THE COLONIST. SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1916. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14127, 1 July 1916, Page 4

THE COLONIST. SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1916. NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Customs returns i'or Nelson for Juno were as follows:—Customs, duty W9OJ Cs 2d j beer fluty, '£291 10s lOd

Thirty applications have baen received by the City Council for the position of caretaker of the Queen's Gardens. In order that councillors might peruse the applications and testimonials, it was decided last night to defer the appointment until the next meeting.

An -interesting exhibit .at the Nelson Poultry, -fig'-ont and Canary Association's show-is. a jganio cock cock prepared for fighting, as was- done, in the days or old. Tim cock, with comb cut and tail trimmed, is armed with two steel spikes attached with leather bands to his legs, .and is a formidable looking bird. The cock was got up by PoliceSergeant 'Barrett.

The lied Cross general meeting owing to unexpected engagements will be held at. Haxlensteins' rooms on Monday, July 33rd, instead of Tuesday, July 4th. " " .

A local business firm has ibeeu advised by a leading British, pottery firm, that they have been compelled to cancel two recent advances of ten per cent, and fifteen per cent., and substitute 33 J- per cent. The firm also mentioned that they were losinsr so many of their employees., that orders could only bo. accepted on the condition that they could cancel «ny they were unable to execute by September 30t!i next. .■•'■■."

The annual meeting of the Nelson College Old Girls' Association will be held at the College to-night. The annual report and 'balance-sheet will be presented, and then will follow a discussion of plans for raising funds tor patriotic purposes. All suggestions •will bo welcomed, and all old College girls are invited to attend, and those who have not already done so are asked to become Members of the asspcia-* lien, ■■■: '

A credible authority informed 'Oj business man of Ghristchurch that a most peculiar position of affairs prevails in American shipping cjentres regarding the sale of freight space. It appearis the agents of a vessel about to sail advertise so many tons of freight space for sale, .and the highest bidder gets it. He, in his turn, sells the space, in smaller lots, of, course, at an advanced rate, and tnus the cost of .freight nounts up.

A remarkably sudden death of a soloist occurred at the Baptist Church, Bendigo, during a memorial service for Lord Kitchener. After the service Mr H. V. Roper, a well-known citizen, sang "Nearer, My God, to Thee," and almost immediately collapsed, and died in a few seconds. There was much excitement amongst the congregation when it-wiais realised that Mr Roper was- dead, and the service terminated abruptly. Mr Roper was 63 years of age, and conducted the choir. His ■wife was amongst the congregation. The cause of death was heart failure.

Bugler H. R. MeKenzie, in a letter to Ids mother,, Mrs H. R. MeKenzie, of St. Albans Road, Mount Eden, says concerning the Anzac Day ceremony in London: "Eight . New Zealand buglers sounded the.'Last Post' inside Westminster Abbey before the King. I was one of chat eight,, and we are "being complimented from all sources. Old bandsmen and members of the British regulars have said that though £hey have heard the 'Last Post 5 sounded thousands of times they never heard anything like it. _People" are asking, if it was the King's Trumpeter who sounded it." ■

~ Nelson^ealers .announce 'an>increa'se' in of coal. / " * ■ '.'••■■' Two "sections of*23(Pand;'2s4 acres respectively in the Marlborough land district, arc advertised as open, for selection by discharged soldiers.

._ "The- produce, of Mesopotaiiiia in British occupation," is xhe reading on tho printed labels attached to oarfcons of dessert dates which recently arrived for sale, at a Christchurch grocery establishment. /

In the House of Representatives M:* R. P. Hudson, M.P. for Motueka, read the following telegram from SergeantMa jor Campbell:—"Returned, soldiers in this district who served under Major Brereton are unanimous that for discipline, justice,- and fatherly devotion to us, he had few equals. We cannot believe the charge being- made, knowing our leader so well."

The Cit\- Engineer produced at last night's meeting of the City Council an extraordinary collection of tins which were removed from the. old pipe sewer in Waimea. street, which, had become blocked. The exhibit consisted of a largo array of tins of various descriptions, ranging from a paint pot to jam tins and kitchen utensils. How articles of such size found their way into a iiwelve inch pipe is a mystery. /

A Large number of entries wore re-1 ceived iri connection with a competition ■ organised by Messrs Westfield and Everard, publishers of the "Rh/ming Trades' Alphabet." The competition took the form of a handwriting contest, and was open to all children attending, the public and private primary schools. The secretary of the Nelson Education Board acted as judge, # and if the number of specimens which havo been examined aae ar. indication of tho writing taught in tho schools, the results, it is stated, are indeed most-cre-ditable.

According to a business letter, dated London, May 10th, the writer, referring to silver and plated goods, states that the raw metal had advanced 50 per cent, in price, and the -increase tn the cost of labour, etc., had added quite another 15 per cent, to the price of goods since the war broke out, making in all an increase of (at least 75 pev ceritf In addition to that advance. Stationers*' Hall had imposed a war tax of 2s per dozen for stamping^ spoons, forks, and silver goods generally. This means, with the hig increase in freight and insurance, that silver goods must have advanced at least 100 per cent, in New Zealand during the last two years. Electro-plated goods have also advanced immensely-in, price at Home; and at latest advices the rising prices had by no means reached their limit.

A wounded New Ze&lander draws this mo-vdng picture of the scene in Westminster Abbey on Anzac Day:—

"Many a pageant has the Abbey.seen, but never before have 'three thousand men from the outskirts •of the Empire worshipped,,with their King in its storied pile/ he writes in "The Times." "The service had a climax almost oppressive ju its sadness. The Australians and New Zealanders turned, their eyes towards the altar as th© notes of the National Anthem eo^ed through the Abbey, They saw there the simple kliakicla'3 iigufgi'of the only man in our Empire who-does not stand • when'the Anthem, is. sung. And they wondered what Ti£ thought. Surely he saw as they did that every man in whose company he worshipped would again lay down his life to uphold his sovereignty."

The Thermometer.—At 3 o'clock this morning the thermometer out^^^o this office registered 48 degrees.

For Bronchial Coughs, take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure