LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 39, 22 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sharp shock of earth cpiake wag felt in Havelock at about 7.30 last Friday evening.

Euchre party in the library to-night in aid of soldiers? comforts. An excellent supper is provided. A deep dip at one end of Sneider’s bridge (near Okaramio) requires attention, being particularly dangerous for motor cars, as the sudden drop is liable to break an axle.

W. Price and Son are now stocking tyres and tubes and all other accessories for motor-cycles, including benzine and lubricating oils. “Every man is a man nowadays,” said Mr L. Humphries, addressing the Military Service Appeal Board on Friday in behalf of the scheelite-produc-ing industry at Deep Creek. The situation could not be met if everyone did not work to his full capacity, within reason. Ho added: “I have 48 men employed now where I could do with 100, if I could only get them.” Mr J. J. Corry (chairman of the Wairau Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) wil address a public meeting at the Town Hall next Friday on the subject of hospital expenditure, with particular reference to the protests from the Pelorus Road Board. The general public, as well as the ratepayers, are invited to be present.

According to the predictions of Mr Clement Wraggc, who bases his deductions on the present abnormal disturbances which are taking place in the sun, the coming winter will, on the whole, be stormy and wet. He also predicts that the following spring will witness abundance of rain, with electrical disturbances. Mr Wragge states that there is no doubt whatever that the recent display of the'Aurora Australis in Auckland was directly due to solar upheavals. Mr R. McCallum, M.P., has returned to Blenheim from Wellington, where he has been attending to several departmental matters connected with his own district. He informed an “Express” representative that the House would in all probability meet on Thursday, June 28, for a session which would last about three months. Asked as to the movements of the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward, he said he felt sure from the message sent by Mr Massey to the troops a few days ago that, it was quite safe to assume they had now left on the return journey. Don't wait until Influenza grips you —get “HAZOL” now. The best safeguard against coughs, colds, chest and throat soreness. 60 doses Is 6d.

The scarcity of potatoes in Great Britain is shown by the latest London papers to hand to be of a serious character. Captain Bathurst, M.P., “assistant to the Food Controller, declared early in March that there was an almost unprecedented scarcity of potatoes, not merely in the United Kingdom, but throughout the world. At the present rate of consumption, there was, he said, unlikely to be potatoes available for anyone in the late spring and early summer. Both in London and other cities the markets were quite unable to meet the requirements of the retailers. Some retailers, who managed to get a few potatoes, sold them above the regulation price of lid per lb, and they were heavily fined in consequence. It behoves all who are able to secure suitable ground to grow potatoes during the coming season. A good story is told of a Southland farmer who recently .discharged his duty of filling in his land and income tax returns. Discussing the matter of the value of his dairy cows with some friends, he innocently gave the information that ho valued his cows for income tax purposes at £6 per head. Some time-after he held a clearing sale and the cows realised £l3 per head, Someone sent a clipping of the newspaper report to the Income Tax Department, whereupon certain correspondence emanated from the department, which was of special concern to its recipient. The annual provincial conference of the Sounds District Farmers’ Union, to be held in Havelock next Saturday, promises to be of more than usual interest. In addition to the business set out on the order paper a notice of motion re the butter-fat tax will be discussed, and also the matter of a stock wharf at Picton. An invitation has been issued to Mr Todd, of the N.Z. Fruitgrowers’ Association, to attend the meeting, and it is understood that he has expressed his willingness to take advantage of this opportunity of addressing the settlers. The conference will be followed by a tea and social evening at the Post Office Hotel.

For Children’s Hacking Cough at night' Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, 1/6 2/6.

The woman Mary McManus, who was convicted for drunkenness in Havelock and Blenheim recently, is evidently doing the rounds of the district thoroughly. After getting clear of Blenheim, she reigned for a couple of days as cook at the Linkwnter Hotel. She then moved on to Picton, but soon found herself again in the stern arms of the law, and appeared yesterday to answer a charge of vagrancy. In an editorial protest against the cutting down of the "School Journal" the Wairarapa "Age" says:—"That huge extravagance known .as ‘Hansard,’ which is not even what it purports to be, an accurate record of the gaseous emanations of legislators, might quite conveniently be »ut out. The publication of the railway timetable could be curtailed. Hundreds of useless Parliamentary papers and returns could, and should, be suppressed. These and other enormities would enable the Printing Office to increase rather than curtail the size of the ‘School Journal.’ The latter is too valuable to be sacrificed on the altar of false economy."

Mr Leslie Macarthur, F.R.G.S., has an interesting display of crude mineralogical specimens in the window of Mr F. C. Ferry, Blenheim. Many of the- specimens represent metals of distinct commercial value, and which occur in the country rock system of tho northern sections of Marlborough, Nelson, and the Sounds. They were selected by Mr Macarthur on a recent tour of investigation to prove the existence and quality of metals and minerals of commerce available in these localities. Mr Macarthur, who has great faith in the ’mining possibilities of the northern part of the South Island, is forwarding the specimens to England with the object of initiating exploitation on a sound commercial basis.

That cough troubles you at night. Here’s the remedy. Take a few drops of “NAZOL” on a piece of sugar and immediate relief will ensue. No cough is “NAZOV’ proof!

The position, of the butter and cheese industry, duo to the shortage of shipping causing congestion in the cool stores, was the subject of an interview with Mr H. E. Pacey, of Auckland, managing director of the New Zealand Dairy Association. With reference to the shortage of shipping space, he said the position was extraordinarily serious. At present there was in the province more than £750,000 worth of butter and cheese, and there was no certainty when the arrears would be overtaken. The accumulation of butter was greater than that of cheese. The fact of the Government having purchased cheese had caused it to be given preference in shipping. In reply 'to a question, Mr Pacey said he had been in communication by cablegram with Mr Massey in regard to the shortage of shipping, and he believed the Prime Minister was exerting every influence to secure some relief by sending more ships here. In reply to a specific inquiry, Mr Massey said he had reason to expect that the accumulations would bo cleared before the next dairying season opened. So far, however, said Mr Pacey, there had been no indication of a relaxation of the position, and all responsible people engaged in the industry had reason for anxiety. The Farmers’ Union, with good cause, are agitating for the immediate increase of cold storage facilities throughout the Dominion.

“We must have here New Zealand’s champion pessimist,” says an Auckland officer, writing from Sling Camp. ‘‘ An officer the other day was endeavouring to instruct a very clumsy soldier in tho noble art of bayonet-fight-ing. As the recruit continued to manipulate his bayonet very gingerly, the officer, in desperation, said: ‘My dear man, if that is the best you can do, you had better write home and tell your people they’ll never see you again.’ ‘I have already done so, sir! ’ was the mild but unexpected reply.” “At a lecture on aeroplanes we were told .a rather good story,” the writer of the letter continues. “The Germans, last spring, were using a new type of aeroplane, of which the British authorities were anxious to obtain a specimen. At last one was shot down behind our lines, but on the arrival of the authorities they found the soldiers had already carried off the valuable prize piecemeal for souvenirs. Worse than that, the pilot happening to have a wooden leg, they had cut the leg off and split this up also for souvenirs. Sounds tall—doesn’t it?—but we had it on excellent authority, and, after all, it is just the kind of thing a number of soldiers would do.”