TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15919, 3 May 1912, Page 6

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Mr W. H. Bellamy and Mr W. Edwards have consented to be nominated for the vacancy on the New Brighton Borough Council. The superintendent of the local Fire Brigade (Mr Erck) acknowledges with thanks the receipt of a cheque for £3 3s from Messrs F. Cross and Sons, in recognition of the Brigade's prompt action in extinguishing tho fire which broke out on the premises of the firm on Wednesday morning. Mr W. R. Haselden, S.M., speaking at the Railway Appeal Board's session yesterday, recalled in incident in his early career in the Civil Service. His reminiscence was called forth by a testimonial put in by a captain of a Volunteer company on behalf of an appellant. Mr Haselden said that as a young man he had served as a Volunteer. On one occasion he had been half asleep at his work all day as he had been up all night on guard. His employer had rated him for his sleepiness, and had informed him that his first duty was to his employer; military duty camo after. "My employer was an anti-militarist," remarked Mr Haselden. Counsel for the appellant (Mr R. Hampton) said that compulsory military training was stated by the newspapers to stand for more efficiency in the workshop. "So it does, in my opinion," said Mr Haselden. The "New Zealand Nautical Tables," published by the Marine Department, were greatly used and appreciated by Captain Scott's officers in the Antarctic expedition. Captain Blackburne received a letter a few days ago from Lieutenant Evans, R.N., of Captain Scott's expedition. He wrote, asking if he could meet Captain Blackburne when he goes to Wellington next Friday, prior to leaving for England. In mentioning the tables, Lieutenant Evans says:—"l shall endeavour to bring your tables into more general use in the Navy, as I consider them facile princops of their kind. Burdwood and Davis aro so cumbersome. 1" think you will be pleased to "ear that on tlie southern journey I used your tables exclusively, and worked out all magnetic variations and true Cannes by means of them up to latitude So degrees S ., and ™ enc ? *° S £ dfgrees. almost V, exterpolation.' lieutenant Evans and Mrs Evans will go to England bv the Orontes, leaving! Sydney on May It* '

The Mayor, Mr H. Holland, will be in attendance at the City Council Chambers between noon and 1 p.m» every day to attend to municipal affairs. It was stated at the Mayoral in* spallation at Ashburton on Monday night that up to the present forty-one Glasgow leases had been issued for borough reserves. A bazaar in aid of the Aehburtoa High School Bath Fund was opened m the School Assembly Hall yesterday afternoon. Good business was done during the afternoon and during the evening a musical programme was successfully carried out. ; The Minister of Lands has advised the secretary of the Domains Board that Dr Cockayne has been appointed as a member of the Board in place of tho Hon H. G. Ell, who recently resigned. The appointment of Dr Cockayne was gazetted on April 25. The harvest festival in connection; with the Primitive Methodist Church, Geraldme, was continued by a gift sale and entertainment on Wednesday. Mr W. Nosworthy, M.P., opened tha sale and Misses Maslin and K; Moonson, Mrs Brown, the Rev H. Sharp and the choir contributed items to an enjoyable programme.

On Wednesday afternoon a meeting of the St Albans Ladies' Guild was held in the Social Hall, when Mrs Page gave an interesting address on, ' Women's Duty as Citizens." Mrs Page spoke of the influence that women had always had on the world's history and the responsibility that they; should feel in all social and moral re-' forms of the day. The address was much appreciated by those present. Mr M. G. C. Pasco, who has resigned' the secretaryship of the Ashburton,Shakespeare Club, on account of hie leaving the district, was on Wednesday night elected a life member of the club< and a motion expressing regret at his departure from Ashburton was carried, unanimously. Dr W. J. Mullen (senior. vice-president) was elected president and Mr R. B. Bell vice-president. Mr R. M. Dunlop was elected a member' of the committee.

