GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17116, 11 April 1921, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Chinese are to be debarred from entering, one pioture theatre in Auckland in future. . Thi9 decision has just been made by the management of the Hippodrome, and the prohibition is now in force. "I have been trying to get rooms, but nobody will let them to me,. because I have a little boy," said i» woman in giving evidence at the Magistrate's Court, Gisborne; and further evidence of the present shortage of houses waS shown, when it was stated that four families were living in one house in Grey street. "New Zealand has never known a better Cabinet than the present; one, Of had a set of Ministers who worked together better for the good of the country," said the Prime Minister et Waverley, on Thursday. "I don't think that any trouble will come while I am, away from New Zealand, but if it does. I have full confidence in the ability of my colleagues to deal with it." Steps are being taken by the Education Department to establish lip-read-ing classes for adults suffering from defective hearing. Special clauses of this description" for children with' defective hearing or speech are already in operation in Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin, and it is the intention of the Department to hold similar classes' for adults on at least two nights a week in the centres named. . A Government land valuer, says the "Manawatu Times," in giving, evidence in the Compensation Court at Masterton, stated that he valued the land in dtepute at £65 per acre. For the purposes of Government valuation, however, he said he would valuo it at from £45 to £SO per acre. "Why do you make the difference in values P" asked Mi* Justice Salmond. "Because the Government values are based upon the return from the land over a period of years, while persons who buy land frequently pay "a price based on the in-terest-yielding returns of a year or two." Mr Justice Salmond: "Oh, that is it." Madame Strathearn was able to tell on Saturday night of the fulfilment of a pledge she gave to ft boy of the Second Canterbury Regiment who was killed on the Somme. The boy oaine to Jier after one of he? concerts and asked her to take his badge, for-he was reminded of his mother by her. She promised to keep it till he Bhould claim it, and to give it to the mother if sho could find her, if he did not come out of the impending battle. He fell, and Madame had the nameless badge left on hand. When she came to New Zealand she hoped to find that mother. She found hor in Mosglel last week. She recognised the likeness the boy had seen to herself, and she recognised the portrait of the boy. The badge -was handed over. When the Mayor mentioned the interesting fact at the Art Gallery on Saturday night, it was at oncb determined to present Madamo with a goHen badtre from the Returned Soldiers' Association. The Masseurs' Registration Act, 1920, provided among other things for the setting up of a Board to consider applications for registration. Speaking on this question, the Minister of Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr) said that the Board had been duly appointed, and had already done a deal of work. The Government, he said, had been exceedingly fortunate in securing the services of Dr. Hardwick Smith, of Wellington, who had been appointed to represent the medical profession, and Mbs L. E. Brandon, A.R.R.C., who represented the massage profession. The other position on the Board was rn ex-officio one, and was held by Dr. D. S. Wylie, of the Health Department. Since the beginning of the year the Board had held several meetings, and had its registration system well under, way. T,he following summarised the ] results: Applications for registration received, 130; applications „for registration granted, 109; applications for registration refused, 4; under consideration, 17. The Board had made arrangements to hold the first > State examination in massage about the end of April at Dunedin, >

A short-sentence prisoner escaped from Mt. Eden gaol (Auckland) on Saturday, although ho was fired on by a, warder. He had not been recaptured up to yesterday afternoon. In the will of the late Mr Daniel Haynes, of Dunedin, provision is made for a number of bequests to old employees, and the remainder of the estate is divided among members of tne family. The approximate valuation d the estate has yet to be completed. "It's refreshing to get a letter like that," said Mr R. W. Dyer, S.M.. at the Napier Police Court recently, ino letter was from Dr. Boxer, of Hastings, charged with leaving his car without lights, and tho doctor said ho did not plead anv extenuating circumstances. "There aro usually so many extenuating circumstances," said his Worship. .The following are among the cases to lie considered by the Court of Appeal, which commences its sittings at Wellington this morning: John Dilhcan v. Walter E. West and William McMullen: Quill. Morris, and Co. Ltd. v. W. AV. G Norton, James C. Palmer, and Cecil McKellar: H-M. the King v. Frederick Marshall; H.M. the King v. William Vivian Whitta. "Motor-cycles are becoming an intolerable nuisance, and tho way they travel along the streets is a danger to everyone," remarked Mr P. L. Pollings, S.M., when inflicting a fine on a motor-cyclist for exceeding a speed greater than 15 miles an hour, contrary to by-laws. "If 15 miles per hour is* not fast enough you had bettor get an aeroplaue,y he sarcastically added. "I agree with what your Worship savs in regard to motor-cycles, remarked Senior-Sergeant Clarkson, "they are the worst things we have ..