ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 99, 28 April 1908, Page 3

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

"She was using foul language and was speechless drunk." Such a contradition in terms was applied by a witness in the Wellington Magistrate's Court before Mr Riddell, S.M., to a prisoner charged with using obscene language.

The scenic beauties of Lake Hauroto are not likely to remain much longer hidden. The Otago Daily Times says that as they become more widely known they are certain to make the lake one of the most attractive of the southern tourist resorts. The Times published a few weeks, ago an account of the completion of the new track from Lillburn to the lake, which has shortened the distance to ,be traversed from fifteen to eight miles, with an easier walking track through the bush than was formerly available. Since the completion of the track the great possibilities of the lake as a favourite resort # have so impressed a local firm that it has decided to place on the lake two motor launches and several rowing boats.

The coupon system is being keenly debated in Auckland. A Herald correspondent savagely condemns it in these words:—"That Upas tree, the cash coupon infliction, grows apace, and is extending , its voracious branches, slowly, but surely, until \iltimately the breadwinners of this much-belauded country t will not possess a soul (or a sou) to call their own. Is it inevitable? Or are the people going to arise in their, might from the deadly slough of their selfcomplacency, and destroy it, root, branch, and tendril, in the fierce fire of public indignation? , Are the public, like the Auckland master bakers, waiting to see how it will apt down / South? Why wait? , Hesitation spells defeat. The principle of the scheme is rotten, be the results what they may." The correspondent suggests that the coupons should be under State control and obtainable at the Post Office.

"Fly the Union Jack, and weardaisies, ox-eyed daisies, bachelors' buttons, or marguerites on Empire Day, May 24." This is one of seven pieces of "advice" tendered by the Earl of Meath in furtherance of the movement which, under his guidance, has taken shape so successfully that last year Empire Day was known to have been celebrated in six self-gov-erning States, thirty-three Crown colonies and dependencies, 35,192 colonial schools, and 12,811 schools in the United Kingdom. It is computed that in the same year 10,000,000 of British subjects took part in the observance.. Lord Meatn, three years ago, himself defined the object of the movement as follows:—"It is intended that the Empire celebration shall be the outward sign of an inner awakening of the peoples who constitute the British Empire to the serious duties which lie at their door." Associated with this object is the motto: "One King, one Flag, one Fleet, one Empire." ' ,

The new accommodation house, which, is to be erected by the Government at the Hermitage, Mount Cook, .will be a much larger building than the present structure. Mr J. Campbell (Government Architect) states that it will be built of local stone, rough-faced, and of a rustic, picturesque design. The site will be that chosen by the Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Internal Affairs), about a mile lower down the valley than the present accommodation house, on an elevated terrace in front of Governor's Bush. The terrace is at the base of the Sealey range, and overlooks the coach road. From the new building a splendid view of Mount Cook and the Tasman Valley will be obtainable. The material of the present accommodation house will probably be used for out-buildings. Tenders for the new structure will be called immediately.

A. pathetic story was (says the N.Z. Herald) unfolded before Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., at the Auckland Police Court, when, William Garrett was charged with deserting the steamer Wakanui. Garrett, when the charge was read over to him, said: "It was like this, sir. I have a wife and children at Home, where I lost my position through the introduction of mechanical stokers, and I tried- very hard to get work. Night and day for five months I trod the streets and docks of London trying to get a job, until at last I was told that we would have to go to the union workhouse. That meant, sir, that me and my wife and the children would be separated to say nothing of the disgrace of it! Then I heard of the prospects of work in New Zealand, so I left the wife and children at Home and worked my way out, and deserted when I got ]-,f>re. I don't drink, nor interfere ,■ ''-I, tv"""", !>"+■ T i-'TP-fi n crnnr] -ri-IV>. and I want to get iier out here to

live with me in this land of plenty. I have a job to go to in Auckland, and that was further temptation to desert." The charge was allowed to stand over, to see if any arrangement could be made with the captain of the steamer to secure the man's release. , . ,

