GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15931, 19 June 1917, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

oul<i "M.L.H.,''" who sent us 10s for the Belgian Relief Fund, kindly adviso us as to the donor's wishes as to what shall be done with the amount now that the Belgian Belief Fund is closed ?

Following on an appeal to the schoolchildren throughout New Zealand to show their practical sympathy with the of tho German air raid in one East ICncl of London, the Wellington Ediication Board has decided hat children attending the schools in tlie district be afforded an opportunity of voluntarily contributing a penny or more to the fund for the London sufferers.

A Gazette extraordinary issued yesterdav contains an amendment .f the War Regulations of March 16th last relating to the protection of diers against judicial and other prt>cess. It provides that the consent of the Attorney-General under the legulations shall be given only on Ire re-xi.uir.cndation of a Stfpcndiary Magistrate, and every application lor such consent shall bo accompanied bv a written recommendation of the Stipendiary Magistrate accordingly.

The police have been requested by the City Council to put a stop to the riding of cycles across Cranmer and Latimer squares. In three weeks' time, three more municipal electric trucks will be on the Christchurch streets, and seven others are on order. These vehicles are considered a great success. At Auckland on Sunday night the police raided a Chinese house in Wakefield street, alleged to bo used as a common gaming house, and arrested the proprietor and 19 other Chinese. Tho Chinese were completely surprised, and submitted to arrest quietly. At Mr Orton Bradley's homsstead, Cliaiteris Bay, a party of sportsmen from Christchurch. Teddington, and Charteris Bay gathered on Saturday for a hare drive. About a hundred hares were accounted for, and an enjoyable day was spent. Luncheon was provided by the Misses' Bradley. The "bag" is for the benefit of the Red Cross Fund, to lie disposed of at the depot in Christchurch. At tho ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the now Bibie Class room of the Riccarton Presbyterian Church, on Saturday, Mr W. McGibbon, chairman of the District Bible Class Union, in his speech, said that well over 2000 members of the Presbyterian Bible Class of Now Zealand were serving their country in the war. The records show that of this total considerably over 300 have been posted as killed or missing. Praise from Auckland is praise indeed ! There was an unusual incident at the Magistrate's Court yesterday norning, when at tho conclusion of tLe hearing of tho brief list of police cases, an Auckland J.P., wh o sat on the Bench, with Mr T. A. B. Biiley, S.M., as a visitor, remarked: "Sub-Inspector Mullaney, I should like to congratulate you on the fair manner in which you have conducted the prosecution this morning." The offenders comprised two drunks, a vagrant, and two men who were remanded on serious charges, so that slowing praise mirrht have been expected had the list boon a long and serious one. Private work in the Christchurch and surrounding district is still reported to be quiet. Especially is this the case in tho building trade*, many carpenters, unable to find employment at their own trade, seeking labouring work. According to the Christchurch office of tho Labour Department, work is required for 2 carpenters, 1 clerk, 3 drivers, 1 farm hand. 2 gardeners, 1 hotel porter, G labourers. 1 ploughman, and 2 storerccn. Last week 13 labourers were p'.aced in Government employment, 3 in private employment, and 4 granted resisted rirssfiges. Labourers pre required for the Arthur's Pass tunnel works. A rather peculiar accident occurred on Sunday at Tai Tapu, so a '"Press" reporter was informed. A man was driving a motor-cycle and side-car, with lady nsssenger in it, out towards Little River way, and he took the turn at tho Tai ,Tapu bridge too fast. w ; tho rosult that tbe outfit overturned, breaking two o? the guard rails of the bridge and precipitating the lady passencrer into tho cold and deep water of tho Halswell river! Apparently no ouc received any serious injuiy, but the passenger who took the involuntary cold bath was only pulled out of the water in time, anil naturally received a severo shock. A refresher camp for officers and non-commissioned officers in the Territorials and Cadets in the Canterbury Military District was begun yesterday at the Addington Show Grounds, and will continue tiJ Saturday, June 3Utli. Tho camp is under tho command of Major W~. C. Morrison, N.Z.S.C., with Lieut. R. A. Hawkins as adjutant, and thero are 18 officers and 147 N.C.O.'s toking the course. The training being followed is of a compre sive character, and, weather permitti the whole class will proceed to tin .edcliffs rifle range, where overy n, her will fire the prescribed mn : -try course. In addition a comprehensive series of lectures in the evenings has been arranged. Since the Riccarton Bush has been •opened it has been visited by a largo number of people, many of them evidently interested from a botanical point of view in tho trees and 6hrubs that grow in the busjj. ."While the general conduct of the visitors has been quite satisfactory, thero have been a few cases where they liavo taken portions of plants or ferns, either for decorative purposes or for study, tliinking that by doing so they were not harming the bush. The trustees wish it to be known that for the preservation of the bush, and in view of tho sensitiveness of many native plants to interference, it is absolutely necessary to •adhere strictly to the rulo that no plants or portions of plants whatever aro to be taken by visitors. Tho Hillside Railway Workshops have not suffered much from the discharging of hands (telegraphs our Dunedin correspondent). Tho men" havo had a steady run of work for three years or more. Now it is found necessary to put off nine men who were taken on temporarily a few months ago. Others may nave to go before long, but the proportion of those whose services have been and may be dispensed with is not large in ( proportion to the staff. Nearly 450 hands aro still on tho pay-sheet I at the Hillside Workshops. Over 400 tank engines have been built at these workshops, and they are still being turned out as fast as possible. Just now tho hands are busy on engines of the "W.W." type, mostly for use in suburban traffic in the North Island.