A newspaper-seller named Henryj, Clark met with an accident at about 6 p.m. yesterday. Ho has lost the usa of his legs, and gets, about in a chair.-, When crossing the • Colombo Street[ bridge, a taxicab, that was going ouji of the city, ran into him and knockec him out of his chair. The driver stopped his car, and took Clark to Dy Inglis's, where it was found that he wast not very severely hurt. After the* doctor had attended to him he wast' taken in the taxicab to his home. t

A largely attended • meeting of thsF Geraldine branch of the Women's SociaS and Political League was held on Wed-* nesday, Mrs Turton presiding. Mis* Roberts, of Christchurck, gave an address in favour of national prohibition, •: •illustrating her speech with diagrams,? and Mrs Butterworth, of Christchurch, ■ gave an address in opposition to prohibition and in favour of moderation. Questions were-asked and some of ther

members of the branch gave their views on the subject. Tho meeting was an, interesting one.

The two days' bazaar at Prebbleton closed last night. In the morning! many men were fully occupied in bringing in more produce, the demand for; which had been so great that many; would-be buyers had been disappointed. The attendance was satisfactory and in< eluded several visitors from Lincoln. Some of the shooting matches wertf keenly contested, Mr Smith and Msi Leslie Gabbatis making the highest scores A kitchen stall and book stall under the supervision of Mrs Simpson was well patronised. The local brass band played selections each evening and its services were very much appreciated. Mr J. W. Patchetiwas the bazaar secretary and it is stated that the financial results were -very satisfactory. A monthly meeting of the Christchurch Catholic Club was held on Tuesday evening, Mr F. Rowe, vice-presi-dent, presiding. The chairman reported that the president and Mr M'Keon had invited the members and their lady friends to . a progressive euchre tournament, which took place on Friday evening. During the evening occasion was taken to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs J. R. Hayward, who were about to make a holiday visit to Great Britain. The following syllabus was drawn up for the ensuing month:—May 8, billiard tournament; May 15, musical evening, under the direction of Mr T. O'Connell, jun.; May 22, readings and recitations, arranged by Mr F. Healy; May 29, euchre tournament. Accounts amounting to £l3 10s lid were passed for l payment.

The annual .meeting of the Young} Men's Christian Association Debat« ing Club was.held on Wednesday evening. The general secretary occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of members. The election ot officers resulted as follows: —Patron, the president of the Young Men's Christian Association (ex officio); president, Dr J. P. Whetter; vice-presi-dents, Messrs W. Goss and E. D. Brown; secretary, Mr W. J. Steven; treasurer. Mr W. T. Conibear; committee, Messrs F. L. Anderson, F. M'Cullough and H. Plimsoll. It was decided that the club should meet on AYedncsdavs, and that the membership should be open to other than members of the Association. The draffc syllabus, which after some discussion was adoDted, provides for five debates, a course" of four popular lectures and a variety of other subjects.

A meeting of creditors in the estate of William West Meikle, of Woolston, was held in tho official assignee's office yesterday afternoon. Mr Raphael appeared for the debtor and Mr Cassidy for a creditor. The bankrupt's accounts showed a total deficiency of £391 lis 6d and his assets were nil. The principal unsecured creditors were":-—New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association £3O is 9d, J. Thatcher £3O, Dra Hogg and Crawford, Invercargill, £26, W. A. Gaffeney, Invercargill. £42 13a 6d, M. M'Lennan, Athol, £32 4s 3d. The debtor stated that he came to Christchurch from Invercargill about two yeare ago, and was at that tima heavily in debt. He had purchased a team, being led to believe that he could earn £25 a'month, but had not averaged more than half that amount. He met with an accident, which had involved expense. The assignee called upon the debtor to give a statement of receipts 'and expenditure as from January, 1911.

Sympathetic support was . accorded the movement for a National Art Gallery by members of the Wellington Education Board at its meeting on Tuesday, says the " New Zealand Times," when Mr Robert • Lee, chairman, moved as follows:—"That, recognising that the National Art Gallery is an aid to our educational system, the Board approves the efforts made by several schools to collect voluntary subscriptions for the purchase of pictures, and the ' Board will be pleased to see other schools throughout the district making efforts in the same direction." Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.P., thought tho Board would be more non-committal if it refrained from any remark that might be interpreted as a" wish that other schools should follow suit, but the cliairman pointed out that the motion was not intended to carry that interpretation, Wr:ntev.?r was done by the schools wouJ*/ bo the result of a purely voluntary spirit. Mr Buchanan withdraw his objection, and the motion was carried unanimously.