The New Zealand Times says that no doubi it will be very reassuring to the great bulk of the Civil Service just entering upon a general superanmiation scheme of its own to note the remarkable accumulations of the funds which have been in existence a few years. The Railway Superannuation Fund, after nine years' working, has £127,000 to its credit; the Teachers' Superannuation Fund balance, which was £34,733 at the end of the 1907 financial year, has jumped in a twelvemonth, to over £62,000. The Teachers' Fund is at present in the excellent position of having nearly half its membership composed of/individuals not . more than thirty years of age. Those who are leaving the service are generally the older contributors, while the new members of the fund are young people. Of 219 new contributors for the year 1907, no fewer than 142 were on the five per cent, basis, their ages being under thirty years. But rapid as is the accumulation, it is not a matter for extreme satisfaction, because the fund would be inevitably foredoomed ,to bankruptcy unless the reserve piled up enormously under the present favourable circumstances. In ten or fifteen years a large number of present contributors will begin to draw upon the fund instead of making payments to it. Then the balance will begin to melt like snow in I the sunshine unless the State makes a substantial annual grant, as it intends to do in connection with the Civil Service Superannuation Fund. But the larger scheme may long before that time absorb the Teachers' Fund and take on its increasing responsibilities.

The Mrs Watson referred to in recent cablegrams as having bequeathed a fund to provide pensions for clergymen in New Zealand, upon their reaching the age of 65 years, and also annuities for clergymen's widows, is the widow of the late Mr Robert Watson, who, in the early fifties, bought the' piece of property running from the corner of High and Lichfield Streets, Christchurch, upon which Messrs Strange and Company's new building has been erected. The property extends up to that now occupied by Mr Bonnington, chemist. The late Mr Watson had a small tailor's shop in the early , days of Christchurch, on the site of the premises of Messrs Ashby, Bergh and Co. The late Mr H. M. Hart and the late Mr Waton bought the section extending from the White Hart hotel to the corner of Lichfield Street between them. It was subsequently divided by the tossing of a coin. Mr Watson winning the priority of right to choose, and selecting the section to the eastward, Mr Hart taking- that to the west. After retiring, the late Mr Watson lived at Merivale for some years until his death. In 1884 Mrs Watson went Home, and since then resided at Home. Mrs Watson has periodically sent out, throush her agents, Messrs Harman and Stevens,

sums of money for the benefit of various charitable institutions in Christchurch.

Some startling results have been accomplished through the agency of electricity, but seemingly the president of the Electrical Association of New South Wales has his doubts on the subject of several recently reported discoveries. In his annual address, Mr Kendall said he had observed that it was recently reported a novel fishing invention had been patented. It consisted of an incandescent lamp suspended just below the float, and the inventor claimed that the light attracted the fish for 50 yards around, and that in his first experiment he caught 82 fish in two hours. This, remarked Mr Kendall will probably be regarded as rather a "fishy" story. Then again, they were lately informed by cable from London that the Sultan of Turkey had ordered the electric lighting of the tomb of the prophet Mahommed. This was a decided lift for electrical engineers. Only a few days ago it was reported—by a Scotchman this time—that he had invented a weapon which would enable artillery in London effectually to bombard Paris, over 200 miles away, and that this would be done by means of electricity, an initial velocity of 30,000 feet per second being imparted to projectiles up to 2001b in weight. This was decidedly new, for explosions of this Kind had previously been confined electrically to the elements, or to leaky gas pipes. He was inclined to think that one cipher, possibly two too many had been added to the figures cabled. There was some pretty big work ahead, apparently, for binocular manufacturers.

The Department of Agriculture has given notice to the Christchurch City Council that after the 30th inst. the Department's officers will cease to register places in the city in which milk is sold, or inspect milk sold in such places. This (says a Press Association telegram) means that once milk for the city has left a dairy, farm the Department's control ends, and the Department of Public Health and the City Council will be responsible for sucn registration and inspection.

