GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15605, 1 June 1916, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

For the Coal and Blanket Fund, tho Mayor (Mr H. Holland) has received one ton of coal from '"Aunt I'ollv," and £1 from E. Marks. The Telegraph Department advises that private messages lor members oi' the >»ew Zealand Expeditionary Force in Franco or England should be addressed "Vanquisher, .London." Two transports Ma <lue ct Port Chalmers next week with invalided soldiers on board. The first, with about 130 men, should show up about Monday. There are only a lew men on the second ship. A Wanganui telegram states that in connexion with the appeal by the schoolmaster, Bowater, ayainst I:jS transference, Mr Justice Edwards decided on the points of law raised by tiie Education Board, that if the Appeal Board decided that Bowater were wrongly transferred, he wa.s entitled to be "reinstated in his old position, and not given another position of equal salarv.

Mr L.. 1". Arson, Inspector of Fisheries for N'ew Zealand, passed through Christehureh yesterday. Asked whether there was an >' ehan.ee of the quinnat salmon being somewhat akin to the brown trout only pea run, he stated that, he had been asked that question again and and he could most distinctly state that the fish were quinnat salmon and not sea run brown trout. There was a great difference between the two fish, but if they were to blindfold him ar.d place ten brown trout sea run and ten quinnat salmon before Jiitn he would forfeit £50 if he made a mistake in grading them. He s. id there was a little girl ten years old :it the llakatmamea fisheries who could distinguish the salmon from the brown trout even in their yearling sta^c.

I The secretary of the Canterbury I Automobile Association has been advised that the ford at the Selwvn river is impassable for motor-cars.

The New Zealand Government has been sending over 25,000 eggs of the quinnat salmon to the Tasmanian Government for some years past, and Mr L. F. Ayson informed a reporter yesterday that this annual consignment "had been despatched from Hakataramea that day for transport to Wellington by the ferry boat, in order to catch the steamer for Sydney leaving Wellington cn Saturday.

A plaque won by Harold Woolf. a pupil of the West Christchurch District High School, in the British and Foreign Sailors' Society's annual essay competition, was presented to him on Friday by Mr C. 11. Opie. chairman of the Education Board, in the presence of the committee and pupils. Congratulatory addresses were delivered bv the Mayor (Mr Holland), Mr Opie, Dr. Chilton, and Mr F. D. W r ai!er (headmaster).

At the Supreme Court at Timaru yesterday., his Honour Mr Justice Denniston postponed for six months an application fur an order to exercise mortgagees' powers made by the State Advances Department. His Honour said that for the amount owing there was ample security, judging by the. Department's own valuation of the property, and if lie made an order at that stage he would require to ignore the .Mortgages Extensions Act, which had been specially passed as a war measure to prevent mortgagees foreclosing wheu undue hardship would be caused therein-.

If is reported that while the Chief •Justice w;is conversing with a friend in the main street of Foxton a man wearing the King's uniform and under the influence of liquor drew up and asked lor the Joan of a shilling. Sir Robert kindly admonished the man, and said that his conduct was a reflection on the uniform he was wearing. He advised him to give up the drinking habit, and remarked that he 'Sir Rolicrt) was old enough to be his father and yet he had not indulged 1:1 cither slroug drink or tobacco. The intoxicated one looked at the Chief Justice ('of course, not knowing who he was addressing), and said: "I don't know who you are, but, anyhow, you hare got an honest-looking dial!"

When the Hon Dr. R. MeNab was last in Auckland the. Executive of the Federated Seamen's Union brought under his notice various matters, amongst them being the shortage of seamen on account of the -war. Stress was laid upon the fact that while ships were short-handed, there were seamen at Roto ltoa (the island near Auckland to which inebriates are eommittod), and it was suggested by tho "union officials it would be a wise thing to release theso men in order to utilise their services on the ships. A letter was received on Monday from the Hon. Dr. McXab. stating that he was prepared to consider at any time the necessities of oversea shipping brought about by the war, and if found necessary ho "would consider the question of taking these men from ltoto Roa and putting them on board ships. In regard to the proposal referred to. Dr. McXab, who passed through Christchurch last evening, informed a reporter that arrangements had already been made for two such men to join the Celtic as A.B.'s.

