LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 196, 19 August 1912, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

A general meeting of the Tim Marina Defence Rifle Club will be held in the Marlboroughtown Hall on Wednesday evening, when important business will be transacted. At Wellington on Friday night Allan Maxwell (Taranaki) beat Billy Hannan (West Maitland) on points in a 15-round boxing contest. This was Hannan's first defeat in Wellington. At the sitting of the Supreme Court at Christchureh on Saturday, Bridget Chalk, charged with performing an illegal operation ' and causing the death of Martha Henderson, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. The steamer Rotoiti, which was recently purchased by the Northern Steamship Company from the Union Company for the Auckland-Whangarei trade, is to leave Wellington to-day for Auckland.

Very severe frosts have been ex- ! perienced in Nelson during the past \ few days (states the Mail). On Tues-j day and Wednesday a large number : of water pipes burst in various parts ; of the city. On Wednesday morning j the thermometer was even lower than > yesterday, and nine and ten degrees j of frost were recorded in places. Taps } were- frozen in some houses for the'; first time in the experience of the , householders. <

A Government servant employed;, at j the Parliamentary Buildings .was ar- } rested on Friday .on a charge of hav-' ing stolen several volumes of New j Zealand Statutes from the lobby at , Parliament House. For a consider- \ able time past books have been missed ' from, the shelves at various intervals, < .and followingjapon a complaint from ; the Parliament House officials investi-; gations were instituted by the. police v anthorties. -. *

Sis degrees of frost were recorded yesterday morning, and two degrees this morning. A cablegram from Melbourne states that Dr Mawson's, exploring vessel, the Aurora, has arrived after her Antarctic cruise. Out of the 71 points scored by the Central team in the Senior Cup matches this season, forty-five were obtained by J. Jackson. This is a record which speaks for itself. A good deal has been said of late concerning the price of boots and shoes. Those interested in getting good boots cheap should visit Copp and Knight's sale, now on.—Advt. A movement has been set on foot for thu holding of an entertainment in the Town Hall as a benefit to the two young children of the late Mr and Mrs William James Lodge. The entertainment will probably be held next Sunday night, with the aid of moving pictures. Never mind how bad the cold is, a few doses of Tanking's Linseed Emulsion will cure it. In bottles, Is 6d, j 2s 6d, 4s 6d.—Advt. i This is the lean part of the year so far as stock are concerned. Pasture feed is very scarce throughout the district, though the grass is beginning to spring on the richer land in the vicinity of the town. Generally stock are being carried through the winter with tolerable success, and no excep,tional mortality is reported1. _ Lambing has commenced in low-lying and sheltered localities, and in another week or two the multiplication of the flocks should begin in earnest. Of two evils choose neither; but choose the/'Massey-Harris" when you are selecting your bicycle. Quality and service: will be a memory long after price is forgotten.—W. H. West, "Massey" Depot.—Advt. The necessity for* putting contracts in writing has frequently been emphasised in-the courts, and the matter was again dealt with by Mr C. C. j Kettle, S.M., at the Auckland Magistrate's Court last week in the course of a judgment. "This case, would never have come before the Court if the parties had taken the precaution —a, precaution which I may say is very seldom taken—of putting their contract in writing," paid'Mr Kettle. "A great many people do! not to be desirous of putting their contracts in writing,, but they seem Tto, prefer to come to Court and thrash the matter out^ It opens the door very wide to cases of fraud." P Weak and emaciated children gain strength rapidly by, using Steams' Wine of Cod Liver, Extract. Enriches , the blood, increases the vitality, and strengthens the muscles. They like it, too.—Advt. .The foxglove. haying been declared a noxious weed in the Pelorus* Road: ■Board's district, active^ steps are to be taken for its eradication. For this purpose assistance has been given to Mr F. Brittain, local .representative of the Agricultural Department, Mr Charles Pickering haying been appointed temporary "(inspector. The foxglove, it may be" mentioned, invaded Marlborough from Nelson, and is spreading rapidly on 'both sides of the boundary. For some inexplicable reason, it has not been proclaimed' a noxious weed by the Nelson authori-. ties. The crusade to be entered upon in Maryborough cannot be expected to be thoroughly effective unless similar steps are taken on the Nelson side, and the neighboring authority might very well consider the advisability of co-operation.

A resident of the South Island, in sending a donation of £5 to the fund for the Waihi engine-drivers, writes to the treasurer of the fund:—"One good result of the Waihi strike has been the bringing into prominence the aims and methods of the Federation !of Labor. How sensible men can submit to such tyranny (they ? may not even go away without asking leave like a lot of schoolboys) passes one's knowledge. All honorable men, working or other—and who is not ,a working man in New Zealand?—riiust nrnst admire the stand the enginedrivers have made,, and their action in taking the side of law.and order by cutting themselves free from * body which is clearly opposed to law and order, and whose chief weapons are ignorance, misrepresentation, and intimidation." • ■ ;'

