NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10838, 2 March 1921, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

A consignment of prize Jersey cattle from New York was brought to Auck. land by the steamer Langton Hall. The shipment consisted of four bulls, three cows, two heifers, and thiee calves. They are all consigned to Palmerston North, and will be sent by rail from Auckland to their destination.

“The Romney stock in the Waiapu district cannot be beaten,” remarked Mr Sykes, M.P. for Masterton, at the settlers’ reception to the Parliamentary party at Waiomatatini. When the applause had subsided, Mr Sykes said, “Perhaps some of you in ay think this is flattery?” There was a pause, broken by hearty laughter, when he added: ‘ ‘You see I can tell the strain has come from the Wairarapa.”

The loud creaking of the new boots of a petitioner in a divorce case at the Supreme Court in Auckland raised a smile as the map stepped forward to the witness-box. But when, at the conclusion of his evidence, relating how he had stolen upstairs to find his wife and co-respondent together, Bis Honour smilingly remarked: “I suppose you did not have those boots on then,” the court laughed.

The prospect of having to destroy hawthorn hedges on account of the spread of fire-blight is viewed with alarm by dairy farmers, in the Cambridge district. A meeting of farmers held in Cambridge carried a resolution protesting against being called upon to cut the hedges. It included a decision to a6k the Minister for Agriculture to meet the farmers to discuss the matter, and in the meantime not to require destruction of the hedges.

Arrangements far the placing and future control of suitable headstones over the graves of soldiers will now be undertaken by the Internal Affairs Department, instead, of the Base Records branch of the Defence Department. The Minister-in-Charge will be the Hon. Downie Stewart, who will administer the Internal Affairs Department instead of the Hon. G. J. Anderson. An announcement will be made by the Minister within a day or two respecting the graces of soldiers.

An. exciting incident occurred as the ferry steamer Kestrel was coming in to tho wharf at Auckland on Sunday evening, a man diving into .the water off tho boat and commencing to swim around vigorously. The launch Lorraine, which was also coming into port, quickly went to his assistance. When’pulled on board the launch, the man’s first words were: “My girl has turned me down, so I don’t care if I do drown.” When brought to t-he launch steps he was taken charge of by some seafaring friends, and walked away, laughing cheerfully, apparently none the worse for his self-styled effort to efface the memory of his faithless fiancee.

A Batley (England) resident, who is a member of the U.A.0.D., has a record which, would take some beating. He began work when he was six years old in a brickyard, and although he built up a successful business returned to work after he reached 70. At 74 he was at farm work, and at 78 was serving with the Royal Engineers. When the war came he enlisted, giving his age as 50, instead of 70, and went to Erance, where he served through the war. He was a veteran volunteer, having enlisted in- 1859. Fothergill, now 80 years, is living at Selby, where he is still engaged in business.

The threepenny piece in church collections has become a byword, and an instance occurred recently of church officials giving a strong hint to worshippers that this coin, had a diminished;—■ andi still diminishing—purchasing power. From time to time a strange miscellany has found its way into church collection bags, including buttons, piece of chocolate, and various articles of small intrinsic value. Probably the most unique collection in modem times was taken i:"l> on a. recent Saturday in Melbourne tby the Seventh Day. Adventists for foreign mission purposes. In addition to the pledging of £1025, the collection included six gold rings—isome set with precious stones —a pair of earrings, three gold bangles, and several gold brooches. >

Judging by the remarks of a wellknown garage proprietor to a Christchurch “Press” representative, the motorist is at present experiencing more worries than the high cost of petrol. The speaker remarked that a certain brand of petrol had during the last few weeks been causing considerable trouble. There was evidently something of an acid nature in its composition, with- a result that those motorists who were using it were having much trouble with their carburettors. There was evidently some corroding element in the petrol, which was eating all the soft metal in the pipes. He had seen instances where the carburettors were absolutely full of sediment, caused by such action. Needles and floats were particularly affected, and so great bad been the demand for new floats that the speaker’s stock had been completely exhausted. The trouble was one that haj never been experienced before.

“What do you say it would cost to repair this house?” a witness was asked in the Supreme Court yesterday. “A hox of matches and £i000!” vas the striking reply.

“Not a fence on any of the Hutt Valley farms is a proper farmer’s fence,” said a witness in the Supreme Court yesterday. Witness, a Russian, said this did not seem to matter a great deal, as the cattle up the Valley were exceedingly quiet.

