LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 April 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A North Island settler who is on a visit to Onmaru states that land is at least 20 per cert, cheaper in North than in the Wellington province. House property, he says, also appears to be much cheaper.

The deputies attending the Manchester Unity Oddfellows Conference at Nelson were the guests of the Nelson district yesterday afternoon. Accompanied by lady friends they were motored to the waterworks, where after viewing the picturesque scenery, afternoon tea was dispensed by the wives and friends of the. members of the local Lodges.

Even the cows are taking an interest in hydro-electric development, _ judging by a! recent occurrence near Woodville. says the Manavatu Times. A gang of men bad fitted the cross-arms to a pole, using plenty of red lead on the joints and left the pole ready for erecting next morning. A'farmer’s cow came oil the scene and licked off the red lead, -lust row the ofiirials concerned are assessing damages, as the cow has fallen off badly in her butter-fat tests.

A few Star Attractions are listed in a small inset circularised with this issue by W. McKay and Son.

Bought at remarkably low prices hi London, and passed on equally cheap, Ladies’- All Wool White Sports Coats, 15s lid ; Ladies’ All Wool Jumpers in PCw Jazz designs, wonderfully cheap, from 10s lid.—Tr a then’s.*

There are 270 furniture factories in tlu Dominion, employing over 2000 hands and the total production is valued at more than £1,000,000 a year. Experts from Britain have expressed surprise at the size and activity of many of the firms, several of which employ from 60 to 70 men.

The Department of Agriculture is shortly obtaining a supply of six ol the best kinds of maize grown in America. Mr Fawcett, Government agricultural instructor ,suggested at. V\ai10a that the farmers of that district who complained of inferior maize crops should concentrate upon one or two oi the best of the;new varieties of maize. Quite a number of septic poisoning cases, some of them of rather a serious nature, have been reported a< Gore (says (lie Mataura Ensign). These cases do not always arise from surface abrasions, but in si me install:cs can she Laced to the tonsils, bowels, etc. Naturally at this season of the year the sick list shows an upward tendency, hut the pc issuing cases arc said to be difficult to account for. It- is‘as well, however, for people to not; the necessity lor taking all precautions if they receive any injuries in the way of scratches, etc.

There are at least two crops which can always bo grown to perfection local!}'. Al'. over New Ze.nand Poverty Bay has an established reputation for the excellence of its maize and pumpkins (says an exchange). This year, however, the latter ciop will fall very far short of the usual standard. Owing to the bad weather conditions experienced at the beginning of the season (In pumpkin crops got a very bad start, and the majority of the pumpkins that are now to be seen arc stunted. It is certain that this season there will be none of the extraordinarily large crops which are usually to been seen mound the flats.

‘Half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper with a little water makes a very stimulating tonic,” ran a minute read at the convention of the Womens Christian Temperance Union at New Plymouth enumerating restoratives, other than alcohol, for use. in cases of fainting, which had been suggested during the proceedings. The delegate from whom the suggestion came, as well ns many otiieis. judging by the laugh that followed, considered the quantity would be a little too stimulating. Consequently the minute was- amended to read ‘ half a snltspoonful.” _ _

Apples from a humorist s point of view form the subject of an article in the current number of the Fruitgrowers (states an exchange). The writer points out that “Apples are born on trees, spend a large part of their lives in barrels, and are buried in jpics. Apples, unlike melons, are eaten from the outside in, instead of from the inside out, but sometimes, when green, produce an inside-out sensation. Ihe apple is popularly believed to have cause 1 the first fall of man, but since then the banana has given it a hard race, with the orange-peel a good third. The three personages who have done the most to make the apple famous arc Adam, William Toll, and Applejack. Colonel Philippe Bunau Yarilla, one of the original promoters of t lie 1 aiuuiia Canal, unfolded the details of his widely discussed project for the construction of a “Strait of Panama.” His contention, made a few hours after the completion of the America naval manoeuvres, which have demonstrated the vulnerability of the existing canal, was that military and commercial interests of the United States required its immediate transformation from a lock canal into- ail open strait, 1000 ft. wide at the bottom and 50ft deep at low tide. Colonel Yarilla estimates that the work will inquire the outlay of £200,000,000 which can be provided by the profits of the present canal without costing the taxpayer a penny.

