LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 62, 14 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

In this issue his Worship the Mayor invites the observance of -Friday next (St. Patrick's Day) .as the general half-holiday, in li&u of to-morrow.

A. gift auction of produce in aid of the funds of the Church of-England at Spring Creek will take place at Corry and Co.'s auction mart on Saturday next.

At yesterday's meeting of the High School Board of Governors Mr ana Mrs J. Lowe were appointed caretakers of the High School property and buildings. There were three applications.

Although repeated efforts have been made by Mr J. Duncan, M.P., and others to have Mr H. M. Reader reappointed, to his position on the Marlborough Land Board, they have so far failed, and Mr Reader was unable to take Ins seat, at the Board meeting today.

The High School Governors met at the conclusion of the Education •Board s meeting yesterday, when the secretary reported the Board's credit balance to date to be £236 8s Accounts amounting to £22 Is 9d- were passed for payment.

Keep Steams' Wine of Cod Liv«r Jkxfcract m the home. When you feel fatigued—nerves are unstrung—can't eat and feel all run down—then is when you need it.

A sum of £7 10s was voted by the •High bchool Governors yesterday towards the construction of shelves and cases to hold the geological collection donated by Mr A. J. Litchfield to the school This yery valuable collection is to be placed in the school library. • A j. I remincler is given those Interested in the progress of the fruit industry m Marlborough of the address to be delivered on "Fruit Culture in Marlborough" by Mr Boucher, Government Poinoiogist, in. the Orange Hall to-night, commencing, at 8 o'clock.

Dr Innes wrote informing the High bchool Board of Governors yesterday that he had decided to continue the present term a week longer than usual because of the delay of scholars in getting to their studies on account of the building operations atf the school. ±he term holidays would be reduced ?Z °£ c week> This was approved by the Board.

It is understood (says the Press) that Picton's new wharf is now to be 1(3 feet in length, and that it will be placed m a position a chain or two closer to the town than was previously intended. An additional 90ft. of sea front is at the present time being reclaimed with huge masses of rock, the depth of water necessitating a very solid foundation.

Blackberries from the districts near Wellington are still being sold for 2Jd per pound on the Wellington market.

In a recent cricket match between the Mt. Cook and Kilbirnie schools, Wellington, the former representatives put up the large score of 312 ftxr eight wickets. Donaldson scored 120 not out and Curry 11/. Kilbirnie made 60. The winners score is believed to be a record for pubiic school cricket. On the recommendation of Dr Lines, the Marlborough High School Board if Governors have decided to approach the Blenheim Bowling Club on the subject of leasing a vacant section owned by the club adjoining the school ground for practical purposes in connection with the agricultural classes at the school. '

The question of granting the High School pupils a whole holiday onbt. Patrick's Day came up at the High School Board of Governors' meeting yesterday. Dr Innes recommended that only half a day be allowed. The members, however, were unanimously of the opinion that a whole holiday should be granted, and a resolution to this effect was carried.

Hole-and-corner meetings are the order of ilie day among opponents ot the proposed water and dnainago echome for the borough. Another of these secret assemblages was held1 Jast night, when, it is reported, £25 was subscribed in the room to be used in fighting the scheme. ' The question that is being freely asked is, why are Lheso opponents of the scheme atraid to como out and let the public know in a faiv and square manner their reason for objecting to an up-to-date sanitary scheme for the town ?

"Men who go out duck-shooting a,nd bring home bags of 200 per, day are not sportsmen; they are butchers," said Mr Elliott at the annual meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. Mr Elliott further suggested that twenty-five brace was quite a big enough bag for any man to secure in one day. With this view Mr F. Earl concurred, and he suggested that as the Government stipulated the maximum number of fish which might be caught it would be a fair thing to ask that some similar" restriction should be placed on the duck-shooting "gluttons."

At last month's meeting of the Marlborough Education Board the contractor for the erection of the Nopera Bay school wrote asking for a grant for excavating the site upon which the schoolwas erected and for carting the timber. He pohiteS out that this entailed a good deal of extra work, and. as this was not mentioned in the specifications he was entitled to extra payment. The Board referred this matter to the Nopera Bay Committee and the architect, with the result that the Committee advised them yesterday that the claim was not a legitimate one. The architect, however, recommended the Board to make a grant of £3 10s for these extras, and this was done.

