NEWS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13397, 14 April 1909, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

To-morrow will be the last day on which names can ,be lidded to the Supplementary District Electoiß' list, which contains the names of those entitled to vote at th© approaching municipal elections, and the polling with reference to th© statutory halfholiday. The auction announcements of Conway Matson and Sons, New Zealand Loan and M.A. Co., Farmers' Saleyards Co., Harris Bros., Dalgety and Co., H. B. Sorensen, Tonks, Norton and Co., Canterbury Poultry Co., Charles Clark, National Mortgage and Agency Co., New Zealand*" Farmers' Co-op., McKenzie and Willis, Gould, Beaumont and Co., A. E. Craddock, Pyne and Co., lies and Co., and C. A. Lees and Co. will be found on page 11 of this issue. Experiments are now being carried out on Germ&n warships "with acetylene shells, which, it is believed, will take the place of the electric searchlight used hitherto by warships. Those shells contain calcium carbide, and the water can reach it through a tube. The she-la are fired by a gun built specially for the «urpoee. On being fired the shel_ goes under the water, and then risea to th© surface, and the action of the water upon the calcium carbide produc-. the acetylene light. Each shell is said to have 3000 candle-power, and will burn for three hours. The great drawback of the ordinary searchlight is that, although it affords some P-Otectksn-from the unobserved apapproach of torpedo-boats, it yet makes tb© warship using it an excellent target. The new acetylene ahell referred to will have th© great advantage of lighting up a given space, while the vessel that fires it will be left in darkness.

There was a fairly good attendance of visitors during yesterday at the Art Exhibition. It will be open to-day and this evening. Tbo C—ristchurch Orchestra are steadily -©hearsing for their next concert, which will be held at an early date. At the Ashburton Police Court yesterday, before th© Mayor (Mr H. Davis), Matthew F. , Patterson was fined _G_ and costs on a charge of drhnkemness. Between 300 and 4CO scholars, teachers and friends of the Ashburton and Hampstead Anglican Sunday School bad an enjoyable picnic in Mr J. C. N. Grigg's grounds at Longbeach, on Easier Monday. A programme of sg** rt _ waa carried out during the day, and musical selections wer© played at short intervaL. by th© Ashburton Temperance Band. Derry's Private Band will play the following programme in Victoria square to-morrow, commencing at 8 p.m.:— March, "Honest Toil"; overture* "William Tell"; selection, "Mozart"; descriptive fantasia, "The Smithy in the Wood" (by request); piccolo solo, "Le Rossignol De L'Opera" (by request); "Turkish Patrol"; valse, "Jolly Fellows'-**; march, "Collingwood." A Waimakariri-Ashloy Water Supply Board ratepayer at a meeting at Rangiora yesterday, said he was so long waiting for the Water Board's men to repair _ race ford that h© executed the work himself. The chairman said that if the account was sent in and the work proved to be well done, "the account would b© paid, as the Board was short-handed, and recognised with gratitude a service performed like that. Tho quarterly meeting of tho Amberley Methodist Church was held on Monday evening, th© Rev. J. T. Pinfold .presiding, The Rev.' W. Lee and the Circuit office-bearers were present. The finances wore in a healthy state, and showed a credit balance. There was a net increase of six members. Votes of thanks were accorded to the lay preachers and to the oh airman for his sympathy and interest in Church wo_k. New regulations have been gazettesetting out th© terms and l conditions under which lands set apart in aid of the establishment of the wood pulp in-? dustry for papermaking may be leased and occupied. The principal new feature is that the total area selected by th© applicant shall be subdivided by the Board, at tho expense of the lessee, into blocks not exceeding 1000 acres. The lessee has th© right to select the particular block he desires to utiliso fiist, the remaining blocks being retained as reserves for future realisation. No person will bo granted a lease or leases over more than 30,000 acres, including in such computation all reserved areas. Yesterday's "Otago Daily Times" says:—"While the members of rowing clubs who went from Dunedin, InvercargU'l, and Riverton to Queonstown to take pn.rt in the regatta there have every claim upon our sympathy in _h© disappointment they suffered in the fact t_tat the state of the weather rendered it impossible to hold any races on -he lake on Saturday last, Aye find it impossible to express approval of tho bourse which, in .lies© oircunnstances, th© officials of the regatta thought fit to adopt. Such an occurrence as the holding of a regatta, at which orews compete for money prizes, on a "Sunday is en .i___y opposed to the not altogether narrow conception we have formed of t_ie fitness of things. W© may safely go further and affirm that neither at Auckland nor at Wellington, neither at Christchurch nor at Dunedin. would a body cf. officials have dared to flout the