THE COLONIST. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1916. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14195, 6 June 1916, Page 4

THE COLONIST. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1916. NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Post Office received advice ye* terday that the Paloqna had arrived at Bluff with an English mail.

The Helping Hand Shop notifies that it will collect gifts promised for the second week of the month, on Thursday morning. The Mayoress's Flag is on view at the shop every week.

A Hawke's Bay motor car collided with Mr. W. Cooper's racehorse Franbonnet near Masterton. As a result of the impact the horse sustained a fracture of a leg, and had to bo destroyed. Franbonnet was a three-year-old gelding by San Fran-Sun-bonne't, and was valued by his owner at over £200

The proceeds of the three shows given by the Permanent Pictures proprietary to-morrow —at the Empire Theatre, Nelson, Institute Hall, Motueka and. Oddfellows' Hall, TakakW will be devoted to the Tobacco Fund' for the Nelson boys sow at the front. Tickets are available at one- shilling each. The management solicit the assistance of all to ensaire large attendances.

Mr John Clegg's lecture on his experiences of German commerce raiders proved a great success at' Christ-church, where it netted £134, the gross proceeds being £150. It is gratifying to find that' Mr Clegg's efforts on behalf of patriotic funds continue to be well rewarded. As has been stated before he pays his own travelling expenses, the enly deductions from the returns of his lecturing tour being for advertising and the hire of halls.

The secretary Marine T'opaitincnt, wrote to ihe Takaka Courty Council, stating that the Minister proposed to Utilise £137, credit balance, for tha purpose of erecting a wharfinger's cottage at Waitapu wharf. The council resolved that the clerk arrange for purchase of land from F. Fellowes, and submit plans for la cottage at next meeting.

At yesterday's meeting of the Nelson Licensing Committee, fa circular was read from the Otaki Licensing Committee, enclosing a resolution suggesting that legislation should be passed giving committees power to regulate the distribution of licensed houses in their own districts. It was pointed out that in some.districts there were too many in some localities and too few in others. The committee decided to take no action.

To-morrow evening, in the Volunteer Drill Hall, kindly lent for the occasion by the military authorities, the fourth Anglican Homo Mission Festival is to be held. The object, as already stated, is to provide funds to supplement the stipends and assist the outlying districts of the diocese in the work of the Clnirch. An appetising tea will be provided, and will be partaken of to the accompaniment of music by an efficient orchestra. Tho addresses at the after meeting are sure to be v-orth listening to, if the names of the speakers bo any criterion. A large ga: thering and an enjoyable evening are confident^ anticipated.

Wo published last week a letter from Dr. -Dryander, Court preacher, Berlin, in reply to a communication from the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New .Zealand on the subject of international peace, which has been misunderstood through- lack of date. The Assembly's resolution was passed in December, 1913, and the reply was, .written some months.;-before the"war broke" out. We subjoin the reply from Paris, which is in a very.different tone to that of. the German: "Piofessor Eugene do Faye, of the Sorborinc, Paris, through whom your committee tried to get into touch with the Reformed Churches of France, writes on June 20th (about sis weeks before the war broke out): 'I have sent the message of your Church to the presidents of the different Presbyterian churches. I quite approve of the motion voted and the eltort made." I am strongly opposed to the war party,' and in favour of arbitration and •■'peace. . . . Of course, if I have occasion I will plead the cause. But except the Rev. Wilfred Monod, of the Oratoiro. v, ho is something of what Sylvester Home was in London, I do not see who would take up thw cause in earnest. The mass of the people—peasants, labourers, and craftsmen, jail the ■humbler classes, want peace—.ask only to be allowed to earn their bread, and desire to. see-, more- justice realised. The higher classes avouM have us be a warlike and aggresive people,.always ready to : fight and keeping tip a large army ' "

During the month of June there will be a. sweejping clearance in the Joy Room at ''Novelties." .Winter time is the timo when -yonnr;''-folks : requirel liealtky amusement. Winter games in big variety Is each, skipping ropes 9d and Is each, lucky stockings from 6d to 3s Cd each, soldiers in boxes 2s 6d to 6s Gd, embossed blocky Is to 7s 6d per bos, rag dolls 6d to Ss 6d, rag jclolls to stuff 6d to 3s 6d per sheet, toy reins Is, Teddy boars 2s.to 255, Ore. cjsecl dolls Is 6d to Sss. Dolls are scarce, and are daily becoming scarcer. Toy ■pietur?. books "64' to 4s 6d, iridostructible rag books 6d to 2s 6d. There is-no end'.to-the. toys' at "i\ ToveltieSj" and country people who . may ; desire. to, raise funds for bazaars', etc., will find our goods.1-and •-methods' entirely satisfactory. 3d,:(sdi and Is articles galore■ —Novelties/ -Nelson.* ::,;■■; ::, ■ ;

Messrs E. Buxton and Co., Ltd.. have-been .advised^hat the Now Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Waima*to is to sail from Welling/tori, for Nelson to-day, and is due here to-mor-row morning? The Waimato is to load frozen moat and general cargo fer London .

The other evening a number of fencing posts were laid across tho Carterton road, near the Waingawa bridge, tho object evidently being to upset motorists (says the "Wairarapa Daily News"). Fortunately the first machine to use the road afterwards was a motor cycle with powerful lights. The rider noticed the obstruction, and syowed down just in time. The motor struck the posts, but the speed was not sufficient to cause any damage.

