NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13455, 29 April 1914, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The local postmaster is informed that the Brindisi maily despatched on the 20th March, arrived in London on the 25th inst., one day late, •

There is a rumour that R. Semple, who is no.v out on bail of £1500, will be arrested to-day for alleged sedition in a speech at- Christchurch on April 19th, including a repetition of the Holland utterances, state® a Press Association telegram.

Music lovers aro reminded of the recital to be given on the Cawthron organ in the School of Music this evening by Mr Maughan Barnett, Auckland city organist.

A meeting of the executive committee of the Chittenden Assistance Fund will be held to-night in the Dresden ♦Chambers.

A meeting' of the Motueka Valley Horticultural and Dog Trial committees will be held in the schoolroom, Tapawera, on Saturday.

Owing to the large number of lots, Messrs Bisley Bros, and Co. will commence their sale # of Japanese goods at 1 o'clock on Friday, continuing at 10 sharp on Saturday morning. Tho goods will be on view all' day Thursday, and comprise massive carved'screens, writing desks, hall chairs, occasional tables, of many unique designs; also silk goods, linen bed-spreads, tray and snnper cloths, antimony backed hair and Lclothes brushes, jewel boxes, grand display of tea sets, crockery, massive vcu;as and brass ;j;oods. The auctioneers wish to state that this'is one of the best shipments of Japanese goods that has ever been sent to this, town, and -they will oil be sold absolutely without rcson-o. The goods will bo handed ever as sold for cash on delivery.

For declaring., "If we .were- ordered to u«o murderous weapons against Frouchmem and other foreign brothers we should call out, 'We shall not do it,'" Mile. .Rose Luxemburg, a celebrated Social Democrat leader, was, a. few days ago. sentenced at Frankfurton Main to a year's -imprisonment.'

An election of three members for tlie Suburban North Road Board will be held on May 4th. The following gentlemen have been nominated: Messrs. A. W.-Anderson, J. Corder, C. J. C. Dencker, J. E. Packer and H; Wast■liey. \.'.-v '' i- ' :■ ■• ". ' Not many women would consider big game hunting attractive, but a Mrs.' Cliud Marks, who loft England in October with her maid and a party of five gentlemen for East Africa for big game hunting, has just returned much impressed by her experiences. She has herself shot leopards and had exciting adventures with lions,-.and at least one rhinoceros. Mrs Marks intends going agam next autumn.

It has been suggested by the board of the Leicester Royal Infirmary that, owing to the scarcity of radium, a small quantity of it should be hired for the use of tho honorary staff. It. is thought that an expenditure of £10 would be involved on each case treated.

The first "Radium" hotel in Europe is to be opened during the coming summer at Orselina, in the canton of Ticmo. Dr. Haselbacher recently discovered that the local. springs were strongly impregnated with radium, and had tho water analysed by exports, who stated that the -water' contained about -33 units of radium per quart. Orselina, a little Swiss village near Locarna, has been known locally only for, wonderful "cures" for various diseases, but nobody dreamed that they were the result of tho radium in the spring water. The best hotel in the place intends to change its name because of the discovery, and when it opens again will call itself the Radium Hotel.

The eucalyptus oil industry, which is only in its infancy as yet, affords regular employment for about 1000 peo-ple-in New South Wales. In and around the little township of Braidwood alone there are 20 distilleries, employing about ]50 persons. '.Mr Finneran, manager of tn e of the oil companies operating in that State, declares that the time is not far distant when Australians will cultivate the eucalyptus fer the sake of its oil and timber, just the same aa the Americans are already doing.' present," he said last >week, • do not sufficiently appreciate; the value of their forests. If they had them in Germany 1 guarantee-1 they would make considerably more use of them than Australians do." ' .

A new building with three stories and a *inezzanine is to be constructed for Mr John Kirkcaldie on the allots inent of land on Lambton Quay next to the Public- Tyist Office at Wellington. The. structure will be thoroughly up-to-date, ■ and will be built with a steer frame and reinforced concrete. On one side the depth will be 105 ft and on the other 135 ft, while the front-ago-Will be 60ft -in width.: AiSflat roof will be provided, and the building will be as fire-proof as it is possible- .to make it. .. ■ \:.:lu ;. ■

A farmer in the vicinity of Masterton (says the "Age") had an exceedingly fine crop of turnips growing near the public road. It was noticeable that a fair quantity^.of-^^he crop was mysteriously disappeaxingj - and the farmer was.- "very..; surprised one" day to see a trap drive, upland the occupant proceed to help Himself --liberally to the crop of turnips. There,"is now a notice in that paddock, which reads: "Turnips must not be taken."

An old law lifted out of an Act of Charles 11., and 250 years old, was the basis of a charge laid against Herbert Nelson Hinton. in the Pukekohe Court recently. Defendant was charged with serving a summons on a Sunday. In examination he admitted ho was awaro that service on a Sunday would not have any legal status if challenged, yet he did not know that it constituted an offence-, A conviction was'entered, and accused was ordered to, pay Court costs, 7e. /' —

A telegram to the Christchuroh "Evening News" states that the-wife of an employee of the Waitomo County Council has presented him with triplets. To mark their appreciation of tho event, the Waitomo County Councillors have voted the husband a bonus of £5.

Wild excitement prevailed at a wedding at Bluff a week or so ago when the minister mixed things somewhat. He filled up the certificate by marrying the bride to the best man and putting the bridegroom down as a witness. When the mistake was discovered the feelings of the bridegroom can be imagined. Was he married, or had the best man won the fair maid? Fortunately, the mistake was rectified before the 'clergyman left by the Melbourne boat, or things might have become' serious.

A reference by Mr Massey in his speech at Kawakawa last Thursday evening to the time when his party was in opposition, elicited the iiiterjecton, "When you were in the wilderness." "Yes," said Mr Massey, amidst laughter, "but we have now reached the promised land, and I am glad to have been able to take the part of Joshua." In reply to another interjection, Mr Massey remarked: "The term .'Liberal' has been dragged into the mud so much in this country that I will not allow anyone to use it to mo without qualification. You rnay^ call me a Reform-Liberal if you like.

' An act which can only be ascribed to hoodlums, says the Dunodm ''Times," was perpetrated in Jroivt of the Post Office at a late hour last Tues■dav night. A motor-ear belong]tip; to the Postal Department was driven up to the Po-t Ofn<-o about 11.45 p.m., and the dmiffonr alighted with the object of noti; vit:'-.i the postal authorities that ho v---= i' :u.v to undertake the clearance ni mailr- Fir, returned to the street in i!ie canrzr of about three minutes, bv.t then di-.covc-red that the car had disappeared. About an hour Inter the oar was discovered against a fence at the King stive t entrance to the Tlotanical Gardens. The car was badly damaged, the wind screen being broken autTtbe front axle being bent. The post:;l authorities were put to serious inconvenience, and another ear hod to be procured to enable the necessary work to be accomplished.

, The Thermometer.—At three o clock this morning the thermometer outside this office registered 45 degrees.