susceptibilities of ~n important section of the community by holding a regatta on the Day of Rest." Lord Dudley, Governor-General of the Commonweal-th of Au_tra_ia, addr__,i_g the 3rd Battalion Victorian Cadets _D M-lboair-ie last week, said :~- "Th_ cadet movement, as it is—l might say unique as it is—if it is to beair full fruit must be followed up in later years, when the cadets have grown up to man's estate. You are able to learn much tof a soldier's duties. You are at an age when /much of a soldier's work oan be taught you which it would be difficult to learn at a later stage. For that reason, the movoment ia valuable, and I hop© you will regard it aa a training -for lullear services you can rendoo; in the light horse regiments and infantry battalions. I hope t-iat you ail realise that the uniform you wear is the King's uniform. No man in the British EmIpire can he called upon to do a n-oria honourable thing than wear the King's uniform. I hope yon will register a vow that you will do nothing to lower tlie prestige of that uniform. I.hope you will feel that when you are in that uniform you are ' inches taller than when you are in plain clothes, and work yourselves for the traditions of the British army, of which you are a part, and for the sake of the necessities of this country, and the empire of which you ought to be proud to be citizens." Th© rate war that has been in pro gross in the a.r_te_ water trade for some months past continues unabated (says Saturday's "New Zealand Herald"). The original wholesale price of soda water, lemonade, and other "soft" drinks was Is 4d per dozen (exclusive of bottles). Two firms then i brought their prices down to Is per dozen, and tho majority of the others . followed suit. Then a firm more venturesome than the rest out prices to 7d per dozen to the shops and 6d per dozen to the hotels. The other manufacturers have not shown any inclina- , tion to bring down their prices to this < low rate, but are still charging Is to the shops and Is, less 30 per cent. <h_- ; count, to the hotels. It is stated that ] the outting tactics of the firm tbat has 1 made the lowest reductions are to be i sustained. In th© meantime the pub- ' Ho seem to be getting only a partial ] benefit from the rate war, most of the ] shag*, still charging 3d per bottle for ! soft drinks, whilst the publicans still . get 6d in the majority of oases. The retail trade in cardials, therefore, is ' very profitable just now. \ Mr Hwang, th© Chines© Consul for New Zealand, has been speaking his mind pretty plainly—not officially,. of course-f-on the subject of John Chinaman on British soil. A represent— tive of the' Wellington "Post" the other day drew his attention to the P. kin Government cable message intimating that in futuro Chinese were forbidden to adopt foreign citzenship, and declaring them Chinese subjects, notwithstanding that they are naturalised subjects of other countries. The Consul ia reported to have said: "I know nothing about the report, either (privately or officially. but I would not be surprised if it were as the cable states. Why Chines© wish to become British subjects passes my understanding. It will be a good thing for tbe Chinese if snch a law as is suggested were in operation, for "I cannot for the life of mc see where they are to benefit by becoming British subjects, wJule they are held in contempt by the people who grant them the privilege. I see no objection whatever to their becoming naturalised Britis- subjects, providing they are placed on equality with other British subjects. Otherwise, the arrangement is one-sided. I cannot understand what the Chinese gain by being here at all. There are, and there will be, better openings for them in their own land, where, in an environment that is not hostile, and among peopMe of kindred tastes and habits, they would be much happier."

» The members of the Addington Can't mission of Enquiry will re-assemble in d Christchurch to-morrow. Cabinet has voted £350 for t_*} ree Jjreseniatio-. of New Zealand at" tbe _. Sydney Rifle meeting. y Yesterday was a 60rt of half-and-half holiday; the banks and offices were closed, but tie retail establishments wero open^ s The members of the City Council in,f tend inviting bis Worship the Mayor to a dinner prior to the completion of his present term of office, j Tlie local office of the Labour De- - partment was engaged yesterday making up a large party of men to do ballasting work on the Springfield line. s Two firs* offenders appeared before i Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., yesterday, I and were each fined 5s for drunkenness, .. with the usual alternative. A very large octopus, its tentacle. c measuring _t_ in length, was caug.it c off Kilbirnie Wharf, "Wellington, on _ Good Friday. * I- Th. sitting of the Conciliation Coun- ;- ctl on th© 28th inst. in Christchurch c will b© merely a formal one to enable c the general labourers' dispute to be . sent on to the Arbitration Court. The Mayor 'has received a notification from Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., in reply to a request to hold an inquest y on the fire at the