GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15724, 18 October 1916, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

The auction announcements of Pyne and Co.. Dalgety and Co., Harris Bros., and Charles Clark will bo found on page 11 of this issue.

No. 7 and No. S) ( .inpanies Army Service Corps (Christchurch) hold their annual week-end camp at Tcmplcton from Saturday till Monday next. They are taking out fpur waggons apd four horse teams, and instruction is to be given in riding and driving drill.

Tho Gisborno Licensing Bench yesterday decided not to grant conditional licenses for tho Turf Club's races, tho chairman remarking that they wanted to follow the example set bv the King, and thought it was not desirable to grant any more licenses during the currency of the war.

On the occasion of the picnic accorded the men of his Majesty's ships to Oxford on Monday, by the members of the Canterbury Automobile Association, the president (Mr A. S. Clarkson) made a presentation to tho Oxford Patriotic Committee of enlarged photographs of the returned soldiers' outing to that district in January last.

It is understood that the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Mines, will visit Christchurch next week. A deputation is to wait on the Minister representing the coal dealers of the city, to discuss the alleged unfair competition they have to meet from the State Coal Department.

The secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association has received the following report, in connexion with the Selwyn ford:—"The ford is at present still very soft, and cars experience great difficulty in getting through, and nearly always have to bo assisted -with a horse. If motorists who intend using th§. Selwyn ford would go under the railway bridge to the north side before reaching the stream they would find a better place to cross. They would find the shingle on oriposite bank very loose, but I don't think there would be any great difficulty in getting through."

"Somo years ago, we endeavoured to promoto a proposal to secure Bible teaching in public schools, somewhat on the lines of tho Nelson system," said Bishop Julius, when speaking on the matter of education at tho Anglican Synod yesterday. ' It was a half-hearted compromise, and met the fate it deserved. A more recent movement obtained the loyal and enthusiastic support of the Synod, and of a largo number of the members of our own and other religiou 6 denominations throughout New Zealand. We believed, and we still believe, that the demand ipade by the Bible in Schools League was sound and reasonable. But wo. were honestly beaten, and. for a time, the League is dead. In all this, the Synod has shown itself not unmindful of the fact that the religious education of our children is the gravest problem of the day."

The ten days' rain which ended last Friday gave agricultural Australia such a soaking as it had not known for years (writes our Sydney correspondent under date of 11th inst.). The war's terrible drain on the country's manhood and wealth is being felt everywhere, but this bounteous downpour will make the burden easier to bear. Of course, there were floods. From settlements and towns near the big rivers come innumerable stories of adventure, destruction, and death. Farmers and their families have spent hours and days on the roofs of the'r houses; burgesses and aldermen have been taken in a comatose condition from the trees in the public parks; mails and telegraphs have been interrupted, and railways and roads washed away. But all this loss is a mere trifle compared with the certain increase in the earning nower of the forthcoming season. There is talk already of a crop of wheat that will surpnss the record of last year, stockownors expect, abundant feed, and tho rnral community generally is ontimistic. And Syrlney, which was rieht on the brink of the most serious water famino it had over known, is now comfortably assured that it has a two-years' supply in its reservoirs-

All the Canterbury rivers were reported clear at 9 a'.m. yesterday.

In connexion with tho patriotic gala at Cust on Monday next, the afternoon train from Oxford to Rangiora will run 40 minutes later than usual, connecting at Rangiora with the special train from Rangiora to Christchurch.

It was announced at Wellington yesterdav that the wholesale price of kerosene "had been reduced by fourpence per case, lower grade petrol by a shilling per case, and higher grade by sixpence per case.

Train arrangements in connexion with the various gatherings on Labour Day, October 23rd. will be found in our advertising columns. Special arrangements are made for excursions to Timaru and Little River, and for the races at Rangiora and Oamaru.

We received the following letter from his Lordship > Bishop Julius last night: 'Will you kindly give me an opportunity of urging my people to attend tho meeting w 0 arc holding in the Colosseum to-morrow (Wednesday) night. Wo feel that at such a solemn time as this tho Church ought to find a way of giving a message to the nation."

A 6harp lesson is needed for those misguided persons -n-ho seem to delight in spreading false reports concerning wounded soldiers (writes our Rakaia correspondent). A distressing but utterly false account of the death of a Rakaia soldier., with circumstantial details, was circulated within the last flay or two, and caused some anxious enqtiiries among his many friends and relatives. It seems impossible, however, to find the one who first tolls the story in such a case.

At a special meeting of the Drainage Board on September 22nd, it was resolved to offer no objection to the erection of a temporary weir above Rhododendron Island. At last night's meeting of the same body the Mayor stated he had seen the Public Health Officer, who had reported adversely on raising the water as proposed. In consequence, as tho health of the people was of paramount importance, he asked the Board to permit the construction of a temporary weir at Antigua street, and moved that leave bo granted. The motion was agreed to. Tho Mayor intends at next meeting of the' City Council to procecd further with tho matter.

The annual meeting of tho Christchurch branch of tho London Missionary Socioty was held at the Tennyson street Church last ovening, Mr W. W. Tanner presiding over a fair attendance. The financial statement showed that a total of £101 13s 2d had hec'u subscribed for missionary work, this sum being made up as follows: Trinity Church £79 15s lOd, Linwood £20 los 4d, and Tennyson street Church £ I Is. Miss Inglis, who has heen stationed for many veal's at Erode, near Madras, gave au address on missionary work, and was followed by the Rev. G. J. Williams, who spoke interestingly of the history and development of the Ellieo Islands.

Regarding tho appeal recently made in tljo columns of "Tho Press" for funds wherewith to purchase a sidedrum for the Canterbury men of tho 20th Reinforcements, the Mayor (Mr H. Hoi lamb informed a. reporter yesterday that after hi s recent visit to i-iio Military Camn at Featherston lie could heartily commend the appeal to everyone. Whilst at camp he had seen the Canterbury men of tho 19th Reinforcements march in from some fatigue duties to tho music of a side-drum, and there was no question that it helped to lighten their work. Anyono who wished to assist the Canterbury men of the 20ths could not do better than help them to get a side-drum.

Mauy hundreds of Maltese have been arriving in Australia during recent months. They are a useful class of labourers, and they havo found employment, readily enough, on tho mining fields, on railway works, and around the docks. Over 300,000 young Australians havo enlisted, and it is obvious that extra workers are wanted in some industries. l}ut the labour unions have taken great njarm (writes our Sydney correspondent). They insist that these men aro coming in under contract to someone or other, and they have badgered tlm Federal and State Ministers unceasingly. Tho latter dcclare that they can discover no evidence whatever of a contract, and point- out that the Maltese may quit© probably have been attracted to Australia in tho ordinary way. They are a not undesirable class of South European, who come from a place that has been British for a hundred years, and who speak English rather than Italian. On broad, national grounds, there can he no objection to admitting them to this popu-lation-hungry land. Put ihe agitation goes gaily on. The anti-conscriptionists insinuate that it is a cunning conscriptionist p]ot, under which Australia's men will bo sent away, cheap labour brought, in. and tho Australian unions enslaved. Of such are the arguments of the "antis."

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