LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 59, 11 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Mr _V. L. Powell, dental surgeon, will visit Havelock every Wednesday. Tho Wairau Women's Political Reform League has decided to hold fortnightly meetings, and to work for tho Poor of Britain and Belgium Relief Fund. The Wellington confectioners announce that in consequence of the increased cost of flour, butter, eggs, etc., prices of confectionery will be raised 10 per cent, all round. Watson's No. 10 whisky engenders a fine spirit of geniality.—Advt. Ernest Alfred Welch, . ex-civil sprvant, pleaded guilty at Wellington

A Masterton Press Association telegram states that over an inch oi' rain tell* last night. It will greatly benefit pastures and extinguish the grass fires.

The Tramways Committee of the Dunedin City Council is protesting to the Minister against enforcing the regulations affecting the carrying capacity of cars.

Cecil George Farrow appeared at the Lyttelton Court charged with tlie theft of £693 15s 9d from the Lyt.telton Borough Council, and was remanded till March 18th. Bail was allowed, himself in £300 and two other sureties of £100 each.

The Registrar of Patents yesterday at Christchurch heard the application of Fisher, Cox, and Henderson opposing the granting of a patent to F. J. Q'Brien for safety boots for shunters arid watchmen, made so that if caught in the rails they cani be leased. The applicants allege that they were the inventors.

Throughout New Zealand the bells of all Anglican churches have been tolling at midday as a call for mental prayer and intercession for those men who are fighting at the front. At Mahaia the Town,- Board has voluntarily placed the fire-bell at the churches' disposal, and, under the direction of tho Town Clerk, the people take it in turns to toll it, each person being responsible for a week's duty.

Representations were made to the Government by tho Auckland Farmers' Union in respect to the difficulties of obtaining at a. reasonable price seed for extensive sowing of cereal and other crops. The Prime Minister replied that if the Government arranged to supply the seed to one man it would.have to supply it to a, large proportion of farmers, btinging about, an impossible position.

Our Picton correspondent reports that a meeting of the committee which has i:u hand the airangements for the forthcoming championship regatta was held last night, the • Mayor (Mr G. J. Riddell) presiding. The exact limits of the course wore decided upon. All races-will finish between a punt moored off the end. of the old wharf and the Rowing Club's shed, both points being distinguished by flags.

The latest addition to local taxi ranks is Mr C. P. North's Hudson car, which arrived in Blenheim last week. The car is a thoroughly up-to-date one, and should be in popular request for both town and country trips. A representative of The Express had the pleasure'of a trip in the new automobile this week, and can therefore testify to its comfortable and up-to-date character.

"Here's a bit of paper for you," said a small boy to a classmate at the Kaiii (Gisborne) school last week, and he handed over what he took to be. a piece of paper he had picked up out ot a ditch, f-ays the Poverty Bay Herald. The headmaster happened to be passing at the time, and on an inspection being made of the crumpled piece of' paper, it was found to be a £50 bank-note. The note was subsequently restored to the owner.

The war appears to have stimulated "the demand for band instruments. In illustration ol this the Bristol Piano Co., Ltd.. have just supplied a ..vet of Hawfe's fan-.oi.is band instruments to the Haweia Municipal Band and "'are sending other sets to the New Plymouth Citiaons'• Ba.nd and the Third Auckland Mounted Rifles Band. A set lias also been forwarded to tho lVeutha.ni Camp for the use of the Expeditionary Force. Another order received by" The Bristol bailed from the Gisborne District High School, which -requisitioned for a Hawlce's fife and drum band equipment. Altogether, business seems brisk in band instruments.

A curious feature of the downpour which set iii early yesterday afternoon was that it was almost evenly distributed over the Wairau and Awatere Plains. Up till nine o'clock this morning 174 points had been registered locally, and the reading at >Seddon lor the same period was 173 points. In Wellington yesterday the fail was even more pronounced, and 2.22 inches were recorded* Wet weather was reported at nine o'clock .this morning from Cape Campbell, Farewell Spit, arid Wellington, and to-day's meteorological report- stated that rain had fajlen during'-the night at Wanganui. Very heavy seas were prevailing at Cape Campbell, Westport, and Greymouth.

