LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 114, 18 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

I Word has been received in Pictou that two hump-back whales were captured by the Perauo party on Wednesday.

On the first day of the Marlborough Racing Club's meeting at KiverianoLs the riders wore crepe bands as a mark of respect to the Late Mr Thomas Redwood (a brother of Mr Henry "Redwood, "Father of the New Zealand Turf"), who was a prominent member of the Club for many years.

The police made an extended .nvestigation at the Riverlands race-course on Wednesday in search of military shirkers. Many men were accoste: 1 , but it is understood that all were able to give satisfactory replies.

At a meeting of the District Committee of the Greymouth Jockey Club, racing dates for next year were allot ted to Westport Jockey Club, March 17, and Nelson Jockey Club, March o and 6. The horses Bivouac, Botanist, and Donnata were ordered to be placed on the forfeit list. The jockey's license of H. Bradley (Takaka), he being an owner, was cancelled, and h« was advised to apply for a gentleman rider's license.

At the Home Mission Festival fit -he Town Hall, Havelock, on Tuesday, the Bishop of Kelson related the following amusing anecdote: A number of elderly- ladies were being shown over one of the 010. churches of England. The verger was showing them the ancientbells, and pointed to one which he declared was rung only on very special occasions. On being pressed to state some of the "special occasions..' the old; verger said the bell was heard only on the visit of a Bishop, gre.nt fires- floods and other calamities

! The question of rat-catching was brought "before the Wellington City Council by Councillor Barber, who stat- ; ed that the John street tip is literally j alive with the vermin. The Mayor said ; a letter had been sent to the Minister j of Marine asking him to take steps to j prevent rats coming ashore from ships. j The matter had also been referred to the Public Health Department. As to ■ the John street tip, he would see what could be done.

j Some stalkers who set out from Taha- ' nui, roughly a hundred miles west of Dunedin, for the -deer country a little further inland, (returned with a report that license holders were few. but poachei's were very numerous. This portion of the dear country seems to be almost given over to poachers, and there is little inducement for stalkers to pay license fees when most of the shooting done is "on the never."

j The presence of a hair "clipper" m "Wellington is known to at least one un- ' fortunate young lady, who was recently ; the unconscious victim of this despic- . able kind of thief, states the Post. The young lady in question, the possessor of a fine head 1 of hair, had several ! inches snipped off her long plait while i mingling with the crowd in the street. JHer expeinence should be a warning to •' girls who are in the habit of wearing i their hair loose.

I There was not a single case of a 1 soldier being found by the inihtary i authorities in a public bar at Auckland' on the day of the recent arrival of a draft of returned men from ! land, when the hotels were placed ouv of bounds. The officer commanding I the district, Colonel G. W. S. Patter I son, etates, however, that in spite ot i that fact the observance of the order ! depended largely on the hotelkeepeis. I Colonel Patterson has addressed letters to the various licensees thanking them for their loyal support i n th* matter. He has pointed out that the I object of placing hotels out of bounds !is to uphold the god name, the New I Zealand soldiers hav e made for themI selves. "Manv of these men are invalid's," says Colonel Patterson, in the 1 course of his letters, "and 'have not had liquor for som e considerable time, and the previous results have shown that as soon as they partake of liquor, however small the quantity may be, it has disastrous effects upoo them.'

A peculiar and painful accident befell a returned soldier, Mr H. J. Harris, of Totara North, a few days age. Ho was engaged in climbing trees lor gum, and had worked his way up a tree to th e height of 25ft, when in driving a gum hook into the tree it was deflected by a vine, aod the hook entered his left* hand, impaling him to the tree. With great presence of mind and fortitude, Mr Harris withdrew the hook, and with lighttning speed again drove it into the tree, thus preventing himself from falling backward. He :eventually reached the 'bo'ttom. of the tree .and fell fainting to the ground with the pain.

"Some of the worst land in Hawkes Bay" was the remark of a returned soldiers at a meeting of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, referring to an estate on which discharged soldiers had been settled. He said that the conditions, which suited the sellers but not the settlers, made life

Ia- hard struggle for the men. "They J are only hanging On till some other silly ■ — comes along," he added. "I am sorry swearing," he apologised, j "but I feel, sorry for the. men who are [losing their savings—and some of them I have girls waiting."

A small frog caused a little st*r among a few of Wellington's soentif> me n recently, states the Post. It wc.* found lurking under xociks on S-te* phens Island, and was sent to t'uo Dominion Museum, in the belief that it was of a species not previously identified. The first impression heif was that tlie frog might be an Australian immigrant, introduced mysteriously. The specimen was sent to Sydney, where it was examined by an expert, whose opinion (given without dissection i.s that it is not a known Australian species. Therefore, on 'present evidence,. New" Zealand seems to have another native frog. The only other native frog known' to science is a, rare inhabitant of moss a'bove the mistr linn"of Moehau, a mountain of about 3000 ft, at the northern end of the Covoma.ndel Peninsula. Tlhas little creature, unlike some of its adventurous kin of the fables, has not seen beyond the damp moss of 'fclie mistbelt. It was not hunted to that quiet

seclusion of Moehau by Maoris. No Maoris met by Mr Elsdon Best in all his travels (through the ;two islands has any' tradition of a .native frog. The Maoris seem to have a superstitious fear of the foreign frogs which; they may see occasionally, by chance. It was remarked at the Museum, 'that

if a Maori workman happened to bring a frog into view when clearing ground he was "done for' it* day*"

A situation at £6 a week was refuaed_.'by an alien boot repairer on tins ground that the money was not sufficient, said a witness at the Thames Police 'Court.

