LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 12 January 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The suggestions submitted by the secretary for staffing owing to* alterations in the grades of schools were approved by the Education Board at the meeting held vesterdav.

A Xelson citizen who lias just returned from the Dunedin Exhibition states that in the Nelson Court there is a picture with the heading “Among the Xelson Hops.’’ 'file closest, scrutiny, however, failed to find any trace of either vines or hops; in fact a raspberry garden was depicted with a number of girls picking raspberries into buckets! The postal authorities advise that mails which left Wellington on Bth December, per B.M.S. Makura, via San ITncisco. arrived in London on Bth January.

AYlien the watchman entered Colli,ison and ('nnningliaine’s building. Palmerston North, on a recent morning, he was surprised to see a stream of water cascading down 'be steps, and located the trouble as being a hurst water-pipe on the second storov. He found that much water bad collected in the furnishing, drapery, mnnchesler and carpet departments, math valuable merchandise being wet through.

The value of building permits issued by the Hamilton Borough in the last seven years is .1' I ..ViSMtiS. The most active period of the term was 11)20. when pannits to the value of £192.XS2 were issued. —Press Association.

All Showroom Goods must go. See the low prices at McKay's Sal ( , to-morrow.* Up to the time of going to press, Messrs Trathcn and Co. report hating a record sale. All day the various deportments have been thronged with eager shoppers. At times it was necessary to close the doors."' Maids' and Ladies' Corselet tes, all sizes, originally 14s 9>l now 7s 6d, at McKay's Sale.* All records broken ! Trathen’s Sale.*

Girls' Cream Pedal Straw Hats, all sizes, were 12s 6d. now 6s lid each.— McKay's Sale.* Public verdict ; Tratlien's Sale is the Biggest I Brightest ! .Best !* 3 Boxes of Dainty Floral Sprays, reduced to Is each, at McKay's Sale.* Emins’ Motors are advertising a revised service for the coming season. Their mid-day car and also weekly lorry service will prove a great benefit both tc the local residents rnd tourists, giving as it does a surer means of transport between these places.*

A private telegram received in Nelson today states that the Nelson Boy Scouts at Dunedin are all well, none having yet attended sick parade.

For a special position on the staff of the Tabaka District High School, the Education Board at yesterday's meeting received 18 applications from all parts of New Zealand. It was decided, however, to re-adverlise the position.

The Auckland-owned lf**jielr Ruamano, containing Mr A. Court and party, arrived in Nelson on Sunday morning in continuation of a trip being undertaken around New Zealand. The launch left Auckland before Christmas, mid proceeding around the North Cape, came down the west, coast, calling en route at New Plymouth. Wanganui. Piet on and the Sounds and on to Nelson. The party left again last evening for Oreymnuth, it being their intention to visit" Milfoid Sound, Dunedin, Lyttelton and other seaports on the homeward journey.

A couple of privately-owned motor ears came into collision in the Collins Valley, on the Nelson- Blenheim road, Yesterday morning. The occupants, fortunately were not hurt, hut the ears were considerably damaged. Tlicre was tin unusual occurrence at Hamilton hist evening when a motor omnibus, skidding on concrete, crashed against a telegraph post. The lire alarm box was broken and the brigade dashed to the scene. One passenger in the Inis suffered shock, while a woman ?.tl inted. Press Association. Further welcome rain fell during last night, and more is threatening to-day. Reports state that rain has been general throughout the district. A Dunedin official whose duties are not altogether unconnected with police affairs has a kindly admirer in the country, whose felicitations at Christmas took the form of a fine ham. The gift was dispatched to tile correct street, but butv the wrong number, with the result that a neighbour of the official's received, much to his surprise, a title Ivina tured ham. In due course the official was advised of the consignment by./the consignor, and naturally wondered what had become of it. Explanations followed. and the intended recipient strolled around to his neighbour to make inquiries The ham not being produced, the neighbour's wife was asked where it was. "I’m afraid, very much afraid, that we have eaten it,” was the retort. “You know very well,” said the official, “that your husband is not a ,” mentioning his official rank. “Well, he may he some day. ' came the optimistic retort. From information received it is possible that a sequel to the story may he heard ill the Police Court. Observance of Saints’ days by hanks is a sine point with some business people. 1 tie question was discussed tit tlie annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, recently held in Dunedin, arid the hope was expressed that, the bank's would not be so particular about honouring St. George, St. Patrick and St. Andrew. The matter will come up at the Drapers’ Conference in Dunedin next, month. The members of the trade will be asked to ciXisider the abolition of observance of Saints’ days by the hanks. The views of tlie hank clerk, so far as they can he gathered from his journal. The Banker, are that the work is strenuous at any time, and the few hoidays observed in honouring the various national Saints do not matter, considering the long holidays taken at Christmas time by lawyers, dentists, and members of some other professions. In any ease, work before and immediately after holidays is always heavy in the hanks, and the time lost l»v the holiday is fully made up. Reviewing the election results in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Times (says the Otago Daily Times London correspondent) finds a point of general significance which is worth

