NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14666, 21 March 1918, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Hina will make a round trip, Collingwood, Takaka, and Collmgwood, leaving Nelson this morning at 8.30.

Tfiere will be a hard-up dance ..m the Port Rowing Shed on Friday, tne 22»ct inst., in aid of the King George st.nd V M.C.A. funds.

The annual meeting of the Churcft Missionary Society will, be hold in., the Sheibourne Street Schoolroom'tuis evening. '. .. . • ■.. -...,- ■'■'■ \

The MotuekaDistrict .High School will reopen on Monday nextj the-25th inst., after a,, month' 3 hop-picking holidays^,.

An appellant before the Military Ber-; vice Board caused some amusement at! Palmerston last week by stating that; he was not appealing for'exemption on! his own behalf, but he would have, to shdw his wife that he had done some-! thing, to try and get it.' "The most candid admission I have ever heard," remarked .-Captain Walker.. The sunshine had a smoky -effect at the close of the afternoon in Nelson yesterday, due, it is believed, to smoke from the bush fires.in the North Island. A similar effect was noticed with the moon at night. On Tuesday afternoon there were times when the breeze had a distinctly hot character, and this was attributed to the same cause.

Last night the Nelson Academy of Music rooms were crowded on the occasion of Miss Jean Martin's elocutionary demonstration. Miss Martin, speaking on the subject of elocution, said that no nation abused its own language so much as did the British. Far too little heed was given to elocution in our schools. Pronunciation, emphasis, accent, and inflexion were fully treated, in the course of the speaker's remarks, while what might be called "the language of the body," was beautifully illustrated. The faulty pronunciation in New Zealand of such words as "pail,' "great,": "saw," "page," to mention only a few, was pointed out. Elocutionary illustrations were given by Mis* Martin herself, and her.pupils, Misses Sybil Sowman, Dorcas Davis, Jessie Greenem, and Master Cameron lait

In Washington a huge stock of gold) is housed in the vaults of the United, States Treasury. A corridor in the basement has been shut off by steel sates, and the £old is stacked up like briclis-a:waitir.^ the mason's hands. In that, pile are 1200 tons of pure gold, much of it ■ TBtm*i«"«™«' British coins, sent to Washington in payment of war supplies, and melted down in the assay office next door. Each brick is worth about £1600. and the total value is more than .0,150,000,000.

A shipmaster who has bwti in the North Sea when it was \m very bad be« haviour, said yesterday ;h.it be had newr experienced there anything like the seas and weather his vessel went through in Tasman ■ Bay during * ut.sday's storm.

Few people realise the value of a good cow' to a dairy farmer who supplies a town run. A Wanganui milk vendor has v HoLstein cow, Woodcrest Johanna Tehee, which recently put up a butter-fat l ecord and incidentally produced over 21.0001b of milk in the year. At 5d a quart this milk would be valued at £175.

An interesting statement was made by Sir Joseph Ward during the course of his address in Palmerston the other evening, when he stated that scientists were of opinion that within a few years a new propelling power for ships, trains and motors would be brought into use. Numbers of scientists were now engaged in the solving of the prpblem, and were confident of meeting with complete success.

Further instructions issued regarding dress regulations state that officers in uniform must wear their Sam Browne belts at all tunes when appearing in public places, including theatres, restaurants, and hotels. It is also notij fied for general information that jackets, trousers, and pantaloons, service are: issued as universal garments for New Zealand Forces ? and that distinguishing braids and pipings are abolished.

At the appropriation meeting: of the Nelson People's Terminating Building Society held on Tuesday night, the successful shareholder was Mrs C. S. Short, the holder ?jf three shares.

The Commissioner of Taxes draws attention of taxpayers to the notification appearing in to-day's issue>that returns of *land must be furnished not later than April Bth. Forms of return may be obtained at any postal money-order office; they will not be sent to taxpayers from the office of the Commissioner of Taxes unless written application is made fe^ them.

