LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 144, 17 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Sittings of the First- Canterbury Military Service Board will be held as follows : —Nelson. July 1 and 2; Blenheim. July 3 aud 4; Kaikaura, July 5.

Entries for the Nelson Poultry Assoannual show are well up to expectation ,and promise to exceed the number for last year, which was a record. For the benefit of exhibitors late eutrise will be received at Alt' Robinsou's up till Thursday .the 20th inst. it has been decided to allot the Rhode Island Red Clip, presented by iMr G. W . Wells, to utility classes.

Speaking on the good value of honey at the annual conference of the National Beekeepers' Association, Mr R. W. Brrckell said that the most interesting and significant aricle he had read on this matter was recently published in a physical culture journal. The significant statement was made that in ■•iting ths spread of diabetes throng out the United. States, that refined sugar and refined starch have been "U-boat - ing" the stamina of America, and that there was good reason to believe that honey does not have the same ill-effect upon the human system that sugar dors, and there is very good reason to believe that diabetic patients to whom sugar in any other form is poisin can consume honey.

There recently arrived in Napier three German machine-guns and' a trench mortar captured in France by troops from- the Wellington district. The trophies have been presented to the city hy the military authorities,' and they will shortly be placed on exhibition. One oi the guns was made in 1916, and is complete in all details including the tripod. This weapon is in excellent condition, and bears no mark showing that it had been used in the great war .although signs are not lacking that the guar has been used. It has a special fitting whereby the water jacket would be kept constantly cool by circulating water, when a supp } was available. A similar gun, built in 1914, but without the tripod, has also been sent. A trench mortar is also included. It has a range up to 200 "yards ,and is of the usual type of such weapons. The other gun is a smaller class of machine-gun, *a- weapon that? has been much knocked about by bullets and shrapnel. The waterjacket has been pierced over a score of times, and the operator must have had quite an exciting time before he abandoned the weapon, if he was fortunate enough to do so. The mechanism of all four pieces is in good order. It is interesting to note that the two guns which are similar were made at intervals of two years. That the first design gave satisfaction is proved b> the fact that no alterations were made nfthe second gun. These trophies wiU be later placed in some public place as mementoes of the doings of NewZealanders in France. A'fish story which has the merit of bMncr true comes to hand in a lettei recently received from a captain n th RAM.C. now serving witn • uio Farcer in Mesopotamia. It gives an idea of the extraordinary size to wtocii fish may attain in the Euphrates rivei. "Our fishermen, a regular bad hat. savs the captain, "created a small sensation a few days ago "by marching i„ with the most enormous fish—probably a record for the country—l've ever seen He had taken it on a length ol "telephone wires wfch a .huge .trapse hook and a primitive 'bait of flour paste, but it had required eight strong men to haul it out. It turned out on measurement to be 6ft lOin low. with a girth of 4ft, and it weighed 2141b. We were tremendously generous, handling it out freely to our Indian and : British personnel, and yet there has been enough left to. give us a fish j course at evev v meal since. These h '\ Euphrates fish." contrary to what miglu b» expected, make most excellent eat- : ing—never coarse—m fact, the larger they are the better, for the bones in ' the' smaller ones arc. a painful nuisance." { At a conference in London qi the Institution of Naval Architects, Mr Morrison, a member, that shortly before the war h' e received an invitation to call at the Admiralty m Ber- j lin with re'feuehce to a novel appara- ; tus, which he had brought out and ' for which he..had obtained protection j in German v. "I was received in the; Council Chamber," he said, "by many, officers of high command, each of j whom spoke English fluently. A cap- | tain gave a n exhaustive report on the entire plant, and the results which might b expected from "it, compared with the corresponding apparatus then in use in the German Navy. I was then told that th e system would be _ tried o n one side of a German battleship with the German system, fitted on the other side. I ventured to remark tliat I should win the competition. Tney agreed, 'but,' they said, 'we want to see exactly the reason why you are going to win.'

-A somewhat novel point cropped up i n the Supreme. .Qpurt at Wellington concerning the will of t'h e late Heinrich Heuer, bootmaker, Reefton. The Solicitor-general (Sir J. W. Salmond) acting for the Attorney-General, made application to the. court under "Tlip War Legislation Act, 1917/' for an order declaring to 'be forfeited a certain piece of land on the West Coast, vested in an alien enemy; the court was also asked to order that notices of the application be served on the Public Trustee. Heuer was a German who died in New Zealand in 1917, anff who by his will left the whole of his estate to his nephews, all of whom reside in Germany. The order askeoJ for was made, with the consent of Mr -Hay, representing fi'ie PuMtfo Trustee.*

What he termed a scandalous thing was related by Mr H. A. Knight at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund. He said a soldier who had given generously so the war funds, had since given his lifp for his country, and bequeathed hii* estate, amounting to £342. to the Patriotic Fund. Now the Government coolly requested the estate to pay death duty on the amount. Considering the amount 'of capital expenditure the public had saved the Government by their donations to war funds. Mr Knight thought the Government's action was scandalous. He moved : "That the matter be referred to the Advisory Board to communicate with the Government." The motion was carried unanimously.

Holland's latest cultivator will be demonstrated at Mr F. E. Nottage's, Tasl- - at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday next : and at Mr S. Rowling's, Riwalca, the following Friday at 1.30 p.m.

Mr A. Gould will hold an auction, sale at Mr H. Hurst's residence, 145 Waimea-street, on Wednesday next, 19th inst. ,at 10 o'clock.

NO RUBBING Laundry Help . delights every housewife. Is 3d packet sufficient for seven weekly fam My washings.—T. Pettit

Troublesome coughs in old and yonny are quickly stopped by NAZOL. Take 6om e drops on sugar. Acts like a charm. 60 doses Is 6d.