LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 67, 20 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Out of a total of 341 artisans and 3060 laborers employed on railway works during January last, the South Island Main Trunk line claimed 18 artisans and 232 laborers. There were 3 artisans and 159 laborers on the north end, and 15 artisans and 73 laborers on the south end. The number working on roads in Marlborough was 46 laborers.

At the St. Patrick's Day sports at Geraldine special interest was given by the presence of Holway, Trembath and McLachlan, each making fine performances. Holway attempted to lower the 140 yards record of 13|sec. He took 13 4-ssec. Trembath. was greatly applauded for covering half-a--mile in lmini 53 4-SS6C, but the track was measured and found to be 7£ yards short.

The residents of Onamalutu have experienced a rather warm time during the last week. Bush fires have been raging on the hills at the back of the village, and consequently the inhabitants have been almost smoked out of their homes. On Wednesday the heat was intense, and several^ of the fire-fighters were almost blind for a day or two as a result of the smoke. The fire has been fiercest on the property leased by Mr C. White, and a mile and a-half. of tramline leading from the sawmill was completely destroyed. For tweed skirts and costumes go +o Hall's. The largest choice, the best qualities, and the lowest prices. Residents in the Borough of Cambridge have been subjected to a number of petty annoyances of late, lne latest prank was perpetrated on Saturday night last, and took the form of tying up most thoroughly seven settlers' gates on the Thornton Road. One settler was occupied for a whole hour undoing^ the knots, whilst another found it necessary to chop his gate down. To dairymen who are in the habit of going punctually to the factory, such tricks as these are very annoying. .

The South Australian Government has decided to purchase the Moorak Estate from the trustees of tKe late P. J. Crone, who was one of the passengers by the steamer Waratah. .It comprises 4694 acres, part of it being situated in Mount Gambler and the balance in close, proximity. It is, according to the Treasurer, probably the most valuable estate in the Commonwealth. The nrice to be paid by the Government is £31 10s an acre, the total purchase money being £145,026. It will be opened to settlement.

For value in drapery or clothing you cannot do better than _go to Hall's. They replace any article not to your satisfaction. —H. F. Hall. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Society for the Protection: of Women and Children in Chrustchurch last week, Mr G. Laurenson, M.P., stated that some time ago one of the prisoners in Lyttelton gaol complained bitterly against the Salvation Army being allowed to play hymns around the gaol. The prisoner was asked the nature of his objection and said that he had no animus against hymns as hymns, nor against the Salvation Army as a religious organisation. What he objected to was the hymns chosen. He asked indignantly if it was a fair thing that the prisoners, watcned by warders with carbines in their, hands, should be serenaded with the strains of "White Gentle Angels Guard Thy Bed." He further complained that the Army sang a hymn to the tune of "Home, Sweet Home."

Our Flaxbourne correspondent states that between sixty and seventy passengers travelled from Ward to Blenheim by the special train run in connection with the Hibernian Sports, and the action of Mr Duncan, M.P., in taking the responsibility of giving a guarantee was much appreciated by residents at Flaxbourne. Work at the station buildings is. practically completed, and there seems to be nothing to prevent the Railway Department from commencing running the new time-table on April Ist, as promised by the Minister for Public Works recently, except that in view of past disappointments, the date sounds rather ominious. .The Flaxbourne Settlers' Association is in communication witli other local bodies in regard to the arrangement of an> official opening, but nothing definite has yet been decided on.

Slightly amended1 regulations in regard to the registration of barmaids are issued in the Gazette. The point of difference between the present regulations and those gazetted last week is that whereas it was originally required for a barmaid to state whether she was single or married, the amended regulations do not make this obligatory. For private reasons, it was felt, a hardship for some barmaids tc have to disclose their maiden names. Another important point which should be noted is this: The Act declares that the wife, daughter, or sister of a licensee may be regarded ipso facto barmaid, and need' not therefore! register. , It would1 appear that should any of these persons eventually find it necessary to seek employment on other licensed premises not occupied by their immediat-j relative, to safeguard tiiemselvesi x,hey shouki personally register under the regulations.

The fire at the shop in Alfred Street was a good opportunity for bargains in damaged goods, but now they ate 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 £1 10s to £5 10s, all in nrst-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 skategj fishing tackle, guns and ammunition—E. H. Best Alfred Street. '

The annual meeting of the Moutere Football Club will be held to-morrow evening.