"In time to come," said Mr S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., to a parent who was called to £he Juvenile Court at Wellington to explain why he had not sent his child to school, ' 'many children in New Zealand, will rise and curse their parents for neglecting to give them a good education and so fit them for civic and other «r*«ponsibilities."

A copy has, been, received -at thi office of the thirty-fifth balance-she< and statements of account of the Sa vation Army in New Zealand, being fc the year ended September 3O'tTi 3 191' Particulars, duly audited, are given < the General Fund, Self-denial Fun< Property Fund General and Proper t Funds Trade Fund Military Camj Appeal, Belgian and Servian Appea Comforts for Sick and. Wounded Ne Zealand Soldiers Appeal, and Feathe ston Hostel and Hutments. The part culars set out show that the busines side of the Salvation Army's operatior lis conducted • with care and regularity j £n important matter from the point c view of financial contributors. A Maori correspondent has entere the controversy about the retention < the word ."kindergarten" with the fo lowing statement, says a contributor t the- Auckland "Herald" :—At Ohineim tv: last moon we were told that yo have a great school for children i Auckland, and that it is known by German name. All ou,r young me have left Ohinemutu to light the Gei mans. If you come here you will nc see a young Maori man able to figfr The giving of a name is a sacred rite t the Maori people. Why then do yo pakehas give a German name to you great school for little, children ? If yo have not enough words in the pakeh language, or if you cannot get a nam why go out of New Zealand for a name Do you put epitaphs in the German lai guage of our great enemy on your torn! stones? Why not give a Maori nam to your groat" children's school ? Wh not call it Wharekura Tamariki. Tarns rjki in Maori means children. I thin your pakeha word for Wharekui would be university. If that name fc given in Maori it will be. like a gres stone on which an inscription is wri ten to tie memory of the Maori rac< wJhose eons m thousands' are now so diers of our King, and fighting th Germans. A passenger by Tuesday night 1 train on the North Island Main Trim Railway gives some vivid details of th sights which met travellers to -Wei lington. . "The night," he said,"""wa bitterly cold, and the gale driving wit amazing fierceness. ..It was the greal est fire by far I ever saw. The whol country, not only on one side of th line, but all around, was ablaze. If yo; imagine the hills surrounding Wei lington as solid walls of fire, you ma; set. some idea of the spectacle. Ove 300 refugees from Itaetihi were take into Ohakune. It was a sad sight t 1 see whole families walking round wit a nothing in the world left but th -clothes they stood in. Particular 1 j touching,*' he said, «'was the sight o | women and children. These poor pec lple had a terrible experience.. Bah £■* suffocated by smoke and more than hal -rblinded, they were in a dreadful condi tiori. Their every appearance told o the strain of that dreadful night. On ■-• man came in carrying a doll. W< ti laughed, but he only nursed it the mori ti tenderly. The- story was quite touch Q ing. It was all they had saved, and.i o was all the world to the little girl -wh< .- was all the world to him. Then ther< t came a woman who did not know whether 'ther her husband was safe or not. Hi was out in the bush when the_ fir< ,:, started. Now miles'of flame: separate< t them. Each was unaware of the fat< q of the other. Her anxiety was great.' c —Press As^ciation. I. _ ... c Referring to the discovery of mine; n near Cape Farewell, the "Sydney a Morning Herald" says: "'The mine! s found in New Zealand waters appear t< be of the same pattern as those discovered off Gabo. They wer-}, according t( a hi.uh naval officer, the ta-jst powcrfu Germany was »-nov/;i tv posi-ops ■ ' They were oyal-shaped, measuring 411 gj6in lono; and 2ft 7in wide, nid constructed of quarter-inch steel. Weighoiiair about 2001bs, they -were n'in'-T;?: c ;with T.N.T. These minos, ac-cojding ' r to expert opinion, were 'aid out m a ,_ nroper and scientific minefield by .«<-tnej body with an expert knowledge of this a ' branch of naval warfare, and an erju^-'ly x l good knowledge of the vicinity aud its j_ | traffic. The opinion was also exoressn| ed by naval authorities that the minos » were laid by a specially-fitted vessel." f m The Thermometer.—At 3 o'clock this 3K morning the tompersture oi7tfjir!p ls this office registered 4? '.Wr?fs.

