NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15000, 22 February 1919, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A special general meeting of the Nelson Returned Soldiers' Association will be held in the Returned Soldiers' Club on Saturday, March Ist. ,

The annual and a special general meeting of the Nelson Institute will be held on Monday, March 24th.

Mails which left New Zealand on December 23rd arrived in London on the 11th inst.

Mr Walter Carter, of Tahuna, Nelson, who is one of the foremost diamond drill experts in Australasia, passed through Wellington the other day (says the "Post"), on his way to fulfil^n important engagement with the Talisman Gold Mining Company at Karangahake.

Two Natives named Wi Campbell and Kireama Tauranga, left Te Araroa, north of Gisborne, on a fishing expedition. Whilst attempting to return next morning their boat swamped, and both men were drowned.

There should be a large attendance of the public at the Nelson Amateur Swimming Club's sports at Port Nelson this afternoon,-as it will be the first meeting of the club since the outbreak o' the-war, and excellent entries have been received. Music will be provided by the 12th Regiment Band.

Hedley. Irvine, for driving a vehicle and fined £1, with 7s costs at the Magistrate's Court, BrightSe* yesterday. ' J

At an inquest on Peter ' Haldane, aged 24 years, who was drowned m the Waikato river on the mh . while bathing, a verdict of accidentally browned v as returned.

At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Society iof r Civil Engineers, held aVAuckland, Mr. S. A. Hair, whb presided, said the membership was now A3. He referred to town-plannino- and saui- the .executive recommended 'that three delegates should attend tne conference m Wellington in ivlay.

A school teacher, Mr. Hugh Riittoul, of le Kawa, was picked up on the road about six miles from Te Awamutu in an unconscious condition and conveyed to the Hospital, where it was found he had sustained a fracture at the base of the skull It is understood he had a fall from his horse. He sußsequeTTtly recovered consciousness.

A statement was published a few days ago 111 the 'Sydney Morning Herald" respecting the unemployment resulting iv that city from the influenza epidemic. Out of a total of 1-8,250 workers said to be involved, 6000 were employed m the picture show 'industry ■ 5000 in the hquor trade, 1000 were musicians, and 6dO theatrical and amusement employees.

The open-air service at Haven road to-morrow night will begin at 8.30 (a quarter of an hour later than the time hxed for previous services).

Mr R. McCallum, M.P. for Wairau, has been advised that the Parliamentary Industrial Committee wal take evidence at Blenheim on Monday, March iUtn.

Special harvest thanksgiving services will be held at St. John's Methodist iChurch to-morrow, when special music will be rendered, and Miss Burrough will sing the solo "Abide With Me." It is requested that gifts of fruits, fiowfers, etc., may be left at the church this, afternoon.

A public meeting i s called for next Wednesday afternoon in the Institute for the purpose of selecting women candidates for the Hospital Board and Schools Committee. Ail- men and women who take an interest in this matter are invited to be present. Mr Thomas Neale has kindly consented to take the chair, and it is hoped that the citizens of Nelson will show their interest by a large attendance at tlie meeting

"I had a look through the Orthopaedic Ward at Christchureh," said Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) to n "Sun" reporter, "and I think excellent work is being done there by Lieut.-Col-onel Wylie and his staff." In reply to a question, Sir James said that everything was ready at the subsidiary hospital, the St. Saviour's Orphanage 'building at Timaru, and patients would probably be accommodated there almost immediately.

A charge of theft of £5 from a registered letter and three charges of theft of letters were admitted by Ernest Cecil Harris, a cadet in the "Morrinsville Post Office. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. He pleaded not guilty to stealing £1 from a registered letter, and on this charge he was committed for trial.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday the Ribbon Rush starts! Beautiful Wide Silk Ribbons —black and colours—all Is yard, one day only.—Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co.*

I To supply the demand for trained masseuses to undertake j;he orthopaedic treatment of returned soldiers there are at present being trained at the Otago University and J)unedin Hospital 30 military massage students and 17 private massage students. Eleven massage pupils have been transferred to the orthopaedic hospital at Chri'stcliurch, and eight .pupils have graduated.

