Interprovkcial

New Zealand Tablet, 1 May 1913, Page 36

Interprovkcial

It has been stated by very old residents of'Rotorua that the lakes have been lower than for the last twenty years.

The official record shows that 98,170 people visited H.M.S. New Zealand during her stay at Wellington, the largest number being 19,846 on Sunday last.

The present year is stated to have been the best that the Christchurch Tourist Office has so far had, the takings being, roughly, £IOOO more than those of last year, the previous best.

During the nine months ended March 31 last the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company passed through its works and stores provincial produce for export to the value of £1,100,000.

The workers' dwellings erected by the Government at Addington have been completed, and are now in occupation of those who selected them. All the land available in Addington and Sydenham has been taken up.

Over 8000 people travelled by rail to Napier to view the H.M.S. New Zealand, the traffic being handled by the authorities expeditiously without mishap. Captain Halsey was so pleased with the whole arrangements that he issued a special invitation to the entire Entertainment Committee to view the vessel.

On Thursday, at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court, a little discussion arose as to how much per day a farmer should be allowed for time spent in attendance at Court. The scale provided for from 8s to 15s

per day. Mr. Bishop settled: it at 10s, adding, •■:' Very few farmers are making more at this time of the year.';

The supplementary municipal electoral t roll for Greater Wellington was issued on Friday and contains 10,607 names, the major '• portion of these enrolments being under the residential. clause. There are 23,572 names on the principal roll, which makes the total number of electors 34,179.

Life is not very joyful in the back-blocks (says the Feliding Star). Mr. Frank Armstrong, who has resided at Akitio for the past 38 years, was only able to get a road to his property two years ago. This is all the more astonishing when it is remembered that Mr.. Armstrong pays over £IOOO a year in rates and taxes. ~

'. The high price of kauri timber has stopped a great deal of the wholesale exportation,' said, Mr. E. Bartley, a witness before the' Forestry Commission at Auckland. But it is a deplorable position to think that New Zealand has been exporting the best of its kauri, and now if one wants a' stick of heart timber a fancy price is demanded, and even then it is difficult to obtain.' Mr. Bartley advocated the preservation of what little kauri there is left in New Zealand for the use of New Zealanders.

The chairman of the Otago Harbour Board (Mr. J. H. Walker) has received the following telegram from Mr. Blair Mason at Napier: — ' Captain Halsey regrets exceedingly his inability to bring -the New Zealand inside the harbour, for while there is plenty of depth in the channel to allow him to do so, yet the vessel must have room to swing freely while at anchor without risk of touching the surrounding bank, and. the anchorage spaces inside the harbour are not sufficiently wide to give the desired margin.

A Nelson strawberry grower, Mr. W. S. MearS, who has a hillside section on Montreal road, off Toi Toi Valley, has had a lengthy season of picking. He cultivates several thousand plants, and commenced picking in October, and ever since has been able to gather berries in large quantities. Last week he had a heavy picking, the berries, Melbas and Beauty of Kent, being still firm, and the quality excellent. It surely says something for the suitableness of the district for strawberry culture (remarks the Nelson Mail) when the ripe berries can be gathered for at least seven months in the year. .

A rather peculiar custom amongst some land agents was made public at the Magistrate's Court on Thursday (says the Christchurch fress), during the hearing of a case arising out of the exchange of properties. A witness, a land agent, said that if a man introduced a client to an agent and.business resulted, it would be believed that the man had had trouble in the matter, and that it would be a moral duty to pay him for it. In such a case he had sent a cheque. Mr. Bishop: 'Would you send me a cheque if I took a man into your office and he did business?' Witness: ' I have done so.' Mr. Bishop: 'You suggest that it is usual to do so.' Mr. Raymond added: ' Then I suggest that the cheque would be returned.' The agent refused to fall in with Mr. Raymond's suggestion, and the point dropped for the time being.

The decreasing supplies of white pine, owing to its extensive use for butter boxes, and the discovery of a suitable substitute, are among the important questions being inquired into by the Forestry Commission. At Auckland on Thursday (says the New Zealand Herald) Mr. David Goldie, in giving evidence, said that it would be unwise for New Zealand to allow the export of white pine for such use as- making piano cases. Later on in the proceedings, Mr. Alexander McCall was giving evidence. He referred to the fact that tawa wood was found to be very suitable for butter boxes, as it had absolutely no odour, while even white pine had an odour which sometimes caused trouble. In this connection, tawa needed no waxing, while white pine did. Dr. Cockayne remarked that they had. been given to understand that white pine was the only timber suitable for butter-box making which did not need paraffining, yet apparently this process was necessary.