LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 142, 20 June 1903, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Gold.—Of the £58,000,000 worth of gold that New Zealand has already produced, about £50,000,000 has been obtained from alavial workings.

Chihese. — Since the beginning of the year twenty-nine Chinamen have arrived at Wellington and paid £2900 to the Customs revenue as poll-tax.

Mounted Ri*LEB.--The Marlborough Mounted Rifles are to parade for inspection by Lieut.-Colonel Wolfe on the 30fch instant.

Meteorological. — Captain Edwin wires as follows: " Strong winds to gale from between northeast and north and west, glass fall, tides moderate, expect rain."

Stationers' Hall. — Mr E; H. Penny announces the arrival of new literature. Intending purchasers of musical instruments are invited to call and inspect the pianos from English makers.

Illegal Payment.—A West Coast paper says it is understood that Mr King, Government Auditor, has been instructed to proceed for the recovery of the moneys alleged to have been illegally passed for payment by the previous Westport Borough Council.

Massacre Hill.—We have received from Mr L. Rollingshawa well executed photograph of Massacre Hill, Tna Marina, showing prominently the monument erected to the memory of those who fell on the occasion of the disaster of 1813. The picture ia a good one, and should be in demand' as a memento of a memorable event.

Renwiok Items.—The concert at Okaramio by the Renwick amateurs was poorly attended. The programme submitted wa3 a good one, and the object—to raise funds to build a Presbyterian Manse at Renwick—should have attracted greater numbers of the Okaramio folk. But an epidemic of measles in the valley no doubt mitigated against the attendance.—The Renwick School closed yesterday for a fortnight's winter vacation.

A Burglar's Letter.—Mr L. D. Nathan, whose residence at Auckland was recently burglarised, advertised requesting that certain keys which had been stolen should be returned. He received through the post a letter signed " Bill Sykes," stating:—"You will find the keys and sundries in the hedge aear the main gate. The watchman and policeman are d—— liars. I entered at 12 p.m., and made exit at 1 a.m. Am exceeding sorry I created such disorder, but it was fated thus." Mr Nathan found the keys at the spot indicated, and publicly thanks his unknown correspondent.

For Influenza and Cold in the Head take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d and 2s 6d.

Small Birds Destruction.—The statutory conference of delegates from local bodies, held in accordance with The Birds Nuisance Act, 1902, was resumed this morning in Blenheim, having been adjourned fron Saturday, the 6th, so that a Committee might report on experiments as to the respective merits of wet and dry poisoning. There not being a full attendance of delegates this morning, the conference was further adjourned till Saturday week. We understand that the wet method of poisoning has come out of the trial with better results than the dry method. It is a subject on which farmers have taken considerable interest.

Railway Servants.—The period during which railway servants can join the superannuation fund of the Department will expire on the 30th of this month. The Minister has announced that in future no compassionate allowances will be paid to the wives and families of members of the service who are injured or killed in the execution of their duty, so that the desirability of members securing the benefits of the fund is apparent.

Cooperation. — The Christchurch Working Men's Co-operative Society has a membership of 1042. It has a shave capital of £5810, about twothirds of which is paid up. In bonus on purchases it has distribnted to members and non-members the sura of £8790, and it has written £1221 off its properties.

Hanmer.—Mr A. W. Rutherford, M.HE,, has written to Sir Joseph Ward, at the request of the Hanmer Improvement Committee, asking that a sum of money should be put upon the Estimates next session for a water supply at Hanmer, as well as a drainage system, electric lighting, a recreation ground, an improved train service, and improved communication between Culverden and Hanmer.

Bible: Stddy.—" Despite what we frequently bear to the coitrary, .1 believe there is as much Bible-study and Bible-reading to-day as there was in days gone by. Wo are apt to attribute to past generations a better state of things than really prevailed, just as we are apt to attribute to a man who has been called away a great many virtues we never recognised in his life-time."-—The Rev. A. H. Raynes, Home Superintendent of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

About Teeth.—Certain animals have teeth, which grow all their lives. The rat and the squirrel are examples of this. Human teeth are developed from pulps, which fire absorbed and disappear after the teeth are grown. Bat in the case of a rat the tooth pulp is perpetual, and is continually secreting material by which it gains length. Therefore the animal is obliged to gnaw all the time to keep the tooth down to its proper length. It is commonly believed that rats keep gnawing out of pure mischief, but suoh is not the case.

