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Mataura Ensign, 26 January 1914, Page 4

On Friday night the Deacon's Court of Knox Church (Invercargill) accepted a tender of £2337 for the erection of a new church in Ness Street.

A prohibition order was granted at the Gore Magistrate's Court this morning by Messrs T. Green and A. Martin, J.P.'s, against a Balfour district resident on the application of his wife.

The Presbytery of Mataura will meet at the Wyndham Church on Wednesday afternoon at 2.30 o'clock. The induction of Rev. Jaines Clarke (the recently-called minister) to the pastorate x of the Wyndham parish wifi take place at 3 o'clock.

According to a return supplied by the Gisborne town clerk to tile Regis-trar-General, the total number of rateable buildings in Gisborne is 2318; uninhabited dwellings, 10; stores and warehouses where no one sleeps. 262; dwellings in course of erection, 30.

A fire broke out in the hay loft of the milking-shed at Lome Farm (near Invercargi!!) ( on Saturday morning. The cows .vluch; were being milked] at the time were released, but as there were no fire-fighting appliances, the cowbyre and shed adjoining, together witli a- Cambridge roller, two ploughs and too tons ol chaff, were destroyed. The cause of the fire is a mystery.

A collision, between a cyclist and a motor-car occurred last night in Brougton Street but fortunately not much damage was done. The cyclist was going south down Broughton Street riding one bicycle and leading another, while the motor-car was travelling north. By some means or other they collided at the bridge over the open ditch leading on to Cbutts' Road. The motor-car hit the bicycles and smashed them very badly_ but fortunately the rider escaped any serious injury.

Rail way mem at all stations along th« Main Trunk are now exceedingly busy loading up trucks of wool and fat stock, says a North Island paper, and some very valuable consignments of the latter are going forward to the freezers. Feilding alone in four weeks sent over £40,000 worth of wool and fats away, and was still sending heavy consignments. During the past four weeks £20,000 worth of wool has been sent away from Hunterville, apart altogether from big truckings of sheep and lambs. Of the latter, one flockmaster sent away over 800 within a couple of days.

T mber merchants at Auckland are much evercised by the fact that the local Timber Workers' Union is demanding an increase from 9s 6d to 12s per day while handling Australian jarrah and Oregon pine.' Merchants estimate that if the increase is agreed to the selling price of the timber mentioned will have to be increased by Is per 100 superficial feet, and they have decided to urge the Government to amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act so as to make it impossible to limit supplies of raw materials in any industry by means of special terms or rates of payment for working or handling.

"Anglican" writes as follows to the i Wellington 'Dominion' on the subject of Sabbath observance:—"lt cam© as a surprise to me to learn yesterday that a man had been fined for 'painting on Sunday.' Of course, the law can punish Sabbath-breaking, but how docs it hannen so few are even admonished on this serious matter? I am living in a district where most of my neighbors are Government servants, and (as the church bell is ringing) I see one painting his roof and another busy gardening. Every Sunday washing, painting) gardening, carpentering, and cricket go on quite unchecked. Is this one man to be the sole person punished for law-breaking? In place of missionary efforts to the heathen, our Wellington pagans want rounding up.

By some mistake the Oddfellows' Hall, Linwood, was let the other night to both the Linwood Presbyterian Church congregation and the SocialDemocrats. The Social-Democrats wanted the church people to hold their meeting in a room at the back and give the hall to them (the Social-Democrats). This the church people naturally refused. Thev had the prior right to the hall, ana their numbers were larger than those of the Social-Democrats. They, however, offered the latter the use of the hall after the church mating was over. The Social-Democrats decided to abandon their meeting, though a number of them stayed outside the door of the meeting and by noisy and raucous argument considerably disturbed the deliberations of those witnin.

The Auckland corespondent of the 'Lyttolton Times' telegraphs that a leading member of the St. Andrew's Society at Whangarei is the proud possessor of a faded sheet of manuscript which has been proved to be the original or a copy in the author's writing of Robert Burns' poem, "Scots Wha Hae." Photographs of the manuscript were sent to the curator of the Burns Museum at Ayr, in Scotland, for identification. A reply has now come to hand stating that the manuscript is genuine, but whether it is the original or a copy in Burns' handwriting cannot be ascertained. The letter states that it is known that the poet mado several copies and that the Ayr Museum purchased one some years ago for £3OO. Above the poem in the case of the Whangarei manuscript is written '"To my sister-in-law," but nothing is known in regard to this particular link with the past,.