Mr H. Dqdson, of Spring Creek, was appointed junior selector at the annual meeting of the Marlborough Rugby Union, and not Mr F. W. Dodson, as was reported.

| The protest committee of the Blenheim Hibernian Sports Committee met on Saturday, and considered the protest lcdged by B. Campion against S. j Darby, winner of St. Patrick's Handicap. It was decided1 to give Campion ! a fortnight in which to produce his •' evidence, and in the meantime the stakes have been impounded.

From inquiries made this morning relative to the barley market, it was ascertained that there is nothing doing just now. It was pointed out, however, hat the whole of the local yield would find a good market very soon, it being explained that the present slump was only temporary, and was due to the fact that the brewers had> purchased enough local^ barley to mix with the imported article which they have on hand at present.

"There is too much, credrt^giving to people who should never bo allowed to have it," remarked Mr O. C. Kettle, at th* S.M. Court, Auckland, the other day, when a miaar, whose earnings were 8s per day, and his debt to his grocer was £58, camo before him. Ho added that no doubt tradesmen should know their own business, but he was quite certain there were far too many judgment summons casss before tho cqurt.

A large consignment of English wild duck has been presented to the Waikato Acclimatisation Society by Mr C. A. WMtney, of Auckland. Mr Whitney has over 100 of these birds to distribute this year. The ducks laid exceptionally well during last spring, 420 eggs being obtained, and 96 per cent, ol these fertile, but, unfortunately, a number of the early ducklings were lost during a spell of very unfavorable weather. During the spring of last- year over 300 eggs vsere distributed gratis amongst various acclimatisation societies and friends in the Auckland province, which brings. th.6 total eggs distributed to date to 900, and the number of mallards liberated, to over 400.

1 "Area, so far as w© know, never had any influence on Maori land claims," said the Chief Justice in Wellington on Thursday, in giving judgment in.* native land; case. "The aboriginals knew, nothing of surface measurements. N They had not even the ' oxhide' measurement of Dido. The mode of ascertaining where their land was by ancestral boundaries, such r.s streams, patches of bush, hills, ridges, swamps, etc., etc. They would have resented a surveyor's area, which, if settled by measurement, might have given their pas or ancestral burying places to their rivals."

A curious sample of a stalk of cocksfoot was shown to an Ashburton Guardian reporter recently. The growth consist® of three "generations," and out of the bottom of the stalk, which is thick, the middle part has grown. A thinner stalk sprouts out pf the middle portion, and at the top there is a miniature head of grassy blades. This in itself would be interesting, but the top stalk has actually run to seed, and three small heads grow up from the centre of the tuft of blades The sample was found growing at the back of a shed.

A correspondent in the Christchurch Press referred to an English penny issued many years 'ago which he had heard contained a certain amount of gold accidentally dropped in the alloy when the coins were being minted. Mr Johannes C. Andersen informed a reporter that the penny mentioned was-issued in 1864, and he believed had been withdrawn frozii circulation when the error was discovered. At any rate, specimens of the 1864 penny are now difficult, to obtain, and seem to have become very rare. The presence of the gold changed the color of the coin slightly, the tint being lighter than the ordinary penny. Another individual stated1 that these pennies were worth 2s 6d each twenty years t.go.

Singular as it may appear, the rabbit export trade is suffering from want oi! rain. Gore is a centre from which large numbers of rabbits are despatched. . Dunedin and Bluff . are too distant tr. permit of safe carriage and consequently they are sent for freezing tc Mataura. But the Mataura River'is so low at present there is no water with which to propel the freezer turbine, and no rabbits will be received for freezing till the river rises.

Whife repairing the roof of a house at. Hebecrevon, in Normandy, in February last, a workman came across a mysterious sealed box, which he refused to open, in accordance with the old Normandy superstition predicting the death within the current year of any inhabitant of the province who discovers hidden treasure. Less superstitious than, his employee, the proprietor of the house broke open the box, and inside found a number of Charles X. coins, of the value of £592. M. Lerouxel gave the workman £5 and kept the rest. A charge of theft brought by a former owner of the house against the present proprietor was dismissed by the Caen Court of Appeal.

