £548, Is shown In the accounts of the National Timber Company, Limited, for the year ended March 31. The directors recommend a dividend of 24 per cent for the year, against 5 per cent, which was maintained from 1935 until 1937. A further loss of £2298 is shown in the accounts of the Parker, Lamb Timber Company, Limited, for the year ended Alarch 31. This compares with losses of £920 in the previous year and £4123 in 1936. The debit balance in the appropriation account is now £43,020.