LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the s.s. Manuka sailed at 1 p.m. on the 4th instant for Wellington. She carries 805 bags of mails for the Dominion, including" eight from the East and five from Africa.

A slip near Whakaronga and also one, iv the M?ynawat\i Gorge yesterday morning delayed the early, goods train from, PaJmerston along that line, and also the passenger train. The obstructions were removed, and later trains were able to get through without delay. The Minister of Health (the Hon. 0. J. Parr) said yesterday that he had received a cablegram from the Federal Ileajtih Department in Melbourne advising him that influenssa was general throughout the Australian States, although hot comparable in severity with the epidemic of 1918. There was some influenza in New Zealand, but the trouble evidently was more widespread^ in Australia than here. The. matter was receiving th« attention of the Department. Tile severe types of influenza, were notifiable in this country, and it didi not appear that they were occurring to any important extent.

It is suggested by the executive of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Assor elation that the Kingfs Bilgby Cup should be made the trophy foi: international fixtures, and an effort tQ find out where the cup is now is to be made. The cup was won by the New Zealand Army team in the inter-Service tournament played in the Old Country during'the 1919 seajson. It was personally presented by His Majesty to James Ryan, captain, on behalf of the team. As it is a challenge cup it may not be available for further competition, unless challenges come from teams which competed in the. inter-Services' tourney.

It is fairly generally known that severe influenza epidemics are periodic, invading the world at intervals of, roughly, 30 years. Thus there was a severe epidemic in 1890 and the following years, in which New Zealand suffered to some extent; and 29 years later came the scourge Trhose marks are not yet effaced. The epidemic preceding that of the 'nineties occurred in the 'fifties, but was not very severe, Probably few reports of its "having touched New Zealand are easily available, but one came :ta Ught recently in an old weather record which is now in the hands of Mr. D. C. Bates, Dominion Meteorologist. Tjhe record is ' from Dunedin, and was lsept by. Dr. Burns. 1b October, 1857, Dr. Burns wrote that the was cold and the season backward. There was much siclsnees, eoMs, and shivering—influenza, accompanied with vomiting an^ bleeding at. the nose, and a/number of sudden deaths,-

Advice has been received by the Commonwealth Ministry that His_Majesty the King has approved of the Award of the Arctic medal in bronze, without clasp, to. IJi«i members 'of the Aurora Antarctic relief expedition of 1916. His Majesty has also sanctioned the striking of a special, clasp, with the words "Antarotic, 1917," for issue to the members of the relief exepditian who already hold the bronze medal. It has further been decjded to awi>r<l the 1917 clasp in silver' to the me>\) of the original Aurora party who were in the Antarctic during 1917, but received only the 1914-1918 (ilasp.- The medals are now being pTernvjeji, and it is. expected that they" will Jbe ready for is^ue at an early date. This relief expedition was sent out, at the request of the Imperial Government, by the Australian and JSew Zealand Governments, to rescue a party from Sir Ei'nest Shackleton's expedition, who were marooned in the Rosa Sea owing to the brenking-away of ■ their vessel during the winter of 1915.

The s.'b. Maheno sailed at 4 p.m. on the 4th instant for Wellington. She carries a small mail for Wellington and the South.

It was reported. at a meeting of the Nelson Council that the city tip-head was alive with rats, fifty having been killed on a recent day during a lunch hour by one man.

In the annual debating contest between the Waitak,i and ' Chrißtchurch Boys' High Schools, the ■ subject was "That tha immediate granting of Domin-; ion status to India is in the best interest of the Empire." Waitaki, taking the negative, won by 506. points to 472.

The excavations for the surge-chamber at Mangahao are now in progress, spates the Wairarapa Age. The tramway from the power-house t(j the chamber should' be completed within two months, while No. 2 tunnel, to carry the, water out of Arapeti .basin to the surge-chamber, has been driven eleven chains.

Commenting at the lasti.meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council on the cabled suggestion of Mr. J. J. Corry that the council should go on to the London market for a 6J| per cent, loan, the Mayor said the objection was that the proposed currency of tha loan (36 years) was too long—not that it was not too short to suit the council.

There was not a very large .chargesheet for MX F. K. Hunt, S.M., to deal with at ' the Magistrate's OouTt this morning. William T. Burrid^re, .who was charged with stealing an overcoat and hat valued at £4 4s 64, the' property of Percy J. Meara, was Vemaiid'e.d for a week. For insobriety, Timothy Driscoll, with two previous convictions, was fined £1, in default three days' imprisonment, and two firel-offendere were ordered to forfeit their bail, 10s each.

"This, man is the local lamplighter," stated Senior-Sergeant-Harvey in th«. Dannevirke Court,'-when referring to a defendant who was proceeded against for riding.his bicycle after sunset without a light. ' The. Magistrate: "He, ought to. know better." The Sejiior-Sergeant added that defendant was under the impression that he -was exempt from the bylaw. The Magistrate : "I will have to correct that impression. Fined ss, with costs 75." " I

A few weeks ago while a man was, cleaning out a chimney at a house in Northcote, Melbourne, he dislodged the nests of several birds.' As the debris fell down the chimney he noticed, a pickle bottle among the rubbish. He picked it up and found it contained a quantity of split" peas. The weight of the bottle, however, puzzled him... He took out the. cork, and, pouring out the contents, was amazed to find 110 sovereigns. The money was handed pver to thepblice.

