NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13744, 6 April 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Nelson College Cadets returned by train last night from their camp at ; Spring Grove. The Nelson Rowling Olul> has been j approached to .live a "hard-up" afternoon in aid of t!;e Red Cross Fund, and tho matter is wider consideration. The sands at Tahuna have <been largely patronised during Easter. Only on ; Saturday morning was tho weather at ■ all unfavourable, and even then in the hollows thrre was shelter from the , breeze front i.ne snowclad # ranges. Every i, day there was full sunshine.

The Queen Carnival at Oamaru is expected to yield £6500 for the Belgian Relief Fund.—Press Association.

Tho Salvation Army held a picnic in the Botanical Reserve yesterday. The band of tho Wellington South corps, which has spent Easter in Nelson, loft for home by last night's steamer.

All the vehicles available for passenger traffic were in use on the Nelson railway yesterday, and the last train from the country was a heavy one. There were a large number of visitors to Tapawera for the Horticultural Show, the Dog Trials, and the Territorials' camp. " ... ■ ,

Yesterday, during an interval at the Tapawera sheep dog trials, the Hon. A. T. Maginnity addressed the farmers on the importaiice of supporting the New Zealand' National Defence League. He said Mr G. Macmahon was taking an interest in the matter, and he hoped to hear of a branch of the League being formed at Tapawera.

During the picnic in the Botanical 'Reserve yesterday, the Wellington South Salvation Army Band ascended the Zigzag, and, standing round tho trig station, which marks tho centre of New Zealand, played the National Anthem.

Theio were a large number*-of visitors iVom Nelson and surrounding districts at Motueka yesterday. On the other side of the bay the weather conditions were perfect, there being an entire absence of the disagreeable southwest wind which has prevailed here during part of the Easter holidays. Motor traffic was heavy, and the delightful drive over the hills was much enjoyed, even by those who make the trip frequently.

A new form of currency, says the "Berliner Zeitung," has been introduced in the German army. Ordinary coin has lost its value now that it is impossible to buy anything in the villages at the base, .and cigars take the place of money. A piece of sausage as big as a hand costs four cigars; a pair of warm gloves or a flask of cognac, 30 cigars. Muddy boots are cleaned for two cigars. " • !

The British Admiralty has so far^not named two battleships taken over from the builders. Originally; known as the Nidaros and Bjoewgvin, they were built for the Norwegian Government, but although almost completed j when war was proclaimed they had not been delivered. The Admiralty arranged to pay the Norwegian Government the full market value of the ships, and directly they were completed took possession. They are of about 4900 tons displacement, and were originally planned to carry two 9.4 in. and four 6in. guns each. They posj sess good armour protection, and fair speed, but they are only suitable for coast defence.

Corporal E. Washer, of Lewes, who was with the 2nd Scottish Regiment at the front, was put in touch with a long-lost friend in a remarkable way. Washer was reading a Lewes j weekly in the tranches when a German | bullet penetrated the paper. While j examining the hole Washer noticed the bullet had passed through a paragraph relating to the wedding of an old chum in Canada, Private Stanley Killick, Winnipeg, whom he had lost sight of for .some years.

A French authority, who is in touch with the subject, states that, while there are not many private aviators in Russia, the military authorities of that country have within the last two years trained a very large number of men, and, as a result, have many more skilled aviators in tlio service than any othei nation. It is also stated that the number has been greatly increased since tho war began.

Tho British and French Rod Cross have hitherto set their faces against women as drivers of motor ambulances in France, though the Belgian authorities have taken up a different attitude. Miss Muriel Thompson, of Queen's Gate, London, whose skill as a motorist at Brooklands and elsewhere is attested by the possession of more than thirty cups and other handsome trophies for speed and hill climbing, lias, says the "Despatch,'' just been sent over to Calais to drive a motor ambulance. This will release a man for combatant duties, though there is no question of allowing women to transport wounded on the first, of the successive- stages, from the fighting line down to the base hospitals on the coast.

