NEWS NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7111, 25 April 1910, Page 6

NEWS NOTES

The, Maheno, with British and Anstran loan mails, arrived at Auckland at 10 o’clock last night too late bo connect with the Main Trunk express. The southern portion of the mail will not arrive at Wellington until to-morrow afternoon. , ; At Danncvirlto, on Saturday, f John! Crosiland was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, with hard labour,' for striking Ms wife with an iron poker. The owner of a brown fur necklet, found in the possession of an inebriated individual in Cuba , street on Friday night, is being sought for by the police. The annual meetings of householders for the election of local school committees will be held, this, evening at the respective schools. ; Any householder, male or female, in a district, has a vote!. A householder and his wife both have! the right to vote. : •" A barnacle-oncrustod bottle hae been ■ picked up on the beach at Westport, ■ containing an, ocean current 1 paper, put overboard from: the e-s. Pericles on August 6th, 1908. The position of the ship then was northward of the Orozete. The bottle had drifted over 7000 miles. Having experienced difficulty in getting some healthy and strong girls to take part in physical drill at the Girls’ Grammar School, Auckland, the Board of Governors has sanctioned the follow-, ing rule" Each girl will be required to * take drill as a school subject unless she produces a certificate signed by a qualified medical man! stating that she is physically unfit to do so.” Bitting in Chambers on Saturday morning, his Honor Mr. Justice Cooper made an order adjudicating as bankrupt Evelyn Isabel Bussell Eaddiffe Winder, milliner, trading as "Aylmer’s." The application was made by Mr H. Buddie on behalf of the petitioning creditors. E..H. Abbott and Co., Ltd. Hr E. J. Fitzgibbon, who appeared on behalf of the debtor, did not oppose the application. '

The' Minister of Lands of Victoria has become impressed with the serious consequences which, must follow the continuous destruction of timber thronghou* the State, and he has under consideration a scheme for encouraging the planting of trees upon private land. Ha thinks that the State might be divided into four districts, and that prizes might be offered in each to the land-holder* who in three years improved their properties most by planting suitable trees. It might be wise, the Minister suggests, for a committee to be appointed to d-eal with proposals such as this for the encouragement of tree-planting on private land. Mr McKenzie agrees with the recent congress of progress associations that it would be desirable for suitable trees to be planted'systematically along banks of streams throughout Victoria,

TJi) to the present tho council of th ■ Sew Zealand Swimming Association ha issued no fewer than IWKMn-ohcieucy . ■i ■■ k*irner.s' certificates. Tno <_iOV'.rr)im 1. (rant of .£2OO has not been rW'n«Vf;; >ut is expected shortly. J.nst year aovu JOO certificates were issued.

Auckland is still agitated onrjji' Knyvett case. A deputation, ot laini.waited upon the City. Counci Mast wy.iv. street collection, in .-uid of the Jvn.wctr defence fund on the first fcaturdnj o. the coming football season. Tt is unfortunate that WcllinKtonian? nave not tiie excellent facilities .01 viewing Halley's comet enjoyed Christchurch, where Canterbury CoUi.,' Board of Governors have, opened -tiMi OV-scrvatory to people wishing ro v l -' the. oomot' through the Obs.erva.tory 1..etmmont.

The members of the Corami.wion appointed to s-eleel: territorial tnimiK grounds in the North and South Island.will visit Christchurch at the beginning of the week. The Com mis? ion will confer with Mr F. W. I-'lanacrsm 'Commissioner of Crown Lands) as t<> li.e localities in Canterbury which they wish to inspect.

The authorities of the Naoicr Hospital have roeeived from Mr S. W. Chadwiolc of Grafton. New South Wales, an oil Txamthur to bo hung in tire Nurses Home. Mr Chudwick has sent. the picture, painfced bv his daughter, in (,'ro.le.ful recognition of tho kiTidnc-,s and attention 7-rccived by h.JS son, who was an inmate of the ITosiiir.nl some tnno ago and died in that institution.

The New Zealand Club, which cnaMeil its members las* year to meet a number of promimiifc and interesting ncr.-oiia : jes who were visiting our shores or resident in tho Dominion, will resume its luncheons 011 Tuesday at 1 o eleolr. The guoftc of honour. Or X Q. A. JTcnry- <? f J -°i Angeles, will speak upon '•Tho future of ■the Anglo-Saxon. Baco."

