CURRENT TOPICS.

Southland Times, Issue 16687, 16 March 1911, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

JIABBY a Its LIVE LONG. The ladies who have been advocating a tax on bachelors on the ground that non-marrying men should be penalised will be very much obliged to an eminent French physician. Dr Jacques Bertillon. for having discovered an almost invincible argument" in favour of marriage. It has long been a favourite theory with some of the faculty that married men live longer than bachelors. Dr Bertillon claims to have proved it to a demonstration, as far as carefully compiled statistics can prove anything. He has studied the records of the bachelors and benedicts in many lands, and he says that longevity and marriage are always associated. Other things being equal, the spinster and the bachelor hate no chance with the married man and woman lor a long life. Motherhood does not Interfere with this law. The life insurance companies could well afford to give a policy at half rates to the married man or woman as against the confirmed bachelor or spinster. If we may believe Dr Bertillon, the longevity of the married is thrice that of the single—a statement which makes us a trifle incredulous; but the lively Frenchman goes further, and says that widowers are subject to the same disability. The average widower of 40 will not live as long as he who marries again. The absolute dictum of statistics, he says, is the same as that of the Scriptures, that “it is not good for man to be alone.” These kinds of reasonings may not have very much cogency with the man who lays himself out for "a short life and a merry one,” but for the normal “mere man,” who wants to get his full and fair share out of the joys of living. Dr Bertlllon’s figures will be an Interesting study. BRITISH CHIME. Can a criminal be cured by coddling? This question is discussed in a recent English blue book, with the result that the writer comes to the conclusion that any display of sympathetic sentiment towards criminals means an Increase in crime. Since the beginning of the twentieth century crime has been greatly extending in Great Britain. From the middle of the last century up to 1882 there was an upward tendency in the number of criminal offences, and then, till the end of the century, there set in a diminishing rate. From 1900 to the present year the criminal statistics have been almost continuously expanding. It has puzzled all the students of criminology to say what can be the explanation of these fluctuations. Crime may be always said to dog the steps of poverty; and if poverty in an increased form were coincident with crime in its more intensified degree, then might this be said to be the explanation. But it is not so. The years from 1857 to ISS2—the period of criminal increase—were not at all a time of exceptional poverty. On the contrary, It was a generation of wonderful trade expansion. In the same way it cannot be said that the last eighteen years of the nineteenth century were marked by any especial diffusion of prosperity. The first ten years of the present century, so strongly and darkly marked with an excess of British crime, have not been more remarkable for the pinch of want than those which preceded. Therefore, though it is probably true that poverty and want and crime are inter-related, they do not explain the fluctuations in the British crime rate. WOEKEHS’ DWELLINGS. legulations under “The Workers’ Dwellings Act, 1910," are published in the New Zealand Gazette, and workers who desire to purchase or lease dwellings under this Act can now obtain particulars on application to the Advances to Workers office. Designs of dwellings, of which each bears a number, may be inspected at the nearest office of the Department of Labour, and [the Workers’ Dwellings Board will be prepared to consider any reasonable alteration of same to suit the requirements of applicant. “Worker" means every person, male or female, who is employed in work of any kind or in manual labour, whose earnings at the time of his application do not exceed ±175 per annum, and who is landless—meaning thereby that he is not. either by himself or jointly with any other person, the owner in fee-simple or the the tenant or occupier under a lease of any land in New Zealand. Printed forms of application are supplied, and jn the case of a renewable lease, a deposit of four weeks’ rent in advance is required. Applications to purchase must be accompanied with a deposit of ±lO. In connection with applications for weekly or monthly tenancy four weeks’ rent in advance is required to be paid. Applicants are required to state the particular locality in which they desire to have a dwelling erected, the approximate size of the section, the number of rooms required, number of the design selected, and any other particulars concerning land or dwelling that applicant desires to submit. Applicants have also to state whether they are over twenty-one years of age or pot, whether married or single, where employed,' rate of earnings at time of application, and the proposed occupants of worker’s dwelling, stating the ages and sexes of children. In disposing of applications for dwellings, applications to purchase shall in all cases be preferred to applications for lease or other tenancy: and the Board may give preference to those applicants who, in its opinion, are most in need of such dwellings. If tenders exceed flic estimated cost of dwellings, applicants may withdraw their applications, and are entitled to a refund of deposits in respect of purchase-money or rent. If for any other reason an application is withdrawn, an applicant is not entitled to a refund; but the Board may. If it thinks fit, refund the balance of such deposit after deducting an amount of not less than £1 for expenses. When a dwelling is being disposed of by way of purchase, the tenant occupying it will have the first option of entering into an agreement to purchase the dwelling. The Board will insure each dwelling to the maximum instilunce value, and the purchaser is required to pay the amount of the premiums to the Board. There are also several machinery clauses, as well us regulations in regard to keeping the dwellings in good order, repairs, and alteration.-. and it is also stipulated that any person appointed by the Board si,ali at all reasonable times be entitled to inspect any worker's dwelling.

