GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17320, 5 December 1921, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

At a conference held on Saturday night at the Trades Hall, which was attended by delegates from practically all the unions in Christchurcfa, Mr C. ftenn wan selected for recommendation to the unions throughout the Dominion for nomination as workers' representative on the Court of Arbitration. At the close of the formal business to bo transacted at the annual meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury on Wednesday night, the following papers will be read:—"Soma Morphological Notes on the New Zealand Giant Kelp," Miss E. M. Herriott: "Some Now Zealand Amphipoda" (No. 3), Dr. Ohas. Ohilton; "The Vitamine Content of Commercial -Meat Products," Mr A. M. Wright. A Dunedin man who recently returned from America says he is not surprised that the United states holds the Davis Cup. In almost every city he states, there are free municipal tennis courts and the facilities generally for taking part in the .game are so great that a big proportion of the young people go in for it and become good players. The same to a certain extent applies to golf, for while there are, as in other countries, "exclusive" clubs, plenty of links exist upon which the I average; mun and woman may get a I game at any time, and at a reasonable cogt.

The Kumara Borough Council has granted the request of the Canterbury Progress League for the use of the Town Hall as sleeping quarters for fifty members of the Christehurch Y.M.C.A. on the night of December 27th. "Tho examination of this unfortunate man's body certainly does not reflect much credit on the medical profession," said Mr Justice Stringer during legal argument in the Smaliiield caso in the Supreme Court at Auckland. He addedi that one doctor found an appendix that was not there, and another found a set of teeth that was not there. The hold which lawn tennis is securing on tho younger generation is exemplified in the number of entries received for tke schools championships (says the "Wellington Post.'') Some twenty schools will be represented, and compared with last year the number of entries in each class shows a big improvement. For the girls' singles there are 124 entries; girls' doubles, 75 pairs: boys' singles, So; boys' doubles, 46 pairs: combined doubles, 66 pairs. Our Grevmoiith correspondent telegraphs:—A Greyinouth retail.-r handling mercery, clothing, and footwear, declares that business during the past two months has lieen the worst he has experienced for eighteen years. If the coal strike continues the prospects of trade brightening for Christmas are not encouraging. Footwear and clothing factories in Christehurch and Wellington are very busy and are refusing to accept special orders from Greymouth for execution beforo the second week in January. In previous years orders were accepted until about December 12th for execution before Christmas. "I do hope that Southland granite can be produced at a reasonable figure," said Mr W. H. Winsor, one of the delegates to the conference of builders at Invorcartill last week. If it could be so produced it was going to be used a "'.eat deal for monumental work in otner centres. The builders were very interested in it in Christchurch. Mr Mainland, the president of the Federation, offered the opinion that th e samples of Bluff and Coromandel g;auite on view at the Wellington Industrial Exhibition represented the finest material of the kind ever introduced into New Zealand. Shortly before the war p. few members of the Clan Fletcher (Maclnleisters) exchanged ideas as to the desirability of organising a Clan Society, but with the outbreak of hostilities it i was concluded expedient to allow the project to remain in abeyance, until a more favourable opportunity. During the past summer active steps were taken to levive the project with the result that about fifty members of the Clan have now organised "Tlih Clan Fletcher Society." Membership is open to those bearing the name Fletcher or other variant of the name; to thoso uho have adopted the name as a surname; to those in sympathy with the object of the Society, and to ladies connected by birth or marriage with the Clan. Communications may be addressed to the Clan Fletcher, Fletcher Society, Callander. An editorial article in the "Technical College Review" states with pardonable pride that tho publication has entered on the tenth year of its existence. The "Review," states the article, records the last chapter of the first decade in the life of the Students' Association, a juried that is abundantly full of many important events. In the first of these ten years, it taw the rise of the Past and Senior Students' Association. It closes with that organisation just as vigorous as ever, larger, more important, ■with indications of even greater expansiin. This period lias also seen the College pass through many stages, each ono involving a permanent addition to an already ever-growing institution. The rolls of th e College, from both day school and evening school alike, show a rapid growth each year, which pointedly indicates the. great educational value at which the College is estimated.The "Review" contains Rome bright school news, athletics, football, cricket, hockey and other sports being