NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13747, 9 April 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Ths Wellington-Brindisi mail despatcli of February 19th, arrived in London on the 4th inst.

Sitting as the Appleby Domain Board yesterday afternoon, the Waimea County Council resolved that Cr. Best report at the next meeting as to the'cost of planting a portion of the Appleby Domain, and fencing.

A boy namd I,eonard Town, 15 .years of age, employed at Griffins' factory, Lad his left hand badly crushed in a rolling machine yesterday moraine. He was attended by Dr. Gjbbs, and removed to the Hospital.

A National Government, including the ablest men of all parties, would have corresponded still better with the national spirit, as with the magnitude and difficulty of the efforts that have still to be made. We are not dealing with domestic questions, where men are divided according: to programme. We are dealing with common interests or life und death.—London "Observer. .

- Th© Imperial Government could not look on with folded hands while a quarrel between employers and^ employed over a question, of increased wages stopped the wheels of an industry upon' which our fighting forces depended for their war material.. In time of war the goneral public cannot argue the merits or demerits of either tho employee's or the employed in such a dispute. It is sufficient to recognise that the dispute must weaken the resistance of the nation and encourage the nation's enemies.—Sydney "Daily Telegraph."

The British Navy has succ«edeJ to a! degree beyond all reasonable anticipation in clearing the seas promptly and completely of enemy vessels; no one foresaw that one result of such a triumph would be to iforce up prices. In the second place, prices, on the whole very steady in the early months of the war, have only in the last month taken a sudden and violent bound forward. What security is there that this acceleration will be promptly checked?—" Daily News."

Mr J. D. Henry, the oil" expert, has left London for Trinidad and Mexico, where he is to inspect and report on various oil properties. Speaking at the meeting of the Standard Oil Company of Mexico, Mr Henry said that at the conclusion of the war attempts would be made to increase British investments in Russian and American mining and industrial undertakings. He thought that the claims should not be overlooked of tlioso parts of the Empire who had come to the assistance of the Mother Country, and he. hoped that the oilfields of New Zealand, Trinidad and Newfoundland, would not be forgotten when that day arrived.

"Although T don't own a motor car. T doa't think the Council should put broken metal on. the roads unless it is rolled in," said Cr. Everett at yester- ■ day's 2neeting of the Waimea County Council. Cr. Corder' expressed the opinion that if broken metal was put on it should be blinded. Cr. Hewetson thought the -Council should procure a, j heavy roller and do the;r own rolling. Tho roller could be ballasted with water and towed behind the traction-engine. No action was taken.

A remarkable success in sinking for water has been attained close to the site of the new hotel to be erected at Waroaga o-kuri (say.s the "Poverty Bay Herald"). Hitherto the lack of a copious supply of water in dry seasons has been a considerable drawback. The belp of a water diviner was sought, and on a spot recommended by him a well was sunk. A depth of 20ft_ was reached without any sign to indicate success, there being an entire absence of moisture at the time. A 2in pipe was then inserted, and after it had been driven about lift, a stream of water, accompanied by gravel, shot up with great foi'ce. The man at work had tc make a Lurried exit. During I the i.'ight the well filled up, and there j is every indication of an inexhaustible suppiy, providing ample for the hotel. It i« possible, from the force of water tnat. gushed from the pipe, tbat an artesian supply as been struck. A test fin that direction is to be made.

Men who appreciate a whisky that has been carefully distilled, fully blendad, and patiently aged, drink Watson's we. 10.*

The view may bo held by the Turks that a more handful of men, if they readied the canal, could effectively block that waterway. Someone has even gone to the length of saying that "a Cairo donkey-boy with a pocketful of dynamite" could destroy tho canal. This is absurd. The truth is, as Commander Carlyon Belluirs recently pointed out, the canal is practically indestd'uctible, since it is not a lock canal. The worst block would be by heavy explosions to. displace banks of sand into tho waterway—and as soon as the enemy wove driven off the dredgers would set to work and remove tho block in, a few days. Both in regard to such explosions and the sinking of ships the blocks could only be effective ii: tho resources of the canal, which are very .^veat, were destroyed at the sain 9 time. If the Turks want to definitely stop the traffic of the ••anal they will have to take it and hold it. And :n take it will need an army that will be able to overwhelm the i'orces defending it.

An old Native tohunga living at Waihi beyond Waitara, had a dream tho other night, and, as a consequence of"this dream, three car loads_ of Natives arrived at daylight a morning or two ago at. Mr George Hoby'e farm at Bell Block and proceeeding straight to an old karaka tree standing near the boundary line between Mr Ho.by's and Mr D. Bishop's farms, commenced to dig in the latter's land. About two feet below the surface they came upon a stone, the object of their search, which they took possession of and took back home with them, together with other stones found on Mr Hoby's land. These stones have, of course, a history, and great value in tho Natives' eyes. They are said to be charmed fish, stones, stolen very many year 3ag from rivers in the Patea distrct from tho Native owners and brought up by another tribe. They were believed by the Natives to havo the power of attracting fish in the rivers where they were placed. The spot where tho first stone was found on Mr Bishop's land is the site of an old pa, and the ground did not appear to have been disturbed for many years. That the Natives valued it highly is evident from the fact) that they afterwards sent Mr Bishop a present of two handsome mats. Whether the tohunga was possessed in his sleep of a sort of second sight, or whether he had known at some time, and suddenly remembered, the epot where the stones were buried, is hard to say; but the "Taranaki Herald" gives the story as it was received

Mr Goo. T. Ausiin has secured premises in Brand's buildings, Bridge I street, where ho has opened the City[ Club Cafe, to be run on strictly up-to-date lines. A special announcement in connection therewith will be found in our advertising columns/ The'late Miss Marjory S. Schaw has left half a million sterling to charitable institutions in Glasgow and the district. The British Government is stopping temporarily all grants towards libraries, art galleries, and museums. The National Bank of Belgium was forbidden to issue bank notes, the i Germans being wroth because that bank in August transferred all its gold reserves, and a large quantity of State bonds to the Bank of England. Captain Erdmann of the German cruiser Blucher, which was sunk in the naval fight off Dogger Bank, died at Edinburgh on February 16th. The exposure he was subjected, to brought on pneumonia, which ended fatally. A bomb was exploded during a carnival ball at Sofia on February 13th, when four persons were killed, and fifteen wounded. Building operations in Gisborne for the year ended March totalled £100,----892. ' During the last three years over £300,000 ha-s been expended. Among hot buildings now decided on is a People's Picture Palace costing £15,000, to the order of a local company just formed.—Press Association.

A ,-;ood programme has been arranged for to-night, in the Presbyterian Church Hall, when interestins items by the children will be rendered, and tho , annual distribution of prizes in connection with the Sunday School will take , place. Mrs W. Witfcknvsoa. has kindly consented to present the prizes.