NEWS OF THE DRY.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14538, 16 October 1917, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DRY.

J The Pacific Cable Board advise thatj the time of ti ansmission of messages is again normal. ' | Entries for the competitions for cakes, etc., at the W.C.T.U. sale of work to-morrow must be at the Tem-j perance Hall by 1 p.m. The burial 61 the late Private Oscar George Rowe, of the Expeditionary Force, will take place to-morrow afternoon. The Nelson. portion of the 12th Regiment and Nos. 50, 51, and 5'J Companies of the Senior Cadets will parade at the Drilished at 2 p.m. to attend the funeral. The inclusion of sketches by outside artists, including some workors who are at present visiting this district, will enhance the attractiveness of tho exhibit ion to be held in the Suter Art Gallery this afternoon. The Red Cross Fete in ..the'Provincial Grounds on Monday next will have a variety of attractive features both in the afternoon and .jn the evening, including a battle of flowers and confetti and dancing on the green. There wiU also be stalls for the sala of sweets, I preserves, produce, and other goods. A cheque for £50 has been received by Mr W. W Snodgrass from the manager of the .New 'Zealand Insurance j Company. This is the third payment of £50 tho company has made to .Nelson patriotic funds". Half the sum >'s for the V.M.C.A. organisation catering for comforts for New Zealand soldiers at the front, and the other half will go to the Sick.and Woundea Soldiers' Fund. The Helping • Hand Shop asks Brightwater friends to leave their gifts at Mrs F. Jluther ford's. Contributions 'from the Port will be collected on j Thursday morning. Next week the [Shop will hare a, stall on-Monday at jthe Red Cross Fete in the Provincial Grounds, instead of holding its usual sale. Particulars about contributions will be advertised later. Mr^Robevt Carrick, the New Zealand I manager for Quibell Bros., Ltd., in- | formsi us that in spite of tlie war his ■ principals have managed to keep the! | New Zealand markets going. Adequate j '.supplies of "Kerol," the well-known' disinfectant, are in this Dominion, and further shipments are coming to hand. llt is interesting to know that this j British-made disinfectant is ' being inicreasingly used throughout New Zealand.*

A -/Gazotto Extraordinary" contains additions to the lUt oi: firms and persons declared enemies under the War.Kemulations; also tho names of some winch have been removed from the list —J. ress Association.

$ *£ mV ldcr is g^en of the Trades it , "hok^alc dance at the Provincial Hall to-nignt.

All entries for the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association's' annual show will close at. the secretary's office Richmond, on Wednesday, .November ( til. A Melbourne paper of October Ist says Miss Adela Pankhurst was married to Mr T. Walsh, a member of tlie Socialist Party and of the Seamen's Union. One effect of the coal shortage in Christchurch in that householders are burning more rubbish. The City Council finds that the rubbish sent to the destructor is much more ineffective i'or raising steam than formerly, and it will be necessary to use about five tons of coal per week id keep up a, sufficient supply of hot water for the municipal baths. Mr L. M. Isitt stated in the House of Representatives that in conversation with the captain and officers of an oversea vessel that had carried New Zealand troops lie had been told that the conduct of the New Zealand soldiers during the journeys was excellent. When the men had gone ashore at ports of call they had behaved splendidly.

One of tho industries that has developed in Great Britain since- the war is ; ,that of detinning.- Hitherto there •has"'l^een an enormous waste of old tins. A company is now at work recovering the tin and solder. Enormous quantities of old tins hccumulate, around military camps, both at Homo and in France, and from these what would otherwise be lost will now be recovered for further use.

The statement was made before the teouth Island Railway Appeal Board at Uinstchurch last week that since the commencement of the" war 2500 permanent men had resigned from the railway service, as had also a large number of the casual men, who had^become dissatisfied with the service lhese resignations, it was declared, were mainly the result of the policy of pinpricking" pursued ; by:; some of tho omcials.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that, in reply to a question, the Government stated that the Union Steam Ship Company was paid a subsidy of £20,000 per annum tor- a service between Auckland and Vancouver. A contract had just been entered into for 12 months / and provision was made therein for the company, if it considered it" expedient to do so, to1 extend any 'voyage to a port or ports :n Australia. The contract did not compel the vessels employed to victual, in Auckland.

In reply to a question in the House of Representatives by Air Hunter, -the Defence Minister said: "The District Medical Boards have been instructed, on the recommendation of the DirectorGeneral of Medical Services, to classify all men who have attained their fortyfourth birthday when drawn in the ballot as C 2, as experience has shown that men of this age are not-able to stand the strain of active service. These reservists are thereupon granted indefinite leave, without pay, and are free to continue in their civil employment."

"I think I am over forty, but I really cannot tell you," said an agricultural worker who was being appealed for before the Military Service Board at Wel« hngton. All the guidance in the matter he oould give the board was that he came out from Dorsetshire England, when he was 13, and before goiiTrr in for farm work lie went to the JNo£ mat School at Chiistchurch. The boat in which he came out was the old Ki.mutaka, and Captain Greenstreet was her captain. The witness could not remember the month or the year in which ho arrived, but knew that it wa« summer time, "I believe I'm over 40 all right he added, and there were those in the room who agreed with him

The necessity that has arisen for suitable accommodation for relatives of soldiers in tire vicinity of training camps is on© that has become "enerallv recognised, and as far as-tfce Iwapuni ■camp is concerned (says the "Mani watu Standard-) the matter ha- been under consideration of the Palmerston branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union for some time past. The efforts of tho Indies have been quite successful, and as a result of their i?bpurs they hare now acquired a desirable property in Fitzherbert street, and known as Willard House, which will be at die disposal of relatives of members of the N.Z.M.C. at Awapuni. Such a provision at a reasonable tariff will no doubt bo appreciated by those concernGd, and an. indication of this is already supphed by the inquiries thafe W: been already received, and it is evident that the home will soon be fully occupied. J

