The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 1908.

Mataura Ensign, 23 September 1908, Page 2

The Ensign. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 1908.

Tlio Presbyterian Choir went to Dunedin by the first express to-day to take part in the choir competition this evening. A number of people, assembled to see Hie members off and wish them fortune. }.lv Thomas will conduct the choir. .Mrs Hemslcy' Burnett, the wellknown hair specialist, is now in Gore ■find may be consulted at the Codec Palace tor a week. Airs Burnett has been most successful in her treatment of the hair, ami may also be consulted in regard to diseases of the skin. I The following is Captain Edwin's weather forecast to 3 p.m. to-day:— Winds, strong to gale, from the westward, north ot New Plymouth and Napier, and from the southward elsewhere, barometer probably rising ami rain expected everywhere. An unprofitable deal in sheep is mentioned as having taken place recently. A dealer purchased in this district a line of 2-, A-, and 6-tooth wethers for £1 Os (3d. He trucked them to Oamaru, incurring a total charge for expenses of nbout 2s (kl a head, including commissions, railage, etc. The sheep were offered at the last sale at Oamaru, and the best offer made was los. This is a striking commentary upon the recent drop in values, and proves that the dealer doesn't always get the best of the bargain. Thu final meeting of the 1008 session of the Gore Girls' Literary Club was held in Gibbs' room last evening. The reading of the prize essay oh "The uses of novel-reading" oc-; oupied the evening, the judge (the Uov. G. llerveyj awarding the prize to Miss J. Kennedy. Miss Kobertson read an article ion "Reading." A vote of thanks to the readers of the essays, and to Miss Howes for presiding during the session terminated the meeting. The past session has been most successful, members have spent many enjoyable and instructive evenings, and, given equal enthusiasm next year, the Club should prove a power for good. f In our issue of yesterday tho Town Clerk of Gore, who has hitherto worn

the white flower of u blameless life, was alleged to have admitted owning an unwbitewashed fowlhouse and to have charged our worthy and worshipful ilayor with keeping";) pig, besides making sundry other accusations unbecoming in a Town Clerk and almost suggesting the necessity of a court-martial mi a charge of mutiny. We hasten to explain that the Town Clerk has no fowlhouse, and if he was privy to the keeping of the pig by the Jlayor, he was also possessed of a wise, discretion. Councillor Barron it was who pled guilty to the fowlhouse minus the whitewash, and he it was who was seeking to prove that when ho erred ho at anyrate erred in good company. The following arc the principal dis-

trict votes for. roads placed upon the Public Works Estimates:—Story road £'2oo; Toi Tois, block X. (sections o and 15), £92; Waikawa, block 1., £OS; Waikawa to "Wyndlinm Y alloy, £100; AVvndham Vallev road, £800; Bew's road (Wvndliam Valley), £200; Dacre to Titipua, £100; Edendale to Daere, £200; Gore to Kelvin, £200; Hodgehope to Mataura, £200; Kaiwera bridge (Otaraia), £1 for £1 for up to £100: Mataura Island to Titiroa, £100; Miminau to Wairekiki, £100; Mitchell road (Glenham), £1 for £1 up to £200; Mokoreta main road,'£2oo; Maitland to Little AVaikaka, £100; Parrawa-Came-ron's to Nokomai, £100; Waikaia to dredges road (repairs), £100; Waikaia Valley road to dredging claims, £100; Waikaka Valley main road, £200; AVaimurau road to dredging claims, nil; Wairekiki to Mataura, £100; Wairekiki Valley road, £SO; Hokonui school road. £100; Mcllae and Anderson's road (Hokonui), £l5O. Relics of ancient Maori history continue to como to light at Qcatouu (AVellington), where formerly there were populous native settlements. During excavations a few weeks ago some stone axes were unearthed, and moro recently sorao workmen discovered, near Kati Bay, a Maori skeleton aim skull. The latest discovery is a number of remains of posts at Seatoun which mark the position of an old Maori palisade.