When the price is fixed for the Imperial purchases, it will be found, this paper hopes, that Australian patriotism has been solid enough to refrain from demanding the uttermost farthing, and that fair regard has been paid to the interests of the people here. In the meantime, the State Government should gather all the available evidence as to what is a. reasonable price. Mr. Hughes said plausibly that "if the local consumer has to go a little bit short of his accustomed .supplies, it is but a small sacrifice for him to make in this world's crisis." That is true, but there is m> necessity for the shortage of supply to be accompanied by a toll on the consumer which will put '■imlizard of' profits in the pocket of either the stock owner or the meat exporter.—Sydney "Sun."-

It ia to be regretted that the prices of foodstuffs and many other-linns have advanced to such an extent as to materially increase the cost of living, and ©specially at a time when work is not plentiful. We are pleased, however, to pay that one firm in the furniture trade has not increased its selling; prices of furniture, and all articles to completely equip the home, and that firm is LOCK'S, wfiose prices are as low as, if not lower than they were .10 years ago, and it always has been LOCK'S chief aim to sell furniture which is above all things irreproachable in qnaiity and design. We know there is always a good demand for furniture of the better sort, and Lock's never fail to satisfy this demand. Our furniture is worthy any home, and its three attributes are- (1) Good taste; (2) good quality; (3) good value. No matter how*low' the price may be, Lock's furniture is never commonplace; it is always worth more than tho actual pries in reliability and appearance. We have certainly one of the largest 'selections of high-grade furniture in the Dominion, and it would be very difficult indApfl to .secure as good value. Yon can verify this statement personally by a visit of inspection to Lock's popular furniture emporium, and can depend upon satisfaction and fair dosling.*

The Hon. J. T, Paul, M.L.C., has ail article in the "Socialist Review" on the woman voter in New Zealand. He concludes with the remark:—"All /things-considered^ the experiment has been more than justified. Which was only to be expected unless half mankind Was destined to be the puppet and plaything of the other half, and unless we were prepared to keep half humanity permanently tied to the starting post while the other half ran.''

The liner Champagne, of the Compagnie General Transatlantique, which recently arrived at Corunna, reports, according to Madrid newspapers, that on January 13th, during her voyage from Mexico, a wireless message was received warning the captain that among the passengers was a German who had been commissioned to blo.w up the ship. Prompt measures were taken, and the German was discovered and placed in irons. In his trunk were found five dynamite bombs.

Captain Spiers, of the 11th Hussars, detached from the British general staff as "officer de liaison" (a post of great danger, as the officer's duty is to maintain communications between the various trenches), has been mentioned in,, a French Army Order, for the following reason: —"He has never hesitated to fulfil dangerous missions in the line of fire. He was wounded on January 6th, while maintaining communications with the British trenches, and only allowed his wounds to be dressed when ha had reported on his mission to the British and French authorities."

Regarding the municipal elections the "Maoriland Worker" says:— "Labour is not going tp be the tool and jjlaything of the Liberal exploiters ; it has mapped out its own course, and to-morrow night its official pronouncements will b& made by its accredited candidates. If the Liberals want to enter the Wellington Mayoral contest no one should try to stop them, but it must be clearly understood that they can only come in as the enemies of Labour—and as such they will be fought."

"Watson's No. 10 Whisky engenders a fine geniality.* Several hundred Maoris from different parts of the- Bay ' f Plenty have been engaged at sever: : burial grounds around Waimana pa, igging up the I remains of their frien<'' who were interred there some year back (says the Qpotiki "Mail"). A i ?e number of the Maoris returned !;• ,:e through the Waimana settlement : "ently, and it was a rather gruesom- ight for Europeans to see several i 1 the old men with bundles of bones rapped on their backs. The proceeds ;s were carried out under Maori law. with two members of the police for ■ present to see that'there no sc ms disputes as to ownership amon<-; relatives. The Maori law does not rec-.iire any precautions to be taken in the way of disinfecting whore contagious disease, such as typhoid fever and diphtheria, has been the cause of death, nor does it recognise that germs of disease live after burial. The procedure is to open ! the grave and obtain possession of all ; j the bones, while most of deceased's rela- j I tives, both male and female stand' round and lament. After this the j bones are«scraped, then done up 'n j black cloth into bundles about two feet •■ j long by nine inches in diameter. Old [ | men are always selected to carry these j to their destination, but of late years j they t are allowed to ride on horseback, J provided they do not remove the bun-! dies from their backs.