NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13754, 20 June 1913, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

An Invercargill telegram states that a branch of the Civil Service Association was formed there yesterday. The meeting was attended by about forty ciyil servants, and officers and a committee were appointed, who will submit rules to a later meeting.

The Union Company has decided to enter the recently-acquired vessels or tho Grange fleet in the Australian-New Zealand-Pacific slope trade, owing to tho greatly increased demand for refrigerating space. The vessels aro the Limerick, Roscommon, Tyrone and W.estmeath. The date of the starting of the augmented . service is not yet decided.

. It is stated that tho Government has bought tho estate of Mr Matthew Honry, at Waitoa, near "Morrinsville, containing an area of between 1400 and 1500 acres of land. It is anticipated that the estate will cut up into fourteen dairy farms.

..; Shortly before his retirement from the post of. Secretary of Agriculture for the United States, Mr Jam«s Wilson issued an edict stringently amending, %b& regulations regarding the ipanufactui-e of sausages. The most serious restrictions are those against the incbrporatiori of more tlian 2 per cent, of ccreials, or 3 per cent, of water, which is not to bo added at all except for the facilitating of grinding and mixing. The meat packers object, declaring that the restrictions will add materially to the price of sausages, and that their use is wholesome. Further, they deny, the authority of tho Government to enforce the edict, and, as the new Secretary lias declined ■io rescind it,' a ■ test • case j -will, probably' be tried in the Federal j courts. : ' ;.■■., ■'■■~ ■ . :; ' ■■• ', '' "■'■■■

The St John's Church 'sale of work in aid of a. fund or painting the church building was continued last evening.' There was a good attendance. The re*sult of the sales from the stalls during the two days is that a large sum will be available.

The Wakatu Cribbage Association's combined ladies 1 and gentlemen's euchre'party and social will bo lield this evening in the Oddfellows' Hall.

Messrs. Tasker and Levien landed a cargo of prime bullocks yesterday from the North Island. The consignment, which was brought over by the Waverley, is for Mr. Ernest Trask. Valuos for prim© stock are at present higher than they have been for many years.

New and handsome brick premises are to be erected at Masterton for the Bank of Now Zealand and the Union Bank of Australia.

The North Otago Jockey Club's winter meeting returned a profit "of £700.

A casein factory is to be erected immediately at Terapa, three miles from Hamilton, by tho New Zealand Dairy Association.

An interesting pice© of ship surgery had. been carried to the Aberdeen liner Miitiados, which arrived in Sydney-last week from London-. During her stay on tho Clyde*, the Miltiades, like her sister ship the Marathon, was lengthened 50 feet. She was cut in twain, the two parts drawn apart, and a new section added. Not the least not-able result of this lengthening process is that, although there has been no alteration in the propelling machinery, the vessel has an increased speed, and, further, 'now draws slightly less wator than she did in her original form.

Many of the German schools aro giving instruction to boys as well as to girls in c&oking,: mending, laundrywork and other useful domestic accomplishments. Tho lads are taught these tilings so that they may make better husbands.

A representative mooting of dairymen at Palrnc-rston North resolved yestsrday:—''That in- view of ' the very unsatisfactory results regarding the handling and marketing of dairy pro-duce-thro ugh London, this meeting recommends dairy factories to utilise the proposed Bristol and Dominion Producers' Association for receiving and marketing produce in England on the lines suggested, and give it our practical 'support by each individual factory taking a few shares in tho association." Some of the Rev"C. H. Spurgeon's estimates of men wore very pithy. Of one minister, a great platform speaker, ho said, "He is a wonder of glibness, but, aks! ho talks without thinking deeply. His. cranium is .left a long way behind by his jaw." Of another very pugnaciious preacher "He rights like an Eli2iabethan admiral, and opens out gun after gun. How can he expect to be • popular? But he's a line fellow!"; Of another, indolent and easy-going: "Ho has talent, but is go indulgent that lie would engineer a chandler's shop into bankruptcy." Among the interesting features of the latest number of "Evervlady's Journal" are several articles showing how an increased cost of living may bo offset by more economical methods onj tho part of housewives;, a beautifully] illustrated nature story by Charles | Barrett; the continuation of a story j describing the adventures of a young Australian girl in society; and a further instalment of the fascinating serial] by Mrs Humphry Ward—"Tho Mating j oi Lydia"—which is declared by many; critics to bo tho finest story , she has j written in recent years. Rounded cutj with a big collection of fashions, sev-j oral free patterns, and the usual house-j hold departments, tho Juno number of i "Everylady's Journal" appears to be exceptionally good value for sisponce. A largely attended moating of the Cojnmitteo of tho Nelson' Poultry Association was hex! at Mercer's.room on Wednesday evening, when several maf>ters in connection with the forthcoming show were discussed and arrangements forwarded. The indications aro that this year's show will bo a highly successful one. Entries aro already coming^ to hand, and judging by tho inquiries" from fanciers in other districts there will be a large frunibor of outside exhibits. ■ The local association being affiliated to the New Zoaland Championship Association, three delegates were appointed to attend tho mooting to be held during tho Wellington show early next month. Votes of sympathy were passed with tho president of the association (Mr. H. Baigont) and Mr. W. Coleman (a vide-president), both of whom have been seriously' ill, but aro now well on the way to recovery. - Fern-poisoning is almost-unknown.in this district, although it is fairly prevalent in other parts of tho Dominion, but two cases have occurred recently, an© at Takaka and tbe other at Poko-. roro, which should proved/a warning to farmers to keep*' their cattle oft' young fern. MF. Alfred Cotton, of Uruwhenua, had tho misfortune last week to lose scvon head of two year old heifers and there being some doubt as to the ■cause of death," the services of Mr. C. C. Empson, Government stock inspector, were requisitioned, and lie made a post mortem examination of on© of tho beasts, and found that it had died from fern poisoning. Tho cattle/ had been grazing ■upon some recently broken" up land'on which fern was shooting, and it was not know that there was any risk as the boasts apparently relished this particular kind of pasture. Tho same week Mr. Boyos, of Pokororo, had a similar experience, losing nine head of cattle from the same cause. Apparently tho young fern does not affect tho animals to any groat extent when thero is plenty of grass about, but after a dry season when feed is scarce they take to the fern very .readily. Tho juice breaks down the" blood vessels and allows clots of blood, to form in the intestines. At first there is only a slight discoloration in tho excrement, but it gradually ! increases until before death the ani- ! mals pass blood only. It soerns also to have the effect of an irritant poison, softening the coating of tho stom- ' ach until it can bo torn away in shreds. In the case of tho animal examined at Ilruwhenua tho intestines were found full of blood, while tiio heart and art- : erics wore'empty. Owiny to tho peculiarity of the case, Mr. Clayton, the Go- ; vernmont veterinary surgeon, paid a ; visit to Takaka and Pokororo, and ho . confirmed Mr. Empson's opinion as.to ■ tho cause of death, . t