NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13825, 24 September 1913, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tho.Nelson branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants holds an important meeting on Friday night. .Auckland's long-projected canal -sch'oirie ■ between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours will probably be advanced a stage on October 7, when a representative conference of, the local bodies interested is: to be held. The Auckland Harbour Board is at present investigating the merits of various suggested routes. While in Napier the, cither daj' Mr Shepherd, chief electrical exjsert to the Underwriters' Association, investigated ihe recent mysterious fire in -the Masonic Hotel Sample rooms, jHer^chell sireet, ; and made % "remarkable dis^' ■ra>ver.y. v An earth-wire from tW newly-ibstalled cSectrioal! ' fisrataway service at the New Zealand Insurance Company corner had burned through, and the current ascended a telephone post and travelled along the telephone wires for some hundreds of into I3b«> .sample rooms in the neighbouring street. There it burned through a compo gaspipe, lighted the gas, which was thus permitted to escape, and set the place on fire: Steps were taken to prevent any further trouble' of the kind. "The continued expansion of ■ our meat trade may be judged from the fact that during the past year the number of cattle, Sheep, and lambs slaughtered under inspection was j 419,912: this notwithstanding a temporary disorganisation of the work of slaughtering in one- or two districts, on account of labour difficulties. It is plcahing to know in connection with the moat exported to the London market that, according to the New Zealand Government Vetorimiry In--.rnttor in London, the oondomnat.on£ l>y the Home authorities .we bee<« icithor l.aige noi numerous, a»'il tlint in. no instance was t!ie inspection Jn >f<Mv" Zealand considejed to bo at fault,'' says tlio report of tho Secre:iry of Agriculture. "The City of Sunshine," as Nelson a often styled. i« becoming widely mown throughout 'the'? Dominion, not >nly through its climate, the proposed iolar physics observatory, and the Caw;hron Park, but also ite educational nstitutions which hoid^ their own with' ;he best; The city also has anattra©;ive and permanent exhibition in jock's extensive furarfcure emporium. Phis is an up-to-date establishment, laving over 13,000 feet of floor space. 3ome builders by purchasing their foods at Lock's can save money beside® laving a very wide range of.goods to lelct from. The furnishing ofthe home s an important matter, especially when tom are embarking on it-for the'first ime. There are many details to be :onsidered. and the money question >ften dominates everything. The furni;ure must be good and reliable, and it mist afford the; utmost possible value o" the money soent. Lock's cash )rice»» are absolut<>lv the lowest —you ;an obtain everything required for tire nhoft. and tbe firm guarantees satis-1 'action. '■~•■•

A largely attended meeting of the Nolson' branch of • tho New Zealand -'Freedom League was held last night. An address was delivered by a visiting member, and it , was listened to, with interest; hy' ' .the eighty-five "members present. The iaoxfc . meeting will be' held in the League's new hall, which will be mado attractive. Thei date" of the meeting will be advertised. At a sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Messrs. G. M. Rout and E. Smallbono, Justices, judgment for the full amount claimed, with costs, was given in the case H. S. Tunnieliffe (Mr. Hayes) v. Brenda Graves, -with costs 23s 6d. Several other cases were either struck out or adr journed. ■ "... ■. > Butter buyers . have been fairly numerous in the Wanganui and Taranaki districts, but most of the factories axe holding out for Is per Ib. * for the season's output. One large Taranaki factory is reported to have sold at llfd, under special condi-i tions. , . ' lloads to any country are a great I asset, and Victoria means to'be in the front with good roads. Country road j boards have been formed, and these bodies have taken over from the municipal councils the main through or development roads. This means that the most important roads of the colony are kept in a uniform condition. Experts are employed in their construction or repair, and, besides competent engineers, a chemist is employed. 0 ■.»>* p .--(-M. ,4 • *..<%•*.* -a:«gl' ! Kiafc'--&ggß9 The destvuetor1 is proving to be one of the best ventures ever undertaken by the Napier Borough Council. For many months past all the rubbish, about 8 tons per day, has been destroyed, and the boiler has provided full pressure for the steam engine which has been working a portion of the sewerage plant. The work done by the destructor has exceeded expectations, and it is likely to prove one of the borough's best assets. —"Herald." : "'Although the actual amount paid by an outside investor for the 25 per cent, share of the proceeds of the Auckland Exhibition side-shows which was to accrue to the Exhibition Executive has not been made known, it is understood, r says the "Star,>r that a sum of £1000 has been deposited with the commissioners, and that the balance (a matter of some thousands) is to be paid over before the opening of the carnival in the beginning of December, Some excitement was caused at Gisborne the other evening by a motorcar laden with passengers and luggage for the outgoing steamer catching fire. The car was speeding along with a trail of fire behind it, and it was not until the attention of the driver had been drawn to the occurrence that it was pulled up. The passengers, who were somewhat alarmed, alighted.- Fortunately help was at hand to suppress the flame®, but some of the luggase was damaged. Although it was not a pleasant day lor visitors, those who visited Whakarewarewa on Sunday were treated to a fine display by the Cauldron, winch shot to a great height.,. The water 4is stated to "have come up to the -seats' and flowed down the steps towards the river. The Cauldron remained active for about. 