NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13978, 7 January 1916, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The decomposed body of a soldier was found floating off Miramar wbJarf, Wellington. In one pocket was a camp pass bearing the name "F. T. Patterson, New Zealand Rifles."

The garri&Dn forces at Samoa are being maintained 'by a system of ■ reliefs from the Domihioh, which will be trained in Samoa The mobility of the force has l#«n greatly increased by, the provision of horses and bicycles for the greater portion of it.

An inquest was concluded at Stratford touching the d«ath of Frlancis Uhlenberg, in-'"■elderly'farmer-of the Midhurst district, who was last seen alive on December 23rd. The body was found in a ditch by the roadside, near Midhirst, on December 28tth. A verdict was returned of "Found dead," there being no evidence to show how death 'occurred: : . ■ .■.-',..' " / .■'.....•■,.. ■ ."; ■..■■-., '

A social gathering will be held at the School of Music this evening to farewell Archdioacon and Mrs Kempthorne, and to welcome Dr. Weeks, the'new vicar of Christ Church, and Mrs Weeks. All adult members of the congregation and friends of Archdeacon and Mrs Kempthorne are invited to be present.

Tli© Anchor Company announce that' the s.s. Nika-u will leave Wellington for Nelson .to-morrow at 5 p.m. instead of at 2 p.m.

A meeting of emplo.yers cited in connection with the industrial dispute brought by tlie Nelson Labourers' Union will bo held ati Mr F. A. Bamford's office this evening, to appoint assessors and prepare counter-claims.

The following are telegraphic code indicators for the New Zealand Riflo Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own): — ls»t"Battalion, Zeadagio; 2nd Battalion, Zoadamic; 3rd Battalion, Zeadatt; -ith Battalion, Zcadd.

The increase in tho tonnage of steamers visiting the port of Nelson during tho year ended December 31st, 1915, was 17,501 tons, not 7,501 tons, as stated in tho published report of the Harbour Board proceedings in Wednesday's issue.

Captain Nicholls, officer commanding the Nelson group, wishes it to be understood that the Defence Office is open, for the purpose of enrolling recruits for the Reinforcements from.9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with the exception of Sundays. ,

A man named Edward Morris was charged at the. Magistrate's Court 3-es-terday, before Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., with the theft of a bicycle, the property of Cecil Hunter, of Nelson. The bicycle was removed from outside of Messrs Buxton and Co.'s premises on Friday last, and was subsequently found at Gray's second-hand shop in Bridge street, the defendant having sold it for. the sum of 30s. The defendant was convicted and sentenced to 14 days' • imprisonment, and ordered to refund to Gray the 30s received for the bicycle.

When tile Maheno anchored for the first time in Anzac Cove the staff of the vessel got tho shock of their lives (says the- Rev. W. E. Gillam, of Auckland). They had supposed that the British troops, after months of fighting, would have- won tlieir way a considerable distance inland. Instead, portions of the ground on whicli the Australians and New Zealanders first landed was still being ploughed up by enemy shrapnel and high explosives. He was conIvinoed that only British soldiers could have got there at all.

The man Norman Edward Keals, who is undergoing a life sentence at tUo Mdunt Eden Gaol for murdering, at Onewhero about a year ago, his brother's wife, Mrs. Emma. Keals,. ar.d her infant child, succeeded on Sunday evening in breaking a medicine bottle in his cell and in mutilating himself with the jagged glass. Tho "Herald" reports that subsequently he was removed to the hospital, where an operation was performed.

No fewer than 458,558 persons attended the. closing ceremonies of the Pacific-Panama Exposition on December 4th. It was kept open for 288 days, during which it is stated officially that 18,875,974 persons passed through the turnstiles. The net profit will pan out at a. little over 1,000,000 dollars (£200,000), while the city of San Francisco will secure a splendid addition to .her parks, besides a number of the permanent buildings, as well aa a civic auditorium valued altogether at close on'two million dollars.

In a review of the past year, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. Gunson) said: "A contract was let for a large dam at Nihotapa, costing £97,000. This will provide a further storage capacity of 550,000,000 gallons—more than twice the capacity of the Waitakere dam. The water consumption has recently been five and a-quarter million gallons daily, but the season to date haa been a wet one, arid with the dry weather now setting in it will run up to about 6,000,000 gallons daily. The demand is steadily increasing, the city-area is rapidly extending, and it is, therefore, necessary for the council to pursue a progressive policy, which will insure for the public an adequate supply, thus obviating a recurrence of threatened shortages in the past."

"I made all n;y boj-s join the army when war broke out," said a strapping British soldier, who, with his eon, had returned from the trenches. "We've been in the trenches together," said the father, indicating the son, "and although we've been in the thick of some of the big attacks there's not a bit of German lead in our bodies. Four of my boys are still fighting, but Jack and I have got a few days' leave. There's nothing like having a family party in the trenches. During the fighting round Loos, Jack was always near me. 'I'm here, dad,' he xised to say when the shells were falling close to us. That's the way we fought, and we made up our minds to stand or fall together. We weren't the only father and son at the front. It gffje the young ones courage* to see their 'old men.' as they call us, up and ready when the word came to attack."'

