At a meeting of tlie Oamaru Ministers' Association, held yesterday morning, at St. Paul's manse, the following resolutions were agreed to"That this meeting of the Oamaru Ministers' Association very earnestly supports the movement on foot throughout the Dominion to secure the abolition of the licensed bookmaker, being strongly convinced that such a step is called for in the best interests, of the community." "That this meeting of the above Association respectfully requests the Prime Minister to introduce legislation. to prohibit cinematograph displays " of the recent Johnson-Jeffries prize fight." Unlike many manuals published by the enterprising publishers of army and navy works, Messrs Gale and Polden, London, the "A.B.C. of the Army," a copy of which we acknowledge, is not intended to facilitate an understanding of the rudimentary elements of drill or as a guide to the ambitious soldier seeking promotion. It is not even outwardly adorned with the familiar red covers which euease the numerous text books devoted to the science of warfare, but has a picturesque front which might be regarded as harmonising more with the nature of the work. The "A.B.C. of the Army" has been compiled by Captain J. Atkinson with a view to a better appreciation of our "great fighting engine" by the general public and for the purpose of preventing many popular misconceptions as to its composition Every branch of the service is brought under notice, including the reserves, 'special, .reserve, and Territorial Army, of which the Dominion soldiery will in future form an integral part; while there are interesting appendices dealing with the terms of service, army estimates, cost of clothing, mottoes of the army, religiou in the army, nationalities in the army, horses in the army; and medals and decorations. .Lo quote the jmblisliers' note: Tliey pi' e ~ sent this little guide to British public ill the hope that it will encourage renewed interest in the men whom Napoleon described as the finest soldiers m the world and throw light upon many details of army life not x>reyiously matters of common knowledge. There is every indication that the clause in the Defence Act amendment, which makes provision for the hearing of appeals by commissioned and noncommissioned officers dismissed from the force, will be the subject of keen debate when before the House. Jhe majority of members who are concerned to secure a fresh trial for Captain Knvvett express satisfaction with the provisions, but some southern members exi press dissatisfaction at the setting up of an appeal board. Others, again, declare that the introduction of a civil element on the board will be subversive of discipline, and is inconsistent. Mr 1. E Taylor, member for Christchurch North, holds that not only officers but all ranks should have the right of appeal against dismissal. He intends to move in that direction when the clause is before the House. As far as the board is concerned he finds no fault .with it, but thinks its constitution is somewhat elaborate. He would have been content if the right of appeal had been to a stipendiary magistrate. Questioned to-day as to whether the commandant when he arrives would take any part in the retrial of Captain Knyvett, the Prime Minister said the appeal would be heard, not by the commandant, but by the board set up for that purpose under the Bill.

It had been stated that Mr Joseph Sealey had resigned his position as tlio nominee of the Crown tenants 011 the Canterbury Land Board. Mr Sealey says that such is not tho case. He is the only elective member 011 tho Board and was appointed tor two years, the term expiring next month, when the Crown tenants will again have an opportunity to select a representative. Mr Sealey will again submit himself for election, and this year there is every prospect of his meeting with opposition in the South, where there is a feeling among Crown tenants that they should be represented by oue of their number froqi this side of the Pareora. Thirty-four truck-loads of frozen mutton were railed from Oamaru yesterday to Timaru. It was one o'clock at the High Court at Sydney one day last week. All tho morning the legal luminaries had been endeavoring to define the ' meaning of the word "dispute" and the true significance of the term "arbitration." The Court ushers, models of punctuality, slyly rattled the curtains and stood to attention, and in other recognised ways tried to acquaint counsel with the fact that a respite was due. When the flow of legal eloquence diminished, it waa pointed out that the Court clock was. somewhat fast. The matter waa referred to tho Chief Justice. Sir Samuel Griffith laid it down as a wise rule to always adjourn by the clock which was fast and come back by the clock which was slow. 'The other learned Judges concurred.

