NEWS IN BRIEF.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 565, 1 December 1915, Page 5

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Mr C. H. Opie, chairman of the Education Board, stated, at to-day's meeting, that he had arranged that either the chairman of the Wellington Education Board or some other member should represent the North Canterbury Board at the conference convened by tho New Zealand Ca-tholic Federation regarding the 'censorship of picture films.

Mr Herbert Brooks, who, with his wonderfully clever conjuring and steel trunk mystery, has been delighting hundreds of Chriatehurch folk at the Opera House lately, intends to visit Hanmer lat the end of the week. His object in I going is to give an entertainment to the I sick and wounded soldiers who are re- | gaining their health and strength at that resort. He will take his entire outfit with him, and will return to Christchurch on Tuesday of next week. A special committee of the Education Board, consisting of the chairman, Mr C. H. Opie, and Mr Boyd, reported today that they had investigated the matter of a site for a school at Diamond Harbour and recommended that an area of three acres be purchased. It was decided to approve of the recommendation, and to forward it to the Education Department, with an application for a grant. A county clerk is expected tp be a man of many parts. But a request that reached the clerk of the Mackenzie I County Council was surely somewhat outside the scope of what might be expected of him. In response to a demand for overdye rates, a ratepayer tendered him a Shorthorn bull for sale and returns, asking that" the rates ' should be deducted from the proceeds. None of the councillors present at the meeting (says the Timaru "Herald") offered to assist him. But he is anxious to J have a prospective buyer in view before the ratepayer makes delivery. Taking advantage of the wet v spell, which has caused a temporary stoppage of shearing operations, a big gang of Maori shearers rode into town on Tuesday with fine patriotic spirit to ascertain what arrangements could be made for them to go to the front after the shearing season (says the Gisborne " Times"). They appointed a spokesman to wait upon Lieutenant Moltzen, local area officer, and Sir James Carroll, both of whpm gave the Natives all possible information on the subject. Sir James stated that it was hoped ,to get about 1000 Maoris together in January with a view to their leaving for the front in March. Sir James added thathe was much gratified at ,the patriotic spirit exhibited by the Natives. '■ The spokesman directly represented about 200 young Natives eligible for the front.

At the Education Board meeting today, it was reported, that, the following county councils had given permission for children to collect seed on the roadsides:—Kowhai, Waipara, Ellesmere, Selwyn, Eyre, Springston, Oxford, Tawera, Waimairi, * Heathcote, Cheviot, Kaikoura, Akaroa, Darfield, Mount Herbert. In the caSe of Eangiora, the opinion had been expressed that it would be better for the local bodies to sell the right of cutting cocksfoot to those who are accustomed to that class of work, the local body to hand over the proceeds to the Patriotic Fund. The Spring County Council had stated that there would be practically no seed on the road this year, and it could, therefore, not see its way to accede to the request.

I At different times many queer places I have been devised for hiding money and other treasures, and in this connection a well-known Gisborne lady is relating a good story about herself (says the Gisborne "Times"). Last week, when about to leave her home to go to the carnival, she remembered that she had a good sum of money in the house, and, for safety's sake, popped the bank notes in the kitchen oven, as the most unlikely place in which a possible thief would look. The fire was out, of course. On returning home after the carnival the lady was horrified to find that her daughter, who had arrived home first', had, in ignorance of the precious contents of the oven, lit the fire. Prompt salvage operations resulted in muchcharred fragments of the notes being retrieved, and the lady is now wondering whether the banks would accept her little heap of ashes an.d / fragments in return for good money. It is stated that sufficient of the notes remain for identification purposes, and that'after certain formalities the banks will ''pay out." |

The first public intimation that the Allies had used gases on the west front was allowed by the censor in a recent German communique (wrote the London correspondent of the Sydney "Sun" early in October). One would think it would have been a more dignified course for the War Office to issue the truth to the people, but the authorities preferred the British public to learn the facts from the Germans. The communique used the words "intoxicating gases," which were obviously a mistranslation of "toxic gases"—that is, poisonous gases. The truth is that we used no poisonous gases. What we did was to precede our infantry attack with a light cloud of transparent vapour which led 'to prolonged, weakening weeping. The manoeuvre was successful. The gases were harmless. They merely disarmed the enemy by making him temporarily unable to do anything but weep out his strength in eopious tears. He could not see for weeping. He could scarcely stand for weeping. Tens of thousands of the flower of the Kaiser's army became as helpless as newborn babes. And they did not know what had assailed them.

Give your soldier friend a portrait of yourself. For naturalness and beauty, let Steffano Webb take it. .342

BEACH RACES. The "KING DICKS," "HARLEY DAVIDSONS," or "SINGER" Motor Cycles did not not compete iu the recent Brighton Beach Races, as Jones Bros, are not members of the newlyforined club. The "KING DICKS" were competitors in the OPEN SIDE-CAE CHAMPIONSHIPS, where they defeated all makes and powers in three successive trials, gaining FIRST HONOURS for both RELIABILITY and PETROL CONSUMPTION. . .TONES BROS, LIMITED, Agents, CLOCK TOWER. 8

, The Telegraph Department advises that, at 9 a.m. to-day, the Waimakariri North, Opihi, and Waitaki Rivers were clear, the Rangitata and Rakaia dirty, and the fWaimakariri South very dirty. A letter was received by th 6 N.C. Education Board from the secretary of the Educational Institute, asking permission to send out a circular to. school.committees in the board's name, embodying suggestions as to the best means .of raising school funds for the assistance of the various patriotic funds. The board approved of the proppsal.

A wounded English officer tells the following incident which occurred after the capture of the village of Loos by the British troops: —"I had picked my way among heaps of Gerjpan corffles, when I was arrested by : a voice which seemed familiar. A few yards to my right I observed one of our Red Cross doctors dressing the wounds of a German officer. ' Bad case, doctor I remarked casually; and immediately his patient; shouted: 'Hello, Willie!' I approached the wounded man, and to my astonishment, found he was a German cousin of mine. My German friend did not conceal his emotion, and I, too, was much affected by a meeting in such circumstances. 'You'll look after him well?' I said to the Red Cross man, and, bending down, I bade adieu to my German cousin. A few days after my arrival in London I received a letter from him. It was an unstinted tribute to the valour of the British troops in our great attack, and to their traditional sense of humanity. Of our soldiers he wrote in chivalrous terms: 'Tour men are not only soldiers, they are gentlemen, every inch of them.'"

Latercomera very nearly missed their passages to Lyttelton* by the Maori on Monday, says the " Dominion." Although the boat was advertised to sail at 8.45 p.m., the gangway was not dropped till 8.50 p.m. s Even then as many as eight persons came running down the Queen's Wharf with their bag and baggage. Five of them were soldiers. They were assisted aboard by willing hands, and their luggage tossed on after them. Two others, apparently a newly-married couple, were also among the late arrivals. The woman was in a, state of nervous excitement, and was quite willing to do anything anybody told her. Someone suggested a "jump for it," She did so, and was caught by passengers on. board, and hauled head first over the Maori's rail, much to the amusement of the crowd. The husband was left lamenting on the wharf, till a bystander said: "Have a go for it, old man," and he did so. Much to the amusement of the onlookers he was hauled on board, and several willing hands helped the quartermaster, purser, and other passengers to get their luggage there also.