Among the soldiers who returned on I Friday* says the Auckland "Star,", were about twenty sergeant instructors, \ who have returned for duty in New' Zealand, where they. will, replace men holding similar positions, who have .not yet had the opportunity of going- away. These men have had experience of active service,-conditions, and should prove a valuable addition to the staff of instructors.

The great coal field at Nightcaps is | on the eve of being fully developed, a vast amount of capital being available for that .purpose (remarks the "Western Star"). An outlet is being sought for the coal, and eyes have been turned to Riverton, which port.; is the. natural outlet for the • western district. We may-in the future see aigreat development in this direction, \as we understand the whole output of these mines is for markets further.north, and the coastal carriage is the cheapest. The companies concerned will no doubt have their own line of coal boats.

Mr William John Mountstephen,. of the Registration Department, Chief Post Office, Wellington, has received notification that he has Tjeen awarded the Gray Memorial /Medal for his "suggestion (which has been adopted) that the letter bill book be printed in a form to enable duplicate copies to be taken by the carbon process for retention, at the forwarding office for reference purposes, thus enabling a registered letter register, written up separately, to be abolished. In forwarding the medal*,: the Secretary of the Postal Department (Mr W. R. Morris) congratulated the winner of the prize and expressed the hope that he would regard it as "a badge of honour in the service."

In the course of his remarks to the Natives at Taiporohenui, Br Por&are used a pretty metaphor to point his remarks. He'contrasted in picturesque language the giant kauri and the frail waving rauptv:" The kauri, the forest, king, looked down on the raupo, in the pride of his power against all winds and other forces of nature. The raupo, in turn, said; "You, "kauri, ; that is

where you are at fault. Your .P OWPr lasts but temporarily. ' in course of time your roots are unnerved and you fall. "I, raupo, bend with all winds and come back to my original position." The speaker said that the Taranaki Maoris were resisting law. He told them to be like the raupo and bend at the instance of law.

The ;:Ng;iruawahia Advocate" says Mr T. Patevson,. sen., has received a

communication from- the military authorities, demanding that he shall hold him&elf m readiness-to proceed to camp,, with a view to taking up arms in defence of his King and country. As Mr Paterson is over 70 years of age, has a son, Captain T. Paterson, now in the firing line, and a son-in-law, recently deceased, who served with distinction right through the memorable retreat from Mons, it is assumed that a slight departmental blunder has been committed in calling him to the* colours. I*or all that, Mr Paterson states that he would not be "averse to donning the khaki if his services could be of any use in .prosecuting... the war to a successful climax.

