TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17523, 5 July 1917, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The acting-.listrict traffic manager, New Zealand Railways, Christchurcli, has received a donation of £2, conscience money, from an anonymous correspondent. A party of motorists from Rangiora to Christchurch had a lucky escape yesterday. Just after crossing White's bridge, for the passage of which the driver had slowed down considerably, the rear axle of the car broke. No serious injury resulted. In connection with tho schools incidentals trouble, Mr A. Peverill, chairman of the Canterbury School Committees Association, sent the following telegram yesterday to Mr G. Witty, M.P.:—" Regarding incidentals. Southland, Otago, Wanganui and Canterbury strongly support an increase of Is 6d per head capitation for committees. If conference of delegates would assist you wo will arrango accordingly. Accept our hearty thanks for movement." A nurse in a military hospital at Folkeston. England, writing to her brother in Christchurch, pays a high compliment to New Zealand soldiers. " A tremendous contingent of New Zealanders marched through yesterday, she saya. "I have now a pretty good experience of all tho colonials, and I can say that the New Zealanders aro out and away, the best, They are such fine men—so clean and alert and strong."

Tho question of religious objectors' under tho Military Service Act was considered by a general mectinc of tho Society of Friends of New Zealand, held at Wellington. A manifesto was drawn up pointing out that the undertaking required from those accepting non-combatant service would not free them from military control. A deputation of Seventh Day Advontists asked for tho co-operation of Fviends in an appeal to Parliament to exempt all conscientious objectors, irrespective of tho official tenets of their church. The meeting deckled to support tho petition and appointed a committee to co-opera-ato with other bodies for such an extension of tho exemption clauses.

The meeting of tho Canterbury Philosophical Society, last evening, was held in the lecturci hall of tho new physics building, Mr L. Birks presiding over a large attendance. The chairman congratulated tho authorities on tho now building and its equipment. Dr Farr gave a most interesting series ot experiments, including lantern views of tho beautiful colour effects obtained by crystals under tho influence of polarised light, the wonders of magnetism and light, experiments on sand showing how strong arches of sand could be, whilst quicksands were made as those present waited. Demonstrations were also given of tho sensitiveness of flames to sonncls, whilst experiments with electric apparatus showed the effects of resonance, and the marvels of vibrations. Dr Farr discoursed in humorous fashion, and the evening proved to bo one of tho most popular in the society's long record. At the conclusion of tho experiments a vote of thanks to Dr Farr was agreed to with acclamation. Tho visitors were then given opportunities of inspecting tho laboratory, after which refreshments were served. Tho latest information regarding cargo in enemy ships detained at neutral ports is contained in tho following report received by the Wellington Chamber of Comnierco from the Melbourne Chamber: —"It is estimated that the additional costs to which merchants have been put in obtaining their cargo on enemy vessels captured or interned in British ports amount to nearly £IO,OOO. This does not include tho additional costs incurred in connection with vessels sheltering in neutral ports. Tho British Imperial Government has established in London a Prize Claims Committee for the purposo of dealing with these vessels, and claims wcro submitted to them on behalf of tho various merchants of the Commonwealth. The assistance of tho Comptroller-General of Customs, tho Minister of Customs, the London Chamber of Commerce, Sir George Reid and others was invoked, but the replies received from the Prize Claims Committee in Loudon were to the effect that the claims had been considered by the committee, but thoy did not come within the scope of reference to them. Further correspondence has boon taken' and tho London Chamber of Commerce and others havo again boon communicated with, and replies to these letters aro now awaited. Immediately those aro received further action will if consider, -d necessary, bo taken."

No Cough can withstand Loasby's "Stop It." Old or young get speedy relief. y *

31st. July is tho closing dato of Desert Gold Tea Competition. Camels must bo posted to G.P.O. Box 1520 Wellington. Enclose namo and address, and number of camels sent. j Akaroa, premier seaside health resort, all the year round. Its modern accommodation and cheap fares provide tho least expensive holiday in Dominion. Motors from Broadway's Corner, Christchurch daily. X Thcro is no advertisement like that of a well satisfied customer. The clients of Mr John R. Procter have not been slow to express their warm gratitudo and satisfaction for the glasses supplied, as a glance at tho letters shown in his window at 200, High F keet, will nrov«. . 5.

A youth, just past sixteen, was arrested by Detective Torrance yestcrda.y, charged' with theft of motor accessories from various firms.

During the month of Juno 156 vessels entered tho port of Lvttelton, with a total net tonnage of 92,870. as compared with 167 vessels aggregating 150,'151 tons during the corresponding month of last year.

