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Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 302, 4 January 1912, Page 4

There was an extremely fine lunar rainbow in the south-easter,n sky shortly after ten o'clock last night. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a handsome wall calendar from Mr W. A. Byan, the local agent for the Insurance Company. The wind, which had subsided during the past few dfays, sprang lip again last night, .and blew with considerable violence, accompanied by showers of rain. Tho weather is again blustery to-day.

Two small fires were reported from Cbnstchiurch yesterday. In one ease a very old building near the corner of Colombo and Armagh streets was alight, and in the other the premises of .a baker named Vogan suffered. Victor Smith and Edgar Moore, who were charged at Chiristehurch l yesterday with .a series of burglaries which were perpetrated in tire city during December last, pleaded guilty to nearly all the charges, 'and l were committed for sentence. A sub-committee of the A. and P. Association met a.t the secretary'* office ilast night, when there were present: Messrs I?athboue, Donald M'Kenzie, Bieki'ord, T. Bain, Bunny, and Graham. The committee carefully revised the list of names of gentlemen, who are willing to act

•:s stewards in tho various classes at the forthcomimg show. A list was drawn up and will be submitted for approval by, the general committee to-morrow.

Speaking at a smoking concert at Tiitnell Park, N., G. A. Touche, M.P. lor North Islington, told the following story of the German Crown Prince: One starlight night the Crown Prince was walking with a friend, who asked the name of a particularly brilliant star. "I cannot say," replied the Crown Prince, "but doubtless it is some new decoration my father has conferred upon the Ruler of the Heavens."

A passenger bv one of yesterday's trains to Levin left his notebook containing £SO in bank notes in the carriage. 'Fortunately they were shortly afterwards found by the local railway officials and 'placed in safe custody. The passenger did not notice he had lost 'his notes until in Levin, and lie immediately communicated with various authorities. The Levin post office telephoned • to a number of stations ou the line with the result that the passenger later received his pocket-book intact.

Tn another lortnight entries for the Keildiii<4i A. and P. Show (to take place on February,6th and 7th) will close, and those desirous of competing should lose no time in obtaining a schedule, which may he, obtained from the officc> of this paper or direct from the secretary. A large amount of prize money is to be competed for and all classes of stock are catered for. This Show is growing in popularity, and breeders now recognise that the competition is as keen at Feikling as at any other S >ow.

On the arrival recently of the Fulness liner Durango at Halifax, Nova ■ Scotia, from London, Captain Chambers reported a remarkable occurrence which took place when the liner was in midoccan. The steamship was proceeding at a high rate of speed, when , suddenly the engines refused to work, and the vessel stopped. An examination by the engineers disclosed the fact that the circulation pumps had failed to act, and steps were taken to ascertain the cause. After some time it was found that the "intake" of the j circulation feed pipe, was tightly filled j with a number of iisli, which had been drawn into the passage by' the, suction of the pumps. Jn what is now looked upon as a first essential in the dairying industry—the culling of cows—New Zealand farmers and dairymen may learn considerable from the methods of the Dutch farmers. There are in Holla ml 98 "milk control" societies, with 2500 members and 50,000 cows are tested yearly. For -a society of 14 or 15 members, the cost of "a herd testing association is only £SO per annum, and the whole cost of the business is borne by the farmers, the Dutch Government not even supplying one expert or implement. This shows a forward and patriotic spirit, and is indicative of the intelligent cooperation and study of the methods whieh have, brought dairying in Holland to that high commercial standing which it enjoys to-day. "D.G.5.," the writer of Labor notes in the Lyttelton Times, remarks:—Perhaps the 'most diappointing feature of the recent elections, froni the Labor point of view, has been - the rejection of Mr Dave McLaren for Wellintgon East. Despite the slanderous abuse to which he has been subjected by some of the false friends of Labor, Avho are enraged at Mr McLaren's refusal to countenance revolutionary methods, I have always regarded him as a man of marked ability, organising capacity, wide knowledge of socail and economic subjects, and the very essence of loyalty to the cause of his fellow-workers. His path has been across rough country. His school has been the waterside, and his forum the street corner; and as lie has mounted higher over the difficulties of life tile vindictiveness of his enemies has intensified, For the moment they have triumphed over him, but I have no -dotibt tliat before long he will be back in Parliament, fighting for the democracy whose cause he has made liis own. *