■A iire broke out in the job printing room of the "Rangitikei Advocate," Marton, and before it was suppressed damage to the extent of about £100 was done.

lhe Picton wharf was illuminated by electricity for the first time the I other night (says the "Press") and presented a-brilliant spectacle from both the sea front and the town. The installation has been carried out, by the Borough Council's electricians * aud judging by appearances, the v/prk should meet v/ith the satisfaction' of the Railway Department. The verdict at the inquest at Taihape on John Morris, who died as the result of a quarrel at the Box Company's works at Ohutu on October Ist, was — "lhat the deceased, John Morris died from a clot of blood in the heart originating from the fracture of -a rib pi-?,ba^ T 11 ? ccm ni;J n S whilst in a struggle with William Thomas Ashton. but that there is not sufficient evidence to say how the mctiire came about." A soldier writes from France: A man has to bg lucky nowadays to get back to .New Zealand. Lately a big crowd' supposed- to be going back, finished up over here m the "Light Duty Bat-1 talion. >.hey all wear a green*stripe' on their shoulder, and are put to work 1! 01'* obs > such as canteens. i.M.C.A., etc.

A.gentleman who has just returned from a tour of Central Otago informs the Dunedin "Star" that there is every prospect of the orchardists in t.hat region having record crops this coming season The apple, cherry, and peartrees are masses of bloom, and the apricots and almonds have already set their fruit, it being as large as * peanuts. -The only fear is in regard to late wet frosts.

Evidence of what appears to'have been a'klejiborate attempt to burn down the Methodist Church, at the corner of Regan and Orlando streets, Stratford, was discovered. Wood shavings were placed under the vestry at the real of the church, but, as it happened, beyond charring some planks of the Mooring and burning the grass in the vicinity for a space of a yard or.two square, the fire got no further. *^

rloiMpo \ir T> o Woki, w~ \ j AustiaJia Jias found the experiment ot with the present bungling and discontent and introduce proportional representation

An unusual appeal came before the Military Service Board at Dunedin. The wife of a iefcurned Main Body man, who was wounded and has again returned to camp for service, appealed to have him released. They hact two children, and she did cot consider her husband should serve again until the Second Division was called up. They had had no row, and it was not a question of money. She had written to her husband saying that she was appealing, but had not received a reply from him The chairman remarked that the-appli-cation was unusual. They did not know how the husband would take it, but the board would recommend that he be released for three months without ps-y.

The Germans are determined at all costs to encourage family life and the increase of tue population. "Toss's Gazette" says that a National Matrimonial Agency has been set up by, the State of Saxcny. The very, practical purpose of this bureau is 'to provide war-widows, especially those who have been left m possession of small busi-~ nesses, with what the paper calls "war-damaged husbands." With truo German thoroughness, lists are being compiled in all the hospitals of eligible male candidates, and descriptions, without mention oi; names, of suitable widows, are to be published in the military newspapers for distribution amon* the wounded. **

Ihe icocnness displayed by some young 2\ew Zealanders in regard to the war is illustrated in the case of Private Ernest yon Stunner, of the Telegraph Construction Department. Auckland He is now only 20 years of age, but he volunteered for service three years a«o. and being rejected on account of his age, worked his passage to England in the s.s. Otaki (since torpedoed) so that he might get to the front. Ueing still too young to serve with the British forces, he joined a steamer conveying ammunition to Russia, and later, when that vessel proceeded to Australia, lie succeeded in getting taken on with the Jirst Pioneer Battalion of the Australian Imperial Forces. He was nciiting; with them when wounded and,gassed, j

Ihe strange case of a child of about seven years of age who could give no account for herself cropped up the 2* her. day (says the "Xexv Zealand limes ). She joined in the play of the Clyde quay school children. "As she did not belong to the school she was taken to Constable Le Ferve, who, alter half an hour's examination, couid make nothing of her. She was accord* ingly handed over to the matron of the .Taranaki street police station, and After some- time she was claimed by a lamenting parent. There have been several cases of stray children lately who have not been able to give any assistance towards their own identity. Such lncidehts'suggest. the wisdom of those parents who make a point of teaching their little ones to -repeat frequently their names and addresses.

v Exhibited in the vestibule of Parliament Buildings (says the' Wel'-ngten "Post") are several samples of marble and stone from the Takaka Valley, kelson. They are beautifully* polished, and indicate the possibilities of what may be done by New Zealand as far as this important industry is concerned, lakaka, is renowned in New Zealand for its marbles, and it is believed that they are equai in point of beauty to ijiny in the,world. The iield is said to I"f so \ asb as* to permit of ample export alter fully meeting all local require-, nients; and it lias been estimated that the cost of working them is only a little above that of common building stone. Ahe samples .shown, in the opinion of some experts, are not surpassed, and in .some cases not equalled;-.: for compression, strength; compactness of texture polishing '{unities, variation of colour', and beauty in vein and figure. With this great supply of raw material available it as expected that a new industry will arise which should provide employ-i mont on a large scale.: There were, before the \var,^37,ooo men employed in Belgian stone and marble "qu'arne^ Belgian black and whit<; -marble—Sc Anne's—is known and used thronghotit! the world. Takaka black and whits i marble is declared to be superior irr every respect to St. Anne's, and a keen i .demand is pronhesifed for it so soon rs i it h made known on the markets of the I world.