NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13826, 22 July 1915, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

. Large quantities of ; potatoes arelstill •going to Australia irom Timaru.

A. Christchurch firm, has received a shipment of window and plate glass from Pittsburg, U.S.A.

A new department of the Christchurch Citizens' Defence Corps, that of assisting sick and wounded soldiers, has been decided upon.

A Maori god in the Park at Christchurch has been removed to tho Museum because some women objected that it was undraped.

There is very little oaten straw left in South Canterbui'y to cut into chaff, and what there is will be wanted for local use. . ' .

Lady Rutherford, the wife of Sir Ernest Rutherford, has got together a committee to look after New Zealand wounded soldiers in Manchester hos pitals. ;

During the last six -months prices of linotype tnotal have advanced in New Zealand iilONto £11 per ton, and to this increase must be added the freight advances <>f the period. .'■/■[

Th'o Thermometer. —At 3 o'clock this morning the thermometer, outside this office registered 49 degrees.

Tho travelling public are notified that Norman Emms has commenced a daily motor car service Nelson-Motueka-Ta-kaka. The cars employed are luxurious 50 h.p. Cadillacs. Patrons can rely on careful attention and civility. Book seats 'phone 39. Private address No, 14 Wainui street, 'phone 527.*

An attractive' and interesting full column advertisement, .with prices quoted, from ; "Novelties/ 42 -Hardy street, will "repay perusal. ;

Letters have arrived in New Zealand from. Cfallipolit written on pieces of wcod- and- cartridge casing-, writing, paper being Bcarce. - One officer who was on intelligence duty was fortunate enough to find some writing paper in tho haversack of a dead Turk.

Th 0 New Zealand War Contingent Association resolved early in Juno to> open an auxiliary hospital on Mount Feihx, W&lton-on-Thames, about 17 miles from London

The Defence Office, Nelson, has been notified by headquarters that invalided soldiers returning from the front are allowed -<> wear mufti v/hen on sick leave, but must weai uniform when reported on expiry of leave.

Phrases that recur in letters from Gallipoli are that an yon c who-escapes being .wounded there is lucky, and that every mau in New Zealand" who is fit and able to volunteer for the war should do so.

Satisfaction was expressed in Nelson yesterday when a cab/c from tho High Commiss)orer was posted, stated that the South Wales coalminers' strike had been settled.

H is expected that operations will be recommenced on October Ist at the New Zealand Portland Cement Company's works at Limestone Island, Wliangarei.

The Kaiapoi rug raffle in aid of the Sick ;md Wounded Soldiers' Fund was won by ticket No. 39, the holder being Miss Galbraith.

There was a heavy flood in the Hutt Valley, Wellington, yesterclay, but no damage^oF consequence was reported.

Mr P. C Hurst, Tasman street, has kindly offered the contents ol: his violet bed for sale as buttonholes on Gala Day. The committee would be pleased to receive further similar' offers.

In consequence of unfavourable weather (says a Wellington Press Association message) shipping movements were upset yesterday so far as the smaller vessels were concerned.

During the discussion in Committee of the House cf Representatives on Tuesday night on the War Pensions Bill, Mr Ell urged tho Minister of Defence to reinstate. tlw< clause making provision for an attendant upon a totally disabled man. Tho .Minister promised that if the clause .vere deleted he would bring down a new one providing for i small amount for special cases. A new clause Avas added making special provisions to appty in the case of soldiers officially reported missing. The schedules were passed, and the Bill was reported "as amended.

The Nelson Clock Chimes Committee, having a balance in hand after paying for the Post Oflioe clock chimes, decided to expend the amount on to/bacco for the British soldiers, and yesterday Mr G. M. ltout, the honorary secretary, received postcards expressing thanks for the gilts from three of the recipients. La rice-Corporal D. Simpson, of tho 2nd Black Wiatch, writes: "I received your present of tobacco and cigarette>s, and thank you very much for same. We are getting on all right; out here, and hope soon to see the war finished. We are pr-nud to see the grand stand your cov.fitrymon are making at the Dardanelles for the Mother Country." Private J. Gardiner, of the 4th Cameron Highlanders, after expressing thanks for the . gift, says: "It is well to know that not only in our Home Land, but away out in New Zealand, the Tommies ar© not forgotten. We all feel quite confident of final victory." Private- A. Robertson, of the 2iui Black Watch, writes that the welcome gift of tobacco was much appreciated by his comrades and himself. Ho mentions that it was received while tbev were in the trenches.