"I generally end up here for being drunk, but there is no crime in me at nil; I am not a criminal," announced Joseph Smith, when charged with vagrancy in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The police stated that the company ho kept was not of the most respectable -kind, and also said that tho nearest approach to work that he had been known to do for some time had been cadging money. "I knoik around by myself, and not with thieves," asserted tho accused. "I may perhaps get a shilling from a friend at times, but I don't cadge." Mr T.'A. B. Bailey, S.M., rnad a few extracts from the list of previous convictions ntcainst the accused, which included three for valiancy, and mapy others. "Why. you have been convicted for everj4:bing arising out of drunkenness that you can possibly think of," commented his "Worship. are going to get three months for this." and the man was dealt with accordingly. Mr J. Miller, Curator of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society's hatchery at Masterton, and Mr Wilson, ranger for the Society, left for Wellington last evening, taking with them a portion of the order for eyed brown trout ova that is being supplied by the North ■Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Messrs Miller and Wilson have boen assisting Banger Main during the past fortnight in stripping trout for ova at the Lower Selwyn. Several mem- I bers of the Council of the North Can- I terbury Acclimatisation Society have oiso paid a visit to tho Lower Selwyn during the stripping operations, and havo marked so far 150 fish. Tho trout held in the trap 6 this season, which included several previously marked fish, were somewhat larger and in batter condition than last year, and the ova is exceptionally good. Tho fish marked were stripped females and ranged from 21b to (SVlfo in weight, and frOm 18 inches to 241 inches in length. A very fine male fish weighed 101b, and was 27 inches in length. Some very large eels were also taken in tho traps along with tho trout, one of them being about 4ft 6in in length, and weighing lSlb or 201b. In other years even larger cols have been caught in the traps, and it is singular that only these large specimens of the eel tribe are moving up stream at the same time that the trout arc seeking their spawning beds.

; The following stock was slaughtered and condemned at the Municipal Abatj toirs during May Cattle 9i>2, eon--1 demned 12; sheep 5942, 8; lambs, 1194, j 0; pigs 1218, I); calves, 273, 4.

A public meeting will be held in ti<e Excelsior Hall, Lyttelton, this evening, to protest against the proposed disostablishn *?nt of the Lyttelton District High School.

The following building permits were issued, by the City Council last month; — Central Ward, inner area, 1, value £2170; outer area, 2, £325; St. Albans, 14 £5790; Limvood, 3 £1450: Sydenham, 4 £1130; total, 24. value £10,865.

Tho small steamer Purau, with a load of timber from Lyttelton for the Sumner Borough Council, crossed the Sumner bar yesterday afternoon "md unloaded at tho wharf. The tide was high at the time, and both the inward and outward trips were negotiated without mishap.

