NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 49, 3 April 1914, Page 10

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A special article, "Touting the Trainer"—of great interest to the many who follow "the sport of kings"—an article on the totalisator in Australia, a budget of bright notes on American boxing from THE SUN'S San Francisco correspondent, and interesting notes on amateur athletics, with special reference to the judging at recent meetings in Christchurch, are among the principal features of to-day's sporting review, which will be found on pages two and three. To-day's river report states that all the rivers in the district are clear. Arrangements have, been made to open the new Blighs's Road school on Thursday, April 16. A Press Association cablegram states that the Williamson management intends to erect a new theatre in Sydney at a cost of £IOO,OOO. The St Patrick's Day concert resulted in a net profit of £llO 8/6, which sum will be handed to the Nursing Sisters in aid of their hospital in Bealey Avenue. A meeting of the Social-Democratic Party will be held on Saturday evening when the matter of appointing a candidate for the Mayoralty will be fully gone into, and some definite action decided on. A meeting of the National Peace Council was held last evening, Mr West in the chair. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald wrote thanking the council for information supplied. The Australian | Freedom League wrote stating that the compulsory parades were attended by only about 30 per cent of those liable, and that the cadets' discipline was not good. At the Lyttelton Seamen's Institute last night, a party of Christchurch artists, known as the "Barnstormers," gave an enjoyable entertainment to a large audience of seamen. Refreshments were provided by the ladies. This evening some limelight views will be shown at the Institute. The usual monthly meeting of the Addington Band of Hope Society was held last Tuesday evening, before a fairly large audience. Mr Hassell gave a very interesting address, and items were contributed by Mr Smith and family, Misses Driver, M'Caffery, J. and M. Hulbert, N. Coventry, and Master Clifford Scott. Several pledges were taken. The closing day of t he Canterbury Rowing Club's" season is to-morrow, when the finals of the Thomas T?airs and the Youths' Single Sculls will be rowed, and there will also be Scratch Fours, open to all members of the club. Afternoon tea is to be provided by tlfe president (Mr F. I. Cowlishaw), and it is hoped that a full muster of the v club's supporters will be present. Under the Judicature Amendment Act, passed last session, the Court of Appeal was divided into two divisions, the members of which are to be appointed by the Govern or-in-Council, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice and two other Judges of the Supreme Court. The selection has been made in due course, and will be gazetted shortly. The First Division will sit at Wellington on April 6, and the Second Division in June. The formal opening of the St Martins tramway will take place tomorrow afternoon. Special cars will 'leave the Square at 2.45 p.m. The opening speech will be made at Piper's by Mr J. A. Flesher, chairman of the Tramway Board, and the ribbon will be cut by Mrs J. Longton. Other speeches will be made at the terminus, i and the invited guests will be entertained at afternoon tea at the residence of the Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.C. As an indication of the sort of competition that nurserymen have to contend with, it was mentioned, in the course of evidence given before the Arbitration Court at Auckland, that half a million fruit trees were imported into New Zealand -from Australia last year. There is no duty on these importations. The bulk of the trees go to Nelson, and that supply constitutes competition with trade that would otherwise be largely supplied from i Auckland. <■ i To-inorrow afternoon a game of cricket will be played on Lancaster Park between teams representing ChristI church electricians and the Christchurch Gas Company. The teams are: ! —Gas Company —R. L. Bush, T. Newburgh, H. Wilson, W. E. Rogers, J. Smith, F. Callon, W. Grey, E. Stonyer, [ E. Kibblewhite, E. R. Rogers, W. Tolcher. Electricians—C. A. Seager, C. S. Thompson, W. Skeltou, A. Broolner, C. Woolston, S. Toomey, J. Roberts, B. Mason, L. Homersham, W. Jack, W. Brosnan, M'Connell. The Post Office advises that the following hours will be observed during the Easter holidays: —Good Friday, April 10: All post offices will be closed in all branches, mails for despatch will close at 6.30 a.m. Easter Monday, April 13: All post offices will be open in all branches, except the money-order and savings bank, from 9 to 10 a.m., and the usual despatch of mails will be made up to 9.30 a.m. A delivery of correspondence usually delivered by lettercarriers will be made over the counter of the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, between 7.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. on Thursday, April 9. There will be no delivery by l<?Mer-carriers on Easter Monday, April 13, but a delivery of correspondence usually delivered by lettercarriers will be made over the counter of the Chief Post Office between 9 and 10 a.m. ■ Complete deliveries by lettercarriers will be made on the afternoon of Saturday, April 11. A circular letter has been issued by Archdeacon Harper, of Wellington, who is acting as general secretary for the Marsden Centenary celebrations, giving particulars of the proposals. It has been decided that the* occasion shall be marked by a provincial memorial (province meaning in this case the whole of New Zealand and Melanesia) and by diocese celebrations. A sum is to be raised throughout the province, of which £20,000 will be applied to the furtherance of religious education, as may be directed by diocesan authorities. Any further sum collected will be applied to each diocese as an endowment for augmenting the stipends of clergy. The Rev. P. W. Clarlcson has been appointed organising secretary for the whole fund, and it is hoped that not less than £50,000 will be raised. The Wellington diocesan celebration will take the form chiefly of a missionary exhibition, to be held in Wellington next February. Other dioceses have agreed to further this exhibition by takiug courts. There will be in all fifteen courts. Of these five (Melanesia, Maori, China, Japan, and Africa) are taken up by other dioceses. Men who go down to the sea in ships are not always ill-furnished w-ith goods and chattels (savs the "Dominion"). So much at least was indicated by the