A new invention which will enable vessels at sea to pick up sounds ot fog-horns and - other warnings beyond the reach of the human ear has just been perfected. It is an electric 1 ul-tra-audible microphone,” and it as said to' do for the human oar what the microscope doe's for the eye. It will be invaluable in studying the finer.sound vibrations of the organs ol the bodv, such as the heart and the brain. The average telephone can transmit and receive sounds vibrating not over 500 Q per second, but it is claimed that the new device will register sounds of an infinite number of vibrations from 20,000 up, and will enable one to record and reproduce, if not actually to hear, all sounds of the earth externally and internally of which hitherto we have been ignorant. Vocal sounds made by certain insects in communicating with each other have boon rendered audible by this device. ,

A hermetically sealed bottle filled with what looks like a mixture of red sand and yellowish licpiid, known Übe at least 300 years old, is attracting the attention of French scientists, as it is reputed to he the only infallible weather prophet in existence. When it is going to rain, the solid particles gather in round clusters, and when .snow is coming white flakes appear, while if hail is on the way the entire mixture becomes viscous. The owner, an aged Brittany farmer, will not permit the bottle to he opened, fearing that exposure to Ihc air may change the chemical nature on which the phenomenon dcnends. A similar bottle owned by the man’s grandfather blirst with a loud report 40 years ago, when a September hailstorm was followed bv n snowfall that turned into a light drizzle. All interested are reminded in this issue of a meeting of the W.C.T.U. to be held in the Methodist Hall to-mor-row afternoon. A good attendance is anticipated.

The attention of the ladies of Nelson is directed to an advertisement in ibis issue in connection with a meeting to, be held at the Marsden Church House, Nile Street at •”> p.m. on Wednesday to consider matters in connection with the forthcoming Home Mission Festival. A full attendance of those interested is requested.

,At Talmna Tin 11 to-morrow evening v euchre tournament will be held, which promises to provide an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Horocks’ Longclotlis are now marked at prices below last season’s prices at Trathen’s.*

Anyone who lias been to a dance at Bright water knows what a 'good time they have. Another will be held on April 16th in the form of a balloon dance. Tratlien and Co. are determined to keep down the prices of Household Drapery. Although prices have advanced in manufacturing centres, we are still selling at last season’s rates, and in many instances loss. Splondid duality double bed sheetings from ;<s Gd; Doctor Flannels from 2s Gd; Heavy Striped Flannelettes, extra -wide/ from Is Gd ; - good Calicoes 10s lid dozen ; Blankets, Towels, Quilts, fiongeloths, all most reasonably priced.* Tourists! Look! Round Trip! 75 miles for IPs 6d 1 Enjoyable day’s outing—through beautiful apple lamds —by Emm-’ Motor Service. ’Phone 527. Office HI Hardy-street.* DAWSON’S, Rnefton, tTfo lead mg Hch tel on the West Coast. Patronised by imn. the Prince of W«d©s.—Francis B. Stsllard. Proprietor.*

'‘l don't think them is ;t more apathetic community than the New Zealand people in the whole world,” said Mr A. G. D. Lunn, at yesterday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, speaking on the question of defence. ‘‘They do not care one iota whether they are properly protected or not. If it conies to being asked to take work in hand, or to pay a few guineas or a few shillings, they show that they do not care a rap.” As an illustration of what he meant Mr Lunn added that out of the 800 members (if the chamber there were, not 200 who thought it worth their while to subscribe to the funds of the Navy League.

Magpies .are reported to he fairly numerous in some parts of Canterbury, hut they are adopting a practice which, if persisted in, will lessen their numbers considerably. They perch upon a portion of the insulator part of the transmission line, causing the electrical engineer no small amount of anxiety. Several momentary breakdowns can he laid a 1 their door. They settle on the arcingplate underneath the insulation, and in taking flight form a short circuit. At least eight cases of failure have been traced to the birds. Their dead bodies have been picked up in the vicinity ol the transmission line.

The statement that the top of .Mount Eginont is in Nelson was made at the recent W.C.T.U. Convention at New I'lymouth. Miss Atkinson, a -Nelson delegate, who is a niece of the late Bn Harry Atkinson, related the story ol the first‘ascent of Mount Egmont by her mother. Mrs Atkinson at that time took away with her the topmost pinnacle of tire mountain, and that piece ot stone is still preserved m Nelson as a family heirloom. A prophet, they say, has no honour m his own country and it has been too much the policy ol New Zealandei s in the past to pass over the products of their country in iavour of the imported goods which, in many cases are actually inferior to the New Zealand utricle. Take tobacco for example. Most American tobaccos are objectionable on tlm score of excess nicotine, and the detective coinbustibilty, leading to the clogging of the pipe, with unpleasant, and indeed serious consequences to the smoker. Try Riverhead Gold mild and aromatic; or toasted Navycut (Bulldog) of medium strength, and if you orefer a full body try Cut Plug No. 10, the Bullhead label. Their purity, flavour, aroma, and all round excellence will surprise you. Unlike most brands from oversea, this particular type of tobacco does not foul the pipe and leaves the mouth eweet and clean. Experts maintain that of all varieties known New Zealand leaf is the least injurious on account of its small percentage of nicotine £uid that it may he smoked continually without the slightest after effects.*