St. Albans Fire Brigade stables. Mr Bishop has arranged _ for an enquiry to be held at tie S-d. t> Courthouse to-morrow, at 2.80 p.m. 1 j The matron of the Christchurc- Hospital acknowledges with thanks gifts of fruit for children from Miss Rubbins. raany Easter gifts from members of 8 the St. Michael's and Ricoarton Sun--1 day schools, and flowers from St. Mat- • thew'e Church, St. Albans. The mat- . Ron would be grateful for gifts of old linen. Tho annual Conference of tb© Bible 1 Class Union of New Zealand, held at . Auckland, has concluded. At the sports , meeting the banner was won by St. 9 John's Class, Wellington. Mr T. W. . Reeso, of Christchurch, the newly- . elected president, states that this camp r was far the best ever held. The next l camp will be held at Timaru. Lord Ranfurly, who was the founder • of th© institution, has forwarded £10 • to the Auckland Veterans' Home toi wards the proposed memorial over the i graves of those veterans who have died I at the Home. In addition, Lord Ran- • furly has applied for suoscriptions ■ from regiments who have members at r present in residence. There are forty- , ono veterans now in the Hoirie. *. The Minister for Education (the Hon. Geo. Fowlds) says that the people : ot Auckland have" never taken the interest in higher education which they • should have. They were, h© added, not as keen as tbe people of other places, and Auckland's secondary schools'were 1 not filled so well. However, he thought that the university would be better , attended if there was a better building . to which end ho would bo glad to ae^ • sist. ' «_? n a . rec&nt Sunday (says the Nelson ► Colonist ) a large sho_l of whales — ► to the number of fully fifty—entered ► the West Wanganui inlet and disported j • themselves in its waters for about six I : hours, eventually going out with tho • receding tide. This interesting and 1 unusual visit was witnessed by several re_idc_ts of the locality. Tt is esti- • mated that the average length of the whales was not less than 30 feet. Wind and rain had a depressing effect upon th© Wellington tramway , revenue during Easter. Easter Monday was fine, otherwise tbe figures would hay© compared badly with last year's. The following indicates the revenue for "Eastertide this and last year, the 1908 figures being in parentheses :—Thursday £438 (£424) Friday £221 (£300), Saturday £424 S 8) ;_ Sl,nda y £1 4 2 Monday ±.-17 (£612). The Executive Committee in Vienna, of which his Highness Prince zn Furstenberg is the President, has, with the approval of the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to the Court of St. James, appointed Sir Arthur Trendell, C.M.G., who acted as secretary ,to the Royal British Commission fhr the Vienna International Exhibition of 1873. to be the Commissioner General in Great Britain for the International Shooting and Field Snorts Exhibition-to be held in Vienna in 1910. At the last meeting of the ,Waltham School Committee, th© headmaster's report stated that tbe average was 587.4, and the roll number 656. The swimming contest! for girls had been a great success. The ! Visiting Committee's report stated that I the school and grounds were in a very ! satisfactory condition. A large num- ' ber of pictures had been placed on the walls of the school. A very satisfactory report was received from the inspector. Th© Committee signified their intention of seeking re-election. At Kaiapoi yesterday, before Me*sn C. Hansen and J. H. Blaokwe.l, J.P.'s. Griffith Thompson appeared on bail! having been a-rested on Saturday night, on a charge of having used obscene language in Raven street. He said h© w_s not aware of having done so, although two constables and some other witnesses said they had heard the words complained of. Mr H. Dodspn gave accused a good character, ; and said he believed he had been provoked; Tlie Bench said there w*as a good deal iof improper language used on Saturday evenings. Defendant oonsenting, a .prohibition order was mad© against him and a conviction entered on the charge sheet, . A letter written by a resident of Pakatoa Island to Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., of Auckland, speaks in high praise of the results of the Inebriates' Home conducted on the island by the Salvation Army. A local paner pubfollowing extract from the letter:—"Having returned from the island, where I was sent on account of my drinking habits, I beg to state that now, being at liberty for some time, I have not touched drink, and J feel sure that my being sent there has done mc a great amount of good. I am now in better health than I hay© been for years past, and have entirely lost any inclination to drinK again." It ds doubtful if there ever was a fine, showing of Men's Overcoats and Sac Suits, than those on view to-day at Armstrong's. New cloth, nicely cut, showing bedrock prices, should entice a Miser 1 4 Shifting is troublesome work. But you can minimise th© bother greatly by getting th© New Zealand Express Co. to do the work. They will pack and deliver your goods safely, expeditiously, to any address. Office: Corner Hereford street and Manchester street; 4 .Gentlemen should not overlook tbe advantages of the two new departments at the D.I.C, "Clothing" and "Mercery." In each of these sections an entirely new stock will be found, which embraces everything required in Men's and Youths' Smart Wearing Apparel, for town or country wear. 31 en who wear D.I.C. Clothing, Mercery, and Hats, can rely on being correctly dressed, and are assured that the usual D.I.C. high quality is the stand- i ard throughout both departments. 