NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13774, 11 May 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

A money order and Savings Bank branch has been'established.at. the Tarakohe Post Office.

The horticultural exhibition at Richmond will bo held to-day and to-mor-row, and the proceeds avill be devoted to the Belgian Relief Fund.

The annual general meeting, of holdors of the Permanent Buying Society of Nelson will be held m tne board room on. Wednesday, the 19th in st.

Tho Phmmer-Hall .Dramatic Com* pany,-which is devoting tho whole of the profits of its New Zealand tour to ; the Belgium Relief Fuud;> has com : pletedthe Nortn Island, with the re-sult-that the management has s forwarded a cheque "to tho Prime Minister for £1500, toing ihe firss instalment of the profits. It is hoped that the South Island will be at least as responsive as the North Island. An Aucklander, writing from Cairo to tho Auckland "Star." states:— ''Tho Maoris arrived here on Thursday night, March 24th. Their physique, fit appearance, and fine uniform are much admired. Tho reinforcements are also it splendid body. The* brought the horses through in generally good conditioi . The Maoris are delighted with Cairo and the liberty they are given after the confinement of the troopship. The Maori camp adjoins ours to the north There was a great' turnout of regimental band» and troops to greet the Maoris and reinforcements on arrival." -

A horse belonging to Mr E. E. Tra&k, butcher, was drowne;d in the Maitai river yesterday morning". The animal, which was attached to a cart, was lett in Me street, while the driver, W. Gaynor, called at a residence for .an, order. During his absence the horpe movnl off, and" made to cross the iprd near the Nile street bridge, but, the river being in high flood, the animal was -wept away and drowned. In its struggles the horse kicked itself free from" the cart, which was found some distance down the river. %

Consignees having cargo aboard the German steamer Birkenfels will be> interested to learn that they are now likely to obtain it. The Birkenfels, of tthe Hansa Line, was on her way to Australia and New Zealand when the war broke out. She was interned at Capetown, having been declared a pnze. She has now been renamed the landem, and nas arrived in Sydney, me German steamers Hamra and Apolda, which also have cargo for New Zealand on board, were to haye lert Capetown under the British flag for Australia at the end of April.

The Prime Minister has forwarded the following telegram to "the Governor: •"I'shall be glad if Your Excellency will be so good as to communicate by telegraph with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and ask him,-on behalf of the Government and citizens of New Zealand, to convey to .the people of the United Kingdom, and especially to the relatives and friends cf those who perished in the sinking of the Lusitanxa, New Zealand's sympathy with them in the sudden and dreadful blow which has fallen, and our horror and detestation of the foul and dastardly crime which has been committed. (Signed) AY. F. Maasey."—Press Association.

N^'v Zealand pears come in for warm com.-i'jndation from Mr Thomas Cunnhigoam, fruit inspector Vancouver. He referred particularly to a shipment of 1011. boxes. "These pears are about the cleanest thai- ever came into British Columbia; they aro in i>erfect vondition/'" said Mr Cunningham \ to a "Daily News Advertiser" correspondent, "and if New Zealand and Aust.-dia can ship such fruit as this, we snail he only too glad to receive it in lieu o£ tlia* which comes from south of the international boundary. In© opportunities of reciprocal, trade between those British countries and. our own are great. Their season is the reveise of nurs, and if a reciprocal tariff could be set. up it would mean that fruit would bo cheaper on account of no duty having to be paid, and it would mean a continuous supply Aii we ask for is •absolutely clean fruit. It must be free^ fiwn .& 11 infer non in order to come into British Columbia "