Mr Koonin, 8.A., the Russian escapee, who is to lecture to-niglit in the Opera House, arrived to-day from the north. Mr Koonin has an interesting personality, made even more attractive by his experiences. He speaks English very well indeed, and has a story of dramatic force to tell. He was a medical student of the Imperial University of St. Petersburg, and was therefore a member of that class from which tho reformers of Russia are made. At a meeting of tho Students' Association ill 1901 he moved a resolution that a warning should be issued of a meditated massacre of the Jews at Kishineff. The slaughter, though not averted, was tempered by tho .action of Mr Koonin and 1 his student friends, who made a pilgrimage to Kishineff, and on their way back to St. Petersburg were arrested at Kieff. They spent two months in the dark dungeons of St. Peter and Paul, tho fearsome and noisome fortress in which the great political oft'enders of Russia have been incarcerated. After two months of this living death Mr Koonin was taken with a band of convicts to Irkutsk in North-Eastern Siberia, a land of fearful snow, whither they walked a great part of the way. Mr Koonin to-night will tell his audience how he got to Siberia and by what means he escaped. His story is not devoted 1 entirely to the harrowing details of convict life, and ho can depict with the artist's touch the magnificence and customs of the native land which to him is very dear, and from which he is now ostracised. The Labor Department has agreed to a. compromise in the matter of tho statistics which it desires to obtain from employers throughout tho Dominion. New forms, providing for very much less detail than was previously asked for, have been approved by the Department (says a. Press Association message from Wellington), and aro being issued to employers. The Department at lirst proposed to accept this condensed stylo of return from firms employing 50 or more hands, but has now consented to accept it from all those employers from whom information of tho kind is required. Mr W. Prvor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, .states that that body lias agreed to the Department's amended proposals, and has undertaken to give tlio Department everj' assistance in obtaining as complete returns as possible. The largest audience that has witnessed a moving picture entertainment in Oamaru for some years assembled at the Opera House last night, the main attraction being the films descriptive of the late King's funeral. And this large audience was to a certain extent doomed to disappointment; for tho picture which the Operaeiuescope management had announced for the evening had not arrived. In another portion of the paper Mr M.'Donald expresses his regret for the unfortunate mishap which prevented the picture from being screened. He explains Iliat a Christchurch firm had agreed by contract to send the, whole, series of films depicting the King's funeral in time for exhibition' last night; but the films evidently were not sent. To compensate so far as is in its power for tho public's disappointment, the management will show the funeral picture at ordinary prices as soon as it comes to hand. I-lad it not been that the audience was disappointed in the expectation of a special feature, last night's show would have satisfied the most exacting. A small portion of the funeral picture, which had been obtained earlier 011 hire was remarkably clear, and many celebrities such as Lord Kitchener and Lord Roberts were easily to be recognised. One of the best acted and best screened dramatic pictures shown here for some time was "Sister Angela," a well-arranged miracle play. Many other pictures of great merit were shown, while the music of a strengthened orchestra contributed to tlio enjoyment which was almost sufficient to condensate for any disappointment. The Waimate winter show was well patronised 011 Saturday, a little over £l9 being taken at the door. This, with Friday's takings, brought the total up to £2B, about .£2 less than last year's "gate," but as this year's members' subscriptions will exceed last year's, the financial results will bo very satisfactory. Oil Saturday inght great interest was taken in the weight-guess-ing competition, and the final result showed that five guessers hit the correct weight of the sheep (95.Jibs), and 0110 only the bag of potatoes (1981bs). During the evening the Pipe Band played outside the hall.

A meeting of the Waimatc Rugby Sub-TJnion delegates was hold last evening, Mr Lee in the chair. It was decided to play the North Otago senior representatives at Waimatc oil August 18th, that dato having been suggested by North Otago. Messrs Lee, Lawlor, and Scott were appointed a Representative Selection Committee. It was resolved to make a charge of 6d for admission to the match Hiwiroa v. Zcalandia on Thursday next (ladies and children excepted). Mr Gladstone was! one who cherished the old view that women and tobacco smoke ought not ,to bo brought into association. Sir Edward Hamilton records that he would recall a. dictum of the fourth Marquis of Londonderry, a magnate of fashion in Gladstono s earlier days, that no man ought to enter the society of ladies until fpur hours had elapsed after ho had smoked a cigar. This was one reason why Gladstone hated the modern fashion or smoking after dinner, though his own dislike of the smell may have counted for a good deal. But "Cranford" shows us that women and the pipe could be associated by extreme politeness—befnfc the pipe was smoked. The courtly old bachelor, getting out his pipp and spittoon alter dinner hands the pipe to his former love that she may fill it for him before leaving the table; and it is explained that this was the pink of oldfashioned compliment. Why suffer from influenza when a Shilling Bottle v of ELYSIAN is a certain cure, or money returned. To be obtained from principal storekeepers. 249

The largest butterfly known is found only in British Now Guinea and specimens are worth anything from £2O upwards. The male measures eight inches across the wings and the female not less than eleveu inches, a wing spread exceeding that of many small birds. The story of the first discovery of this gigantic butterfly is a curious one. A naturalist saw a specimen perched ou the to]) of a tree and failing to capture it by any other means finally shot it. From the fragments he decided that the species was entirely unknown to science and he forthwith fitted out an expedition at a cost of many thousands of dollars to go in search of the insects. Two members of the party fell victims to the Papuan cannibals and another was rescued only in the nick of time. Spite of this inauspicious commencement to his enterprise, however, the naturalist persevered and ultimately succeeded in obtaining perfect specimens. Men, women, and children who are run down, amemic, and unable to stand the strain, should take Stearns' Wine of Coil Liver Extract—a muscle builder and nerve strongthener. .27 For Children's Hackine C ough at night Wacds' Sreat Peppermint Cure — Is 6d, 2s 6d.