30 minutes, after which Pohutu shot to a height of over 100 feet for 20 minutes. The Prince of Wales' Feathers was also a-ctive. Pohutu played again on Monday morning and gave a fine display. It is interesting to note (says thb "Star") in view of tho proposal to ra-isp. the tariff of the Auckland Hospital from 4s 8d to 9s a day, that the House Manager, in reporting -to /the Hospital Board, stated that the cost per patient at the hospital for the last five months had averaged 5s 2dper day. . ■". V ':: ■• V . • -V;. - _■ " For some reason or. another (states the Waitara "Mail") there seems to be a larger quantity of, drifting sand along the sea-Coast of this part, of -tho North Island than has , Jbeen before known. In all probability' the quantity has been gradually increasing for years, sjiice, iff fact, the bush has been cleared from the banks of the streams. Previously the sand was held up by the scrub, but now it is carried freely into the streams, and from Foxton tipwards one hears the cry of shallowing rivers and bars. The trouble is also being exporionocd in a marked manner at the New Plymouth breakwater. Aftor giving the statutory half-holi-day a brief trial over the winter .months, many Invercargill business men are reverting to the old practice of closing on Wednesday says a correspondent of the 'Dune-din "Star". •■ It >wa-s>,felb at the- time.that general uniformity would eventually be arriveo at. and that before long the great body of tradespeople would fall into line and close on Saturday. This expected uniformity did not materialise, and the result was that, while many offices released their employees on Saturday, the retail businesses remained open. The moral >.-to, be drawn from the experiment, is clear in a towri'/Of limited such as , Jnvereargill; two . half-rholida'ys fW business' people are unworkable. '" ■-.', In the recent .fire at Manama, states a correspondent of the Pelorus "Guardian," Jfoud reports by the explosion of cartridges awakened the neighbours, who immediately came to render assistance. An effort was made to divert the fire from the. main portion, but so rapidly did the flames spread that their effort's were • useless. Amongst the few personal effects saved was the Marlborough' Challenge Shield, but Mr Masefield'is a heavy loser. ■He was a very" keen shot, and few young men have such a collection of trophies and stag-heads. Of fhe latter only oue out of seven was'saved. Mrs Masefield narrowly' escaped being entrapped in the burning building., for,, as she .stepped out the roof -felli'ii. The Auckland Exhibition buildings are.so far advanced that it is certain they will be completed and ready for all exhibitors to start- structural work on October 6th and for the receipt of uoods for exhibition on November 3rd. The opening dato' is 33ecomber Ist. .There are probably- -a - fow score of local bodies in New Zealand which would like to bs ;&ble to dispose of stormwater as easily as is done by the Mount Albert JBorougl^-Goacil—that is, dig a 4f't. hole in the ground,- and run ■water into it. THrt of Mount Albert is apparently built upon ancient volcanic deposits, and tho sub-soil formation is .to loose that once the crust of •the ctyrth is broken through, water rune away freely through the scoria. One new' "soakhole" ojwned during -the recent wet weather, according to the Auckland "Herald,"' took a steady stream of water for three days, and showed no signs of becoming stopped up. The" Thermometer. —At three o'clock this morning the thermometer outside •this office registered" 47 degrees. ' For Influenza take Woods' Great Peppermint, Cure. Never fails. Is 3d, 2s fld. , The'fame of Mouter* npple Innds has sorejul from one end o? New 7^nlond to tho other. Those interoHTd «WH not fail to read the announcement «» J-'lO advertisement, oolmtotms on png* h regarding the Ru^v Bay Estate.*

An English and Australian mail will arrive by the Nikau this morning, and will be delivered by the letter carriers on tho morning delivery. The Wellington-Brindisi despatch of mails of the Bth August, arrived, at London on the 13th inst. The Welling-ton-Naples despatch of mails of the 15th August arrived at London on tho 22nd inst., one day late. The Masterton Borough Council <Io- t cided last night to take a poll on the proposal to raise a loan \ for £16,000 to improve the water hot vice.—-Press Association. A final reminder is given of the Girls' Friendly Society's concert to be given this evening in the Diocesan Library (old BishopVSchool). As the object is a very worthy one, it is deserving of support, attd an excellent programme has been arranged. The annual horse parade under tljp auspices of the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association will be held at Richmond Park this afternoon. A Press Association message from Napier states that at the Supreme Court yesterday the hearing or. tho divorce suit, Herbert Fletcher versus Annie Christina Fletcher and Jolin Connery (misconduct) concluded, when a decree nisi was granted with costs against the co-respondent (Connery). A young man, named John S. Dall, arrested at Nelson recently, pleaded not guilty at the Picton Magistrate's Court to a charge that he did, on Sepember 12th at. Picton,-forge-the name of A. Blyth on- a cheque of the amount of £6 9s 4d, and utter the cheque on Albert Rodley. After- hearing the evidence of five witnesses accused reserved his defenco, and was committed for trial at the next sitting of the. Supreme Ceurt in Blenheim, The late Mr. John Feldwick's magnificent bequest of £20,000 as an endowment:, for the Queen's Park, Invercargill, has been confirmed by the Public Trustee, Wellington. The bequest will permit of the expenditure of £900 a year on the beautifying of the park.