Welcome rain yesterday brought to an end the most prolonged drought that Southland has ever suffered. Soon after one o’clock a light drizzle commenced to fall, with the wind in the south-east. Gentle showers fell throughout the afternoon, and at 5.30 a steady rain set in that would make glad the heart of the farmer and fill the tanks of suburbia. From the appearance of the sky the fall should be general, and as it continued steadily throughout the night Southland should receive the soaking it so much requires. The rain has come in time probably to rescue winter feed from failure, and, so far as the town is concerned, to allay fears for the health of the community, which must have suffered had rain held off much longer.

Public appreciation of the Southland representative cricket team’s achievement in bringing home the Hawke Cup will be shown to-day in the form of a reception to the team on its arrival by the afternoon express. Nelson Association has sent congratulations and challenged for next season.

For having played two-up in a railway carriage between Wairio and Invercargill on January 11 last, Michael Mulhare, John Maloney, John Graham, and James McMillan, alias John Watt, were at the Police Court yesterday each fined £1 with 2s costs.

The English and foreign mdils via Naples, despatched from Invercargill on 2nd February, and due in London on 11th March, arrived on the morning of the 12th inst.

In the course of his evidence at the nautical inquiry 6.t Bluff yesterday, Captain Finnis, of the s.s. Knight of the Garter, said that he had no hesitation in saying that it would be better for a signal station at Bluff to be placed at a lower level than the top of the present signal-hill, as the top of the hill was so frequently covered with a cloud-cap.

A lad named George Clark was charged at the Police Court yesterday with having carried firearms, he being under 16 years of age, and wac convicted and discharged. It e was mentioned that this was the first offence of the kind that had been brought before the Court in this district, and a lenient view was taken of the case by the presiding justices, Messrs W. N. Stirling and Wm. Smith.

At Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Arthur Gifford Isbister was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for cattle stealing.

Buyers of stock will note that a special train has been provided for the convenience of those who wish to attend the Birchwood stock sale on 22nd inst. The train leaves Invercargill at 6.25 a;rn., and on the return journey leaves Wairio at 7 p.m. The timetable for intermediate stations appears at the foot of the advertisement.

Mr R. Armiger, of Auckland, Grand Master of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, arrived in Invercargill by Tuesday night’s express. He visited Aparima Lodge, Otautau last evening, and will visit the Pioneer of Southland Lodge to-night. After the meeting he will be entertained at Millar’s tearopms. He leaves on Friday for Palmerston North to attend the biennial Grand Lodge session, which opens on Tuesday next. On Monday evening next he will open a lodge of the Order at Dannevirke, and at the conclusion of the session a Lodge will be opened at Wanganui. I.P.G.M. Bro. T. Crawley, and P.G.’s Bros. Jas. McLauchlan, G, T. Walker, and A. Blatch, representing the Southland district, will also be present at the session. At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs W. N. Stirling and Wm. Smith, J.p.’s, Elsie McHutcheson and Wm. Clements were each fined 5s and 7s costs for riding a bicycle on the footpath ; Herbert Pritchard and 1 ' James Watt were each fined £1 and 7s costs for a similar offence, and Hugh Brooks was convicted and discharged. James Souness and John Bell were each fined 10s with 7s costs for having unregistered dogs in their possession.

A good story is being told of the drought at Bluff, now happily broken up by last night’s steady rain. Several ladies were sitting on Invercargill railway station waiting for their trains. The talk turned on the shortage of water at Bluff, and one lady remarked that it was a very serious thing Indeed that there was no water for the steamers. “Good gracious.” explained an ingenuous old lady, “you don’t mean to say that the sea is drying up!” James Collins was fined 5s with 7s costs at the Police Court yesterday for having allowed a cow to wander in Grace street, South Invercargill, and for having allowed a horse to wander in Conon street J. R. Derbie was similarly treated.

Dr Henry at last night’s mission meeting: “Every time a drunkard lines up in front of an hotel bar, he is taking out a new ticket for hell.”

An Auckland telegram states that the Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister for Public Works, yesterday afternoon turned the first sod in connection with the drainage of the Rangitaiki and Tarawera swamps, legislation dealing with which was put through last session. The whole work is estimated to cost £50,000. The estimated expenditure on the two sub-divi-sions balances as nearly as possible, that for Tarawera being £23,100, and for Rangitaiki £26,000. The main work on the Tarawera river will cost £11,400, and the big outlett for the Rangitaiki river is estimated to cost £11,500. The work of cleaning out the old drains is now In progress, and machinery has been purchased for dredging the new cuts and will be erected almost immediately.

