LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

The Qmaka Road Board notifies tliat all rates unpaid by Jan. 80th wil be ' sued for without further notice. .

The Mayor was asked by Councillor Curry last night to-order the publication of the amounts in the local War Fund and relief -funds associated with it. He said he would be very pleased to comply with the request, so that the public might know the state of the funds as they stood today.' He understood that, including Picton, the aggregate of the amounts subscribed in Marlborough was something over £8000, which, in proportion to population, was one of the best records in New Zealand.

Our Picton correspondent writes:— The monthly meeting of the Borough Council was held last night. There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mi- G. J. Riddell), and Councillors Peek, Lane, Chambers, Bush, Stocker, and Fell. The>matter of the foreshore adjoining the manse was left in the hands of the Mayor and Councillors Peek and1 Chambers to .draw up an agreement satisfactory to, both }>arties. Other minor matters, the foreman's report, and the Cemetery Board's report were dealt with aiiid adopted, and accounts were passed for payment.

Last night the Blenheim Borough Council appointed ■ Councilors "W. D. Pike and J. H. Holdaway to represent it at the conference being convened by the Farmers' Union to discuss the administration of the Noxious Weeds Act. The Mayor remarked that, excepting Oamaru, he did not know that any district was more interested than was Marlborough in the problem of dealing with Californi'an thistle. Incidentally Mr Corry said thai- it was an open question whether the thistle was everywhere and at all times in the nature of a noxious weed. A largo sheepowner in Hawke's Bay was sowing it as a means of saving the situation in connection with the drought.

Authority was given by the Borough Council last night for the payment of a portion of the purchase money in connection with the acquisition of the land at Waterlea for the pxirposes ot a public park. Legal provision was made to secure to the Acclimatisation Society the right to use not more than five acres of the property for the prosecution of its work and object.

A glut of fruit, as far as some varieties are- concerned, is being experienced in North Auckland. In. one instance an ofchardist got rid of a heavy crop of plunis at the rate of 6d per case, the buyers bringing their own cases. . Other growers, wiho shipped plums to Auckland, got even a. lower return. The same price of sixpence per case was realised for the fruit, but out of it they had to pay fourpence each for the cases, also the steamer freight.

The Master Bakers' Conference, at present in session at Christchurch, considered a remit from the Canterbury Bakers' Association with reference to the standard for weighing dough to produce the 21b or 41b loaf. It was decided to ask the Government to inspect, instead of the loaf, the weight of dough weighed into the pans for baking, in order to safeguard the ptiblic against short-weight being dealt out by "cutting" bakers.

The monthly meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council was held last night. There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. J. Corry), and Councillors W. Carr, F. Birch, B. J. Cooke, J. H. Holdaway, A. Curry, G. Patchett, E. H. Eccles, and Graham Griffiths. A number of applications for septic-tank and drainage rights were acceded to; and the issue of a building permit to Mr J. J. Wensley, senr., in respect to premises in Alfred Street was conditionally approved. Mr C. ■ Tunnicliffe was given permission to form a footpath crossing in Grove Road. A letter from Mr W. R. Mackintosh regarding weeds and the need for a lamp in Leitrim Street was referred to the Works Committee. A complaint from a resident as to the nuisance caused by household drains leading into a dry ditch in Muller Road \vas -referred to the Sanitary Inspector for a report. The Borough seal was affixed to the dedication of a strip of land at the junction of Redwood and Halifax Streets; secured from the Railway Department for .'street-widen-ing-purposes. The Sanitary Inspector's report indicated that the cutting of overhanging hedges and trees $?%& being insisted on. The Council prow eeeded to deal with the final instalment of the draft by-laws. . ■ -