Motorists who have a turn for speed had a bad day last Thursday when returning through Riccarton from tbe Ashburton Trotting Club's Meeting. No fewer than forty-two had tlieir names taken on Riccarton road for exceeding the by-law speed, and they will all be proceeded against at the Magistrate's Court this week.

On Saturday afternoon, as a party of school children were picnicking oil the hills above tho Suniner-Lyttclton road, one of their number, a girl 13 years of age, from St. Albans, slipped and fell down a rocky face and struck an outstanding piece of stone, lacerating her face. Mr F. Anderson, of Lyttelton, conveyed the sufferer to Sumner, where Dr. Volckman rendered aid. tho patient afterwards being conveyed to Christchurch.

Anionir the recent acquisitions of tlio Canterbury Museum are .n souvenir of the Exhibtion of 189-5. presented by Mr E. W. Seager, a number of pamphlets relating to early Canterbury, and a collection of letters to the lato Mr Mur-ray-Aynslcy, including several from Mr Moorhonse, Mr Rollcston, the Hon. E. W. Stafford and others, bearing on the early history of the province. Amongst them is an interesting prospectus of a company established in _18(>G, with tho object of forming n mail route by the Isthmus of Panama, it being thought that this route was sufficiently important to wrrrant an attempt being made to organiso a regular service between Australia, New Zealand, and England. Thcee letters were presented bv the family of the late Mr H. P. MurrayAynsley.

"Austin Glendower" sent forward two Jotters to the City Council last night. In the first he pronounced against the Government allowing horse racing to still take place, and wanted to know what the Citv Council's opinion on the matter was. In -he second ho drew attention to a particular cf se where a shopkcepei in the city had not observed a public holiday. The writer also alleged that there was a good deal of non-observ-an?e of public holidays. Cr. Loasby said the Council had already refused to receive letters from tin's writer because ho used a nom-de-plume—"Aus-tin Glendower" was not his rielit name. The letters were of a scurrilous nature, rnd reflected upon past and present members of the Council. He moved that thev be not received. The motion was carried.

No cough is too stubborn or severe for Loasby's "Stop-it" to cure, Is 6d, 2s 6d, 4s 6d. Larger bottles aro cheaper. 6191 We wish to remind our readers that Messrs Nicholson and Co.'g winter sale starts to-day. Shoppcra will be study ine their own pockete by paying them an early visit, 6 The Great success of Graham, Wilson, and Smellie's sale is duo to the genuine bargains that this firm is noted for every year. "Visit thi§ sale at your earliest convenience, to your advantage. * 6 Seasonable goods, at sub-sale prices, on view to-day at Armstrong's Clothing Sale lfi only—Gents' Fawn Mackintosh Coats, waterproof, in high grade qualities, worth 635, for 22s 6d; and 12 extia stout Coats, worth 755, for 2Ss 6d each, any sizo. "Snips" unquestionably. 1 Your wedding is the happiest event of your life, and is worthy of absolutely superior photographs—the kind you aro sure to get from StefFnno Webb, 252 High street. W8234 White clothes, clean and sweet; soft hands, and no rubbing of the weeklv washing, make "No llubbing" Laundry Help a unique boon. T. Hopkins, Grocer. 2 Strong colonial knit Socks for men, Is 3d pair; black cashmere Socks, 6d a pair, pood quality; men's coloured Golf Stockings.. 2s 11-3; warm winter Gloves Is 3d, leather Gloves with fleece lining. Is lid; Aberdeen knit Gloves Is lid, at Armstrong's Sale. 2 General Carrying of all sorts undertaken by J. M. Hey wood and Co.. Ltd. Their plant of horses and vehicles is one of the largest in New Zealand. (J See the new selection of Artistic Dinner Sets, with Black and Gold effects. Very popular. 26 pieces 455. Also cheap white sets, 25s 6d> plates sold separately. Drayton's Emporium, Colombo street (north). 1 A Hot-Point Grill Stove makes cooking a delight. Two stoves, two operations, at tho cost of one. Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., sole agents for New Zealand. 6 Shop early to-day at Armstrong's. 3 WANTED TO SELL—B.S.A. MOTORCYCLES. The most reliable, the most economical, and the most popular motor-cycle for either side-car or. solo service, is tho All-British "B.S.A."' Ample stocks and prompt delivery. Adams, Ltd., High street. 6