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Mataura Ensign, 2 October 1914, Page 4

A recent frost at Alexandra is said to have done considerable dairage to the fruit trees, .the apricots suffering badly. The Marton Berousili Council has decided to accept Mr Carnegie's grant of k\'2">'.i towards the erection of a public library and reading-rooms. Included in the cargo of the TJlimuon, which was berthed at 'Well'iigtr.n on Wednesday morning from Sydney, were no fewer than Go motor-ears (says the •Times'). They wee transhipped Irani the liners detained in Australia. The residents of Lumstkn and l surrounding district have contributed the sun. of £28!) 8s 10(1 in cash and two tons of ehatf, 10 sacks of oats, five tons of :otatocs, 10 pairs of socks, 10 Balaclava, helmets, two woollen caps, two pairs of woollen mittens, and throe woollen scarves to the Patriotic i\u\d. The Southland Rugby Union has decided to compile a lecord of all footbailers from the clubs under its jurisdiction who volunteered and have Ween accepted as members of the: Exped,tioiiary Force, and with lhis end in now is asking club secretaries to forward a list ol players wiio answered the call Us arms to defend our Empire. One remarkabio development of the war has been the discovery that some ot the large chemical firniu in Australia have succeeded in making chloroform, iodine and iodoform, and they are now being produced in large quantities. One prob;ein confronting the despatch of t'iie Commonwealth Expeditionary Force was the equipment of held hospital:; with these medical articles, and the solution has been very welcome to the authorities.

A well-known local builder and one of hi.'i workmen got the. surprise of thoir lives a day or two ago. 'l'fin former was approaching a building wheh was being attended to when'lie. was horrified to see a man who was ivorkmg on the roof fall to the ground. H'.tii thoughts of a mixture of inquests 'ami accident insurance the builder rii-1-ecl up to ascertain the extent of the damago and was staggered on interrogating the man to be informed, that the hue'had merely descended to get so.r.c n;.is. ' 'llie Mines Committee oi t-he House of Representatives reported yesterday upon a petition from Gore regarding the waste of agricultural laud by gold dredging. The petitioners suggested that an apparatus should be iixed to ihe dredges so that the ..soil could be deposited on top of the tailings; of the ground worked. The committee recommended the matter for the consideration of the {government. Mr Anderson «poke in support; of the prayer of the pell, tioners, and pointed out that the p'an suggested worked successfully and economically in the Waikaka district. Sevei ral members agreed that it was tie .si rj able that action should be taken in the direction indicated. !.\lr Scott (thechairman of. the committee) said that though the committee did no! wish to hamper mining in any way, still a responsibility rested on Parliament to profpot the interests of the country as a whole. In the past considerable areas of valuable land had been washed awav, and to some extent the practice was being continued. Owing to rights including valuable land having been granted in past years, ihe Government, perhaps.e ould not make ihe proposed legislation retrospective, lint it should al, all events sec that such waste was prevented in the future. !

i Tiie Commission of Inquiry act up to I report on the reserves for landless'naI tives has submitted its recommendations, which were tabled in the House jof Representatives on Wednesday, i'he Commission comorised Judge (iilfedcler, «t the Native Land Court, and .Mr .H. L). M. llais/.ard, Commissioner of Crown Lands for West-land. The Commission gave its attention to the native reserves of the .South Island and WaikatnMaiuapoto Native Laud Court district, and they were requested to report on the best means by which the reserves ! may bo made annlicable for the purpose I for which they were set An overj whelming proportion t.f the natives who igavo evidence stated that they did not Uiu-wkl to per.sonaMy occupy the lands I allotted to them. In many cases, the j report states, the owners of a section | are widely scattered. If a simple method of pnrcd.ure analogous to that of dealing with Crown sections were adopted the Com mission believes there is every probability tti'at large areas would lx? taken up and settled and' the native owners would derive benefit from the I'ontc, The Commission recommends that Commissioners of Crown Lauds! should be empowered by statute to deal; with the reserves in the same manner! as with Crown lands, giving native owners who wish to settle on their lands i absolute preference before the pub-'ip : arc admitted to the ballot. Individual! natives should be given power to borrow I money- from a State loan department! or private individuals for improvingt!;eir lands. Reading and the disposal! of timber on some of the reserves are! also subjects of hUggestion.

The consumers of electric light at Mataura are notified elsewhere that the current wil| be cut off on Saturday between ibe bonis el' 1> a.m. and ll'ain. during alterations to a meter at the works. "I will pay you after the war/' was a Wellington debtor's answer to a creditor's request: for settlement of an ac-ount. The creditor (a wholesale firm' played the debtor at .her own game, in the following note: "We will supply you with more »oo(U after the war." In the Police Court to-dav (states a Di!iie,l.n Press AsMiciati-m' teleg'am) Margaret Parker was c.Divided of sly grog felbng. Tlr's was.lite third conviction within five years and the magistrate sentenced Jier to throe montlis' imprisonment. Lite thoughtlessness of pooule who drop banana skims on the footpath has on many occasions had serious results. Yesterday afternoon, while Miss Keir, of _ Charlton, was walking along Main Street footpath opposite Messrs MacCibbon and C'o's., mercery shop she had the misfortune to step on to a banana skin with the result that (she slipped and! fell heavily, her left knee beM'.g dislocated. The sufferer was immediately carried into the mercery shop and Dr MeArn. called in. After the injury had been attended to Miss Keir was conveyed tu her home.