-o contend with." A 601b Mi, captured by Mr G. Kenny at Okukuri some days ago, has caused considerable discussion among Sounds fishermen and others, as it is believed to be tho first of its kind seen in local waters. In appearance it somewhat resembles a trout, but (says the Picton "Press") it is, of miich too large to be associated with anything of that variety. Tho fish was forwarded to Mr H. Rhind, who had it placed in the freezing chamber at the PictoO Works, and has written to the Inspector of Fisheries, asking if he will take steps to have the fish "identified." At a joint meeting of the Finance and! Tramways Committees of the Dunedin City Council, further consideration was given to the question of the submission to the ratepayers of the proposals for raising the projected tramways loan. It was decided to recommend that in view of the present financial stringency, the loan proposals in the meantime Rhould be restricted to cover only those items of expenditure to-Which,-the-Coun-cil is already irrevocably committed, or which may" be regarded as absolutely essential to enable the department a to. make use of the increased fscilities with which it is being provided. Theso items amount to £IOO,OOO, and a proposal to raißo a loan for that amount will bo submitted to the ratepayers. A Suggestion "by the secretary of the Shop Assistants' Federation (Mr A. "VV. Oroskery), that a Dominion Conference should be held with a view of drawing up a new agreement to take the place or-<the Wellington Shop Assistants' Award has elicited the following reply from the secretary of tho New Zealand Federation of Drapers and Clothiers.— "We represent only otto section of the employers ooncerned in the Wellington award, and it would be presumption on out part to arrange a conference without consulting the interests of the numerous other parties and other trades concerned. It would further be impossible for me to represent the other employers Concerned, for as far as wo know they aro not organised in the same waj as we are. In view of these circumstances, the executive of the Federation relets that it cannot see its way to accept your suggestion for a Dominion conference." A tribute to commercial travellers aa a whole h paid by Mr E. A. Dawson, who is retiring from the position of stationmaster at Thorndon (Wellington) after 21 years' service. In a letter to Mr R. E. Selby, secretary of the Wellington Commercial Travellers' Association, Mr Dawson writes: "I am shortly retiring^from the service of the New Zealand Railways, and desire to express to the members of your Association and to your good self my appreciation- and thanks for many courtesies received during 21 years' service in Wellington. During all this period the relations between commercial travellers and myself and staff have been most pleasant, and I have never been asked. or tempted to exceed my duty as a publio servant' by any of your honourable They have always been in sympathy with our difficulties and ever ready to show appreciation for any attention given. Kindly convey to your members my best thanks for their kindness, individually and collectively, and may they always maintain and excel the high standard of their citizenship." At. the first general meeting of shareholders of the Wellington Brick Company, held last week, Mr A. Leigh Hunt stressed the point that people now contemplating building homes are becoming rapidly oonverted to the necessity for building in permanent material. He believed that this was an age of permanent houses. This, in fact was tho only way to solve the housing question. So long as people were content to build in wood, so from year to year, a certain number of houses became unfit for occupation, and dwellings in permanent materials could alone solve the vexed question of the housing shortage. What, Mr Hunt asked, could be a sounder policv than to build in durable material of goodarchitectural character, sound and pleasing in appearance, with, tho knowledge that one's descendants could livo in such a home for generations to come. Tho far-reaching effects of the housing problem were Tittle appreciated by most people. The brick industry was an essential one,. which was roing to help materially in working out one of the most important problems we had, a .problem as old as the hills, and one which would continue to occupy a. high place in the thoughts and actions of the people n3 long as the hills lasted. The difficulties facing the State Forest Servico were summed up concisely by the Minister in charge of the Department (Sir Francis Bell), when addressing a conference of the recentlyappointed conservators. "I do not wish to cut timber that is not wanted," he said. "This generation is entitled to all the timber it needs, and I have prohibited export, and mean to prohibit it further. We must so manage our timber supplies that we shall nob denude our resources. I hope the '.sawmillers will be our friends in tho end, for we shall be able to give them some continuity of employment. But what I see coming is "the increase of mills beyond tho necessity of the day for timber. I do. not want largo revenue at the expense of posterity. We need revenue, of course, and we must get it, because if we do not get it, I -should be turned out, and «o will you. We have to make good. The- Treasury looks upon all Departments with the utmost suspicion. We must so manage our business that we shall not have to come upon the Treasury to any groat extent. If wo are to rely largely on the Treasury, the»e will come a.day when they won't give us any more. Yon will, I hope, become enthusiastic in your work, but you must remember this, that the majority of the people of New Zealand, and perhaps the majority of the House, do not care anything about forestry, but look upon it as one of those efforts to promote the regeneration of the human race which are to bo regarded as subjects to talk about, but not to find money for. . . . Wo are setting out together to make good, and if we do not make good we shall disappear; not because our aim is not practical and essential, but because we shall not be able to persuade the public that it is. We have to be missionaries."

