LOCAL AMD GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AMD GENERAL

Notice is given that several education reserves will be offered for lease by public auction on Thursday, 13th ' April, 1916. Particulars will he found in the advertising columns. In the interests of the children's health, the 1 Wanganui Education Board ,is to 'be urged by the Wanganui School Committee to alter the school hours foithe, hot weather to 8 to 12 for the older pupils, and 8 to 11 for the infant children.

Applications for cadetships in the Public Service, are invited from girls who have passed* the Public Service junior and senior examinations.

A meetin gof delegates of last season's teams of the Wakatu 'Oribbage Association, and of new ones wishing to join, is called for Friday evening.

In the Supreme Court at Nelson on the 20th inst., in Chambers, on thee motion of Mr E. B. Moore,' Mr. Justice Denniston granted' probate of the will of the late James McMurray to Charlotte McMurray and Alfred James McMurray, the executors named in the said will.

Flight-Lieutenant Scotland, invalided from "Mesopotamia, returned to New Zealand by the Maitai to-day. Eight members of the crew of the Pyramus also came back in the same boat. —Press' Association.

The Wellington Musical Union has notified the Nelson Harmonic Society •that the orchestral parts of the Golden Legend have .been -mislaid, and cannot at present be found. The Harmonic Society has therefore decided to change the order of the programme for the year, and to give Barnett's Ancient Mariner for tlie first concert; and the practice of this work will be commenced to-morrow evening. It is hoped to give the Golden Legend for the second concert.

[Reflective of the general belief that high ocean freight rates are to continue for a long time, irrespective of the possibility of peace this year, is the charter recently made for the British steamer Harlen, for ; use in the transatlantic trade. The vessel .has been taken for aperiod of two years at a rate of 20s per month on a dead-weight basis. This is the highest rate paid for a two-year chartei', and the shipping line in 'binding itself to give this' figure for two years has evidently assured itself of the continued earning capacity of its tonnage over that,period.

Writing in 'reference to tho Zeppelin raids on the Midlands at the end of January a London correspondent states: —"lt is curious to notice that on this, as on previous occasions, tho pheasants in several game preserves were the first t') raise an alarm. Their excitement and noise attracted attention an hour or more before the Zeppelins arrived. Another, and a more serious circumstance, was the., .presence of motor-cars. At some of trio villages and highways inTDerbyshiro cars dashed along at a high speed apparently working flash signals to pilot-.the. ;n-, -vaders. Notice has been issued by .thef. commander at one military camp-.t'bat any persons flashing lights when .Zeppelins are in the neighbourhood" shalbqbe., shot." .- ~ .-..](; ,s-J

- j- --,--■ -q-jL 'Perhaps ' the best evidence' of ho\V .quickly and effectively' the La-FolJete-Furuseth Seamen's Bill has driven the American flag off the Pacific is shown .by the fact that on 23rd November, 1914, there were six-American steamers, of. a 'total tonnage of 45..315 tons operating on that- ocean, and 22 Japanese steamers having an aggregate tonnage of 89.-932 tons. On- 23rd November of last yc'aiv 19 days after this obnoxious law wentinto effect, there -were no Arnsricimr l steamers engaged in the trans-Pacific'*! 'trade to the Orient, ( while the number ! under the Japanese flag has inclosed to 42 with an aggregate tonnage of 141,262. In addition to this, therciverlC upwards of 25 Japanese steamers building to secure complete control of the Pacific 'Ocean commerce. No wonderthat condemnation of this measure • has filled columns of the daily press for months before and after its passage.— New York Marine Journal.

Tomatoes grown" in the open do not usually ripen well in Southland, hut the ■ mitumn has. been so warm and sunnythat those who have planted out of doors i are able to' gather well rioened samples i (says the News). The Rev. Thomas I Harrington, of TnvercaTsrill,' has growing I in his garden some well-laden plants the product of which it would he impossible to distinguish from hothouse grown.

