LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Purging of the general electoral roll for Marsden is taking place, and about JSOO names "will be struck off the main roll. '

Charles Martin/ before Major ClarkWalker, J.P., was fined 5a at Whangarei to-day for drunkenness on the railway station on Saturday night. The Mairtown Tennis and Croquet Club is ceasing its activities of the season. The tennis courts were closed on Saturday and the Croquet lawns will be closed at the end of the month. A social and dance in May will mark the conclusion of the season..

Changes are expected to take place place in respect .of a number of local hptels. Jasper Montgomery, of Papatoetoe, proposes to take over the Kanio Springs Hotel; George Burdett, late of Poroti, the Ngunguru Hotel, and Albert B: Clarke, late of Raglan, the Poroti Hotel. ' ■ ,

The grampus whale, "particulars of the capture of which appeared in Saturday's issue, was put on view on Saturday, sixpence admission being charged, the proceeds to be devoted to the Belgian Fnnd. By this means the funds has been augmented by £3 10s. The money has been paid to the Mayor, Mr D. W. Jack.

• The arrangements that are being made for the grand entertainment to take place at Aponga to-morrow night are very elaborate. The entertainment and ball give promise of being the most successful and largely-attended function that has ever been Iheld at this centre. The affair is in aid of the Belgian and Servian relief funds. Notifications have been received from all parts of tho district from people who intend to be present. Somewhat of a curiosity has been presented to the public library museum by Mr E. Boult in the shape of a specimen of the Ophiuroidea, a class of sea urchins. In form it i s like a, star fish, but its arms are curved and pointed and circular in form. They resemble as much as anything elongated garden worms. There are six of these arms joined together by a body of pentagonal shape, underneath which is a Btar shaped perforation, through which in life, are projected means of locomotion. Mr Boult caught the sea urchin hi "Whangarei harbour. j

Six 'members of the Whangarei Lodge of Druids including D.P. Bro. W. Reynolds visited Dargaville on Saturday to take part in the celebration of formation of Lodges Te Awha and Whangarei. The ceremony took place in the Forester's Hall, Bro. R. Bowman, A.D., presiding. Casual visitors from the Wanganui, Fejlding and Palmerston brauches were present. About 40 members in all attended, representing the Order of Druids from a wide district. The formal proceedings over, there was a social entertainment. The function wae mast aucc^aaful, • A \. : .' ' '■'. . ' ■..-

Mr T. H. Steadnkn only decided to stand as a candidate for election to the Harbour Board to-day. was approached at 11 o'clock by an influential deputation who presented him with a petition signed practically unanimously by electiors in Cameron and Bank streets. The petition bore 97 names. Nomination papers were carried by the deputation and Mr Steadman consenting to their representations signed the necessary form.

An appreciative audience listened with considerable pleasure to the programme presented last' night in the Lyceum by the Whangarei Municipal Band. The items, which were capably rendered, were:-—March, "Spirit of Napoleon"; selection, "Stephen Adams' Songs"; selection, "Elijah"; quartette, "In Vain You Tell"; selections, "Casket of Gems" and "Echoes of Scotland." Mrs. Elvey sang "Sunshine and Rain," and, in response to an encore, "Violets."

A shocking accident occurred at the' Whangarei Butchering. Co >s No. 2 .shop, this afternoon atiout 2.30. A youth named W. Slatter, son of Mr W. Slatter, nightwatchman, was employed putting dripjnng through a mincer "when his left hand became entangled in the machinery. The poor fellow's cries attracted the attention o£' Mr Harris, another employee, whovrushed in and shut off the power. Before his arrival, however, the, hand was crushed right up to the wrist. , Dr. Ward was at once called in and the victim of the mishap taken to the hospital.

The Health Department's "ice cream" campaign has grown into, sweeping dimensions.-When charged in the Auckland Police Court with selling ice cream which was deficient in milk fat, Frederick W. Casholt, of Devonport, said the menu outside his shop advertised ices.and not Ice creams. He could not , help it If people came in and asked for ice cream. As the evidence showed that Peter Shenton, an inspector. under the Food and Drugs Act, had especially asked for ice cream, .and had been supplied with a substance containing only 6.1 per. cent, of milk fat, the Act requiring ice creams to contain at least 10 per cent., Mr. E. Page said there would have to be a conviction. The defendant was fined £1 and 19s 6d costs. The same penalty was imposed upon Vera Maxwell, who had sold some ice cream containing only 6.6 per cent, of milk fat. , )

Much interest was taken in the excellent 'display of dahlias and chrysanthemums grown by Mr. Syd. Watt and exhibited in the shop of Messrs. Wallace and Co., CameronStreet, on Saturday. The blooms were all of exceptional size, and almost perfect in shade , and form. Special attention was attracted by a fine specimen of the Lady Talbot type, a glorious bloom of a beautiful yellow hue. An Annie Hamilton, an Amy Laidman and a Pockets Crimson were each of outstanding merit, both for span, and wealth of petalß. They were each eight inches in diameter. The Pockets Crimson, with its rich Incurved leaves, saffron on the underside, was a veritable glory. The dahlias included the paeony flower variety arid the wellknown cactus. Mr. Watt claims the blooms to be the best ever grown in the district, but he lookg forward to still greater success/ He makes the assertion, too, that he was the first to grow successfully the alternantheria, or carpet-bedding • plant; in Whangarel.

Urgent representations were made to the Minister for Public Works last month by residents in the Northern Wairoa district that the construction of the North Auckland Main Trunk railway from Kirikopuni southwards towards the railway which is being: built from Otamatea, should be commenced without further delay. They reminded bim that last session Parliament had voted £15,000 for this work. The Minister then replied that the survey of the line had not progressed sufficiently to e Q able the Department to commence the formation work. Having been informed that the working survey bad almost been completed, the acting chairman of the Auckland Railways League, Mr. G. L. Peacocke, telegraphed to the Minister to that effect, and expressed a hope that the expenditure of the vote would soon be commenced. The following reply has been received from the Minister:—"Engineer-in-chief expects to commence working on the railway Kirikopuni southwards about the end of the month." ;