GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14917, 16 March 1914, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

On account of the annoyance caused to bystanders and to residents in the vicinity of the railway station by the prolonged ringing of the station bell, tho customary ringing of the bell five minutes before the departure of a tram will be discontinued ou and after Ist April, 1914.

Tho Christehurch Fire Brigade's competitions which were to have been held on Saturday, had to be postponed on account of tho temporary failure of the high pressure water due to the breakage in tlie main at the Colombo streot-Moorhouse avenue intereection. ' Rather an expensive way of getting rid of the unwelcome overplus in the ranks of the family felines was selected the othtr day by some indavkl'ial -ut Newmarket way (says the ■UicMaou "Star"). Investigating the came of a block in a man-bole, the borou T h workmen found in a service pipe a neat paper parcel containing three muoh-drowrod kittens. It took three days to ron.ove tbo stoppage, and the 'cost was £3 V 2- U £L 4s per cat. -, as tlie Mayor remarked, when referring to +-he mutter at the Council m'eotinqf Oil Thursday evening.

Tho City Corps of the Salvation •Vrmy opened their annual Harvest Festival yesterday, when special services were conducted by Adjutant and Mrs Macau ley. The festival will bo continued to-day, when a concert will be given by the Cambridge Terrace Methodist choir. To-morrow night tho Church of Christ choir will supply the programme, and on Wednesday night another entertainment will be given. The hall where the festival is oeing held has been elaborately decorated for the occasion, ar.d a number of stalls containing goods and produce will be in operation.

Superintendent Dwyer, in charge of the Canterbury Police District, has been advised that Matthews, the second of tlic B'lrnhaiu boys who escaped from Timaru Gaol, was arrested on Saturday at Glenavy. The price of fresh trout has been reduced to sixpence per pound at tho "Wellington Municipal Fish Market. ->■ hit; demand has set in. and at present the market is doing twice- as much business as it did this time iast year. The failure of a .New Plymouth debtor to add exchange to a cheque for an amount sued for, led the solicitor for the creditor to sup for his sixpenco in the Court on Tuesday. Judgment was given for this small amount, together with 5s Court costs and 6s solicitor's fee. The Government training ship, Amokura, arrived at Port Chalmers on Saturday morning and anchored SCO yards from thp shore. Ono of tho lads who had only been on thf> vessel a short time attempted to desert by tho somewhat crude expedieut of {.wimmins ashore, but he was discovered and picked up by a boat from the ship. A deputntion from tho Cirizens' Association will wait on the City Council to-night to place before the Councillors their scheme relating to the Town Hall. The scheme proposed by the Association is that the northern section of the Victoria Square site should be used together with the roadway at the back, tho river, and the roadway beyond. a tunnel to bo built to carry the river water. The sito would cost nothing, and by utilising the two roadways and the river, it would not he necessary to build over the whole of the area in the Square, as proposed in the Council's scheme. A break in the high-pressure water main at the junction of Colombo sheet and Moorhouse avenue, which occurred on Saturday morning, let]'to a temporary, although serious, interruption in the supply of high-prossuro water to tho city. The main supply of water from tho Casbmcro reservoir had to r.e «-ufc off, and the lower pressure supply from tho Sydenham reservoir, which was brought into requisition with, little delay, was connected up to keep tho city going. Work on the break was put in hand forthwith under the direction of tho City Engineer, and tho trouble was remedied last night, when the highpressure water was again available.

The Rev. J. Cocker conducted the service held in the Grand Theatre last night in connexion with the Central Methodist Mission Key. Bramweli Scott, of Wanganui, was the preacher, and took as his text: 'Therefore, let no man glory in mo. for all things are yours, and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's." Experience showed, said Mr Scott, that science progressed more rapidly in Christian than in nonChristian countries. Where there was no Godliness there was deterioration. The speaker urged his hearers to avoid denominational bigotry, and narrow-mind-edness, such as was possessed by the Corinthians, to whom the words of his text were addressed.

