Local and General.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 61, 6 July 1908, Page 2

Local and General.

O'Neill, of buck jumping fame, had his knee injured at Invercargill through an "outlaw" falling with him, and had to go to hospital.

Olaf Uallinen and Anders Anderson were found guilt of manslaughter in connection with the death of Bourke at Westport, on May 8, and sentenced to 7 years' hard labour. CccLclly, •ihe principal witness, was arrested yesterday afternoon on the issue of a writ by the solicitor for the d( fence, charged with the murder of l3<>uilve. Mr Wilford will oppose both the adjournment of the House and the expenditure of a large sum of money on entertaining the American ileet which is coming to this country, for goodness knows what ! Sentiment will never come into the American's deal* ing with us. It is the almighty dollar every time.

A Petone resident has discovered a new method of locomotion. He is the owner of three greyhounds, which he recently harnessed to his oicycle (a free wheel), and then set out for a spin along the Esplanade. The dogs took to the worK willingly, ynd the rider, sitting motionless on his machine, looked supremely happy as hj» sped along the highway. The holder of a lease in perpetuity section in the Auckland district who wished to convert into a freehold on a revaluation finds that the valuation of his farm has gono up from 5i5/ an acre four years ago to £5 5/ an aero now. Another has gone up from £1 to £3 5/-. Under these circumstances the settler will no doubt elect to abide by his 999 years' lease, and psy interest on the original sum, und it is alleged the valuation has been made ridiculously high to ensure this end. Pour leaders of the notorious gang of 14, accused of 118 crimes at Hazebrouch (Prance), including three murderers, have been sentenced to death and to various terms of imprisonment respectively.

A witness at the Arbitration Court, Christchurch, stated in connection with tho weight of sheep that some were over 3cwt each, and he had seen one that was weighed and tipped the beam at 3501b. It was impossible for shearers to carry such heavy sheep out of the pens. Notwithstanding that they had tho Arbitration Aot to stop lines it was a remarkable fact, said Mr Massey; on Tuesday, that there had been piore strikes in New Zealand in proportion to population during the past two years than anywhere else in the British Dominionj

Of the lines inilicted on employers for breaches of the Arbitration Act, 03 per cent have been collected, while 73 per cent of the fines imposed on employees have been {.aid. Over £7OO had been collected i.ui cf £1750 miauled on uie end another £260 was being collected by weekly instalments.

A considerable number of members of Parliament had stated that they intended, if possible, to repeal the Arbitration Act. That would be one oi the worst things that could happen, says the Hon. Mr Millar. Certain classes of skilled workers could protect themselves, Act or no Act, but unskilled labourers and women required the protection of the Act. It had been of the greatest benefit to them, and its repeal would put them in a terrible position.

Unionists were striking in defiance of the law, and other unionists throughout the Dominion were passing votes of sympathy. If that waß the general feeling, and the men wanted to strike, it was quite clear they did not want the Arbitration Act. If strikes were wanted by the workers, well, the best thing was to do away with the Aet. What was the good of amending the Act if the workers were going to ignore it 'I He did not know what moment he might get a telegram announcing a strike. The conclusion was that the workers were in revolt against the Act.—Hon. J. A. Millar.

The man who was fined £lO at Port Chalmers last week for «applying liquor to a prohibited person, being unable to pay the fine, has been sent gaol for two months.

Several newspapers have made very flattering reference to Mr Malcolm's speech at Balclutha last Fridayj and to the public services rendered by him to the Clutha electorate during the past three years. The Daily Times had a very eulogistic article in this connection on Monday.. The Tapanui Courier speaks of the "strong evidence of Mr Malcolm's growing popularity," and says : "Taking Mr Malcolm's address as a whole it gave general satisfaction, and it is evident that he is in close touch with the people. Although the member for Clutha is not a Government supporter we think he has the good wishes of a large section of that party as a straightforward, honest politician, who is rapidly coming to the front, and making himself a very useful member for the Clutha." The Tuapeka Times, in an article in which it speaks of "the intelligent and thoughtful member for Clutha," says : "The most cogent argument against Socialism that has come under our notice was propounded by Mr A. S. Malcolm, member for the Clutha, in his late speech to his constituents at Balclutha. He maintained that what kept the nourishing State departments of industry in a hale and hearty condition was the competition of private enterprise. The State not being the sole employer of labor was in a position to dismiss servants who did not worla to its satisfaction, but, if the State were the sole employer of labor, that is, if Socialistic aspirations were realised, it would be unable to dismiss its incompetent servants and leave them to the tender mercies of the private employer. Mr Malcolm here indicated the rock against which undiluted Socialistic theories always split up into baseless fabrics of a rosepink vision."

Again the theory that the earth is hollow, and is open at both Poles, has been propounded. This view is taken up) seriously by Mr William Reed, a New York writer on Antarctic exglora--f; i»Tih ;ia infinfirlori+. ,+]lio+. liis iflfinilA

Mr W. Turnbull, formerly of Featherston, writes to a friend stating that after arrival in Dawson City, Klpndyke, he obtained work as a blacksmith at 27s Id a day.

