GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15648, 21 July 1916, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Mr "W. H. George, of Wellington, will give an illustrated lecture, "With Our Boys in Egypt," in the Theatre Royal, on Wednesday nest, in aid of a £2000 hostel for NeCv Zealand soldiers in London.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Wyandotte Club (North Island), held at Wellington yesterday, it was decided to hold the next Wyandotte Championship Show at Blenheim. Fifteen special prizes have been offered, including four silver cups.

To-morrow, Messrs A. S. CI ark son, president of the Canterbury Automobile Association; C. W. Horrey, secretary; F. W. Johnston, and P. R. Climie. will visit shburton for the purpose of setting up a branch of tlic Canterbury Automobile Association in the Ashburton district.

The Fire Brigade turned out yesterday to the residence? of Mr S. Hewitt, at the corner of Selwyn street and Crescent road, Adciington, but on arrival found that their services were not required. Mr Hewitt was experimenting in his laboratory when an explosion took place, and started a fire, which was easily suppressed.

The Defence Department states that the Rctorua is duo from London at Auckland to-day with 56 invalided soldiers on board. It was originally intended that soldiers resident outside of tho Auckland province would proceed to Wellington with the steamer, but as the vessel will be delaved for some days in Auckland, it has been decided to send all the soldiers for the Wellington district and the South Island by train.

One of the little touches of nature that make the whole world kin, accoiding to the poet, was seen at the Town Hall yestercay (says Wednesday's "New Zealand Times'), when the returning soldiers were given a hearty welcome. The galiant Colonel Hughes had got up to return thanks for the men, and turning to Mrs MeCardle, the French wife of a New Zealand soldier, he took her by the hand and said: "New Zealand in league with France." Previously Sir Joseph Ward had expressed the opinion that more New Zealand soldiers would be bringing home French brides.

The latest letters received from our boys at the Western front show that the Censor there is far stricter than he was at Gallipoii (says the Feilding "Star"). The Censor in Flanders is not .content with the ordinary blue pcncil, but -uses a pair of sois-sors, as the mutilated condition of several letter.", goes to show. But the Censor also ge - > that tired feeling. According to a letter received in Feilding yesterday, :hc bluo-pcncillor went along the New Zealand lines nnd protested apainst lei' zthy letters. "Some of you fellows come it a bit too strong, you know. Why, i've just finished a letter of 16 written pages one of yen Nen- Zealanders .has written to his girl! Go easy, chaps!"

The local school of instruction in telegraphy for girls was fairly launched on its six or eight months' of life yesterday morning. At first it was proposed to have a class of fifty girls, and \esterday morning there was an attendance of forty-nine, so there should : be little fear of the full complement not being reached. Some of the girls had already learned the Morse alphabet. and some know how to send a few words, and these were immediately put on the keys, but the majority, w"ho have not ae yet mastered the Mor«e Codo, v. oro riven instruction in . the' alphabet. All the mrpils seem very keen, and as all have been specially celectcd, there should be very few dropping out owjng to incompetence. The work is at once interesting and instructive. and at the end of thn course it is mtieioated the ranks of the competent telegraphists of the nrovince should be considerably strengthened.

Cricket appears to be a popular pastime at Samoa, and there are several teams, a prominent member of one team being Mr Frank Auld, late of the Gisborne Postal Department, who has a postal appointment at Apia. Touching on the question of cricket, in a letter to friends, Mr Auld states: — "The most amusing thing' I have yet heard is that cricket is restricted hero to two days a week, or otherwise the natives would play for ever. They don't play good cricket either: it is nearly all biff; but some of them have great eyes, and when they get going they knock up a few runs in as many minutes. In nearly every issue of the Somoan 'Times' you will see that, some village has been fined £25 for playing cricket on a_ prohibited day, showing that tho native, like other people, is quite willing to pay for his fun. The village- being fined, ol course, means a very small sum from each player, as they play about 50 a-side. and they only_ have to put in about a day at cutting copra to pay their fino." '

It ha« been decided by the Commonwealth '.Ministry to grant £250 to the widow of the late Mr L. Cohen, who wag president of tho Political Labour Council of Victoria, and assistant secretary of tho Melbourne Trades Hall Council. In a statement explaining the Ministry's action, tho Acting-Prime Minister (Senator Pearce) said: {'Mr Cohen, with Mr C. J. B?nnett (president of the Trades Hall Council, Melbourne), as members of the Trades Hall Industrial Disputes' Committee, visited Broken Hill in February last, at the request of the Commonwealth Ministry with a view to assisting the Commonwealth Ministry in its action to secure the rosumntion of mininj; operations there, which hr.d been su«->ended in consequence r»? an industrial dispute. Whilst in Adelaide on the return inumcy. Mr 'Cohen w:»s accidentally killed. It wns ascertained from the State that a claim ujder the "Workmen's Compensation A"t could net. bo entertained : aid, in view of the oir'-umstances, the Commonwealth Government decided to make the grant as an act of grace. M

