GENERAL NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

The flagship of the Australasian Squadron, H.M.S. Drake, is to visit Auckland for the first time on July 27. She will arrive on that date from Suva, and will remain for two days. While tlie flagship is m port, the commander-in-chief will inspect the proposed sites for the naval establishments.

The London County Council has adopted a by-law which provides that no advertising hoardings shall be built within 40 yards of public parks and squares or m "any place where they can be seen by people m the parks. Thejnew by-law further provides that no illuminated or other advertisements within sight of the parks must be more ; than 30ft. above the ground. The places chiefly affected are Trafalgar square and Parliament square.

A tragic end to a motor accident is reported m the Home papers. A motor car, m avoiding Collision with a trap, ran down a cyclist. The driver of the car got out and went to help the cyclist, expressing his regret. The cyclist turned on him, struck him under the chin, knocking him down. The back of the motor driver's head struck the road, and he died three days later. Tie cyclist was committed for trial for manslaughter.

It is estimated by Mr W. J. White, Inspector of United States Agencies for the Dominion, that Canada will this season draw from south of the border 170,000 immigrants, as compared with a total of 133,000 last year. Alarmed at the exodus of their best and wealthiest farmers, the Governors of Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, and Minnesota have issued a proclamation calling a- special session of the North-west Development League to consider measures to stop the migration.

With the departure of each succeeding .••'■earner from Vancouver for Auckland ;md Sydney the number of passengers making tho ship shows a large increase. The Zealandia, which sailed from the Canadian port on Wednesday last, has mi board 295 passengers m all classes for iill ports, which is an increase of 55 on tiio number carried by tlie Makura on j u no 12. The importation of Canadian merchandise is also increasing, the Zealandia having on board 530 tons for Auckland, which shows an increase of 180 tons on the .quantity landed there by the Makura on July 2.

A herald of greater developments m the use of electricity has arrived m Christchurch m the form of an electric motor car. It is not the first of its kind m this city, but it is the first modernised specimen. In the place of an engine it has two storage batteries,' one m front and one at the back. .It is charged by simply switching on the current. Between four and five hours are required to charge the batteries, and when they are fully charged the current is automatically cut off, so that no attention m that respect is required. The car will run for one hundred miles with one charge: Electricity is used for lighting and other purposes, wherever it is possible.

Aeroplanes are adding a new terror to bird life. The huge and noisy apparition m the air strikes them with the same fear as a bird of prey. A curious instance of this occurred at Parlumatta a few days ago m connection with the aviation race between Hart and Stone (says the Sydney Herald). When Hart and his machine sailed over the town several flocks of (homing- pigeons happened to be out for their afternoon's fly. When the winged machine appeared m sight, humming like a gigantic bee, the pigeons flew wildly. First the various flocks commingled, then they started off m all directions, and several of the, birds m tiheir wild flight dashed into the telephone wires and were killed.

Lecturing on infantile mortality before the Health Society of New South Wales, Dr v E. Selwyn Harrison said they were faced with the startling fact that the number, of infants dying m any large town ih the first week of life was so great that were it to continue at the same figure for 52 weeks every infant born alive would have succumbed. A child that succeeded m. living till it had turned four was not m much danger of its life till after 60. It was astonishing that as long as a child was dependent on its nurse and mother absolutely it seemed m immediate danger. Once it began to care for itself ever so little, and escape the perils of the nursery, it had a fair chance of life. Ho asserted, that fully 50 per cent, of infant deaths were preventable.

Why not a Tuberculosis Day m Australia ? askßf a Sydney paper. "We have," it says, "Wattle Day, Mother's Day, Mother's Day> Foundation' Day, Anniversary Day, which represent sentiment, loyalty, and patriotism.- , What more practical than Tuberculosis Day, to give a great moral impetus to the proposals now. under ' serious consideration tor stamping but the Whjte lhagutu. Americans have already initiated such a day. Sunday, April' 21, was set apart as Tuberculosis Day m the United States, and hundreds of organisations all over the country united m the fight against tuberculosis urged the v ohurches to give the day general and appropriate observance. The purpose of Tuberculosis Day m the churches is to make the work better understood, and to win for it a more general support. The idea is worthy of imitation m this great young country,') •where already tuberculosis has beconie a deadly menace."

