LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 164, 9 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the special meeting of the General Committee of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association- held on Saturday evening, reference was made to the death of Mrs Philip Beet, and iit was resolved that the deep sympathy of the members be expressed to Mr Be.=t, who wais the first president of the Association. The Post's London correspondent writes that a very flattering article on "Trout-Fishing in New Zealand" appears in the Fishing Gazette over the non de plume "Pomahaka." The writer, who appears to live in Greenock, sav? he came away from New Zealand eightyears ago much against his will,, for of all the countries he had ever hecn in he thinks it bears the palm for sport—certainly for fi shins. Most encomiums of New Zealand trout-fishing anplv to the North Island, whereas "Pomahakn" takes up the cudgels in defence of the Upper Clutha and the Kawaran. A 'few days since a -visitor to Wellington found 'a unique pawa shell on the Mnritai beach. Inside the shell rs a very large and beautiful pear-shaped cotoui-ed pearl, which has much of 'the rich colourinc of the mother shell. The shell itself is on© of the most perfect specimens that have been found for a long time, and ds a!g Hear and pure in its colouring as if it had subjected to' the most -careful expert treatment. With the pearly reposing in its -gleaming interior it as a. "thitug of beauty" which would be a "joy for ever" to; any lover of the beautiful m Nature.

1 A short sitting of the Magistrate's | Court was held this morning, Messrs jH. Baigent and T. Edwards, Justices, ! being on the Bench. The civil cases 3 called on were all either struck out or i adjourned.

The Secretary of the ,Sick and Woundied Fund (Mr H. Saunders jr., would be pleased to hear from persons who could give several returned soldiers light work.

The Nelson Returned Soldiers' Association will hold a ball in the Provincial Hall on Friday, the 12th hwt. The arrangements are well forward, and a highly suo-essful gathering is anticipated.

Coal is in very short supply in Dunedin, and it is reported that there is -hardly any in stock beyond that for railways and other prime necessities. Otago possesses the brown coal, but the merchants are not stocking this, their supplies from the rnin. s being just to meet requirements from day to day.

"Was this an ordinary party or a great celebration," asked Mr F. V. h razer, S.M., of a witness in a sly grog case heard at the Magistrate's Court Wellington, says the N.Z. Times. "Just the same as if you had been there yourself, sir!" replied the witness. The answer created much laughter.

S rgeant Wade, station-sergeant at the Central *. olice Station, can claim to have effected the biggest arrest—in one sense—so far madv in Wellington, says the Post, for George Neville New man. against uvho.m there is a charge of having stolen a set of gig harness valued at £5 from Alexander Hurley at- ut aitotara, stands 6ft Bvj,in. N,wman was brought before Mr F. V. Eraser. S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, but was remanded to appear at Waverby on 12th July, bail being allowed in the sum of £IOO or two sureti-* of £SO.

A queer fish was washed up on the New Brighton beach on Wednesday. The fish has been examined by Mr R. Speight, curator of the Canterbury Museum, who describes it,as a pomfret (Brama squamosa), a deep-sea fish habiting the ocean at a depth of 800 fathoms or more. It is 35 inches in length, 18 inches in depth, and weighs 251 h. When found it was quite frpsh, and not damaged in any way. Mr. Speight states that a specimen of tho nomfret 2 inches in length was caught in Cook Strait in 1875, and sent to Mr Travers in .Wellington, who some years later found numbfrp of the fish washed ashore at Massacre Bay. Another specimen 9 inches in length was caught in Wellington harbour in 1876, and was afterwards described by the late Dr. Hector, director of the Dominion Museum. Wellington. This is a splendid specimen, and Mr Knowles intend* handing it to the museum where it will be preserved, or a cast tnken of it.

Mr T. A. H. Field. M.P., has received from his son. snb-£ient. A. N. Fifld. R.N.R., his discharge from <the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. « This- is a vew fine, engraving, unlike any 60 far received in Nelson, and is apparently one of the first of the final discharges issued to New Zealand- troop.*. Underneath appears the name, and then the words. "Served with honour and was disabled in the Great War, honourably discharged"—then follows the < date, underneath which appears a facsimi.e of the King's signature. The engravm? measures some 18 inches square, and w suitable for framing. The number on this discharge is nine, apparently one of the first" issued.

