LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 155, 3 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

The Kumara Times, which has been established 41 years, ceased publication on Saturday.

According to the Hon. A M Myers, it will not be long before mails will.be carried across Cook otraro by ar>r:)plane.

Films in-which crime is the chief theme or in which the methods of crime-are .set forth, even when the producer of: the picture punishes the criminal to satisfy tradition, which does not always accord with fact are henceforth barred by the British film -rade censor.

When colds and influenza are prevalent let NAZOL protect your ramWy. One dose; a day keeps colds away. Good for all' ages. Sixty doses. Is 6d.—Advt.

The Customs duties collected in the } district of Wairau; during last month 1 amounted to £730 19s 9d, and the beer duty realised £119 7s 9d, as against £1552 11s 3d and £119 2s 9d respectively for Juno of 1916.

The Catholic social to be held in St. Pat lick's Hall tor-morrow evening promises to be quite as popular and successful an event as its predecessors have always been. Perry's orchestra will supply the music, and the supper an;ai.gements aae also in very capable hands. A euchre tournament will be held in oonjunction with the social, and non-dancers will thus be afforded an evening's enjoyment. -

Wesley Church was well filled on Sunday ■ evening, ( and almost the whole congregatioii'"r'f6mdincd at the close to i.ear the; organ recital. Miss Nellie Davies, tiie organist, played a number of selections with excellent taste and ability. The solos by Mrs N. Jordan and Mr S. Brewer were also well rendered. Many members of the congregation expressed their pleasure and the hope that such musical treats miglif be more frequent. Miss Davies displays marked ability as a musician, and. her. playing is greatly appreciated.

There is a good deal of confusion in the public mind respecting the terms "parcel post" and "packet post," ('•specially in connection with ' parcels for soldiers. ' In respect qf parcels post the rate for parcels addressed to soldiers and nurses of. JJritish, New Zealand, Australian, 'or other colonial, or Allied troops, on active service in any part of the world, is one shilling for parcels' not exceeding 3)b> and 2s for parcels not exceeding 7Jb f In respect.of packets for members of th£ New Zealand Expedition-' j'.ry . Forw;s, . these, r must not weigh more than one pOun^,' the rates being : Not exceeding ' 4 ounces, lei; ', every additional 2"'■'(dunces", ,or 'fraW tioh thereof, ; ' .-"" . ■

A rotable example '"of the heavy, afflictions:wliich the^ war is bestowing on some Ne\v Zealand homes \vas elicited from .a casualty cablegrani received- in the' Base Records ope on Sunday (states the Post). Three sons of a widow residing in Berhampore, lefL with the 21st Reinforoenients, and of tliese two were killed and one wounded, on 13th June, all being included in the same cable mesiage.' The facts of the case were reported"-to,the Minister for Itefence by the Director of Base Records (Major Norton Francis), and Sir James Allen at once aiTanged a joint visit to the bereaved mother ' with a ■view to breaking the news as gently as possible. He also ca-bled for fullest particulars in regard to? the wounded son. -Fnesa three5 lads/achieved a fine record in defence of their King and CJbuntrv. ; i -. .

Re^ardiiiff ; the ;■ butter-fat tax a Wellington Exchange says:—The ■members from the dairying districts are said to be -organising, to insist upon relief, of ■their constituents from the jbtitter-fat levy. \ On the other hand there are town i (members who are indignant against the farmers for the protests they hive? made about tlrs levy. T!io situation has in it the elements of a good' town' versus country wrangle. . It seems'iikely howryer, that the levy will be taken off, for tho very good reason that it wno lpn?.er necessary. The export value of butter is scarcely ascertainable now, so that it is, no'longer possible to impose a levy based on the ditterenoe between export values and local value. The export value is an elusive amount because little or no butter is exported. Probably the export value is not higher than the local value, m which case there could bo ny excuse for the: imposition of the lew. ~ .

