ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 124, 2 June 1910, Page 2

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

A rather humorous incident arose out of a case Police v. Geary, heard at the Masterton. Magistrate's Court on Friday. The defendant, reports the Wairarapa Age, was charged with bringing into the no-license district of Masterton four bottles of whisky for his employer without duly marking and registering the same, and he was convietad and fined 40s and costs. The sergeant asked that the four bottles be destroyed in accordance with recent instructions, instead of a confiscation, and was discussing the question with the Bench when Mr. Pownall, counsel for the defendant, said he had something to say on that subject. He claimed that as any resident can bring in on any day without the formalities one quart of whisky or one gallon of beer, two of the bottles were legally brought in, and must be returned to defendant. The police could do what they liked with the other two, which were -the illegal excess. The sergeant said that two bottles contained over one quart. Mr Pownall: "Only a portion over. You can empty v a little out of the second one, if' you wish to split straws.' His Worship agreed to the contention of counsel, and ordered the return of two bottles to defendant, who marched off with one under each arm in triumph, while the other two were duly "executed ' by the sergeant at the police station.

The Wanganui Chronicle reports that an extraordinary sight was witnessed by several Levin residents who were making their way to "The Heights," between Levin and Shannon, on Sunday morning. An expanse of wings seemed to skim out of the distance from near Otaki, until it reached Levin. Then the strange object fell to a lower place in the air, moved out to the sea coast, and finally disappeared either out to pea or by dropping on to the beach. Its was very much like that which a. flock of starlings presents when it flies in its military formations, but the fact that the object was some seven miles away entirely disposes of any suggestion that birds were concerned in it. The great probability is that someone between L'ivin. and the southward has perfected a workable a>roplane, which was being flown on Sunday. The time of the occurrence was one o'clock. The

party that saw it was somewhat divided in opinion as to what the object actually was, but the fact that it was something phenomenal was made clear when they reached the summit of the hill half-an-hour later, and found that the members of one of the two families who reside on the hilltop had observed it and had been greatly astonished by the gyrations of the strange craft.

The knowledge imparted at the Masterton wool-classing classes has been of the utmost value to farmers, and further proof has just been received of the benefits derived from those attending such classes. A local wool-grower who attended the classes last year has received a letter from a London firm of brokers, in which it is stated that his clip had been offered on February 3rd, and the price of 12|d per lb realised, as compared with that of B|d per lb for the previous year. Few, if any, clips show an advance of 4d per lb, and the wool, the letter stated, was very carefully classed. Nearly the whole of the fleece wool was sold to American buyers, and the following prices were realised:—Five bales at Is 3d per lb, seven bales at Is 2d, eight bales at Is l£d, six bales at Is Id, nine bales at ll|d. Additional wool-classing classes are to be established at Te Wharau and Tinui.

The systematizing of New Zealand's public holidays is the difficult task the Hon. D. Buddo has in hand. He informed a New Zealand Times representative that considerable variation of opinion was shown on the subject, but the proposal to group as many as possible of the holidays atv week-ends received, a great deal of favor. "No doubt," he remarked, "the public will be pleased to have finality in the arrangement of these days, so that all services, public and private, will have a uniform practice. At the same time, the subject is hedged around with considerable difficulties owing to the fact that the Banking Act specifically lays down that certain holidays which are not generally recognised by the industrial community are to be observed by the banks. I am at the present time trying to arrive at something definite—trying to arrange a list which would be generally applicable, and, as far as possible, convenient."

At the quarterly meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last week Mr H. J. Marriner (vicepresident) presided. He pointed out that the excess of exports over imports amounted to the orand total of £6,693,566. Last year the excess was only £454,059. They were, therefore, this year six millions to the good, a truly magnificent result, thanks to the rise in the price of our staple products, and a bountiful clip and harvest. The banking returns were most satisfactory, advances showing a great decrease. Though this was so, the business outlook was not so satisfactory as might have Been expected.

