GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16653, 14 October 1919, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

• T A cargo of war trophies is coming out to_ New Zealand by the Arawa, which is due at Auckland on November 19th. Advice was received in Christchurch yesterday that the Government had : agreed to purchase "Woodlau," Preb- ! bleton, for settlement purposes. ; The purchase docs not include the | homestead block. j With a view to good fellowship, and also a view to s the elucidation of economic problems, the Council of Churches is arranging that on Sunday evening preceding Labour Day, special services will be held in the different churches, to which members of trades unions will be specially invited. Dunedin business men who are interested in the sheep running on tho Campbell Islands, which " lie half-way between Stewart Island and the great Antarctic ice-packs, rocently advertised for inon to go down thore as musterers and shearers. The response they recoived shows clearly how strong is the lure of the unusual and unknown among our young men, for over 50 applicants camo forward, including a number of returned soldiers. I Reference was made in tho report of I the Finance Committee of tho City Council, submitted to the Council last evening, of the successful action of Mr L. M. Isitt. M.P., in obtaining a promise from the Minister of Lands that a further £500 Government grant, in aid of Elmwood Park, would be placed on tho Supplementary Estimates, and the committee said it de«<red to express its appreciation of Mr Isitt's action. Upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee it was decided that the date for ro-wvmcnt of the Elmwood Park loan of £5100 be October Ist, 1944. In replying to a request from the "Waimairi County Council, that telegraph poles on Yaldhurst road should bo painted white, tho acting-engineer for the Christchurch district of the Telegraph Department, wrote: "Under correct thoroughfare conditions these poles are no more a menace to sober traffickers than all other telephone poles in tho district. However, for a portion of the way up to tho racecourse corner, J am prepared to meet your requirements, pending the formation of a footpath, when a now line will be erected. From that point onwards I cannot admit that tho poles aro dangerous." A start was made yesterday bv the Drainage Board's workmen to dredge the Avon from tho Union Rowing Club's boathouse to the mile post. With a specially equipped boat, all the shallows are being cleared, the silt and other debris being thrown into the _rr 1 • I ' A

current and being carried off by it. Ai a result of these operations it is anti ciapted that the stretch of the rivei mentioned, which constitutes the course to be rowed over on the opening dav of the boating season next Saturday, will be in firstclass order. According to some rowing men Jbhe method adopted by the Drain-

""O mcuiuu uuuiJLeu vy me i^ramage Board is the only way to improve the river, as by removing the silt the depth of the stream is increased. Further evidence in support of the claims of the Federated Enginedrivers and Firemen's Association for an increase in wages, with groatly reduced hours of working for members employed at Broken_ Hill, was given before Mr Justice Hipgins in the Arbitration Court at Melbourne a few days ago. Walter "Webb, winding engino-driverr and president af the Broken Hill subbranch of the Association, contended that tho claim for £7 6s <3d a week for winding engine-drivers was a just one. The overtimo rates asked for Saturday and Sunday work would represont £517s extra on £7 6s 6d, that was a total of £13 3s 6d for seven days' work, or £658 15s a year, but they did not want to work on Saturdays or Sundays. "A lot can bo brought about before election time," said Mr G. E. Currie at the meeting of the Wniimairi County Council last evening, as a preface to his resolution that the Government be requested to dock and widen the existing railway bridges or. the main routes, with a view to making them fit to carry road traffic, and that tho caretakers for these bridges bo selected from maimed returned soldiers. Ho nrldcd a provision that tho cost of the upkeep of the improved bridges be partly borne by the local bodies concerned, in accordance with arrangements drawn up by a commission. Mr Currie, speaking in support of his motion, referred to the growing need of using ihe railway bridges on account of the increased motor traffic, and sand that positions as caretakers of the bridges would be eminently suited to maimed 1 returned soldiers. A hut could be provided at oa'eh end of the bridigo for a caretaker, who, with a wage of, sav, £3 a ■week should be able to make *a comfortable living. The motion was carried unanimously. „ T *»e annual Synod of the diocese of Christchurch will open this afternoon, when the president, tho Right Rev. the Bishop of Christchurch, will deliver his opening address. In the Cathedral yesterday evening the customary Svnod service was held and was well attended. The preacher was the Cocks, who spoke on the text: v\ ben ye assemble vourselves toegther" (I. Corinthians 11,20). In an eloquent discourse the preacher urged that the Church and churchmen Bhould impress themselves more upon the world and render moro concrete service than in the past. Church work, he said, was found bv some uninteresting, uninspiring, and dull; but this was only because so much of the activities of church workers was spent in the direction of preparing for the real work of the church, its work in the world. When he saw tho patience and untiring energy that many exercised in the uninteresting work of maintaining the church, he felt that there was a great source of potential energy which, could it only be exercised upon the world, would result in something real being done to advance the Kingdom , of God. During the service the choir gave the anthem, "Rejoice in the Lord" (Purcell). Tn the Financial Statement presented lately to Parliament it was stated that the operations of the Public Trust Department for the year ended last March resulted in a balance of income ' over expenditure of £70,155. The ' amount; earned was the highest in any 1 one year, and there had been a large 1 increase in business during the year, nearly 4500 new estates having come : into the office for administration. The staff that has assisted to bring about such a satisfactory result, and the 1 building, with its various departments, r in which the work is performed, make ! | a most interesting, attractive, and i useful set of pictures in the "Weekly i 1 Press" that comes out to-day. Other < Wellington subjects treated in the il- I 1 iustrated pages are the murder of Con- i a stable Dudding, the return of the .1 Bislev King's Prize man, Sergeant : ] Jjoveday. and the opening of the bowl- i ing season. About the same time the ' r bowling season in Christchurch was t opened, and snapshots are also given of i > it. The cadet movement is evidently : '■ progressing in Nelson, judging from f the excellent photographs reproduced J in the same issue of tho annual bar- j i racks *it Nelson College. Other mat- ■ i ters that have pictorial treatment are 3 the Labour riots at Winnipeg, the Can- £ terbury and Otago detachments in the 1 Victory March in London, Travel S Notes on the last homeward journey . J of the transport Corinthic, ana view's , < of Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, i