The police at Marton ' received information of the discovery of some clothing on a farm, and- on. investigation they found a pair of hTue serge trousers, a vest, a flannel undershirt, and under a .sack close by a pair of -cloth gaiters, with ■a 'bottle of aconite and a broken hofrtle of medicine. A deep water-hole in the vicinity was searched, -hut without any result.

The correspondent of the Auckland Star states that a younjr married man, .Fred Harp; a nurseryman, was shot with a pea Tifle on Monday evening (of last week). He had a., loaded rifle in a bag, and when taking it out dropped it. The charge went off, and the "bullet entered the lower part of his right breast and (lodged in the lung. A doctor ordered •his removal'to a private hospital ; t Leamington, and -the patient is progress-, ing favourably.

The Southland Daily Newjs thus describes the lecture to -be delivered m Nelson on the 6th- April by Mr • John Clegg in aid of the local war funds:— "The lecturer unfolded his story to- the agreeable accompaniment of lantern slides, portraying the principal localities and places referred to. Many of the pictures were magnificent samples ot photography, while their educational was .by no means negligible. The _ narrative 'itself proved to he a most interesting one, and it is safe to say that tho attention of the audience was never once permitted io wander. The speaker told his story in an easy and unpretentious manner 'with'a'spice > of humour that lent an added- zest to it.

Recent experiments carried on by the. United States Department of Agnculture have demonstrated that the rich yellow colour demanded by the public m dairy products is principally due to tho character of the cow's feed. The experiments were carried on ,in. co-opccation with the Missouri State Experiment Station. This question has been- studied for many voars by dairy experts. Tneir conclusion "is that, although so some extent a breed characteristic, the intensity of the yellow colour may, within certain limits, he increased or diminished at will bv changing the animal's rations. Chemical tests show that the yellow pissmen fc in milk' consists- of several wellknown pigments found in green planls-Of-these the principal one is carotin, so called because it constitutes a ?arge part of the colouring matter of carrots. The other yellow pigments in the milk are known'as xanthopyles. These are found in' a number of plants, including grass, but arc especially abundant in yellow autumn leaves. These pigments pass directly from the feed into the milk. 'This explains the well-known" fact that fresh creep crass and carrots increase the yellowness cf butteri-the- only standard .by which the average person judges its--rich.-, .ness.

At the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Messrs Ft. W. Fairey. and T. W. Bradshaw, Justices, Thomas Renjwick, who pleaded guiltyi to a charge of j drunkenness, was fined £2. Defendant (also consented to a Cider.

The latest record-breaker amongst American Ayrshires is an imported cow, Garclough May iiindiief, 27,944. She is located at Farm, Montgomery ■County,. Pennsyiwuna. In the year ending 26th December, 1915, she produced 25,3281b milk, containing butterfat ; the average test being o.S--"i>er cent. Her average production was 69.51b milk per day, and she was due to calve on 3rd. March.

The growing demand for freight vessels has necessitated many changes hitherto unthought of. Here is a further notable example : —The Edward Sswell t a foui'-masted steel barque, one of the largest sailing vessels ever built in America, the sale of which was reported some weeks ago, is to he converted, after hei- next voyage, into an oil-burning steamship. (She is 322 feet long, 42.2 feet wide, and 25.2 feet deep, lias a tonnage of 3206 gross, carried 324 sails, and was built in 1899 at Bath, Me., byArthur iSewell and 'Co.