Mr Porter, Methodist Home Missionary, at Waiinana,' near Opotiki, tells of the building o v f another church m his district. A settler gave a suitable piece of land/- valued at £60. The circuit steward prepared plans for a church, 30ft. x 25ft. Another settler agreed to give and cart ail the timber required. A biuilding committee was formed, and four promises of ., £10' each were made on condition" that the' church should be opened- free of debt. On Friday, April 26, 1912, a number of willing worker gathered at 7 a.m. to begin building. One of them had driven thirteen miles, and another nineteen. They aimed at putting it up and finishing it m a day. Unfortuately the day was wet, and the darkness came .on early, and some of the timber was late m arrival, so the objective was not reached. But the church was duly opened on the following Sunday. '

For some years past the New Zealand Shipping Company has engaged en experienced lecturer to tdur the British provinces lecturing oh the conditions of employment m New Zealand, its climate, etc., the addresses being illuminated with lantern slides depicting our agricultural and pastoral pursuits, manufactures, scenery, snort and other subjects of interest. During the five years some 255 lectures have been given m winter months, at which there has been an attendance of 150,760, an average of over 590 at each meeting. The majority of the towns visited are situated m agricultural districts, and m the case of large manufacturing centres such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, the audiences included a large proportion of the farm laboring and domestic classes, drawn from the surrounding towns and villages. By means of - these lectures; a great number of desirable immigrants are" being attracted to these shores, the third-class accommodation; on the steamers being, at'times, taxed to the' utmost.

A> Feilding message states:-*- A very interesting experiment with the market;ing of danthonia seed, which grows extensively on his bush section, was made by a farmer" m, the Kawatau district. It' appears that about 30 men were employed cutting with reap hooks for one day, and as a result of their labor £100 worth-of seed was produced at lid per lb. Provided ' the right variety is soWri, it is a most valuable grass for grazing, while the : seed has a profitable market value, and as on ' many of the poorer laridi' danthonia flourishes exceedingly well farmers should be able to turn it into commercial value. A new variety of clover, known as Boyd's clover, has been undergoing a series of experiments by Mr T. Harrison, of Ashhdrst. A sample exhibited at Palmerstpn winter ihaxv recently showed a wonderful growth pf foliage. TJiis plant is grown fairly extensively m the Auckland province, and flourishes where no other grass will grow. It is also a splendid gatherer of nitrogen.

I NeAV potatoes m June ! It can be done Jin Stewart Island, Avhere the absence of frost makes the winter much milder than on the mainland. The seed was planted on February 24, and the sample Avas dug on June 24. The potatoes, though small, are sound and thoroughly ripe.

A West Coast resident has been making a careful survey of the coal beds m the vicinity of his home Buller Valley, m close proximity to the Westport-Ina-rigahua railway, and is satisfied that there is a large bed of coal available for development as soon as the railway is completed. The seams measure from 18ft up to 30ft. New Zealand is, directly profiting by the wisdom of the Prince Consort. He practically originated/ the Great Exhibition of 1861, and the scholarships that were founded by the Exhibition Commissioners " are given to this day m nearly all parts of the Empire. So far New Zealand has possessed but one, but m future two are to be awarded this Dominion every year. ■» The construction of the railway line from Levin, to Greatford is a proposal which is at present being advocated by the. Levin Chamber of Commerce. In a letter to the Auckland Chamber, the first-named body points out that Avere this line constructed the journey between Auckland and Wellington would be shortened by about one hour and a halfl It would also open up a considerable area of good settlement land. It has been charged against New Zealanders that they are a restless nation ever on the move. This is confirmed, by a return from the Railway Department, which says that there 'were 690,000 more passengers carried on the railways during the year ended March last than during any previous year. , Yet father or mother or somebody must be staying at home and saving, for a Postal' Department return tells us that the savings deposits last year /were. £15,543,186. Six years ago they Avere only £8,662,022. According to recent reports the amount of water power which is- m the way of preparation m , Norway is 500,000 horse-power, m addition to the existing 430,000 horse-power. • Many large projects for hydraulic works upon the large streams have been the subject of franchises granted during the last few years, and such work is now »about finished. / The hydraulic work on the Mjosen is completed, and another enterprise on the Sammanger stream is soon to give the city of Bergen . a large amount of electric current. In an interesting chat with a New Zealand Herald representative, Dr. W. P. Paterson, Professor of Divinity at Edinburgh University, who was a passenger by the Marama for Vancouver, stated that New Zealanders were m particular favor at liis institution, and were looked upon as excellent students. Most of the New Zealanders entered the university to take up medical work, and m every case they had done well. Two who had been through the college had been very successful— Professor Gilray , who- Avas appointed to the Chair of Literature ati Ofcago University, and Professor Dickie, of Knox- College, Dunedin. An estimate of the cost of installing automatic telephones m New Zealand was given to a reporter by the ex-Post-master-General. Mr/> Ell said that he had approved of the recommendations >of the departmental officers that the system should be adopted, and it was for the. neAV Cabinet to decide whether the expenditure should be undertaken. The cost of installing an exchange considerably m advance of the < present plant would be £40^000 for each. of the four cities. Mr Ell added that if an automatic system was adopted there would be no need to dismiss any of 'the attendants no"w employed m tjhe city exchanges. They would all be absorbed in r other branches of the service as counter 1 attendants or as" post-mistresses m suburban offices.