, The second annual report of the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Association has been published. It states that the policies in force at 31st March amounted to £70,361. Of this £9650 was rein, sured, leaving a net liability of £60,711. The cost of working had been 2s 9d per £100. No loss was sustained during the year. The tariff rates from April Ist are being reduced 5s per £100 on first-class risks up to £100; over that amount insurers will be charged" the ruling insurance rates. GRASS-SEED FOR SETTLERS. Returns so far completed show that relief has been granted to burnt-out settlers in the following districts by the Government in the matter of grass-seed-: No. £ Auckland ... 194 7650 Taranaki ... m 1595 Wellington ... 302 12,317 Totals ... 607 £21,562 In addition, to the above, large areas of Crown lands have been sown with grass-seed. The returns for Hawke's Bay and the South Island are not yet to hand. SWEET-TOOTHED PEOPLES. On an average every inhabitant of the United Kingdom consumes about 3£oz of sugar per day. This calculation is based on a Board of' Trade report on the sugar production and consumption of the world issued recently. The inhabitants of Australia have by far the sweetest tooth. In 1906 they consumed per head 120 3-51b. Americans were the next largest consumers with 89 5-61b per | head, and the inhabitants of Great Britain came next with 81 l-51b per head. Germany only consumed 36ilb, and France 32 3-51b per head. MOURNING STAMPS. ! The British Postmaster-General (Mr Sydney Buxton), in opening an exhibition of postage stamps at Caxton Hall, a few weeks ago, under the auspices of tho Junior Philatelic Society, said that objection had been taken by some people to mourning envelopes. ■ It had been suggested that he, as Postmaster-General, should produce a stamp with a black border. He was rather inclined to make a small issue of such a stamp, and he hoped that philatelists would buy them up at high prices. MECHANICAL VIOLINIST. A machine that plays the violin " with all the skill and feeling of an accomplished musician" was exhibited, for the first time in London, at I Messrs Waring's the other day. Technically the machine consists of an or-

dinary violin attached to an electrically controlled apparatus, in which revolving discs take the place of a bow, while the fingering is done by about 70 automatic steel fingers, which operate as the particular composition to be played may require. ±hi music is contained in the interior of the machine in the form of a perfoiated and endless paper band, some what similar in appearance to that used in automatic piano-players. The price of the machine is about £300. AN APPLICANT FOR RELIEF. The secretary opened wide the door and announced the applicant from Ashburton., says the Otago Daily Times. The Benevolent Trustees su't up in their respective chairs in "surprise as a tall, bent, bparded figure, swathed in bandages and with bis arm in a sling, came hobbling laboriously in. He sank on. to the proffered chair with an audible sigh of relief and surveyed the trustees in a friendly manner with the one eye that peeped beneath his bandages. I ye been in the wars, I have," he explained in reply to the chairman's "What can we do for you?" The trustees seemed to consider this statement under the circumstances to be somewhat superfluous. The applicant pointed to his nuri,s, and said that he had journeyed from Ashburton to Dunedin with £7 He had been "set "upon. Then the lawyer awoke in Mr Gallaway, who inquired pointedly: "Why did you come away from Ashburton? It is a prohibition town, isn't it?" The man said he had come to Dunedin tor ttie Easter holidays. He accompanied this statement with a confidential wink "But," persisted Mr ballaway, " why did you not furnish the police with the names of your assailants?" "Lor' bless you; I didnt know them, sonny!" was the T? lyi lie trustees made a heroic, uUw S*j?le' • ,efforfc t0- look serious! , v\ ell, said the chairman, suppressinS, a smile, "where do you want to go." "Down below! You know' Thft same old place!" "Oh, you've been there before, have you?" said the trustees, in chcrus. "Yes! Oh bless you, yes." The bent and battered personage hobbled out. " There are two things requisite for this person, 'said Mr Gallaway; "the first is a hath, and the second is a prohibition order. And he called me sonny, which, at mv age, I may take as a great compliment.*' PRESERVATIVES IN BUTTER. For a considerable time past there nave been rumours abroad to the effect that the British authorities intended to make a regulation prohibiting the importation of "nreST?°i? "i butter > that is > bu^er in 1 1Ch f™ ere a preservative. An Otago Daily Times reporter had a chat with Mr Riddell, factory manarei of the Taieri and Peninsula f»«iry factory Company, who is nob in the least cast down by the doleful view of the situation taken by that Paper's contemporary. "Time after time ' says Mr Riddell, "we have heard the same thing. We pay little attention to the statements. I believe it is possible to make a butter that would stand the journey between New Zealand and England without deterioration. About two year ago a gentleman who went Home tcok with him some of the butter we sell locaily. He made no special arrangements for keeping it, and v*t when he reached Home it was perfectly sound. He wrote and told us so himself. But even if we could not produce an article to send Home we could dispose of every pound of the butter we export at the present time in the South African markets."