In speaking of tepid baths for Wellington at tho annual sinOi-:e concert of the Thorcwlon. Amateur Swimming ( In> on Friday evening the presjdiMit (3) r JKonayne) mentioned that at the prasent time u "real quantity of hot water from the condensers of .tho various lraOTrhouses in tho city is going to waste. ITo thought that if it wore placed at. tho disposal of swimmers it would groatly benefit tho sport in Wellington. \ resident of Metbvcn write-* to tho Ashburton "Guardian" stating that Metbven is in a vorv lawless and disorderly state at present. It is said that it is not safe for women or chaldron to SO out of doors after dark. It is ndmute-d by ovcrvbody that during tho last twenty years Metlwcn has not been io a worse' state. If tho police do not take some steps to brin? about an alteration, of this state of affairs, tho consequences will bo serious.

Much interest is being shewn in the work which the newly formed Wnngnnui Beautifying Society has set itself. There have been numerous offers of assistance, one of the most noteworthy beino- from tho local Boy Scout's. Tho "Herald" understands it is intended to invoice the aid of t.ho school children in improving Laird Park, where it is proposed to plant and laliel every possible variety of native tree and shrub which can be procured:

Tho Auckland sitting's of the Eoyal Commission appointed to inquire into tho question of the braking equipment of the Auckland electric tramways, (consisting of Professor E, .T. Scott, of Canterbury College, and Mr A. L. Beattie, chief mechanical engineer of the New Zealand railways) have concluded. The Commissionors will remain in Auckland for a few davs longer, in order to make Eorae tests, Thoy will sit at Wellington about May 2. and will also subsequently sit at Christehuxch. * Every bolder of a political pension in England at tho present time is a meml>er of the Conservative parly, said a writer in the "Westminster Gazette' on March 9th Lord Morley.~ih his " Life of Gladstone," records that in 1883 ait application was mado to Mr Gladstone, when Prime Minister, by a member of •the Tory, party for a political pension. l Mr Gladstone's reply was that for fifty years "no political pension had been granted, bv nnv Minister except, to one of. those with whom ho stood on terms of general confidence and co-operation. '

Towards 11 o'clock on Saturday morning, a fresh southerly breeze- sprang nn at' Wellington, and gradually increased in. force till the evening, when, a .gale from the south-east raged with occasional rain eoualls. The Maori, which arrived at Wellington! vesterday morning from Lyttolton, experienced the gale from tho vicinity oF Capo Campbell.till arrival at Wellington. The Pateena, which arrived early yesterday from Nelson and Picton, and the Slaoourika, which night from West Const via Nelson, both hind a very rough passage through Cook Strait.

Why should not the roller-skato bo turned from mere amusement into the commercial servico of tht streets? We have enlisted tlie bicycle and the motorcar with increase of speed, and —at least in the case of the motor—a savins of space. An observer (says tho ""Westminster Gazette") has noted the incursion of the small boy. who, in spite of n.noi«nt regulations, skates about the streets for fnn on two rollers' instead of the traditional one. Has ho lit a candle in England? If boys must spin about the streets on wheels and carrying bundles of newspapers, express letters, and other, important thintrs, they would take up less room on roller-skates than on bicycles, and could, steer themselves with oven greater precision. Mr George Aitken, farmer and stock dealer, at Musselburgh, Scotland, of which town ho was a councillor, who died recently, aged 70, while on a pleasure voyape to Now Zealand, leaving considerable property, inserted a curious provision in his will. He states that his trustees, who include the provost and town clerk of Musselburgh,'shall removo some house. pronerty at a street soorner in the town and erect an artistic .equestrian bronze statue of himself in an' ornamental plot to bo there constructed. No cost ia to be spared in carrying out the schemo, and nrovision is made for the upkeep of' the plot and' statue for all time. This is in commemoration of hig family connection with the town for centuries, he being the last male, and also of his having acted as "town champion" at the riding of the town's marches

A, peculiar incident- happened to tho engine, and a train of twenty-Severn laden (Train tracks, and three passenger coaches for the Eyreton line, at Kaiapoi on. Saturday. As it was Hearing the railway crossing into the.latter station tho driver found ho was suddenly stuck up in a new and unaccountable manner. Tho wheels of tho engine resolutely refused to draw tho train along. They revolved in vain. With a <lesperate struggle a few yards were negotiated, and then ih& train, coming to a stand, it was found .necessary to divide tho same into halves. The engine wont off merrily, enough with only fourteen of tho grain, trucks, and returned and got the. rest out of the Tray of tho main line train just as it was due. The cause of the ebck-up, says the Christchurch "News," was due to a heavy fall of leaves from poplar trees on to the metals, and a light rain, which under tho rolling stock was eqnal to so much grease. The Sydney "Daily Telegraph" mentions a humorous incident of the recent elections. During the polling in the Albion polling-booth on Sydney road, which consisted of a large marquee, a lady elector had voted, and was standing outside the exit door, waiting for her friend. Tho constable on duty noticed her, and assuming that the woman had not voted, and that sho was about to enter by the wrong door, tho constable pointed ont the proper entrance to her, adding, "You had better go round." The woman replied, "J am waiting for my friend. Sne's m 'L.' " ""Where!" exclaimed the astonished constable, wondering if he had heard aright- "How do you know?" "Because 1 can sec hor," and, suiting thfl action to tho word, tho good woman pointed out to tho astonished constable a lady elector in one of the polling compartments, over which could bo seen the letter "!•" printed in largo typo.

