LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 40, 25 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The District Medical Board will sit at Havelock at 1 p.m to-day (Friday), to examine men drawn in the 7th ballot.

Sir James Allen has been advised that the first portion of the Twentythird Reinforcements has reached its destination safely.

A cable message on Wednesday stated that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward had arrived at Halifax, en route to New Zealand.

Two girls in the Wairau district have been waggon driving on the road for several months past. One drives a five and the other a seyen-horse team, and they are said to handle their teams as well as any man.

A youthful appellant in the Military Appeal Court at Masterton the other day said he was married last May and had nine stop-children. The Official Assignee at Blenheim summonses a meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Frank Wilson Pope, of Canvastown. "Man is by far the most courageous animal God ever made, and compared with him lions are cowards." Mr Lloyd George is reported to have said after a visit to the front, speaking of the British soldiers.

Owing to another engagement, Mr F. O’B. Loughnan, S.M., was unable to come through to Havelock on Wednesday to hold the ordinary monthly sitting. The Court was therefore adjourned until the next sitting—27th June.

At Picton on Saturday, May McManus, alias Manning, alias Williams, appeared to answer a charge of leading a vagrant life. She was convicted, but sentence was suspended to give her the opportunity of leaving Picton by the first steamerReturned soldiers state that the Germans have a new death-dealing device in the shape of a small bomb about .the size of an egg, which on striking an object explodes and bursts into flame, consuming anything that comes in contact. The soldiers say this is a more devilish conception than even the liquid fire. ‘‘NAZOL" may be imitated, but it is still unequalled for relieving coughs, colds, catarrh and sore throat. Only the genuine is labelled "NAZOL." Refuse substitutes. The clerk of the weather lately seems to have been making a genuine effort to please everybody (in North Marlborough) by sending wot and fine days alternately. This method should, at any rate, satisfy the farmers, as it ensures an abundance of early winter feed.

Commencing on Wednesday, May 23, the National Efficiency Board will hold an enquiry at Wellington to receive such evidence as may be tendered bearing upon the advisableness of the restriction, continuance, or abolition, during war conditions, of the vending of wines, beer, and'spirits. The R.M.S. ‘‘Baltic,’' which successfully evaded an attack from a submarine the other day, is a vessel of 23,876 tons, length 725 ft, and breadth 75.6 ft, and at time of launching a few years ago was the largest steamer in the world, and the most popular in the Liverpool-New York service. It is reported that the advance of the British front in France will entail such a tremendous further use of petrol for the tens of thousands of motor vehicles for transport purposes in use, that motoring in England will have to bo considerably further curtailed owing to petrol restrictions. The amount paid in wages to Wellington waterside workers for the past two weeks constitutes a record for the port of Wellington, says the ‘‘New Zealand Times." On Friday between £SOOO and £6OOO was paid in wages, and over £6OOO the previous Friday. Altogether £12,000 was paid out for work done in connection with the loading and discharging of cargoes from ships at the several wharves and quays, but slightly over £IOOO of the amount constituted back pay. It is said, says the ‘‘Times," that in a few instances individual workers drew from £8 to £9 per week in return for their labour.

