General News.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18548, 25 November 1925, Page 8

General News.

The Mayor has received £2t> from Ashby, Bergh and Co., Ltd., and £lO .from Mrs H. S. E. Hobday, as contributions .to the fund now being, raised for the benefit /of Mrs Green, avliobo husband Avas killed in. tho Lake Coleridge tunnel disaster. Lieut.-Colonel G. Synionds, tho English road expert, said at Carterton that ho wouid never estimate tho life of a road. It could, not bo done. Even the Americans had found that out. A good road attracted increased traffic, the amount of which it .was impossible to estimate.

On Mondav night a particularly mean theft occurred at the Trades Hall. A collection box, labelled "Help. Children's Freeh-air Fund, Cashmere, was torn from the wall, where it had been hanging for many months. The contents of the box were taken and the box itself thrown down a passage. , Much amusement was caused in tlie Napier Supreme Court . during the hearing of a ease- involving farming, and incidentally cows, dairy farmers, and droughts. A witness in the box, a share-milker, remarked that ho had on two occasions been up tending cows at night. "A regular wet-nurse," said the Judge. "I often think that dairy farmers have to work very hard—almost as hard as judges!" At a later stage the same wittfvss stated that ho had had experience of droughts in i Masterton. "They have a standing droutrht. there, though," drily remarked his Honour. The freedom with which ratepayers I are paying their annual rates to the Auckland City Council (says the "Herald") suggests easier financial conditions than have obtained for some years past. During the first 20 days of November the rates collected have easily exceeded the amount received in the corresponding periods iu previous years. In the past three weeks the city treasurer has received £IO,OOO more than in the first three weeks of November. 1924. That is, the average daily receipts are £SOO higher. This indicates that cash is plentiful at proj sent, especially when people are willing to devote it to the payment of rates, an obligation that the averago Britisher is always discharge. ■ Many were astonished when early in the week some thirty divorce eases were disposed of in two or three hours at the Supreme Court, but the same thing will occur and occur again, said the chairman of the Kelief Committee of the Auckland Hospital Board, and there is no remedy so long as foolish young people get tied up in the bonds of matrimony without considering the duties and obligations of married life. It has been his duty lately to comment very forcibly on the number of young people just over twenty years of age who had got married on_ a brief acquaintance, and after living together for a year or two had separated, very often the wife being left totally unprovided for. with two or three young children to look after. There had been half a dozen cases during the week brought under his notice where young wives not yet twenty had been cruelly deserted and left with babies to look .after, and iu sonic r-a<=ps another woman had been the cause.

i The Greymouth-Christchurch ex- ' press ran through yesterday without 1 any trouble, and arrived ton minutes ! late. Tho slip was safely negotiated, and no more trouble is expected from that quarter. H.M.S. Dunedin is due at Lyttelton to-morrow morning from Dunedin, and •Will remain in port until December 2nd. when she will leave for Auckland. The Dunedin will berth at Xo. 3 wharf, next to the ferry wharf. Mr Tuiti Macdonald, an unsuccessful candidate for the recent poll to elect a representative for the Southern Maori electorate, has not yet definitely decided whether he will lodge a petition asking for the setting up of an Electoral Court to investigate allegations of illegal voting. The . number of registrations of applicants for employment made at the office of the Labour Department continues to be normal. For the week ended Monday afternoon. 32 men registered. Of this total 28 were labourers. At the inquest on Helen Banks, married, who was drowned through her husband's car going over a bank at Miramar, Mr Banks said that after an evening run to Lyall Bay and Miramar, the engine stalled whilo turning, and ho got out to fix it. He left the clutch in reverse gear, and the car suddenly went over the bank. A verdict of accidentally killed was returned. Two large huts on the property of Mr Norman Rutherford, Mendip Hills, were _ destroyed by fire on Monday morning, the shearers ami other workmen on the station losing all their belongings and personal effects. Tho fire was discovered shortly after breakfast, and it already was burning strongly. A bucket brigade was organised, and the men concentrated their efforts on paving the cookhouse, which was a fow feet from the burning huts. They were successful in doing this, but several of the workmen were heavy losers.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury Centre of tho New Zealand Sanitary Inspectors' Association was held last week, Mr J. T. Oaldow presiding in the absence through illness of the president, Mr R. J. McKenzie. Officers were elected as follows:- —Representatives of the Centre on the General Council, Messrs R. J. McKenzie and R. McGee; members of Centro Council, Messrs C. W. Jones and C. Carrell; secretary, My M. Hall; auditors, Messrs Carrell and Jones. Remits for the annual conference of the Association will be considered at a future meeting of the Centre. It is alleged that three members of the Mukura's crew were soverely handled by French gendarmes at Papeete. One, Bruce Anderson, had his face badly smashed iii and his teeth knocked out. The men'B story is that a party of three were returning to the ship, and one asked tho way of a gendarme. Tho latter immediately struek him, and, upon the other two arriving, fresh gendarmes ran up, beat the men badly, and further assaulted them at the police station. Captain Worrall, of tho Makura, says he had asked the Union Company's local agent for a report on the affair, but had not yet received it. Unfortunately, owing to the bad behaviour of some sailors reaching the port, there was a feud between the police and tho seamen, and probably the innocent suffered.