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The following are the vital statistics tos the month of April for the Temuka tUgtrict:—Births 6, deaths 6, and marmges 3.

Zu apologising by letter for his nonittendance at a gathering held in Timaru yesterday, the Hon J. Anstoy, M.L.C., stated that the Defence Department had taken away his men in the middle of threshing to attend a Territorial camp, and ho could not leave his farm.

'The Waitemata Fruitgrowers' Association will ship by the Ruapchu. leaving on May' 18 for the Argentine,-1000 cases of apples. picked and graded by tho Government supervisor. They are dessert apples of good quality. If tho venture is successful, further and larger shipments will be made. Copies of the petition asking that the Provincial Council Buildings should be handed over to the City Council will be sent to the Prime Minister in Wellington soon, and the Mayor will bo pleased if those who have not signed, but who support the proposal, will give their signatures without delay. As the Hon A. M. Myers, Minister of Railways, contemplates visiting the South Island soon, it is probable that arrangements will be made for the deputation of the Lyttelton Harbour Board which was to have waited on him in Wellington to meet him in Christchurch.

It has been decided by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon G. W. Russell) to invite to the local government conference on May 21 the chairmen of the New Zealand Counties' Association, New Zealand Harbour Boards' Association and Municipal Association. They will attend in their official capacities, apart from the local representation granted. The Unitarian body in Timaruyesterday opened a commodious building to serve as a church social hall and Sunday school, for the congregation, of which the Rev J. H. G. Chappie is minister. Visiting ministers from Auckland. Wellington) and Dunedin were present. The site and building cost £2400, more than- half of which was generously provided by a gift from Mr and Mrs George Wells. An Auckland resident who came up from Wellington by the Main Trunk ©sprees last week, says the " New Zealand Herald," was given some cause for alarm as the train climbed through a cutting at Paekakariki. The window opposite to one next which he was siting in a sleeping-car was shattered by a boulder which had fallen down the hillside. Pieces of jagged glass flew all over the compartment, but the stone dropped back on the line.

At a meeting of men held last night in St. Andrew's Schoolroom it was decided to form a St. Andrew's Brotherhood, and a committee was appointed to arrange for the programme. Short addresses were delivered by Dr M'Gibbon, who spoke on "Self-control," and by Mr Th6mas Haslett, travelling secretary of the Australasian Students' Christian Union, who spoke of Jhe recent Labour Unity Conference in" Wellington. A short programme of musical items was arranged by Mr Williamson.

An article in the " Lyttelton Times " yesterday with regard to the new home for animals contained a statement that has been taken exception to by Mr J. R. Charlton, Government veterinary Burgeon. It was stated that hitherto horses with broken fetlocks had to be shot, as* there were no conveniences, such as slings, for dealing with such an injurv in Christchurch. Mr Charlton states that during the past fourteen years he has had a set of slings in Christchurch, and during the past five years he has had two sets available for treating horses with broken fetlocks.

Though there are at two hundred and fifty persons employed in the Commonwealth Government's military clothing factory at Melbourne, the provision of uniforms for cadets has so taxed the factory's resources that it has not been able to overtake the further demands for clothing for the militia. The harness factory at • Collingwood, which employe about 90 persons, has been kept workling at full strength. The buildings are presently to be enlarged to provide I storage space, and make room for fiirither employees.

