LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 15, 20 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The privileges for the Nelson Trotting Club’s forthcoming meeting were sold by Mr E. Gann on Saturday, and. realised the following prices^—Grandstand bar, Mr €. Knight, Richmond;, £18; outside bar, Mr W. Hawthorn', Richmond, £9 10s; afternoon tea, Mr G. T. White, Nelson, £3 10s.

The liner Tofua left the Glasgow Wharf on Friday afternoon at 3.30 o’clock, bound for Alelaide, en route to England, says the Dominion. The vessel carried) the Australian visitors who have been stranded in Wellington for some time. Naturally enough the whole of the passengers were delighted when' the vessel drew out from her berth, and those two hundred or so friends and sightseers down to sec her off raised a cheer, which was quickly answered by those on board.

For some years past a model of the “St. George," Lord Nelson’s flagship in ■:the Baltic, has found a place iii the Su- . ter Art Gallery, to which it ivas presented. It has now been transferred to tho Nelson Museum The model is an exquisite piece of work. It is one of many ships of the period executi ed by French sailors (prisoners during ; tha* Bonapartist wars) and 1 was made j from bones supplied with the rations, j the rigging being of silk. Infinite la- ; hour and patience must have been required in the execution of the model, which will form a valuable addition/ to .the contents of the Museum, and) is well worth inspection.

Speaking to a Christchurch reporter a-egarlding the suggested {Aerial 'Wlijig of the Defence Force, Colonel Chaney, Officer Commanding the Canterbury District, stated that the flying schools already in existence in New Zealand, and which have trained so many airrnen for the Imperial* Flying 'Corps, ■ might either be utilised for the training of future aerial cadets or _ else be taken over entirely by tho military. No definite scheme had as yet been drawn up, but the fact that these schools had been so successful in training _ officers for the Imperial Air Force, having during the war taught none but intending Flying Corps men, was a sufficient guarantee that cadets for the New Zealand Flying Corps could be trained in these schools and then drafted in to the permanent air force. Tho maiin ad■vantag© of liaviug these schools m Newi Zealand was that it would not be necessary to send cadets _to Australia for training, as is done with all other new Zea'/aiidi permandut .staff officers 1 .

When you make your hoot and shoe investment, there is no ©aving putting your money into interior goods, and the only way to get your boot value is to buy one qiiality footwear. It’s double waste buying 1 boot© without a guarantee, and it pays to buy our mediumpriced goods. It i© extrayagant to buy boots that aro not dependable, and it s well to remember we sell guaranteed quality boots and chocs; ‘ and if it so happaut to be not! whht' we say> wp are ’here to put ’ any wrongs right, can with safety guarantee a trial, _ and you are ,sure of satisfaction, both in quahty and assortment, at Dee and) Sons Big Boot and Suit Store.?

The Dean of Nelson is this week conducting a series of services for the deepening of the spiritual life, at the 'Parish Church, Picton -

The Telegraph Department advises: “.Maori, Mararoa, Moana, Moeraki are within wireless range of Wellington to-day.”

At the last sitting of the Magistrate’s 'Court at Brightwater, before' Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., J. W. Sat her icy, licensee of the Travellers’ Rest Hotel, pleaded; guilty to a charge of exposing liquor tor sale after hours and was fined ss, with costs.

Good progress is being made with the Appleby-Mapua road. The contractor, Mr J. Sullivan, has completed another mile of the road, and is now on & further section of 3 miles. When this is finished there will remain only a gap of two miles near Mr Stringer’s to complete the through connection. The gap has been the subject of much negotiation, but it is to be hoped that all difficulties will 1 be overcome, and that in the very near future the who’.b road, running through large areas of fruit country will be completed and open for traffic.

The medical profession is evidently hard at work examining into the cause ’and treatment of the disease popularly known as “influenza,” which recently spread over the entire world, says an exchange. The latest issue to hand of the British Medical Journal contains several articles dealing with this secure, but so far as can be determined no authentic statement has yet been i made regarding the exact nature of the disease and the main contributing cause lof its alarming development. Great ■pains have been taken to summarise , the evidence aduced from the statistical j reports obtained by the Royal Army Medical Corps in France, but the up--1 shot of the report is merely to give an ‘ array of statistics regarding the per- : centago of those who have experienced various outstanding symptoms whilst .'suffering from influenza and pneumoinia. An interesting contribution to the discussion, and one whose lessons might ibe taken to .heart by the-New Zealand Health authorities, is in the matter of overcrowding which fo shown to have largely helped the epidemic to spread.

