THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1911. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13032, 16 February 1911, Page 2

THE COLONIST. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1911. NEWS OF THE DAY.

The water in the dam yesterday was eleven feet seven inches below the crest of the weir, beiiT- about eight feet above the level of the intake, which means that the reserve of water is about sufficient for two days' supply. During the previous night the water in, the dam rose four inches only, in spite of the fact that the hours for watering with the hose had bftCMi reduced the previous day from four to two hours. As stated in yesterday's issue the use of the hose was further restricted to one hour a. day. in the mornings only, between G and 7 o'clock. If the dry weather continuas the use of the hose will be prohibited altogether. The work of installing the pumping plant at the Maitai river was completed yesterday by the Council staff, and water was supplied to the carts for street watering purposes and to the Queen's Gardens". The rivers in the country districts are very low, and .the Wai-iti is reported to be qu^ dry. Tenders have been accepted by Cabinet for th-e erection of bridges over the Brown rivr,r and liai river, between Nelson and Blenheim. A craze for collecting mementoes seems to come upon some people with irresistible force, says the- "Auckland Star," and particularly is this noticeablo when they go down to sliips. For instance, in the ea-set of a fine .steamer which visited Auckland lately, it is reported that no fewer tha.n fifty spoons disappeared —as mementoes. On the Atua, which acted as flagship on Ragatta Day, tho memento fiend was again at large. One lady requested a steward to allow >her to take away a silver spoon, "just as a memento." Naturally her request was refused, but a spoon cisappeared all the same. This is not an Isolated oase, as the following account, which was presented to the Anniversary Regatta Committee at its last moating, indicates: Two tea' spoons, 4s 6d; three egg spoons, os Cd; one salt snoon, Is lOd; one dessert fork, 4s Id ; total 15s lid. The committee cheerfully decided to pay the account, recognising that in a way it was responsible for its guests' behaviour. The woman of pioneer type who could swing an axe or handle a shovel, as well as preside in the region of domestic affairs, is not so common as she used to be, but she is not yet extinct, says "The Dominion." A local resident who strolled through a settlement- mot far from Wellington, the other day, ob&ervcid the wife; of a settler ably assisting her husband in a bit of pick and shovel work. The task in hand was that ,of "trenching" the section. While her husband laboured at the bottom of a trench, the woman cast the spoil over a distance of about c<ight feet. She had perfect command of her shovel, according to the observant nasser-by, and appeared to rather like the exercise than otherwise. Further on-, the traveller came across a couple of women energetically employed in grubbing gorso. It is said that poets are born, hot made. There are many budding poets in the Dominion, who only require, as the waiters in the United States say, a "little encouragement" ole velop their latent talents. Byron sends us a poem, from which we quote two verses. The poem extols Lock's Great Furnishing Emporium, which undoubtedly is the cheapest a«d best place to purchase furniture and furnishings. Lock continues to give Ijig bargains. ' '•'•lf ta-iUes and .chairs you are lacking, If a range o> sfeye j'au de.sjre, Look's will-chosen stock's a£ your service, He has always the thing you require ; If a sewing machine's your ambition, fl!hs Atlas is just what you need, And yoa-ll find the old proverb is truthful, For Lock's is a friendship indeed. "You may journey to Sydney or London, To Melbourne, Chicago, or Cork, You maysransack the houses in Paris, Or the marts of Berlin and New Yflrk • But you W6»'fc furnish, better or cheaper, Nor find any liouse that can shine With William Lock's Warehouse jn Bridge street— .He's £he ging in the Furniture Line."