Austrian medical men are indignant over the fate of Dr Frank, of Riedua, a small watering place in Upper Austria. His recent untimely death at the age of 36 is declared to have been in part due to a boycott instituted against him by the inhabitants of the place. Last September m the height of the Riedua season, a case of typhoid occurred there. Dr Frank was begged to keep the matter dark m order not to spoil the season, but, despite all imaginable pressure, he insisted on reporting the case in the usual' way. The townsfolk re•torted by putting a boycott in force against him. No patients came, to consult him, tradesmen refused to deal with him, and those who owed him money declined to pay. He lost his post as medical officer, and armed policemen were necessary to protect his person and his family. Dr Frank, greatly affected by the townspeople's attitude, broke down in health and died. I

A man and a woman were charged^ at tho Auckland Magistrate's Court last week with selling a railway ticket, a portion of which had already been used for a part of the journey, for which it was issued. It was oxplained by Sub-Inspector Hendry that the m&lo defendant had gone to Wellington from Auckland, and that while • there he had lost the return half of his ticket. At the suggestion of the ■ femal-3 defendant, he then bought areturn ticket to Auckland and cold the unused portion in Auckland, . through an advertisement. The defendants said they were not aware they were doing wrong in selling part - of the ticket. A fine of £2 was imposed, with costs.

Vim and vigor are not yours with a headache—get rid of it, be yourself. Steams' Headache Cure banishes the headacho in a minute.

The Poverty Bay Herald regrets that outside centres appear to nave an erroneous impression that Gisborne is a dumping ground for all their unemployed, with the. result that every steamer brings a number, of men into the district who declare that it was suggested to them that they should come here, as there was plenty of work in Gisborne. Whatever might have been the state of the labor market a few months back, the enormous influx, of laborers recently has effected a .turning of the tide, and if things go on as they are, a serious slump -can be expected during the winter, for the supply is already beginning to exceed the demand.

"It- seems-to me New Zealand was wise to keep .out of the Federation of Auistralia," said Dr. Ward, editor of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, when speaking to an Auckland Herald representative the other day. "The Australian States," he said, "had federated for defence and other purposes, only to find at the end of ten years the Labor party advocating a scheme of unification by which the old States will lose all powers of selfgovernment should »the referendum be carried, Wilder the scheme a Federal Arbitration Court sitting, say, at Perth, 2500 miles from Sydney, twice - the distance between Auckland and Sydney, might decide the wages, hours, and other conditions of, say,, the railway service of New South Wales. The only duty left to the* State Parliaments would be to passthe necessary amount to carry out theFederal Government's ideas.

A man named Richard Engelmenn ; who was walking quietly along a muchfrequented street in the centre of Vienna,, was injured by the projecting: point of a hatpin worn by a girl named Eppetcin (telegraphs the Daily Mail's corespondent). His nose was slightly scratched^ The man immediately seized the girl by the arm, led her to the next policeman, and gave her in charge. The case came before the magistrate next day. The girl appeared in court wearing the hat with the offending pin, the point of which: was, however, protected. The girl pointed out that tho hatpin did not project beyond the brim, but £h« magistrate said that a brim that projected so far from the head was in iteelf a dangc-r to passers-by. He added that every woman who wore a hatpin dangerous to her fellow-citizens would now feel, the rigor of the law. The' girl was sentenced to a fine of Is- 6d or twelve hours' arrest. She gavenotice of appeal.

In connection with aviation the sport of gliding is becoming very popular in. Europe, and a 'step towards the introduction of the exhilarating pastime has been taken by the JEto Club of New Zealand, the headquarters of which are in Auckland. Recently the club invited competitive designs for a glider—to all intents and purposes an aeroplane. without an engine, attaining flight by a gradual downward motion. The competition was confined to members of the club. Six designs were sent m, and a sub-committee awarded the prize to Mr H. McKenzie, of Marton, the design of Mr D. H. Murray of Auckland (secretary to the Club), gaining second place. It is the intention of the Club (says *he Herald) to build, as soon as possible, a glider constructed on the lines of Mr McKenzie's prize drawing, and a special fund is to be inaugurated for the purpose. At least one glider is in course of construction m Auckland at present, and others are likely to follow. Apart from the pleasure to be gained by gliding, utility is a factor, seeing that to •elide requires just as much care and" skill as to fly on a big "aeroplane. To glide successfully it is necessary to start the machine down a hill by means of some auxiliary impulse. In due course, under favorable conditions, the glider takes the air, and! also enters upon an undulating flight, the length of which, of course, depends upon the wind. Gliding; is, in short, a practical first stop towards mastering aviation.