LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 1 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Rev. F. Spencer will deliver an address in the j.vechabite Hall, Brightwater, on Sunday next at 3 p.m.

The anniversary tea aiid public meeting in connection with the Richmond Baptist Church will (be held to-morrow.

Services will be held at All Saints' Chnrcli to-morrow morning and evening.

The annual conference of the Churches of Christ "will be held at Spring Grove to-morrow, and on the 3rd, 4th, and sth April. The meetings commence at 9 a.m. To-morrow evening a tea and public meeting will be held. The services for'Sunuay in Nelson and country are advertised.

There have been four bankruptcies in Wellington during the past quarter, _as compared with two in. the corresponding quarter of last year. None occurred during March.—'Press Association.- >

The North Canterbury Education j3oar<l ha§ decided to" nominate Mr C. H. Opie, ex-chairman of the Board, for a seat on the Education Council as one of the South Island representatives.— Press Association.

The Nelson Artillery Reserve Corps held the usual fortnightly parade at the Drill Shed last evening', Captain Cock being in command. Instruction was given by non-coms, of the permanent staff, and some good work was done.

■One of the most serious features.of, tile New Zealand farm-seed position is tile great shortage of rape seed that: \Vill -be experienced this year. As a general-rule the low countries of Europe are out main source of supply, but at tile present time rape seed is more valuable for -war purposes than fou exportation. The Biologist of the Agricultural Department, JVlr Cockayne, believes that it is .doubtful if a single ounce of European rape seed will be available. The ' present wholesale price of rape seed—roughly, £BO a ton—a price .higher tiian has yet been experienced, is likely to advance steadily. Farmers are, therefore, urged to procure, if possible, immediately their supplies for' 1915. This shortage in rape seed is quite the most serious happening in the farm-seed trade.

A meeting of the Nelson Branch of the Teachers' Institute will be held ih the Girls' School on April 10th at 2.30 •.p.m. Routine business will., be transacted, and a paper will'be Tead on "The Influence of School Environment." A full attendance of members is requested.

; The following championships have been allotted for the Nelson Poultry Show by the New Zealand 'Championship . Association:—Buff Orpingtons, White Orpingtons, Black Orpingtons, Hamburghs, :A.O.V. 'Bantams, Fantail 'Pigeons, Norwich non-cayenne, fed, and Norwich coloui'rfed: canaries.

: A telegraph messenger-' named • John Thomas Adair, while .riding: a bicycle yesterday afternoon collided with an express in Waimea-street,' - and received, a nasty scalp wound. He was able to ride tp Dr. Gibbs' surgery, ■ but collapsed while the wound was being, attended to, and removed to the Hospital, where, on inquiry this afternoon, it was Jearnt that he was doing as well as can. be expected. . ' :

: A party of: small boys from Ponsonby, who had been, disporting themselves by: playing "Germans," came before Mr ,F. {V. 'Frazer,- S.M., at' Auckland last week. It came out in evidence (says' the "Star") that six of the nine boys before the Court, and ■ a number of others, had' a very hot engagement, with clay clods for'ammunitiony and that a factory which was beside-the- scene of the battle; shared the of the Rheims Cathedral, 10 •panes of' glass being shattered.. A war indemnity 'of half-a-crown "apiece was collected from the parents of the halfdozen delinquents who had been caught, - and the mock .warriors were..promised an ignoble birching the next time: they air lowed battles to cause damage to neutral property.