{ Yesterday's river report was as foli lows: —Waimakariri, south branch flooded, north branch discoloured; Rnkain. dirty; Rangitata, clear; Opihi, clear; "Waitaki, clear. The City Council last evening decided to accede to the request of residents of Carlton street, by restoring its old name. "Carlton Mill road," to that thoroughfare. The following casualty list (No. 1153) was issued yesterday:—Reported died of sickness. October 9th. Canterbury Infantry Regiment, Private Alfred Robert Curtis (Mrs E. Curtis, "Westport, mother). j The Deputy-Mayor and City Council last -evening accepted an invitation to be present at the Nurses' Memorial Service to bo held in the Anglican Cathedral. on Sundry, October 26th next. Similar services are to be held in tho various towns in New Zealand. Last month there were slaughtered at tbe Citv Abattoir 1071 head of cattle. 9378 sheep, 277 lambs, 816 pigs, and 243 calves. Of these there were condemned 11 head of cattle, 15 sheep. 13 ; pigs, and 31 calves, most of the calves | condemned being nnder-weight. The City Council last, oyening ai>proved a motion by the "Waihi Borough Council:—"That in view of the excessive price and scarcity of timber, the Government be asked to brijig down legislation this session prohibiting the export of timber until the local markets are supplied." Talking about overhanging trees last night at the meeting of tho Wnimairi County Council, one councillor declared : "1 can assure you, gentlemen, that if you come in my car to-morrow, I will show you the most dangerous place in New Zealand." "Who will be driving the car—you ?" was shot from across tho table. Tho discussion ended with laughter. The cases of influenza reported in the North Canterbury portion of the Can-terbury-Westland Health District between noon last Thursday and noon yesterday, were 2, both pneumonic— one in Christchurch, and one in Kaikoura. In South Canterbury 3 cases were reported—one mild, one severe, and one pneumonic. One case was at Temuka, one at Rosewill, and one at Levels. The cases of infectious diseases reported in the Canterbury-Westland Health District for the week ended noon yesterday, totalled 54, made up as follows: Westland: Tuberculosis 1,1 North Canterbury: Scarlet fever 5, diphtheria 17, tuberculosis 2, erysipelas 1. pneumonia 5, cerebro-spinal-mcnin-gitis 1, influenza 6, measles 1. Ashburtou: Diphtheria 1, tuberculosis 1. South Canterbury: Scarlet fever 2, diphtheria 6, pneumonia 1, influenza 3, measles 1. Tho City Council's Electricity Committee advised the Council last evening that it had affirmed tho principle of the formation of an Association by municipal electrical ongineers, tho main objects being a more uniform systom of accounting, settling difficulties with the Post and Telegraph Department (the methods in tho North and South Islands now being very different), bringing forward and discussing tariff rates, and any other Business of interest to engineers in connexion with the

plants controlled bv them. The City Council last even inn; received a request from the New ferighton Borough Council for it to appoint three delogates to meet the Borough Council in conference at 3 p.m., on October 29th, regarding the, new bridge at Now Brighton. Some councillors were a lit-