A New Zealand coal merchant (according to a contemporary) saysThis will be the worst year for the coal trade in the whole history of New Zealand. The shortage is not due to any “hoarding” of stock on the part of the coal merchant. He cannot get supplies, and has to meet his customers as best he cun. A merchant remarked that it was no use consumers expecting to get a ton or even half a ton offhand; it was a question of a. few bags at a time to tide customers over their immediate wants. So far as can be ascertained it is the railways, concerns engaged in the manufacture of gas, and steam shipping companies that are likely to be most seriously affected. Householders will suffer, too, but only to a modified extent.

For nearly three years past (says the Poverty Bay Herald) a local resident has been puzzled by the occurrence of a peculiar squeaking noise about his house, especially during the still hours of the night. Search with a lantern failed to find a cause. A night or two ago the squeaiking became more pronounced, and the following morning, as a result of the raising of several boards of the verandah floor he found two beautiful young penguins that had evidently been hatched' beneath the house. How they came there is a mystery, as the parent birds have never been seen. Three years ago a penguin was caught on the rocks nt Sponge Bay, and brought to the house by a lad, but it subsequently disappeared.

There is not wanting evidence that the kea is spreading to the northern portion of the South Island. It always been numerous in the South of the island, hut its presence as far north as Nelson province has not been noted to any extent till within the last year or two. Arid that it is becoming a foe the sheep-farmer will have to contend with is only too plainly to be seen from the dead carcases of sheep which have fallen victims to the bird 1 . On a recent trip to the Nelson back country a city resident came across three sheep that had been killed l by keas.

The inroads of the shag on trout were remarked upon by Dr. C. Morton Anderson at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Association (states the 'Press). Dr. Anderson first of all spoke of a conversation which he had had with Dr. Devonport, of Ooalgate,, in which Dr. Davenport had spoken of the severe ravages of shags on the fish in the Upper Stelwyn. Dr. Anderson then remarked that he had lately been on holiday in the south, and had . fished the Whiterock stream, but ujith little success; One resident had shown him a pool which had been thick with trout, but which had been practically cleared out by shags. The resident had told l the dactor of one very significant incident which showed the likings of shags for trout. He had on one occasion' taken a gun and gone out in quest of shags. One bird which he had hit had disgorged no fewer than three trout when shot.

Tho Mayor of Auckland (Mr J, H. Ounson) proposes to make certain suggestions to the Gity Council at its 1 next meeting with the object of obtaining the public opinion on the subject of a suitable war memorial for the Auckland province. Mr Gunson suggests that a prize should be offered for the host memorial scheme suggested, and that afterwards a vote of the people should bo taken to decide which suggestion: shall be chosen. He also contemplates calling a public meeting to discuss - the subject of a war memorial, which he hopes will bo ono representing the combined effort of the whole province. The question of a peace memorial was raised at the Auckland Education Board, when'Mr J. P. Kalaugber, supervisor of manual , and technical' framing, suggested that no better peace, memorial could be devised. than one which would not only commemorate the' deeds of our New Zealand troops, but wow'd also by providing increased educational facilities be of lasting benefit, to the present and future generations. With this object ho urged that the board make representations on behalf ot educational institutions' when the question of memorials was being considered by those who were loading the movement.

The schools in connection with bt. MAy’s Convent. Manuka vstreet, Nelson/ re-open on Monday, 3rd February. Parents are requested (to send their children on the re-opening day as, owing to the recent epidemic, the holidays have been prolonged.

The Marine Dance Assembly are holding their monthly late done© on Wednesday in the Bowing Club Shed,

Mr Alfred Grould advertises sale cn account Of Miss Hale for to-ipurrow, on Wednesday next for Mrs Beley, and* on Thursday at the Port for Mr wood.; ■ •' , ... .

Diving to 32nd' Jan. being Anniversary Day of .Wellington the Mappurika,* Tuesday. will not take any cargo for discharge it that Port, ,

There' was a most unusual occurrence at Richmond on Thursday, when a whirlwind swept over the property of Mr Lusty, Senr. The end of a shed was torn away and a glasshouse was splintered to a.oms.

That lovely songster of the bush, the bell bird, is increasing in and about Nelson. It can now be frequently heard along the Bun Mountain Bine. During last winter its notes were heard in the city. Parakeets, too, are again becoming numerous, and wivi always be either heard or seen in a day’s tramp along the 'Line or on the Maungatapu track. Another old friend of the bush, the tui, has increased rapidly during the past two or three years, timely legislative protection havang saved it from extinction.