A day of two ago Mrs. Patuaka Tauehe, of Kuku, while on the Kuku beach, noticed something glittering in bhe distance. On . going to ascertain what it was, she found a lump of metal lodged in the root of a tree. To all appearances it is a nugget of gold, and Several persons to whom the find has been shown declared it to be a valuable find, worth about £400. The lucky finder is taking steps to ascertain definitely the true value of the nugget. It is thought possible that the gold Avas, washed down the river from the hills. If that is'soj there must be "gold in the--mountains,'' as-many have declared there is.—-"Ofcaki Mail-"

It is not at all uncommon, for a person to swear by a dictionary, but it is not done on a dictionary (says the '/Hawke's Bay Herald"). The 'latter, form of ceremony, however, was solemnly gone through at the Napier Magistrate's Court recently. An affidavit was required to be sworn. A clerk produced a book similar to a Bible and placed it in the right hand of the person to be sworn. It was not until the oath had been administered that it was discovered that the "Bible" was a dictionary 1

On his return with the Whangaimoana mail coach on Tuesday last (says the "Wairarapa Daily Times"), the contractor, Mr. G. F. Brims, met with a serious mishap in crossing the Turanganui river, which was in a, flooded condition. Through getting into deep water he was obliged to cut the leaders adrift, and the horses were drowned. The coacli was caught by the rushing torrent and damaged considerably. Meanwhile Mr. Burns was washed - down stream and only saved his life by clinging to a bridge near the scene of the accident. He received a kick from one of the horses, but fortunately was not seriously injured.

The ceremony of laying two founda-tion-stones of the new medical building at Dunedin took place last week. Mr. W. Dawson, to whose generosity the practical initiation of the scheme for the erection was due, and the Hon. J. Hanan, Minister of Education, performing the ceremonies. Mr. Hanan congratulated Dunedin on the position ie occupied as regards educational matfcersj' and paid' a high tribute to the medical profession and nurses for their labours to make good, as far as possible, the wastage of war, to alleviate suffering and to reduce the percentage of infantile mortality.

The threatened shortage of rennet is reported to be at present exercising the minds of directors of cheese factories in Taranaki. Many of the factories have in hand supplies sufficient to last until the early part of the coming season, but thereafter the chances of obtaining further supplies are stated to be problematical. A suggestion has been made that, the Taranaki Farmers' Freezing Company should manufacture rennet, the co-operative factories being utilised as receiving stations for veils, \ but it is stated that the position would j become too acute before the necessary \ machinery could bo obtained. A prominent Taranaki dairyman states that he recently met the representative of a Dunedin firm, which formei;ly manufactured rennet, but owing to fbreign competition had to close down. This firm still possessed the plant, and if assured of a supply of veils at a fa*' price would resume work as soon as expert could be secured.

The officers of the New Zealand Engineers (the Tunnellers) were entertained at dinner at the King's Hotel, Falmouth, recently, by the mayor, magistrates, and members of the Corporation of Falmouth. During the speeches ' tho Garrison Commander (Colonel T. W. Powles) urged them fdr God's sake to kill as many Germans as they could. When they came back he would give four hundred men a sovereign a head if they could produce co him a.written testimony that they had each killed a German. He ■ was not chaffing. They would get the £400 if they could prove they had each killed a German. Major Duigan. commanding officer of the New Zealanders, in replying, said that 'they would win the £400 l offered by the Garrison Commander, and if they could get 'someone, else to offer another £400 they would! win that as well,. ' • I

- It is reporter! that while the Chief Justice, was conversing -.with a friend in the main street of Foxton a man .Wearing the King's uniform and under the influence of liquor drew up a«d asked for the loan of a shilling. Sir Robert kindly admonished the man, and said that his conduct was a reflection on the iiniform he was wearing. He advised him to give' up the drinkmo; habit, and remarked that he (Sir Robert) was old enough to be his father and yet he had not indulged in either strong . drink or tobacco. The intoxicated one looked at the Chief Justice (of course, not knowing who he was addressing), and said: "I don't know who you ar£, but, anyhow, you have got an honest-looking dial!""

An interesting story of the recovery of a watch which a New Zealand soldier lost during the Gallipoli campaign is related by a Wellington man now in the Military Hospital at Rotorua in a letter to a friend in Wellington' The writer says: "Whilst at the Dardanelles a New Zoalander lost his watch (with name engraved thereon) m the trenches. Later another soldier happened to obtain the watch from a wounded Turk, and when heihimsoif was -wounded" brought it back to New Zealand as a memento. He had been unable to secure any information as to the whereabouts' of the original owner until in this hospital the other day, -when he came across a fellow of the same name as that inscribed on the watch ; This proved to be the owner, who is -groa'tly pleased at being able to once again hold his watch—this time with a much stronger grasp tlian bofore.'; ■•■'■■■ ■■■■■■ - ■ -■■ ■ ' ■ - ■ . \

■ -Interviewed by the Dunedin correspondent of the Christchurch ''I»ress" respecting the .alleged prevalence of venereal diseases in New Zealand just 'now, Dr. Valintine (Chief Health Officer) stated that, although the reports were very much exaggerated, the Minister of Public Health was emphatic in his; deterriiinatiori to introduce' legislation during the present I session,; very much on the lines suggested by the report of the recent Royal Commission on Social Diseases. [It was thought that no good would be attained by putting into operation anything in the nature of a Contagious Diseases Act, but other means would most assuredly be undertaken.

Sir Robert Walker, of the Coldstream Guards, now at Trentham, who presented the large billiard table to the King George V. Hospital at Rotorua. replied to Colonel New all's letter of thanks in the following letter < written from Emsworth, Trenthan^:— "I was delighted to net your letter this .and to hear that the billiard liable has how been finally erected. 1 hone it will prove a .success, and be a means' of recreation especially thiring the winter months. In reply to the very kind remarks which you made in your letter, I can only say that any pleasure which may be derived from the billiard table is little compared to the pleasure which it gives me to be able to do something for the returned and invalided New Zeaknders. The more I see of them the better am I able to realise their sterling qualities, and it is a real pleasxire to be associated with them in their training.""