NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 491, 6 September 1915, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A meeting was held at the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. of delegates from the Burgesses' Associations in the Heathcote County. It was resolved to combine and form the Heathcote County United Burgesses' Association, with the object of carrying out reforms and improvements in the district. After transacting a good deal of routine business, the meeting adjourned to September 13, when rules will be adopted and officers elected.

At the monthly meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association on Saturday it was decided to take advantage again of the offer of the Government to forward trial shipments of apples for sale in the English markets. • A special committee was set up to go into the whole matter of the conditions under which fruit is sold in local markets, and to consider whether anything can be done to improve the position. A Gore member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, now at GaUipoli, writes: —"Your last letter mentioned the censoring of our letters. I don't think that a great deal can have been cut out of mine. An Australian chaplain, who is acting as censor, told us about a certain letter, stating that when it reached him it contained a detailed account of our voyage from Alexandria to here, but which, when it left him for Australia, it read, 'Dear Aggie,—-Your loving Bill.' " The newly-formed branch of the Bed Cross at Waterton held its first meeting on Wednesday afternoon, when Mrs J. Watson presided over a large attendance of ladies. She expressed pleasure at seeing such a large attendance, and welcomed Mesdames K. Galbraith, W. K. Watson, and L. M. Esqague, who had attended to explain the. methods adopted in working the various branches. Mesdames Watson and Espague then went fully into the matter, and explained the working of the branches. The speakers were given a vote of thanks at the conclusion of their addresses. Mrs T. Williams was elected treasurer, and it was decided to ] meet each alternate Thursday for the receipt' and distribution of work. After Tea had been dispensed t>y the ladies present, the visitors returned to Ashburton. •

Writing to his sister from Gallipoli, a Gore soldier says:—"l think just at present I could put up with Southland mud on my boots.for all time if I could only get away from jhese flies. They are a regular pest here, and at meal times we all look like those little china figures that swing away for half an hour after being touched, only it is our hands more than our heads that we keep swinging. The theory is that if a bit of biscuit with marmalade on be swung to and fro the flies will not settle on it —at any rate not till the last moment, just as it disappears, when they always swoop down for a last taste. However, unless the movement is brisk, even this plan is of no use, as the brutes with their, little toes curled round a bit of orangejeel eat on contentedly and seem even to enjoy the ride. It is said that one becomes accustomed to anything, and probably before the summer is over we shall feel lonely if the day be windy and they are not about." At one time the lot of the visitor to Rotorua was made unpleasant by the rather shameless touting that was done by the Maori - guides, particularly among those about to visit the thermal suburb of Whakarewarewa (says the "Dominion"). This drawback was remedied by regulation about four years ago, since which visitors have been spared the importunities of the Natives. Still touting of another kind was permitted, which was considered to be detrimental to the beautiful Government health resort. This has been dealt with by the gazetting of the following, bylaw:—" No person shall tout in any public street, public or Government reserve, or public place, for boarders for any hotel or boardinghouse, or for passengers for, or for the hire of, any vehicle for transport of passengers." The latter part of the by-law evidently refers to the touting that has been customary on the part of rival coach and. motor companies in connection with the various trips.

The annual general meeting of the ChTistchurch Citizens' Association will be held in the association's office, His Majesty'B Theatre Buiudings, to-mor-row, at 8 p.m.

Messrs Kinsey and Co., the local agents of the Huddart-Parker Line, advise that the company will issue return tickets at single rates from any port to Wellington to the fathers, mothers, or, failing them, next of kin of returning wounded soldiers, on production of a certificate from the Defence Department.

Probate of the will of Bobert Boyd (Mr Wilding) was granted by ; his Honour Mr Justice Chapman in Chambers this morning. A motion for an order granting letters of administration in re Edward Mcintosh; Stewart (Mr Wright) was granted by his Honour Mr Justice Denhiston in Chambers on Friday last.

The members of the local Y.W.C.A. have just succeeded in raising the sum of £6O towards their, Foreign Work Department, a jumble sale held on Saturday realising the last £ls of this amount. The moneys raised are forwarded to India and China to help to finance the work that is being done in these countries.

"The beer at Home," said Mr E. P. Hudson in the House of Representatives, "is a good, sound drink. I can't say the same for the beer here. It is rather an intoxicant. I would like to see a lighter, sound, good beer, which could be taken in moderation without injuring the health, and for that reason I approve of the principle in the Budget if it can be carried out successfully. Any- f thing that would help to make a drink* like beer more wholesome and less injurious than at present would tend towards temperance, and towards the reduction of criminality in any country.'' It was well known, he said, that the drinks of some countries were less injurious than the drinks of others, and he put it down partly,to such beers being pure, and partly t;o their t>eing a thirst quencher. ' *"

Mr Justice Hosking had before him at Wellington recently a petition on behalf of a young man of 19 years who desired to marry, but was ,unable to obtain the consent of his mother. The application was made under a section of the Marriage Act, which provides that in case any father or mother whose consent is necessary to the marriage of a minor unreasonably withholds consent to a proper marriage, a Judge of the Supreme Court may make a judicial declaration as to the propriety of the marriage. When the present application was previously before the court, it appeared that a copy of all.proceedings had been served upon the mother of the would-be bridegroom, but his Honour adjourned the hearing in order that the Registrar might ascertain by telegraph whether the mother had any other objection, than that of age. A regly was received in the negative, and as the young lady was of age and the petitioner was able to satisfy the court of his ability to support a wife, his Honour gave, the required consent, and expressed his hope that the bridegroom would never have cause to regret this exercise of the court's discretion. '' Here we are, looking out on the beautiful iEgean Sea with six steam trawlers and eight destroyers for our daily companions," wrote the late Col. Arthur Bauchop from Gallipoli recently. "The latter have to be constantly on the move (for fear of submarines) night and day. They help lis, wonderfully, and come in to within 600 yards of us to ask where we want the shells placed. We can't decide whether they own us, or vice versa; good spirit on both sides. I had a trip in the Pincher, destroyer, the other day to Helles, and saw their show there. I. was not impressed a bit. They have yet to seize, Achi Baba, and there is another problem after, begore they dominate the Narrows. I saw the plains of Troy across on the Asiatic shore, from where they were pelting us with a 4.7 in gun. I prefer our wicket, up here—in spite of the wary sniper, who ceaseth not day or night. Yesterday General Birdwood came into our camp with his chief of staff (Andrew Skean), who was at Camberley. Andrew told me he had called the ridge (up which we will trip off on a fine mission some morning) Bauchop ridge on the map. It will figure (I think) in" New Zealand as a historical locality. Up through the Cyclades, into these Grecian Islands, with all the glamour of Homer's Odyssey, .the reality is far more beautiful. The countryside is covered with poppies and flowers of all sorts and colours. The thyme crushes under our feet." c

The Auckland "Star" says that a resident of Manurewa wrote to the High Commissioner in London offering to "assist or pay the passage money of one or two young or middle-aged Belgian farmers. To this resident's letter the High Commissioner has just replied as follows:—"In reply I would state that I have on one or two occasions recently approached the Belgian Government with a view to getting their sanction to send Belgian children and grown-ups to New Zealand, with a view to bettering their conditions. In reply, however, his Excellency the Belgian Minister states that, in the view of the Belgian Government, it is unwise to encourage such a procedure, _as, at the conclusion' of- the war, owing to the enormous wastage of human life in Flanders,' every able-bodied man, woman, and child will be wanted to repopulate the country. Under the circumstances," therefore, I can scarcely put your request before the authorities."