NEWS NOTES

Grey River Argus, 30 March 1906, Page 4

NEWS NOTES

Importing houses (says the New Zealand Trade Review for March) generally report a turnover quite equal to that of last year at the same season, but at the same time the com ; plaints of sluggishness of money that have been prevalent for the last two or . three years, are becoming more pronounced, and bankruptcies, which have of late years been extremely rare, are becoming to be heard of m a small way. The autumn-wintei trade in soft goods has opened, so far, satisfactorily, and the weather, which is rather more chilly than usual for the season, is in favour of the trade. The retail summer trade Is, however, reported to have been extremely poor and unsatisfactory, the weather having been very un propitious," spells of really warm temperature having" been rare and brief. Increased caution is generally felt to be very advisable

A proposal has been received trom a Wellington firm of engineers to run some motor launches, such as wero so popular at St Louis, on the stretch ot river between the Armagh street and Carlton bridges in connection 1 with the International Exhibition. The idea is to put in a low dam at the former bridge, raising the height of the river nine inches, and securing a- depth of 2ft Gin along the whole ieach. It has been ascertained that that this could be done without injuriously affecting property-owners on Park terrace, and without flooding any rams. The launches would ply on this reach, and would add to the gaiety of the scene, besides providing pleasant trips. It is proposed, that boats from the boatsheds in town shall be allowed to come up to the southern side of the Armagh street bridge, where landing stages will be erected within the Exhibition grounds It should be optional whether people thus arriving at the Exhibtion byboat return the same way, or by road There would probably be no lack of. demand for boats for the return trip down stream.

1 I With reference to a case heard recently in Christchurch, a solicitor has I pointed out what he called "one of the foolishnesses of the New Zealand laws." If a man was ordered to find , .sureties to keep the peace for a period 1 of say twelve months, and could not c!o so, he had to go to gaol. The peculiar point was that if the circumstances necessitating the order passed away, the imprisoned man got no relief. For instance, the person who nought . protection might leave • the country or die a week after the order was made, but the term of imprisonment would continue, though perhaps quite undeserved. There was no means oi reviewing the order. In England the law is different ; because if the circumstances change it is possible to obtain a rehearing.

A syndicate is being formed, the Christchurch Press understands, to purchase the rights of the medicines prepared by the Rev Mother Mary Joseph Aubert, of Jerusalem, Wanganui. It is well-known that the Rev Mother, who studied the flora of New Zealand for years, compounded her medicines from purely New Zealand herbs found in the forest on the WanS'anui river, and their intrinsic merits were fully' proved to the public some years ago. Their romantic and peculiar origin and the indisputable nature of the testimony to their curative value, which at that time was freely given, stamp these medicines as a very valuable property. It is the intention „ we understand, to erect a laboratory on the Wanganui river, and the general public will be given the opportunity of availing themselves of the medicines.

The Premier has spoken of further land endowments to education. There would probably be little dissatisfaction with an endowment in aid of free text-books, says" School Inspector trachan, of Wellington, in his annual report. Increases in salary have lately been given to several branches of the public service. This would be a free gift to the people. In America it is by Act mandatory in twelve States that books should be provided free. Throughout the Union, ninety two cities of over 20.000 inhabitants find it possible to provide free books in all grades of the public schools in the year ISIB. The total amount of land donated to the several States of the American Unions for educational purposes since 1785 is 78,659,439 acres which is more than the area of New Zealand.

In connection with the Cafe Contin ental and Private Hotel, now being erected on the Esplanade at Sumner, a novel feature for Christchurch will be introduced in the shape of a flat promenade roof. This will be 6oft x 30ft, from which fine views of Sumner, the Estuary, and the Pacific Ocean should be obtained

The Evening Post is requested by the Old Ag-e Pensions Department to correct a wrong impression that has been created by a paragraph which has recently appeared in the Press. It has been widely circulated in the newspapers throughout the colony that when a pension has been refused on the ground that during the preceding twelve months an applicants 's income exceeded the maximum •".mount stipulated in the Act that any alteration in the financial position of the applicant cannot be taken cognisance of until twelve months after the date of the last application. This is not so. In the case of a claimant who has been working continuously for twelve months, and whose employ ment suddenly ceases, it is possible for him to qualify for a full pension of ,£26 in six months' time, and to obtain a reduced pension within a considerably shorter period

The mystery surrounding: the gelatinous org-anisnis that were to be seen in thousands on the Wyndham footpaths a few days ago has been cleared up. Ample specimens were ./submitted to Professor Benham, of Otago University, who identified them as the larvae of an aquatic fly called Chironomus. They were prob ably deposited in water first, then were dried up and carried by the wind.