LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 170, 21 July 1913, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

"In-many instances families have suffered great damage from sparks from railway engines,' said Mr D. M. Philip, at the Farmers' Union Conference on Thursday, in moving a remit that the Government should be asked to recognise its liability in this respect. The remit was carried.

Speaking of lectures by veterinary officers to farmers, Br C. J. Reakes ( Chief Veterinarian) told the Farmers' Union Conference that the middle-aged and older farmers attended the lectures well and seemed to appreciate them. "The young men in the country districts do t not come along," he added, "and take advantage of their privileges as they should." . -.

"We must send a circular to the local unions to tell them not to send so many remits," said Mr J. G. Wilson, "chairman of the Farmers' Union Conference, on Thursday. "We have got too many." Mr J. McQueen (Southland) agreed. He thought the executive should deal with the remits before they came before the conference and eliminate all duplications.

"There shxmld be a minimum wage for teachers in aided schools," said a speaker at the Fanners' Union Conference on Thursday evening. ; He considered a minimum wage of at least £1 per week should be set. Another speaker thought that the confereaide should pass a remit advpcaAig the increasing of the salaries of teachers in order to prevent them joining other professions.

Speaking on a proposal that the Farmers' Union Conference should recommend the Minister for Agriculture to take steps to eradicate the sheep tick in New Zealand, Mr C. H. Ensqr, North Canterbury, said tihat the loss through ticks in their wool crops was serious. Wool buyers estimated it sometimes as causing a loss of Id alb. on the wool, which- meant <a loss of some £600,000. Mr C. J. Reakes, Government Veterinarian, suggested that the loss was due in a great extent to' improper and insufficient dipping.

A man named W. Gay, a. carpenter engaged on the new Post Office Hotel building, had a miraculous escape from a serious accident last Monday morning, reports the Motueka Star. He was working, at the corner of the building, and for this purpose was using a step ladder plaeod on the balcony, some 20 feet from the ground. By'some means or other the ladder canted over, and Gay fell, striking the balcony, which undoubtedly prevented a more serious accident, in his fall. Medical aid was summoned. Gay received a very severe shaking, but was about again shortly after although suffering from the effects of the fall.

Motor cars have cast quite a terror on those who drive stock along the highways. One well-known drover informed a Feilding Star represent^ tive that he intended relinquishing his present avocation as soon as a vacancy in another line of employment prel--sented itself, as tlie responsibility now attached to the duties of drovers had become considerably increased of recent years owing to the übiquitous motor-car. At one time, a drover could follow a mob of sheep and read a paper or delve deeply into the pages of the latest novel; but owing to the reckless manner some chauffeurs approach live stock, a drover nowadays has to be continually on the alert to so direct his charges as to minimise the possibility of stock, sheep particularly, being run over. In the fat stock season the animals are considerably knocked about through being i subjected to hurried' movements to I one side of the roadway to let motors I pass at speeds ranging ut> to 45 miles an hour. One day, whilst driving a mob of sheep from Bulls to Sanson, no fewer than 27 motor-cars traversed the four miles of roadway.

After the usual fortnight's vacation, the Borougii. School pupils resumed work this mprittngv Mr W. H. Skinner, Commissioner 0f... Crown Lands, is recovering from his ! attack of influenza, and presided at the meeting of the Land Board to-day. The annual meeting of the Wairau Valley Hack Racing Club will be held at the Wairau valley Hotel next Saturday evening, at 7.30 o'clock.

A Sydney cable message reports the death of Mr William Clarke, Consul at Sydney for Portugal. He died suddenly aboard the Matarama, just as he arrived from a health trip to New Guinea. A. G. Brett, clerk to the Eden Terrace Road Board, was charged at the Auckland Police Court, at the instance of the Audit Department, with failing to account for £13 3s. He was remanded for a Aveek.—Press Association.

Mr A. H.. Logan, formerly of Blenheim, who has been connected with the building trade at Christchurch for some years, has decided to go on^.to the land, and has acquired Mr R. J. Toswill's interest in a Crown holding at North East Bay, Marlbcfrough Sounds district. An interesting programme of music was played by the Tenth Mounted Regimental Band at Rapaura yesterday . afternoon. The threatening nature of the weather did not induce a large attendance, but the Band's efforts were x nevertheless appreciated by those who heard the performance. No intimation of an appointment by the Government to 'fill the vacancy on the Land Board caused by the retirement of Mr A. McCallum has yet come to hand. Mr J. Boyd, whose term expires shortly, is away in England, and the Board's last two meetings have had to be conducted by a bare quorum.

Although showers have fallen inter-, mittently in various parts of the district during the last few days, the weather was fine locally this morning. Rain was falling at Nuggets. Dunedin, Oamaru, and Westport, and the sea was heavy at Cape Campbell, Farewell Spit, Westport, and Greymouth. . ,

The programme arranged for tomorrow night's entertainment in His Majesty's Theatre in aid of the Captain Cook Memorial Committee is one which should readily assure a large attendance, and remembrance of the excellence of tihe recent private entertainment given by the Blenheim Liedertafel should also tend to make the concert a popular one.

While on a recent visit to the Bay of Islands, prosecuting inquiries in connection with his forthcoming book on "The Treaty of Waitangi," Mr T. Lindsay Buick was shown some early records of the Dominion which are : in charge of the Anglican Church authorities ati Pahia. Other _ records of a still earlier date are in charge of the church at Walmate, and as- there is always a possibility.-'of. these ddcu? ments being destined by. fire, Mr Buick, on his return to Wellington, suggested to the Government, through Mr Hamilton, of the Dominion Museum, that either photographs or transcripts of these records ought to be made so that the information concerning the eai-ly ; families of. the colony might be preserved-^ The Government at once communicated' with the Diocesan Committee at Auckland with a view to this being done, and that body having- given its consent, copies will be made in due course.

During the past few years, says the Lyttelton Times, Mr E. R. Waite, curator of the Canterbury Museum, has discovered that several New Zealand fish sent to him for identification belong to species previously reported only from Mediterranean waters. Most of these species have been caught by fishermen at Kaikoura. A few days ago they sent him a fish which he identified as a moro ; previously known only from the Mediterranean and .the Canary Islands. Mr Waite was. asked yesterday how he accounted for so many of these specimens coming from Kaikoura, and he said that the explanation probably was in the fact i that the land in the Kaikoura bay i sloped very steeply *into the sea, which was deep close to the shore. Consequently, fish were caught in the bay which might not be found within twenty or thirty miles of any other part of the coast line. Three years | aeo the Kaikoura fishermen sen^ Mr • Waite a peculiar shark. It proved to bo a new species, and he named it Plunketi, in honor of Lord Plunket, who, when Governor of New Zealand, took much interest in Canterbury j Museum. With the mbr.o, Messrs Nil- s sen Brothers sent Mr Waite a second j specimen of that shark. It was a : female, and thirty-six young ones < were found inside of it. S

When a duck lays an egg she just waddles off as if nothing had happened. "When a hen lays an egg there's a whale of a noise. The hen , advertises. Hence the demand for j iens' eggs instead of ducks' eggs. i \

The shareholders' representaiaves otf * the Board of *Difeetbrs; of £he Bank of ~Nevr Zealand: (Mr M^irfcin Kennedy, r and Mr William Waisoh) have for- ■■ i warded to the Minister "fbr Finance a; . ' letter submitting their views and opinions -(already expressed) with respect - ,to the proposals jfc>y the. chairman, re- - latirig to the capital of the Bank.—• ! Press Association.