Before the close; of the afternoon sitting of the Methodist Conference in Christchurch on Friday (says the Press) the secretary read the following letter:—"We, the undersigned, .respectfully call Uie attention of your conference to the fact . that the murderer Rottma-u— tho German lad —is to be hanged on Monday next at 8 a.m., and we venture to earnestly beg your conference to consider whether yon could see .your way to telegraph, to the Minister for Justice,' appealing on the Christian, plea of mercy for the reprieve of the death sentence, as we i'eel that your collective voice would have much influence.." The letter was signed by "Sarah G. Page, Eveline W. Cunnington, end Elizabeth R. McCombs."The president (the Rev. J. Dawson) said ho would not express an opinion' on the request, beyond remarking that the facts of the case were quite clear. The man had been tried by tho Supreme Court and had boon found guilty rrf murdering a man, his wife, and child. He would leave it to conference to decide whether they should send an appeal or not. One member of the conference immediately mentioned going into committee to discuss the matter. Tho Ilev. P. W. Fairclough (KaiapoD moved that the conference proceed to tho next business. The Rev. W. j Lea (Paeroa) .seconded the motion, and the matter dropped. A SPRING THAT HAS BECOME FAMOUS. When some 50 years ago the pioneer settlers discovered the beautiful WaiRonga Springs they little thought this spring was destined to become famous as'the finest table water the Dominion has produced. Wai-Ronga has achieved name and fame in the highest degree, not only because of ite purity and sparkle, but on-account of its marked medicinal properties. As the water flows through its long subterranean course it gathers from Nature healthful properties which make it unrivalled for disorders of' the stomach and kidneys, and for rheumatism, gout, etc.

A small lino of Algerian oats was sold in the Oamaru district last week at 5s 5d per bushel. This (says the Mail) is <a- record for the district.

With a cargo of 4000 cases of apples for transhipment to the liner Rua'hine, the coastal steamer Kennedy was due at Wellington this week from Motueka. The apples, wliich are destined for the Argentine, are the first shipment for that country this season.

It is stated by the Horovheniva Chronicle that the present price for fibre (£26) in Wellington is causing great activity in the flax area of the Man aw a tv, and nearly all the mills are working at present. The few that are idle are short of flax to mill.

New rules issued in New Soutih Wales under the Police Regulations Act contain the following:—"lnebriates in charge of friends, or not likely to fall into the hands of thieves, or to cause any annoyance to citizens by obscenity or disorderly conduct, should not be arrested." "The charge of assaulting the police should not be added to that of drunkenness without good reason."

The- following was.the final reading of stations for the Nelson district at the Methodist Conference sitting at Christchurch: — Nelson: Rev. William Baumber. Richmond: Rev. A. Asherofc and a home missionary. Blenheim : Revs. B. F. Rothwell, T. R. B. Woolloxall, and a home missionary. Hnkitika: Rev. H. L. Richards. Greymouth: Rev. B. P. Patchett. Motueka: Rev. Charles A. Foston. Reef ton: Rev. C. Penney. Westport: Rev. B. P. Dudley. Havelock, Murchison, Runanga, Granity, Denniston, Tapawera, and Dovedale: Home missionaries!, s

A Wellington correspondent states that Mr Gladstone Ward, the third son of the leader of the Opposition, will leave for London to-day with a view to joining one of the Volunteer forces now preparing at Home for service at tjhe front, just after the outbreak of war Mr Ward met with a serious accident, which prevented his volunteering for the Expeditionary Force, but he hopes that by undergoing; his training in England he may get into the fighting line as poon as the"rest of the colonials. Mr Vincent Ward, Sir Joseph Ward's, second son, wlio is spending a holiday in British Columbia, was anxious to accompany his brother, but 'his medical adviser lias ordered him to take two or three months' complete rest before entering upon any such strenuous enterprise.