The Postal authorities have received advice from Sydney that the Maheno sailed at 4 p.m. on the 28th tilt, for Auckland. She carries 698 hags of mails from the United Kingdom and Australia. The Maiaita sailed from Newcastle on the 28th ult. for Wanganui. She carries 21 bags of mails.

Deputations from Rotorua and Te Awamutu waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday, the first with reference to the legislative changes made last session, and the second in regard to the hydro-electric scheme. Both deputations were, of a private character.

On Saturday last the Municipal Rand visited the Palmerston North howling green and gave the bfcivlers several selections from their cofrtest music. They were rewarded by a tarpaulin muster of £2O towards the band’s travelling expenses to the Nelson band contest, and for this generosity the bandsmen gave the bowlers three hearty cheers.

Mr S. R. Lancaster (Manawatu) has received word from Auckland of the safe arrival there of a consignment of Jersey cattle from St. Johns, Canada. (Of the consignment, Mr Lancaster owns one bull, five cows and two calves, while a cow and calf are for Mr W. Hopcroft, of Aokautere. The cattle had a somewhat adventurous voyage oilt and arrived three weeks late. Owing to the waterside trouble they will probably be delayed at Auckland for a time.

The serious slump in the price of meat was referred to hy Mr W. J. Poison, Wellington provincial president of the Farmers’ Union, at a meeting of the Fordell branch of the Farmers’ Union, when it was resolved that the Government be asked to confer with the freezing companies of New Zealand with -a view to some arrangement being made, by which the meat shall be held in New Zealand until the whole of the Imperial meat shall have been shipped and the congestion at the English end) removed.

A reply has been received from Mr Massey concerning - the representations made to him by a. deputation of Canterbury poultry farmers urging that the importation of Chinese egg pulp into the Dominion 'be prohibited. The Prime Minister state® that the Government, through the Board of Trade, has arranged for a conference to be held at Christchurch on March 22nd of those interested, and", that the representatives of the poultry industry will have every opportunity of placing their views before the conference for the consideration of the Government.

The Depaurtment of Industries and Commerce has received advice, through the High Commissioner for New Zealand, London, that the 22nd annual chemists’ exhibition will he held on June 20th to 24th at the Central Hall, Westminster, London, S.W., at which will be made the largest display pf drugs, medicines, druggists’ sundries, toilet articles, and chemists’ wares generally over shown under one roof in any part of the world. The exhibition will be attended by merchants, manufacturers and chemists from all parts of the Empire, and any interested trader visiting the Old Country can obtain admission on presentation of his business card.

A considerable reduction has been made by buyers of farmers’ fat stock, both in beef and mutton. This has already been reflected in the retail prices of meat in some shops in the city. Others are expected to follow. In the windows of one of the largest of them appear the words*. ‘‘Prices of meat reduced.” t The fall appears to he Id to 1-id per pound, and in some cases perhaps more. Retail prices at which meat is being sold in Wellington yesterday are as follow: Sirloin beef t id, ribs 6fd, rump steak lOd, brisket (fresh and corned on hone) 4d, legs of mutton s£d, chops 6£d, neck and breast 3id, flap 3d, sides of mutton sd, hind-quarter lamb lOd, forequarter Bd, veal 4Jd.

Two samples of a new type of baton have been submitted to the Victorian Police Department for trial by the uniformed and plain-clothes members of the force. The baton | which is of loaded rubber, is much smaller than the wooden baton now in use, but it is claimed to 'be equally effective and more easily carried. At present it is not customary for the plain-dothes ■police to carry batons, but as the- rubber weapons are only 14 inches long and 11 inches thick they could 'be carried without discomfort in an ordinary pocket, and for that reason the plain-clothes constables may adopt them. The matter is still at the trial stage, however, and no recommendations have yet been made.

By direction of the Hon. E. P. Lee (Minister for Justice), the Government Printing Office is preparing for circulation among the officers of the Justice and Police Departments and the Law Libraries of the Dominion a report of the trial of Dennis Gunn for the murden, on March 13th, 1920, of Mr Augustus Edward Braithwaite, postmaster, of Ponsonby, Auckland. The trial took place at Auckland from May 24th to 23th, inclusive, last year, and the report is intended as ,a textbook in relation to finger-print evidence. Besides a fulT account of the evidence tendered at the trial, together with counsels’ addresses, the judge’s address, and so on, the report contains an appendix stating a number of valuable cases dealing mainly with finger-print evidence. Enlarged, photographic reproductions of the actual finger-prints in the Gunn case are also given.