LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 204, 30 August 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

A children's dance = will be held in the Coronation Hall, Grovetown, tomorrow night. ; , - . A copy of the Estimates has been forwarded to this office by Mr R. McCallum, M.P., for inspection by anyone who may be interested in its contents. . „ The Estimates 'cdntain a vote or £34----to make good the loss of this amount taken by the Germans from the cable station "at Fanning Island.

The sum of £1800 has been placed on the Estimates for the conveyance of inland mails-in-the Blenheim postal district. Last year £1500 was voted and £1638 spent. .

The Estimates contain n-vote of £1000 being refund to Land for Settlements Account on account of land taken for -a-rifle range at the Wither Settlement, Blenheim.

A compassionate allowance of £150 has been made by the Government to the widow of the late Mr D. Carmody. Inspector of Factories at Christchurch,. and formerly a member of the police force at Blenheim.

The sum of £50 has been placed on the Estimates as a £1 for £1 subsidy for improvements to the Horton Domain at Blenheim. A like amount was voted last year,, but none oi it was expended.

Owing to the death of Mrs Love, ■se-nr., of Waikawa, the Maori patriotic entertainment, which was to have been held on Wednesday next, has been postponed until Wednesday, September Bth. ;

Mr Frank Levy, advance agent for the Allen Doone Company, is at present in town,- making arrangements for the popular Irish singing comedian's season of two nights on September 11 and 13. "In Old Donegal" and! "The Parish Priest" are the pieces to be stagi-d The working expenses of the Pic-ton section of railways for the current financial year are estimated at £10,500. Last year £11.800 was voted and £10,472 charged. Locomotive running and expenses and renewals of rollinc-stock are put down at £8500. as against £10,600 voted and £9337 charged last year; while traffic expenses are estimated at £6500, last year's vote being £7500, out of which £6628 was expended.

The Government advanced £300 for the relief of New Zealanders stranded in England consequent iinon the \v:u . This sum. it is stated in the Estimates, will be recovered. The sum of £191 has been iof uncled to the British Consul at Batnvri (Java) and the Commonwealth Government for money idvaneod to New Zealand passomrers by the German steamer Roon. which put into Baiavia. fa neutral port) shortly after the declaration of war.

Shooting for the Linstrom Cup on Saturday, J. Nicholas, a member of the Tun" MiirinM Itifle Club, made the line score of 101 out of IUo at 300, and (iOO yards, including the "possible" * at the last-mentioned range.

The annual report on the L ohce FV.rco of the Dominion shows that on 31 «t March last the strength of the Force was -911 of all ranks, being an increase, of 41 during the year. J lie proportion of offences to the population was 2.4 per cent., as against 2.24 the. previous year.

Smoke was seen to be issuing from several private letter-boxes at the lnvercargill Post Office a day or two ago, and'the discovery was made that the mail-room was on fire. Several postai officials, with assistance, quelled the outbreak, which damaged only the floor. It was very fortunate indeed that the fire was noticed in time, as otherwise* the results might have been

serious

American files report that Mr J. C. Irons, manager for the Union Company at Vancouver, has been advised that the company's now 13,000 ton liner Aotearoa. launched on June 20th from the Fairfield yards, has been taken over by the Admiralty and named H.M.S. Avenger. The engineers have been enlisted and given Royal Naval ratings. The Aotearoa was to have assisted the Niagara m the Sydney-Aueklsmd-Vancouver service.

There's no tea like "Desert * Gold" Tea for refreshing flavor and real economy. Get the 2s blend—best -quality"and value obtainable. -Advt.

There was a decrease of £700 5s 3d in the revenue earned on the PictonWard section of railways .during the four-weekly period ended on July 24th last, as compared with the returns for the corresponding portion of last year. The passenger traffic returned £561 16s 9d, or £30,19s less, and the goods traffic £1007 0s Bd, 0r£622 12s 8d less. The total of the revenue from the beginning of the present financial year to the date mentioned is £7440 10s 6d, a decrease of £3152 lls lOd on the figures for the same period of last year, while the expenditure was £6921 9s 7d, or £1757 lls lid less.

The weather experienced locally this morning may be called . promising rather than threatening, for rain is badly needed all over the district. It is much hoped that the showers which fell at mid-day will be the prelude to a thorough soaking. Apparently the same promise of rain was-in sight in several other parts of the Dominion this morning, the majority of the stations reporting overcast or cloudy, skies. A rough sea was running off Cape Palliser, and a considerable one off Cape Campbell. The temperature ranged from 47- degrees at Bealey,' where it was raining, to GO-.at Auckland, where a moderate gale was blowing. Blenheim, on the 57 mark, was one of the warmest places in the Dominion. ,

The result of the meeting of farmers held in Blenheim on Saturday was the appointment of an influential committee to consider the question of establishing co-operative freezing works locally. While the committee was being nominated the suggestion was made that it should not include men engaged in commercial circles, but should be restiicted. to sheepfarmers. Mr C. F. Murray replied that ,ie did not sympathise with this idea. He considered that the situation, involving, as it did, the vital, interests of one of the staplft industries on which the district and town depended for their prosperity, concerned all classes of the community. This view found general favor, and a number of business men were added to the committee.

Mr K. McCaJlum asked the Minister for Lands on Friday, whether he would obtain a, report from his proper officers showing all Crown lands in or adjoining Marlhorough held under tenancies expiring witJn.i the "next five years; and whether-he would arrange for the cutting-up of all .such Crown lands into suitable small areas, so that close settlement might be carried ous in respect of such lands. Mr McCalhim also asked the Minister for Railways when he proposed putting in * ha nil the straightening of the Pictoii-lllenhejm line, and at slight cost pi eventing the danger to which trains Mere liable on account of the sharp and dangerous curves near i'ara..

The following paragraph in regard i to the medical side of the defence organisation appears in the annual report of the Defence Department:— ''From experience gained in organising the medical services for the Expeditionary Force, controlling and training them in camp, utilising them to the best advantage for the.'requirement of recruiting, and keeping pace with the development of the Territorial force, it lias been evident that the time has arrived for the appointment of a permanent medical officer on the headquarters staff to carry out the d.ities of Director of Medical* Services. The satisfactory performance of these duties requires the undivided attention and all tho time of an officer j of the highest qualifications. Under I the present conditions of a small ! annual remuneration the Director of Medical' Services can be hardly expected to sacrifice his .private practice which represents the major portion of his income ; nor is the Department in ' a, position to demand more than the j equivalent of his services."