noting. It remarks: “The elections in all three dominions were carried out under very different political conditions. hut the one result common to them all—namely, the eclipse of what may he generally called the Country party —scents to Veiled a common political experience. Agricultural interests are of the first importance in those great spaces, overseas, where the effort of the primary producer is the beginning and the end of real prosperity. Rut it lias been shown clearly —first in Canada, then in New Zealand, and last in Australia —that the people of a great democracy will not stand for class government, whether it he government by farmers. government by plumbers, or government by doctors, as a leader of the party in Canada once put it. The Canadian elections reduced the strength of the ‘Progressives’ from f!l to 2-1. In Australia the defeat of Labour was a tribute not to the strength of a Bruce-Page coalition, but to \lr Bruce and bis Nationalists, for in spite of Labour defeats the Country Party in the Commonwealth has actually lost as it result of the elections. As for the handful of ‘farmers' in New Zealand, they have apparently found it politic to merge their identity with tin l Reform flovernmeiit of AI r Coates. It is evident that the electorate in the three dominions considers it possible to preserve the interests of the farmer without pitting one occupation against another in polities.” “Blessed he the peacemaker,'* runs an old saying, but there are exceptions. One exception occurred at the Browns sports on Wednesday hist, much to the regret of the gentleman most concerned says the Southland News. A dispute arose on the ground owing to a protest bv a sideshow owner in regard to his rent. .A member of tin* committee.

more daring, perhaps, than some of his fellows, then kicked over the supports, and quickly found that he had struck a hornet's nest, taking the count when ho received a fierce smack across the knuckles from the irate lady partner of the sideshow owner. “Fools rush in when* angels fear to tread." and another committeeman hastened to heai iho breach. But. alas for the peacemaker. the lady was not to be pacified and a good right-hander to the eye warm'd the pacifist that a neutral policy was the host. Quite a crowd collected round the com bat ants, but the affair ended quietly after the rout of tin 1 peacemaker. Ladies* Odd Makes in Corsets, sizes, 22 to 28 inches, originally 25s to 52s 6d, now 7s 6d.—McKay's Sale.* Amazing New Bargains To-morrow : Come early! Trathen's Sale.* 8 only Ladies’ Flannelette Chemises, originally 3s lid. now 2s lid. —McKay s to-morrow .at 9 a.in. Our spacious store crowded all day : Everybody delighted with our big reductions. New Bargains Daily. Trathen's Sale.* Children’s Fancy Cambric Rompers, all sizes reduced to 2s 6d pair.—McKay’s. Trathen's Sale an easy winner. Our great bargains draw the crowd.* 10 Pieces Radium Races 6s 6d for 2s 6<l ; Gold and Radium Races 19s 6d for 10s 6(l.—McKay’s Sale.* Selling rapidly ! That splendid Cream Fuji Silk at 3 3 yard. Trathen’s Sale.* Mr Alfred Gould announces an auction sale of household furniture and effects January 14th on instructions from Mrs W. Fawect, Salisbury Road, Richmond.

Now in bis 83rd year .Mr Edmund Hodgkinson, i>i Anderson's Hay. Dun--edin, makes the claim of being the oldest New Zealand-horn white person alive in the Smith Island to-day. llis parents arrived in Nelson in 1542 in the ship Thomas Harrison, and he was born on .Ittlv 1. IS4M.

Admissions of patients to the New Plymouth I’llblic Hospital during 1925 numbered 1942, a decrease of til compared with the total for 1921. The average daily rate of admission works out at li.CiS. and the number of patients in hospital daily 107.

What is an optimist? This question is easily settled by an inspection through Hawke's Hay fruitgrowing areas, says a local paper. Those coming under tiie heading have taken the precaution of-tying up their fruit trees in anticipation of si record crop.