Commenting on the recent strike in New Zealand, the London "Shipping Gazette" says:—"The moral of the strike is sufficiently obvious. It is that coolness and courage, and, aDOve all, thoroughness, in dealing -with this form of mania—for it is hardly less —are invaluable assets. The triumph of the New Zealand Ministry was in no sense the result of the indiscriminate use of force. It was the outcome of a quiet determination to give all possible support to a community which was determined that its existence should not be imperilled by the cutting off of its oversea commnnications. The defeat of Syndicalism has been so complete that it will be long before it tries conclusions again in the Dominion."

A party comprising; Viscount Kelburn, commander of H. 31.8. Pyramns, Sir Robert Ix>ckhart and Mr G. R/Bloomfield returned i*> Auckland a> few days ago, after enjoying some excellent fishing at Whangarei Harbour. The roost exciting incident of the trip was provided by a ewordfish, apparently about 12ft lons and judged at about 3001b weight. It was hooked by Viscount Kelburn and was neldin play for a quarter of an hour. The big fish made a great fight against the attempt to capture it, frequently leaping high out of the water, until finally the tackle broke and it escaped. Next day Sir Robert Lockhart hooked a ewordfish, believed to be the same one, and again it escaped withttie tackle. Another visitor, a powerful Scotchman, made special preparations for this big fellow, equipping himself with a line that would have held a horse. Next day the swordfish took the Scotchman'e bait, and this tjme it seemed as though it would be secured, for the angler tied the line round his waist and plaYed the fish with all his strength. Howwer, the hooks straightened and the swordfish remains at liberty.

During February the Chnstchurch Women's branch of the Labour Department received the following applications from employers:—Domestics, 44; to assist, 4; cooks and cook-generals, 37; houso and parlour maids, 81; ladyhelps, 8; governoss, 1; housekeepers, 2; waitresses, 3; nurses, 3; kitchen and pantry maids, 5; laundress, 1; seam* stress, 2; married couple, 1; bookbinder. 1; charwomen, 16; total, 159. Applications from employees for the Game period were:—-Domestics, 5j cooks, 4; house and parlour maids, 7; 1: housekeeper, 1; goverrfess, 1; seamstress, 1; nurse, 1; matron, 1; bookbinder, 1; 7: total, 30. Twenty-seven of these were found suitable employment. One came from the North Island, 16 from the South Island, 2 from the Commonwealth, and 8 from Great Britain. Of the remaining 3. 1 has since been placed, another did not require work till next month,.and no position offered for the matron. From the list of applications it will be noticed how great the demand is for domestic helpers, and how few applicants there are for that particular kind of work.

"Civis" writes in tho "Otago Daily Times":—l have received, and i acknowledge with all the thanks that are due, number one, volume one, of "The N.Z. Liberal," copy-book size, the contents of copy-book originality—a resurrection hash of old speeches by Sir Joseph Ward and old leaders from the ".New Zealand Times," which, musty compost is garnished and freshened up by ecaro headlines against the "Tories." The policy of the ''.N.Z. Liberal" is to yell "Tory!" as the Ked Fed. Btriker yelled "Scab!" Like the rest of it* contcnte, even the word "Tory" is borrowed ; it belongs, as Sir Joseph Ward'& resurrected speeches belong, to an order of things that has passed away. The only feature in which "The N.Z. Liberal's" "Liberalism" shows origiuality is its spelling. We are presented witJa euch novelties as "Conserative," "Libeal." "duplicty," "authoriy," "retrogate," with many others equally (striking. A reckless shot at the French "nuances" yields "unances" ; "Wellington" bocomes "AVellingon,"' and the name of the Dominion is pronounced "New Zealad," as though "Liberalism" had a cold. But all is redeemed by the frontispiece—a full-page portrait of the right honourable baronet in whom New Zealand "Liberalism," its turned commas, ite sham and its (shoddy, sums itself up. Curious it is that or.r .New Zealand politics should have evolved only one founder of a titled family, one head of a line of hereditary aristocrats, and that this should he he. £ir Joseph is shown here spick and span, admirably groomed, his moustache the v.axed .md dagger-pointed moustache of the .smart set, all in keeping. Than this counterfeit presentment the poor shabby little "N.Z. Liberal" has nothing Sorter to show, nor anything else that is half 60 good.