The following figures show-, the quantities of butter in cool store at the various points on.. March 31st :—Auckland, 11,716 boxes,; New Plymouth 9882 boxes; Patea 139 boxes; Wanganui 1949 boxes; Gisborne 222 boxes;;- -Wellington. 12,115 boxes ; Lyttelton 5148 . boxes ; Dunedin 1971 boxes ; total, 49,142. Total ■> on 'March 31st, 1914; -65,333 boxes 5 total .on March 31st, 1913, 44,623 boxes—Press Association.

i A New Zealand troopeiv who left with, .the smtfin Expeditionary s Force; well, supplied with socks, haying a dozen {pairs .presented to '.him . by his ;family and friends, ilias written to his mother tha-t, Jwith verjr careful wear, he .already has only four, pairs left.. This shows : (says the "New Zealand- Times") .that all that the women of New Zealand r. cant do, : i-n :the way ofv.knitting socks for .the.jpen dn Egypt will hardly be enough, to keep up the supply needed by them.

■ The Wellington Publishing .Company (the "Dominion"), last week -accepted, atender for extensive, additions,- to its, premises fronting Boulfjott:■ street; / and' Dovinion avejiue. A .inew threerStory ; building is to -be. erected ' oetw.een -.the main building . and -the . bulk store, to accommodate the newspaper and general printing department, ; - and 'an additional story is to be added to the bulk store. Considerable additions are. als6 being made to the company's pltint, including the -importation of a large Ifive-reel printing press of latest .design*— the biggest thing of its kind yet introduced into Wellington.

A man employed on t.he railway extension works at ■Glenhope found- the relaxation of city life too strong for him, and he was arrested in St. 'John-street at 12.30 this morning for drunkenness, x'leading guilty when brought before Mr J. S. x Evans this . morning, the delinquent, who was-a first offender, was convicted and discharged. t . ■

■Over the Easter season the local Salvation Army-Forces will be' strengthened iby the visit of 0 the South "Wellington Corps Band, of 22 members. , The members comprise a variety of talent, and should considerably brighten up the week-end services. A considerable programme" ■ has been arranged, including a camp meeting 011 Good Friday afternoon in the Botanical Gardens. All days on Easter Sunday special services will be conducted- in the 'Citp.del, besides three services on Good Friday.

It is not often that a man _ makes ail April fool of himselfbut this actually occurred this morning to a worthy gentleman engaged in- a city office, but who fills in his spare time in. the quiet seclusion of a cosy little orchard at Stoke. He holds a season ticket, and journeys to town every morning: by *tho ti*ain, bringing liis bicycle with him in orderto : return home in 'the evening, usually tendering the £uard <3d as bicycle fee. This morning, however, he left his machine at home; but, being deep in calculation as to the output of hie orchardi he absent-mindedly handed the guard the usual bicycle fee, getting a ticket: iii return. Upon ai'rival at Nelson, he presented himself' at the guard's van ° and vainly looked for his bicycle. • After a thorough search, he was quietly reminded bv. a porter that it was the let ,of • April. The expression upon the face-of iho traveller is better It. IL. to the imagination -than described. ■

Mr G. V. Hudson, of Kai:ori, reports to the "Post" of . yesterday that a great sunspot entered the solar disc early yesterday morning and "will be placed' for observation during Easter.

As the Rev. Father Finnerty, Chaplain Captain, is at the training camp at Tapawera, a change of tllo ho.u vs of service at Wakefield and Waimea is advertised in this issue.

A Blenheim Territorial named [Leonard Duncldey had a slight seizure while coming to Nelson camp with other Territorials on the Mapourika on Tuesday. He was . removed to the Hospital' on arrival of the steamer; but was subsequently discharged and entered camp.

The police have received word that a shed valued at £BO, . containing about £45 worth of hay, the property of Mr F. J. Rose, of Takaka, was iburnt yesterday. Small boys playing with matches caused the outbreak. The shed was insured for £SO in the Govei'ilU'ent Insurance .Office.

