LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 87, 15 April 1903, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Mails. —The Postal Department are advised that the Sierra arrived at San Francisco on the 13th inst at 10 a.m.

Farmers' Union. —The annual meeting of the Seddon branch of the Farmers' Union will be held at Barretts' Hotel on Saturday evening next.

Meteorological.—Captain Edwin wires as follows at noon: "Strong winds to gale from between north-east and north-and west, glass fall, tides good, probably rain."

Personal. —It is understood that Mr Kinaella, Dairy Commissioner, will accept the offer of a similar position in the Transvaal at a salary of £800. His present salary is only £115.

C.J.C. Winners. — The principal winning payments at the C.J.C Meeting were:—E. Gates £1300, Sir G. Clifford £1245 ; G. G. Stead £390, H. Friedlander £300, J. B. Reid £180, S. Brown £120, G. Gould £100, H. Cassidy £100.

Government Life. — The bonuses divisible among policy-holders in the New Zealaad Government Life Insurance Department for the usual triennial period amount to £290,000, This has to be added to the existing face value of policies. Reversionary bonuses will total about £167,000.

A Man With a Conscience. —The Colonial Treasurer acknowledges the receipt from the Minister of Customs of an envelope containing English post age penny stamps for Bs, and a slip of paper having written thereon " Conscience money, 7s 6d (Wellington Custome); exchange, 6d ; total, Bs."

The Pacific Cable. —Mr E. L. Hanna, Chief Manager of the Tele graph Department at Brisbane, in a report in reference to the alleged delays in messages over the Pacific cable, states that he took eight messages haphazardly from London received over the rival cables. He found that for the eight received over the Eastern Company's cables the total time was 28hr 31min, an average of 3hr3lmin, and for the messages over the Pacific line the total time was 14hr Ctnin, an average of lhr 46min«

Note Issue. —A Dunedin banker, .who was interviewed regarding Mr Seddon's proposal for a State note issue, expressed grave doubts as to whether the Government could make a profit on the scheme as suggested, and added: "Our note-issue now costs us about 4 per cent. The actual cost of printing is about 50s per 1000, and then there are expenses for transit and clerical work and cancelling. Do you know that from our branch alone we send about 50,000 notes to Wellington every year for cancellation ? I do not think there is much in it for the Government. The note issue would practically cost 4 per cent., and they would earn 4 per cent, by it. There wonld be no profit in that."

Fishing Licenses.—Mr Seddon, in the course of his speech at Waimate (S.I), said that he was sorry that the New Zealand boys did not go in for fishing. He thought that the license charges deterred them, and personally he hated the name of a game law. Tke Acclimatisation Societies had stocked the rivers with the assistance of public money, and now the license fees were so high that comparatively few people could afford them. He intended to submit proposals to Parliament in the direction of allowing boys to go to any post office, pay a shilling and obtain a license for a day's fishing. The meeting loudly applauded the statement.

For Influenza and Cold in the Head take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is Gd and 2s Gd,

The Latest Surgery.—According to a Continental contemporary, surgery has reached such a state of perfection that eminent operators are looking for new fields to conquer. One of the cleverest young surgeons of the day is devoting hh spare time to studying the question of the possibility of making dogs talk. This he hopes to accomplish by performing an operation on the animal's throat. Hitherto the dogs has always been looked upon as the friend of man, but it he is to be empewered with speech, it is more than likely that he will give a candid opinion of his master, and then friendship will cease.

Crown Tenants. —The Undersecretary for Crown Lands has instructed the local Commissioner that it has been decided that all arrears of rent due by Crown tenants must be paid. The Minister's instructions refer more especially to rents in arrear by Crown tenants under "The Land for Settlements Act," as in this case interest is to be paid and the money utilised in the purchase of estates, and therefore no arrears must be permitted. The Commissioner is instructed to recover all the arrears upon purchased estates as quickly as possible. In consequence of the above memorandum the Land Board at its meeting on Tuesday passed a resolution: "That notice be given to all lessees in arrear that unless the rents due are paid before the 12th of May ensuing, they will be sued for in Court."

" ARRESTED"—Sounds horrible, Empire Company's Extract of Soap arrests all dirfc from anything. Get it

A Theosophical Point of View.— In the New Zealand Tbeosophical Magazine, for April, the following appreciation of the colony occurs:—We are strongly democratic; we have a more powerful mediocrity than most countries, and the strength of a country is the strength of its mediocrity ; we are enthusiastic, patriotic, and practical. Strangers, hero to-day and gone to morrow, may perceive nought but the racecourse, the galvanised iron roof, and the " I'm a better man than you " spirit, but this is the superficial aspect. The white smouldering guardian giants of the north, and tbe mountain masses of the Middle Island tell another tale. The Earth Breath is slowly pouring forth the power which will be the nucleus of a mighty race. The dominions and powers who rule over Ireland, who sway the destinies of Japan, will carry the force that will shatter the " pleasure-loving" scales, tho irritating exterior, and reveal the truer man, tbe man who has come to. reconcile beliefs and opinions, who has corae to give himself to his fellow men.

The Elusive Pigskin is the source of much sport and the cause of many injuries. Football players should use Chamberlain's Pain Balm, an antiseptic liniment, especially valuable for sprains and bruises. One application gives relief. Try it. J.Benning sells it.