Medical men in Melbourne have sounded a not© of warning in regard to •'carriers" of -diphtheria. A report in the Argus gives/ credit for the efficiency of th.' anti-toxin treatment, but indicates how the remedy may help in spreading the disease. .Convalescents in infectious hospitals may be discharged aft r only two throat swabs have" revealed the 'disappearance of the diphtheria germ; but a throat negative to-day may be positive to-morrow. It may happen that the' germ has hidden in one of the many snug recesses of ti\.„ throat, and while not causing a fresh attack on the patient, is there ready for the infection of another person bycontact. Thu& to the number of ordinary "carriers" who bear the germ without being attacked themselves artadded 1 many still infective eonVafeV cents. "Anti-toxin is doing what it was intended to do —cure cases," said a m-'dical officer, "but, while saving live.?, it increases the number of car-riei-s."

Dt. Truby King, C.M.jG., who has ueen lent by New Zealand to organise a Babies' hospital and Mothercraft ! Training litre in England, was {states The rost's London, correspon- ] dent) the guest at a reception held; joy Ladv Plunket at the Overseas Club in London. Dr King explained that mothers who had been trained in the

nurs-niir homes in New Zealand M r ei - e enthusiastic health missionari' s. He believed that there should be no charge Tor the teaching of, mothercraft to women, what'ver their class. "If anything should be free." he sny.e. -'it

should be that .which, will help the

mother to complete what she had done for th.. race." The babies of the Empire Society, of the committee of which Lord ' Phmket is chairman, i% appealing for money to staff and equip the hospital and training centre in Treuovir road.

Routine promotion, the slow and suro shove-up by the hand of Time, is the subject of a light article, in imitation of" "Mr Dooley," in the July U<=me of the Railway Officers' Advocate. The main point is in this "Ye must have noticed Ja.wn. that,

j mn«i men in the Service reach | positions whin th' gimer is out av tbimj —whin their staple conversation i& av how lone or how short 5t will be before they retire. Th' young Wn is victims j av what Hogan calls th' hope deferred j/fhn.fc ma.'ketli th' head' thick. Them I+hat does not, strike ontf'r 'themselves j becomes experts at walking th' beaten j thrack, an' in proceeding with corVumlocution- along th' shady paths av precedent. Ifc th* Jinneral * (.Mr Biley) himiself had joined our dnifltiniguishe-d comj pany in. the, ordinary way he would not lat his age be getting £ 3OOO a year he I would be getting less than a tenth av ' that, salary, no matither what gifts. ! o.ri'g'aia.lity! or aptitude he. displayed l . i Arf if he showed' too much av anny i'av these qualities he wnd be jin.tK- re- | buked as a young mam av too pushing a ! disposition ! * N'ow what can ye expect jav a system that offers' nothing but i moderate rewards to medium men and ! offers nothing to army ether kind ? Is i it not I ilk el y to recruit the other kind?" 1 One of the surprises of the'war has | been the enormous military consunrpI tion of timber, and the scarcity of j shipping for its transportation. The ! reconstruction committee advises Bri- ! tain to plant 1,770,000 acres and assist j individuals and private bodies to plant i all they can. Britons are just awaking i to the fact that from a national or private point of view forestry is one of • the best possible investment®. Plant j your waste lands in pinus insignis, the j premier timber tree. Further particui in-rs. Kings land, Appleby.* I NO RUBBING Laundry rHelp . delights every housewife, is 3d packet i - jJufßci'ent for seven weekly family: ! washings.— T. Pettit

A 17-pointer stag's head, shot by Mr Turner of Wliangaraoa, in thu Rai- , kai district, is on view at Messrs Buxi ton and Co., Ltd. This, it is stated, | is the second largest heaid ehot--$h l New Zealand, and is very heavy. The j Iwad was mounted by Mr W. J. (Salkeld. of Richmond.