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

At the Town Hall to-night Mr J. J. ) Corry (Mayor of Blenheim) will adl dress a public meeting on the question of hospital expenditure.' A large attendance of ratepayers and others interested is anticipated. Probably Mr Corry (who has just been re-elected to the position of chairman to the Wairau Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) will-be opposed by one or two members of the I’elorus Road Board, to whom an invitation to be present has been extended. All Switzerland is laughing over an incident reported from the frontier. After a tour of German Switzerland under the leadership of Herr Richard Strauss, the famous Mannheim orchestra returned to Germany. But at the frontier an odour unusual in musical instruments aroused the suspicions of the Swiss Customs officials, who, upon examination, found trombones, 'cellos, tubas, and double bases stuffed with sausages, meat, fats, and other delicacies. To the orchestra’s great chagrin all were confiscated and a heavy fine imposed. 111-luck appears to be following the steamer Arahura. After her lucky escape from destruction off East Capo a few days ago through her cargo of benzine catching fire, further trouble was met during unloading operations at the Napier wharf. A spark from the Harbour Board’s locomotive ignited three trucks of the oil on the wharf. Luckily the wind was blowing away from the steamer and saved her from taking fire. The driver and stoker of the locomotive pluckily stuck to their posts and pulled the burning mass clear of doing further damage. Three hundred and thirty-three cases of benzine were lost. Thus "Civis, ” in the "Otago Daily Times": —Professor Dickie makes the shrewd suggestion that "the leakage of, information which caused the loss of the Hampshire and the lamented death of the great organiser of victory, was owing to treachery emanating from the Russian Court." Why, of course; what else? —the light now thrown on the Russian Court and its Germanism makes the thing as clear arf daylight. The movements of the Kitchener mission were known at Petrograd, a Petrograd traitor told the Germans. The Hampshire was waylaid at one sure point for intercepting her —the start. There a submarine was waiting, and within an hour or two of the Hampshire’s leaving the deed was done. Nemesis has always overtaken the Russian traitors, or some of them. To the Hohenzollerns there remains a fearful-looking form of judgment; and Tino, their faithful lackey, must be shaking in his shoes. A next '' capture'' was effected by Constable Douglas on Tuesday. He received a telegram from Sergt. Barrett, of Nelson, informing him that a lad named Allan Patterson, an inmate of ’the Stoke Industrial School, had absconded from licensed service at Motueka, a ! nd was supposed to be making towards Havelock. Ten minutes after receiving the wire the constable was on the look-out, and seeing a strange lad passing through the town on a bicycle from the direction of Nelson, he stopped him and asked, "what the dickens he had left Motucka for?" This chance shot took the lad off his guard, and he replied, "I did not like the place." Needless to say the boy was not allowed to continue his joyride in search of pastures new, and, under the constable's charge was taken back to Stoke on the following day. The lad gave as a reason for his escapade that he did not get enough to eat where he was working. The bicycle he was riding was stolen from Motuere. The euchre parties promoted by the Progressive Assembly Committee for the purchase of soldiers ’ comforts have, been held regularly every fortnight for the past twelve months. The atendance has been well maintained throughout the change of seasons, and the 26th evening held on Tuesday w r as one of the most successful of the series. Nine tables were filled, and at the end of a keen couple of hours' play it w-asfound that Mr W. H.' Orsman was still leading in the gentlemen's division, while Miss Orsman holds the corresponding position amongst the ladies. Two more evenings will complete the aggregate scores for the special prizes, and those players who are close behind the leaders have still a good chance of getting on top. Mr W. H. Smith, in announcing the financial result for the year, congratulated the Progressive Assembly Committee on the success that had attended their efforts. The total receipts were £73 18s 9d, and the disbursement of the funds was as follows:—Parcels for soldiers £43 4s 6d, donation to ladies' committee (Blenheim) £l2 6s, sundry expenses £l3 4s sd, balance in hand £4 13s. Mr Smith also reminded those present that a dance would be held in the Town Hall on June Ist, the proceeds from which would be divided between the Y.M.C.A. and soldiers’ parcels funds. Among the commissions entrusted to the Marlborough Committee of Advice by the National Efficiency Board is the investigation of the conditions relating to the manufacture of cheese in this district. At a meeting held on Saturday (reports the "Express"), Mr J. S. Storey the chairman of the Pelorus Road Board, presented a partial report on the state of the industry in his part of Marlborough. This consisted of replies made by Mr C. Hart of Canvastown, to the categorical questions issued by the Efficiency Board. Mr Hart represented that the butter-fat levy had detrimentally affected the production of cheese. A number of suppliers to the Canvastown factory had withdrawn, and the consequent decrease in the output up to date was estimated at about five tons. Considerable feeling existed against the levy, which was regarded as a class tax and an undue interference with industry. Production could be increased by more extensive cultivation of the land, top-dressing with suitable manure, the introduction of bulls from tested strains, and the general adoption of herd testing. Mr Hart added that the quality of the dairy produce was satisfactory, and the Handling of the cheese for shipment w-as satisfactory, and could hardly be improved upon. Mr Storey said that several suppliers considered that more extended cool storage facilities would be highly advantageous. It was arranged to obtain reports from persons interested in other cheese factories.