At tho meeting of the Waitaki Hospital and Cnuruabie Aid Board on Wednesday (says tne "Ga;naiu Mail"), a letter was received lioin the Minister of Internal Affairs, a« follows: "In reference to your claim for (subsidy of 10s in the £ for tho £1000 so generously bequeathed by the late St. J. Buckley, I very much regret that as Minister of Hospitals I cannot recommend the Hon. the .Minister of Finance to approve the subsidy demanded. It ia true that tho Ho.-,pitai Act of 1909 provides that subsidies mny be paid on bequests un to iOs in the £ not exceeding £500 in respect to a single bequest. Under ordinary circumstances I would have been only too glad to have authorieed the subs'idy to the full amount, but having received representations from the Hon. the Minister of Finance as to the nt-ed for limiting, M far as possible, payments from the Consolidated Fund, and bearing in mind the necessity for economising at the present time on account of the enormous expense in which the country is involved on account of the war, I cannot recommend the Hon. Minister of Finance to approve a subsidy grcacer than os in the £. I may say that tut for the lact that your hospital is a 'separate institution' under the Hospitals Act, and is therefore supported rato free.. I would not have recommended tho Minister of Finance to approve tho subsidy even to the extent mentioned. I feel sure that your Trustees will recognise the position, and I hope in happier times to be able to approve subsidies on any further bequests your hospital may receive to the full extent allowed by law." The chairman (Mr TV. H. Kose) expressed surprise that a charitable institution should be the first to suffer in an emergency. The chairman -was authorised to reply to the letter

As the result of a rabbit-shoot at "Waddington yesterday, forty brace of rabbits were bagged, and will be on sale at the Red Cross Depot to-day.

The Dannevirke Publishing Company, of which Mr George Hunter, M.P.. is chairman, of directors, lias declared a dividend of 5 per cent.

The Perano party of Picton caught the fifteenth whale of tho season lastFriday. Several schools of whales passed through the straits last "week, but tho weather was too rough for tho small craft to venture outside.

"I livo on my wife's money"' was tho reply of a "native debtor at the Magistrate's Court, Napier, oh Tuesday, when questioned jus to how he earned his living. "How long have you done this?" asked his Worship (Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M.V "Ever since we've been married —six years," replied tho native. "I plough for my wife, that's how I live."

At a meeting of tho Lady Liverpool Committee yesterday, Mrs Holland prosiding. it wns decided that as the military authorities had agreed to the men of the Canterbury regiments being provided with leather waistcoats, arrangements should be made for their manufacture, and the Christchurch men of the 17th Reinforcements provided with them.

The census is to be taken for the night of October loth of tliis year instead of tho IStli February. 1017, as originally intended. Tho work of subdividing this district has been completed, and the appointment of subon u mora tors is being proceeded with. Tho Christchurch City and suburbs will be collected by the Post Office staff and the outside counties by duly qualified persons residing in the districts.

7n tho Supreme Court yesterday, before Mr Justice Denniston, probate was gran tod in tho following estates: — David Nairn (Mr Ross). Jane Frances Kennedy (Mr Jovlc), Edward Watkins (Mr Pappiill), Catharine Sim (Mr Douga.ll), JaT.es Bruiser (Mr Alpj-rs), Ernest Oppcnheim (Mr lieattie), James Hogg McPherson (Mr Gios;on), Elizabeth Amelia Parlby (M r Twyncham), William Roberts (Mr Patterson).

Tho i\l;i vor (Mr 11. Holland) acknowledges receipt of gramophone records for the military camp from the Misses A. and E. Evans and Messrs W. Smith, J. B. Creswell, W. G. Turner, and 11. B. Gu liver, Rangiora, per Mr'C. I. Jennings (Mayor). These are in addition to the two gramaphones and records previously received, one from the Rmi!'iora Borough and tho other from tho Rangioia district.

The Tourist Bureau in Hereford street, has already received a number of enquiries as to the tourist resorts of the Dominion for the coming season. Tho enquirers are mostly from Australia, while some havo been received from American Bourccs. In spite of it being midwinter, a party has been arranged to visit the Franz Joseph Glacier on th? West Coast.

"It is our misfortune that wo are not at the front," remarked Colonel ChnfFcy at tho annual smoke concert of tho, Canterbury Ncn-commissioned Officers' Club last evening. ''Tho New Zealand Staff have despatched many men to the front, but some of us, like myself, have come in at the end, and have disqualified ourselves for active km vice. Nevertheless, we are in with recruiting heart and soul. We all know to whom the present great organ isation % of tho British Army belongs: to no one save Kitchener and his Staff. To him can be attributed the brains and everything in the military way. but I must say, were it not for the Navy, where should we have bfen? Our Army is great, thanks to Kitchener, but had it not been for our Navy, where would our millions of soldiers have been?"

In an interview, Mr W. H. Skinner, Commissioner of Lands for Canterbury, informed a "Press" reporter that the Land Purchase Board had been endeavouring to arrange for the purchase of land for the use of the returned soldiers, but though quite a number of places suitable for iuch a 6ettletnent had been offered, tho Land Board had been compelled to refuse them on account of the values set upon them. The Board were entirely sympathetic with the soldiers as were the Press, politicians, and the people, but it could not recommend tho Government to buy for the use of the soldiei'B land which would simply mean that the man put on it would have his nose on the grindstone all the time. The high prices of produce had put up the values of land, and it wou.d not be fair to the men to place them on land for which they would have to pay too high a rent.

