Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10 1911.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2901, 10 January 1911, Page 4

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10 1911.

With this issue we present our readers with calendar for 1911.

The annual meeting of the Garston Hack Racing Club takes place at Garston on Friday next.

Word was received just before going to press that Kennedy, Lomas and Party arrived safely at Glade House on Friday last, having left Wakatipu on the previous Saturday. D. Mackie's tender for contracts 367, (formation and gravelling,', Glenorchy-Para-dise road), 368, (formation and gravelling, Glenorchy-Routeburn road) and 369, (gravelling, Glenorchy to Paradise), were accepted at the County Council meeting to-day. The Ben Lomond climb is just as popular as ever with tourists this year. The majority of people start out on the ascent at about midnight in order that they may see the sun rise. Walking is certainly far less arduous at night than in the daytime, which is a great thing in its favor.

In a recent issue we mentioned that some good baskets of fish were procured in the Frankton arm of the lake. It may be interesting to sportsmen to know that the Lochy river at Half-way Bay affords a fine field for the angler. A few days ago one sport fished up eleven beauties, averaging Blbs apiece. Copious rain fell in this district on Sunday last and an immense amount of good will result as the country was beginning to get very dry. Yesterday the weather improved and with a high glass to-day the conditions are all that could be desired.

There is still a steady stream of visitors pouring into this popular tourist resort. A good proportion of these in time find their way to the Head of the Lake either for the (lay or for a more extended stay. It is probable a tennis match between the Arrowtown and local clubs will take place on the latter's court on Saturday next.

About 120 passengers arrived by steamer on Saturday evening last, but little more than half would be week-enders. A li'indred persons took advantage of the excursion to the Head of Lake on Monday

The Dart Endowment law case which has been before the public several times during the last eight or nine months had its termination at the borough council meeting last Thursday night when this body was asked to foot the bill of costs, etc., amounting to £44 2s 4d, besides the fine of 40s. The case commenced in the Magistrate's Court in May last by Mr F. Mcßride suing the Borough Council and A. L. Groves, the first named for damages for not taking reasonable steps to bind the incoming tenant to pay valuation for the improvements to the outgoing tenant and the second for the value of the improvements. The Magistrate non-suited the plaintiff in respect of Groves because Orroves was not a party to the agreement aud gave judgment for the corporation as the latter could not have done anything to legally bind the defendant Groves to accept the improvements at their market value. Mr Mcßride then appealed against the ruling of the Magistrate in the lower court in respect of the Corporation with the result that in the Supreme Court Mr Justice Williams ordered that judgment be entered in the court below for the appellant for 40s as damages for tailing to bind the incoming tenant to go to arbitration, thus depriving the appellant of this right. The whole trouble would have been averted as stated by the corporation solicitor if the Council had drawn up proper conditions of sale. But the Council little thought when disregarding the advice of its solicitor that it would have to pay so severely for it in the end. The cost of drawing up a proper lease and conditions of sale by a solicitor would probably have come to less than a <iuarter of the present bill. The Council has depended too much on its officers in the past in matters of a legal standing and it has therefore learnt a lesson which no doubt it will profit by. The Council takes some consolation in the fact that it is receiving nearly twice the rental from the endowment now than it did from the former tenant, but this does not condone its neglect in not seeking the services of a solicitor from the start. As far as Mr Mcßride is concerned, there seems to be a concensus of opinion that he has fared very badly in the matter as he has been allowed nothing for improvements, which were assessed by an impartial judge at least at £53 odd. Bowling.—The following is the draw for the championship doubles: Kelly meets Craig, Domigan meets Willcox, Warren meets Henderson. Pettersson meets Boyne.—The green has been very well patronised during the past week and the caretaker informs us that so far there have been a laiger number of tickets taken out this season than last.

Latest Southland exchanges report serious bush tires at Seaward Bush, where, with the continued spell of dry weather, tires which have been smouldering for some time in the peaty soil, broke out at the end of the week and up till Sunday were burning fiercely. The area effected extends from the east of Oteramika Koad, through Tisbury, Waimatua and Mokotua, as far east as Gorge road and Titiroa. For some considerable distance on both sides of the Seaward Bush railway the bush was in flames aud unless heavy rain came soou very serious losses would result. From the very meagre particulars to hand it was difficult to assess the damage so far. Two residences had been destroyed, but what loss of stock had taken place it was impossible to say. Much good milling timber has already been licked up by the tire.

For the first time probably in the history of Southland racing there was no liquor supplied by the stewards of the Wyndham Kacing Club yesterday. Tbo officials had received notice from the police that the supplying of lit] nor was illegal, and so obedient was the club to the official il'ctum that not even at lunch was any liquor obtainable.