An appeal of an exceptional nature ?ame before the First. Wellington. Military Service Board at 'Palmerstori, when Mrs Akerman, of Masterton, asked that her brother, Corporal.; Harold L. Peaise, be allowed to come Back from the front. Mrs Akerman said her brother had been away since January of last year } and she asked that he bo allowed to cotpa. back to see his mother, who, according to the doctor, would not live very long, In "answer /to the chairman, . Mrs. Akerman said she did not think.it would p-rolong her mother's! life if her brother was allowed to comet back. Asked if her brother had ex-! pressed a desire to 'tome back, Mrs Akornian said he did not know that his mother was so b?d. The chairman (Mr. D. G.-j-A. Cooper) said that the case was the first of its kind to come before the: board ; on which it cast a serious re-' sponsibility. Vine hoard would, tberefore, take time, to consider its decision. "Unless the industrialists of this colony can organise to bring pressure to bear on the Government as the farmers do, the industrialists' name is mud," declared Mr 0. J. Ward at the meeting of the Industrial Association afev,Wellington (says the,."Dominion"). His remarks had reference to the recent conference convened by tlie Gov- | ernmenfc regarding the prices to rule for hides and skins. He said that the alleged conference was not a^.conference lat all. The several interests met in j committees, and passed several resolu'tionsj with the idea that they should be discussed by the main conference, but there was no'such discussion. He : believed that the reduction of l£d per jib. in hides had been fixed before the j conference, and the concern of the pro- ;. duoers and most of those present was |to defer the reduction until tfie end of March. "And the workers-have to pay Is M. a" pair more for boots'in-the' meantime," said Mr F. J. Evans. - A swordfish with a broken sword, which was captured at llusselJ on Friday, has (telegraphs the "Post's" Auckland correspondent) proved to be the one which rammed the launch Virginia on 19th February. Upon examination it was found; that the original sword, about 2ft in length had been •broken almost exactly in half.. ' The fish, which'is to be preserved, weighed 2671b, measured 10ft 3in from the tip of the sword to the tail, and 44in in girth. Another swordfish, 10ft lm in length, caught by Mr Reade, of the Bay of Islands, was, at the suggestion 61 the Hon. G. W. R.issell, forwarded to the Auckland Museum Mr Cheesman, the curator-; lias advised Mr Picade,!t)vat the Auckland Museum has already' n specimen, -'and that he has comm'uni- ■ oateci _ with-\Southern institutions, with j the view of, forwarding the fish to any i museum not possessing" a; specimen.

Very frank and emphatic evidence on I

3 the principles of promotion was given j by the Chief Engineer of Railways, Mr - Francis W. M'Lean, before the Kail- ) Avay Appeal Board at Wellington last 1 week. After describing the system un- . der which he was able to review the t qualifications of all inspectors under his - control s he went on to inform tJie Ap- - peal Board that he did not regard 1 seniority as the sole factor in pro- ; motion. To promote men simply on aci count of seniority and a clean record - was. he said, to put a premium on 5 mediocrity. The man who managed to V escape trouble would rise to the top of s the tree, and the only result would be - a serious lowering of the efficiency of s the service. The same point was stressjod by Mr Macdonald, Chief Auditor, | who appeared for the Railway' Departsjment. ■ "Promotion by seniority alone ? in the higßer grades of the "Railway Department is," he said "unthinkable. It means that men would advance in the I service until such time as they demonstrated by their failures the fact thp.r they should never have been promoted at all and it requires very little imagination' to realise that a iow such failures might eventually constitute an indictment of the mangement itself. To oooppt as the supreme test of merit the feet that an officer has nothing against him r.nr] that no serious fault- can be found with liis.work would be fjying in the- face nf the whole business world, ?.j\([ would lead to stagnation in the dtß^:>rtment. Selectioli to some degree ,:.« o i>oipo«?ary condition of progress and efficiency."

The sunken yacht Wanderer was located yesterday near the mole at the entrance. • - ...

New Zealand soldiers at the front and in England are well catered for in the matter of news of their homeland. The "New Zealander," the small new.s sheet issued under the aegis of the War Con-, tingent Association, and edited by Mr G .11. Scholefield, is • published fortnightly, and' is crammed with new s of every description of happenings in the Dominion, which is cabled to London -under a special arrangement. The latest issue before us is that for Jan. 18th, wtieh contains a very full budget of news.

TKe Returned Soldiers' Association is circularising discharged soldiers who have settled on the land in quest of information upon which to base a report upon the whole question j|f soldier settlement. The settlers are' requested to give their opinion's on the means of transport and access to their properties, the assistance given by the Government in the matter of stock and equipment, and on their property as a business m-. vestment: They are invited to forward any criticisms of the system and suggestions for its improvement which may occur to them, included in the invitation are soldier-«ettlers who may not receive the association's letter directly.

S. Kirkpatrick and Co., Ltd., Nelson Jam Factory, notify, that, on account of labour shortage, they cannot take further supplies of apples this season.