Farmers between Taranaki and Manawatu aro congratulating themselves upon the excellent lambing which has taken place so far this season. The percentage has been high and the deaths very Few. Tho number of lambs to be seen frisking in tho paddocks has been quite a subject of comment among train travellers from New Plymouth to Wellington. A cautious judge is Judge Backhouse, of Sydney. He refused a few days ago to deal with a case in which a man was charged witli uttering a forged bunk note of the Bank of New South Wales. His reason was that ho was a shareholder in the Bank of New South Wales. Mr J. AV. Abigail, who appeared on behalf of the accused, interjected that he had no objection to his Honor trying the case. "Oh, yes," •said the judge, "but if convicted there is nothing to prevent this man from going behind your back and saying that ho was convicted by a judgo who was interested, and the convict'.).] would be quashed." The following hours will be observed at the post and telegraph office on Dominion Day, Saturday, 26th inst.: — Post office: Open from 0 to 10 a.m.; all mails will close at 7 a.m.; counter delivery of letters on Friday night from 7 to 8 o'clock. Telegraph office: Open from i) a.m. to 4 p.m., and 7 to 8 p.m. The telephone exchange will bo opep as usual.

fly, which it is 'lmped will effectually ''' " KJlin moth. This fly eggs in the moth grub, > mul provides food for the ■ito, and instead of the egg bringing forth a new moth, it hatches out ly. So highly did Iho Californian Government esteem this wasp-like fly that it charged the prohibitive price of £IOOO for each colony exported. But when it was in danger of losing the species for lack of the natural food, New Zealand cabled an offer to supply the necessary codlin moth grubs. They were hard to find, but they saved the situation, and California showed its gratification by sending u colony of flies, which arc doing well. Having now settled in my new premises. I can give patrons more attention than formerly. My minor).is customers I thank for past mv i's, and solicit a continuance of same. To Unse who are not yet dealing .vitb mo 1 respectfully ask for n trial order. 1 ha\e a. Largo Stock of Boots, Shoes, etc., of the best brands, and can giiavnnrne all goods at city prices, and in muty ruses lower.—D. Newman, BootinuW, M.vin Street, Gore.— Advt.

GORE DEFENCE CADETS. —On Tuesday, September 29, a Concert will be given to assist the Cadets' Uniform Fund. As it is anticipated that the Government will subsidise the amount raised, the officers of the Company appeal to all interested in the Cadet movement for support. Tickets (which may be procured from any Cadet), Is each.

Mr A. Martin, Government candidate for Wakatipu, opens his campaign at Longridge- Villago to-morrow night, and Bpeaks at Ardlussa on the following evening.

Under favorablo weather conditions it is expected that considerable quantities of strawberries will be on the Auckland market in about throe weeks.

''lt is evident," says the 'Post,' "that gradually the valiant Liberal tradition left by John Ballance has exhausted itself, and that the present Ministry for most purposes has become nothing more than a Cabinet of opportunists, without definite anchorage or policy, without even hope; and without determination, save the determination to remain at the head of affairs."