Bandsmen do riot, get paidfor their efforts; their Services are given gratuitously for the entertainment of the j public. This applies to all hands, and not the least to, the local 10th Regimental Band, which, in return for its services, is asking the public [to support its "Village Fair" next ] month, the revenue from which 1 will ! go towards the expenses of the Band * to the Dunedin contest next! October, when an endeavor will .be made to up- , j hold the prestige of Marlborough in \ the musical world. The fair will fol- | low the lines of fairs of old, and'be-, I sides diverting side-shows there will I be fancy stalls with a large array of j i goods for sale. There will be sing- j | ing and reciting .competitioiw nightly, j i there being no entrance fee, and subl stantial prizes. . Spectacles versus Eyestrain.—Eye- ! strain and consequent headaches are | .always relieved by proper glasses. I Consult Cbote and Sandstein. ophthal- | mio opticians, 348 Lamhton Quay (op- : posite Bank of New Zealand), WelI lington, who will give you a thorough ; examination. Certificated opticians, ! with 18 years' English and Colonial ! experience. Loridoh certificates. Con- ; sultation free. Note: Visits will be ; madb to Blenheim every quarter. Dates will be advertised1 later.—-Advt. Captain Basle,1, manager of the New Zealand Whaling Company, which has been operating in the far'^ north fr^m a base at Russell, has written to a friend, in Wellington stating/that, the total catch up to three days ago had been 27. humpback whales. This lias been- extremely disappointing, ..as the season is _nbw - vil*tually :at aii ©nd, and the company had hoped to catch about 500 whales during the season. Still, Captain Hasle does not despair, as he mentions in the Jetter that he is contemplating starting a shore station for the more convenient handling of the catch next season. If you were I &nd I were you, And T were well and you had "flu," What would you do P Would! you regain your healtk like me.

Mr Wilford produced a remarkably fine'sample of mixed metaphor when he said in Parliament, on Thursday,, that the Budget had been criticised-•. by "fledglings who were just cutting: their eye teeth." . • ';

"The road was so bad and the footpath so inviting, that I saw no harm in driving my motor-car on the footpath, in this quiet country district," was ' the excuse put forward by a defendant at the Upper Hutt Cfeur* on Thursday.

The Ashburton Mail reports thai some cattle being consigned' by rail from Southland to Addington on Tuesday fared badly on the journey, and on arrival at Ashburton no fewer than five were dead. The cattle were,, it is stated, in rather poor condition.

The latest football story comes from Melbourne. The captain of one side strolled up to the referee before a big match, and announced: "Look here, if we win to-day you're on a fiver." "Well," questioned the referee, "and if you lose, what then?" "Then," was the reply, "you're on a stretcher."

This is the last week of Kirkcaldie's winter sale, and some special bargains are to be secured, especially in sheetings, blankets, pillow slips, towels, etc., etc. In fact everything in their vast stores is discounted for cash. All parcels of drapery and olotfcing are delivered free in Blenheim, at Wellington prices.—Advt.

"I have had as big a headacfieafter having two drinks at Bellamy's as ever I have had in my life," said Mr Vigor Brown in the House of Representatives the other evening. "I am no judge of liquor. The only, way I' can judge it is that if I have a headache next morning it (tb« liquor) is no good. Lean'have two drinks in my own house and never know anything about it."

The playing of the 10th Regimental Band from the Market Square rotunda on Saturday night created a favorable impression on the ' large gathering of people who listened i to* the inspiriting strains. • Yesterday the band gave a performance i. at , Rapaura, and a large attendance wasattracted. ■ A collection was ta&en up, and after the" deduction., of expenses, a sum was handed over to th» ! Stagg benefit fund. ;

A supply of the noxious weeds seed! cabinets has been received from headquarters by the Blenheim branch of the Agricultural '■■ Department for distribution among the farmers. This system of. protecting agriculturists from the dissemination of bad! seed attracted a good deal of attention^ at the Palmerston North Show, and Las already been described in these1 columns. The cabinets are available at # a small cost, and farmers may obtain them by calling at the local officeof the Agricultural Department, from Saturday next onwards. As the number of cabinets: _to hand is a limitecF one early applicants will be at art advantage. '

The "secret commission man," * parasite almost unknown in New Zealand, seemsto do quite a big business without interference in the horse staleyards in Melbourne. His method of work is as follows: He approaches & seller who has not had previous experience in Australia, and says he has a friond whom he could influence fc» buy one pf his horses, provided a j commission will be forthcoming; their by careful eavesdropping and inr quiries finds a man who is after % horse. The man he points out tothe seller, perhaps helps to bring him befero the horse by various means,, and if a sale comes off .he loses no timo in claiming his commission. And" he is reported to collect many more than ho is generally credited with.

Chases reminiscent of the fcnshranging days occurred at Belata, between Narrabri and Moree, in NewSouth Wales, a few days '• ago! Mounted-Constable Anderson went out to find a man who is alleged to have stolen a horse. He came- upon a mounted man, whom he questioned, and then took; in charge. Constable, and prisoner rode side by side for a few miles, when suddenly the prisoner wheeled his horse round and made off. The trooper gave chase, but -theother, who was mounted on an old racehorse, gained grotind. Fearing; that the prisoner might escape, the constable called twice on.him to stop, but the order was not heeded. Theconstable fired his revolver in the air, but as this had no effect he fired" again, and the bullet struck the man in the arm. However, the man rode on, but when he attempted to jumpa 14ft. creek he lost control of hishorse,' and horse and rider came down in the creek. Disengaging himself, the man, clambered out and ran off The trooper dismounted, and, after se chase of a couple-of hundred yards,, caught his-man again.