LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

-, Mr. Fletcher, the chairman, pt the Wellington Harbour Board 1 , has voiced a complaint against ,; Vhe cumbersome nature and cost of the annual election system. Mr. Nicholls, the secretary of the Board, states in the annual report that the nett cost of the last Board election was £i3oo, and it is very urgent that the matter be dealt with by Parliament, in order that the election be conducted more economically than is possible at present.

The camp for the Nelson mounted infantry will be held in Mr Staples' paddock at Motueka, lasting from Monday next till April sth. It is expected that 250 men will be under canvas. Captain Avery, of the 10th regiment,, passed through Nelson yesterday on his way to Motueka. . Sergeant-Major Salt will be the instructional officer. The main draft of the 12th Regiment will leave for Yaldhurst by the Navau to-morrow morning. "'"

| In consequence of the outspoken eviSdence she gave before the Dominion's Commission dh the subject''of female iramigrationj the officer in, charge of the Women's branch of the Labour Department in Wellington has. been forbidden by the Government to go on board incoming ocean liners in future: For years past she has regularly, met Home boats in company with the male officers of the Department, and has given much information and assistance to . women among the immigrants. They wear like leather! Just dandy are our Boys' Cowboy Suits-, in smairfc servicable Tweeds and Linens, 7s' lid, 8s lid, 10s ,6d, and 12s 6d each.—Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co.* "A, man is judged by the company he keeps." So a store, is jiidged fey the goods it sells; and Co., The Prcr gressive Drapers, sell goods'. of a high standard of excellence, such as Horrocks' and Crewdson's Calicoes, Fhilay's Sheetings, Doctor Flannels, S.S.S. Drills, "Ariston" double woven Net Curtains, Horrocks' Flannelettes, Dent's Gloves, Fownes' Gloves, Fox's Serges, Roslyn Underwear, P.D. Corsets, Kaiapoi Costumes, and hundreds of other standard lines that have stood the tests of time.* The Tehana-Kaiwaka section of the North 'Auckland railway was opened yesterday by the Hon. W. H. Herries. Among tho.se- present were Messrs Mander, Dixon, Glover, and Coats. M.'sP. The length of the section is about eight miles. The Minister was entertained at a banquet, and returned' to Auckland last night. Follow in Fashion's Footsteps! Wear one of our stylish Roslyn or Kaiapoi Costumes, in all wool Tweed or Serge, a 4. 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s each.—Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co.* In the Christ-church case of Matson versus the Minister of Railways, a claim for £1478. in connection with the. compulsory taking of some land at Addington, the Compensation Court awarded the claimant £550, together with inter-' est on that sum from the. date of the proclamation regarding taking the ]arid. ' No costs were allowed. Buy one. of our Ladies' Rain Coats! They're smart, light, and perfectly yvaterproof. 22s 6cl, 255, 30s, and 35s each.—Auckland Clothing and DraperyCo.* Trathen and Co., The Progressive Drapers, supply reliable goods that give satisfaction at prices as low as they can be got anywhere in the.Dominion ; Is in the £> discount for cash;*"

The following steamers will be within, wireless range' of Wellington to-night : .Uaitai. Nav'iia. Toi'ua, LHmaroa, Victoria anil Waimana.

The nnniversnrv of the Wai-iti Methotlist Church wi.l be celebrated on Hood Fridav and Easter Sunday. On Friday a public meeting will be held, to be followed by the annual public .sreeting, at wliich a'good programme of sacred music will be rendered, (vocal, instrumental and elocutionary items). On Sunday there are to he afternoon and evening services, the preachers being Mr. I'. Hatt-y and Rev. \V. A. Watson respectively.

An Auckland woman, known as May Russell, admitted at the Wellington Police Court yesterday having attempted to commit suicide. Jt was stated that she was a married woman named Jones. She followed a. cowboy belongings to a circus from Nelson, and put up at the hotel where the circus employees were staying, but the man whom she was infatuated with u%-oided her. She was found unconscious in a passage, and was removed to the hospital. She had a return ticket to Nelson, and in the Court she expressed a desire to return to her children, whom she had left in care of some friends. She was convicted and ordered, to appear for sentence when called on. (The woman referred to is identified with the May Russel who appeared at the Nelson Magistrate's Court as the principal witness in a case brought, by the Labour Department for a breach of the Factories Act.)