Blood-red'.,poppies, white daisies, and bluebells have been sent from Gallipoli by Pi-irate Carl 'It. Hensen to his father, Mr Carl Henson, of Ballendella, Melbourne T3ie flowers were gathered on the battlefields, and seeds from the blooms are to be planted to keep in memory tho gallant charge of tho Australians.

The "Motueka Star" says:—"We learn that from an acre and a-half of nine-year-old Stunner apple trees in the district close on 400 cases of fruit have been gathered. This crop; has been sold in the local market. The price realised after paying freight and auctioneers' charges, amounts to close on £140."

The Full Court has reserved its decision in the appeal of the Tauniri Collieries Company on the question of daily inspection of old and disused workings in Ralph's mine at Huntly.—Press Association.

In .the House the P^riine Minister told Sir JosepHi Ward that immigration has been practically sxispeiidea since tho outbreak of: Avar. vFor the year ending March' 31st the immigraiits had toiaiied 29861- Of, these 682^ were domestics and 390 were farmers, while 1314 were relatives of persons already in the Dominion. : ;

One of the wounded mcv returning from the Dardanelles states that women to-ik part in the attempt to repel the Australians (says a telegram from Fremantle to a Sydney paper). Ho saw three armed Turkish women equipped with ammunition belts lying dead near a deserted house, and a British Tommy had also told him that his regiment Had. accounted for more than a dozen puoh women.

The mildness of the climate at Feather ston is exemplified by the ripening of a continuous crop of raspberries (says the Wairarapa "Times"). In a garden in the town a bed of raspberry canes is still bearing fruit, and yet they have had no special attention ; in fact, they have not had the ordinary attention that a fruitgrower would have' given ; therefore the result is diie to Nature alone. Strawberry plants in Mas'terton are also bearing fruit.

A conference of friendly societies was held in Chiislchurch last week to discuss questions of sick pay that have arisen consequent on the war. After a lengthy discussion, the following resolutions were carried:—■" That this meeting is of opinion that no sick pay should be paid out to members on active service except on production of a certificate signed by a military authority or chaplain, coupled with a personal application." "That this meeting is of opinion ' that the Government should materially assist friendly societies <n\ account of the unforeseen liabilities occasioned by the Avar."

A visitor to this district was asked by an "Otago Daily Times" reporter on his return to Dunedin: How does the Nelson fruit generally compare with the Otago? The reply was to the effect that there was.little difference in quality, colour, ano! flavour; but certainly ho never.. saw; so much waste fruit in Otago as in Nel?on. Such wastage, through improper spraying, and the necessary thinning out of bountiful crops, must be a heavy loss to growers, if not remedied. Certainly, the district has tho advantage of an ideal. climate, many well sheltered valleys, and. a daily service of steamers to the central and chief port of tho Dominion, which Itago has not; but in stone fruit Otago would always have the advantage.

A few months ago cabled advice was received horn Sydney to the effect thatMr J. B, Adams, of Christchurch, the inventor of a novel life-saving raft, was asked by the Board of Trade to return to London in connection' with his invention. Latest advices state that after only ;six weeks' residence in London, Mr 'Adams has been successful in getting it passed by the Board of Trade. The raft is 10ft by 4ft wide, and 9in thick, and is composed of three floats, made of a buoyant composition much lighter than coik, and will support 200 people when thrown from a ship. Om> of the several tests made was that of placing J 6001b of iron on it when it \vas thrown 25ft into Bft of water. Mr Adams leaves London shortly for France, and joins a T>oat at Marseilles en route for New Zealand.

The London "Daily News," of 3rd June, re Hen ing \to an exhibition of small oil paintings, which Mr Cecil W. Jameson, the young New Zealand artist (son of Mr J. S. -Jameson, of Wellington), was then holding at his i .studio, said:—"The paintings are mostly studies'of sunlight or twilight, many of them exquisite little master-, pieces, eloquent with the atmosphere of the River Thames. Mr Jameson is fond of portraits in coloured chalk; one of;them is of Major Morrison-Bell, now a prisoner of1 war in Germany, while another is a fine drawing of Lord Plunket, an ex-Governor of New Zealand. It was Mr Jameson who did the portrait of tho Coalition Minister,. Mr Walter Long, which the- Primrose League presented to the new head or the' Local Government Board. lasyear."