A distressing accident by which Mrs Lewis, wife of Mr Charles AVilliaai Lewis, of Peel street, Westport, lost her life, occurred on Suncay morning, on her husband's farm at Orawaiti (says the "West Coast Times"). It appears that Mrs Lewis went out in tho morning in company with her sister, 'Mrs Norton, to her husband's farm. Mr Lewis was logging up and burning off some bush on his section, and deceased and lier sister were _ in the act of taking some lunch to him. When on their way they had to pass a fire, which had been started on Saturday. The fire was logged up around an old birch tree, and when pnssirg it, Mrs Lou is nicked up some wood that was lying uoar and was in the act of plaiinc it on the fire, when a piece of the tree broke off close to the top, and in falling struck her on the head, death being instantaneous.

Writing-from a dug-out in France, a Wellington stage-hand writes to Mr Bert Royle, of AVellirgton. as follows: —"Sorry to hear that things theatrical have not been too brisk. I hope the boys won't feel it much. If they do there is a fine show on over here for the single ones. The pay is sixpence more a performance and seven shows a week—matirces every da}'. Once they join the show thc.v don't want to li'ave till the last act is over and the stage cleared. . . . The weather here is getting" pretty warm now, but we don't work up a thirst as the pubs are only open for two hours a day, and it's a long, long way to one. You don't want to be here in the winter, as it is very cold and wet. but I guess we will be out of it before next winter. Pleased to hear that the news you get is good. We uon't get any here, but will try and keep that, up when >tho timo comes to move."

The results of a shorthand speed examination held last May, under the auspices of the Christchurch Short-band-writers' Association, have just been received from Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Bath. England. The following were successful in obtaining Pitman's first-class speed ceriifiates: — Misses Gwendoline Court and Nancy Biiist, 120 words por minute; Miss Iris Itudd, 110 words per minute; Misses Iris Hartle, Ellen Lanauze, Blanche McKay, and Olive Young, 100 words per minute; Misses Honor Harvey and Florence McLean, 90 wards per minute; Misses Winifred Hobbs. Nellie Hopkins, Vera Morgan, and Lilian Presants. 80 words per minute; Miss Hilda Cusa k, ?0 words per minute; Misses Emily Candy, Connie Cusack, Violet Karon, and Ethel Ledsham. 00 words per minute. All the successful candidates were pupils attending Miss Digby's Commercial School.

No cough is too recent or too chronic for Loasbv's "Stop It." Children like it, So does father —Is 6d, 2s 6d, 4s 6d. Chemists and grocers. 3

New Style Palm Bowls, in Majolica Ware, self colours, pink, heliotrope, green, etc., only 4s, large size os 9d; wonderful value. Drayton's Emporium, Colombo street. 3

The wanted colours—pink, dainty fabrics in palo pink shades, pink crepe 9id, pink voile Is 6d, pink Jap silk Is 11a, 2s 6d, pink silk crepon 4s 6d yard pir.k nunsveiling Is, pink crepe de cliene 7s 6d, pink cashmere Is 9d, pink serge Is lid, pink Venetian cloth 3s 3d, pink silk marquisctto 3s lid, at Armstrong's, Ltd. 2

Gabardines bought at tho old kprice, 18 months' ago, by Armstrong Ltd., have just arrived. Thev wilfki sold at pre-war rates, that is.' 2« 11? 3s lid, os lid, 8s lid, and lis 6d S yard,

Cooking by Electricity.— Miss Trent will give a series of public demonstra tions at lier electrical kitchen, over Messrs Turnbull and Jones. Ltd'/ commencing on Tuesday, August i' st ' at 3 p.m. j. A photograph of your family bo* will bo greatly treasured in yean to come. Let Steffano Webb take it Satisfaction guaranteed. 252 Hio£ street. j CHEAPER THAN EVER—BICYCLES AND ACCESSORIES. Notwithstanding that exceptionally brisk business has been tho rule throughout the whole of tho sale period. Messrs Adams, Ltd., are still able to supply any article in their big lino of reduced-price accessories, the reductions amounting to from '20 to CO per cent, on ordinary prices. There are still plenty of reliable sceond-h&nd bicycles in stock, at prices from £2 upwards, all overhauled anil in first-class running order. In tho matter of new cycles we offer Britain's best bicycle, tho "Royal Suporbe Stvift-," men's and ladies' models, fully equipped, down to lamp, pump and boll, at ~1- 10s; xyhik the "Star," the favourite colonial wheel for over a quarter of a century, is now listed at i' 7 10s, with similar equipment. Call and have A look at our stock, and not" the low prices. You'll be sure to see something you want. Adams, Ltd., Headquarters Showrooms, Iligh street, Christcliurch. OC. S. Orr, Bicycle Department Representative.} 6