Another allegedly "ancient prayer" is tugging at the chain in Wellington. It is the old business of a promise of "great joy" to the people foolish enough to copy it nine times and inflict it on nine friends (at a cost of 9d in stamps), and a. threat of misfortune to those who "pass it by." The best thing 10 do in these cases is to save the ninepence and take the chance of regret.

The followin'g was cabled to the Sydney "Sun" last week : —A genera! run that, started on the Montreal Savings Bank did not stop until £200,000 has been withdrawn. Great excitement prevailed among the depositors, and some remarkable scenes were witnessed. The origin of the run was traced' to aconversation in which two brokers, while discussing the tightness of the moneymarket, were 'heard to mention the name of the Savings Bank. On the .strength of what had been heard various rumours were circulated, and before long the run was in full swing.

According to figures produced in New York before the commission to investigate "the marriage and divorce laws, 1.850.000 divorces have been granted in the United States during the past 40 vears. Twenty per cent, of these divorces were effected by changes of residence to States having easy divorce laws. Five million husbands, wives and children were concerned in these proceedings. During the past year there were JCO.OOO divorces in America, and 7Q,000 Children were thus deprived of one or both parents.

How the Canadian police made sure of* a £SOO reward offered by the German authorities- for the capture of" a thief is described in a telegram from Berlin. The offender, a bank manager named Brunning. who fled t 0 Canada with a- large sum in banknotes belonging to the bank, and was arrested there, has been brought back to Germanv for trial. When arrested he had £3OOO on him. The Canadian police deducted the £SOO from the money before remitting it to Germany, 0:1 the ground that they had unsatisfactory experiences with Germany m similar cases.

A" lightship has just been placed >jj commission in Germany that is provided with a complete equipment of the most modern devices for aiding and warning mariners. In place of- the old-fashioned mast beacons the vessel carries a simple powerful electric light set up on top of a. hollow n-ast or shaft, through which the light can be reached in stormy weather. The lightship has wireless telegraph and fog and submarine signals. ; Diesel oil engines run a dynamo, and two large accumulator batteries store the electric current for emergency. vessel is ISO feet long and .25 feet wide.' It will be stationed near, the shallows at J the mouth of the River F.lhe.

The Hamburg-American liner. Cap ' Blanco, which < recently arrived at Vigo from Rio de Janeiro, reported a mysterious theft of gold during the voyage. When the Cap Blanco left Rio ds Janeiro she carried £50;000 in German gold coins, enclosed in ten boxes which 1 were locked in the ship's safe. On arriving at it was revealed that one of the hexes, containing £4OOO, had disappeared, aiid the safe bore marks of having been forced open. Although a wireless message was sent to .the'Vigo authorities, and the liner surrounded by police when she e'nteied the harbour, lio clue to the thieves has been- found.

There was a dramatic meeting recently at Plymouth on the mail steamer Tainui, whieli was about to leave for New Zealand, with the result that an elopement was frustrated, the parties concerned returning to Lowestoft. An "Oulton (Lowestoft) man missed his wife and two children, aged 17 years and 18 months respectively, and, having traced them to London, found that they had booked passages oversea. The disappearance of a Lowestoft smack-owner occurred about the same, time, it is stated. Being.too late to catch the steamer from London to Plymouth, the husband hurried to Plymouth, and sought the- aid of the police. The steamer was boarded, and among the second-class passengers were four people, travelling as Mr. and Mrs of the missing smack-owner). When the husband appeared on the scene with police offioers the smack-owner was nursing the baby in the cabin. There were naturally words of reproach, the captain of the Tainui was interviewed, and ultimately the parties were landed and the voyage abandoned. The husband, went back to Lowestoft, travelling with his wife and children. Don't waste time tying np that old Tin Trunk with string ! Buy one of our strong Fibre Suit Cases at 10s 6d, 12s 6d, 15s, and 16s 6Ji each. —Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co.*

A united service (under the allspices of the Nelson Ministers' ■ Association) will,be held on GoodFridav mdrjiirtg- IIV the Methodist Church as advertised in this issue. /

The lender of the Cash IJ>rapery'Company for the supply of drapery to' the Colleges has been accepted by the' Board of (Jovernurs. ' '

It is notified that all classes in con ncction with the Nelson School of Phyfli cal Culture will re-open after Easter.