A report on Irish emigration during the year 1909, issued as a Government White Paper,.sliows that the total num. ber of emigrants from Ireland during the year.was 29.230. This figure shows an increase of 5278 over the number of persons who emigrated in the preceding year, and represents a rate of 0.7 per thousand of the population of Ireland. The collection of Irish emigration returns, dating from May ]. 1851, shows that the total number of emigrants— I natives of Ireland —who left Irish ports between that date and the end of December last, amounts in the aggregate to 4.154,986. The largest number of • emigrants for any year fit the period was 190,322 ill the year IW2. this number representing a rate of 30.0 per thousand of the population, ami the smallest number was 23.205 in 100 S. Jose Garcia Pnrcilo. who served as a marine in the Spanish-American war, and who if was believed died some twelve years ago. appeared at Pamplona (Spain,) recently. lie was supposed to have perished off Cavite. His account of his adventures is sensational, lie, with otheis, reached the coast at Xoveleta by swimming, and was taken prisoner by aborigines. He was taken to Taytay, on the island of Palawan, m the Philippines, and treated with the utmost cruelty. He was badly fed, whipped, and employed as a Resist or burden. In January of this year JO Spaniards, including himself, threw themselves into the sea. Thirty-live were drowned, twenty-seven swam back to the land, and twenty-eight were taken ahoard the American steamer Baltimore. They sailed to Bordeaux, and thence made their way across the frontier of Spain. Parello declares that there are many Spanish prisoners still in the Philippines. The following have been selected for ()tago to plav against the Maoris on Saturday.:—Duthie, Gomar, Graham, Norrev, "Williams, Curran (Oamaru), Eckhold, Casey, Scott, Patterson, Paton, Johnston, Ivimev, Salter, Morrison. . . It might be thought that in then6olitude the inhabitants of the Chatham Islands would receive items of important news with interest-, but a recent visitor now in Wellington states that they are almost indifferent to the hap- -- peninigs and doings in the great world outside their ken. A case in point occurred when the news of the late King's death was conveyed to litt Island. As a steamer's boat approached, the landing place a man ashore was. hailed. "Have you heard that the King is dead?" "No," was the reply. "Have you brought my case of kerosene?" There was a trace of mud surprise and feeling in the initial negative, but the commercial inquiry followed without a break.

The backblocks settler Las been getting too much sympathy, according to the Hon. J. Barr, M.L.C. The backblocks settler, .said Mr Barr m the Legislative Council, is a very comfortably off man. He certainly could not get to the theatre every other nignt, and that was a good thing for him probably. He could not go every day to races, and that was also a very sood thing for him. He had plenty of fresh air and fresh milk not so thin as the people of Wellington found it. Such a man. Mr Barr declared, was in a good position, because lie had an assured living, while there were hundreds m the city who were not in that position. The only anxiety of the backblocks settler was to make more than an assured living, and very often he was only waiting for the value of his land to b_e enhanced by improvements of communication to sell out <vt a profit and get away from the backblocks. The cry for relief of the backblocks settlers, Mr Barr declared, is altogether overdone. This opinion was received in the Council with mingled expressions of approval and dissent.

The Southland News, referring to the first aeroplane llignt made in New Zealand, says:—Mr Pither's machine does not require rails to start upon, and as soon as lie had gained sufficient momentum he applied the elevator, and before he knew where lie was he found himself gracefully rising at a greatly accelerated speed. It being a wellknown fact that aeroplanes move nearly twice as fast in the air as when driven on terra firma, it .took him a few seconds' to accustom himself to the novel experience of actually flying through the air. The engine went perfectly, and the planes (or wings) were accomplishing their part of, the business famouslv. The height was from 25 to 30ft, and Mr Pithcr felt that he could keep. going all day. After a flight of nearly a mile, however, the contour of the vicinity brought about his undoing. On his left was the surf and breakers of the sea, and on his right were innumerable sand hillocks and lagoons, while the stretch of beach had a width of only about 150 yards. It can readily be understood, therefore, that a deviation either way would result in trouble. 'lf he got to the left lie w r ould be above the sea, and a stoppage of his engine would result in his "finish," while if he came down amongst the uneven sandhills he would have perhaps a -day's delay in- having the machine dragged back to the beach; consequently, when he found himself driven by a head wind until he was at a tangent with the sandhills, he shut off the engine land alighted successfully. The momentum of the monoplane was sufficient to make the drop a graceful one, and the shock on landing was successfully taken bv the springs specially provided.. Mr Pither thus had the satisfaction of being the' first New Zealander to succeed in making an actual flight. The recent contest for the Auckland East-seat has had an interesting sequel. The Legislature Act provides that upon the day of such an election all shops in the electorate affected shall be closed from mid-day, but it is a well-known fact that upon June 16, when the Auckland East election was held, very few of the shops in the electorate were closed. Tho many shopkeepers who kept their places of business open on that day have now been notified by the Labor Department that in continuing business on tho afternoon in question they committed an offence rendering themselves liable to prosecution, and advising them that on tho repetition of such conduct they will bo prosecuted without further notice. The notification has been received with not a little amusement in several cases. One gentleman remarked that the whole thing was a farce. "Let them prosecute," he said. "While the Act provides that the shops shall close, it does not stipulate any penalty, so it seems that one can go on repeating the offence without been penalised. Anyway, I invite the Department to do its worst, and if I have committed an offence, i would like to know what right the Department has to condone it."