strongly feature!. The finance committee of the Dunedin City Council, which has lately had under consideration the question of improving tho procedure regarding the administration of the Council's business, has reported as follows: —The committee halving considered the advisability of appointing a general manager, is of opinion that no need exists for such appointment. In view, however, of the projected legislation regarding the control of local authorities finance, it is recommended that the town clerk, as the chief administrative officer of the Council, together with the chairman of the committee respectively, shall regularly meet the heads of departments in conference to discusß works being carried out, plans and proposals for the future, appointments ana promotions, end othor matters of administrative detail, so aB to keep in close touch with the Council with a view to the coordination of the activities of the Council as far as possible, and to ensure that works contemplated are amply provided for in some vote or authorisation of the Council. Dealing with the loyalty test whidh it is proposed to impose on teachers in tho State schools, "National Education," the official organ of the New Zealand Educational Institute, remarks that it agrees with a. suggestion made by tho executive of tho Institute that adequate investigation by the proper authorities should be made to protect teachers from undue publicity arising from "untested statements" and "exaggerated reports." "There has been a very strong flavour of the village heresy hunt about the whole of this business, and now that the excitement has died down we hope there will be no more of it," t'he paper continues. dismissal from the service is the proper punishment for deliberate and flagrant) disloyalty, and the Minister may resb assured that the example of the Weitzel oase has had an impressive effect. But if a system of village espionage is going to be tho result of the Government's policy, much unnecessary hardship and annoyance will of a certainty be caused) to some perfectly innocent people, and there will be trouble. It would have been much better policy had the Government taken the loyalty of the profession as a whole for granted, and confined itself t»o the task of dealing with active disloyalists, not onlv in the teadhing profession, but elsewhere as well." Some idea of tho zeal displayed by the authorities of the inland revenue is obtained from their latest endeavour to ensure that there are no holes in the tax-gathering net (writes our London correspondent). Railway guards have received the following communication: "Please furnish particulars as accurately as possible of the amount received by you in tips for the half-year ending October sth." Now guards are not supposed to get many tips, though the privilege of obtaining a compartment to oneself on a long journey is not unknown. But there are others. An inspector of taxes gives a list: Policemen, porters, waitresses, butlers, commissionaires, barbers, cloakroom attendants, taxicab drivers, waiters, hotel j servants, club stewards, domestic ser- | vants, postmen, theatre attendants, and lift attendants. "We have a very shrewd idea," observed the same authority, "of the amount such people receive each year in tips. Every man or worr.an who receives tips, whether such tips form only part or the whole amount of the income, must make a true return for assessment," It may be questioned whether the total amount of tips reoeived by these favoured people will not remain one of life's great Becrets. But the tax-collectors cannot be baulked of their prey. "If they won't tell the truth," said one of this fraternity, "and we are satisfied j they are evading the facts, it will bo | up to them to contest tho assessment." j So evil days have fallen on the brotherI hood of the accommodating palm.

A Wellington Press Association message stnus: A summons has been issued gainst John Glover, as editor of the "Maoriland 'Worker," on the ground that an alleged blasphemous libel appeared in that paper on October 12th. The hearing of the charge has been adjourned to 7th inst. An interesting history attaches to the Prince of Wales's coat-of-arms, Vhich were carried in the Renown to India. They were above the cabin of King Edward VIT. when, as Prince_of Wales, he visited India in the Serapis in 181 p. They were again placed above the cabin of Queen Mary in the old Renown when, as Princess and Prince of Wales, she and the King visited India in 1905. Afterwards the coat-of-arms were, by order of King Edward, placed in Portsmouth Dockyard Museum until again required in connexion with HeirApparent'* visit to India. At the invitation of the Sumner BurKossos 1 Association, Professor J. Shellev, on Saturday evening, gave an address on ''Recent Tendencies in Echication." Special sentinrr was provided in tile Bury street School, and in spite of counter-attractions there was a good attendance of residents and members. The president, Mr G. F. Allen, extended a very hearty welcome to the lecturer. At the close of the lecture, on the motion of the Rev. A\ . McAra and Mrs J. McCombs, a vote of thanks to Professor Shelley was carried, with hearty applause. A specially interesting collection of Mela.resian objects (says our London correspondent) has been generously