The hoy immigrants who arrived at Melbourne by the Osterley last week from England stated that the Central Immigration Board in London, the organiser of which is Rev. R. G. Gwynne, le<ji them to believe that they would receive 10s and 15s a week, with board and lodging, if they went on to Victorian farms. They expressed great disappointment when they learned that they would have to start at 5s a week and found. In reply to a question as to whether he approved of the Church Army proposal to send boy immigrants to Australia, Mr Batchelor (Minister for External Affairs) said that he had just received a copy'of the London Daily Chronicle of 15th April, in which a plan was outlined for the despatch of 5000 lads to Australia. He knew nothing officially of this matter, but was looking into the details of the scheme as expounded in the newspaper. He understood that the boys who had arrived by the Osterley on Monday were not likely to be a charge on the State. Employment, he understood, was available for them, althoiigh the allowances they were to receive, as stated in the press, seemed to him inadequate.

At the Canterbury Provincial Conference of the Farmers' Union en Thursday, it was agreed that the union strongly support the auctioneers in their endeavour to prevent the cutting up of the purchases of fat sheep and lambs for freezing purposes. It was considered that this was inimical to the interests of competition. In the course of a discussion it was explained that it was customary for buyers attending sheep sales to form rings, a member of such a ring to do the bidding for a line, and after the sale the successful bidder to cut up the lot among those in the ring. The speakers contended that this nullified the intention of competition, and farmers were deprived of getting the best prices for their stock. Three weeks ago it was stated, all auctioneers refused to recognise any one but the successful bidder in making up their account sales and in settling, and had fur-

ther decided not to do anything thkii would facilitate the cutting up. ofpurchases.

"Every criminal is a fool," said hisHonour the Chief Justice, in weighing the evidence relating to a chargeof incendiarism heard in the SupremeCourt at Wellington on Monday (reports The Post). "He may be a clever man/ he added, '"'but in theend he is a fool, because he does what, harms him. He never gets any benefit out of it. He may get some temporary gain—he may never be found out—but, in the end, there is always, what the Greeks call Nemesis—something which follows up the crime, which, whether the person suffersafterwards or not, always reacheshim. If our people would only realise that there is no gain from wrongdoing, there would be- no crime committed at all in the country."

A number of medical practitionersin Christchureh have signed a petition to the Prime Minister regarding, the urgent necessity that exists for obtaining more girls to assist overworked mothers in the Province. Thepetition states that the doctors who have signed it could testify to the great injury caused to the health of these mothers by the difficulty, or impossibility of getting servants. This loss of health not only shortened.' the lives of mothers, but reacted disastrously on the children, especially during their early years, when somuch care was required. They therefore, felt it their duty to support as strongly as they could the efforts of the Ladies' Committee now. engaged in promoting the immigration of suitable girls, especially from* Norway and the country districts of Great Britain and Ireland. They believed such action would greatly tend to benefit the health of women and children in New Zealand.

A beginning with wireless weather' reporting has been made in NewZealand, though it is not promised that much will follow for some time yet (says The Post). On Fridaynight the Pioneer, reaching through? the ether from Wellington, caught the Cambrian off Norfolk Island, about 800 miles away, and had some; speech.* The Cambrian gave full particulars of the weather away out irtthe ocean—barometric reading, humidity, direction of wind, and so on—and this information was promptlyconveyed to the Rev. D. C. Bates. It is the common practice of warships off the Australian coast to ethergraph the v weather, and it is expected that" New Zealand, by-and-bye; will get similar news from HiaMajesty's ships and vessels of the mercantile marine.

The Minister for Education told an Auckland Herald representative ott. Saturday that he was not in favour of acceding to the request of-the Salvation Army that its officers should deliver lectures on the evils of smok- '

ing and gambling in the public schools. The whole of the work during school hours, thought Mr IFowlds,. should be done by the teachers, who could deal with the subjects mentioned when conducting classes on hygiene and related branches of instruction. _He did not think that, from the point of view of education, any outsiders should go into theschool. during school hours.

The Greymouth Evening Star states that the financial difficulties of the Greymouth Harbor Board are at an end. It is understood that the result of the interview with the Prim© Minister will be achieved by the Government guaranteeing a loan provisional on the Boai'd agreeing to the establishment of something in tlie> nature of a Ministerial veto. This, it is believed, the Board will agree to.