Tile fishing season opone:! yesterday with varying success by local fishermen. Ihe heavy ra.n on \VYd:ie-dnv night caused some of the streams to be somewhat muddy, especially the Oianiete. The Waipalii was clear and in iaiily good fisliinjj: order and some goo:l catches were lnnde : .l there. Four local ang'ers, Messrs Geo. Richardson, W. Valdors and 1). and J, Tinnoek. had a very successful day on the Wnipahi, near Arthuuou, and between them landed 90 good fish, some weigh ng 3JII>. Quite a number turned the scale at over 31b. Others who fished on the AVaipahi had no luck. On the Otaniete. Mr James Croad secured 17 nice fish and Messrs Hicks (five) and Arthur, (three) were among the other successful angers. fn the course of a lecture on Stewart Island at the last meeting of the luvercargill Naturalists Society, Mr D. L. Poppclwell made reference to the. many scenic beauties of the island and it's picturesque inlets. The lecture was illustrated with lantern elide.* and was of great interest. In the course of his address Mr Poppclwell protested against the action of the Acclimatisation Society in putting a premium on shags' heads shot at the island., stating that the shag wai a comparatively rare bird. The speaker sa.itl that there were only three species in Europe, about 12 iii America, six in Australia and no fewer than 1.3 in New Zealand. The large majority of shags about the straits never saw a trout, and it was only those which go up the rivers that catch trout. In any case the .shag probably caught only weak and diseased, trout and was thus a very efficient health officer. It would be an everlasting shame to exterminate these fine birds: for the sake of a few sportsman on the mainland. The lecturer was accorded. a hearty vote of thanks for his interesting ■•.'.dilress.

Tho Mining Act Amendment Bill which was circulated in the' Homy of licprosetitativcfi last evening provides that a ct-J'tiluateil mine manager must -have not. less than thnv years' experience of actual employment underground. It is also p.vovid.ed that when a. blast 'has missed lire it .shall not be visited until one hour ha* elapsed from the time of lighting-the fuse. At pre-ent the time allowed is three hours. The Kill further provides in the case of electric firing that, no workman shall return to a misfire until half an 'hour thereafter. The total number of men ordinarily employed in any ventilating ■districts should not exceed 7(1. The fuse know;-, i;\s instantaneous fuse shall not be used. ..-'vVliWy rock drills rto lined .there shall also be an adequate water Mast, or other suitable -appliance for laying the dust, smoke and gais-ps after a blast. Bathhouses are to be rror'ded for the miners. A new provides for workmen's inspection (a I. their expense) to inspect mutes once a month, but. t'.-i d''=chargcd employee of the mine shall be. so appointed, except ">vith the consent of the mine nnuagcr. In the mine or in any dangerous part of it iiKoeefors are given .authority t summarily sUr> operations.

The New Zealand' University Amendment. Bill which was introduced into Paidiament yesterday, provide"? lor the sotting up of a court in the University known at the Board of .Stiiiic--. The Board will be constituted of five profevisors from the various universities. The lir.st appointment v.ill be made on }£\.v 1-j next, Hiid the appointments will be for three years. The Hoard will bo given power to make recommends t'ons to the Senate as to the appointment of examiners and ■n.s to degrees, dinlomas. soh-darships, prizes, courses of study and examinations, and to receive recommendations as to any of these matters from the professorial bo-ink or other bod'es concerned for bringing higher education within the reach of 'deservinir persons-. The Bill provides that soholarehirre will be tenia Wo for three year."., and the. holder will receive £2O per year in addition to tuition fees. Several other scholarships are ab>o provided for. A due proportion of such scholarships will be offered for the ptiniose of encouraging research in connection with, matters relating to the industries of New Zealand. -Provision in -also made for increased contributions to Mio univcrsiti«t. The Auckland. Wellington and Dirncd.in Universities wil receive an. additional £'.jooo per year while Canterbury will receive £2OOO. Provision- is also made, for subsidies on donations, bequests, efo., but in no case -will the. niibs'idy exceed £SOO for any single gift. One of the most fsahionablo materials for the present season is Pinup. Thomson -and Health have been able to fecii'e a nice line of white P nun Blouses and Dresses, wh'ch they aie offcing at special prices for thiw week. The Blouses are priced fron; 4« lid and the Drosses from 10s 9d ; White and Striped Pique by the yard tit Is. Is 3d, Is 6d and Is Od is also offered.

i For sale—Settings. i Lecture, Matauin, October 6. Wauled—General for Dune-din. Kxeurvon faros to Dnned n ri<ces. High-finality boots nt f .eisliman's. Funeral Into ,lohn Halfka Sinidav. (jore Competitions from October 7to 13. Alrg Lo veil's sale commences 10-mor-i row. Grand display ladies' blouses at Si-ops'. Fresh /i s h at O'Snllivan and Tinnock'^. New wason's goods at \.Z. Clothing Factory. Gore Horse Parade. Saturday, October 10. Funeral !aie -Mrs Annie Md'.achern on Sun lay. G. Kerr and Co. hoiil Kale at Auctionj Mart tu-morrew. Btrgains in all depa rimcnts at MacGibbon and Co.V. Don-itions inv'tcd for Briiish and Belgian Relief Fund. ! Flecti'i:- current supply will lie cut oil'! iat Mat aura Co-morrow. | National Mori singe anl A'Tiicv Co. | ! hold sale leasehold, Di'opcrty, November!

Drag* leave Monro's Stable- ior nivc-.lale Bx-holors' Ball ami Knapdale Concert to-night. If yon are thinking of Ring-ing the Bella, call and see Baker's rings.