A brief but very sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Wellington at 4.23 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. The tea-rooms in the city were filled with the usual pleasant chattering crowds when the shock came. The buildings shook perceptibly, (reports the. Times) and there was a general hasty rising, accompanied by a chorus pf startled ' 'Ohs !;' If the shake. had been prolonged a couple of seconds more. -' However, ther-r>" being no further" shocks the stavf'- 1 ones ":resuiijcd their .scats, and the conversation, which had momentarily ceased, a'-.'iin drifted1 into the conventional channels. Nevertheless it was remarkable to observe hmv quickly the table* emptied. No. one was taking any chances. An interesting point as to the status of the Secretary for kducatioii was raised by Mr It. McGallnm at .Monday's meeting of the luluc-.tion 80-ird A communication was re-c-fived from Sir Edw.ard Gibbes, sipnM Secretary for Education, stat-. \nr that the Board's request for an addition to the Bedwoodtown branch echool could not be .entertained to the spare floor space at the Blenheim central school. Mr McCallum stated, that according V) the Education Act there • was no position of Secretary for Education; educational affairs were controlled by a Minister, director, assistant director, and ' inspectors. Concerning the rdd.itions to the Redwoodtbwn school, Mr D. A. Sturrock (inspector) said that they were very desirr.ble, but the fact that the central school had accommodation for an extra 100 pupils could not be blinked. It was decided .to apply again to, the Minister for Education for a grant \for the extension of - the Redwoodtowii school. ,

■ The Board of Agriculture, would: like to remind farmers of the great necessity, in the interests of the Empire, that wheat areas should be largely augmented.to ensure the crop of wheat in the coming season being sufficient to feed the people of New Zealand and leave enough for seed for the following season. At least 240,000 acres will require to be sown. The area in wheat during the present season has b?en 189,000 acres, so that 50.000 ncres more are required to be sown in the coming season to ensure sufficient for the Dom in ion's n se. Less would probably nieaii that we should have to buy outside and from other countries possibly less favored than ourselves. As the restriction as to price has boen taken off by the Government there is every reason to think that the price will be remunerative. The Boivrd would also like to suggest that those who intend to sow wheat in the coming season should procure eecd grown in the Dominion, as. the imported wheat requires considerable time to acclimatise ami generally gives unsatisfactory yields during the first -season. The Board would caution farmers, however, that the above area should not be deducted from that usually devoted to oats. Tf this is done the oats and chaff grown will not be sufficient.

"In the southern part of Hawke's B:iy, owing to continued drought, the position is desperate," said "Mr Hunter, M.P. for Waipawa and a Hawke's Bay landowner, to a.

I reporter on, Monday. "There has I never been anything like it since 1879. In many place stock are dying of starvation. 'Large numbers of stock have been sent over to the "West Coast and are being grazed I there. A considerable amount of .etook have also been trucked to that part, aaid are now travelling <m tho roads between PalmerstOTi North and New Plymouth in the hope that they r.'ay be kept alive. Unless wo get rain within the next six weeks tho prospects of winter growth will be very remote, and a .heavy loss of r.tock may be anticipated right away from Capo Kidnappers to the Wairarapa Lake." Near Hastings artesian wells that had never failed before had gone dry.

A somewhat remarkable coincidence -ris related by Mr W. Rees, formerly employed in Hamilton, and who is • now a member of the Ambulance • Corps with the troops in Egypt. Writing to a friend in Hamilton, he states (.says the Auckland Star) that during the big route march through Cairo he was told off with a squad to do ambulance duty, and, with others, war lined up at a certain point where the troops passed. Suddenly a young trooper fell out of the ranks, and tho I writer and another were ordered for- [ ward with a stretcher to take him in.

"Imagine my surprise," states Mr Rees, "to find out our patient was my youngest brother, who I didn't even know was with the force."