A. W. Jones, the aviator, has had a run of bad luck ((the Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph' writes). Recently he fell from a height of 70ft. when returning to | Cheltenham after a successful night over Adelaide. His machine was • smashed, and he sustained injrry to 'his shoulder. A t>w days ago, 'in'mifstake for a tonicj he drank a quantity of embrocation 1 and suddenly became ill. A doctor was called in and the young aviator was given an emetic. Yesterday he was informed over the telephone that a -cheque he" had handed in at the office of the Criterion Hotel was valueless. He protested that he had never been in the hotel and knew nothing of the cheque. Later it was found that a man had impersonated the aviator and had succeeded in passing off the valueless cheque on a member of the hotel staff. Mr Jones| machine has been repaired, and he will attempt more flights shortly. I

What was probably an act of l.urikinism on tho part of some indiscreet youths occurred into oil Saturday when a railway waggon was pushed on to tho centre -J' the Hyde Street way crossing.

TJio iron girders for tho bridge over the Waikana _ Stream in Kana Street, Alataura, arrived on Saturday. The only material that is not to hand is the decking timber over which there might be a little delay but the contractors (Messrs Seddon and Kothwell) are hopeful of being able to finish tho job within a few weeks.

Tho oat crops between- Mataura and Wyndhain.do not appear to bo as good l this year as usual and smaller yields aro anticipated. In tho early spring thoy got a good start, but tho wet weather experienced up to beforo Christmas gave them a decided set back. In many cases the straw is short and tho grain is not well filled. A crop of autumn sown oats on the farm of Mr John Taylor, Tuturau, is cut and in the stook. The crops are now beginning to change color and an early harvest will be experienoed.

There appears to be very little grass seed in the country this year and the only crop to bo seen on the road between Mataura and AVyndham is a small one on Mr John" Christie's farm, L'uturau, which is cut and lying in the stook. The seasons during tho past few yeiua have been wet and unfavorable ior handling grass seed and evidently many farmers who usually pay attention to this department turned it down this season. This shows that farming in somo respects is a gamble, for those who has seed this season may reap the benefit of good prices.

Ah interesting point of procedure was derided by Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M., in a civil case at Auckland the other day. Counsel, in cross-examining a witness, asked the latter whether the name he had given was his real name. This (reports the 'Star') at once brought forth a protest from the other counsel concerned, whereupon the first solicitor informed the court that he proposed to show that the witness was quite unworthy of credence. After thinking the matter over, the magistrate said that ha was asked to permit a general attack upon the character of the witness. This ho did not think he could allow unless the questions asked referred to something that would materially assist the court in tlio present I case. If the witness, for exAmple, had | been convicted of perjury, or if he could ! be proved to have acted without good l faith in almost exactly bimilar circumstances to the present a general attack might be permitted, but not otherwise. A prisoner with a number of previous convictions was protected when he stepped into the box to give evidence 011 his ! own beh-ilf, and similarly an ordinary witness should bo protected from at- ! tacks on his past career. I'or these imsons ho could not allow an ex ainin ation of tho present witness on the lines suggested. j

Our dress materials at Is per yard are wonderful value. When it 'only takes five yards to cut a frock and you can run it up yourself the economic;)] buyer can save money on her apparel. This is one of the many bargains wbicli Ihomson and Bealtie aro oiferinu at their sale.

To let—Shops. Wa 11 ted— You tli. I <ost—Spectacles. Wanted—Girl to assist. Wanted—Swamp plough. Geo. Kerr hold skin sale on Thursday.

Picture benefit, Theatre Royal, tonight. Stevenson's Pictures, P,rinces« Theatre, to-night. Wanted—Visitors to Walkaka spirts on Wednesday. T. Green and Co. hold important land sale on February 8. H. and J. Smith have just received large indent of towels.

Big reductions Ln tailoring prices at Bald win and Graham's. J. C. Williamson, Ltd., presents "Within the Law," Theatre Royai. on January 30. T. Green and Co., hold Bale of property account llobt. Beaton on Saturday, February 7. Great sale of jewellery at 28 per cent, reduction at Baker's.