LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 287, 3 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

The Dunedm Prainage Board workmen this mornirig found the body of a newly-born infant in one .of the'city sewers. ■ •>

It is the intention of the Tenth Kegimentsvl Band- to render a 'programme of music ii^ Market Square on Saturday, evening, commencing at o o clock. , ■

The delay in the payment of rates by ratepayers induced the Spring Creel? Road and River Boards yesterday to add 10. per cent, to all rates unpaid by a certain date this month

~ An message .states that trom December 18th to January 6th -there^vill be three express trains each way. daily between Auckland and Wellington.

:'. At the Givil;Serv:ce spoils at Wellington , yesterday, . Bissett > in the hammer-throwing contest, threw 132 leet 6 inches,, beating the Australasian record by 3 feet 7 inches

Walter Brent, the p:ano en'duranoo W2T- cv > '/Pj?^ for" ' 10° hoili-s at -Batnurst. This is claimed as a woi-Id's record. He claimed to have played for 107 hours in Blenheim. .

Informations have' been laid against several persons (says the Nelson Colonist^ tor being in possession of oysters m. the close season, for taking oysters from beds at Stoke during- a period of protection, and for bein| if po^ession of flounders of a size below the minimum allowed to be taken.

Phe Wairau Rowing Club will hold a bazaar in the Coronation Hall at Grovetown on Wednesday, December 11. Stalls of all kinds will be in operation, and will be well supplied with goods. Afternoon tea Mall be available, and there will be no lack ot competitions to provide amusement. " ■"

The rowing . competitions for the -Draper medals will reach finality tonight when A. Hale and R; Fisher meet W. Dew and F. Rees in the deciding race. Last week Dew and Rees beat P. Desmond and R. Boden, and in the semi-final last night Hale and ; Fisher beat W. Gibson and W. xioldaway. (

The Dunedin Presbytery recorded its protest aga.:nst the prevalence in ■Dunedm of Sunday drilling of cadets and resolved to interview the Minister ior Defence. It was pointed out that though th« Presbytery strongly supported the military 'movement such conduct would 'alienate the Church's sympathy.

.** ;«" as announced at a meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that a conferf" C? ?,i dolo«ates from the South Island Chambers of Commerce and the Gram and Produce Association, convened by the Cftntorburj Chamber of Commerce, vsfauld be hold on December 12 to consider Australasian i-ecipro-city.

Mr Talbot, secretary of the NewZealand Amateur - Athletic Assocr'aA "toon, has received a cable from "-Mr Unmaek. who was arranging the athletic team from America to visit Australia, and New; Zealand, "that, owing to the withdrawal of a prominent member of the team, it has been found necessary to abandon the tour this season.

A universal menace is straying stock, and despite precautions taken by local bodies the nuisance still exists. Members of the Spring Creek Road Board yesterday related instances of severe damage done to crops and fences by these animals, and the prevalence of the nuisance in the Spring Creek district was also remarked upon. A motion urging the ranger to take more active steps in minimising the number of animals on the roads, and also empowering him to summon instead of impounding was passed.

The pumping proposal of Grovetown settlers—to relieve them of the dire results of the winter floods—was briefly considered at yesterday's meeting or the Spring Creek Road Board to which body a deputation representing the settlers appealed for assistance last meeting. It was considered out or the province of the Board to entertain the proposal in its bearing on the Board as at present, and it was consequently decided, on the motion of-Messrs Gane and Gifford to give, pecuniary assistance if the settlers formed themselves into a drainage board and very material benefit accrued to the roads. /

The weather is an enigma which even the veriest sophist or prophet cannot solve.,. There is an' uncertainty about it which is at all times perplexing. Especially so has this been the case during the last week, and although there have frequently been prospects of summery conditions prevailing, a moist state of affairs still obtains, much to the evident displeasure of the farming community as a spell of fine weather is desired! t'hristchuroh., Greymouth, Westport Timaru, Dunedin, the 'Bluff and Wanganui reported rain this morning, and the lowness. of the barometer was also general The sea was rough at Cape Campbell and considerable at Farewell Spit.

rJS tjl* Magistrate's Court to-day, Bridget Reardon was fined £1, with /s. oasts, for.breaches of the School Attendance Act, in respect of a child on the register of a Blenheim School. lhe case had been adjourned from last week to enable the Magistrate to make personal inquiry. Charged with having i ai ied to comply with an order lor the payment of os weekly each towards the maintenance of a boy committed to the Bnrnham Industrial *? c™ol a William Wateon and Elizabeth Jane Watson pleaded ina-bilitv to meet, the liability. The arrears amounted jointly to £6, on September 28th. Jsach defendant ottered to pay 2s 6d weekly. Sergeant Hanson having examined the defendants'as to their means, Mr R. S. Florance, b.M., reduced the order to 2s 6d a week in eadu case as from September 28th, and directed that they each pay an additional 2s 6d a week for theliquidation of the arrears.

The annual meeting of the W.C.T.U. was held last evening in Wesley Hall in the form of a, social, which was very well attended and was most enthusiastic - throughout. Mrs Litchfield was m the chair, and in the opening address mentioned that she wished some of the younger' people would come forward and help on the work, for as.thfc old ones were wearing out they wanted the young ones to come on and take their place. The following programme was rendered :—Piano solo, Miss Hulbert; president's addross, Mrs] A. J. LitchfieJd; solo. Mrs i Dalies; report and balancesheet, Mrs D. P. Sinclair; recitation, jVJiss A very; cornet solo. Master M. Clarke; address, Rev. W. O. Robb; solo, Mrs E. Hay; pianoforte duet, Misses Fisher and Clarke; address, Mr Ship lev; recitation, Miss Ivy Thomas ; address, representative Good Templars' Lodgo: solo, Mr P. Cooke • recitation, Mr Kerr. A vote of thanks was passed to the performers.