A visitor to Lake Wakatipu gave a reporter some interesting observations on the new twin screw steamer Earnslaw, which is to. ply between Kingston and Queenstown. The Earnslaw, he said, was intended to carry 1000 passengers comfortably, and the impression he formed was that she was a very fine boat. Everything about her was up-to-date, and she would compare favorably, m regard to fitting up, with any of , the U.S.S. Co.'s boats. The top deck was flush from stem to stern, electric light is installed throughout, and the . upholstering of the saloon and social hall was very fine. She was a beautiful model. He considered that she would be a comfortable and steady boat for the Lake traffic. Running at top speed she would be able to do 15 knots comfortably. She would be ready to take up her running m about a month*

"The call is for every Australian to thoroughly understand the naval question," writes Admiral Sir George KingHall m an interesting article published m a. Sydney paper as to why the Australian liayy is needed, "and understanding' it> to take it seriously, and -to thoroughly support the authorities, whoever they may be, wno have the xespon sibility of making it a reality and a success. It is a call where we must be patriots first and -politicians a long way m the rear, for it is of utmost importance that the navy should be outside the sphere of. political warfare — it must be a national force, and supported by the nation, whole-heartedly and without reserve. We must all have a large forward outlook. It must ever be remembered that Australia will . be a great naval Power iii the Pacific, and its influence will be felt more and' more as the years roll on, as the nation increases m population, which forms the real wealth and strength of a people if rightly applied. My hope as regards the naval policy adopted' by the Commonwealth cannot be better expressed than, m th© words of the national motto — 'Advance Australia.",'

All the medicines, medicaments, bandages, and instruments required to be carried m future by- New Zealand Home trade steamers are set out m last week's Gazette. The list appears to be a large one, but the art icle s" will not take up so much space^ as their names imply; ' The pharmaceutical names look formidable. Tinctura "benzoirii com'pOsita," / for example, .is just plain Friar's balsam ', aiid "oleumricni" is simply castor oil. With the' medicine ch^st, will be a book, of authorised instructions. It is; not clear whether the medicines will, as m the United States marine, be numbered to correspond with the particular complaint — say, No. 14 for acute indigestion. " Apropos: On the Pacific Coast recently a shipmaster on turning up his bool£ for o, certain remedy found No. 11 wa« the: medicine that fillled liis diagnosis. "No. II 1 ' was missing, howeS'er, so he mixed "Nos. 5 and 6" m equal .proportions. The patient died: The 1 New Zealand medicine chest must be stocked && prescribed m the Gazette for all vessels of 30 tons register and upwards,, but those- making voyages of less than 24 hours' duration from port to port may carry instead the St. John ambulance hamper or its equivalent!

* Word was received m Sydney on the arrival of the French mail steamer Diimbea of the -purchase of .an estate y :of 65,000 acres m the New Hebrides; "and it is said that the sale is the largest that lias yet taken place m. the Pacific Islands. Mr T> ManlngV formerly. Act-ing-British Consul m Noumea, is one of the; principals m a.. Sydney syndicate formed to acquire the properties of Messrs Stuart and Wright, and, though .Mr, Mailing is not disposed -to state the precise ■ terms of the bargain, he says the property is 65,000 acres, m area, .and was valued at £268,000. Of the i estiite, 3000 .acres are under cultivation. The, improvements on it s are worth £4,7,000, and the annual revenue is said to be at present £11,000. Qn the. 3000 acres . cultivated 50,000 cocoanut trees Jaetween the ages .of three; and eight jyears are growing, ■ also, 330,000 coffee trees, m full bearing, 200,000 cotton trees, and 120,000 cocoa, trees. The estate is m five separate areas, the largest being 20,000 acres m extent. It is reported also that another large property m the New Hebrides has changed/ hands, Messrs Hagen , and Lobereau, of Noumea, being the "purchasers, and Mr Gane, who also arrived by the Piwnbea, the vendor. This property has an area of 2500 acres, of which 250 _ is tinder cultivation. The price paid is stated to have been £6000.