A Westport Pre3s Association telegram states that the Commonwealth steamer Biloela, with 5771 tons of coal, a record for tho port, and drawing 21 feet 11 inches, also a. record for the port, left for Sydney on Saturday morning. Eight speeches a day- This is an achievement any public man might be proud of, but the Governor-General, speaking on Thursday night at tho Greymouth Town Hall/claimed an average of eight speeches a day during tho last four days of lib present tour. His Excellency added, amidst laughter, that he belonged to what was known as the "Silent Service," but ho had sadly broken tho rules lately. The Rev. A. T. Thompson, agent for the British and Foreign Bibl6 Society, lias been licensed by Bishop Julius.to preach in any Anglican Church in the Diocese of Christchureh. In a letter to Mr Thompson, the Bishop states that he had hoped to have given the license personally. "It is," lie added, "I suppose, one of the first of its kind for somo centuries, and is given with the general approval of the Bishop of tho province." Mr Thompson is a Presbyterian. The total number of war graves in all lands coming under the purview of tho Imperial Graves Commission, states Sir James Allen (Hirdi Commissioner) in a report to the Minister for Defence, is estimated at 555.379. Of those 11,393, or 2.05 per cent, of the whole, are those of New Zealand ssldiers. It is impossible to give the exact number of the "Missing" the Commiision will have to deal with, but it is stated that there will probablv be from 200,000 to 250,000. The annual flight of the curlew, or godwit, from tho shores of New Zenland has taken place within the last few days, and only casual flocks of stragglers now remain on the const (savs the Kaitaia correspondent of the Auckland "Herald"). Settlor's in tho vicinity of Soirits- Bay, in the extreme North, which is always tho point of departure for the visitants, discredit the theory that tho birds leave in one great contingent. On the contrary* they have been observed to set out m several strong divisions at intervals of many hours, and sometimes days. The extent to which the poultry-keep-ing industrv has developed in the Auckland province has struck the members of tho Kauri Gum Industry Commission from the evidence given to them in two districts alono. At Coromandel they were informed that the revenue from poultry is tho main support of tho town,' and that the average shipment of eggs to Auckland amounts to 1000 dozen per dav. Again, at Waiharara, it was learned that one poultry-grower alone sends to the city about 300 dozen eggs a week, and that 18 or 20 other persons engaged in the industry ship nearly the Bame quantity. Arrangements have been completed by the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association for the oelebration of Ajizao Day," whidli falls on Monday the 25th inst. A temporary cenotaph will be erected in front of Parliament Buildings, and at 11 a.m. a service will be conducted by Chaplains representing various denominations, being exactly on the samelines as that held last year. The publio will be invited to place floral tributes at the foot of the cenotanh. In the afternoon a big service will be held in .flne Town Hall. On the preceding Sunday a special service will be held in St. Mark's Church at 3 p.m., at which, veterans of the Maori and South Afrioan wars will be present. In jocular vein, Viscount Jellicoe, in his speech at the opening of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, said that if the staffs of the Institute were ever hard np for a job there were one or ,two things to which they might turn their attention which had annoyed him since ho had been in this Dominion. One was tho noise of tho locusts, and he suggested that the staff should fit a silencer on them. (Laughter.)_ An* other creature which annoyed-him was tho sandfly. He was still suffering from the attentions of the 'sandfly of a month aso, and if there was any antidote to be found he Was quite sure the staff would find it -Ho hod been told that fruit was very much infected with earwigs, and he had no doubt that within a few weeks an anti-earwig would be, born under the skilful treatment of the Institute. In the hands of Gilbert and Sullivan, the circumstances surrounding the journey, and the late arrival of the express from Christchureh last night, would have provided a delightful comic opera (says Friday's Greymouth "Star"). On the trip from Christchureh to Arthur's Pass "something went wrong with the works," which caused the train to stop several times, while to make matters worse, the engine fires went out. At 9.30 p.m. overland passengers arrived at Greymouth. The express left Christchurch at 8.30 a.m., but soon after stopped, of its own accord, at Racecourse Hill. After a time it proceeded on as far as Springfield, where there was another compulsory hold-up. From Springfield on there Were several further stoppages, but at last the weary, passengers arrived at Arthur's Pass at 5 p.m. During tho journey the firemen and engine-driver had an arduous titan trying to keen the fires going. It is stated that the trouble was due to Japanese coal, which the engine was alleged to have used. The Railway Department attribute the delay to "engine failure." i