A recruit from Invereargill ran amok at Trenthanr Camp on Saturday mormng ft appears that the new arrival, who, with his comrades, had only gone into camp on Friday, roused himself-at 1 a.m. on Sntin-1 day and having lost his reason proceeded to attack those sleeping next him m the . hutment. He prodded one man in the head with a bayonet, getting him in the temple. Another man promptly closed with him, and Rot.the maniac down. Then ensued a grim struggle, in which the madmaa a big, strong, powerful fellow, treely used his bayonet. He endeavored to stab his opponent from behind, and succeeded in . inflicting a number of wounds, before he was hnaJly over-powered by other"-"men in the hutment. The lunatic, being safely secured, was placed under imard^and later in the day was sent mto Wellington for commital to the Mental Hospital. The.injured men were promptly removed, to hospital whore it was found .that neither had been dangerously wounded, though both had mid. narrow escapes. The man who grappled with the lunatic had five wounds in the back which will require stitching. '.'For tliis relief much thanks."

Parades of C Company of the 12th (Nelson and M arlborough) Regiment will commence at Spring Creek on Saturday next at 9 a.m.

The proceeds of the Red Cross sale on Thursday will be in aid of St. Dunsban's Hospital for the blind soldiers. The handkerchief competition closes at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

Las;t month 21 births were registered in the Blenheim district, being those of 12 males and 9 females. In June, 1916. the number of births recorded was 24, the males being 11 and the females 13. Last month 5 deaths (± males and 1 female) were recorded; and 5 marriages were solemnised.

A cablegram has been received by Mr Thomas Gray, of Wellington, from Rawson and Hodson, (London, to the effect that the English Courts decided against the Government in respect to New Zealand cheese which arrived in J^ondon between October Ist, 1916, and January 16th of this year. This involved roughly .14.000 tons of cheese. The Court decided, that the Government may average 123s per cwt. A quantity was seized prior to. requisition at 9£d per lb f.0.b., New Zealand. In the result some £280,000 will be paid to. those interested "in t\xa, cheese. —consignors or buyers- • ;

A strong advocacy; of nidre' publicity was made by the Prime Minister/(Rt. Hon. W." F., Ma!ssey) at the civic 'luncheon in Wellington oii Wednesday. He- said that New'■■■Zea-r----land was' suffering because, it was too modest. The other JDominions had Publicity Bureaux, on which they expended considerable sums of money. .•Although he would not advocate the expenditure of such large sums jis far •is New Zealand was concerned, he thought that we shoitld do something in proportion to our trade arid, qperatioiis He1 intended to obtain the sanction of Parliament to publish m the'leading English newspapers the of the Department which •lealt with .the question of supplies for the Imperial Government. New /ealknd had done its "best to get a supply of ships, but there was a warcity^of food in/England, and the cost ot living had gone up enormous- {?"' ''-"Pr.Pyo*l* M oi the utmost benefit if the people in Great Britain were informed that New Zc^landlh ad d } vXX),OOO carcases to be cdnveyed, and a huge quantity of butter 'and cneese- which com)nodities were in great domand at Homo

r,A! r. ? tfer, ha« been made by a Oimstclvurch firm to buy the whole of the continuous production of tai* at the .Blenheim- Gasworks, returning the residue after the extraction of a certain constituent which, it is said, is used m the manufacture of a hi^h' explosive. It is represented that, &o tar as street asphalting is concerned, tne.:ta, r, is .improved rather -than spoiteu by the treatment to which it is siibiected and that the experience ot the t/hristchurch municipality has proved, that such is the case. -t£ lilenhoim Borough Council was riot attracted by. .the..-proposition,- considering that ,n woiifd be a financial loser when the cost of handling and fyeight wero taken into account. The suggestion was ma_de that the refining, process be carried out locally, but it jw stated that the apparatu^ and method employed were complicated, and only where huge quantities *of raw mat-erial were aivailable' was the .enterprise fusible. As for the manner in winch the work of asphalting streets and paths m Christchxirch was earned on, remarked-one Councillor! X W *S J n ull(? mdtt«' of efficiency at about the bottom of the scale in "New t\fvr d\i H 1 tour of the North Island, the Foreman >. of Works might succeed in picking up Sfi»USe^ 1 i P°mts i"but B^nheim had oS fv, ° karn flOm <^"stchurch: VJuite the reverse. . <

to Jight at the inquest at Cambridge on Tuesday last on the body of & * H ffi W- Slf ddon ' an Army officer, who was found dead at his home. Mr* S^eddon gave evidence that during the past few weeks Wfcrf bee" Lvmg apart from her husband. she returned, home Swi poßseßsion, of I'er personal effects her nusband entered the room and fired a .hot, at her, the charge passing through her hat He about to fire a second shot, but she implored him not to shoot, promising him that she would come back and live with him acvahi. Sleddon answered that it was too late, and said that, he intended 'to shoot him--3 i *iS Vf c mß*m^»le escaped, Mid shorty afterwards heard a shot! Deceased left. a,.tragic A note, in which ie said he--could stand things no longer. A verdict Was returned that dece^ed had committed suicide while suffering from mental derangement. °