At the Henry - Farquhar Mission last night attention was drawn to the Pocket Testament League. A branch of this League was being established in Invercargill, the object being to get the members to carry a small Bible with them wherever they went, and to read a cert;,:n portion every day. There were over one million people doing that in the United States, 25,000 in Australia, and 20,000 in New Zealand. It was good for the members of the home, of Bible classes and Sunday schools.

A unique feature in connection with the Henry-Farquhar mission now being conducted in Invercargill is the meeting for farmers and country people to bo held in the Municipal Theatre next Saturday afternoon. In other centres these meetings are said to have been much appreciated and largely attended. Dr Henry will give an appropriate address, and Mr Farquhar will contribute solos. It is hoped that the country people will avail themselves of this opportunity to hear Dr Henry and Mr Farquhar. Mr Thomas Mackenzie informed a Dunedin “Star” representative that the tourist traffic this year had been a record everywhere. At the Christchurch office alone the Department sold £9OOO worth of tourist tickets, and had the necessary accommodation been forthcoming, double the number of tourists could have been taken to Mount Cook. The foundations of the Mount Cook Hermitage would be put in by day labour at a probable cost of £750. 'The new track over the Southern Alps is being pushed on, the men on both sides of the divide working on track formation. Mr G. S. Dyer, the American beet sugar expert, who has been engaged for twelve months by the Victorian Government to superintend the re-opening of the Maffra State factory, has arrived in Melbourne. Mr Dyer’s engagement is for a year, as lie says he must be back In America at the end of that term, MiDyer is to be paid £IOOO for his services by the Victorian Government. Work will probably start at the Maffra factory during the first few days in April. The Minister for Agriculture expects that about 10,000 tons of beet will be put through during the first trial season, expected to produce about 1000 tons of sugar.

A remarkable incident was witnessed in one of the New York thoroughfares one night last week (states a cable message in the Sydney Sun). A lady, Mrs Bragdon, was walking along the street, when she was suddenly and rather ferociously assailed by a largo dog. It was noticed that the brute centred it’s attention on Mrs Bragdon’s right hand, and it soon became evident that a purse which she was carrying was the object of Us attack. The animal finally gained possession of the purse, and then made off. The police thought they saw in the occurrence something more than was apparent to the superficial observer, and they accordingly set about Investigation. As a result of their enquiries they made the startling discovery that there was a gang of thieves in New York that actually trained dogs in the trick of pursesnatching, and that Mrs Bragdon’s loss was not the first of the kind that had oo">irred.

Owing to the fact that some persons have been shooting ducks In the Jacobs River Valley before the commencement of the season, the ranger is keeping a close watch on this part of the district, and is being aided by several honorary rangers.—Western Star.

An accident, which luckily had no serious results, occurred on Monday when Mr and Mrs P. O’Brien, of Wairio, were thrown from their gig opposite Strathmore. They were returning home from Otautau, when the horse shied, and backed suddenly, both occupants being thrown heavily to the ground. Both were rendered unconscious, but on first aid being rendered they soon recovered, suffering only from shock.

Mr J. C. Thomson. M.P., has received word that owing to the number of applications for Coronation subsidies having exceeded the amount set apart for the purpose, the maximum amount of subsidy had to be reduced to £250. In reply to their communication, therefore, the Riverton Athenaeum Committee has been offered £ for £ up to £250. The application made by the Orawia Committee for a subsidy of £IOO for a library to mark the Coronation of the King, has been agreed to.

In the course of his address on “Prison Life in New Zealand and Victoria” on Monday evening in Christchurch, the Rev. J. Wilson mentioned the kindness displayed by prisoners to each other. When he was imprisoned in the Addington Gaol he was unable to eat his breakfast, which consisted of bread and water. A prisoner who was doing hard labour for forgery noticed this, and said: “That’s the worst of being a first-class prisoner. They don’t feed you.” As he was doing hard labour he had porridge and milk for breakfast.

“It’s a bit hard to take at first,” he said; “here, change breakfasts with me,” and he insisted on Mr Wilson exchanging breakfasts with him.

According to the Wellington correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times,” the Public Works Department is not completely wedded to the policy of railway construction by co-operative work alone, as experience of the Westport-Inanga-hua railway has demonstrated. Tenders are now being invited for the construction of a number of short lengths of that new railway, and the deposits and other conditions have been specially designed to give working contractors a chance to tender. A batch of eight small contracts is in hand at prices which give satisfaction to the Government, and the work is being properly carried out. There has been a somewhat different experience on the Law-rence-Roxburgh line, where the Big Hill tunnel has to be constructed before the rails can be taken further. It was decided to do the work by contract, and tenders were received, but the prices quoted were so considerably in excess of the engineers’ estimates that the Public Works Department will do the tunnelling itself, all the tenders having been declined. The co-operative system of labour will be utilised, for it has been quite satisfactory in previous tunnel works.