A. first offender,, who was found drunk in Queen Street yesterday, was fined 5s by Mr JR.. S. Florarice, S.M. this morning. Harry Lantow, George Cowie, and George .Slow were charged with having been on licensed premises without lawful excuse. The defendants did not appear. Sergeant Hanson stated that the three men were, found in the Wair.au-- Valley Hotel by Constables Byrne and Cummings diai-ing the forenoon of Sunday, Noreniber 17thr They were in the vicinity of the bar. His Worship read a letter received by him from Slovr, in which defendant said that he accompanied a friend, a boarder, to the hotel to get the latter's horse, and not for the purpose of getting a drink. .Constable Cumraings, giving evidence, said that, on being accosted, all three said that they were boarders and all gave wrong addresses. Tho hotel register being produced, and not containing the names of the men, they admitted that they were noi boarders, and said that they were employed at the Hillersden fiaxmill. Nothing was said about a horse, and no excuse was offered. Sergeant Hanson stated that Slow was con•victed of a similar offence, in 1909.. A fine of 10s, with 7s costs, was inflicted in each case.

Tfoo Sweet Pea Show, -will be. openej as soon as possible after 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon', and - will open again in the evening. " All day "on; Thursday the public will be admittedAfternoon tea, supper, arid morning tea will bo obtainable—"in season. Each exhibitor will b& allowed on© assistant to help stage the blooms,: This being an extra Sbo_w, members of the Horticultural Society will noti be able to gain admission on their season tickets. To-morrow evening selections will be rendered by thd Junior Orchestra.

The Prime Minister's attention has been directed to a Masterton telegram reporting dissatisfaction among th» Territorials there over the appointment of officers, who, it is contended,, have no qualifications for the positions except that their parents nold! high social positions and are supporters of the Reform party. The Hon. Mr Massey said that as far as he knew,, social position had nothing to do with any appointment made under the Reform Government, either, in the Defence or any other Department. He would, however, see __ th» Minister for Defence on the subject-

' The monthly meeting of the Spring Creek River Board was held at Maxfboroughtown yesterday afternoon, th» following".members-being present: — Messrs J. Gane (chairman), C, Reeves, J. Watson, H. C. Cheesman, and W. Gilford. The Chairman reported upon the Board's visit to the Peninsula property for the purpos* of inspecting the banks and ,an erosiort to which the Board's attention had..been drawn by Mr J. Reid* ■■(manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd.), £.nd Mr R. H v Sinale. He recognised the Board's liability to a certaia extent in connection with the erectum of a bank. Upon the motion of , Messrs Watson and Reeves," it was decided to grant £30 towards the cost of erecting the required bank from the Penin&ula mill to the intersection of the Wairau River and the Spring Creek, the work to be .done to th# satisfaction of the Board's inspector. A debit balance of £223 14s 4d was reported, by the secretary, and accounts amounting to £73 3s Gd were authorised for payment. Several, transfers were approved, and th» necessary amendments to the rate roll were authorised.

During a discussion on the dog tax at a meeting of the Waimea.^ County Council last Wednesday (states th« Nelson Mail), the new Chairman, Councillor Everett, expressed th« opinion that power should be given to destroy any dog found wandering about after dark unaccompanied. Very few people, he said, were1 a war* of the tremendous losses incurred by sheepowjiers through dogs getting into the stocks at night. His duties at different times had given him opportunities of hearing of these losses. AH dogs, he contended, should be chained up at dark. A proposal was made to vary the tax this year and charge 2s 6d a bead for sheep, and cattle dogs and 53 for sporting dogs. The difficulty of differentiating was pointed out by three or four Councillors, and, it was mentioned that even Fox Terriers and Newfoundlands had beeu used for working sheep, and that ther# were special provisions' with regard to rabbiters and shepherds. One Councillor wanted to know what would b« charged for a half-bfed; and " altogether the feeling was against a dual tax, the motion failing to find a seconder. *

A very good instance (says tli* Manawatu Daily Times) of how th« beaches. along the coast, and particularly between the mouths of the Wanganui and Wangaehu rivers,. ar« being built up from year to year.is thY wreck of tne Wanganui-Australian trader Ciuroa, which, went ashore a few miles south "of the Wanganui Heads about four years ago. When the vessel went ashore it was almost low tide, and she quickly became embedded in the sand and was covered at high water, but now all that remains of the staunch vessel is high and dry against the sandhills, and' is only reached by the sea when it is exceptionally rough. The only parts of the hull that are now visible is th« -bow, which is protruding upside down, from the sand, and several larg« pieces of her sides that are scattered among the driftwood higher up th« coast. .

The hardships and perils of a gumdigger's life" were revealed at an Inquest held at .Auckland' on Tuesday on. Alfred Barchard, an elderly man wh» was found in a dying condition benoath an office in Newmarket on Saturday. Deceased, was once lost ia the bush for several weeks during winter-time. , As a result of exposur* he suffered from frostbite in his toes. When he was taken to the hospital it was found necessary to amputate both. his -feet. Since that time he had been going about with a pair of specially constructed bootp. With advancing age, however,.he had found it difficult to get work, and when discovered on' Saturday, he waß in th« last stages of 'exhaustion through starvation.