The number that speaks volumes in whisky—No. 10 WATSON'S.-^Advt. .A, recent. Lwne of the Opunake limes contained the following paraft* aP": —"TJiree years ago yesterday the first.sod of the Opunake railway was turned. .Hearing of the future development of this coast, Kaiser Bill started^ the war just to block our enterprise." him."

For the first time recently patrons of a Sydne.v race meeting saw a lady steering a trotter In the final race of the day Mrs "White drove her own mare. Blue Bell. She finished, among the other starters.

Two young Christehurch boys have been fjrrftsten tor purloining one of Messrs Wardell Bros, delivery rang find mak'ng; off with it into the country. Their joy-ride was, however, out short, for the news of the loss being noised abroad, the two wouldbe travellers were apprehended at Rangiora

Help L. A "White top the poll next Thursday.—Advt.

Is the vacancy -in the Cabinet caused by the death of Dr MeNab to be fillf d shortly or is it to be kept dangling as a bait to keep members in order? That is the question be*ng discussed in the lobbies (states the Christ-church Press.) Some members are of opinion that the vacancy will not b« filled whilst others hold that an appointment- will be made very shortly. In the event of the portfolio being , filled, indications point to Mr Gv W. Forbes, member for Hurunui, as the favored member. .

The action of Markham Carter, who-exposed, what the Mesopptamian Commission termed "the medical debacle in Mesopotamia," is likened by the newspapers to '..'Russell's Crimea exposures. The reference* is to the work of the late Sir William Howard Russell, who went out to the Ot"'mea as correspondent* for the London Tim«?, and- exposed' with great force and courage the shocking deficiencies in the serviced His articles to th£ Times on the subject caused the greatest consternation, in England, and brought about the fall of the Aberdeen1 Ministry, .They were afterwards fepiiblished in 1855 in a volume palled "The War." Mrf■:- Russell >lso> represented ; the Times; in i the Indian Mutiny, the American Civil War, the AustroPruseian War, and the Franco-Ger-man War, and accompanied the late King Edward !Vli. on his visit to India. He was; knighted, in 1895. , VL. ,;A.': White riot pledged to : any party; imite a free" lance; give him a vote.—Advt. •■ >J •-, ■"-.,.■••.;;."■ . :■-.

A motion to t,he offect V that the Qpuncil siipport. th^, petition: for the >ix o'clock closing of. ho"tel. bars, and «?xpress the .hope"; that it willy be granted by Parliament, was set down in the name of Mr IH N. Ba^nal! "at last Peek's meeting ';of the Auckland City Council.,. Whilst the mover was introducing the motion, Mr A. Hall Skelton rose to a point of order. He contended that the resolution was tv breach of the standing orders, in that it ws,s not part.of the ordinary business_pf the council. : The Mayor, Mr J. H. Gunsoii, however, ruled that it was in order. Ifc was seconded by .Mr J. Put ton.. The Mayor then stated thnt >ho.ugh ; ; .he had had to rule th'it thfirmotion^was in order lie considered it would be improper for the councillors to vote upon it. Tlie matter was ji national one, not a municipal one. He moved as an amendment the previous question J his was carried, and the motion was therefore not put . .

