LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 140, 16 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Twelve and a-half degrees of frost were registered locally during the night.

The winner of the third prize, the trip to Sydney, in the Hospital Bazaar art union, was Miss Lilian Gane, daughter of Mr James Gane, of Spring Creek. The lady whose name was originally published sold the ticket to Miss Gane.

A Christchurch Press Association telegram states that the 27th annual meeting of the New Zealand Alliance was opened yesterday by special services in many of the churches. An open meeting was held in Victoria Square at four o'clock, the Rev. J. Dawson presiding.

The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) gave judgment on Saturday, in the case of Leonard Home v. Dalgety and Co., in which certain questions of law had to be argued before trial of action was begun. The statement of claim set forth that Home went to the rescue of an engineer employed in looking after sheep-sh.ea.ring: machinery exhibited by the defendants at the Blenheim agricultural show and who was caught in the machinery. Home was injured, and damages were claimed. _ The Chief Justice held that no negligence was disclosed on the part of defendants in properly protecting the machinery, and that the statement of claim did not disclose any cause of action.—Press Association. 1^ i

The Hibernian Band rendered a musical programme at the Wairau Hospital yesterday afternoon.

A rating notice is inserted in this issue by the Spring Creek River Board.

Writing on Saturday, our Havelock correspondent said: — The scow Maroro. which went ashore in the Sounds a few days-pago, is now being towed to Blackball, and will undergo temporary repairs there.

The water-supply and drainage project will be discussed at a public meeting to be held in the Town Hall to-night. The proceedings will be commenced at 8 o'clock. His Worship the Mayor will preside. The poll will open at the Council Chambers at 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning, and will close at 7 p.m.

The nocturnal forager has commenced his prowlings again. On Friday night he visited a residence in Farnham and made off with a brace of Indian Runner ducks. Firewoodleft in the open in various localities has also "done the disappearing trick." The socialistic spirit is apparently on the increase in Blenheim.

Our Haveilock correspondent writes:—Mr R. MoCallum, M.P., addressed the electors here on Friday night in the library. About sixty persons were present. Mr McCallum spoke on the several important issues likely to come up before Parliament next session, and was accorded an excellent hearing. A vote of thanks ,was carried at the close. Mr W. H. Smith presided.

In the absence of the Salvation Army officer in charge of the Inebriate Home at Rotoroa Island a number of the inmates got out of hand on Thursday night, and created a disorderly scene. A number of them smashed the telephone, and the connection with the mainland was cut, Later, when the officer returned, several inmates refused to work. The managers applied to the police for assistance in preserving order, and two constables proceeded to the Island.— Press Association.

Something v of a sensation was caused in a small domestic circle^ on Saturday afternoon by a Dannevirke resident, who allegedly informed his wife that he had taken poison. They were sitting in a room at the time, when the man, throwing, his arms in the air, exclaimed: "I have done it. I have taken poison—lysol." The police and Dr McCallan were communicated with, but the would-be suicide quickly recovered Avhen the doctor prepared to use the stomach pump. The thing was a hoax, the man having taJben no more lysol than the doctor.

The concert promoted by.the Blenheim Liedertafel in aid of the Captain Cook Memorial movement is definitely fixed for Tuesday, July 22nd, at His Majesty's Theatre. Quite apart from the patriotic nature of the cause, the programme ix> n^ presented will more than repay the outlay of a ticket. The Liedertafel have entered on their? public-spirited task_ with avidity, and will spare no pains to provide an entertainment quite above the ordinary. The public will help a good cause by attending, and at the same time get good value for their money. Tickets' may be obtained from members of the committee or from the secretary, Mr W. R. Allen.

Two little boys found a fully-loaded six-chambered revolver on the road while on their way to the Presbyterian Sunday-school at Southbridge last Sunday morning. The youngsters look the weapon to the ■Sundayschool, apparently without endeavoringl to discharge its contents, and laid it down on one of the pews while they went on with their lessons. The eye of a little girl was attracted by the bright-looking object, and she " could hot resist the temptation of handling it. Thinking, no doubt, it was some harmless toy, she pulled the trigger, with the result that a bullet went through the church floor. The report attracted the attention of the superintendent, who immediately took possession of the weapon to prevent any harm being done.

That keen interest is being taken.-in the International Correspondence Schools by the people of Blenheim is proved by the number of inquiries being made at the display opposite the Town Hall concerning the different courses which the school undertake to teach. Studying by post as a method: of education is quite a recent .departure, nnd the International Correspondence Schools hare brought it to such a pitch of perfection that it is really a fine art. There are at present* over 8000 scholars receiving tuition from the I.C.S. in New Zealand alone, whilst the total number of students, receiving their tuition amounts to well orf>r 200,000. There are students to be found wherever the post reaches—from the heart of London to the Tnnlie^t back blocks of Australia and New Zealand.