Mr J. R. Kirk has intimated that he does not intend to again contest the Gisborno Mayoralty. Probable candidates are Messrs Geo. Smith, John Sheridan, end J. Cookward.

The secretary of tho General Labourers' Uniou. states that a considerable number of men are at present looking for work, ard that the prospects for the comiuß winter are anything but bright.

The Mayor wili be in attendance at tho City* Council to-day from 11 a.m. till noon. To-morrow he will not be in attendance at all, as he will be visiting Timaru with tho municipal party from Christchurch.

\i a meeting of the LyttcUnn branch of*the Church of England Men's Society, a resolution was passed urging the* Government to submit tho Bible-jn-State-Schools ouostion to a referendum at the next genera! election. The Christchurch Federation ol tho Sociotv passed a similar resolution.

On the Westralia's run from Dunediu to Lyttelton on Saturday morning, one of the intake pipes beecuue blocked. On arrival at Lyttelton the blockage was found to he> duo to an octopus, which had become jambed. and was unable to extricate itself.

Tho fruits of the soil were arrange in profusion upon tho altar of ih*> Durham street Methodist Church yesterday, when harvest thanksgiving services "were conducted. In the morning the Rev. W. A. Sinclair preached from tho text, "Thou crownest tho year with Thy goodness." Tho evening service was conducted by the Rev. O. H. Laws, who took ac his subject tho Parable of the Sower. The speaker reminded his hearers that much depended upon the nature of tho soil upon which the good seed fell, and urged them t cultivate tho habit of hearing anc thinking about holy things.

The Reserves Committee of the Duncdin City Council recommend that, m view of tho nronosed visit to tho Dominion of Mr \V. R. Davidge (London County Council), and Mr C. C. Reade, both representatives of the British Garden Cities and Town Planning Association, for tho purpose of lecturing in the cities and various towns of tho Dominion on "Towi. Planning," and thus affording exceptional opportunity to municipal councils of gaining expert guidance, and advice on this all-important subject, application be made to tho Government for a grant towards the out-of-pocket expenses that will be incurrod by tho lecturers during their tour of the Dominion, as in the event of such a grant being made, the whole of the lectures will be given to the public free of charge.

Two motor-cors, owned and driven by Mr Edmunds and Mr Simms respectively, collided in Sea View road, Now Brighton, yesterday afternoon, resulting in the fore parts of both vehicles being considerably damaged. The. cars were heading in the same direction, and both were on their right side of the road. It is understood that the collision was a rear one. The driver of the leading car, hearing tho approach of the following one, turned his head round, in order to see what course he should steer, and the accident then ha> pened. Several members of the New Brighton Fire Brigade, who were nejir the scene of the accident, came to tho assistance of Mr Edmunds, and, together, were able to drag his car to its shed in George street. Mr Simms returned to town with his car in a very disabled condition.

Several of the Southland flax-mills have closed during the past few months, owing to the unremunerative prices ruling for fibre, this being £18 per ton, compared with £27 two years ago. The latest to discontinue operations is that at New River, owned by Messrs Jarvis' and Fosbender, which is capable of producing a ton a day (telegraphs our Invercargill correspondent). It employed from 25 to 30 men. There is an abundant supply of green leaf in the immediate neighbourhood. The most up-to-date machinery is being ueed; still it is not considered advisable to carry on for the reason stated. The London market is being fully sap* plied from other sources than that of New Zealand. ' It is stated on good authority that the fibre is of better than that produced in the Dominion, and is obtainable at lower prices.