The City Engineer report-ed last night regarding the suggestion of Cr. Marris that some planting of native shrubs, etc.. should be undertaken in Victory Square. The cost of preparing the ground, planting and fencing was estimated at £27 IGs. The Council decided to visit the Square at an early date.

The Nelson General Labourers' Award has been amended by consent so far its it applies to the Waimea County Council in respect of the Rocks Road. The amended award does not apply to roads in the county outside the Rocks Road area.

It is proposed to start shipbuilding at Ulverstone (Tasmania) with a financial backing up to £1,000,000. Wooden schooners up to 300 tons are to be ■built, the first of which is to be out in eight months, after which one will be completed every four months.

At a meting of the Victoria College Council ie was resolved to award three Jacob Joseph Scholarships this year as suggested by the Professorial Board, namely, to Miss E. Duggan, M.A., Miss Snields, M.A., and Mr R. D. Thompson, M.A.

The Military Service Board will sit at Nelson on the 27th and 28th inst., Blenheim on the 29th, and Kaikoura on the 30th. The examination of reservists by the Medical Board will be held on the following dates:—Motueka, 21st, 9 a.m. ; Takaka, 22nd, 9 a.m. ; Nelson, 23rd, 24th, and 25th, beginning at 9 a.m. each dav; Havelock, 27th, 10 a.m. ; Blenheim," 27th;. 2.30 p.m., and on 2Sth and 29th at 9 a.m. : Kaikoura, 30th, 9 a.m.

It is evident that inventors! are hard at .work on the problem of evolving weapons suitable for the peculiar conditions in trench warfare, says the Scientific American. An inventor in T>etroit, Mich., for exampie, has patented a weapon which consists of a snort sword or bayonet with a handle that, also forms the handle of an auio maiic pistol. Thus the user of this weapon can elect to stab the enemy when engaged in close fighting or shoot him. With practically the same ide«* io mind, a Texas man has patented a sword which caried a pistol on the "blade, just in front of the usual handle. In this case the pistol <i.separate from the sword handle, but has the advantage of firing in th>>. same direction as' the blade is pointing.',

A very- pleasant afternoon was spent on .Wednesday, when the members of the Richmond,, Red Cross branch gave an afternoon in aid of the Y.M.'C.A. War W T ork Fund. The sum of £6 8s 4d raised. Mr W. E. Wilkes, Mayor of Richmond, who was in the chair, gave an interesting address on Red" Cross and Y.M.'C.A. work. ' The ..u'ayor of Nelson (Mr W. W. Snodgrass) also spoke, and made a -stirring appeal for more workers for the Red Cross. A musical programme was rendered, and was much enjoyed. Misses Thorpe and Hunter -played piaijnforte selections, 'Misses -Cioust-on and Hu,nt sang, and Misse Ward and Ingram recited. The committee wish to thank Mrs Crawford, Miss Thorpe, and Mr Snodgrass for their kindly help, and Mr Hardey for the loan of crockery

The problems of daughters who wiH /help to support their mothers was discussed at 'the meeting of the Christchurch Citizens' Benevolent Association, reports the Press. The Rev. Alien Job, who introduced the subject, said that in carrying on the committee'* amongst the poor it was often found that a daught-er -earning good wages and living in the same house as her mother, refused to make ad# qua,te contribution to her mother'* maintenance, and money had to be pre vided out of the committee's funds. The., Mayor, who presided, said theic* was no means of compelling the girl* to_ help their mothers. The public sup plied the Benevolent Committee's funds, and it might not approve of any proposal to refuse help unless a did her share. The Rev. F. Rule maintained that the only way to make a girl realise her duty was to say, 'rmless you, pay we can'.t 'help you? mother." It was ultimately decided to give individual treatment to each, case of the character described.

At, the Nelson Academy of Music the second term commences on Wednesday, 22nd. May. New pupils may be enrolled on Monday and Tuesday at hours as advertised.

„ T °i^. rr ,T^ esd!a y afternoon next the W.C.T. CT. will hold a social meetim? in the Rechabite Hall, to say farewell to (Mrs Emmett and Mrs Hurst, who are leaving Nelson shortly. All friends are invited to attend.

Daddy Long Legs.—This remarkably successful comedy drama bv Jeaii Webster, is to be etaeced at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday, May 28th. The piece has met with the same remarkable success in the Dominion as it did in.Australia. Mi- Frank O'Sullivan is in advance of the company.

The Rev. E. T. Jones, from Kainnoi will commence his ministry at the Rich mond Baptist Church to-movrow.