presented to the Pitt-Rivers Museum at Oxford by the Rev. R. H. Codrington. The collection is the result of many years of missionary work and anthropological study, and contains hundreds of valuable articles. A portion of the late A. J. Montgomery Poll's collection has been bought up by the museum authorities, and the list of curios shows a large assortment from the Pacific Islands, including from NewZealand, six obsidian flakes from an olcl moa-hunter's camp, a quantity of flake, five-stone adze-blades, an old basalt mere, and a whale's bone mere. It is announced that Messrs Bryant and May are about to erect a new match factory on Te Aro flat, Wellington. The area to be occupied by the works includes tho whole of Argyle street, and portions of Lome street and Tory street. In all, 37 houses, inhabitated bv 147 men, women and children, are involved in the scheme; and on Thursday morning the firm's agent went round and informed the tenants that he was to issuo formal notices to quit in about a month's time. The tenants approached Mr P. Fraser, M.P. and lie discussed with them ways and means either Of preventing the people being ejected or of endeavouring to get tho Government to provide homes for them. Unofficial advice has been received by! tho External Affairs Department that| the rliinoceros beetle —the beetle that attacks and destroys cocoauut trees, ana which has done considerable damage in Samoa—has made its appearance in, Tonga. Tihe Hon. E. P. Lee stated on, Saturday that, according to the information received, the beetle had been discovered in an outlying part only ot! the 'lonian Group, practically midwaj* between vavau and Samoa. Very drastic measures, tho Minister said, had, been adopted by the Samoan Administration to exterminate the rhinoceros beetle in Samoa, and the work of tliei officials !had been very successful. The beetle was now found only in one part of Samoa, where at present a campaign was in progress against it. A lady's Christmas PresentP What better can you select than some choice Perfumery or high-grade Toilet Brushware? And the finest selection of tliiese is at Loasby and Co., chemists, opposite Ballantyne's. . Loasby and Co. carry ono of the largest selections of Perfumes, Powders, etc., in tho Dominion. 6

As Christmas approaches the shops are taking on a festive air. Some very beautiful goods are being opened up by Messrs Hastie, Bull and Pickering at prices no less attractive. Their selection of gift goods this season promises to be better than eiver. t-6 The ideal feminine Christmas gift is undoubtedly to be obtained from E. Cameron Smith, 96 Worcester street—perfumes, powders,. bath salts, beaver puffs, manicure sets, etc. 5 With "NO-RUBBING" Laundry Help you make white things whiter, coloured clothes brighter, and all most beautifully fresh and spotlessly clean Diabolo Separators are sold on 30 days' free trial. We couldn't do it if they weren't good. Prices from £6 15s. Ivorys, Ltd., 21 Manchester street, Christdhurch- 8911-5 Pilkington's motors run twice daily between Christehurch and Akaroa. 6 That the children are receiving very special attention this year in the novelty toy lino is quite evident upon visiting Armstrong's Huge Toy Bazaar. Never before has this firm offered for sale such an enormous range of Christinas Toys and Gifts, and having bought in such tremendous quantities in tlheir characteristic spot-cash manner, the prices aro undoubtedly the keenest in the whole Dominion. Take the children along to Armstrong's Huge Toy Bazaar. 6 For sowing luoerne broadcast there is nothing so good as our "Renown Fertiliser Distributor," with luoerne attachment, 5 to 161b of luoerne perfectly spread, with any quantities required of lime, slag, fertiliser, or inoculated soil. A perfect machine for sowing the "King of Fodders." P. and D. Duacan, Ltd., Tuam street, Christehurch. Box 124. 6 ADAMS, LTD.'S XMAS. SALE OF USED CARS. £l5O BUYS A LIGHT MODEL STUDEBAKER. This smart-looking light model Studebaker touring ear has full road equipment, including spare rim and tyre, and is stylishly finished in cream. Economical on petrol, running 25 miles to the gallon. Ideal car for Xmas. holiday tour. Price reduced from £2OO to £l5O. Driving tuition free. MODEL 75 OVERLAND ROADSTER REDUCED TO £250. A smart three-seater, with electric lights, self-starter, spare rim, and tvre, neat grey upholstery, covers, etc. Has had very careful handling. Price reduced from £3OO to £250 to ensure quick sale. Buy this car and learn to drive in the Xmas- holidays. CHEVROLET ROADSTER, £265. • This Chevrolet is equipped with electric lights and self-starter, and has roomy colonial built 3-seater body, A handsome little car, quite up-to-date. Offered at £265 to tempt a quick sale. LIGHT MODEL STUDEBAKER TOURING CAR—£2SO. Luxuriously equipped, with electric lights, rear wind screen, spare rim and tyre, and just repainted in grey. Reduced to £250. Buy this car and make tho family happy for Xmas. We teach you to drive free of charge. UP-TO-DATE OVERLAND TOURING CAR—£'22s. Finished in an attractive light shade, with electric lights and self-starter, and full road equipment, this stylish looking touring car is tho best value we have offered for some time. The price is £225. ADAMS. LTD: Show Rooms, 152-154, Hign street; Garage, 219 Tuam street. 6