The report received by the Wairau Harbour Board this, week from the harbourmaster (Captain Vendore) stated that the bar was workable only eleven days last month, and during that time the Opawa was laid up for inspection. On the 18th the Wairau stuck for one tide on the' bar, through the channel shifting with a slight fresh in the river, but came off without any trouble on the next tide. At the time of writing there was only a small channel, and' this 'was only fit for a launch at high water. Ther^ were. 10 arrivals and 10 departures . during the Wnth.

For stealing an overcoat from the Masonic Hotel on 4$ August, a young man named John, R. Cross, alias Davies, will have to go back to prison to serve the balance of a, sentence, of five years' imprisonment. The circumstances were stated tq Mr. F.'K, Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate,'? Oourt this morning, when Cross pleaded guilty. Detective-Ser-geant Andir^ws said that i4w coat, which was-valued at $l(j, and belonged to. a man named Arthur'-V. Whittaker, was stolen from a bedTooin by Cross, and sdld to a secondhand dealpr fay 15b. Cross' had, been serving a, sentence, pf five years' hard .labour and five years' reformative treatment for breaking, entering,,,and titeft, a» well as other charges, but in March last he was liberated on probationary license. No doubt he would be. taken back to gaol to serve the remainder of his term. "Of course, they will take, him in again, now," observed the Magistrate, when imposing a sentence of a month's impwsb-iiment.

The figures relating to the profits over and above interest on capital invested and working expenses at Nauru and ad-! joining islands for the year ended 30th June last were not yet available, accord-l ing to Senator Milleri, Leader of the Federal Government. The past financial year, he informed the Senate, was the first year of control by the British Phos phate. Commission. But satisfactory results were expected. Such profits could not, as had been suggested, be earmarked and set apart to find work for unemployed returned soldiers. The Commonwealth Gtovernm,ent had paid the sum of £1,483,330 for'its interest in the phosphate deposits of Nauru and Ocean Island. Particulars of the cost of working the phosphate deposits in those .islands were notyef available. The quantity of phosphates carried last year was 365,000 tons. It wa^ considered prejudicial to the interests "of the Phosphate Commission to disclose information as , to the value of the deposits.

Encouraged by the effective protection afforded under the new tariff, a band of returned soldiers has launched jaut on an all-Australian enterprise whicli promises to develop successfully and add another to i the list of local industries (says a Melbourne paper). . After having taken advantage of the vocational training scheme, the returned men have formed a company on a profit-sharing principle, and have established a factory for themanufacture of art metal, silver and elec-tro-plated ware. The directors and all employees are men who served with the forces during the war. The glass and earthenware used have still to be imported, but all other materials, including the base metals, are Australian. It v was stated that, under the existing tariff, it Was possible to place the Australianmade article on the wholesale market at prices 20 per cent, lower thanll similar goods imported from England. It is.unfortunate (says the paper) that the public does not at present reap much advantagev from this. For example, a cake stand sold to wholesale firms for 24s is ticketed in ship windows at £3 Ss. A scheme for direct distribution is contemplated when the demand for the Australianmade goods justifies it.

The director of the Meteorological Office ban received from Mr, J. Belton, of Fordell, Canterbury, a remarkable set of rainfall figures which have been recorded continuously since the beginning of 1863, with the "exception, of one gap of seven monttis. in 1865, up till the ehdi of 1920. The records were compiled for the most part by Mr. C. I. U. Ghetto, senr., who continues to measure the local rainfall. His interest in meteorology has inspired several others in that district with the same feeling, among then}. Mr. 0. Burnett, late. of Wellington, who is now living in retirement at Fordell. In his covering letter to Mr. D. C. Bates, Mr. Belton remarks that the earlier recorders "have* passed to that country \yhere falls no hail or rain, nor any snow, nor ever wind blows loudly." Mr. Bates comments that the figures are a most valuable addition to. his large collection of rainfall statistics, which' he hopes may some day be published and so iriade available for useful work He says that hi his twenty year? of association with meteorological work lie has received or found quite ? number of ancient and valuable weather recorjls, and any reliable recordg of the kind, ,are warmly welcomed.

™ne Exhibition, of locaUymad'6 goods will be held in the Town Hall from 22nd October to sth November. The exhibition is expected to be of particular value as a revision of' the Customs tariff is to be undertaken dur. ing next session of Parliament.

Tuesday night's thunderstorm was one of the worst experienced in this district for many years (states the Foxton' Herald). Intermittent flashes of lightning lit up the countryside for milee, and the. vibration of the thunder caused dwellings to tremble. Torrents of rain and hail followed the thunder.

Since tlie Government, in October of last year, increased the bounty payable for the beaks of kea, the cheep-destroy-ing bird, from Is to ss, the number of keas killed has increased tromeridpusly.