Shop-lifting is becoming very prevalent in Wanganui (says the ilerald), and sevefiii shopkeepers have suffered in consequence. In a certain draper's shop in Wanganui a costume had been placed' for exhibition and had beeii sold for six guineas. This was during the, course of a recent morning. When the owners of the business came to close up for the day the costume was found to be missing,'- although the purchager had not taken delivery of it. Exhaustive inquiries were made, but no trace of the 'missing article could be found. This is the third occasion within a short period that this firm has. been robbed . under similar circumstances. Other shopkeepers have complained of similar acts. . : .■■■'"•

Robbing a *bank, apparently, like robbing the' Government, is not regarded so seriously by some people as is theft from private persons. His Honor Sir John Denmston, at a sitting of the Supreme Court in Christchurch, when dealing with a prisoner v/ho had pleaded guilty to retaining £-20 overpaid by a bank teller, said that in such instances it appeared to be. taken for granted that the hank would bear the loss, and such money was regarded by some people as money found. There was no justification for such an attitude, although there seemed to be a strong temptation to keep the money, owing to the belief that i£ was "an institution and not an individual that would lose it.

The arrival of a parcel1 from overseas labelled "cutlery," and addressed to a well-known family in Akaroa, led some mildly-curious folk to speculate as to why certain people should send outside the Dominion in wartime for "the real thing in table implements." The "head-of the household paid the duty with a murmuiS and the young ladies of the family undid the numerous wrappings with eager expectancy. Horrors! the cutlery was a German bayonet!.. Attached was a note from the only son of the house, stating that he had picked it up "on the Somme battlefield after the day's struggle. It Is .not considered safe to inquire from the young soldier's parents as to the amount of duty pay." able In wartime on "imported cutlery."

Traders like you to ask for the Hot Water Bottle with the patent Unique Stopper—the bottle for long service, because every, one sold makes fresh friends. Look for the stopper—a little thing to look for, a big thing to find—Adrt.

A young New ZeaMdj officer, tvrit- ■ jng.ta his parents, spea%in a feeling: manner of the respect shown! by overseas soldiers to the* heroes who ■-• fought side by side with them and «ied" H(! says That on Anzac Day,. Ath April, sports were held in Can- - ada Park, and while there he witnessed one of the wop+ impressive sights. 'The Park," he says, "is next - to ■-.he Cemetery, where about 20-t»r 30 m<-n are buried evory day. A football matf.h was in progress. New: Zealand v! Australia, when suddenly : the buglers at the funeral commenced to souutt-'tho Last Post,' that most beautiful of, calls. Immediately the whole of the.lo.ooo Australians and JNew -Zealanders present rose to their feet as one man, and remained at attention till the buglers finished. This i happened about twice during the ■ afternoon, about ■ ten! men buried at " a time, and really I think it was as ftne i funeral as a man could have One can t afford to be sentimental at this,game, but I am sure, from the - , remarks I heard passed, that most fellgws were touched by the sight."1 Arthur Sowman is not too shy to- • tell thrifty housewives that "Nr>•• Rubbing" Laundry Help does wash all clothes spotlessly clean without/ rubbsng ot injury. He also gives. Thinker Note Book free, with every lg . packet of "No. Rubbing."—Advt/

A rather unusual case came before the Second Canterbury Military Service Board on Thursday (reports the Cnnstphureh . Press), "when a half-<-asts appoalpd on the gix>und that he was not a r ese rvist; on account of his Maori blood.' He was, his appeal* 1 stated, a half-caste living in the l^apaki pa as a Maori, ; though ■ue'"S?' s"-J. k,° a ™ilway'.cleaner.- Mr H. W. -IJishop, S M., chairman s of the, Board j Saul he could not see how the - man couW beiiving as avNative if H&* flowed-att^ther occupation as < well. ,' Mr Bishop shid tlie man. was not a V o;y: Mr-Hunt, who appeared for - the -appellant," said that appellant'sfather; m ~.,a Eurfipeansr; but -hi^ • mother was a Maori. "No she isn't," ■said jihe chairman. "I-granted her ™ old age pension, and;l kriovr her?^ J.ne mothfir was present, and on be- ■'■ ■^g.examined:admitted that she was : no* .Maori, having a'A good bit of the - blood of the early whalftrs in her, veins. *% should Bay that ohe : appellant is-more EuropeanPW:~Ws»!*g ; else," said Ml^Cisnop. . However, we see by this mornine:s papers- that, there is to be • compulspvy seryice for .Maoris, ami■ he, il* ' .^t'imately.;'.■ hav^ to «ro'-*" whether or no • so all this doesn^t matter much." • Mr-Hunt agreednot to, V-bot-that particular ground"' of the appeal any further.