"Don't call alcohol a poison," said King's Counsel to the Government Analyst in. the murder trial at Ohristchurch on Thursday, "or you will offend a lot of people." "Well," replied the analyst, "it will cause death just as much as prussic acid."' King's Counsel ' similingly suggested that instead ,of using the words "no other poison except traces of alcohol" he should use the words "and no other poison, but traces of alcohol." "Very well," said the analyst, "but it is less correct." l

Provision has at last been made for the registration of barmaids. Applications for registration must be sent in to the Secretary for Labor on or before the Ist day of June, 1911, and must be accompanied by a statutory declaration that since the 21st November. 1909, the applicant has been employed for a continuous, period of three months out of the previous twelve months. If the Secretary for Labor is satisfied he will register the applicant and issue a certificate of registration.

The West Coast correspondent of The Dominion writes as follows:— The long spell of dry weather which began at Christmas shows no sign of breaking, and farmers, sawmillers, and miners are experiencing anxious times. Water is being carried from the sea coast to Millerton on. the hills, barrels being sold at ss. Cape Foulwind residents are being supplied free of cost with water carried by train from Westport by the Harbor Board. Bush fires still continue, and flaxmillers have had to exercise the greatest care to protect valuable flax swamps and mills.

Mr R. W. Stiles, hon. secretary to the Pitf> memorial fund, has been advised that the Prime Minister (Sir J. G. Ward) has authorised the immediate payment of the Government contribution of £300 to the committee's •account at the Post Office Savings Bank. The Prime Minister lias expressed his intention, after his return from England, to visit Nelson and take part in the formal opening of the new church steps to bo erected to the memory of the late Hon. Colonel A. Pitt. In connection with, the steps. The C'clcnist is informed that plans are .almost- ready, and designs will be submitted by two local architects.

The Springlands School Committee is evidently a money-making body, judging from Mr Hylton's report' t<* the Education Board yesterday. When some grants applied for by this Committee were under consideration the secretary was asked what the committee's financial position was at the end of last year. He referred to the balance-sheet, and found that the Springlands School Committee had a credit balance of £20 4s Id.

The Oiyrrpia Skating Rink continues to draw its crowd of skaters and would-be skaters. Plenty of amusement is provided for those who ■do not care to risk a fall on skates by learners who appear to have a desire to skate on every portion of their anatomy except their feet. Several good skaters are noticeable amongst local residents, and there can be no doubt that skating will have a o-ood run this season. A visit'to the Grosvenor Hall is recommended for those who desire an evening's amusement.

Th© fire at the shop in Alfred Street was_ a good opportunity for bargains in damaged goods, but now they are all gone, and there is nothing in the shop but new and fresh goods. There are, however, still bargains to be had from 300 "Best" high-grade Englishbuilt cycles at £6 10s, £8 10s, £10 10s, £15 10s. Second-hand cycles can. be had at £J 10s to £5-10s," all in first-class order. All accessories at lowest prices in Blenheim. I buy direct, and can afford to sell at a minimum of profit. I have also roller skates, fishing tackle, guns and ammunition—E. H. Best, Alfred Street.

Captain Hugo, Government inspector of Fire Brigades, who returned to Wellington by the Mapourika on Saturday night from the Fire Brigades' Demonstration atHokitika, speaking to a Post reporter, said that the demonstration was exceedingly well carried out. The arrangements were excellent, and the people of Hokitika^ he considered, deserved great praise for the way in which they managed the whole undertaking. It was, he said, most creditable that a town the size of Hokitika was able to raise prize-money totalling about £700. One thing which struck Captain Hugo very much was the practical interest in the demonstration" displayed by the ladies of Hokitika. Members of fair sex were to be seen in charge of the park gates day after day, and in other ways the ladies assisted materially. The church parade of firemen (about 500 strong) was the best thing of the kind he had seen in New Zealand. The marching to and from church was all that could be desired, and the men looked really well.