Mr Leonard R. Franklin, a candidate for Paddington the London County Couacil elections, .o celebrate his silver wedding gave to ten poor girls in Paddington Priory £25 each to enable them to be married. The dowries are to be given to those who would, otherwise be unable to enter into the bonds of matrimony for some tinie to come. They are to be divided among girls' to be married at Church of England, Free Church, Roman Catholic, and Jewish places of worship, or at registry nflices.

The action of the Berlin authorities in giving a course of English to a dozen of their policemen may bo followed by corresponding action on the part of the English authorities. As matters fltnhd at present, many of the London police have qualified * themselves to speak French and German, but there is no organised instruction, and. it is to this end that some step tray be taken in the near future. A knowledge of languages is always a qualification which is recognised by' Scotland Yard, and a representative was informed by an official there, that quite a number of the London policemen could speak French and German fluently. It is only recently that the Ramsgate authorities decided that certain members of their police force should know 'French in order that they im*}' help visitors from across the Channel.

The latest American novelty in the wiy of matrimonial legislation (writes the New York correspondent of the. ".Daily Telegraph") is n. movement to have all proposals of marriage declared invalid unless they are made in writing. Should the plan be enacted into Jaw no breach of promise suit could be brought, upon a. verbal proposal, and ' one enterprising publisher is already ad-., vertising that be is prepared to supply, young ladies at summer resorts with/, blank forms that can be filled up -aa proirptly as danco programmes. Other-< wise they mhrht ."lose the catch, even,, after hooking him." .~

A big crowd assembled at the. Botanical Reserve last cvenfhg to witness the masquerade and open-air entertainment arranged by the Citizens' JBand, assisted by "the Fire Brigade. A torchlight procession through the city streets' prior .to the entertainment in the Reserve a great attraction, being headed "by the; "Darktown" and Nelson Fire Brigades, followed by the Citizens' Band. The ".star" attraction was • the "Pelortiß Jack" airship, which lost its propellersoon after the start, and was thus tin--able to make a flight, as was hoped for. The miscellaneous assortment of tricycles that had seen better days caused much amusement, and the "Boneshaker Steeplechase" later on in the 'Reserve created roars of laughter, the mishaps in negotiating the hurdles being numerous. The ta.idem scratched for the eventowing to a punctured tyre. Other item A on the programme included an appleeating competition, the fruit being suspended on strings, and the frying-pan act, both of which were entered into with keen relish by the crowd of youngsters present. The magical items- of "Professor Bunkum" quite put Hugardin .the shade 5 and the pugilistic encounter between Johnson and Burns was .an exhibition, of science and skill'which had to be seen to be believed. The dummy and the clown also provided amusement. The evening's entertaiument wa? concluded with the ; Darktown's exhibition, an artistic-looking-coti tage beng totally destroyed by fire, Iho whole performance was highly enjoyable.

A strange account of the life of a maii who for 26 years had lived almost a hermit's life in a large hortae at Clay Hi>l. was given at an inquest at Enfield recently, on William Lyne, 75 yeatt ..; oE age. Lyne's nephew told the court that the house 'belonged to his "uncle, and that he had resided there quite alone for*26 years. A police-constable stated that on the body were found banknotes to the value of £IOO, and a largo*collection* or gold, silver, and ,bronz« coins. ~ ..There was also a Pos't- Office Savings' Bank, book Showing a credit to the of £2lO and a cheque book on Barclay's Bank. A-witness said that for many, years had carried a schoolboy's wallet Jbetweeh his shirt and vest, and ,liad ( , never ..divulged its contents, to anyone. p<*,k<rpt several dogs and other'.'"autjnals in'"t)io house, and also kept a revolver jmd,gun near iu's pillow, be.ing: afraid of burglars. The verdict was death from natural causes. '

