NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14337, 13 February 1917, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Copies of the "Gazette" containing the result of the military service ballot just concluded are expected to be available in Nelson at 9 o'clock this morning.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr A. A. Lucas, J.P., a first offender for drunkenness was fined 10s.

Citizens are invited to close their promises from noon to-morrow for the JN~elson Trotting Club'is races. .Legal offices will also close at nooa.

The Wellington War Relief Association has given £500 to the Salvation Army's Field Work Fund.—Press Association.

The names of Mr T. M. WilfortL member for the Hutt, Mr G. Forbes, Tv'ho has/ acted as Chief Opposition Whip, aiid-.Mr,T.,K. Sidey, the member for South Dunedin, are mentioned aB successors in the National Ministry of tho late Hon. Dr. McNab.

A private letter received from an Aucklahder in the trenches makes mention of a new regulation in regard to soldiers' correspondence, namely, that letters must be limited to- four pages.

A marble statue- of Captain Scott, erected by the people of Chnstchurch as a memorial to the Antarctic explorer, was' unveiled on Friday afternoon by the Governor in the presence of a hu^e assemblage. The statue, which cost £.1000, is the work of Lady Scott.

The electric light was restored at Whangarei last week, one... turbine at the Wairua station having been set in motion. This power will be sufficient to supply light and power.to the borough until the renovation of the station is completed.

In the Supreme Court at Wellington on the 7th inst., on the application of Mr W. V. Rout probate of the will and 4qdicil of the Uite Charlotta Bignalt Airey, of Richmond, was granted by His Honour Mr Justice Chapman to Charles Edward Molesworth and Katherine Marianne Molesworth, the executors named in the codicil.

Some idea of children's tastes in moving pictures may be gathered from the feeling displayed at the Empire Theatre yesterday, afternoon, when a special matinee for school children was given to enable them to see the fine travel subject, "The All-Red Route." In deference to the wishes of the head teachers oomic pictures were excluded, and the programme comprised in addition to the picture mentioned^ scenic and topical subjects. The whole programme v:a-.i highly interesting and instructive, but towards the end the youngsters became restless, and eventually an organised chorus of "We want Charlie", showed the direction in which their thoughts .j-.'sn. Over one thousand children were present, and it was one of tho' largest audiences of children cvej- scenj in Nelson.

"When he was medical officer of the Nelson ...Mental Hospital, the late Dr. Boor had some exciting experi-

ences. ~A patient once -gave him a realistic illustration of the way in which he would, like to throttle those ■h ho offended him. Fortunately he had no enmity towards tKe doctor, but the latter used to say it was not pleasant to feel the man's thumbs against Jus windpipe. The fcmlding first\ used as an asylum was not properly constructed for that1 purpose, iA patie.ntu.one day detached^ piece of heayy .timber frpra.one of the windows, $hd wtts^foTind '-wlthit in hi s hands'.-A member-,of the staff, however, with admirable,., presence oi mind, picked up' a' chaSr iuifr p'innea j the man against the wall in such a way that ho .was powerless to do any mischief. On another occasion, when the weather was very hot, a male inmate bagged that the door "of his cubicle j might be left a little open so' that. lie ! might have more air. The request was -granted,by one of the officials, but the . man took advantage of the concession to force, the' door fastenings and make his escape. He threw his shoes over the wall, which he then scaled.. having first placed his mattress on top of it. ;He then came into town. His wife fortunately saw him pass a door of her residence, and managed to give the. alarm in time to enable him to be secured before anything tragical occurred.

c T, he c P0 1 rt TT °f .-a special meeting of the Royal Health Society appears in this issue. In connection with the baby-clothes competition the society is conducting, all the schools in the district are being circularised.

There will be a. meeting afTapaweia on Saturday evening of all those interested in holding a flower show and dog trials there on Easter Monday' "

■ A special English literature class will be held at the Nelson Technical School on Wednesday evenings. It will meet the requirements of the Senior Public Service, Class C, and B.A. degree examinations.

Bright-water helpers of the Helping Hand Shop in aid of the Red Cross Fund are reminded to send in this week, and gifts from the Port will be collected on Thursday morning. The shop will be open for business on Thursday (and on Wednesday for receiving only). °

The slips on the Ivaipara railway line occasioned by the recent torrential rains have been found to (be even more extensive than was at first anticipated Consequently it is expected that two or three week s will elapse before through traffic can be resumed to- Wellsfprd. Trains are at present running no further than Kaukapakapa, 44 niTies north of Auckland.

The more the figures are examined which-make -up the total import value for 191(3, officially given as £25,045,403 the more clearly it is evident (says the "New Zealand Herald") that even this record must be largely increased if we are to have a sound estimate of what New Zealand actually paid for the goods it imported. The official returns show that imports were poured into the Dominion during the past year in spite of all the disabilities under when trade was conducted; but they do not show the landed cost. It is very probable that the official under-stating of true landed values applies to imports from the United States and Japan to an even greater degree than to importations from the United Kingdom and Australia.