The text of the German . Prize Courtdecision with respect to the American 'barque Pass of- Balmaha, which was condemned on. 18th December because her transfer from British ownership- to American registry after the start of the war was invalid, has been made public. The .court based its decision on article 56 of'the London declaration and article EL2 of the German, Prize Regulations, which is even sharper. The latter declares'expressly that transfer to neutral registry is valid only -when it is proved the transfer has nothing to do with war and was made for reasons not connected with war. Such a ship is liable to capture unless she carries aboard the necessary papers proving t-he transfer would have taken place regardless of war. The Prize Court rejected as immaterial the contention -that the Pass of. Balmaha, which, at- an earlier, date .took a cargo of jcbtton to Bremen, was purchased with 'the intention-'of carrying products 'to Germany. The. Pass of Balmaha was captured, while bound fori Archangelwith a cargo of cotton. - ,

The 'continued dry -weather is having a serious effect- -on the milk, supply to dairy factories in the Manawatu district, ■which, shows a steady decrease from week to week. A dairy farmer, one of the largest suppliers in 'the district, informed a Standard reporter that if the- supply continues to shrink as it has been doingit -will mean that the ' season will cidse much earlier than usual, with a shortage in 'the butter supply and probably a further rise in prices. It seamed a great pity that these conditions should exist this season when prices are so good. In other years, when, low prices ruled, tnere would, be an abundant rainfall, with, of course, a big output of butter. The high values this season -would even things uo somewhat, hut it "appeared that- the dairyman was not to enjoy big prices and- big butter outputs and the same time.

, The Territorials and Ca'dets will hold a special parade in connection '-with a. special picture to be 1 screened at the Empire Theatre to-mor-row evening. The film is entitled "The Lion's Cubs," and unfolds a powerful story, in -which Boy Scouts take, a glorious part in bringing about the detection and capture of German spies, who have succeeded in stealing dispatches containing- the plan of campaign. The suspicions of a Boy Scout are aroused by certain actions, and his efforts finally lead to tli e capture of the spies just as they are on' the point of escaping in an aeroplane. Such a thrilling war picture should have a great reception.

Users of what is known in the trade as "Kraft" paper—the 'brown used" for wrapping up parcels, will require to pay £4 per ton extra for the next lot pur* chased.' This fact has been notified by the. New Zealand Paper Mills, Ltd. (says the Auckland Star).. The present, rise is due to the increased cost of the wood-pulp, which, strange to say, has to be brought all the way from Sweden and Norway, as' hitherto it 'has not been found .possible to get quotations for, wood-pulp from Canadian mills. It may be assumed this is due to the fact that the Canadian millers prefer to sell the manufactured paper rather than pulp to encourage an industry, in another' country. Prior to the war "Kraft',' paper was quoted in Auckland at 23s' per ton. ' Since then it has advanced £8 per ton, as the freights have increased enormously, as well as the cost of wood-pulp. What the limit in price is upwards cannot be estiimated' while the war lasts, "as cable advice /was received oh Wedriesday in Auckland that the 'quotation " for "Kraft" paper in London had advanced to £4O p£r ton. With such high figures ruling in a market close at hand, difficulty may arise in securing supplies of wood-pulp at anything like a reasonable price in New Zealand.'

.It is understood that a number of Canadian firms that had arranged to obtain wool supplies from. ' New Zealand this year how find themselves iri the predicament of not being ablo. to secure delivery, -not because the wool is unavailable at this end, but owing to an" export prohibition. Within the last few weeks the Now Zealand Government has, at the request of the Imperial authorities, prohibited tho export of wool to any place except the United Kingdom, and as 1 no exemption was made regarding tho British [Dominions, .'Canada has to be treated for the time being fu -just the same way as the United States. Apparently no particular reason lias been given by the Imperial Government for requiring,- 'this general prohibition, the •assumption being' that our wool is all wanted by the British aiid French Governments for clothing tho troops'. Meanwhile, Canada is in the position of not being mible to obtain any wool supplies from. New Zealand.

Thousands of visitors to tho Wanganui river have praised beautiful' Pipiriki House. Ths fine place was erected about five years ago by the Steamer Proprietary. It is appointed with every modem convenience—electric light, up-to-data sanitary arrangements—hot and cold, water. The main dining room seats 120 persons ,and the upper balcony, 130 feet' long, is a splendid feature of the House, commanding as it does a magnificent view of the river, .Maori villages and the surrounding scenery. W irt-e A. Hatrick and Co., Ltd., Cooko and Government Tourist Bureaux.*