The world's largest railway station, covcrinir 79 acres and costing £56,000,000. will be opened in New York this month as the terminal of the New York Central lines at Forty-secOnd street and Park Avenue.'The station is a great marble palace, 672 f- long, 310 ft wide, and 150 ft high above the street level, and 745 ft long, 455 ft wide, and 45ft deep tielow the street level. It contains 33 milen rf rails and 69 separate tracks, capable of housing 1055 cars. / There are 46 platforms in the station distributed over an upper level for long-distance trains and a low level for suburban traffic. Provision has been made for handling trains and 100,000 passengers a day. The enormous expense of the terminal Juw been made possible as a paying vontur* because modem ingenuity has been able to abolish the waste space of older stations. All trains will enter the new Central station below the street level, and on what is usually the train yard will",tie erected office buildings, an hotel and , club houses, paying hirjh rentals. Every train will enter and leave the station drawn by electric locomotives, the substitution to steam engines being made -at High Bridge, ten miles north ofv tlio terminal. By this eystem, smoke and din are discarded. " :•, Having made extensive alterations to the interior of our premises by taking in the shop 'recently by Messrs Lock and Tayler, *ve have much more, suace to devote to the showug of Manchester and Household Draoery. Our aim is to sell goods of quality at lowest possible prices; Is in the £ discount for cash.—Trathen and Co., The Progressive Drapers.* The town of Beziers is immensely excited (says flic Paris correspondent, of the "Express") by a remarkable event which is said to have occurred in the old cemetery in the town recently. According to the story, which is printed with much detail.' a woman was leaving the | cemetery, whore she had gone to pray at the grave of her 'husband, when she noticed a statue of the Virgin covered with moss. The condition of the statue inspired her with pity, and she tried to wash the moss from it with her pocket handkerchief. She declares that th© statue came to life, that one of its hands touched the handkerchief, a nd that a voice said.: "This cloth is sa,c red now. Keep it. for I have blessed it to thank you for your act of piety." The womkn ran home to her cottage, and told her sick daughter what had happened. She put tha handkerchief on the girl's bed. and the child, who has been vmralysed'' for years, snt up. got out of bed, and 'walked. Pilcrrims are now flocking to the cemetery at Beziers,

An old man, to whose coat was still attached; Jv piece of green a-ibbon appeared'at the Magistrate's Cour; this morning. Evidently St. Patrick's Day had proved for the old fellow, as he was arrested yesterday about midday in a bad-condition of -drunkenness. The presiding Justice. Air B. H. Aloller, recorded a conviction and discharged the accused* There are many uses for burnt carbide, and the latest* brought to - our knowledge is that of gardening. The Rev. Guy Thornton (says the Alcrrinsville "Star") has been experimenting with the spent carbide, with very satisfactory results. He has several rows of Magnum Bonum potatoes planted, some of which when left to the natural soil yielded half-a-dozen eating potatoes •to the root, while - those which were treated with the carbide averaged twenty to the .root fit for cooking, and in addition there, were some twenty or so verysmall o"nes. Air Thornton is of opinion that the carbide resists the blight, as ■well as increasing the growth of the potato. An illustration of; the power of the 14in. guns of the new super-Dreadnought of the United States Navy—the New York—is given by the New York "Sun," which says:—"lt is estimated -that the 15821b. missile of the- 14in. gun •will pierce 15.6 inches of Krupp plate at 7700 yards, or nearlv four and a half miles, aiid 17.3 inches'of >'-Ue of 5400 yards, or more than three : le-. The amidships armour of the British King George class of super-Dreadnoughts, 25,000 tons normal displacement, is 12 inches, and cf the German Ersatz class ■of 27,000 tons it is 15 inches. As the Texas (a sister ship launched in Maylast) and New York will be able to' discharge their revolving ten 14in. guns on either side of the ship at the same time, what Dreadnought now afloat could ■withstand the terrible impact of their metal?"

In the course of an. editorial reference to Mr Mas=ey's Christ-church speech -and th interruption therea.t, the "Feilding Star'* remarks: —"The anti-militarist and the Socialist —he is one and the same—is the curse oj our public life, and it is time that our city papers adopted the policy of treating these -disturbers of the peace with absolute contempt. Leave all mention of their names and r-i their doings out of the papers, and they will soon cease to exist as a force. One-half, if not- two-thirds, of these now so-call-ed leaders have been made such by the publicity given them, in our city papers."