The opinion that the New Zealand tourist and health resorts will be very liberally patronised this season by Australian tourists was expressed By the Hon. ,W. H. Edgar, lately Minister in charge of the Victorian Tourist and Health Resorts Department, who arrived in Auckland the other day. Mr. Edgar stated that he thought that the diverting of the tourist traffic from Europe ;;td Australia and New Zealand during the war,would be of permanent benefit to resorts in these latter countries. Speaking of Victoria in particular, he stated that it was rather remarkable that the receipts from the tourist traffic at the Government bureau in Melbourne for November showed 'an increase of £2000 when compared with the figures for the &&me month last year. A business and financial man in the United Kingdom, writing to his Auckland correspondent, who had announced that he intended to visit England and give what help he could to the Empire, says:— -' "There is no mistake that assistance is badly needed. I wish you could prevail upon Sir Joseph Ward to come also, as his energy and force of character, as well as his grasp of Imperial affairs, would he of immeuso i benefit at the present time." Another letter received in Auckland says:—"ln my last letter 1 referred to the urgent necessity for our colonies sending home to this country men like Sir Joseph Ward to help at the present crisis, which, with our conservative ways, we do not see-in able to tacvle in a prompt and businesslike manner. My feeling and the feeling of many business men on this side, is that the sooner an Imperial Government is established, the bettor, so as to enable us to get the benefit of new blood from our outlying colonies, where they are accustomed to act quickly. I hope you will discuss this seriously with Sir Joseph,.and get him to approach Australia and Canada, as the time' is now ripe for action."

The Government has purchased a block of land near the freezing works at OamarUj which it is intended to cut up into small holdings for working men.

There was a recruiting boom in Gisbornc on Christmas Eve, when about 50 recruits were enrolled at the Peel street depot. ,

Tho rovenuc of the Waimea County Council last year from all sources was about £20,000.

Further Auckland district contributions which have been received by the acting-Consul for Belgium, Mr. J. C. Burns, have /increased the total amount subscribed to the fund in the North to £71,877 17s Bd. ...

A noticeable feature of the Christmas trade throughout New Zealandwas the large variety- of articles bearing the brand "Made in Japan." There has been the same evidence in Australia that Japan is making a big bid to capture a large portion of the trade hitherto held by Germany.

Speaking at the Wanganui Girls' College swimming sports, Sir Robert Stout said he was exceedingly pleaseo. to see the' excellent swimming of th<* girls. Everyone ought to learn to swim. Perhaps when the sad story of the Marquette disaster was fully told, it would be learnt that many on that day lost their lives because they could not swim.

The chairman of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College spoke very strongly at the breaking-iip of the Girls' High School on the question of assisting the- patriotic cause. "Would-to God/ he said, "that instead of making every appeal an excuse for jollification., or amusement, we could give straight out for the common cause."

A cable message received last week by his parents from "Mr. Humphrey Parker, of Gisborne, who went to England with the object of joining the Royal Flying Corps, stated that he had been asked by the War Office to wait, and meantime was engaged in the manufacture of aeroplanes at the Sopwith factory, working 12 hours a day.'

A largo number of people visited Mi. Egmont at Now Year (says the "Taranaki Daily News"). Mr. W. H. Moves and a party of six others reached the top of the mountain, being the first party to do so this season .vithout a guide, while Air. Stanley Shaw and a party of seven others also reached the summit. The accommodation at tho North Egmont hostela-y is now taxed to its utmost.

The running of the race for the Auckland Cup placed in their final order the lucky owners of tickets in the big art union. The., following are the names of the winners of the three big amounts :—£ 1000, Balboa, T. Grubb, Stratford; £500, Blackall, Messrs. Rainger and Donald; £250, Snub, F. O'Connor, Taumarunui, and formerly of Master ton.

OnSunday, at Teneatua, when a motor lorry containing a. number of passengers was endeavouring to negotiate a curve at a clay cutting, the steering gear refused to act, and the lorry heeled over, and went down the bank about 20 feet of a drop, rolling over three times. Two men, Messrs. E. Graham (owner of the lorry) and J. Tressider, were pinned down by the lorry and killed instantaneously. The others, including several' women and children, escaped with trifling bruises.

It is unnecessary (6ays the "New Zealand Herald") to enlarge on the uniform condition of prosperity attending the primary products of the Dominion. Almost the only' products of any importance that were adversely affected by the war were flax and kauri gum. Both collapsed entirely, and although flax steadily recovered, until now there is a most active demand, kauri gum has taken much longer to find a market to replace the trade lost with Germany and the United States. The latter is now decidedly better, and the year closes with the market much stronger than it has been since the war began.

Lieutenant-Colonel Logan has returned to New Zealand from Samoa on furlough, and before leaving Auckland for the South had an interview v, ith the Hon. James Allen, Minister of Defence. Mr Allen afterwards stlated to a ';Herald" reporter that he had discussed with Colonel Logan a number of important questions regarding the administration of German Samoa. Colonel 1 Logan gave a good account of the natives of Samoa and of their loyalty to | the administration. The civil administration had been well established, and ithe country is now more prosperous !than it was under German rule —the expenditure is lower and the revenue greater. The finances have been audited, and the audit has been satisfactory.