One reason for the very large increase in the importation of whisky into New Zealand (noted in the official figures fur- • nished by the Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister of Customs) is said to be the ; "drying up" of Canada and several of the States of America. As is pretty woll known, the whisky consumed in . America is not all rye whisky, and while I the French-Canadians have a taste for j white whisky there is a considerable ' demand for '"Scotch," and well-known ; Scottish brands of whisky are purvey,ed in America. The "drying up" of a ! number of States and the whole of Canada has congested stocks which had to be got rid of—and one of the few open doors —though there was a cry for i essential building and manufacturing materials—is New Zealand.

' The Italian Red Cross of Wellington has made a request that flowers be forwarded for sale at Wellington. Tho Mayor (Mr W. W. Snodgrasjs) has the matter in hand, and to-day inserts an advertisement stating that flowers will j be collected at the City Council offices on Thursday next, Llth ins't., before 4 J p.m. . This is an opportunity to turn { flowers into good money for the fund.

The question of a readjustment of the method of assessing public companies for taxation purposes is being considered by the authorities. A circular that has been issued by the Commissioner of Taxes to companies spates that, the matter is being investigated with a view to the recognition of the interests of individual shareholders. In order that an estimate may be made of the effect that an alteration lan the system would have on the public revenue the Commissioner is asking to be supplied with a statement of the total proportion of their assessable incomes that has been disbursed in dividends. Under the system now in operal'iion i<n New Zealand, the companies and ..not the individual shareholders are taxed, the amount received by the latter from dividends being deducted from their total income for the purposes ol taxation-.

A story is told of a small New Zenlander who, after the battle of Messines, was in charge of six German prisoners, who, taking advantage ' of their captor's diminutive size, began to kick over the traces, and at one part of their journey absolutely refused to move. The New Zealander asked them two or three times to get a move on, but the Germans only laughed at him. The little fellow stood it as long as he could and finally lost his temper. Putting his hand into a bag he carried and drawing out a bomb, he yelled. "You won't go, vou blighters, won't vou?" Then take that, and that, and that." Each time he uttered the word •that' he threw'a bomb and there was one German the less. When he had thrown four bombs the remaining two Huns streaked for the cage like scalded cats and thus saved their lives.

A magnificent roval head was lost to a visiting stalkers last season fsaVs the Oamaru Mail). They were on the Do'bson Block, and had been following this stag for some time. At length it was decided to take a long shot as a result of which the stag fell. Upon arrival at tho spot it was found that it had fallen over a .P»«P»cc» and that the antlers were completely ™" ll -<?; Bv roughly piercing them togethei it was foiind that they across the spread. A spread of 45in. was subsequently obtained.

\ concert will be given in the Stoke HaU to-morrow evening: by *££ ilisted by Mr H. Kidson of JSeison. The '•Jocular Spats" will .make their firS- appearance/ This combination has Zen practising hard for "**£**£? will introduce a number of novel items...

The attention of fruit-growers is 1 drawn to Messrs McKee and 'Cooks Si'tisement In, latisissuo, regarding , a demonstration of the Auto Sprayer, to be held at Air as ' Wwe s °* chard Motueka, on Thursday. mo-rn ih- next. The Auto Sprayer is somethin" quite new to the Dominion and .should prove of great interest ana virtue" toorchardists. Though a power sprayer the-oil engine does' not foim part of it. The power i» supplied from th» travelling wheels as the machine is ! drawn along. • A pressure container i stores up the power to spray with at. i high pressure while the machine is stationary.

Messrs Bislcv Bros, and Co. will hold I an auction sale at Richmond yards on i Wednesday, July 10th, at 1.30 o clock. | It is not Ren; rally known that, un- ! der the War Regulations the consent oi ■ the Finance Minister must be obtained i before a Company can increase its I capital and sell shans. Wl> have obi tained the necessary permission to place a limited number of our shares, J and wish'to point out that in order to secure the benefits accruing to shaivholders in this successful co-operative •companv earlv application is necessary | to secure -shares, as once tin- number i fixed by the Minister is reached it is doubtful whether any more will be J available i'or some time. If you canS not call, writ.', or 'phone 631.—The j Cash Drapery and General Importing Coy., Ltd., Bridge street, Nelson.*-