At the Picton Magistrate's Court on Claude Smith was charged, with being in comtrol of a. motor-launch on the 2nd January, at a time when the.said launch was not supplied with life-saving appliances, in accordance with the provisions of the Shipping and Seamens' Act. Captain Burgess, harbormaster, gave evidence that the launch returned .to port immediately when called upon, and he considered the action of defendant in cruising ■ without life-sav-ing appliances to be purely thoughtlessness on his part. The case1 was brought before the Court for the purpose'of giving it publicity, and to show that launch-owners must comply with the regulations.' The Magistrate said that this was the first case of the kind which had come before him, and he would make the fine a lenient one. It was quite necessary, however, that the public should be protected, and he hoped that launchowners would take warning. A nominal fine; of Is, with 7s costs, was ordered to be paid. >%

_It was reported to the Borough' Ctouncil last night by Councillor Jin-eh, chairman of the Water and Drainage Committee, that with his colleagues he had been carefully pursuing the investigation of the resources of the Taylor River. He believed that the final result would be entirely favorable. The evidences were that enough water \ras available for a supply adequate to the needs of a population very much larger than the present one. The Council approved of the proposal to construct a race above.the third crossing with a view to a,n exact measurement of the flonv, and the Mayor • recommended the Committee to" act in this matter at once, so that the full benefits of the severe r test afforded by .the dry season might be secured. Councilor Birch said that the water race he contemplated would cost very little; if it did not prove effective' the Committee would, in all probability, carry out' a similar but somewhat more expensive test, further dossm'the stream. It was mentionied that a. sum of £250 was set'aside some time ago for such operations.

The crops of both wheat and barley in Rangitikei (says the Rangitikei Advocate) compare favorably with any other part of the Dominion, and one of the best in this country may be seen at Dunsinane, on Mr Edward Newman's farm, where there is a crop estimated to yield 50 bushels of oats, or three tons of oaten ohaif to the acre. The oats are a splendid sample. The ground was top-dressed with 4ewt. of limo to the acre last autumn. There are also good crops of' wheat and barley on the same farm. In view of the certainty of a great shortage in foodstuffs next year, it is to be hoped that farmers in Rangitikoi will put in a large quantity of wheat this autumn. The war wheat round about Turakina. this season Js looking splendid, and, it is expected. will turn out at fully 50 bushels to the acre.

Lawrence Dodds, charged at Auckland with betting as a bookmaker in an hotel, was fined £40 and costs.

A man who was nominally a first offender was convicted by Mr F. 08. Loughnan, S.M., this morning for drunkenness, and was discharged. For a breach of his prohibition order

he was ordered to come up for seu-

Judgment by default was given by Mr F. 08. Loughnan, S.M., to-day in the following eases: Commissioner of Taxes v. Charles Bush, £1 7s 6d, with 5s costs; W. S. Watson and Co. v. "William Simmons, £7 14s, with £1 3s Od costs; Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., v. Frank Roskruge, ; £21 2s 9d, with £2 17s costs; W. B. Girling and Co. v. Edward Bradsbaw, i £6 Is 7d, with 18s 6d costs; Clouston ! and Co. v. Edward Stammers £2, •• with os costs: C. W. Thomas v. James ■ Smith, £3 13s, with 5s costs; H. C. | Lawson v. Harry Todd, £1 10s, with \ 5s costs.

] For some months prior to the war ' good progress was. made with the ) organisation of the rural workers of \ New. Zealand, but. after the outbreak jof hostilities activities slackened \ considerably. It is intended,1 how-

ever, shortly to resume organising work in the Otago and Southland district, where a Rural Workers' Union was formed some time ago. A union, has also been established in Maryborough, and lias filed an. application, for an award with the Arbitration Court, which it is intended to proceed with as soon as the Court resumes the, hearing of disputes. A sinrlar application relating to shed hands will also be made.

Judgment was given by Mr F. 08. Louglman, S.M., this morning in the case o[ William Reeves v. George Oswald Beech. The parties are farmers .in the Queen Charlotte Sound district, and the plaintiff claimed for £65 7s for damages caused to his property by a fire which spread from the defendant's land. The Magistrate, having heard evidence and visited the locality, arrived at the. conclusion that the fire was lit by the defendant and spread on to thS plaintiff's farm, doing a considerable umount of damage- He gave judgment for £49 with £5 17s costs.