The by-laws for the regulation of street traffic, suggested tSMhe City Council by the provide that tho driver djstosjsj(ehicle, and the rider of any mowl cyels, bicycle or horse, • shall, ,;,on' iwe request of any police officer or>onsttb;le, cause such vehicle to stop-and yemain stationary as long as Bhalftb*. necessary or required by the. that the driver or rider of any Tehfcle shall, when being overtaken by* any other vehicle proceeding in the direction, keep as nearly, as possible to the kerb-line on his own left hand side, so as to facilitate - the passing of ..the other vehicle on the same side of the centre line of the highway. A brief notice in last Dight's " Gazette," states the Wellington correspondent of the "Lyttelton Times," is the climax of an incident which some months ago caused no little stir in Wellington. The "Gazette" states that " His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to dismiss from the New Zealand Defence Forces, under the provisions of. Section. s(a) of the Defence Act, 1909. Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Anthony Hormuzd Kassani, New Zealand Staff Corps, for absence from the dominion without leave. Dated 15th January, 1912." Lieutenant Raswho was prominent in Wellington society, suddenly disappeared and left no explanations. Shopkeepers in Wellington trading as booksellers, stationers and fancy goods dealers, combined or separately, have requisitioned the Minister of Labour to fix their closing hours under section 25 of the Act. Tho' City Council having certified that the requisition is signed by a majority of the people engaged in this business, notice will be gazetted this week giving effect to the wishes of the signatories. The hours fixed will operate as from Monday next. The closing hour will be 8 p.m. on four days of the week, 1 p.m. on the statutory half-holiday, and 11 p.m. on Saturday. The month of December is exempted from this rule to the extent of fixing the olosing hours at 10 p.m. on four days of the week and at 11.30 p.m. on nighii preceding Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

! An angler of some experience, states the " Auckland Star," gives it as his opinion that there is no danger of Lake Taupo becoming over-stocked with fish. He instances Lake Rotorua, in which the majority of the trout now caught are In no way comparable to the fish caught there seven or eight years ago. Hii logic is this: When you are fishing you can rest assured that it is not the miserable weaklings of the flock that you »re catching. It is the robust and virile fish that hustles the weakling out of the way to _ grab the minnow. And when the fishing became such a erase at Rotorua each fisher contributed to this inverse system, of culling, taking the robust and leaving the weak. Just imagine a flock-owner culling in the ume way. What a flock he would Posmw tn a few years.

Local Industry Week has an important mission to perform in this great ana growing country, and it behoves every patriotic New Zealander to visit Graham, Wilson and Smellie's Store and inspect their most interesting collection of goods manufactured in this dominion. The beautiful quality of the goods and the moderate prices asked, are the subjects of comment among the hundreds who have visited this store during the part few days. faTl .■•... p" '

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that the annual meeting of ratepayers of the Romuera Road Board last night was rowdy at times and ono man was ejected by the police. A motion was carried after a very lengthy meeting, calling upon all +.he members of the Board to resign.

The lectures conducted by Mr C. H. Hinman, evangelist, in the Scottish Society's Hall, were continued on Wednesday night, when the speaker took lor his subject, "The Siege of Jericho," as illustrating the Divine recognition of faith. The lecturer will speak again to-night, and special servicer will be held on Sunday afternoon and evening. " The •' Railway Review ' is full of false statements," said Mr W. R. Haselden, S.M., during tho hearing of an appeal at the Board's session yesterday morning. Counsel for the appellant (Mr R, Hampton) objected to this" statement, and this called forth a more emphatic statement to the samo effect from Mr Haselden. Mr Hampton called' for a specific example, and the chairman, after a further bout of words with counsel, said that ho would give examples to the proper authority. j

The annual tea meeting in connection with the Dariield Presbyterian Church was held in the school on Monday evening. There was a satisfactory attendance. The musical programme was furnished by Miss Brown and Mr M'Lean (Christchurch), and Misses M. Mackintosh, Read, Clements (2) and Mrs James Calder. The Rev J. Pringle, who presided, gave an address, reviewing the work of the year. Mr Reid proposed a' vote of thanks to all who had assisted.