A stalwart bushman, swinging an axe about and occasionally scarfing a verandah post, was a recent sensation at Palmerston North until the police interfered.

"Wo want a mighty magnet to bring the farmers along/' declared one speaker at the Hawera Farmers'" Union when members were deploring the lack of interest taken in the Unoin.

An example worthy of emulation has been shown by Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, of Feilding, who has offered to the Education Board the free use of 20 acres of land as an adjunct to the Feilding Technical School. Mr Lethbridge will also assist in tillage operations on the land, which will be used by the agricultural students at the Feilding Technical School for the practical part of their work ; and will also serve as a demonstration station for school teachers. The Board, in accepting the use of the land, decided to send a letter of appreciation of Mr Lethbridge's generous offer. It is understood that Mr Lethbridge has also offered a similar area to the Agricultural Department for use as an experimental station.

"The esteem of the Salvation Army is worth gaining," said Dr. McArthur, S.M., at Wellington on Saturday, in speaking of the tribute of praise which had been accorded by that body to SubInspector O'Donovan, on liis promotion to Talmerston North. The Army, said Dr. McArthur, went into a world to which he was afraid many of those present did not trouble to go, or .about which they never even thought. Many a time when ho had been in the greatest difficulty what to do with a prisoner, the Army had taken over the case, and thus kept some poor unfortunate out of gaol, where he —or very often she —must have gone had there been no such organisation as the Salvation Army. JtLe had never known of a case so bad that the Army refused to take it up, and very often he had had to refuse to hand over to it some prisoner whom he knew could get good only by being treated in some harsher manner than he would be treated by the Army.

A teacher of high standing in his profession protested to a 'Posi/ representative recently against the excess awe attention devoted to nature study in schools. "There is altogether too much of the nature study business in schools just now," he said. "Teachers with an eyo to the main chance—and wo are ail human enough that way— Know the lads of the inspectors on this subject, and cultivate nature study, to the detriment of the more important subjects. When the inspector's visit takes piace they have the walls plastered with diagrams, and desks littered with models. The youngsters are primed with information on the subjects They can tell the inspector all about spiders, for instance—they can tell him how many legs a spider has sooner than they can say how many shillings there are in a pound. They can tell how a spider walks, and their writing certainly looks as if they were trying to imitate its track in ink. This goes on right through the lower standards. It may be very pleasant, but when a youngster gets to the sixth standard he wakes up to find he knows practically nothing. That's where the hardship falls on the teacher. Personally, I am not against nature study, but I think it could be very well reserved until a proper basis has been laid in the essential subjects of primary education—the old-fashioned three il'a that can never bo superseded without infinite loss." .

Tlio 'Wliakatane Times' lias the following :—JXathor an amusing, story is going the rounds concerning' iiua, the Maori prophet. Recently he communicated the solemn fact to his followers tiiat during the night the Almighty had appeared to him and told him that he was'to take unto himself another wife, but if the first wife was not agreeable to the proposal he should be taken up to Heaven. On seeking the first wife's permission to annex another damsel she was up in arms at once and stoutly refused, and when he mentioned what would happen to him if she didn't grant him permission, she told him to get to Heaven as quick as he could. He got his followers to intercede for him, but the old dame was obdurate. For four days he locked himself in his room, and 011 the morning of the fifth day he was seated on the verandah of his house, wrapped in a sheet, >and weeping bitterly. Boon his followers were around him, crying with joy to see him back, as they" thought, from Heaven. On being questioned, llua, told them that the Almighty had given him permission to remain if he wished. His followers immediately subscribed a purse of sovereigns to persuade him to remain, which he consented to do.

Dr J. M. chief health officer, gave a few practical hints on the importance of deep-breathing at the display given by the pupils of the Wellington Physical Training School. He stated that, roughly speaking, people used only one-third of the available lung area. Hard work called into play, probably, two-thirds, but unless the lungs were properly trained they were unable to adequately throw out the air in the residual one-third, and if the lungs were not properly trained it was those portions which were dormant, as it were, in which disease first appeared, parts which were hot properly aerated. There were over sixty people at the Cambridge Sanatorium, and he thought that, notwithstanding their deficiency, of lung area, they could give a splendid display in regard to bodily exercises. Ho set great value upon physical training upon proper principles, and was a firm believer in the so-called abdominal breathing.

About one hundred natives from Napier and Hastings, under the leadership of Molii To Ataliikoia, arrived on Tuesday afternoon at Papawai, where they are the guests of Nimwai Te Rangi (says the 'Wairarapa Age'). They have come partly on tribal business and partly for the purpose of welcoming Henare Iraia, son of Mr Iraia le Wha_ iti, of Whatarangi, and his bride, who have recently been married. The Wairarapa Maoris do everything on a scale of magnitude which neighboring districts must surely envy. The next big celebration will provide the natives with ko'reros sufficient to last some time, and is to take the form of a seven-couple wedding, which will be solemnised at Papawai in a week or two. There will be a perfect army of bridesmaids and the customary matrimonial; officials, while Hiapuhi, the Arawa chieftainess, .Uill JLlvjv •nvtAAflfiill'nmi TVlfll IIAT* TYPA.