NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13382, 3 April 1912, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"The Colonist" will not he published on Friday next (Good Friday), bufc will appear as usual on Saturday and Monday (Easter Monday). The" annual flower, fruit, and vegetable show of the Motuoka Valley Horticultural Society will bo hold on April Bth. The deg trials will commoner at 9 a.m. An application by Mr. J. I. r:n;es, on behalf of Ernest John Loveridge, of Thorpe, for a prospecting lic-'ii-,-> oier 100 acres*a-t the Baton was grained by Mr. J. S. Evans (Warden) at •»„ <,!uing of tho Warden's Court yesterday. At tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M., judgment, for plaintiff by default was given in the following oaso't: J. Holland and Co (Mr. J. P. Hayes) v. Hoiwy Homos, claim for £19 8s 4d, costs £1 10s 6d; Everett Bros (Mr. Wise) v. Alexander Cleveland Johnston, balance of costs 19s; Bislcy, Bros and Co (Mr. Foil) v. Josephine Torrill claim for £20 15s 4d, costs £2 Its. A large number of ease? were struck out. Mr 11. M Laing, of Christchurch, who has just returned from a visit to Norfolk Island, states that in an interview with a Press representative that the inhabitanti; on the island vrero divided into three communities. There... were the descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty, numbering about 700; m-embcrs of the Melanesian Mission and Solomon Islanders attached to the mission and members of tho staff appointed to the cable station. The different eommimities li?o in different parts of the island, and were isolated from one another. Mr Laing added that most of the residents -supported themselves on their own holdings and by iishing, and very little money passed. "Three Intending Excursionists" write pointing out that the Nelson-Mo- I tueka shipping arrangements for the Easter holidays make no provision for a return boat to Nelson on Friday night. They suggest that the Koi should' make a trip to and from Motueka on Friday, leaving Nelson in the morning and returning in the evening. uOn Saturday," the writers state, "aboat leaves at 9 a.m., when most people are at work. Why not a boat say at 8 or 9 p.-m. ? On Monday a sports meeting (annual) is being held at Motueka, and we have no boat to go to Motueka in or even return by at the- close of the holidays, tho Koi not leaving Motueka until 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Of "course we understand Motueka can only bo Avorked on high tide, but we think amore1 suitable timetable could have beem ar- j ranged. We do not think there would be any doubt, about frequent trips not paying as tennis or sports teams jvould visit Motueka with suitable boat service." A recent motor collision in Hawke's Bay is going to bo a pretty costly incident. Tho -cost of repairing the two cars is estimated at about £300. Extensive additions are to be made to the school for deaf mutes at Simmer, and the Cabinet has accepted a tender for about £3,000 worth, of new buildings, comprising a new wing containing class room accommodation and a hof-ni-tal. The State- of Michigan has just passed a new law making it a- felony punishable j,vith two years' hard labour for any woman to wear a. hatpin that is more than ten inches long. One day in tho British Museum a guide was recounting to a little knot of tourists tho glories of a battered centaur, .when a Chicago meat salesman broke the reverent hush wi.th the question: "Excuse mo, sir, but what would they feed a bloke like that on— ham and eggs or hay?"

Tho "Eketahuna Express" says:—lt is stated that three Wairarapa land speculators recently made £30,000 out of a deal in the Taupo district. A resident of Tinia.ru who was at the \Vainiut© races was given two wrong tickets through a. mistake on the part of the totalisator officials. Ho askod for tickets 'on number two, and was given tickets on number five-. Number five won, however, and the mistake netted the man £19 6s. The "New Zealand Times" says: We must havo some Government and the one wo have now cornea to us after the deliberate vote given by a. majority in the country and the Legislature. Whether the Government will "make good" remains to be seen. It is entitled to a trial at any rate. Even its most bitter opponents must admit that. On the other hand the. Opposition is not being extended this latitude for the best of all reasons—it was unable to induce the House to givo it an opportunity. Fven if Mr Ma-ssoy had been voted in by Messrs Witch, Payne and llobpttson one day lie would have been voted out again by the same combination on the next. Everybody knows that. So that as far as the state of parties is concerned the .Government as it stands is derived i'rom an ascertained majority.