One or two points of interest to motorists were mentioned durine tli9 hearing of a case at the Magistrate's Court, Gisborne. A motorist must stop if the driver of an approaching vehicle holds up a hand. Should an accident occur, and the motorist not stop, he is liable to an additional charge besides those arising out of the occurrence in the ordinary course of events. In giving judgment Mr Barton, S.M;, said: "Motor-cyclists and motor-car drivers go at a furious rate—at a rate very dangerous to the public. Some of them seem to think the roads are made for them and give consideration to no one else using the roads." An intending applicant for the'Four Peaks runs—a man, says the Timaru "Herald," who would have made an excellent runholder—had his application rejected because he is the holder of 83 acres of private leasehold lnnd. The reason given for rejecting him on this account by tho Commissioner of Crown Lands was that there were so many landless applicants the Board did not consider it wise to allow those already holding land to compete against them. "The Board might go further," remarks the "Herald," "and reject all applicants who, though landless, are sufficiently wealthy to allow them to live in comfort without any land."

During the hearing of a case before the Railway Appeal Board yesterday, in which an apprentice appealed against his dismissal at the expiration of his apprenticeship, tho chairman, Mr W. R. Haselden, S.M., stated that there was a widespread allegation that employers had their labour carried out by apprentices who were dismissed at the expiration of their apprenticeships. He wished to know whether there was any suggestion that the Government Departments did likowise. Mr R. Hampton, who was appearing for the appellant, said that in nil fairness he must admit that any such suggestion was quite wrong. The Departments always treated their apprentices fairly at the close of their apprenticeship. Several bush farms in that portion of the Ahuriri district near Port Molynenoux have lately been abandoned by their occupants (says the Balclutha "Free Press"). On some of these places there are good dwellings and outbuildings, with orchards and cleared paddocks. But apparently the isolation and the plague of bad roads have E roved too much for the settlers, who ave moved in search of " fresh fields and pastures now." One man who recently purchased the improvements and arranged for a lease with tho Land Boara did not remain long. He told a friend: "The wife and children have bolted, and I think I'll bolt, too." "Bolt" he did. The soil on these farms is fairly light, but excellent for grass and cereals, and in time to come when the country gets opened up these lands will no doubt be permanently occupied. At present their appearance' conveys a sense of desolation and abandonment sad to see. >. THE NEW DELHI. The world can offer no more fascinating task than the creation of a new city, says the London "Guardian," and many a man of creative soul will envy the committee of experts which, under the presidency of Captain Swintoh, the chairman of the London County Council, is about to design tho new administrative city of Delhi. Only once has such a task been carried out on a really great scale, and when the city of Washington was laid out, its designer was a Frenchman. Sir Christopher Wren's grandiose plan for the rebuilding of London after the fire was never carried out—to London's lasting loss. Captain Swinton and his associates will bs more fortunate, and in little more than five years the new city may bo expected to have come into being. Before long there will be another opportunity for the town-planner on a great scale, when the new Federal capital of Australia comes to be laid out. Tho difference between the undisturbed old a-nd tho new official Delhi will be as great as that between, say, Vienna before the fortifications gave way to the ring, and the brand new city which is to arise under the Southern Cross.

DICKENS'S LECTURES. t ■* , sei *i es of letters sold recently in London illustrate afresh the business capacity of Charles Dickens brought into strong light in Mr Lehmann's re-cently-published volume of letters addJe<f I*?, !? *£" Wills - wLen sub-editor of All the Year Round." Writing to Mr Chappell on March 6, 1866, ho 6aKl:-r I am happy to accept your offer of fifteen hundred pounds for thirty public readings in London, the provinces or elsewhere, as wo may agree. Payment of the fifteen hundred pounds to be made, £SOO on April 5 next, £SOO when fifteen readings shall have been given and £SOO when the whole number of thirtv readings shall have been given." The readings proving a success, he, writing again in August of tho same year, runs up the price by £lO a lecture. "I am prepared so to dispose my time and occupation in advance as to read again after Xmas. I will engago with you if you like, to read 40 times at '£6o per night, and all expenses paid as before, including my hotel charges or to make one contract for an even sum of monoy, I will engage with vou to read forty-two times for £2500.'" I n November in the following year the fee further advances. He writes:—" Alwavs understanding, as you and derstand together, that Dolbv has his 10 per cent from you, I readily accent vour terms of £BO a night f or the Farewell Reading at homo, provided they extend to 100 in number.'' Here on a single engagement, is a . f O6 0 j £BOOO, a record in tho lecturing business in Great Britain. THE BUSINESS OF BETTING "I think the man who goes to a racecourse to bet, and expects to c ome home with some of the bookmakers' money, is supremely silly' Was t] remark of Mr Mostyn, a witness before the Totalieator Commission in Sydney last week. Yet betting, with *„s** of gain, says, th? Daily Telegfrph " shows no indication of slackening j n _ deed, it was asserted in the cou rße f evidence that the public patronag 0 ° f ♦he racecourse was- growing. ?£[