On his return to Sydney from abroad a few' days ago the Hon. Dugald Thomson, a well-known Australian politician, related an incident that occurred in the Dominion Parliament House at Ottawa, where, he I’emarked, it might be expected that knowledge of the Empire should exist. “An intelligent, elderly attendant had shown me through,” Mr Thomson said. “He evidently concluded from some remarks of mine that I knew something of the inside of Parliaments. On my leaving he asked me, ‘Are you a member of the British Columbian Parliament?’ I replied, ‘No; I come from Australia. He became thoughtful, and at last said, doubtfully, ‘Australia; isn’t it under the United States flag?’ When I told him it was as much or more British than Canada, and about as large, he muttered, ‘Oh, I didn’t know. I thought it belonged to the United States.’ I retired crestfallen.”

A drastic measure to prevent the|marriage of the unfit is before the Legislature of Colorado (writes a San Francisco correspondent). It has the support of the four women members of the General Assembly. It provides that candidates for marriage must submit to physical and medical tests. It denies the right of marriage to persons afflicted with tuberculosis or other constitutional communicable diseases. Confirmed drunkards and users of drugs are also barred; so are people engaged in infamous callings. The Bill also proposes to prohibit the marriage of white people with Orientals. The same restriction is the subject of legislation submitted in the States of Washington and Nevada, California and some other Western States already prohibit Euro-Aslan marriages.

The Henry-Farquar missioners intend to leave no stone unturned to bring their object in visiting the town before the public. To-morrow evening it is proposed to have an open air demonstration, when, it is hoped, a large piOcession, headed by the Salvation Army Band, would leave the Theatre at seven o'clock and parade through Deveron, Yarrow, and Dee streets to the band rotunda, where a halt would be made and Mr Farquhar would sing. Short addresses would be given and the Theatre would again be reached in time for the evening service.

“Have you anything to say,” said Mr S. F. Edge, of London, to the World's Motor Manufacturers, "when I challenge any of you for a wager of £250 aside, to produce a car to match my G-cylinder Napier.” Mr Edge, who undoubtedly has done more for the Motor trade than any other human being, established a World’s Record, by driving one of his G-cylinder Napier cars ’5Bl miles in 24 hours, average speed of over 65 miles per hour, without stopping iiis engine. The s.s. Kaikoura arriving at Auckland in a few days, has on board to the order of Thomas Stone, the following Cars;— One 15-horse power noiseless Napier, for Mr Phil. Wright, of Dunedin; one 15-horse power noiseless Napier for Mrs Turnbull, of Lake Wanaka; and one 60-horse power 6-cylinder noiseless Napier, for Invercargill. Mr Lynch, of Balfour, has purchased from Thomas Stone, one of his recently imported 14/16 Darracq’s. Cars on order to land are De Dions, Napiers, Clement Bayards, and Darracqs, and the prices to be charged during 1911 will be within the reach of the man of moderate means. The cheapest place in Invercargill for Abingdon Kin:; Dick Motor Cycles; prices from £4B.—STONE'S MOTOR MART, Kelvin street. TEE SECRET OP SUCCESS. In business is to give everyone satisfaction. We have found that in order to be sure of doing so when selling Cycles it is necessary to sell only the best. The imported Cycle has been proved to be not nearly so reliable as those manufactured locally. This is due to the amount of boy and girl labour used in the construction of cycles at Home in order Co save a few shillings In cost of manufacture. We are building on the premises most of the Cycles we sell, and those built on our premises from ten to fifteen years ago are still running quite sound and good for years to come. With such examples to guide us, and also a very capable staff of cycle mechanics, we have the greatest confidence in pushing the Cycles we manufacture. We can build to your order for fro £9 ifls to £l6, and in every case a double purchase Is effected —namely, a cycle and satisfaction. WILSON. FRASER & CO., Dee Street. SYNOPSIS NEW ADVERTISEMENTS On Page I. Wanted —Baker. Strayed—A gelding. For Sale —An iron tank. Wanted —A washerwoman. Lost—Dollar piece, also 50-cent piece. Borough of Invercargill—Applications called for dustman. Lindsay & Co. give highest prices for pigs. On Page 4. Funeral of late Annie Courtis to-mor-row. The Douglas Motor Cycle : A little machine with a big reputation See Wilson, Fraser’s advt. On Page 6 Dr Henry’s Mission to-day. Fuller’s Pictures—Change to-night. Ironmongers’ Picnic on Wednesday. Hockey Association meets on March 30th. Last Gas Discount day to-day. N.Z. Railways— Special train to Tuatapere Bazaar. Southern F.C. meets to-morrow. On Page B. Todd & Co. sell Mr King's furniture and effects on 21st. Krmcial train re Birchwood Stock Sale.