LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 167, 22 July 1901, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Personal. —It is announced that Mr E. Pasloy, Collector of Customs at Gisborne. will retire at the end of the present month.

Horticultural Society.—lt is intended to hold a committee meeting of the above society at Mr J. Conolly's office ou/ Thursday nest at 7.30 p.m. A full attendance is desirable.

Death. —Mr Mark Lemington, an old and well known resident of Pieton, died on Friday evening, at his residence, Wairau Road. He leaves a widow, but no family.

Dental.—Mr J. D. Mitche'l, who has I'or a considerable time been connected with the Medical Hall dental department, returned to Blenheim on Saturday last, and may be consulted at the Hal as usual.

Commission. —Trooper G. R. Miller, of the Fonrth Contingent, who has received a commission in the Royal Artillery, is a son of Sir Henry Miller, Speaker of the New Zealand Legislative Council.

Advances to Settlers -Loan.—-The Government Advances to Settlers Extension Bill is a short measure giving the Government power to raise for the purpose of advances to setters an additional loan of £2,000,000, of which not more than £1,000,000 must be borrowed in any financial year.

Bulky Documents. —Wo have to acknowledge tho receipt from the Government Printer of a copy oE the "Report of the Royal Commission on the New Zealand Midland Railway," containing 439 pages, and also a copy of the "Report of the Royal Commission on Federation," which runs into 777 pages. The cost of printing the former document was £395 14s, and of the latter £640.145.

A Dock as a Collector. —A Rouen duck lately killed in Auckland seems to have been smitten with tho collecting mania. An inventory of tho contents of its gizzard was taken, with the following result:—One fourpenny piece, ono threepenny, a plain gold ring, a lady's staylace, a small button-hook, a bone shirt stud, the metal clasp of a hymn-book, a bronze halfpenny, the case of a lady's Water bury watch, and a few specks of alluvial gold.

Men's Tweed Suits, colonial make, at 21/- a suit • worth 40/-.— R. Allan.

Unimproved Value. —The Rating on Unimproved Values Act Amendment Bill, circulated on Friday last, provides that in future all rates shall be made on the unimproved value of land as defined in the Government Valuation of Land Act Amendment Act, 1900, This, however, will not apply to the rates mentioned in section 20 of the principal Act (water, gas, electric light, sewage, hospital, and charitable aid) unless the local authority so decides by special order.

Unfortunate. —Mr Smith, who was formerly wharfinger in Pieton, has been unfortunate enough to lose the schooner Champion (which he lu\d just bought) on her Voyage. The vessel was laden with sawn timber from the Blackball mill, which Mr Smith was bringing to Pieton for building pur poses, and during the recent bad weather she was driven on the rocks at the entrance of thePelorus Sound. Mr R. Woodgate left for tho Inlet to bring news of the disaster, but was " bushed" all night, and it was feared that something had happened to him, but fortunately he was able to reach the Inlet next day. Mr Smith was brought up to Pieton by the Rotorua, and has engaged Mr Perano to bring the timber round by steam yacht. It is uncertain if the vessel will be gob off.

50 Eider-down Quilts* at 6/6, 8/6, and 12/6; these goods are worth three times the money.—R. Allan.

Noxious Weeds. —The Government was urged by Mr Barclay on Wednesday afternoon to amend the Noxious Weeds Act by imposing a penalty for the sale of claaff ©r produce adulterated with noxious weeds, The Ministei- for Agriculture agreed that the Act required amendment, but doubted whether time could be found for the purpose this session, Mr Bollard complained that the Govornmeut had not yet brought the Bill into actual operation, and wanted to know when that would be done. The Minister said the Act came into force very late last spring, and ifc was. not considered advisable to ci force it at once. Provision, however, had now been made for inspection, and by tho time summer arrived there would bo inspectors who would have full power of enforcing the provisions of the Act. "It would be. as well if settlers took the hint now," said the Minister in conclusion.