„ B +,W fieure*. which throw some light esting Dt, f th . s bnsiness weM l,p °?J M? Cropper, secretary of the Jockcv Club, stated' that rtS? were at Randwick 120 bookth wX the saddling paddock, whose So fe alono cainTto £9000; 120 , the St Loger reserve, paying in i" £3OOOI and 96 on tho flat, who nnirl £960. Including these and other l receipts Mr Levien, the chairman of the Commission, estimated that a sum of nearly £16,000 was received from ■the bookmakers alone Tho chairman | reckoned that if the totnliMtar were legalised in New So "*, n " alas tho venrlv investments would come to over I £6 000 000, Mr Cropper considered this mx oivtaide estimate, whereupon Mr | L o vien nut forward as the basis of his calculation tho last official return from ! Now Zealand, winch showed that £" 000 000 had been the turnover for ! a "year in the dominion. If they could ! manago to put through that amount there ho did not think the figure he had reckoned would bo too high for Now South Wales, with its § larger population and its more extensive racing. THE PRICE OF TEA. Cablegrams from all tea markets, states the "New Zealand Herald," report a continued firmness of prices, and there seems to be no possibility of any reduction from the enhanced rates which have been ruling for some few months oast. On the other hand, it is expected that there will be further advances, for the estimated shortage in China, the output of which represents at least 20 per cent of the world's production, must considerably affect the London market. Although, comparatively speaking, very little China tea is used in New Zealand, practically the wholo of tho tea consumed being Indian and Ceylon, this market will feel tho effect of a shortage of tho China variety as readily as any other, for prices nre ruled by the London market, and as tho decrease in the supply of China tea must necessarily enhance the values of other teas, by reason of a greater demand, wholesale rates for the class of tea sold on the New Zealand market will in all probability see a sharp advance. The position as summed up by one of the largest tea-broking houses, which does business in the country, is as follows: " In our opinion, taking into consideration the estimated shortage of the China crop, it is possible that if the Indian tea crop should only reach the normal estimate we may see such a rise as has not been seen for a long time. We consider that the wholesale values will increase so much that the retail prices may advance as much as from 3d to 4d per pound."

SECOND-HAND TRIUMPH MOTOR CYCLES—AN UNUSUAL OPPORTUNITY.

It is but seldom that "Triumph motor-biovcles come into the open se-cond-hand market, as the _ popularity of these well-known machines is so great that it is usually easy for the owner to dispose of his machine very profitably privately. We have on hand, however, at present, about a dozen second - hand " Triumphs, taken by us in part payment of 1912 model machines. They havo all been carefully overhauled in our factory, and are guaranteed to be in perfect running order. The present opportunity to secure a second-hand ;"Triumph ' at a very moderate price is unique, and unlikely to occur again for some years. The "Triumph" is always a sound investment, as it is readily disposed of at a good price._ It is unnecessary to say much regarding "Triumph" quality. Tho marvellous performances of these machines in competition speak louder than words. Among the second-hand " Triumphs " we have on offer are a 1908 fixed engine model at £35, seven 1909 fixed gine models at prices ranging from £35 to £45, a 1910 fixed engine model at £ls, two 1911 free engine models at £52 10s and £62 10s. and a 1911 fixed engine model at £SO. Any trial will be given to intending purchasers, and as a speedy clearance is expected inquiries should be made at once. Adams Ltd, agents for "Triumph" motorcycles. High Street, Christchurch (G. B. Brown, representative). 1988