The recent visit of the Royal Art'llery Band was mentioned appreciatively at Thursday's meeting of the Auckland Executive. In reply to a question, the president (Mr Elliot) said that the cost of the band, altogether, had been about £9000. What revenue it had brought would be extremely difficult to say, but it had been a mosti satisfactory venture, and it was a remarkable feat for such an arrangement to be made. Mr G. L. Peacocke said that it was the general opinion of musical expert* that the band had had a distinct effect in nvusical circles, in improving idaaij in regard to band music. This was not a commercial aspect of the matter, but it was ono regarding which they could feel much - satisfaction. The president eaid the band had done more to uplift and educate musical taste in Auckland than any other musical combination that had ever visited New Zealand.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury Law Society was held in the Law Library on Thursday, and was very well attended by members of the Society. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:-—President, Mr H. D. Andrews; vice-president, Mr M. Donnelly; honorary treasurer, Mr G. H. N. Helmore; honorary secretary, Mr F. W. Johnston; council, Messrs J. A. Cassidy, J. J. Dougall, F. K. Hunt, H. O. D. Meares and S. G. Kaymond, X.0., Messrs H. D. Andrews, G. Harper and S. G. Raymond, K.C.j were elected to represent the Society on the Council of the New Zealand Law Society. Mr H. Edgar was elected a member of the Society. A vote of thanks was passed to the retiring honorary secretary, Mr W. J. Hunter, for his services during the past three years. At a subsequent meeting of the Council, Mr R. B. Ward was elected a member of the Society, and arrangements were made for holding cricket matches for the members of the Society and their staffs at Hagley Park on Thursday next. A Wellington correspondent writes: —Earl Grey, previous to his .departure from Wellington for the north, invited Commissioner Richards, of the Salvation Army, to meet him at Thorndon railway station. His Lordship, who was accompanied by General Godley, discussed a number of interesting matters with the Commissioner, and evinced a lively interest in all that he was told in regard to the work of the Army in New Zealand. The Commissioner, who previous to coming to the Dominion was in charge of the South African forces, reminded Earl Grey that he had been the means of giving to the Army a large domain in Rhodesia, for agricultural purposes, and explained that a large degree of prosperity was attending the estate, which, among other things, was yielding MOO hags of mealies (maize) per annum. A strata of lime had bfon discovered, which enabled three kilns to be run. The income derived from the estate paid the expenses of the greater part of the native work in Rhodesia; which was a mast important one, and involved increasing re~ 6f.onsibilities. Earl Grey, who expressed much satisfaction at this information, paid a tribute to the general work cf the Army, and incidentally stated that the New Zealand Government seemed to be using the organisation in a more effective way than was ih« case in Australia. General Godley also epoke in high terms of the Salvation Army's work, and pointed out that th«* ""Dominion was the first of the colonies to appoint Salvation Army chaplains to the forces.