'•T;iie girls in New Zealand have been of material assistance to the recruiting officers," said the Hon. D. R.

Hall, Attorney-General, of New South , Wales, in Sydney last week. "I made inquiry in Christchurch," he continued, "and was told there by one of the girls that they were not walking out with any single men at the present time. When I asked why, they tolct me that all the men who were worth... having had either volunteered or were ■ giving up their evenings in training; _- and those who had not volunteered! and were not training were not worth, walking out with. These fine girls not only refrain from discouraging the men from doing their duty, but where the men are slow in realising their responsibilities, they show their disanproval by giving them 'white feathers.' In one instance I heard of " a band of five girls who went out to ?v sports meeting and distributed white feathers to likely-looking young men,"

After consultation it has been agreed between His Excellency the Governor and the Prime Minister that .a conference of representatives of the--chief collecting agencies in the larger towns for the Poor of Great Britain, Ireland, and Belgium Relief Fund, the Belgian Fund, and possibly the St. John Ambulance Association should be convened by the Prime Minister. The object of the meeting will be to endeavor to put the organisation for the raising of relief funds on a more satisfactory and businesslike basis, and to prevent overlappingr: in order that individual effort may b© stimulated and properly directed, in--stead of being stifled or pasted. A suggestion wilr also be considered that a central officer be appointed, either from the Government service or from outside of it, to receive all moneys for the various funds, and to transmitthem to agents of the different funds*at Home, the latter, to be approved by the Imperial Government. Tha conference will probably be held at~. Government House, and his Excellency will preside. If the necessary arrangements can be made in time, it will be held next week.

Mr. W. E. Smith, of the Dtmedm lailway "goods staff, who wrote to Mr* Chappell, the composer of <{Theis Day," congratulating hinT on thefe widespread popularity achieved by" his poem, has received an interesting: lottoi- froni Mr Chappell,.and also an p.utograph'od copy of the verses, whiclt have evidently been issued in leaflet? form in England. Mr Chappell'* letter is as follows: —"Dear Mr Smith, —Very many thanks for yotir kind and 'appreciative letter. It i^ r:ice to know that one's efforts aree not in vain. . The lines have pen©--trated to every quarter of the globe,, ns is manifest from the letters . X receive: Spain, Portugal, France,, Belgium, India, Australia, America r and Canada, and yours from ~ New: Zealand, besides shoals from Great* Britain. lam proud to think 1. haver been ablo to do some little good ire the world. Please accept enclosed copy as a small tokenrof my gratitnde for your kindness it» 1 writing.—Yoursl fraternally, Henry .CJhappell.'*'.-'

' Farmers are filing their wheat . very readily/"/arid paces, at the; time? of writing, have'"'rfcajcned ! r6s: 10^d at country stations^ writes ; the : SouthIsland correspondeiit of the Farmers'' - Union* Advocate. The price is a goocf : one, and farmers are taking it while it . is going, for fear it should fall." Therer does not seem to be much chance of ■ that, however. Speculators are very busy touring -wheat districts in 1 ■■■ motor-cars, and pestering farmers tosell. No doubt a good deal of'wheat has changed hands in this way, but there is "a fairly strong preference being shown for selling to well-known merchants and- millers, probably because the money seems safer. ■■' A& a general rule farmers are following; .their' usual, practice--.in;'.-regard toparting with■ tlfcir grain. Those who* generally sell directly after -harvest are doing so now: Others, who sell a portion and hold a portion, areadopting that;method-at the present.; time. There is a good deal of justi-^ fiyationi for holding on if possible, because there is every indication that prices will go higher" still,, and some-; one has to hold till the back-end of the year. It cannot all be put into; consumption at once, and it is as well for farmers to hold some if they can us for speculators and millers to get it all into their hands. Possibly the fear that Government interferencemay come later is causing some pro-, duee'i-s to rush their wheat on the' market at the earliest opportunity.