The Hon. W Fraser, Minister of Public Works, in speaking to a deputation ax. Dunedin, made reference to the construction of light railways m the Dominion. Jfh'e line that was being constructed" between Clyde and Cromwell, he paid, was a new kind ot line. He had x>t the idea some tune ago, and when he suggested it tr, one or two of his engineers—very capable men— they fell in with it. What-had been done with tho line beyond Clyde had really exceeded his anticipations. iNo one who had travelled on this road only six months ago had any expectation -.hat by this time he would find earth works" so far on and a portion ot the line actually ready, for anything like the the money he had been called on to expend on it, and it seemed to I i him rhat there was no reason why that j class of line should not he extended in any part of tKe country.- Ihe country, he added could not afford to build line? that cost £10,000 <,r £15,000 a mile He could do double or treble the work if bo could construct a line for three or-Jour.-thousand- pounds a mile. He did not know what the Clydp-Crnmwoll line would cast, but he belie/ed it n»ould be an object-lesson in connection with railway construction in New Zealand.

Special Sale of Ladies' Mackintosh Waterproof Oats, perfectly new ami fresi goods, a double quantity sent to us \n error 27s 6d for 19s 6d 33s 6d for £5s 6d, 39s 6d for 29s 6d.—Tra ; then, the SpeciaV House for Ladies Appaiel.-

It -has been said that your home is the index of your mind. Now, does every room in your houso reflect credit; upon you? Have you *ot all apartments iuvst as you would like to- have them? Are they invested with the beauty which belongs to them:' vo they radiate charm, taste, and rehnementr- Would not a little addition here and there effect a change worth to you many times the amount ot the outlay? Whethw you are actively or passively interested in <* refurnishing the proprietors of lAM^iv & Furniture Emporium extend to # you a hearty invitation to como and inspect their large stocks. This firm has at the present time an exceptionally nne show of the latest quality furniture; also all kinds of furnishing requisites and accessories. Besides this they ha ro laro-e resources and every facility and equipment for doing youi home highest justice. Let us make yours

Mi- T.-A. H. Field, M.P., has been in communication with the Minister of Marino regarding the necessity for the erect'on of a light on Dhuri-Point, opposite the Beef Barrels. Mr Field has been informed that the matter is veceivin;!; attention, A well-known South Canterbury rimholder told a Timaru "Herald" reporter that he had beon farming in South Canterbury for the past 26 years, and the present was the driest season he had known. He was now feeding his -sheep on chaff and molasses—a thing he had never had to do before.

T!i3 traffic returns for the Nelson section of'railways for'the period ended 3ist March 1915, show an increase in both passenger . and goods traffic over the " corresponding period last year. The number of passengers carried for the period totalled 13,351 as against- 12,161, live stock 8,077 as acain-t 6,387 aud merchandise 3,906 tons as against 3,740. There was a slight decrease in the number of parcels carried.

A '-itting of the Education Districts Boundaries Commission will take place at the Education Board offices this morning. The Commission consists of Messrs A. D. Thomson (Assistant. Public Service Commissioner), G INI. Thomson, G. Hogben, D. Petne, and J. Strauchon. The secretary is Mr H M. Gore.

A. meetin- of the executive of the New Zealand Patriotic Society at Wellington adopted the following resolu-tion-.—"That this meeting enters its emphatic protest against the latest act of barbarism and murder committed by Germany in sinking the steamship .Lusitama, and pledges itself as a society and as individuals to render whatever service is in its or their power to bring about the punishment of the perpetrators of such hellish crimes We are of opinion that the time has arrived when Germans and Austrians not naturalised, at present enjoying their liberty, and in some cases occupying good positions in the public service should be immediately interned and held as prisoners of war, and that the Government be asked to scrutinise ciefullv the conduct of naturalised subjects."—Press Association.

A Wanganui boy of cadet age wi probably find himself in trouble wvthm! th© next few days. He was notified to come up for military training but his stock of patriotism being small he determined to dodge it. He also thought he would be fuuny at the same time and so sent the following "smart" note to the officer signing his notice:—"ln reference to your notice requiring me to attend parade on Annl 10th, I submit the excuse that, being under-sized for my age, and also subject to fitsuof spasmodic funk, I consider myself exempt from military ; training.—Yours truly, etc. His spasm of funk will probably be nothing to the one he will experience when called upon to explain matters before the S.M.