THE POSTAL HOLIDAY.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2732, 1 June 1915, Page 2

THE POSTAL HOLIDAY.

Thursday next, the King's Birthday, will be observed as a close holiday by the. postal branch in Feilding. All mails wjM close at 8 a.m. sharp. There will be no delivery by lettercarriers, but a delivery of* correspondence will be made over the counter on Wednesday evening, 2nd, between 7 and 8 o'clock. The Telegraph Branch will open, from 9 to 10 a.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. The Telephone Exchange will be open continuously throughout.

There will bo no publication of the Star next Thursday (tho King's Birthday). In yesterday's issue of the Wanganui Herald four deaths are recorded, tile respective ages being c 3, ■SO, aud 7.j years.Wireless advice has bceu received by the Defence Department from Colonel McGavin, No. 1 Stationary Hospital, reporting "All well." Tho Tiirakina, which left Wellington on Saturday afternooti for London, took 12,843 crates of cheese loaded as follows: 403 orates from Auckland, 6500 J from New Plymouth, 1978 from Wellington, and 3962 from Bluff. In reply to the. Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, the Chairman of the Education Boundaries Coinnrision said that it was intended that clerical staffs of (lie Education Board, which were to be abolished, would be absorbed by (he Public Service. Mr Jacob Marx, of Mangatoki, has offered, through the Mayor of Eltham (Mr B. Dive), tho sum of £100 to assist any men of the district who have offered for service and who may need assistance between tho timo of offering aud tho timo of going into camp.

At Auckland Supreme Court, Chats. Fletcher Jackson was found guilty of criminal assault on his sistor-in-ia\v, and sentenced to tho maximum penalty of ono year. A Maori named Rongo Kohi, convicted of rapo on a young Native girl, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

"It would do you good to see the splendid turnip and swede crops in Southland, ,, eaid Mr John Barnett on his return to Christchurch from Invercargill. They have some magnificent crops of these roots, largo numbers of which have- grown to an eiiormou s sine." Mr Barnett added that tho farmers in Southland had had a very good harvest, and in numorous cases the oat crops had given a return of 100 bushels to the acre."

An advance of £2 per ton was niado in oatmeal in the South on Friday. Tho trade explains that the increase has been made necessary by the high price of oats, wlnich are fully 100 per cent, dearer than they were at this time last year. The crop—an unusually short one in New Zealand, owing to unpayable prices in the, past—has been drawn upon by Australia for defence purposes, in addition to the Dominion requirements for the saint, purpose."

It has been suggested in letters to the press that unmarried members ot Parliament should set an example by vohuitomng for service at the front. This statement- \vns brought under the notice of the Prime Minister, and Mr Massey stated that five members of his party, not all of them unmarried, had informed him of their desire to go to the front. Two of these gentleineiifc wore endeavouring to arrange pairs. One had asked'a certain Opposition member to volunteer also, in order that a safe pair between them might be arranged.

GiviiuT evidence before the Education Commission yesterday, tho Hon. J- G. W. Aitken, Chairinau of tho Wellington Board, said his Board was not keenly desirous of increasing territory, if, however, as scorned probable, a reduction iv the number ot North Island boards wns made, his board ventured to suggest that h reasonable re-distribution of territory appeared to be: (a) The union of Wanganui and Taranaki; (b) an extension of Hawko's Bay by transfer from Auckland of a part of the country south of the Bay of Plenty. This 'would permit of the extension of the Wellington district northward; which could lie administered with case..

At tho annual meeting of (he fcjuuth Canterbury Farmers' Union, the cliarrmau (Mr John TalbuQ expressed (h< , opinion that the wheat area next harvest would be. double that of the last harvest, high prices and tho shortage of feed for sheep being two impelling causes. The meeting decided to write to Mr Massey, point-' ing out that the middlemen aro apparently making more profit out of frozen moat than is reasonable. Tho opinion was expressed that tho Govnrinneut should have taken the whole thing over and bought the meat off tho hooks instead of 1'.0.b. As skins are becoming more valuable, the price per pound for meat should be raised for June.