An act* of dishonesty was brought home to a middle-aged man named William > Hamilton Ferguson Gibson in the Magistrate'g. Court to-day. In paying him an account at Pioiton on Monday last Mr J.. Blizzard, secretary of the. Picton Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, inadvertently gave him a five-pound note instead of a one-pound note. 'He discovered the error latec in the day, and, knowing that the man had ' lefit on thfe train for Blenheim, telephoned to Sergeant Hanson. * Gibson was traced to an hotel

and arrested by Constable Cummings, but very little money was found on him. He denied that he had received the "fiver," but subsequently, equivocated1 and finally admitted ibhat he had changed it. A charge of the theft of• £4 was. made against'himCto-c! ay, and,1 having heard the evidence of J. Blizzard and the police, Mr F. 08. Loughnan, S.M., sentenced him to one month's imprisonment with hard labor. Gibson had served several previous sentences "s or theft and other offences. " * : .

The Union Company's popular Tahiti, effectually disguised as H.M.N.Z.T. No. 4, came alongside at Port Chalmers last Monday morning showing every sign of having had a lengthy spell at sea. ; Painted a steely blue, and fitted from end to end of every deck for the accommodation of troopers and their horses, she was quite- unrecognisable as the trim passenger vessel Tahiti. The brief information that Commander F,. P. Evans, R.N., was able to,give to" a Times reporter was. all good news, md indicated that ,the voyage with New Zealand troops to Alexandria had been a. 'most successful one. He explained that, as servants of the Defence Department, the officers are not permitted to, give information of any sort, but h© had no objection to its being known that every one of the men arrived in Alexandria fit. and well. There was no sickness among them on the voyage, and out of 282 horses only three were lost. Good weather was experienced. The Tahiti reached Alexandria on Dec. 3, and immediately disembarked the men, sailing again on the return voyage the .following, day. She has come direct to Port Chalmers, and; will shortly be docked there for the cleaning of which she is obviously in 'need,'

A return compiled by the Agricultural Department shows the quantities of hemp, tow, and stripper slips graded at the ports of the Dominion during the month of December. The total number of bales of hemp graded was 6645, as compared with 14j;496 for the corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 7851 bales. For the twelve months ended December 31st the number of bales graded was 98,244, as compared with 166,550 for the previous twelve months, a decrease of 68,306 bales. During the month 1814 bales of tow were dealt with, as compared with 4706 for the corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 2892 bales. For the twelve months ended December 31st the number of bales graded was 29,995, as compared with 56,320 for the previous twelve months, a decrease of 26,327 bales. During the month the number of bales of stripper slips graded was 100, as compared with 950 for the corresponding month, of last year, a decrease of 850 bales. For the twelve months ended December 31st the number of bales graded was 1362.

We repeat what all our M.P.V must Know—that reform in tl*e* censorship in the best remedy for; ' slack recruiting. Stale official news,,tedious reports of trivialities, long intervals of silence, and > a total failure to give the country the* chronicles of its Army's magnificent' work—these bewilder and disgust thopeople. Parliament should make sure that the absurd secrecy, where* secrecy is not imposed to baffle the enemy is ended.—Evening News (London). . "■'■■.

"Any Briton .needing a tonic could not do better than visit Liverpool, the home port of the Atlantic trade, s "' says the London Times. "His nerved will be braced as he passes along th^ docks and learns the majestic lesson, of Britain's maritime power. Scores of ships are loading and unloading-* and are leaving upon the old trail_ : Let no person dare como to Liyer-» pool and ask what the navy is doing.. The passenger traffic has changed, and most of the sailings are less frcH quent. Many of the best knowtt liners have been taken for the* Government service."

A West Indian negro (according ttf tfhe Barbadoes Standard) told his. overseer what he thought 'of British: soldiers by means of a little" story. "Yes, before de war," he said, "de» Kaiser, he send a bag of rice to King; George: ' I got as many soldiery as dere is rice in dis bag,' and King. George, he send de Kaiser a boti Jo of liigger peppers, and he tell birr : 'JE. only got as many soldiers as. d* ro is peppers in dis Bottle, but jes" you1 bite one and see how you like 1 im."'