A "woman -water diviner who also' 'ha* the gift of locating naptha springs and gold and silver deposits has been discovered, a Vienna correspondent' states. She has made several extraordinary finds recently, and there has be>n a rush to secure her services. An associa- , tion of petroleum- well owners made her an offer of a large sum to give them her exclusive services, but she has, accepted another offer from an American multi-millionaire to go to the UnUed States on his behalf. He is understood ' to be seeking for potash fields. The diviner is to be paid a fee that runs into five figures, and is to have, moreover, a princely allowance for travelling expenses. ■/

It is fortunate for the sporting world (states the Wairarapa Age) that the new Minister of Internal Affairs -(the Hon. F. H. D. Bell) has been for years closely associated -with all forms of sport. He is a man who may be expected to bring his knowledge of such things" to' beat m his dealings with sport generally, and racing clubs m particular. It is yet too early to prophesy the policy of the Government m regard to racing and kindred sports, but it is' safe bp say that if the Hons. Bell/ Herries; and Fraser are given; their way, rid" fal&e sentiment m regard to these matters will be encouraged. The Ministry as a whole may be said ft) be friends^ of sport. :

It is stated that C. G. Macartney, the hero of the cricket this season at Home, will probably be lost to Australia at the close of the present tour. Macartney will be married on .-his return to Australia, and will settle m Colombo. There is much cricket played m Ceylon, so that Macartney will not be lost to the game. Still (says an English writer), he is a very serious loss to Australia, for lie had developed into one of the very best of the many great batsmen Aus- \ tralia has produced. His cutting is probably superior to that, of any batsmen now playing, while no one, since Robert Abel and J. T. Tyldesley were at their best, has been quite so quick on his feet.

. Very sad tales, and sometimes bitter remarks, are heard m the Magistrate's Court, but the scene -was changed at the' court on Friday, says the Hastings correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Heraldj v Avhen four well-known business meirnad to appear. One of the gentlemen hoped that his Worship, m inflicting the fine, would remember that it was his. birthday, whereupon the opposing counsel wished him many happy returns of the day. Later on the Magistiiafo:'announced that each defendant would be fined Is, without costs. The defendants wer^e so overjoyed with his Worship's ruling that they could not wait) fcqi get out of the courthouse before congratulating one another. This they did m, loud voices, which caused the Magistrate to say, "Tell those jubilant individuals tf> subside or the Magistrate m.ay reconsider his decision."

The solution of a problem which has concerned many people — how to see the world on next to nothing — has apparently teen solved by an elderly English worker, who was a passenger for Sydney by the Westralia. He told an Auckland 'Herald , representative before the vessel sailed that he was formerly^ an employe on the docks at London. While at this work he saved £510, and, being single and unfettered, he decided to start, out on this magnificent sum to tpur the world. He obtained a steerage passage to South Africa, and landed at' Gkpetown with only a few shillings. He worked there for a month, and .earned another j3lo, and made, for Australia. Another month's . work at Brisbane bough 1 1 his '' passage to New Zealarid, and for the past two> months s Tie was an employee on a dredge on the Molyrieaiix river m Otago. He was. leaving Auckland with a steerage ticket for Sydney and £6, and confided to the pressman that he had spent the time of- hia life, and felt that his 58 years weighed as lightly as 20. ' '' ~ ; - ' ''

A Sydney contemporary wonders what Nemesis will overtake Australasia; m the future, and adds : The finest thing. tßat could happen to bring the. disgruntled alleged "workers"; to their senses would be foreign' threats. The pointed dentaiid of Japan or China' for space for 50,000 Asiatics would heal tho wounded hearts of the idiots who believe the finest thing that could happen is to work four hours a day. The necessity to face a real emergency would knock the talking of twaddle sky-high. The nations that have to invent grievances , need real grievances to bring them to a sense of their great advantages. The old fact is here repeated. There are about 500 million Asiatics of varying hues crowded into countries that do not provide them with square meals. .There are ,fomr and a half million white men who protest that they "have too fey(? advantages m countries that, could support 100 millions. It is inevitable that their light to occupation /will be questioned sooner or later. Meantime, they go opt of their ■way., to .; throw bricl^ at any passing darky. The trouble is that the darky'l brick; is the larger. .■> ,