It is reported that two young fellows ere cau'-iit red-handyl at Mangatok; ilh five pheasants.

Tiio Uritisli II usciira has aenuired for r .!;W) the mo.-t important collection of Oriental painting ever offered in Enslend Th<=y rinye from the eighth to the •ightcwifh centuries.

In. view of tho difficulty of obtaining pavment for 10.-t and damaged articles Cabinet has decided that uo more defeuce tents, or camp equipment are to be loaned to boy scouts, even if payment is offered. The Kcv. Kennedy, of St. Patrick's College, states that yesterday morning the nucleus of llalley's comet was estimated to be almo-.i as bright as a star of the third magnitude. Its tail, aa seen through a good field-glass, measured one decree of arc, which at the comet's present distance would be equivalent to a length of 1,7«.CC0 miles. A fine profile view of tho tail of tho comet will be visible, next week.

The promoters of the proposed theatre at I'etono havo registered under the name of tho I'oLone Palace Theatre Company. Limited, -end work has been oin-i.K-nced. Messrs Southgate and Melhuish heir:- the contractors. The theatre if: expected to be opened by the middle ot July for a skating rink, and to be completed by th© end of the year. There will be seating accommodation for ovei IUOO people. Martin William Tier, one of two men who were before tho Magistrate's Court on Wednesday last on charges of-break-ing and entering, and who was admitted to bail, was re-arrestcd on Saturday by Detoclivps Lewis and Andrews on charges of breaking and entering .Mrs Siinpkie's grocery shop at Brooklyn in Jarruary last, also the premises of Morris and Co., GoHan and Co., and another place, all situated on .Tervois. quay. Tier will appear before the court this morning on the new charges. .'Discussing what would happen if tho earth went through the tail of llalley's comet. Mr Chamber, at a meeting of tho British Astronomical Society, recalled the parallel case of ISSI. A Notts vicar then had the candles lighted in his clnm-h, although the sun was shining at the time, because he had a sensation of gloom. Later something unusual, somothinr; foggy, was noticed in tho church, it was'not till some days afterwards that it was known, that the earth had passed through the comet's tail, and nothing serious happened except a little waste of tallow.

At the annual meeting of parishioners of St Augustine's Church, Petono, it was shown that the church was in a hitalthy condition, both spiritually and temporally, there being a credit balance of ,£3.-> lis Id. The pood work of the lay readers, Messrs Cheesruan. Evanis, Castle, House. Swell, Boston and Mot lies, was acknowledged, also tho efforts of Mr W. 11. Hill and Mr P. A. Mason, clergyman and parishioners' churchwardens • respectively. The following officers were elected for the year: Parishioners' churchwarden, Mr F. A. Mason; vestry, Messrs W. Poster, Sherwin. Hill, Brooks, Lee, ICeir, 'Evans; auditor, Mr C H. Andrews.

Tho New Zealand drill-ship Pioneer hauled out to sin anchorage in the stream at Auckland on Thursday night to take in bunker coal for her trix> to Russell. The Pioneer leaves Auckland for the north to-day, and v will return to Auckland about ten days later. Some ninety reservists will .accompany the vessel on her northern -cruise, to osmplete their course of training, five only remaining behind at Auckland. These latter will complete their training on the return of the vessel to Auckland. After a stay there of about two weeks the Pioneer will como to Wellington to curry on her drill work.

At the meeting at "Upper H'utt on Thursday evening, when Mr Ednvund Greenwood addressed the electors, a, resolution of tlianks was moved to the candidate for his pluck. Said the mover, "I reooliect reading in English, history of another Edmund, who was called Ironsides—whether on account of his courage, or that ho wore boiler-plate clothing Ido not know. He put up a plucky fight for the Crown of England against tho Danes under Canute, and was fairly successful. Unfortunately, two months after arranging a favourable compromise ho died. There was also another person who aspired to the throne of England later. He was more successful, and was known as William the . Conqueror." Here tho mover of the resolution veas interrupted by the chairman. Mr William Brown, who asked severely, ."Do you refer to me, sir?" "No!" replied tHe mover, "I will not soy who I mean to-night, but the electors will tell you on Saturday who William tho Conqueror is," a statement that was received with cheers. Tho prophecy was vetdfied, as Mr William Burrell beat his opponent, Mr Edmund Greenwood, by SO votes.

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