tie suspicious as to whether the Council would be compromised in a financial respect by attending the conference, but it was pointed out that the delegates would merely have to report, and accordingly the Dcputy-Mayoi- (Cr. Beanland), and_ Crs. Flesher and Sullivan were appointed to attend. "I would like to ask Cr. McKellar, as chairman of the Coal Committee, when they are likely to bring d"wn a further report," asked Cr. Williams nt last night's meeting of the City Council. Councillors laughed, and Cr. McKellar smilingly said: "I am not tho chairman of the Coal Committee." "When is tho report likely to be brought down ?" asked Cr. Williams. "About the Bame time as the report of the Milk Committee," volunteered Cr. Armstrong. Another councillor: Is tho manager of the coal business still drawing wages? The Deputy-Mayor ruled out further discussion on the subject at that stage, though it flared up dangerously at a later period!. At the Philosophioal Institute's meeting to-morrow, a memorial tablet to Oersted will bo handed ovor to a reprer sontative of tho_ Public Works Department, for erection in tho Lake Coloridge power-house. Hans Christian Oersted just 100 years ago discovered 1 tho magnetic _ effect of an electric current. This discovery has proved to be of momentous import, for it has changed tho mode of life of almost every people on the face of tho earth, incidentally making possible our Lako Coloridge power schcme. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, has not only givon his consent, but has congratulated tho Institute on its pronosal to erect at the powor-house a tablet comment ora tine: both Oersted and his farreaching discovery. At the meeting of tho City Council last night, Cr. Hunter said that a boy in the employ of the electricity department who was in receipt of 10s weekly, had had 8s 4d stopped for superannuation money. In future cases lie asked that the committee concerned should take into consideration the question of paying superannuation. Cr. McKellar explained that the boy was employed in the show room of the electricity department at the wage stated. He was under fourteen years of age. The practice was to employ lads at that wage for about six months and then shift them to a higher position. The boy mentioned had been working in tho showroom for four months. Cr. McKcllar understood that tho boy's superannuation money of 9d per week had beeit allowed to accumulate, which was the reason it amounted to 8s 4d. The matter then dropped. With the exception of twelve, specimens of all known native plants are now in the herbarium | at the Canterbury Museum. A left er has been sent to Kew Gardens. London, asking for duplicate specimens of the Canterbury plants sent to the gardens by Sir Julius Von Han.st. The specimens as well as possessing a scientific value, will also be rained on sentimental grounds. Additions to the herbarium. will not cease when the Canterbury collection is complete, and it ; is tho intention to make it representative of the whole of New Zealand's flora. Dr. L. Cockayne, of Wellington, has made a substantial donation, and promised the types of plants upon which he has established species i«nd genera. Messrs D. Petrie, of Auckland, and B. O. Asrton, of Wellington, who have carried out a great ileal of botanical work in this country, have made donations, and Professor A. Wall, cf Canterbury College, has also ziven valuable assistance. The collection of Mr Petrie contains over one hundred specimens. Professor Wall has been appointed honorary keeper of the herbarium. Plans are in course of preparation to add to the Museum buildings, which mill face Rolleston avenue, between the present buildings and tho offices of Christ's College, the additions to be in conformity with the architecture of the main buildings. Mr H. T. Kerrar, _ who has returned from. Egypt after military service, has given 3 collection of specimens gathered mostly in the Valley of the Jordan, including pnintiings on wood of a saint and of St._ George and the Dragon. The collection also includes a fez, and a pin-box with German propaganda an Arab wallet, a Turkish post-card, Turkish paper money, and a Service revolver used in the Boer war. Trooper | ■ Macdonald has given some specimens of : salt from the Dead Sea," and red and) blue natural flowers from Bethany; Mr S. Manning a collection of mounted Australian birds, and an inlaid marble < tabletop; and Sir E. F. Sandford a i muzzle-loading Enfield rifle, i

I The district court-martial which was ; to have sat in Christchurch next Friday I morning, to hoar a charge against Private Arthur Johnson, will now not sit till the following Monday, at 10 a.m. The City Council's By-laws Committee reported to the Council last evening that the manager had been notnfiod that the license for tho Opera House as a public buildinf* would not be renewed next year until improvements to the internal fittings and furniture had been carried out. ReTcrring to the Town Hall question in the Citv Council last night, Cr. Flesher saicf he hoped some of tho city's patriotic citizens would uso somo of tho thousands of pounds profits they made out of the nation's extremity in endowing a Town Hall. ("Hear, hear," from the Labour benches.) He threw that out as a suggestion. If you 6tiffer from rheumatism, you can obtain quick relief and soon cure yourself by taking Loasby's Rheumatic Pebbles —they remove tho uric acid from the blood and system. 2s 6d a box at all chemists and stores, or from Loasbv and Co., chemists (opp. Ballantyne's). 6 All over Now Zeal.ind, everywhere "No Rubbing" Laundry Help is the delight of houinwive-?. '"No Rubbing" has banished washboard slavery, la packet. Kincaid's, Ltd. (5) No me likes moving, but the wort can be made n-uch lighter if competent men are employed. J, M. Heywood and Co., Ltd., have them, and three up-to-date pantechnicons. Telephones 250, 1241, arid 2174. 6 TOURING STUDEBAKER CAR—£2SO. Now on view.—Fivo-scater Studebaker touring car (1913 model). Just repainted French grey. Full road equipment. Tyres good. £250. Adams, Ltd., Garage, 219 Tuam street. 6 TOURING PAGE CARr-£2Bo. Call and inspect.—Neat and up-to-date Pago touring car; self-starter, elcotric lights, newly painted French grey. Full road equipment. Fivo rims and tyres (tyres nearly new). Price £285. Adams, Ltd. Garage, 219 Tuam street. 6 UP-TO-DATE OAKLAND SlX—£3oo. Now on view_ —Oakland Six Roadster, 3-seater; electric self-starter and electric lamps. Full road equipment, including spare rim and tyre. Exceptionally cheap at £300. Adams, Ltd., 219 Tuam street. 6