A progressive step in local body Affairs is now well under way in Marlborough, the consummation of which will mean tho reduction of ten. local bodies to two. Some twelve years ago the Marlborough County Council was a body which exercised wide and important functions, but through parochial influences its powers have been filched away by the creation of several district road boards.until no* its only function is to allocate the gold revenue and for that purpose it only meots once a year. The progressive idea is to reunite these road hoards in one strong countv council. The Picton, Pelorus, and Omaka Road Boards have already agreed to the proposal, and the Wairau ai'rt Spring Creek Boards are favourablv eoWderinr: the proposal, and within Vi few weeks it is hoped ill at nil the petitions will go forward to the Gover-nor-General-in-Council. The new hodr will adhere to tho old name—the Marlborough County Council. Similnrlv the various river' boards—Lower .Wnirnu, Spring Creek. Tuamnrina. and Puknka —have agreed to come together and form one Marlborough River Board, which will t'e in the interests of economy and efficiency. On February 18th, Messrs Stubbs and Co., of the North Hosiery Factory, consigned by rail to Messrs Macky, Logan, and Caldwell, Ltd., Wellington, four caaes of hosiery valued at £5lB. The cases were put into a closed waggon with other goods and the van was closed with the ordinary metal seal used by the Department. As the goods were received on a Saturday, when the yards were congested, tho*Railway Department sent them down to the Awao-uni siding, whero they' remained until they were picked up by the train for Wellington on tho following Monday. Upon the van being o)>ened at Wellington, it was found that three of the cases with contents valued at £419 16s, were missing. Enquiries by the police resulted in two of the cases being discovered intact on tho premises of Henry Levi Wolland, and on being asked how they came into his possession he stated that > they had been taken to his place in his cart by himself and two or three others. A subsequent search resulted in 11 pairs of hosiery similar to the missing good's being found on the premises of Francis Cassidy, a railway shunter, and he was arrested along with Wolland. The two accused. were charged with the theft at the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston North on Saturday, and, after formal evidence had been jjiven they were both committed for trial. Bail was allowed accused in £SOO each and two -.sureties each of £250. ; j

A Gisborne telegram states that recently tho butchers reduced the price of meat, but the Borough Council considered tho reduction inadequate, and tho Prices Investigation Tribunal on Saturday issued a revised list, making an average further reduction of from one-halfpenny to twopence. In a few cases there was no reduction. "I may say that the fact that France ia coming right to tno front in thu game is likely to have a very important influence on the survival of Rugby," stated Mr C. J. Wray, London representative of tho Now Zealand Rugby" Union, in a letter read nt n meeting of the New Zealand Union held last week. "Moreover. I think that this fact will help us enormously in, _our struggle with those who are trying to persuado the world that Rugby is a thing of the past." The old-time notions as to the lich earnings made by tho dehors on iho gumfierds do not now hold good, according to evidence given by_ the Gumdigcers' Union witnesses before the Kauri Gum Commission at Kaituia. The president of tho Union, Mr James Steed. ■when questioned on the point, stat-.sl that he estimated the average earnings of gumdiggcrs throughout the year at "£4 a week at the very best." Another union witness gave it ns his opinion that while some good men could make £i a week, tho average could l.e put at £3 or £3 10s a week, and t'hat two years ago, before the strong rise in the price of gum, the vaveragc was £2 of less. The romanco of lucky finds still obtajns on the gumfields, though the bulk of the kauri gum now coming to market consists of "chips" left behind in swamp and other basins worked over in former years, so far aB the "big gum" is concerned. Within tho last three or four months (writes a travelling correspondent of the Auckland "Herald"), one digger struck particularly good fortune near Kaitaia. Ho had bought a certain area of land for £6OO, and within the first three weeks of his ownership, while turning over the ground for tho sake of the gum, he happened upon three holes from which he extracted black gum of the old-timo description, which realised about £BOO, thus repaying him the cost price of the property and leaving a substantial balance. It is also stated that he is still working upon highly remunerative deposits oi gum. "Try Base Records," was tho suggestion made- by Colonel .Andrews, representing tho .Defence. Department at the Royal Commission on the ThompsonHotop cose, which sat in Wellington on Friday. "Havo you," he asked, "tried to trace these five missing witnesses through, the Base Records of tho Defence Department?" Mr Thompson said that'tho fact that the Defence Department knew very little about the whereabouts of ex-soldiers > was shown by their having come to ihiro, as.secretary to the Home Service Association, to trace tho home-service men for them. That seemed to him to indicate that' Base Records could give very little illformation. Colonel Andrews: I suggested that Mr Thompson could, in tfie abssneo of other information, find tho •addresses of these men when they left tho service. It ia no function of Base Records to keep tho addresses of exservice men for tho rest of their lives'. An impoverished condition of the blood is generally responsible for. unexplainable headachej, lack of energy, lassitude, etc. The remedy is to strengthen your blood with Loasby's Nervo Tonic and Blood Enricher—>it makes rich', red blood. 3s 6d and 6s 6d a bottle, all chemists, or from Loasby and Co., Chemists (opp. Ballantyne's). , "8 To secure an early Spring flowering, now is the time to sow Bradbury's gold medai Sweet Pea seedj named or mixed varieties of which can lie secured in threepenny and sixpenny packets from Hastie, Bull, and Pickering, 113 Cashel street. 7

Hot Water Bags. Best ma.ke Stociks fresh to' hand at E. Cameron Smith's, 96 Worcester street.' From 7s each.. All with spare washers. 395 In addition to making a full line t)f high-class Agricultural Implements, Machines and vehicles, also attachments und accessories for same, wo do repairs of all sorts, from Lawn Mowers to Traction Engines. P. and T>. Ltd., Tuam street, Christchurch. P.O. Box 124. ,02992-9395 Pilkington's motors run twice daily between Christchurch and Akaroa. 8 For artistic pictures' and pictureframing, patronise Gibb's Art Depot, 105 Cashel street, opp. Ballontyno's. Big Btocks of artists' colourß, brushes, and materials. ] »• Farmers needing ready cash will find it in their plantations. Here are our special prices for circular saws: 22in 70s, 24in 80s, 26in 90s, 28in 100s, 30in 110s. Quality considered the cheapest in the Dominion. Ivorys, Ltd.. 21 Manchester street. 15382 One of the l>iggest sales of drapery and clothing ever recorded in Christchurch is now proceeding at Arm-strong's—-the people's draper—where <i single articlo can be had at wholesale price. It is aptly called the "Slump Price Sale," because every article in the two enormous shops are offered at slump prices. These prices eannot last —they must rise again, on account of tho high cost of labour, so ladies are advised to pay a visit now while stocks aro wide and prices slumped- to the lowest possible depth. 7 For washing all hospital linens and every variety " e summer clothing, use "No" Rubbing laundry Help" regulai.ly. Wardeil Bros, and C0. 54i4 _ 6797 Mason's Fruit Jars can be delivered at once, quart size 13s tid doson, lib Jam JarsJJs 6d dozen. King 'phone 2004. Clayton's, Colombo street (north). *

HOW TO EARN BIGGER MONEY. There are plenty of. new and prolific avenues of money-making open to the man with a few Hundred pounds to invest. Take, for instance, übo matter of motor services in this growing and prosperous province. Train services are sloWj'nnd not always conveniently timed. A motor service between Ohristchurch and such northern townships ae Belfast, Kniopoi, and ltangiora, or from the city to Springfield, Durfiold, Kirwee. and West Melton, to take one promising field, or to Soutiibridge, Leeston, and Springston, to suggest another. Any of these routes should prove a litLlo >io!d mine to t'Jio right man, while there, is still plenty of money to Jkj made in tho citv itself, where any energetic man can' take. £lO to £ls a week, leaving a good wage after paying expenses. We offer three reliable seven-scater cars, suitable for 6uch hire services as we have suggested:— Four-cylinder Studebaker, finished in stvfish buff shade; electric lights and self-starter. Previously owned by Mr W. H. Ward, of Waipaia, a very careful driver. We allowed £375 on tin's ear in part payment for a new Studebaker Special Six, and we have overhauled and repainted the car, which we now offer at £4OO. Four-cylinder Studebaker, finished, in cream; eiectric lights, seli'-ttartcr. We allowed Mr J. Kean, of this city, £350 on tins sturdy, serviceable car, and will sell at the same figure—£3s9. Four-cylinder Studebaker, of a very popular model. We allowed £275 on this car to Mr D. Shaw, .jun., of Ashburton, wihen he bought a now Special Six Studebaker, and have spent £3l 15s on'it, mostly on tyres. Xko offer it today at £325, and will give same guarantee as with new car. Adams, Ltd. Showrooms, 152-154 High street; Garage, 219 Tuam street. 6 DEPENDABLE BICYCLE TYRES. Savillo and Co., direct importers of highest quality bicycle tyres—British manufacture, 12 months' guarantee, 17a 6d. Michelin and Dunlop tyres also obtainable at Saville's, near Theatre Ro»aL 68838-4«3