They say that it is much better to be bom iucky than rich. One evening a young man. while attending the pictures accidentally dropped si small piece of white paper in which was rolled and tied in a neat package two much treasured L~ notes, says the North Auckland Times. The young man did not miss the money until next morning, and thought that it had gon,, west. llis mother, however, was not going to give up hope so easily and got to work to carefully search the track that the young man had taken to the theatre, and had her search rewarded hv finding the lost notes in the water channel outside of the theatre dour. What a find someone missed !

A distinguished Swedish journalist has hei u visiting Southland, and the other day. as the boat pulled out to make the run from Bluff to Stewart Island. word was passed round that the visitor was among the passengers (says thgrj Southland News). Soon he was pnnrted out. and became' the cynosure of all eyes. A gentleman of authority on hoard approached him and eourteousIv entertained him by pointing out the places of interest and retailing stories of the days of old. He paid particular attention to the Swedish settlers in the district, and at last the gentleman who was being entertained asked: ‘But why do yon tell me so much about the Swedish people here?" "Why." was t,he reply. "1 thought you would be interested. Aren't you Mr —— ? (giving the name of the journalist). “Mr. .’ said the stranger in astonishment. “Why. I come from Nottingham.” The feelings of the entertainer may be imagined. ns also those others who had given so much attention to one who would never have got it as an ordinary tourist.

A good story is going the round of club-land concerning a cerium Cabinet .Minister who at one time was much addicted to auction bridge He holds an otlieial position which is very expensive to maintain in accordance with old-time traditions, and when he assumed olliee laughingly explained that lie would have to retrench. Ruefully mindful of a tendency to bid higher than his hand always warranted, lie grimly advised his friends that he'd either have to go into a smaller house —or give up bridge. His club friends expostulated. “For goodness sake, don’t give up bridge." they said; “if you do we shall all have to go into smaller houses."

It is understood that several tradesmen and other workers of New Plymouth reaped a considerable harvest by working on the wharves during the holidays. They have now returned to their usual oceupa.t ions. The waterside workers' award d'~ r not stipulate that non-members of < iie union may not work at times when all the available labour from the union has been recruited. Such a position, apparently, arose during the past week or two when shipping was fairly brisk.

A Wanganui hotelkeeper encountered the champion mean visitor who came to dine at his premises. He Iliad with him his wife and two sturdy hoys. The hoys, after travelling, put away a much better meal than their oarents, but the waitress, tut of generosity, only charged them the same price as one adult. Then the mean intan complained about the hoys being charged for at all. and getting short shl'ift from the waitress. carried tin* complaint to the proprietor. The latter advised the head of the family to go and see the Charitable Aid Board seeretarv.

Two missionaries from Mnstertnn. New Zealand, have returned to the Dominion after four years' work in India and China. They were Mr and Mrs TR V. Brewerton. and they had with them their infant. aged about 12 month,s which was born in the Maine States. Mr and Mrs Brewerton left, the Dominion in 1921. and went to Singapore. They remained there for a year and a half, after which they . visited China for Id months, during the period of the internal wars. They then returned to India and later continued their missionary efforts in Kla.ng. Malava. for a little over a year. Mr Brewerton’s health suffered, and with his wife. Inis now on furlong for an indefinite period.

Waterfront disputes at T.vttelton during 192 d totalled 2ti. The chief cause of trouble was the discharging of sulphur, phosphate and guano." A number of vessels were also delaved by disputes between the employers and crews. Some of these hold-ups were of a serious nature. A limitation of members of the Waterside Workers’ Union was Carried out for a period. This was considered a step in the right direction, as it prevented men unskilled in waterside work from coining to the port for short periods, thus reducing the average pay roll, which meant skilled workers leaving Lyttelton to seek work elsewhere.

Anglers commenced the year-with good sport at the Waifaki’. says an Oamnrn paper. Though there were no very big baskets, practically everyone got fish. One local angler secured seven between the bridge and the mouth. The river is now in better order than ever, must of the snow water having disappeared. The manager of a large Wanganui drapery establishment remarked (his week that, when he complained to his hanker concerning the com pa rat i volv quiet Christmas trading. Ins attention was directed to the fact that the actual depreciation in wool value in the Wanganui district tins season was ,£.‘100,000. The same hanker had pointed out that ho had noticed himself, that deposits paid in were much below the previous year, when phenomenal prices wore being realised for w< 01.