Cost ov Despatching Contingents, —From the despatches which have passed between the Governor and the Secretary of State i'or the Colonies, presented to Parliament, it appears that the cost of conveying the first five New Zealand Contingents to South Africa was as follows: —First, by s.s. Waiwera, £11,800; Second, by s.s. Waiwera, £14,175 ; Third, by s.s. Knight Templar, £6317 Is 8d ; Fourth and Fifth, by s.s. Monowai £12,000, by s.s. Gymeric £12,375, by s.s. Maori £9975, by s.s. Wainiate £12,900, besides a sum of £2949 14s 2d for insuring quick despatch. His Excellency also forwarded to the Secretary of State a memorandum which ho had received from the Premier suggesting, in view of the difficulties experienced in procuring vo> sels to convey the Colony's contingents to South Africa, that His Excellency should represent to the Imperial Government the expediency of authorising colonial Governments, by legislation if necessary, to commandeer vessels of the British mercantile marine that may be suitable to be used as troopships should occasion arise to render it necessary to do so.

METEor.OLpGiGAii. —Captain Edwin wires as follows :—" Northeast to north ami west gale after 12 hours from now; glass fall; tides moderate; indications Cor rain."

Clergymen anj> Elocutiox. —Clerical members of the Wellington Diocesan Synod had to submit to some rather severe criticism from JfrF.V. Waters, who moved, " That this Synod reminds the clergy of the diocese of the propriety of cultivating the art of public speaking." Members listened (says the N.Z. Times) with most courteous attention whilst Mr Waters, in rather halting sentences, spoke of the elocutionary shortcomings of clergyman whom he had sat under. One remark made by the mover was that if some of the clergy were to write out their sermons and get someone else to read tliem, the result would be for the bettor. The Rev. T. JB. Maclean seconded the motion. Jn Dr J. E> Purely the clergy found an able defender. Ho said he never heard better speaking of its kind than that which he heard in the hall on the previous day. The doctor's speech was extremely entertaining. He caused much laughter by a declaration that twelve rules of good public speaking which had been published in the Church Chroricle (the organ of the diocese) were " all wrong." It appears that Dr Purdy makes a hobby of collecting books on elocution. He has in his possession no fewer than seventy-six volumes dealing with the subject. Sad to say, they all differ in the advice which they give to the beginner. As useful for clergymen Dr Purely strongly recommended a work by Canon Fleming. The applicability of the methods of Demosthenes to the average man he unsparingly ridiculed. The Rev. C. C. Harper, referring to a remark made by Mr Waters, saiel that persons should tell a clergyman when they could not hear him. That woulel be better than for them to say nothing and stay away from church. On the suggestion of the Bishop, the motion was withdrawn.

Phenomenal Railway Tbafbic. — Railway fares for the four-weekly period ending 22nd June, show an increase over those of the corresponding period of last year, of no less than £18,370 12s 2d, of which increase more than one-third (£6215 2s lid) was made on the Auckland railways. The phenomenal traffic is, of course, largely due to a special occasion—the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. The increase in total fares is not nearly so great as the increase in passengers, because of the fare reductions sinso last year, but no doubt those reductions paid for themselves by helping to swell the holiday traffic. The actual increases in passengers and fares are as follows : Kawakawa, 119 passengers, £9 2s Ud; Whangaroi, 195, £03 18s Id ; Eaihn, 322, £2218s^d; Auckland, 67,947, £6215 2s lid? Wanganui, 19,349, £2235 6s Sd; Wellington, 38,490, £3448 8s 3d; Christcharch, 48,812, £2581 2s scl; Dunedin, 17,601, £1405 6s sd; Invercargill, 10,913, £2277 3s lOd; Westland, 6962, £8 18s 9d; Westporfc, 603, 7s 2d; Nelson, 427, £21 13s Id ; Picton, 1492, £80 13s 4d; total increase of passengers carried, 214,994 (more than a quarter of the total population of the colony); total, increase of fares, £18,370 12s 2d.