The Minister of Mines having approved of the recommendation of the Westland Land Board for a lease of 30,000 acres to Mr R. C. Webb, for wood-pulp making purposes, the Board has granted tho application subject to a number of stipulations dealing with tho erection of the mill, which is to bo completed within a period approved by tho commissioner, including the lessee taking all responsibility as to the suitability of tho timber within tho area for wood-pulp making purposes. During last week about a dozen cows, owned by Balclutha residents (says tho 'Leader') were badly affected through eating laurel leaves, which, had been deposited on the rubbish heap on the reserve. On Thursday Mr F. Bower's cow died, while on Sunday evening Mr .1. Crichton's succumbed. The vet., who was called in to see the latter, pronounced it as having narcotic poisoning, ■which could result from eating laurel leaves (broadlenf variety). Both animals were valuable ones, and it is proliable the owners will apply to the Borough Council, as being the responsible party, for some sort of compensation. Tlie past two years have constituted the busiest continuous period in the history of the Hillside 11 ailway Workshops. Double shifts have been "in operation throughout this period, and a tremendous amount of rolling stock has been turned out within the past year. One hundred waggons have been turned out lor the North Island Main Trunk, besides 200 waggons for the HuruuuiBluff section, while tho number of sheep waggons, cuttle trucks, and ballast waggons have been a heavy order. There are now on hand at the works for construction ten locomotives. In speaking at Wellington on the luture ofl the electrical branch of the New Zealand Telegraph Service, Mr J. ja.. l/ogau said that not only would examinations for positions in "the service liai-e to be continued, but they would have to lie made stiller or the service would have to face the prospect of importation of highly-trained experts Irom Kurope. The work of tho Department consisted not only of telegraphy, but it might be that they would have to take un tramway and electric light' work. The work of the Department was much more varied that the public bad any idea of, and the electri:al engineering problems of tho future ivere really stupendous when compared ivith what was known to-day, notwithstanding the great advances that had doen made.

A mini who lived in a whare at Wakamarina, in the Pelorus district, had a narrow escajie from death a fewlays ano. He hail left his whare and Isad gone to draw a bucket of water, loavinjr the fire, as he thought, quite safe. Although he was away for only a lew minutes, on his return ho noticed wreaths of smoke issuing from the roof. He rushed inside, only to find the walls ablaze, and whilst he was endeavoring to save some of his belongings some dynamite and a number of detonators exploded with a deafening roar, blowing away the gablo end of the whare and throwing him to tho floor.

"The terrible Turk" is not so black as he is painted. I)r Purdy, in the course of a lecture at Auckland last week (says the 'Star') expressed the opinion, gained from personal experience, that the Turks are one of the finest races in Europe or Asia. In Jerusalem today, he added, the trouble was not so much with tho Turks as with the Christians, among whom the Turkish soldiers had to maintain peace. "I have," he said, "met Chinese in various parts of the world, and I must admit that 1 have found the. Chinese an honest man, ;is distinguished from the Jap. I do not think anyone who has had any dealings with the Japanese would trust them far. No merchant in Hong Kong would take tho word of Jap. against that of a Chinese." The Ilussian," Dr l'urdy added, "was a better man than the Jap., and he was satisfied that had the war continued another two years the Russians would have won. Dr Purely was asked how he could speak so highly of the Turks in view of their horrible massacres to Armenians. "The Armenians deserved to be massacred," he replied. "The Armenians are the most despicable people I have ever met, and, although the massacre in cold blood is not justified according to English views, there is more to be said for the Turk than for the Armenian.'"

Some interesting references to a lost river were made by Mr H. Hill, Inspector of Schools, at the meeting; of the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Society on Monday night. He showed that the shingle beds which stretch from the Kidnappers to Gisborne indicated the existence at one period in the geological past of a huge river running in a southerly direction from Gisborne past Napier and down the "VVairarapa. In those times, a.s the- Challenger's soundings showed, the eastern coast-line of the island was at least 100 miles further to the east. The upheaval of the mountain ranges had probably caused the subsidence of the coast-lme, which at one time bad gone even further than at present, so that the sea reaohod almost to IV Auto at the Hawke's Bay end and to To Karaka in Poverty Bay. A seal which has been seen from time to time in the harbor and tho hay at Tiniaru for some days past, added to the evidences of its apparent tameness by sleeping on the deck of the dredge Taniwha on Thursday night (says the 'Timaui Herald'). It easily reached the low-lying after deck, was seen to do so about o.;i0 p.m., and it was there on Friday morning when the crew went down to work. It was then asleep, and on being disturbed woke up, looked about to see what time it was, and quietly flopped into the water. It visited the Taniwha again on Friday morning, and got on board, but at once accepted a hint'that it coidd not be allowed to stay. Captain Wares put its length at Bft. or Oft.; others add a foot or two. Tho former noticed that the animal had a long recent wound on its back.