Men may come nncl men' may go, i And accidents fi.ll the world with woe; But ono thins: that will ever endure Is W. Vj. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Which puts new life in rich! and poof, And health and strength it doth restore ; TTrat's why I am so rery sure There's 'nothing like Woods' Pepp&rmint. Cure.—Advt. 1 Job Printing:—any style or ooter— at ''Express" Printing Works. f

A Napier Press Association message states that the Magistrate delivered judgment in reference to the recount of the harbor poll, as a result of dual voting. The final figures place F. W. Williams and W. J. McGrath dead heat for the third seat, and as the law makes no provision for a casting rote, the Magistrate ruled that a new election for this seat should be held. He will hear legal argument as to whether the whole election should be voided. Petitioners' deposit was returned.

Arbor Day (Wednesday, July 16th) will be observed as a public holiday, by Government offices throughout the Dominion. A Gazette notice states that, in order that the movement may; be made a® successful as possible, the Government hopes that tihe> Mayors of various municipalities and chairmen of local bodies will place the matte* prominently before the people of the Dominion, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both' public and private, with trees suited to the locality.

A novel method of "raising the wind" was brought forward by the Mayor of Gisborno at the last meeting of the Borough Council. The scheme briefly was that the ratepayers shouldS be invited to deposit their savings with the Council as with a bank, the Council paying 4 per cent, at interest1 at call. He pointed out that depositors could only obtain 3$ per cent, from the Post Office. The Council was paying 5i per cent, interest on overdraft, and if they could raise a thousand on two in small sums they would be able to save li per cent, interest. Powera to do as he had suggested were conferred on municipalities by the Muni^ cipal Corporations Act. The matter! was referred to the Finance Committee with power to inquire into thtf legal aspect of the proposal.

Serious consequences attended ai trap accident at Blink Bonny yesterday afternoon. Mr George Harris and his two daughters and Mrs M. Cheesman (Mr Harris's sister) ancE her son were driving through the Blink Bonny property towards the Wairau Bar, when the trap came into difficulties through a rut in the road. Mr Harris was thrown out, and the horse bolted, the remaining occupants of the vehicle being thrown out near the river. Mrs Cheesman sustained a broken arm and leg, while the others escaped with a shaking. Mr Graham. Griffiths, who happened to be in the vicinity at the time, came to town for the ambulance and medical assistance. Owing to the roughness of the road, Mrs Cheesman was conveyed to town in. an oil-launch, and was . afterwards taken to the Wairau Hospital, where she was in a satisfactory condition, torday.

It is expected that the by-election

for the Grey seat will take place about a month hence (says The Dominion). Under ordinary circumstances it would be the duty of the Speaker to issue a warrant to the Clerk of the Writs directing him toissue a writ to supply the vacancy. There being no Speaker, it becomes the duty of the Governor to formally notify the vacancy in the_ Gazette, as a preliminary to the issuing of the writ. The returning officer is reauired to give at least ten days'public notice of the day of polling, and the writ is returnable within 28 days. The Grey electorate is probably the only one in New Zealand that the Reform Party has never! contested. The members of the party were apparently quite satisfied with the late Sir Arthur Guinness as

Speaker, and left him undisturbed so far as-1 they were concerned./ No official information is yet obtainable as to who will be the Government candidate at the forthcoming bypledtion, but it is understood that the Reform party will ptit forward a candidate, and that they consider that they have good prospects of winning the seat. '

' Some people really, are lucky, says an Auckland paper. After the last race at Ellerslie the other day a man, hurrying from the course to the station, dug his hands into his pockets with the idea of ascertaining just how he stood on the day. His chagrin at finding himself minus a £5 note »received in the last dividend collected can well be imagined. With the characteristic optimism of the speculator he retraced his steps; the lost , fiver, however, was not forthcoming. j Ultimately, resigning? himself to his i lass,_li3 again joined the throng bound station wards. Pa.ssing the,, spot where he first discovered his loss, he was keenly on the look-out, and had "the extraordinary luck to find the note hi the middle of _the asphalt footpath. Pleasure at his discovery gave place to surprise, however, when a welldressed woman, coming towards him, and. seeing him pick up the crumpled paper, with all the- coolness in the' world remarked: "That's mine,; please*!" "It is not: mlthongih it is folded T can tell you that it- is a £5 note, with_ a hole m +-he centre of it, flnd it's min«.'" wv.s the indignant rejoinder of the- -man, and tho woman, without & word, hurried on. The extraordinary thing is that, between the time of fJto loss -and subsequent recovery of the note—probably ton minutes—-at least five thousand people must have walked over it.