Chamber of Commerce.—The second meeting of the Council of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday afternoon. The Minister of Lands wrote stating that, in accordance with the request of the Council, he had instructed that in the laying out of the Highfleld Estate two paddocks in suitable places should be reserved for the convenience of herding stock whilst being driven through the estate. The following resolutions were passed:—That a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Eckford, Priddle and Mead, wait on the Chief Postmaster with a view of arranging for better telephonic communication with the Bar; Trat an application be made to the Government to appoint a flax grader for Marlborough; That the Minister of Railways be written to pointing out the necessity of accurate weights of produce, &c, being supplied by the Department; That it be pointed out to the General Manager of Railways that the caretaker promised for the Soddon station and goods shed has not yet been appointed, and thus as a consequence the annoyance by pilfering and errors" over delivery of goods still continues; and That tho Union Company be approached with a view of obtaining a through freight on goods from Wei lingten to Seddon. A quantity of routinee business was also transacted.

The World's Religions. — Dr H. Zeller, the director of the Statistical Bureau in Stuttgart, has compiled a new "Statistik der Religions-beken-ner," which embraces the whole human race. The total census of mankind, according to his calculations, amounts in round numbers to 1,541,510,000 souls. Of this totality of tho human family, Dr Zeller allots to Christianity 534,----940,000; to Islam, 175,290,000; to Judaism, 10,860,000; and to other religions, 823,420,000. Under this gene ral heading he includes 300,000,000 followers of Confucius, 214,000,000 Brahmins, and 121,000,000 Buddhists. The reasons upon which his conjectures are grounded are too elaborate to be even summarised hero, but in a comparative sketch of the various religions he estimates that out of each 1000 of the earth's present inhabitants, 346 are Christian, 114 Mohammedan, seven Israelite, and 523 adherents of other religions.

Bellamy's.—Among the questions which will have to be considered by the new Parliament is one as to whether liquors shall be sold at the institution known as Bellamy's. On the fourth Tuesday after the Address-in- Reply has been determined by the House of Representatives, both branches of the Legislature will vote on the question, the poll being conducted by the Clerk. If there is a majority of Councillors and members of the House against the sale of liquor, then during the remainder of the Parliament prohibition will obtain in Parliament. Buildings ; if the majority is in favor of liquor being sold, then the sale of liquor will go on until another poll is taken. In case of equality of. votes the Clerk of the Legislative Council will have a castingvote. There is practically no doubt that there will be a majority in favor of liquor being sold, although, in view of what has occurred in the past, a considerable number of members are anxious to see Bellamy's turned into a temperance institution.

Chamberlain's Cough Remedy loosens the cough, relieves the lungs, and opens the secretions. It counteracts any tendency of a cold to result in pneumonia. It is unequalled for bad colds. It always cures and cures quickly. J. Benning sells it.

Cook Islands.—The Cook Islands correspondent of the Auckland Star says that the trip 3of the New Zealand Government's auxiliary schooner Countess of Ranfurly to New Zealand appear to be perfect failures so far as freight is concerned—she is receiving barely sufficient to pay her victualling bill, to say nothing of her working expenses. For the last two trips she has been sent to the islands where it is stated cargoes were awaiting her, only to prove on her arrival that on her last trip two tons, and on her present trip one ton, awaited her. The Union Steamship Co. before going on such wild-goose errands requires a guarantee, and to a large extent rightly, too.

Inventions Required.—The following list of things needing attention from the inventive is given by the British Inventor:—Reliable and cheap cash register and change-giver; wave motor; stop for silencing railway and other doors; non-reflllable bottle; safety, collapse, and uusinkable boat; rapid and cheap system of fastening window panes without putty; starting device for trains, omnibuses, etc. • absolutely reliable brake for motors) etc.; cheap typewriter and device for silencing typewriters generally • switch for turning the electric light partially off; good acetylene table lamp and positively safe oil lamp • primary battery table lamp ; novelty in penny-in-slot, racing, skill testing, or other non-delivery machines; novel temperature regulator and indicator for ships-holds, rooms, etc.; automatic boot-cleamng machine; paper fasteners, letter files ; registers, and indicators ; oflice appliances; improvements in apparatus for duplicating writing, etc.

Secondaby Education.—When first making known his views on the subject of secondary education the Premier suggested that a Royal Commission should be set up to collect evidence regarding the condition of the High Schools of the colony. The Premier has, however, come to the conclusion that the Government has sufficient information already in its possession to warrant the matter being gone on with, and it is probable that a Bill will be brought down during ihe coming session embodying the views which Mr Seddon has given expression to.

The Opposition.—A good deal of curiosity (says tho Post) is felt as to the attitude which will be taken up by the Opposition during the session. So far nothing has been made public; but it is well-known that conferences among the party havo already been held, and probably the plan of campaign has been talked over, if not actually settled. One thing, however, ia practically certain, and that is that the easy going attitude adopted by the Opposition for some years past will be replaced by an amount of vigor and watchfulness which has not of late characterised its Parliamentary actions, and a pretty determined effort will b\> made to resist any attempt by the Premier to curtail the privileges of members, and to insist on a'more rigid adherence to Standing Orders than has of late prevailed.

" STOP THE LEAK"—In the Blue bag. Empire Company's Royal Blue can do its work, but it must have a sound Blue haer.