"It is .going to be the greatest fa^fc ever held." This "was the enthusiastic description of the coming §an Francisco Exposition given by the Rev. George , El Burlinghame, of First CfourChy Sail -v Francisco, who wait a passejhge^by "the l Marama for fhe United; States?' The great exhibition, Mr Burlingliame went on to explain to an Auckland HeraW representative, would oe held m J-916.| and would celebrate, as far as the 'Calir fornian part of the Pacific was concern"* ed, the opening of the Panama Cana^j • "It is to be a world-wide affair," I*B' • continued. "We aim at getting eve|y country, island, and State represented and we are hammering away at the huge work already. Australia and Ne;w Zealand will be approached to make a* much display as they can afford ; they are Pacific countries, and any country or person who is 1 Pacific we love. Yoii seem to have the idea over.' here that 'Frisco does not know ybu. That' is foolish. 'Frisco, true, is. a city of , ffcst business and faster pleasujK«s,. but! tfral floes not prevent us from looking* rouna. There as an opportunity, m. thie 1016 ■ Ei*- . position for 1 New Zealand to maker full acquaintance < witft the* GaflifbitrfiapS) who as yet only half Toiilisß Wh'aVa. magnificent couintry yours is 1 . 1 r fdatH^y you will have one of o.ur > rep^ese^tativ^*.\p^vigr here presently. If "he is encouraged, «f I am sure he will be) you/ capvbe,#lt fectly sure that* New .^eialandiw^U-.B'ria it to her advantage to ;'ma^(a r avbj|g^" play at the, exposition." '.._.'-, V' ]. )y^_ Somer* most ihterestirigi are to lianS of the' 1 woWdei^W speed^i^ tHat has been erected ; aib' Iriiaiai&po^ftfiß-?A< \ for motor rAcinfeJ m^^S^r'^^^f the world is' sttch a, 1 (x>mp[fitesp&OT-C|t^k to be foundV v ■Th.-fe' g^tW^^v^^^Stfea. of 328 acres', ujp^jri AvWch^ aW^p^ld forty-one -bmldin^^; j including grffiidstai^ds and pr^Vu^; b^x%,; >tQ*^«sit 60,000 people, garajgesT^%ia^pA'!'!s^^j'JtoK>dfomes, et&i- . TKOTeI" iB-\accommo<JwSbn for 20O,(X)0>8beteta^or8 M around racing trab^andV^atking fa<iilnie# 1 f6r 10^000 mow' pa!*,, 3*«J racing' tra^k^ is 2i miles ifr mimi&fet'eifce; witb?(^^%s of sQoy»r9^ ; at thferr turns: > which pate , banked, Alp" l^Jl\ TWe' ttafest^h^Bed of ) vitoiftea' 'bfick^' '3^,o®Hf^wiich w^re "web tb paW thfe "vfe||«?w,«p* A strd%' betttot>^;3ff h^^s^ii[6\Jfeed ' pn the outside^ edgjß' oi*ih.Vtr?CK^wH^veiit' accimU* t^^^totft^^##™way services, besides tramway cars I,'1 ,' de- , liver and take away from the grounds 10,000 people^ every fifteen minutes. The charges for important fixtures ? rah|je from one ddlldr (4s 2d): to enter the cheaper portion 4 of the grounds, two dol T lars fpi*;ths;b<Bfi(t part of- the grounds, up to seven dollars for^ box seats. Q^aiA. , nary stand 'prices ' ran^e from one dollar M ex;tra up. to 2^ dollars' fo¥' ; reserved seats, f and they gjet a bigger paying gate than the Victoria Racing Club does at Fiemington racecourse oh Melbourne Cup Day. The racing track at Br;poklandß, England,' is now a' second-class speed ground, as compared to the Indianapolis motor racecourse, and .the wonderful average of 78.9>: miles per hour imtintained by Dawson m the recent motor race on this track proves °that . it. ■is faste\r^ for m a big field of contestants he covered 500 miles m 6hr 21min 6sec, as against the English recordj 6hr 21mih 16 which was accomplished m a :^ drive against time with .-a clear track. The American sporting public have taken to automobile racing, and it appears to be now more popular than horseracing.