LOCAL & GMENERAL SEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 168, 23 July 1901, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Mexeohological.—Captain Edwin wires as follows: —" Southeast to south and west gale; glass rise; indication's for jjrain ; tides moderate."

PukakA River Board. —Particulars as to the Board's Rating for the current year are given iv our advertising columns to-day.

An Advantage to Njbw ZealAnp,— The Financial News points out the immense advantage New Zealand will reap from the construction of the Nicaragua Canal. The paper says the carrying trado of the world will desert the present routes, and that New Zealand lies in the course of one of the greatest trado and passenger routes of $Ue world,

Gold.—The Greyraouth branch 'of the National Bank of New Zealand sent to Wellington-by Hie Wainui,;. three boxes of gold amounting to 25140z. Odwfc. 10gr., and valued afc £10,037 18s Bd. The shipment is consigned to the National Bank of Australasia, Wellington.

Unfoetunate. —A young man rocently left Brancepeth Station (Mastertori) for South Africa, taking with' him £400. He procured an appointment on the South African railways, and the first day he was at work he. met with an accident which caused his death. Enquiries are now being made as to his next of kin.

Rugby Union. —At the meeting of the Rugby Union last night, "after disposing of various routine matters, it was decided that the Marlborough representative teaul should visit Wellington and Wairarapa, playing the latter, on August 7th and the former on August 10th; The Selection Committee were requested to select two teams to take part next Saturday in. a trial match.

Advances to Sextlehs.—The amount of advances authorised to settlers in the several districts of the Colony during the year ended 31st March was as follows: — Auckland, ' £503,798; Hawke'a Bay, £199,270; Taranaki, £497,105; Wellington, £860,193; Marlborough, £99,755 ; Nelson, £45,330 ; West.and, £25,435 ; Canterbury, £218----900; Otago and Southland, £781,114.

A Novelty.—Amongst the music to be supplied at the Volunteer Ball to-raorrow night is a fine set of lancers entitled " The Soldiers of the King." The piece (by Karl Kapsj and arranged by Fred. Haines, L.R.A.M.) has been re-arranged by Vannini's String Band in honor of the returned troopers, and contains 23 national and patriotic airs.

District Health OxnacEKs. —A Press Association wire from Wellington advises us that District Health Officers under the Public Health Act, 1900, havo been appointed as follows:— Auckland, Dr Mitchell; Westland, Dr Morice ; .Nelson and Marlborough, Dr Roberts ; Canterbury, Dr Syines. No appointment has yet been made for Otago.

The Factories Bill.—The Dnnedin Star is informed that at a meeting of representatives of the Mosgiel, Oamaru, Roslyn, and Wellington Woollen Companies the new Factories Bill was discussed, and the following telegram was subsequently sent to the Right Hon. Mr Scddon : —" Woollen factory employers and workers strongly ■object to new clause reducing hours to 45. Impossible to compete with imported goods — the product of long hours and half-wages."

In Memoriam cards, new designs; correspondence cards, latest novelties. —Just arrived at the Express Jobbing Department.

A Famous Entomologist. — Miss Eleanor * Ormerod, the well-known authority on agricultural entomology, whose death wa3 cabled yesterday, was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and held the degrees of L.L.D. and D C.L. She published a history of Cheshire, in addition to many works on insect life and orchard and farm pests. For some time she was Additional Examiner in Agricultural Entomology at the Edinburgh University, which position, as we recently noted, she lately resigned on account of failing health.

Volunteer Ball. —Preparations are in full swing for this event lo morrow evening, and it promises to eclipse all previous efforts. Although the weather has looked threatening, we arc assured that wet or fine will make no difference to those who attend, as arrangements are being made to cope with any state of the weatner, and the greatest comfort to all is assured. A ticket box

11 be open afc the door for a short

7ence ot tlioso who have not got tic Rots We ulidersfcind that should there be any surplus from the ball, the Volunteers intend to devote it to.enlarging and renovating tho Drill She;l, a work which is very much needed.

The D.S.O.—At the Blenheim Rifles' reception to returned contingenters I last night Captain Poison was asked to give an account of the exploit which earned for him the the Distinguished Service Order. That officer, comply- | ing, said they would be surprised to learn that there was no skirmish at all. How he came to get the distinction order was in this way :—Lord Erroll (commander of. the division) wished to send a convoy to a certain point, and he (Capfc. Pol on) suggested that a kopje commanding the road, and which was held by the Boers, should be occupied by n jght attack. Lord Erroll agreeing, he with a number of men advanced at night to within a few hundred yards of the summit of the hill, and afc dawn (about 5.30) they fixed bayonets and charged, only to find on reaching the top that the Boers were not yet in occupation. An hour or so later, however, about a hundred of the enemy came in sighfc, intending to re-occupy the kopje, but changed their minds on finding the British in possession Capfc. Poison said the move turned out to be a very good one, as, had the Boers held the hill when the convoy attempted to get through, a stiff lighfc would, have certainly.ensued. Ifc was for this that ,Lonl Mcthuen had boon pleased to recommend him for the D.S.O.

