LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 114, 12 May 1909, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

The chief steward of the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Opawa was arrested at Invercargill yesterday on a charge of smuggling boots. At Monday's meeting of the Marlborough Education Board, Mr E. Thomas, truant officer for the Blenheim district, was appointed to act in a similar capacity for Picton, at a salary of £5 per year in addition to what he receives at present. A Christchurch telegram states that the old Athletic Council- has r&signed, and has decided to hand over the books, records and funds to the new body at Wellington. The Council passed a resolution eulogising the services rendered by the president, Mr IW. ,G. Atack, to amateur sport in the Dominion. For Children's Hacking Cough at night—Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d and 2s 6d.

Napier reports that a heavy gale, accompanied by steady rain, was experienced during last night, and today the storm showed *no signs of abating. Country reports indicate that a good body of water has fallen during the last twenty-four hours.

At a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board to-day, the chairman said that the Committee thought it inadvisable to raise further loans in the Dominion. They had a definite offer for £60,000, the balance of No. 5 loan, at 98. The Board agreed to accept the offer as from July 10.

Some very heavy rain has fallen in the Awatere district. The rivers and creeks are all up, and the Ure River has encroached on the main coach road to within 9ft. of Murray's fence. Various wash-outs and slips have occurred, and the road men will be kept busy for some considerable time.

A conference of Chambers of Commerce at Palmerston North yesterday passed a series of resolutions demanding drastic alterations in railway time-tables for the lower half of the island, with accelerated speed and a dining-car on trains to Napier. The alterations asked for are mostly to enable connections to be made by distant places with through trains.

A Blenheim man who was recently visiting Rotorua, happened to remark to a fellow traveller that the land through which they were passing looked very poor, and he said, "It would not grow 100 bushels of barley to the acre, like where I come from." "Then," said the other, "you evidently come from Marlborough, for that's the only place I know of that will do it." Such is the fame of fertile Marlborough.

The track, or footpath, call it what you will, from the Starborqugh Hotel to. the Seddon railway station, badly needs looking to. Whether the Awatere Road Board or the saleyards committee are responsible for its present state deponent saith nought, but it is a disgrace to either body. Where there is not a pool of water there will be found eight or nine inches of mud of the peculiar Awatere stickiness. No one can hope to negotiate the track in wet weather dry foot, and it is to be hoped something will be done to make it more passable.

The Blenheim golf links at Riverlands will be opened for the season on Saturday next, and it will be noticed from an advertisement appearing in this issue that a drag will leave the Square for the convenience of players and others wishing to be present. The links are in good order, and the Marlborough Golf Club anticipate a very successful season. The principal officers for the year are as follows:— President, Mr B. S. Clouston; VicePresidents, Dr Bennett and Mr C. H. Mills; Secretary, Mr C. E. MacShane. A good number of new members have already joined.

The monotony of the bridge building oxierations at the Wairau River was relieved, yesterday afternoon by the capsize of the punt on which the pile-driving apparatus, consisting of a boiler, winch,,, a 30-feet derrick and smaller gear, was placed. The machinery was hired by the contractor, Mr Me Williams, from Mr B. Garnham, and Mr B. Garnham, junr., was employed to drive the engine. It appears that the punt was being moved, and the monkey swung out from the derrick. This caused the punt to list, and the weight of the top hamper carried her over. The driver of the engine was alone on the punt at the time of the capsize, and was compelled to leap into the, water, but got ashore little the worse for his wetting. The pile-driver now lies at the bottom of the river with her funnel stuck in the mud. There is about seven feet of water and about ten feet of quicksand where the punt turned over. A diver was to go down to-day to ascertain the position of the submerged winch, and to make lines fast to haul her out, which will be accomplished by a traction engine. It is singular that the boiler did not explode when . immersed in the cold water, as full steam was on at the time. Besides the loss of tools, etc., Mr Garnham lost a waistcoat containing his watch and chain.

The weekly meeting of the Young Men's Biblical and Literary Class was held last night in Wesley Hall. Mr R. Stranger presided over a fair audience, a gratifying feature of which was the presence of some visitors. The subject for the evening, "Solitude of Prayer," was handled in a most able manner by Mr J. Hale, who pointed out what a mighty force prayer was in the religious life, emphasising the loss to Christians in their spiritual growth by not taking every advantage of the privacy offered them, in the various walks of life. Christ, he said, was our Exemplar in all things, and His continual interceding with God on behalf of humanity, His resisting fierce temptations by the same means, all showed the great power and efficacy of prayer. In concluding, he said that the secret of all success and devotion in the Christian life was the incessant outpouring of the heart and the continual living near to God, without any public show, but rather in the confines of solitude and unostentation. An interesting discussion followed, several speakers viewing the subject in the same light as the essayist, others contending that a little less prayer and a little more work would be more advantageous, and productive of better results. Another section still regretted the spirit of formality which crept into devotional exercises, adding that if the petition were backed by some effort I towards its fulfilment it would be of more consequence. Before separating, after a pleasant evening, it was agreed unanimously and enthusiastically to forward to Mr L. A. White the hearty congratulations of the class on his approaching marriage.

5s in the £ discount at Smith's Bank Demand Sale of Drapery, now on, opposite Criterion Hotel. *

Mr Wiffen (of St. Clair) met with a mishap yesterday while attempting to cross the Taylor River at the Burleigh ford. Mr Wiffen was driving a horse and buggy, and owing to the ford being scoured out the vehicle was washed down the stream, where it is still to be seen entangled under the footbridge. It transpires that Mr Wiffen was informed the stream was fordable, but upon the horse being driven in it sank into a hole, and Mr Wiffen was washed down the stream to the bridge, where, with considerable difficulty, he succeeded in scrambling on to the ledge of the bridge. He managed to get clear after a time, and upon regaining terra firma he sa\v his horse's head above water close to the bridge. A man passing assisted to get the horse adrift. Mr Wiffen had a narrow escape, and was very much bruised as the result of his scrambling in the water. The buggy to-day was almost covered with silt. For Influenza take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails; Is 6d and 2s 6d. The mortal remains of the late Mr A. Gifford were interred in the Spring Creek cemetery yesterday afternoon. The cortege left the deceased gentleman's late residence at about a quarter to two, and was followed by over seventy conveyances, bearing mourners and friends of the deceased, and a number of horsemen and cyclists joined in the mournful procession, thus testifying to the great esteem in which the late Mr Gifford was held by all who knew him. The Rev. Mr Wollstein, vicar of the Spring Creek Anglican parish, conducted a brief service in the church, and also performed the obsequies at the graveside. The pall-bearers were Messrs A. Fairhall, C. Reeves, R. Lamb, C. Matthews, H. Robinson, J. Gane,. F." Soper, A. McCallum and J. J. Corry. A large number of floral tributes were placed upon the coffin by those who attended. OBTAIN A PATENT. New ideas, or improvements on existing arrangements, should be patented—provisionally, at 'aeay rate. Fullest details as to procedure, etc., are contained in our pamphlet " Advice to Inventors," which will be posted firee of cost on application, to HENRY HUGHES, Patent Agent, Queen's Chambers, Wellington. *