Seventy-five competitors took part in the annual meeting of the Gore District Defence Rifle Association on the 2nd and :ird January. The Queenstown Rifles were represented by Ptes. H. Lorden and H. \ on 1 unzelman. There was a somewhat choppy wind during the meeting, varying from 12 degrees on one side of the target to or 6 degrees on the other. Nevertheless there was some excellent shooting. Several marksmen made within one of the possible at the 20Uyds and 500 yds ranges out of seven shots and o.'i was a common score. Pte. Von Tunzeliuan got into fifth place in the Gore match (7 ohots at 200 yds) and I'te. Lorden was placed seventh in the list in the Riversdale matches on the second day. Rifleman A. Smith (Riversdale Rifle Club) won the championship. In the teams match Sergt. Preece, Gore Rifles, made 102 out of a possible of I<»s. By an amendment to the Hospitals Act last session it is compulsory for all local contributing bodies to delegate their powers in respect to sanitary and infectious diseases inspection to the Hospital i and Charitable Aid Board of the district, with which body the Health Department will deal direct. I

A European organisation familiar to readers of newspapers is " Renter's telegrams." This company has extended its operations to the transmsssion of money by cable to various centres of the world. Residents of New Zealand can remit money to Britain and other places which is paid there on the day it is received in New Zealand. In the same way the great wool brokers in London now cable the proceeds of wool sales through Reuters Telegram Company to the wool growers or the wool exporters in New Zealand. The cmpanyo have appointed reliable Agents or firms in the five chief centres of the Dominion. Mr W. B. Scandrett of Invercargill notifies in another column that he is acting for the Company in Invercargill.

Rava tea, from the famous rava tea gardens, can be had from J. S.Baxter, tea importer, Invercargill—lOlbs for 13s 9d and in half chests at Is per lb, this tea is claimed to be the best value in all New Zealand. The price is very reasonable, and is highly popular, being a pure and pleasant beverage.

Insurance against the destruction or damage of crops through bad weather is an old form of policy. The recent summer in Great Britain has. however, given rise to a new form of insurance in the shape of compensation for wet holidays. The premium is 7s 6d for the first week and 2s 6d thereafter; and for every wet day beyond two in a week the holiday-maker receives 10s as compensation for his disappointment.

A peculiar accident, which had its amusing phases, happened in High street, West Maitland (N.S.W.), last week. A billygoat straying in the street was attracted to a shop window, and by seeing it own reflection in the mirror it went for what it thought to be an antagonist, and butted the plateglass window with such force and determination that in a few minutes the window was a complete wreck. The damage was estimated at £ls. Shortly after the occurrence a policeman took charge of the goat.

The Anglican Bishops of New Zealand have intimated that it is their desire that that no clergyman be married within three years of his ordination to the diaconate. The Church Chronicle also states that the Bishop of Wellington desires that no marriage be celebrated in private houses, except in cases where both the parties are living at least six miles from a church or church room.

Tin latest thing in moving pictures is that obtained through the agency of X-rays. It was reported a little while ago that a Dutch scientist had shown to a congress of German scientists a cinematographic representation of the beating of a human heart. That it is possible to take such photographs with a considerable measure of success is proved by the films which have just come into the possession of Messrs Pathe Freres. They show in a dramatic way the examination of a patient's stomach by a doctor who employs X-rays for the purpose. The man's interior is plainly visible upon the screen, and a cinemaotgraph picture is thus easily obtainable in the ordinary way.

Meikle ventilated his grievances at Port Chalmers one evening last week for two hours from the steps of the band rotunda. He stated that his personal liabilities amounted to £3,700 when the Government recently voted him £2,500 compensation. He was now on a tour of the Dominion, which would terminate about the 9th of next month, when he left for London to tell "the British public, from the foot of the Nelson Monument, where New Zealand was and what it was." After that he would proceed to America "to Old Virginny," in quest of a legacy left him by a relative, to get possession of which he had to beat " a cute Yankee." His foreign travel was arranged so that he would be back in New Zealand for the General-Election, in order to make reelection difficult for certain members of Parliament who had not voted as he wished in respect to compensation, and to whom he referred in anything but complimentary terms. Meikle said he deemed himself deserving of £24,000 odd of compensation, and \Vhen he called for questions at the end of his remarks the only response was an inquiry regarding the distinction between a "free-pardon and an "acquittal."

Those having umbrellas in need of repair should not miss the opportunity of getting them attended to by Mr Lethaby, who will be in Queenstown till Saturday next.

A. H. Hathaway, piano tuner, is on his annual business visit to Queenstown.

Mr J. J. O'Kane, surgeon dentist, may be consulted in Queenstown on Friday, Jan. 20, and at Arrowtown on the preceding day.

Excusion tickets to Gore in connection with the races will be issued on 17th, 18th and 19th January.