The Nelson Ministers' Association lias arranged for a united service on Good Friday, which will ibe held, in the Presbyterian Church at "11 a.m. -The dent-of the Association will, preach, aiid the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper will be observed. A. special offering \vill be taken up towards furnishing the Association's Territorial tent at.. Tapawera. Books and illustrated . papers for the use of the men, now in camp, will be gratefully received by the secretary#

"Made in New-Zealand;'' when stamped upon'butter, packages for sale-.in the State of' Oregon, , was iutended as a Jdnd gf stigm<i, but It had; the opposite result. Mr. E. Clifton. New-.Zealand Trade Commissioner drt tile Pacific Coast, writes to the" ''Agricultural Journal"- that tho activities of the authorities of the : Oregon Pure Foods Commission - were not of intention operating in- the interests of New Zealand. ;lt .was far. more to assuage the irritation of the Oregon farirer; who;- objected' to the-presence of butter. froni ; abroad. ' This hits,'however, ..brought about the, appreciation of the hio-li quality of New Zealand .butter, and has effected an entirely different ? end to that- anticipated by those who washed to arouse the interest lof the Commissioners.

It has just been discovered (writes the San Francisco correspondent of the Christchurch "Press"), that under the laws of California no person who is not.a citizen of tlie Xljuted States c&n teaclr in. th«J public schools of the "State. 6r receive money for his services. Curiously, enough, this has .been, the law for thirteen years, but- no one seems to have been aware of the fact. During that time scores of aliens have given instruction in State educational institutions. If the law-is to be now enforced in letter and spirit; it will be a sore blow for. the University 01 California, which in point of enrolment is one of the 'big univfersities ",of the "United States: At this institution are a number of foreign professors and instruc- , tors, among them 'Germans, Englislunen, Frenchmen, and Orientals' from India and Japan. ■ There are also in many of the secondary schools foreign teachers of •languages. The Superintendent, ot Instruction announces that it is not -within ■his province to, enforce .-the laiy,. but. there is -always the .possibility. ,of .aciti-; zen instituting .proceedings to prevent the payment of salary to an alien teacheiy There is. talk of 'a Bill being rushed through the Legislature to repeal • the troublesome law. 1 x '

In its annual statement for. the academic year 1913-14 the Rhodes Scholarship Trust states that tho number of scholars in residence at Oxford was • 177, of whom 76 were from, the colonies of' the Empire, 88 from the United States, and 13 from Germany. There were also in residence three exRhodes scholars {colonials). During the yea.r 76 scholars completed the period of their scholarships; ' Since tho, outbreak of the war in August- a- ~large 'proportion. of the colonial scholare-in, 1 residence have taken commissions or enlisted in'the-Im-perial Affjny. They have A bpeii given, leave of absence, and 'ivill bo allowed, to resume their scholarships at , the .end of the war.. A considerablQ. number of exBhodes scholars have also taken service, in the various colonial contingents. Twenty American scholars, have been asked "by the International Commission for . Relief - in, Belgium to, assist, in the work of .distributing supplies .in that country,; and, subject to the consent „of their colleges, leave of absence has.i-been granted to-them for this purpose.:At .the beginning of the October term,- 1914,'.63 nevy ■ scholars (colonial- and 'American) came into .residence. > ~ >

Mr Meek was laboriously 'hooking up the- "back of his wife's evening dress just, as the clock" was striking their .dinnerliour; and their dinner guests were ringing the door-bell. . Mr .Meek breathed hard; his forehead was damp, . and. his hands shook. "I do wish some one would invent a machine -to do, tliis Icind of work!" ■he • muttered, miserably. "Why, they have!" replied his wife, brightly, as she .applied' powder nonchalantly <to her nose, "They have, and you are it." *

Ap. officer tells of an interesting sidelight ort the false- dissemination of news in -Germany afforded by- an incident that; ■ occurred on one of the ships conveying prisonex's after the recent naval battle to Edinburgh. Steaming up the Forth the bridge came in sight, and attracted .the interested attention; of a rescued German seaman, who l inquired : . "What .great structure is that?" On being informed that it was the celebrated. Forth Bridge the men expressed their surp'rise and incredulity, and remarked that that was impossible, as the Forth Bridge had been blown, up- by the Germans months ago!