The gardens held in coa«liexion with tho Richmond school, i?-M suited:—Nellie Bassett a-nd Phoebe ' f-'H Shierlaw 1, Mavis Robertson and Gwea ' ■ Pruden 2, Amy Lily and I>orothy ■}, ■ 9 sack 3. Special prize: Mavis Bridgmaa ! I and Connie Sutton 4. Tho competition ' 1 was judged by Mr W. H I-awrence. "When in town this week, be Mire arq Fee tho beautiful display of Kiderdomi Quilts in the windows of A. J. 'White' Ltd. g -.' For verj niary year* thr* <>xcel!*>n« ■ of Messrs Armstrong and Co.'s ililliai cry has been generally admitted— the I tasto of their lady buyers at Home I coinciding with the requirements of the Dominion exactly. Tho felections just opened out. for tho now season support tho firm's well-established repu- \ tat ion. Tho beam iful creations now I showing could not b.-> exceeds! in any J city in tho hemisphere, and should be I viewed by our lady friends—even ! though non-buyers—ns objects of artij. i tie beauty. The added attraction of ! Armstrong's low cash price is a f Or . {her inducement. , g Deerstalkers. —Ensure success on your next trio by using a Ross Biffo, unexcelled for accuracy. speed) J strength, simplicity, and safety. Lewfc I and Anderson, 112 Cashe.l fetroet, j apents. jj Walter J. Watson. D.8.0.A., London, Expert Optician (near Kincaid'iV j Accurate Sight-testing and Spectacle- ' fitting. Repairs lo Frames and broken Lense3 matched. Charges moderate. 8 The Coniins* "Weddings.—Meesra Hastie, Bull, and Pickering are just now .showing some very charming Xew Goods specially suited for Wedding Gifts. They invite inspection. Opposito Ballantyno's. 6 Motor Accessories —Lycett Belts, i-inch, 13s; i-inch, 15s; 1-incln 17s 6d; Butchinson Heavy Tyres, 37s 6d; Assorted spares kept, also best quality repairs, at J- H. Suckling and Co., Garage, 117 Worcester street. 6 No Jam For Bad Boys. A reduced menu as a lorm of punishment for unruly boys in the reformatory and industrial echools haa been adopted by the London Education Committee. Mr T. Gautrey, a member of the committee, explained to a representative of tho "Mail" that the medical ' officers were of opinion that a meal could bo made less attractive vithout making it less nutritive. Bad boys could bo punished in this way:— BreakfastMore porridge and more bread and butter, but no jam. Dinner —More meat, more vegetables, but no pudding. Tea — More broad and butter, Out no plun * cake. An Octogenarian Father. A unique and interesting ceremony took place at the New Plymouth . Bowling Club's green on Friday, whoa an octogenarian member —Mr John Rawlings—was presented by Lie fellow* members with a silver cradle, to mark the occasion of a son being:born to him (telegraphs our correspondent). The cradle is of handsome design anil skilled workmanship, and bears the following inscription:—"Presented to John Rawlings, Esq., by members of the New Plymouth Bowling Club on a. son being born to him in his S3rd year. February loth 4 1914. 'Tis. never too' late to mend." Mr Rawling?i was born in the year 1832 in London- Ip 1856, at Wanganui, ho married the only daughter of Mr Lewis C. Noble, who was an officer of the Union Steam • Ship Company, and who lost his life when on a trip to New Zealand, the vessel foundering with all hands. Mr - Rawlings's first wife died, and about , eighteen months ago he married again. I As a bowler, Mr Rawlings, despite hi* years, has few equals, and no t in New Plymouth. ■ Spelling Reform. Every now and again the question of spelling reform comes up arresb, bet nothing much ever seems to result (writes our Sydney correspondent). Eren the advocacy of such notabilities as ex- ..',. President Roosevelt and Mr Carnegie ■ does not eeem to help it along much. At a meeting of the Council of Educa- , tion iv Melbourne, Dt. A. Leeper moved that the Board of Education itt ; England be urged to sununona opn- . ference, including representativea tf the oversea Dominions, to consider the -. question of a •uniform spelling throughout the Empire and tho EnglLsh-et>eak* ing world. There, was an interesting discussion before the motion was eventually carried. Professor Berry, »» supporting the motion, quoted the fo}» lowing "American" sentence, which he defied anyone present to underetandi : "It seems that about rour years ago Scranton Red, a notorious yegg, had ; it framed up to kick in a flour and feed Pete up Yonkers way.". TVe ha* the making of a fine phonetic eyetenn, he added, and something ought to be . done. At the same time,- be was against , any such rubbish as changing a word like "society" into "societi," which h» . had read of. EXTENSION OF "SWIFT" REDUCTION SALE. The phenomenally large large sale of "Swifts" which has taken place dunng - the last week consequent upon our an- - : nouncement of a drastic cut in pnees has been so far in advance of our ex- ; ■ pectations that it has been decided to entend the sale period for another week. As previously announced, during this period "Royal Superbe Swifts' - will be reduced from £20 to £15, and <■ 'Royal Club Swifte" from £15 to £12 ' * 10s. Tho stock of these machine* tut* been greatly reduced by the wonderful sales of the last few days, but we hope to be able to continue to meet this exceptional demand for a few more days. The opportunity is an exceptional one,' as these bicycles are admitted to _pc quite the last word in bicycle quality, elegance and durability. The bearing* ,- carry a five years' guarantee, and all ... models —men's roadsters, ladies' roaSeters and racers—are of positively the very latest pattern and finished in a Btyfe unrivailed by any other bicycle in the world. The equipment of the r roadster models includes free wheel. | ete«l mudguards, and two powerful brakes, while the "Royal Superbe i Swift" racers are finished in royal bine - I with plated rims and top bar. Espeei- ~"j ally easy terms of purchase by instal- - roents can be arranged—deposits from £1 and instalments from £1 per mo?™; Come and buy a high-grade "Swift j while this special opportunity con- I tinucs. Adams, Ltd., Agents for "Swifts," High street, Christchurch. V (Mr R. M. Adame, Manager, Bicycle Department). c