Counties.—A return laid before tho Counties' Conference on Saturday by Mr JuU, of Waipawa, showa that there are 27 Counties in New Zealand having a ratable value of £500,000 each, 24 with over £500,000 and under £1,000,000, seven with over £1,000,000 and under £1,500,0.00, ten with over £1.500,000 and tinder £2,000,000, seven with over £2,000,000, and five with over £3,000,000. There are two Counties with an area of under 100 square miles, four witn over 100 and under 200 square miles, nine with over 300 and under 500 square miles, 26 with over 500 and under 1000 square miles, 19 with 1000 and under 2000 squape miles, 15 with over 2000 and under 4000 square miles, and only one with over 4000 square miles.

Yeast for Diabetes. —There is probably no country in the world where more peopledie of diabetes than France. It is, therefore, not surprising that the doctors arp racking their brains to find a remedy. The latest discovery of medical science seems to have touched the spot, A- Bordeaux doctor, M. Beylot, has been giving his patients brewers' yeast with remarkable success. Two others have done eveu better. In one case the saccharine matter was reduced from twenty-five grammes to ten grammes, and in another from one hundred grammes to nothing, accompanied with tho cure of a gangrened foot. It appears that the yeast destroys the saccharine inattor as fast as ifc forms. Yeast'is liable to cause eructations, but this can bo obviated by giving it in dry form.

Ordkkb by Televiidnk,—A novel case came before the Wellington Stipendiary Magistrate recently. A firm of grlcers received continuous complaints al^ufc orders sent by telephone not being fulfilled. Inquires were made, and it was alleged that tho discovery was mado that clients were sometimes being switched on to an oyster dealer. The latter was said to have been in the habit of replying that ho v.'as a grocer, took the orders, and said no more about them. Plaintiff claimed. £119sdamages for the misuse of tho telephone. After a long argument, plaintiff was nonsuited. The Magistrate expressed the opinion that the oyster man may hwe been annoyed by constant mistakes in tho telephonic connection, and answered in the way stated.

J MUTUAJpi* jMRiIOVEJifiKX. '— .-At thef ■usuitj weekly tt||eting'of the Ijftjnheiop -Mitt|ial Ijitprdylment ;SocietyV'to bja iheltiia V^leyiftall to-night, theeveiiing^Avill lie devoted to mii-eelfaneotis' literary items, interspersed with musical selections. An enjoyable meeting is anticipated.

Land for Settlement. —Up to the 31st March last 383,493 acres of land had been acquired by the Government for settlement. The total cost of this was £1,806,971, and theroading liabilities amount to £30,000, making a grand total cost of £1,896,971. The land acquired during 1900 was as follows: — For workmen's homes, 902 acres ; for ordinary settlement, 82,974 acres'; Tho total cost of this, exclusive of ro.uling and survey, was £356,5i)0. This pro duced 177 farms and 150 workmen's homes. The area of Ia;:d now mid?;.' negotiation for purchase is : For ordinary settlement, 144,000 acres ; for workmen's homes, 750 acres.

Scenery Improvement Society.— A largely attended meeting of the Scenery Society was held lash evening at Mr* Conolly's oLuee. Messrs E. McArlney, J. Con oily, and S. Tapp were appointed a sub-committee to procure suitable trees, and have them planted in Seymour Square, and also to erect seats. It was decided to ask the Borough Council to take steps to prevent the grazing of animals and to st^p the playing of football and other games by boys in the Square. It was reported to the meeting that the Borough Council had recently filled up a portion of the Square for planting purposes. Arrangements were made for an active canvass for outstanding sub scriptions and enrolment of new members.

A Quaint Address.—Apropos to the presentation of an address by the Quaker body to King Edward VII. on the occasion of his accession to the throne, an English paper recalls the quaintnoss of the address of the Friends to James 11. on a similar occasion. "We come to condole," it ran, "on the death of our friend, Charles, and we are glad thou art come to be our ruler. We hear thou art a dissenter from the Church of England, and so are we. Wo beg that thou wouldst grant us the same liberty that thou takest thyself, and we wish thee well."