NEWS NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7028, 17 January 1910, Page 5

NEWS NOTES

The Malieno, which arrived at Auckland yesterday morning from Sydney, brought British and Australian mails. Tho southern portion of tho mails left Auckland at 9.16' o'clock Inst night by the Main Trunk express, due at Wellington about 1.30 p.m. to-day. The Zealandia Eifles will parade at tho Garrison Hall, Buckle street, this evening at 7.30 o'clock. Members of the New Zealand Shopkeepers'Association, aro invited to observe Anniversary Day oil January 2-ith, Monthly next.

The D Battery.in camp at Hutt Park put in a strenuous afternoon's work on {Saturday. Yesterday was devoted to .mounted drill.

Tho Horowhenua Agricultural and Pastoral Show will bo held at the Levin Kaceeourso on Wednesday, February Bth, at 11 a.m. Entries close next Saturday at 9 p.m.

The members of the Petone branch of the C.E.M.S. are organising a gymkhana and sports gathering for Anniversary Say. Permission to use the recreation reserve has been granted by the borough council.

At Hastings on Saturday Arthur Manning pleaded guilty ami was committed for sentence on a charge of forging and uttering u cheque for J. 15. Accused was also remanded to Wellington, to appear nest Tuesday to answer a similar charge. Tho Wellington Amateur Athletic Club has decided to hold an evening sports meeting on February ICth, when the following events will be run off -.—loo yards, 1-10 yards, one mile run, and two-mile walking handicap.

Shipipng masters are notified that from to-day until Saturday, the 29th, tiro barrel targets with red flags attached, will be anchoret! off Fort Ballance, at a distance of about 700 yards from the shore, in a direct line with Ward Island.

A trial (with clear water) of the septic tank recently installed at Alicetown, held in the presence of the Mayor of Lower Hutt (SIrE. P. Bunny) and Councillors Baldwin and Kempthorne, disclosed that everything was in good working order for installation of the sewage service.

At 11.36 a.m. yesterday tho Fire Brigade was called to a grass fire which. broke out on some vacant land between Lower Bate and Hataitai roads. It was quickly extinguished, and no damage to apeak of was done. The superintendent of the brigade has received a cheque for X 5 from Mr T. W. Young as an acknowledgment of the services rendered by the brigade in extinguishing a fire upon his property. The money is to be devoted to the men's reoreation fund.

A united and well-organised colleotion will be commenced in Dunedin by the Y.M.C.A. to-day, and, during the fortnight over -which it will be continued, every effort wTTI bo made by the collectors to gather- a sum totalling .£2OOO. By meaiiß of tho big collection of some two /ears ago the association netted ,£l-i,OOO for building purposes. .By means of a supplementary collection in September last another .£3ooo'was obtained, so that there is now .£17,000 in hand. As soon as a total of .£19,000 is obtained the association (says the "Otago Daily Times"/ go right ahead with the erection and equipment of its building, and will enter into occupation of it without any unnecessary delayj

Upwards of ten million ballot papers will be distributed amongst the six or seven thousand polling places in the Commonwealth for the next Federal elections. There are about 2,300,000 men and women electors in Australia, and each voter will ..receive four ballot papers —one for the Senate, one for the Representatives and one for each referendum. Declaration and other forms for electors who may be voting at the polling places for whioh they are hot enrolled will increase to fifteen million the total number of printed documents used in the conduct of the elections. Prom 12,000 to 15,000 officials will be employed. At each of the six or seven thousand polling places copies of the proposed laws for the alteration of the Constitution on which the referendums are to be taken will be exhibited.

Early loßt month a bather named Morgan Anderson, who wont to Shelly Beach for a bathe, deposited with the caretaker at the shelter shed the sum of .£l2 10s. Upon applying for the same after bathing he was told that the money had been handed to another individual. He thereupon lodged a claim against the City Council for the amount. In reporting these facts to the City Council the Works Committee stated (reports the Auckland "Star") that the city engineer had reported to them that the money was claimed by and handed to the wrong man, and suggested that a. notice be put •up to guard against similar mistakes in future. The committee recommended that the city engineer bo instructed to act with the bathkeeper in effecting a settlement, and that he be required to report what precautions should be adopted in future. The recommendation was adopted. Tho Bluff correspondent of the "Otago Daily Times" writes; Preparations on an elaborate scale are being made for the coming oyster season. The company's steamer Loyalty is ■undergoing a most extensive overhaul.' The Vulcan Foundry Company, Invercargill, has completed a new up-to-date boiler service, and had it deposited safe on board at tho Bluff. On that alone something like £'oo expenditure is being incurred. On. the Rita and their oyster craft Messrs Urwin and Rodrique have spent not less than .£SOO on overhaul, and it is satisfactory to add , that all. parties are satisfied that the expenditure has been well incurred. In deference to a strongly-expressed opinion that tho oyster beds ahrould be removed, away from possible contamination at the wharf, these beds have been re-erected soino distance ''up the harbour. With anything like moderate weather they will bo complete and ready for occupation in good time for the opening of the season. The contract price, together with extras, will, it is thought, amount to no less than .£ISOO.

"Hay, of the Salvation Army, who arrives at Bluff to-day from Australia, intends inaugurating through out the whole of the Australian States and New Zealand a systematic crusnds against drink, gambling'and smoking in any shape or form. The work will he placed in tho hands of the young: people in the Salvation Army, to whom special inducements, will be offered to conduct an energetic campaign. Over 25,000 pledge cards have been printed and forwarded to tho different Salvation Armv centres, where they will : he distributed amongst the. "corps." Later it is posed to supplement this action by the institution of anti-smoking, drinking and gambling leagues on lines already being successfully worked throughout the IJnited States and England, where distinctive badges are considered an essen. tial rulo of membership. At present the Salvation Army .authorities aro busy arranging transfers of "field officers," over tOO of whom will change stations during the next few weeks.