At yesterday's meeting of tho Lyttc-1-ton Harbour Board, a letter was read from the Chief of the General Staff and Military Authority under the War Regulations Act stating that tho board's annua] reports posted to places outside New Zealand had been stopped in the post and returned to the board as "they contained information that would be of use to the enemy," and requesting that such documents should only be issued confidentially. The secretary of tho Canterbury Aviation Company (Mr C. W. Hervey) has received word from Colonel M'Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff, that tho Imperial Government, in reply to a telegram from the New Zealand Government, has stated that it_has no objection to candidates with Maori blood being sent from New Zealand for admission to the Royal Flying Corps; but that this cannot be interpreted to mean full-blooded Maoris. Tho death of a valuable black terrier dog belonging to a resident of Bishop Street, St Albans, is reported. It was poisoned, apparently by a doso of strychnine. It is believed that the animal took tho poison on Friday night, but its body was not found until Monday morning, and it must have lingered in agony for many hours. The owner intends to bring the case under tho notice of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Tho Trades Unions' delegates met at the Christchurch Technical College last n,ig|lit for the purpose of electing representatives to the Board of Governors. The principle of proportional representation was adopted, and the result of the election was as follows: — Messrs H. Worrall (Labourers' Union), H. R. Rushbridge (Canterbury Carpenters' and Joiners' Union), C. J. Maddren and C. Renn (Canterbury Typographical Association) and H. Wills (Amalgamated Society of Engineers). Tho female rabbiter is' not much heard of, tho work being of too strenuous a nature for most women to face. But the " Oamaru Mail" has heard of ono in North Otago, and, what is more, she has reached an age of about three score years. She has courageously adopted the toilsome calling in order to supplement her income from keeping and milking a few cows and feeding pigs. Sho regularly sets her traps whero rabbits are to be caught, and this means a. good tramp daily in rough country, but the reward dorived from her courageous toiling is said to be very encouraging.

Referring to neutral countries, and among them Spain, Mr T. M. Wilford, in the course of a lecture at Wellington, said that King Alfonso was tho greatest friend in the world to parents of wounded soldiers. Since the war began ho had spent tho whole bf his privy purse in making inquiries and affording assistance where possiblo to "missing" soldiers. As a neutral he was enabled to do this work for both sides, and up to this year he and his staff had answered 600,000 Ictterß regarding missing and wounded men. The successful growing of a plot of peanuts is reported by Mr J. Down, acting-gaoler of tho Waikcria prison farm, in the Upper Waikato. The experiment was tried on the river-ilats of the prison farm, where th« soil is of a sandy nature. The ground was prepared similarly to that for potatoes. Three rows one chain long and 2ft apart -were planted with a. nut every 18in. The manure used was basic sniper and bone, 71b. The nuts were planted on September 15, 1916, and harvested on May 1 last From ilb nuts planted there was a vield of 221 b.

Owing, no doubt, to the shortage of coal in Ashburton, states the correspondent of tho " Lyttelton Times," several residents have been missing their living from coal bins which are not locked. In one instance tho thief had left his. trail, a stream of coal being noticeable from the bin to the front gate. In another instance a resident was aroused by a ncise in his yard, and on making investigations ho was just in timo to see two youths run away. He gavo chase, but the boys slipped through a hedge and were lost to sight. Previous to this the resident had missed quito a quantity of coal from his bin. i

Latest advices received from England regarding the boot market state that everybody qualified to judge considers that after the war no immediate substantial drop in prices can bo expected, states the Otago Daily Times." Sole leather is not likely to go down at all for somo time. It is stated that the present inflated prices of glace and some similar upper materials may fall below to-day's market leather prices, but that even so it is perhaps hardly likely that they would go below, or even as low as, the prices on which English makers are basing their selling shoe prices to-day. The position in America as regards supplies of boots appears to be even worse than in England. Home prices for glace kid and other light leathers show an advance of over 40 per cent for women's wear and over 50 per cent for men's, and an advance of 50 per cent for women's calf and all heavy leathers and of 60 per cent' for the similar quality in men's boots. Wood is being used for heels, as this departure means a considerable saving in leather, and it is anticipated that in the near future tho use of wood and other satisfactory substitutes for leather will become almost compulsory. Mat kid, willow, and box calf leathers are unobtainable in England. There can be few, if there are any, businesses in which work has grown so rapidly as tbe Defence Department, and as its work has grown the Department has reached out here, there and everywhere for more oflice accommodation, states the "Dominion." At various points about the city of Wellington are new branches of the Department quartered in buildings previously Msed for other purposes, and all these new branches are war growths. At Defence Headquarters up on Mount Cook thebuildings have been added to in order to provide more room for the everswelling army of clerks, and on Monday another addition to tho main building was opened for u«e. Evidently it is "considered that still more oihW accommodation is needed. Certain land was boin<? cleared, and it was understood that it was to ho used for erectting a building on. However, it is now reoorted that the Government, acting with the authority of tho War Regulations, has commandeered a five-store? buildine off Tarnnaki Street, and that the whole of the building, which is quite new. will be used for the purposes of the Defence Department. It is also reported that the Government is finding other accommodation for the business of tho owners of tho commandeered building. No one likes moving, but tho woik can be made much lightor if competent mon aro employed. J. M. Heywood and Co., Ltd., have them, and three up-to-date pantechnicons. Telephones 250. 1241 and 2174. X2

Our "Child Studies" aro works of art. They retain that beautiful childliko expression, which means so much to every parent. Stcffano Webb, Petersen's Buildings, High Street. 1898

WANTED TO SELL—SIDDELEY-

DEASY CAR, £250. Now on view—l 2-16 h.p. "SiddeleyDeasy" 5-seater touring car, cream finish, recent model. Full road equipment, lamps, hood, etc., and live detachable wire wheels. Tyres good-as-new order. A bargain, £250. Adams, Ltd. Garage, 210, Twun Street. X