In, the, year 1919-20, when the bounty was Is per beak, the amount paid out was, only £46, but from October, 1920, approximately £900 has been paid on about 3500 beaks.

The Farmers,' "Union Advocate quotes as "a proof that a'proportion of the workers are favourable to a reduction of wages," a case where a farmer informed his men that he could not afford to keep them on, 1 and the men after a little talk amongst themselves came to the farmer with the reply that they were quite ready to accept a reduction, and further than that they sa^d, "Between us we have £700 which you can have to pull you through the pinch,"

A man with a bad record, Alberti Ernest Reams, appeared at"*the Magistral's Court y.estard.ay afternoon.- to answer charge^ of failing to account to Sydney H. .Roseiter, of the M«daliiom Art Co.; for £3 15s and £2 iss collected from clients. Kearns, who was employed as a traveller by th« company, was further charged with stealing a.leather suitcase and samples valued at, £10." Mi\ F. K. Hunt, S.M., convicted Kearns, and sentenced him to one month's imprisonment on each of the three charges, the sentences to be concurrent. '

Two brother* named Richard H^ Colgan, and Albert E. Colgan had a ditterence of opinion in Dixpn-str6et yesterday, and they decided to settle the matter, not by arbitratipn, hut by recourso to force. Unfortunately for the duo, a police constable happened on the scene just after the outbreak of hostilities, and without much ado he ended the strife and arrested the^ combatants on charges of! committing breaches of the peace. "Was it an ordinary standup fight?" inquired Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., when the case came before him for adjudication this morning.. "Yes, your Worship," replied the constable. "Very 'well, then," remarked Mr. Hunt, "fined £1 each."

A rather sensible manner of overcoming the_ difficulty presented by dazzling headlights on motor-cars was referred to by Mr. B. Falck at the meetin,? of the South Island \vt.Z.) Motor Union recently. . He suggested that all motorists shold have placed on tha wind-screen a piece of coloured gelatine, through which the driver could ■■ look without trouble, from the vibrants of glaring lights.. Mr. F. W. Johnston (the chairman) /remarked that it was felt in Canterbury that it was more dangerous to dim lights than to leave them .undimmed. The Otago delegates stressed the fact that the- reverse opinion was held In Dunedih, and it was generally agreed that ' t the union should have some uniform idea on tha matter. .-; ■ •■ /

On* pities the office r boys'who have to i address .envelopes to some of th« pre- - sent-day societies, with their- long-winded names (says an exchange). Although a ten-word name such as "New Zealand Sheepowners'' Acknowledgment of Debt to British Seamen's Fund" looks quite fornjidabi.e, it is really a mere trifle to what may be met. For. example, there are 17 words vr the name of the society that aims at" the protection of women, children, and aniniaJs. Scotsmen used to boast that they had the lor»gest-titled society-ra Church one, of course—in "Th,e Society *for the Benefit of the Sons and Daughters of Ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland," but 18 words is nowhere nowadays. Nineteen words are contained in the title 'Soldiers' and Sailors' Association and the Royal Homes for Officers' Widows and Daughter? at Wimbledon and 'Edgar' Fund," and 21 in the name, "Marine Society for the Equipment, Maintenance, ■. and Instruction of Poor Boys of Good Character for the Eoyal Navy and Marine Service."

There are motorists, and motorists! Some generous, some decidedly otherwise. An example of one of the latter class was brought under the Manawatu Herald's notice this week. It was raining heavily, and a man, wet to the skin, was leading several draught horses, when he came to a motorist who had got off the road and wag stuck in the drain.; The motorist appealed for assistance in pulling his car out of the hole, but the man with the horses could not assist him, as he'had no harness. However, although his clothing was thoroughly soaked through, he said he would go and borrow someTiarnees and return. This necessitated a trip of a mile or two, and the man returned with the harness, hitched his horses to the car, and pulled it on to the road, and the now smiling motorist went on his way rejoicing. All the man with the horses got for his trouble and loss of time, not to say anything. of the. risk to his health through remaining in wet clothes, was "Thank you !"

Speaking of the small poportion o£ secondary school pupils who now paid , fees, the Minister of Education (the' Hon. C. J. Parr) said at the Grammar School reunion that this had been brought about by free secondary education. "It is a credit to the country that we have more boys and girls taking post-primary classes than in any other part of the British; Empire, > Whether we have done wisely or not is a question. Many boye attend the high school* who would be betw* off in some' other kind of school. The high school edupation is largely classical, as it has to be for our lawyers and oth«r professional men who are to be the futnre leaders. "But I doubt if the courses suit the 25 pel- cent or 30 per cent, who are naturally fitted for the practical aide." The Minister added that the main object of educational reforms in this country was _ to give a boy or girl of 12 or 13 the choice of a career, perhaps to be selected by their parents. In time there might be four different type* of schools in which pupils would be able to make better us« oi their "natural ability. Good would result if something of that kind were done to-d»y. Mr. Parr also made reference to the present scholarship system. "In-my day," he said, "scholarships were worth about £45 a year. Today they barely pay for the cost of ■ school books. Of course, boarding allowances.* are paid. Th? system needs revision in the interests of national education."