A large number of people were attracted by curiosity to inspect tho coohemanricd Calcutta steamer Ula, which arrived at Wellington yesterday morning from India via Thursday Island and Auckland. The coloured crew number seventy-live Mohiimmtdnns from, various parts of India, and a Chinese carpenter. Tho master and officers aro English, whilst tho engineers are Scotch. A novel consignment in the cargo for Wellington is 51 ,"00 roofing tiles made at Beypore.

iir A. Paterson, who returned to Christchurcli. last week from a visit to America, states that the motor car has a marvellous grip on the people there. In several of the large cities processions of cars may be seen all day long. In some cases a minimum speed of iifteen miles an hour is imposed, in order to prevent the blocking of the traffic. Tho cars vary greatly in regard to both size and cost, but the most popular typo seems to be one which custs about JZIIM, and which can bo made to attain a fairly good speed.

Tho report to be presented at to-night s annual meeting of the Hutt No-license League mentions that much earnest work has- been done by the workers of the league during the past twelve months. Tho names of seventy-four new members have been added to the roll. The league has been the means of obtaining closo upon J3IGO toward defraying the expenses of tho local option poll inquiry, and thanks are tendered those who responded to tho appeal. Tho main work on hand at present is in connection with a bazaar which is to be held on February 9th. While the regatta was in full swing in Wellington harbour on Saturday afternoon the stately grey outline of a warship crept slowly " into the picture." The second-class cruiser Challenger was not expected at Wellington for another day or two from Picton, but owing to f°ggy weather the vessel was pot able to carry out some big gun practice. The cruiser therefore came on to Wellington and dropped anchor in the stream. The vessel will probably berth to-day and will replenish bunkers at this port. The Challenger will probably proceed to Auckland next week.

When the ferry steamer Duchess was just arriving at the ferry wharf from Day's Bay at 5.45 o'clock last evening, a passenger, Lionel Moss, aged fourteen, years (sori of Captain C. ' H. Moss, staying at the Windsor ' Hotel), got his left hand crushed between tho ship's rail and the wharf. He was promptly rendered first aid by Constable Falcoubridge and some of tho Harbour Board's men, and was then taken to Dr. Herbert's residence. Three of Moss's fingers were so badly crushed that twenty stitches were put in by the doctor. He subsequently was taken to his lodgings. The Government's newly acquired farm at Belfast, which is to be cut up for closer settlement, has a very full share of Californian thistle, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. D. Bnddo, commented upon the fact that it had not been killed by. the previous tenant. "If it had been pulled up by hand," he said, "just before its burst into bloom, the next year would have seen but half the present number." A farmer present said that ho had tried the same measures without sueoese. "You did not get them at the right time," replied the Minister. "You must get them, on that particular day or not at all."

A meeting of the parishioners of Christ Church, Geelong, has been held to consider the action of the vicar, the Rev. F. W.- Newton, in refusing to administer Holy Communion on Christmas Day to Mr A. E. Daniel, one of the members of the Nash Defence Committee. The latter stated the facts of the case, and repeated an interview which he subsequently had with the vicar. A letter received from the vicar was also read by Mr Daniel. The following motion was carried after some discussion:— "That this meeting affirms the necessity of obtaining legal opinion in regard to the recent action of the vicar of Christ Church parish, Geelong. in refusing and also suspending administration .of. Holy Communion, 1 thereby infringing l .the just rights of the parishioners." The,meeting also decided to establish a fighting fund to fight the case in the civil courts. .

Commenting upon the Knyvett case the "Lyttelton Times" remarks:—"Tho meeting which was held in Auckland on. Friday night demanded that a Royal Commission should be set up to inquire into the wholo affair, but the arguments put forward seem to have been based entirely on tho personal popularity and splendid services of the officer concerned. Indeed Mr Massey, who with questionable taste took the' opportunity to make a little party capital, put the case in a nutshell when he talked about Captain Knyvett's work in South Africa during the war. The defence forces of tho Dominion have lost a very capable and zealous officer, and we should be glad if some way could be devised of saving him from the full penalty for his offenoe, but we cannot honestly, join in the attempt that is being made to glorify his indiscretion into a valuable public service.

Tho great missionary meeting to be held in the Town Hall, under the presidency of tho Primate, on Thursday evening next, offers an opportunity, which cannot often irecur, of hearing some of the leading churchmen of New Zealand. Both Home and foreign missions are to be represented. The Bishop of Auckland and Rev. E. K. Mules of Otira, are to plead the cause of the former; the Bishop of Christchurch and Mr R. G. Coates, the well-known lecturer, will represent the Melanesian mission, and the R-ev. F. H. Bennett, ono of tho most prominent leaders of the Young Maori movement, will speak oil tho work of the Maori mission. With such a gifted body of speakers, and with the singing led by a strong composed of the combined choirs of all the city and suburban parishes, controlled by Mr Robßrt Parker as organist, an enthusiastic meeting is assured. The Lux Light Company wish it known that the Lux Incandescent Kerosene Gas Lamps give the Cheapest and Most Brilliant Light on Earth. See To Aro House, Bates and Lees', Wardell Bros.', Le.ydon and Co., Caterer and Carey, E. Pearce and Co., R. Hannah and Co., Petone Workshops (where Lux replaced tho latest devices in lighting)., House Lamps 22s 6d. Lamps up to 2000' candlepower. 35, 37, 39, Old Customhouse street (back of Opera House), Wellington. :..'■■•