NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14196, 7 June 1916, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tlie mails which loft New Zealand on April 30th arrived.in London on the -l.th inst.

Mr Carl Seegner, formerly German Consul at Auckland, has been released on parole from Motuihi prison campj owing to ill-health.

Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., will give a war lecture on ':How We Are Progressins," in aid of one of tho patriotic funds, in Nelson on the 3.9 th or 20th in-st. ".- . .•:... ...

The Premier lias received confirmation of the sinking of the German warships Bindonlnirii and Lutsrow in the North Sea fight.

The programme for the Anglican Home Mission Festival to be held at the Drill Ifall this evening appears in another part of this issue. The .speakers "will include 'Dean Carrington, "of Christchurch.

The Nelson Coursing Club's plumpton meeting will be concluded at Richmond Park to-day, when an open stoke, limited to eight or ton dogs Avill be run, commencing at 2.30 p.m. Some good dogs have been brought to Nelson for the event, and if weather conditions are favourable, there should bo some capital sport.

The Anchor Company announce that the>s.s. Kaitoa will bo placed on the patent slip at Wellington to-day, consequently they will not have the usual steamer leaving here for Wellington tomorrow.

The American schooner Coqiiitlam City has arrived at Suva in a leaky condition. She is bound from Newcastle to San Francisco. When 34 days out sho encountered a gale, and'water-was rising at the rate of 10 inches an hour.

This evening residents of the city. Motueka, and;; Takaka" 'will have an opportunity of helping to provide tobacco and cigarettes for our boys at the front by attending the Empire Theatre, at Nelson, and the picture shows at Motuebai and Takaka, the proprietary of these places of amusement having generously decided to give all net -proceeds of their respective entertainments for this purpose. Suitable programmer; will be screened, and large audiences may be anticipated.

At a meeting of the Stoke Fruitgrowers' Association Mr A. P. Allport made an explanation regarding the National Apple Show. He said that Stoke fruit Avas entered in his name, as Mr Longton, the secretary, objected to an association entering and competing. The many prizes won were 'with fruit be-* longing .to different.-individual .growers of Stoke. Brightwater, and distriqt was shown in Mr A. B. Hall's name, and Motue-ka district in Mx Lowe's name. But it was all Nelson fruit.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr J. S. Evans,.S.M., presiding, judgment for plaintiff by default, was giv;en in tho following cases.:—-J'. Shields and Co., Ltd. (Mr G. 11. Wise) v. J. A. F. Johnson, claim for £6 Bs, with costs £2 &s 6d ; A P. Allport (Mr Wise) v. Sydney Marte], Hastings, £1.55 Is, dishonoured cheque, £1 Is interest, with costs £7 Bs. A defended case, T. E. Brooks (Sherry) v. J. O'Reilly Hickey, a. claim for £29 16s 6d, being £23 16s 6d balance owing for hire of horses, dray, and harness "and plough, £5 value of trap lent and not returned, and £1 for 40 -sacks, occupied tho attention of the Magistrate for the remainder of the day, Mr O. 11. Fell appearing for the plaintiff and Mr J. P. Hayes for the defendant. After hearing evidence* the Magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiff for £10 4s, with costs £4 ss, and the defendant was ordered to return the trap within 14 days or pay tho .sum of £3.

The drink bill for New Zealand for 1915 has been calculated by Mr A. S. ,Adams on the t basis adopted' in ppst years. He estimates tho consumption as follows:—Spirits, 940,611 jrallons, £1,881,222; wines, imported, 163,903 gallons, £327,806; beer, imported, 260,050 gallons, £78,015; beer, brewed in New Zealand, J0.605,714 gallons. £2,121,142 16b.. The'total of £4.408,----185 16s, shows an increase of £161,----826 16s over the total for 1914. The estimated expenditure per head was £3 16s 82-d, showing an increase of 2s B£d over that of 1014. The total revenue derived from alcoholic liquors by the Treasury-was £873,431.

"There is a- German in New Zealand who has retired from business," said Mr F. W. Manton, at the Wellington Town Hall the other night. "He went to a friend of mine the ether day and in the heat of the moment said, 'Your people won't buy German goods? I tell you they will when the war is over. I am ready to start immediately, and luive my agencies all ready.' Row, tlut n-ar.'a agencies must have been organised before the wjir. I intend to hand him over to the Government ie be dealt with. Every business man who has an opportunity shoultl do likewise^ —take practical action instead of writing to the newspapers. We must keep a sharp look-out for the enemy in our midst."- (Gi.eat applause.)