members of a deputation from the Seamen's Union which conferred with the Minister of Marine. It was stated, incidentally, that a seaman's effects were frequently valued at as-much as £SO. When a seaman was not married he naturally carried all that he owned about with him. If he did not possess a chest, he would probably have a large and well-stocked bag. When a chest was carried, it was often in itself an asset of value, some seamen being furnished with chests of cedar wood, or of '' camphor wood from China.'' Such chests were worth £3 or £4. Another fact mentioned was that it was not unusual for a seaman to carry with him five or six suits of clothes. A cash purchase association has been formed by the Wellington section of the Public Service Association, and the books for sale in connection with it are now available to all members. The charge for a book is 1/- per annum, and for a family ticket 1/3 per annum. The discounts, which are given by many of the best tradespeople in Wellington, are exceedingly liberal, and range from 5 per cent, to 15 per cent. In respect to dentistry, 20 per cent, is allowed, while one of the biggest photographers is allowing 25 per cent. The scheme is being taken up enthusiastically in the service, says the Times.'' At the quarterly meeting of the Sydenham Methodist Church last night, it was reported that the membership roll showed a slight decrease, through deaths and removals. The Sunday School was progressing satisfactorily, as also were the senior and junior endeavour societies, and the necessary guarantee fund for obtaining the services of a deaconess had been obtained. The financial statement disclosed that the debit balance had been reduced to £l4 9/2. It was arranged to hold the church anniversary on May 24, and the foreign missions meeting on or about April 26. Messrs Dobbs and Sharp were appointed a visiting committee for next quarter. The next quarterly meeting was fixed for July 9. A harbour fatality was narrowly averted in Wellington on Wednesday evening. As the turbine ferry steamer Wahine was drawing of her berth, a launch endeavoured to cut across her bows. Fortunately for the occupants, the launch just managed to do it, with about a foot to spare. The Wahine was in an extremely difficult position for manoeuvring, for if she had been ordered suddenly astern she would have crashed into the Athenic. This is not the first time that an incident of this description has happened, says the "-Times," and it is held that some regulation is urgently required to keep irresponsible individuals in command- of small harbour boats from harassing the masters of ocean-going vessels. A mountaineering party which left Rangataua on Saturday morning last to climb Ruapehu, had a narrow escape. The ascent was successfully"accomplished on Sunday morning, and thq party commenced to descend the Mangahuehue icefield. Mr Sanderson had tpboganned halfway down the icefield when he lost his pick, and commenced to roll down the slope. It appeared that he would be dashed to death on the rocks below, and was saved from a terrible fate by the plucky action of Mr Bryant, who advanced on to the icefield, and braced himself, so as to take the shock of Mr Sanderson's rolling body. Mr Bryant's action was effective, and Mr Sanderson escaped with a few bruises. '' Metal workers,'' said a Wellington ironmaster to a reporter,- "is a name that has been created probably by the union secretary. The men effected, who are now to get 9/4 a day of eight hours, are labourers. These men, who number about 40 all told in Wellington, now get more than building trade labourers, who have to take risks with the weather. The result of -these pin-prick rises at a time when work is scarce, and the iron trade is by no means bright, tends to drive work out of the Dominion altogether. Now that there are cheap cablegrams people wanting certain classes of work can cable Home and get it out in about eight weeks, and for less than we can possibly do it here owing to the lower scale of wages obtaining in the Old Country." In connection with the Union Co.'s decision to maintain a bi-monthly cargo service between Australasia and Pacific Coast ports of North America, it is interesting to note,, as recently pointed out by Mr C. Holdsworth in Sydney, says the "Post," that, the Union Company has been associated with ' the trans-Pacific trade for about 30 years. In the first place, there was the San Francisco service, from which the company was forced to withdraw when the Hawaiian Islands were annexed . by America, and the trade thence to San Francisco was restricted to Americanowned vessels. The Union Company then bought into the Vancouver trade, and has develoj)ed this from a very small beginning to the substantial line that is now operating. Some four years ago, anticipating that America must reduce its tariff, the company reentered the San Francisco trade by another route, namely, from Sydney, via Wellington, Rarotonga, and Tahiti. The two lines to Vancouver anfl San Francisco now furnish practically a. fortnightly connection with the American Continent.