There is an acute rivalry amongst the crack airmen at Home as to who shall first achieve the trans-Atlantic flight. Although Lieutenant Rene Fonck, the French "ace of aces," has announced his intention of attempting the' transAtlantic night in a big British machine, in March or April, he may not be the first to fly from Britain to America, or vice versa. It has for years been tho great ambition of Major-General Sykos, one of the creators of the British Air Forces, to drive the fust aerial express across the Atlantic.

lho meetings o fthe Garrison N.C.O.:s Club continue to be well attended. Lieutenant Benzies has been conducting a class of instruction for n.c.o.'s who are going up for examination fot first appointment to commissions. The topographical class for' senior n.c.o. s conducted by Major Robinson, continnss to progress. A very fair knowledge of the prismatic compass, the use of the military protractor, and the requirements of military sketching has already been acquired. A further class for beginners will commence soon.

At a meeting of delegates of various 1-üblic bodies, convened 'by the Takak? 1 atriotic League, to consider the question of a war memorial it was resolved that a public meeting De called to discuss tne question of erecting a building to contain citizens and soldiers' club" municipal and county chambers, and teadmg-room the scheme not to cost more than £4000; that it be su^ested ILat the money be raised by loantv the County Council; and that suggestions Ihe nSnt" SCll6meS * "

• In* this issue the Nelson Defence Offico has an advertisement drawing attention tea demonstration of the latest methods in physical training as.taught m lrentham Camp. Lieutenant lnwood an officer of the New Zealand Military Forces^ and. one who is keenly interested in Senior Cadet training, has recently attended a three weeks' course at Trentham in the very latest methods employed in physical training. The local' Defence Office have arranged with Lieutenant lnwood to give a demonstration at the Drill Hall oh Friday next the 28th..inst., at 7 p.m. There will be a muster parade of all Senior Cadets it. and about the city, and the Defence Office particularly invitesi parents of Senior Cadets, and, in fact, any citizen who may be interested, to be present.

Examinations under regulations for the Zealand Military Forces have been conducted in Nelson during the last few days. A number of Senior Cadets^ have entered for the examination for first; appointment to commission, and m addition a number of Territorial officers are sitting for examination for promotion to higher rank. The examinations have been conducted" in the Cooperative Society's building in Hardy street, the practical examination takinoplace at the Drill Hall. The examination papers ror the written portion of the examinations are prepared by the W? tOr + °v? MiHta^ TraWs in Wellington, the practical portion of the examination being conducted by the Jlxamnung Board, consisting 6f*Maior t°one 1Sin; S T- Z-- C- S -' Ca Ptai" S? v^S.SffiSVS,. Lieutena^

In outlining a scheme for the wholeDominion and relieve parents of the increasing burden imposed upon, them providing their children with books and material to carry on their school work the Hon. J A. Hanan, Minister of & c«tion, explains that owing to readjustment or boundaries following upon the «ar, a very large percentage of the mans m the schools and all the atlases and geography books used by the pupil? are now obsolete and will require Jbe replaced. For the same reason much of the reading matter in use in schools will vets r"h ISIT Durine the »*xt two W 'in ii°- e> al}- abno«™l expenditiue in this connection will have to l-e tacett, and-tins should be dealt with ra more lujsmesslike v.ay than there is provision tor at present.

. A ease which was characterised as an instance of departmental "red taps" was heard at Hamilton, when F J Maxwell was charged with travelling on the railway without paying his fare" Evidence was given by the guard that defendant boarded a train at Taumarunui, and when asked for his ticket said his new annual pass, which covered that day, was waiting for him at Hamilton. The train left at two minutes after midnight, and his old ticket which he produced, expired at midnight. A booking clerk stated that the new ticket arrived two or three days before the old ticket expired. Mr MacDiarmid said he thought it was monstrous that the Railway Department should institute proceedings in a case like this. Defendant had been travelling on the line for three or four years and was well known. He did all that was possible to get his ticket in time, and yet was prosecuted. The justices dismissed the ease under section, 92 of the J.P. Act as trivial.

Trathen and Co. tender their best thanks to everyone for liberal support extended to their Hardy street shop. The result of recent stocktaking—showing a heavy stock still on hand, comprising many useful lines suitable for autumn and winter—has led us to decide to continue the sale of Mr. Jas. A. Wallace's stock at our Hardy street branch for a few weeks longer. "Numerous lines -have been taken down on stock sheets at a. big discount; and r.re now offered to the public at considerably less than original cost price.*