LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 49, 26 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A unique sight, expressive of the natural wealth and prosperity of New Zealand, was witnessed by an Auckland Star representative at a wayside railway station in the Waimarino district a day or two ago. Two trains were crossing, each having a long string of waggons, mostly loaded with sheep (not sheep waggons only, but ordinary waggons filled with sheep, for the railway authorities that very day were over one hundred sheep waggons short to meet orders). In the station yard were about six bullock waggons (and teams) ,bringing their loads of wool and flax to the markets, and on the hillside right up to the line was a reaper and binder at work on the golden grain in an immense paddock. The whole formed a striking picture to the towndweller of New Zealand's backbone. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., judgment was given in the following cases : Mary Crisp (Mr Hayes) v. Rex Harrison, claim £9, costs £1 3s 6d; Tasker and' Levien (Mr Moore) v. Harry Holdsworth, claim 13s 6d, costs ss; A. MiHer and Co. (Mr W. C. Harley) v. Thomas Stewart, claim £7 9s 6d, costs £1 3s 6d; same v. James Morgan, claim £5 15s, costs £1 3s 6d. There was a fairly large attendance at the of the Empire Service League, held in the Oddfellows' Hall last evening, including a number of ladies. The subject for discussion was "The Distribution of Coal in Nelson." The subject , was introduced' by Messrs Jones and J. Ingram, and Messrs J. Watt, W. J. Moffatt, T. A. H. Field, M.P., A. G. Thompson, W. Liddle, and Greenwood also spoke. Figures supplied by .Messrs Neale and Haddow at the request, of the League were quoted during the discussion, and these snowed that Nelson was very fortunate so far as prices were concerned in comparison with other parts of New Zealand. It was agreed to extend the discussion to the'broader issue of State versus private •control of industries. Some verv interesting speeches were made, and it was decided to continue the debate a't the next fortnightly meeting, under the title of "The Nationalisation of Industries."

On e of the most memorable sights at the Solway (Masterton) Show on Wed nesday was the extraordinary large coJ lection of motor-cars—cars of all sizes and value, but mostly of the expensive type. A big space set aside in the show grounds for parking cars was quickly filled, but still the cars came on, not in ones and twos, but in tens and twenties. At 1 .dO p.m. there were cars everywhere, and it was then that a Wellington Post reporter endeavoured to arrive at some estimate of the number. He commenced a systematic count, and after reaching the astounding figure of 900, he was lost in the maze of petrol driven machines, and gave up the task. It would have been impossible to make an exact count, for cars kept coming and going all the time, but to say that there were 1000 cars at the show would be no exaggeration. What a vast amount of accumulated wealth ! Put the average value of the cars at the low figure of £4OO, multiply £4OO by 1000 ,and the result is £400,000. The majority of the cars came from the immediate surrounding districts, but there were some from as far afield as Hastings and Wanganui, and a very big number from the districts in between. The Oamaru police received a telephone message on Thursday (says the Mail) from Mrs Boreham, of Pukeuri, stating that she had found a woman near her residence in a serious condition through exposure. 'She taken her i m and given her what assistance she could, but her condition was such as re- j quired skilled) attention and she at once communicated with the authorities, who motored out and brought her into the nospital. As far as could be gathered her name was Mary Rose, and she arrived in Oamaru from C-hrist- ' church by Tuesday evening's express. Apparently she has been sleeping out since then, as she v?as in an apparently lifeless condition when found, and con sequently when brought in was unable to give any coherent account of her movements or her identity. The Wellington City Librarian (.Mr Herbert Baillie) is saddened by _ the knowledge that all frequenters of the reference rooms in the Central Liib.arv are not strictly honest- 1 uung the past day or two the work of ' :?toc.Ktaking" has been progress, already he has quite a little list of which have mysteriously vanished from their accustomed niches in the shelves (says the New Zealand Times). Ihese absent-minded devotees of - literature show a commendably catholic taste. It is not perhaps surprising that O. J Dennis's "The Sentimental Bloke and Robert Service's "Songs of a • Sourdough ' should have appealed to tne cupidity of some readers, but it was rather surprising to see on the list ot missing books the poems of biwlle/, Faber's "Hymns," and some political pamphlets of no great moment. Messrs Bisley Bros, and Co. will hold a sale of freehold properties in the estate of the late T. W. Cole, 8B Valley, on Saturday, March 2nd. Mr W. Lock announces that he has been appointed Nelson ageufc for the Dayton Airless Motor Tyres. It. isclaimed for these tyres that they entirely eliminate tyre trouble, puncture and blow-out proof, and yet have th e same resistancy and easy riding as an ordinary pneumatic tyre, ine Dayton 'Company state that it is neither a solid nor pneumatic tyre, but that it is constructed on the same engineering principle as a bridge. When engineer constructs a bridge, he estimates the weight the bridge must carry. * then places piei's at intervals, and' places beams from pier to pier of sufficient strength to carry the load. The Dayton tyre is constructed ot piers of ru'bber of, great strength, corresponding to the beams of a bridge. Outwardly it looks just the same as & pneumatic tyre.

Nelson ladies are greatly pleased with the quality of GOUDTCN {RULE Soap and NO (RUBBING Laundry Help—an excellent combination for washing all clothes clean.— Levin and Co., Ltd. Wholesale Agents fo" No-Rubbing and Golden Rule Brands.

A subject ■which annually claims the attention of the Education Board is the question of granting' hop-picking holidays. The secretary appealed to the Board; for advice re prosecutions for irregular attendance which mayi be caused l through this. The Chairman said his views had not changed regarding the matter. He was there to see that. i*. / education was administered and that the children received the same. Ko did not believe in the employment of child labour. Mr Lock .said that owing to the decreased acreage in hops the question was not nearIv so acute, and it v.as beyond the power of the Board to make any concessions. If a poor family engaged in hop-picking to help to provide clothes, etc.. for the winter a prosecution would' be a hardship. The summer holidays could 'be reduced to a month, and hoppicking and fruit-picking holidays extended, but apparently this would not be necessary. Mr Syn-.es said that neither Mr Lock nor the Chairman knew the great difficulty that farmers and' growers had to find labour, and it was, in fact, impossible to get sufficient. He knew of good grain-cropping land which this season was allowed to be idle-. Labour must be obtained for saving the crops. Mr Smith did not know if the question need now be considered seriously. Hop-picking did not affect mam parts of the district, nor would it interfere with the attendance aa formerly. The matter dropped without any action tieing taken.

In reference to the discussion in these columns regarding the Council's action last week towards its Engineers, it must be clearly understood l that the question of either Engineer's efficiency or capa'bilit* has not- been raised by the Coun<-h, and is therefore not a point at issue. Further than this, the law of libel prevents- reflections on the capabilities of the Engineers. This does not mean that theyi are beyond* criticism, but- it does mean that it is quite impossible to ptrblish many of the letters that are often sent in on such occasions. This statement is made for the purpose of preventing possible disappointment by the non-in-sertion of such letters. Ladies are invited to our first showing of New Autumn Goods, including Millinery, Costumes, Dresses-, etc., which takes place ini our large showroom on Wednesday, the ""27th, and following days.—O.D.C., Bridge street. Spring Grove residents are invited to meet members of the Y.M.C.A. Town Committee in the schoolroom on Thursday, next, at 8 p.m.