There are largo areas of land highly suitable for growing wheat in Queensland and parts of New South Wales. According to Dr Newman, of Wellington, the, people there believe that enormous areas will in future be laid down in wheat, which, of course, as the wheat hinds of the world are nearly all taken up, will mean a constant source of wealth to Australia. In fact, the grain groiyjng there is advancing so much that people intend adopting the American system of grain elevators, and will therefore make arrangements to ship their wheat in bulk in the ships' holds, doing away with the cost of bagging, which is" a very great

Tlie electric lamp seems, at first sight, to bear no resemblance to an ordinary lamp, or candle, or gas flame (says ail exchange); yet it is really very similar lo these, for its light is also furnished by glowing carbon. The electric lamp ! differs from other lamps, in that the carbon of the latter is healed and made to glow by the heat of its own combustion and the combustion of the other ingredients of the oil, whereas the carbon of tho electric lam- is heated chiefly, or entirely, by the electric current—entirely in the small incandescent house lamps, and chiefly in tho largo arc lamps, in which, however, some heat is furnished by the combustion of the carbon rods. Now, it is claimed, and justly claimed, that the electric light is a cool light; that is to say, tho air of a room lighted liy electricity does npt become so warm as tho air of a room lighted with eciual brilliancy by lamps or candles. Yet the electric arc is the hottest thing known on earth, and probably us hot as the surface of tho huh. And, strange as it may seem, the electric light is a "cool' light just because its source is so intensely boti

It is alleged that one night last week some person ringbarked thirteen large pinus insignia trees on the property of Mr R. Liggett, between the Ashley Bridge and Saltwater Creek (says the 'Press'), and that this will cause the trees to die, their removal being then necessary. The police are making inquiries into the matter. Amongst the votes on tho Public Works Estimates under the heading Postal and Telegraphic are: Balfour, £550; Wyndham, £500; Bluff, £BOO (additions); and Riverton, £ISOO. Tho 'Lancet' sajs there are organisms ''which although entirely dissociated from any function which proliferates disease in man, act together with such vigor as possibly to release great potentialities, with the result that the field of their labors may become sooner or later a danger zone. Spontaneous combustion, for example, is~well known to bo the act of micro-organisms. The firing of a haystack is nearly always the work of a bacterial incendiary. Even lamp-black, charcoal, and peat are found to be readily oxidised by a common organism of the soil, a fact which may ultimately, establish that after all tile micro-organism may account for the spontaneous heating of coal, for the awful disaster of the coal mine. In liimimi the 'Lancet' adds, "there have been several appalling disaster arising out of great conflagrations, the origin of which has remained undiscovered. It is thus possible that the tiny minute organism has been guilty of unlocking vast pent-up fdrces. The key of the micro-organism is its power to pair affinities." Skin troubles, chilblains, cracks and chaps relieved immediately with "Red Cross" Ointment. Is 6d, chemists and grocers. 2

The Japanese Thread Cloth* at shown by Messrs MacGlbbon and Co. would make beautiful and inexpensive dresses for Princess Chrysanthemum and her suite. The designs are various and unique. They are shown in shades of Blue, Pink, Green, and Cardinal; some with Tinsel effect, and others in plain Crepe finish. They are also desirable goods for kimonos or dressing gowns, being smart and serviceable. MACGIBBON AND CO., LTD., The Main Street's Busy Corner. Kggs for sale. Rooms wanted. R. Lacey inserts notice. J. A. Forbes keeps helpful books. Chntton Bachelors' ball on October 9. A. Martin inserts dates of meetings. Duncraig (Clydesdale) travels the Uivei'sdale district this season. Cheap railway fares for Dominion Day. Citizens' Tennis Club meets on Friday. Wright, Stephenson and Co. sell horses on' Saturday. Go to Vickerj for Rover cycles. Any sore relieved and cured by "Red Cross" Ointment. Cures burns and scalds at once. Is 6d, chemists and grocers. 3