6! Eyestrain, Headaches.—Ernest M San-stein, F.S.M.C, D.8.0.A., London, Consulting Optician, may be consulted on all cases of defective eyesight remediable by- glasses. Fifteen years' special study and experience. Latest methods and instruments. Consulting rooms, Cashel street W. (next BaUantyno'e). Hours, 9.30 to 5.30. Telephone 397. 6

Pigeon Cartridges of leading brands, Guns and Rifles by makers of '. repute, and all kinds of Ammunition (inchidiug "King's Norton" Practice Cartridges) are best procured at Hastie, Bull and Pickering's, opposite Ballantyne'**. See the "EUeOTiere" Twoguinea Hinged Field Glasses, on view to-day. 6 Ocular demonstration is better than expressive superlative. Armstrong, Limited, invite Holiday "Visitors and Citinens to view the most interesting and up-to-date display of Fashionable Millinery, Ladies' Coats, Costumes, Dress Goods, and Fancy Drapery, in the city, at values never matched here. 4 To purchasers of engines and threshing plants, and all classes of machinery. —We have a re_*re_entatire leaving for the Continent shortly, and would be glad to act for intended purchasers. McClelland and Anderson, 224 Cashel street, Christchurch. 6 :• It regard to horse power and its after cultivation work, the Benicia Disc Plough is a great labour-saving implement. W. Bassetfr and Co., 23 Manchester street. 8 Lewis and Anderson, 221 Cashel 6treet, are carrying a full range of Guns and Rifles by leading makers, including "Pape" and "Cogswell and Harrison," also Waders and Ammunition in all reliable brands. 4 If you want Reliable Footwear, you I will get it at Robinson's. We are still selling off Kirby's Assigned Footwear Stock. Call early and get the pick of the stock, at Robinson's, 119, Mancheste * street (only address). 1 STATE OF THE RIVERS. The following report of the Canterbury risers was received at 9 a.m. yesterday-.—Ashley, Waimakariri (north and south branches), Ashburton (upper, lower, and mouth), clear; and* Rakaia, Selwyn, Rangitata, Opihi, and Waitaki, fishable. 00-PART-NERSHIP. One of the greatest events in the history of co-partnership will take place on Thursday (says the "Daily Express' of February 22nd), when Mr W H. Lever, chairman of the great scap-making firm, will explain to the employees at Port Sunlight the scheme under which it is proposed to make them sharers in the comnany's earnings. Mr Lever foreshadowed the scheme __ a speech to the workers in December last. The importance of this new addition to the firms who have already adopted co-partnership may oe gauged from the fact that the paid-up capital of Messrs Lever Bros., Limited, is no less than £5,025,000. There are nearly 4000 employees in Pert Sunlight alone, as well as workers in Australia, Canada, America, Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland. It t. understood that when the scheme is set-forth it will prove one of the most democratic and most thorough copartnership plans that have yet been introduced into the industrial world. Subsidiary departmental boards trill be appointed to deal with the best form of working those departments, and there will be a general central beard, with Mr Lever as the chairman. ■ THE RESULTS~OF THE MOTORCYCLE RELIABILITY TRIAL. Christchurch to Akaroa and returnDistance, 114 miles; 19 competitors.— The motor-cyole i reliability hill-climbing and petrol consumption trial was run on March ; 6tk, and resulted in a sweep, ing victory for the 3J h.p. Triumph motors. .Everybody knows how tie Talbot cars wipe out competitors in the late motor-car trial-, and again we hare the pleasure to report to the publio that the Triumph motor-cycles, m competition with , seveh well-known makes, have repeated the victory'of the Talbot team by winning aU the premier prises. Mr-Rt English, the judge, awarded the prizes to the 3} h.p. Triumph riders as follows:—For reliability, open cla»: lpfc, W. Blundell; 2nd, F. Howartji. Private owners' class: Ist, C. Bailey; 2nd, A, Beken. Hill-climbing, open class: Q. B. Brown. Private owners' class: F. S., Barnett, Lowest petrol consumption,, open cUsb; W. Bl v ndell. Private owners' class t A. Beken. 'Best performance in bill climb: G. B. Brown. Highest aggre. gate marks, for reliability, lowest petrol cc_cumptk>n and; hUI-dimbing: G. B. Brown.. Making a total of eight first prises awarded to-riders of Triumph motor-cycles. ' What a viotory for Triumphs! A world's recordf Ail other makes of motor-cycles wiped out. The success of the Triumphs in the trials is our reward for selling to the publio the highest ©lass goods. Fifty Triuraph aiotor-cyoleo how, arrining, grice £70. Adams, Limited, sole New ealand agents, 188-140, High street, Cbristohuwh.