( A criticism of the Turko-Italian war appears 011 page 2 to-day. Our serial story is continued 011' page 3. Sporting notes are j rinted on.page 6; and a variety of reading matter 011 page 7. During 1911 eighteen petitions in ba n-.krnp.tcy were filed iu the Wellington oflico as compared' with 34 in 1910. A team of Gisborno'bowlers passed through Damievirke to-day, en route to the tournament which opens at Wellington on Monday. The matron of the Dannevirke Hospital desires to acknowledge the receipt of Christmas gifts from Mrs AV. H. Speedy and Messrs Batten, Harmer and C. M'Kay. At the Court this morning a prohibition order was granted against a local resident by Messrs Newett and Buick, J's.P. - # The committee of the Highland Society met 011 Tuesday evening and transacted a large amount- of routine business. Entries are coining in freely for the sports which are to ho held 011 January 24. A deputation of Hastings residents journey to Wellington to-day for tiie purpose of : nterviewing the Jlon. IJ. McKeuzie, on matters connected >vitii the proposed route of the jS'apier-Gis-borne Itailway. Old Chatham Islanders, according to a recently returned visitor, say that the weather experienced there this summer is the worst they have known. For tue past five or six weeks the daily portion has been heavy gales accompanied by thunder and lightning; shearing is behind, and fishing at a standstill. The cigarette habit among English women has increased to a great extent of late. ALany women show a'll unconquerable craving for "a smoke,' and it is now a common thing in many London restaurants to see members of the sex puffing away at cigarettes.

, For main' years the Stanley streetbridge has been held up as one of_the most urgent public works of the town but it is now 111 a fair way to be put in hand, as the Dannevirke County Council are calling lenders for the work. When erected the bridge will be a great convenience to settlers to the south of Dannevirke, and will bo invaluable to- drovers. It eftn hardly be said the advice of ail enemy is disinterested advice. Yet the Opposition papers are calling 011 Sir .Joseph Ward to resign. If lie does concede to their wish, in wiiat position does Mr Massey stand? in a position a shade worse tnan that of feir Joseph Ward. Will the Opposition then advise Air Massey to resign ?We hardly think so.—iieefton paper.

An estimate of, damage by the 'recent earthquake at Cheviot, shows a total loss for the district of approximately £IOOO. in this amount is ineluded the repairing and replacing of 100 chimneys. The damage by the shock was local, so much so that a narrow belt running in a straight line down the Caverhill Valley through MaeKenzie to Monoti, a distance of about six miles, contained most of the damaged areas. A beggar arrested by the PaYis police recently turned out to be a veritable peregrinating treasurehouse. Under a shirt not remarkable for cleanliness he had a sort of cuirass composed of bank-notes to the value oi £2OOO, a considerable sum in silver was in a bag slung over his shoulder, and in a pocke,t was acheque for £2O. When lie was arrested the police thought he was a humpback, but the hump turned out to be composed of £BOO in gold, done up in a piece or sacking.

The truth is that two large parties are fairly even in weight. Jt is a seesaw, with the little Labor and Independent group to act as ".Tack Candlestick." On paper it seems that Mr Massey with the aid of certain non-Masseyites who are indebted to Opposition support for their election can order the Government to vacate the Treasury benches on a nonconfidence motion, but once Mr Massey is in power he does not necessarily retain these Independents who may have to eject the Government. They may not he in sympathy with his land and labor policv.—EveningPost.

A largo number of people enjoyed the excellent programme offered at the Picture Theatre last night. The pictures were nearly all stars. "Seminole's Sacrifice" is cue of those breezy Indian stories that are'so popular with patrons, and the various incidents were depicted with a wealth of realism that evoked hearty applause. "Shooting the Hapids" in Japan was a fine film, exciting marvellous on the part of the boatmen. A sensational logging scene, including the bursting of the dam, and showing a million dollars' worth of timber passing down the Jit ream, afforded a marvellous illustration of the magnitude of American milling enterprise. Of the dramas, "The Lost Ribbon," an American story, splendidly acted, was of much human interest, and the 1.11.0ve striking features of the popular novel "John Halifax, gentleman," were finely ,'llustrated. The comics were of a high order of merit, and "Mill is determined to go," proved a great mirthmaker. The programme :wi 11 be shown again to-night.