The decision of tho Government to take a census also provides for the quinquennial revision of the electoral boundaries. Before tho revision' is undertaken, tho Representation Commissioners eit as a joint Commission to determine the quota of population lur each electoral district. Tho Prime Minister was asked on Monday evening whether any allowance would be made in this calculation for the absenco of men on activc service. Mr Massey replied (says tho Wellington "Post'') that such an allowance could only to made if authorised by legislation. It was quite possiblo that such legislation would bo introduced this session.

A Dunedin message says that ono smallpox patient, belonging to the Waikato, is in a very critical condition, and little hope is held out for his recovery. Tho other patient is progressing satisfactorily.

Opossums are not yet protected, though Acclimatisation Societies have for some time past urged that they should bo in districts not mainly devoted to fruit farming. Mr L. O. H : . Tripp, chairman of the Wellington Society, stated on Monday _ nignt that in response to a deputation he had lately received a reply from the Minister of Internal Affairs in which he acknowledged th 6 possibilities of the industry and the need for placing it on a better basis. It was hoped now that something would be done, so that the animals might not bo ruthlessly exterminated. Mr W. H. Field, M.P., in supporting tho chairman's remarks, said that in Southland as many as 80, COO opossums wore trapped and killed in" one year. Poachers had already foiynd the value of opossum skills. They billed the animals in and out of season in great numbers, and sometimes in a cruel If skins were exported out of condition tho industry would suffer. He agreed with the Chairman that steps should be taken to protect young and female opossums.

Captain Richard Todd, who died at Napier on Tuesday, was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, and first came to New Zealand in the old Malay, which arrived at Wangnnui in the early seventies to inaugurate a direct sailing service between London and that port. Captain Peters was in command of tho vessel with Captain Todd as his chief officer. The arrival of the Malay was made the occasion of a public holiday, and the town was cn fete. A banquet was tendered to the captain, officers, and crcw. Subsequently Captain Todd became better known to Wellington folk, says the "Post,"-as commander of the fine sailing ship St. Leonards, which was wrecked in tho Eng'ish Channel in the early eighties, a number of lives being lost. Captain Todd was also master of the Northumberland, which was driven ashore at Petane beach, Napier, in a howling gale. He, with some members of the crew, had hairbreadth escapes from death in the perilous task of getting ashore on that occasion. That finished his career at sea, and a little later he was appointed Marine Superintendent for the Colonial Union Line. On the inauguration of the Tyser Line ho was appointed Mariue Superintendent to that company, and subsequently Colonial Superintendent. Captain Todd's wife predeceased him about two years ago. He leaves a family of three sons—Messrs Leonard, Richard, and John Todd (the latter of whom left New Zealand with the Twelfth Reinforcements). and a married daughter, Mrs Arthur Sims, wife of Mr Sims, a member of the well-known mercantile firm of Sims, Cooper and Co.

Loasby prescribes for all minor ailments. Don't suffer, come and "Ask Loasbv about it." Adults 3s (3d, children 2s. . o The Grocery establishments will be closed all day Saturday (the King's Birthday). o Sooner than put obsolete apparatus in the melting pot. we are offering ifc to Technical College students at less than scrap prices. See window. Turnbull and Jones. Ltd. (J No soldier should think of going away without having his photograph taken by Steffano Webb. 232 High street. 1 Expert knowledge is the only kind that counts. Over sixty years' experience in Customs, Shipping, and Forwarding Work, including Furniture Removals. Call or teior>i.oiie, J. M. Heywood and Co., Manchester street. Established 1851. £

There is a refinement about Buick Cars that stamps them as n:otor-car thoroughbreds. They are undoubtedly the "most beautiful cars of tho sca-

Mr John R. Proctor, optician, of 200 High street, is now manufacturing what have been rightly styled 4'Proctor's Security Glasses.* 7 Irstead or boring a hole (which was looked upon as at once weakening the lens) and fastening with a screw, the new classes are made by cementing the lenses to the frames. This is said to eliminate nine-tenths of breaknges. 1