The following examination lixtures are gazetted : Senior National Scholarship examination (formerly Education Board Senior Scholarship examination), on or about November 24, 1915, and following days. Intermediate examination for senior tree places in secondary schools and district high m liools, on or about November 24, u>l3, and following days. Junior National Scholarship, on or about Do-e-ember 2 ami 3, ILH."i. Junior free place (including the examination for junior (veo places in technical schools), on. or about December 2 and 3. l!)1o. Teachers' ccrtilicatc examinations. Class C and Class I), on or about January 5, 191o\ and following days. Public Service entrance examination.

on or about November 24, 1915, and following days. Public Service senior examination, on or about January 6, IWC), and following clays.

LCGAL AND GENERAL.

Forty-three persons died of cancer in Now Zealand in April last.-

The Mauawatu Racing Club has voted £100 to tho Hospital Ship Fund.

Motor cars are to be had almost for tho asking in the Empire City during the Carnival for the Soldiers' Fund. Several candidates for the Queenship respectively have had new cars donated for the purpose of svugmenting tho buying of votes. The cars will be disposed of by guessing competitions, and tickets ran go in price from ono shilling to half-a-crown. At present there are fivo cars lo bo won, so that a considerable sum of money is bound to be raised in this novel way.

The supporters of the rival Carnival Queen candidates had a day out in Wellington on Saturday. One individual in quaint costume created great amusement by completely delaying traffic in Willis street. Great crowds linedthe street, leaving a right-of-way sufficient for tnuncar and motor, traffic. But whenever a motor car rolled along the crowd closed in and' the clown mounted the car,' with a collecting box, and levied backshecsh, to tne huge delight of the mass, who rendered helpful but unintentional assistance in blocking tho roadway.

"In the whole records of naval war there has been nothing like this clean sweeping of an enemy's flag from the high seas,"-says the London "Observer. "It is perhaps well that the German submarines exist to chasten complacency and to keep our moral efficiency at concert pitch. Since Mr Churchill first mobilised the Fleet and ruined all German calculations at the outset by tho greatest single stroke of courage and resolution that is yet to the credit of any one man in the whole of this'tvar—we say it deliberately, and . .it is indisputable—the enemy's maritime hopes have withered away like Jonah's gourd."

A young man applying for enlistment, at Christchurch was rejected at a medical examination recently bccauso his chest expansion was not groat enough. Ho informed tho officials of this, and they explained to him how to breathe properly, and within 19 days he wont up for another medical examination, and was passed with an increased chest expansion of 3jin. Another story is told of a Christehurch man was rejected becauso of a complaint requiring a minor operation. He proceeded to the hospital, but found that he would have to wait some time boforo he could bo op.orated on, and if he did not immediately take a bed ho "might have to wait indefinitely. Remarking that he would "go through anything to .gut to'the front," he took a bed, and lay between the sheets for a week after-wards-awaiting the surgeon.

It is a long..way from the Wakamarina goldfield, Marlborough, to Krupps', but there is a definite connection (says the Marlborough Express). Wakamarina is one of the few places in New Zealand wliero scheelitc, one of the principal ores of ■tungsen, is mined. Up till the outbreak of the war the principal buyer of the product, which finds a ready market, was German. Tungstic acid is used for various purposes—for in stance, as a cordant in calico printing, as a constituent in some finer grades of paint, for the manufacture of electric . light, 'filaments, and for rendering'fabric non-inflammable. Its greatest use, however, is iv the manufacture of steol of the highest grade, such as that required for lathes and the 'inner tubes of big guns. It imparts to tho steel great density, toughness, and hardness.

A miraculous escape from a terrible death hefel a momite'd constable and a. motor ear driver the other c-"-3 ting (reports the Christchurch Sun). Mounted Constable James Brooks was on his way to Teddington to execute a warrant. On "the-.Cashmere Hills the roads were very greasy, and the ear began to slip and skid in a most uncomfortable manner. The 'driver (Mclntosh) lowered the gear and gave the engine more power, hut without result. On Hearing a particularly greasy patch of the road tho driver completely lost control of tho car, with tho result that it skidded over tho edge of the road and fell a, distance of 90 feet. In its descent the car turned fivo somersaults, and on reaching the foot of the drop it was practically a wreck. Fortunately, both the driver and the constable contrived to free, themselves from the falling ear, and miraculously escaped unhurt.