! The Zeppelin danger is responsible for a startling innovation in .lie Anglican sorvico (says an exchange) When it became necessary to darken tho ..streets, not a lre\v vicars (locidec! to abandon ovcuiina; services ralhor than require their congregations to grope their way to church. Recently, the authorities have required that oven coloured glas's windows -should be ■screened. At Jvingsley, . near Heinsvrorth, the vicar adopted a bolder policy. Ho determined to do without I lights altogether. Ho had the hymns and psalms photographed on to ]:mter?i slides, a.nd they are now thrown on to a screen in the chancel by a, powerful limelight. The prayers and lessors are read by light of electric torches. Where there's a- will there's a way.

Speaking to the "Mining Industry'" at the recent Farmers' Union conference (says the liPelorus Guardian") Mr J. Elliott referred to the progress of mining m the Wakamarii>a. Ho prodieted that events would prove there was more wealth left in that district than had been taken out of it. Ho expressed his conviction that good reefs existed in the hills even close ;to Havelock, and that the people would yet have their slumbers disturbed jby the noise of batteries. Responding, Mr C. F. Halt said that the earlier downfall of the Wakamarina; wa« due to the work of exploiters.;-\vjjo formed companies that were no goc.d. Inferring to more recent developments, he said there could be little doubt that the Wakamarina was only in its infancy in regard to quartz-mining, and |-he would not bo surprised if the district surpassed Waihi and the Coast. He urged upon settlors of the district to help the mining industry, for there was no reason why the two industries should not work together.

■^■A^q^eTf-^&ichzpi^giiiy^ motor cairs arrived in Wellingtdii from America by ■.the'-:.<?ai"gpy''s^eamey/'Suru|i;a.l.--'.."«l?he' v.ossel. had, altogether:6oQ cars oil i>oai; d,;;nibst bf-theni^;for Australia^ V■• ;; '7■•'■' I

-'If there is one biisiness in New Zealand that requires the best man to. conduct it, it is that ,of farmihg."—-Ma* Moss (Eketahnna), president, Wellington Provincial Farmers' ■•Union'•■ Conference at' Levin.' ' ■.-■•;'■■

"Tho most extraordinary case of rescue after the mining of the P. and 0: steamer Maloja was that of a child," says a London paper. '"Something on 'thti water was observed from one of the boats, and when they rowed to-the spot ir. was .forind to bo a baby so wellwrapped up that it was floating on its back. The child was got into the boat and put aboard a trawler, the,n taken to the engine-room and wrapped in dry, warm clothing. It: was afterwai'ds removed to a- hospital ship. Tho mother wa.s found later, having been picked up fiom'the sea in an unconscious state."

. In his address before the Technological Section of the Wellington-.Philoso-phical'Society,'Mr'. "E. Parry, Government Electrical Engineer, referred to the signal success of two< New Zealand men, Mr Ove'rend and Mr Grinlington, who had succeeded in inventing a solder and devising a process for solderingaluminium, which had .passed the most rigorous tests .by the War Office at Woolwich, and had been adopted by them. This success was all the more notable because ever since-alu-minium came into, general "use countless efforts had been made to solve thu problem.

Severe restrictions have been imposed in Britain on the sale of glycerine, and henceforth chemists will not be able to obtain fresh supplies unless they-give a written guarantee to dealers that they will only use it for preparing the medicines of the British Pham'acopeia, that they will not. sell it over the counter --unless it is ordered b.y a doctor's prescription, and that they will not use it as an ingredient, of any toilet preparation. The reason for the embargo is that the supplies of glycerine axe required for manufacture of explosives.

An open verdict was returned in the case of Hans Port-man, a German -prisoner of war who died at Holdsworthy Camp, New South Wales. The coroner said that the evidence showed that deceased was a member of the "Black Hand," a secret society, composed of the worst characters in the camp, who blackmailed and terrified, rich, influential, but physically weak, febow-Ger-raans. There was a want of evidence to show who struck Portman, due to a well-concerted conspiracy of ignorance for fear of the consequences. Ine coroner .supported the suggestion that the worst class of prisoners bo deported after the war.