A big shark that was seen several times last week cruising in tho upper harbour, Auckland, was caught by two enterprising fishermen between Point Chevalier and Kauri Point. Tho shark measured 9ft 3iin in length, and contained 17 young ones, ranging in size from 2ft 3in to 2ft 6in in length. Tho shark was caught in deep water at high tide. Tho two men, who had previously seen it off Point Chevalier, went out in a dinghy, armed with two ehark lines, an ample supply of bait, and several -choppers. Their enterprise was quickly rewarded, and after an exciting timo they succeeded in bringing the monster ashore. On tho beach, when opened, it was found to contain a "nursery" of active young ones.

"We Jag behind both England and Wales where singing among children is concerned, but the Education Department is going to revolutionise music in tho schools," declared Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, in his address at the opening of tho new Epsom school building. Singing, which created a community spirit as nothing else could, was not receiving its proper place in the school curriculum, he maintained. Too little time was devoted to it, and what was dono was dono in too haphazard a fashion. Tho Department was going to remove that reproach, and with the arrival from England in tho next month or so of 'Mr B. N. Taylor, who had been selected by Sir Walter Davies, tho eminent composer, and authority on national music, to supervise vocal music in tho New Zealand schools, tho whole subject would be reorganised. The Minister hoped that New Zealand schools would eventually be able to show some of the finest singing in tho schools of the British Empire. As the flashlight accident on election night in Courtonay pJaco fortunately did not result- in a fatality, no enquiry was held into its cause. Mr Schaef, the photographer, who suffered most severely, and had to be taken to the hospital with an injured hand and face, is once more about again, though he still carries his right arm in a sling and wears dark glasses. Speaking to a "Dominion" reporter on Saturday, Mr 1 Shaef said. that he had received the lesson of his life against mixing his flash powders. It seems that on the night of the accident he agreed to a suggestion by another photographer that they should mix their powders, which meant that each man would have to use a little less than if he operated on his own responsibility. The idea was thought a- good one, but the result wa3 an extremely violent explosion, which tore the operator's right hand pretty badly burnt his face, and 6imply ripped the stout iron flash-pan to pieces. It seems that Mr Shaef uses pne brand of powder for his flashes, whilst his companion on that occasion used another. They had never experimented with the two powders as a mixture, but discovered that the chemical constituents of the two in an aggregate made an explosive of a highly dangerous character. Sufferers from Rupture will find the new English Elastic Trusses- a great improvement on older patterns—ligfiter, more effective, aaid moro comfortable. All sizes—prices: single 17s (id, double 2os. Truss-iittmg is a special study at McArthurs, Ltd., Chemists, "McArthurs' Comer," Colombo street. —(j

Armstrong's two busy bargain stores are recognised among smart dressers as headquarters for everything; new in hats, dresses, costumes, gloves, hosiery, and dress accessories. A visit to all these departments is well worth while. Tho low pricings for spot cash are so acceptable. —5 To Farmers of North Canterbury. We have just landed Sutton's Celebrated Farm and Garden Seeds. J. Johnston and Son, Merchants, Rancriora. Established 1563. P.O. Box 1; 'Phono 4. 2 "Reid and Gray" Tractor Ploughs, new Drill, Lime Sower, all best Farm Implements, and spare parts, consult Mr Harry Anderson, 193 Cashel street, Christchurch, and Reid and Gray, Ltd. Ashburton. 2 Before ordering elsewhere bo sure you see our Tractor Tandem Disc Harrow fitted to pack up for transport, our improved Brooker pattern rear drum Grass Seed Stripper, and our folding roar hitch Hay Sweep. Each the very best there is." P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., 1.96 Titam street, Christchnrch. D:.'!* 69