The? Nelson Poultry Assocnf-ion wi;l meet at Opie's rooms this evening, t--> elect a secretary" and make arrangements; for the annual show.

The proposed hydro-etectric lighting scheme for Havelock, having advanced another stage by receipt of tr.e Government stamp of approval, appears likely to be further delayed by .the resignation of two of the Town Board members.

Thouo-Il the story of two seaplanes having been seen operating in 'lonian Bay a little while ago obtained little credence from the Deience Department, it-lias stimulated the authorities into renewed watchfulness and thoroughness' (says an exchange). One story ot the kind' invariably leads to another, and now there are' oolite a numbered people who have seen strange sights and heard alarming sounds, l'nese safeiv may bo put down to the perverted spirit of emulation that gets abroad in Euch circumstances. However, the naval and military authorities are redoubling their efforts to protect the coasts from such unpleasant visitors, and so far there is no reason to doubt they hatfe the menace fully in hand.

"This is a ease -where doctors diifer, and it only serves to show how useless it is to rely on courts of justice or doctors. 1 can only accept the evidence of the Military Board as against the. other doctor, and convict defendant." said Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., in a. case where a young man had given as his reason for non-attendance at drill that he had malformed feet and had handed in a doctor's certificate, which stated that it would bo impossible for him to march, and that he would "be no good as a soldier (reports the Wellington "Post"). He had since been examined by a military medicat board; which stated it was unable to find any malformation whatever.

An instance of the 'ralue ot a returned soldier's badge, as worn by New Zealandcrs, was furnished Vy one of the officers who had just r&tKrrned (.says tlia Auckland" "Star")- A. New Zealand officer, he stated, irii« hatf "been invalided'^ NeV-Zealand and; was subsequently on account of his injuries, recently ■- .made a? tvip Home. Among other places that he was desirous of seeing was th« House of Common*. He was -unftbla to get a pas-s, and wSs standing "outsida the buildings, debating with himself; his next course of action. A well-dressed gentleman, noticing bis badge^ asked him if he would like to go inside. Ho stated that he.would, and that that was what h& had come there for. His newly-foun<i friend, at once took him through the whole of the : buildings, and later in th© day found him a seat in the visitors' gallery of the House of Lords. White there he was asked to enter his name ma book, that of his sponsor being 'placed opposite. Before going out again lit occurred to him that he would like jto^know the name of the. gentleman who ■ had befriended him, and he went back and glanced at the hnnot H» was not la little astonished to find that his unj known friend was the Earl of Chester\&ett- .. , . .-.-■■■_ ..-: ' • A Westland correspondent .writer.: "There is increasing evidence that this portion of ihe Dominion is coming into its own. There has been during the last few days a considerable movement in mining matters, and especially coal. !The representative of an Australian party has..visited Westport and has paid^pwn ,£3OO on a' coal mining, area -of 12000 acres- The local expert, Mr . Sidney Fry, is reported to .halve stated ithat it is some of the best of the'bitu!min6uß coal country "on the coast, and the .capital behind Mr Munro is sufficient to warrant the belief that* an ex- ; tensive series of operations are, about to be commenced. During the week a representative of a Ohristchurch party has in Reef ton, and has-bought & local mine with extensive prospecting •rmhts over the .adjacent flats, which are aftirmed-tO'be the,areas containing the main coal ir.easures of the Inangahua Valley. The. wonder is that with a shortage of coal all over the Dominion these areas should have had to wait so long for the influx of the' neoossary capital for their development. Tha railway runs 3 at Reefton, through the heart of one of. the largest, if not the - largest of coal areas of New Zealand. Reefton coal needs';no recommendation as a household coal and also as a steam coal of the highest quality, and it is gratifying •to know that a'movement is ; about to be made to open it up."

Sergeant-Major Evans writes to the Wellington "Tost" from Petorie making complaint that German prisoners of war are^ receiving medical treatment in the Wellington i'ublic Hospital in the same ward as other patients Not only he saya, do the other patients have to suffer the indignity of mixing with these men, but the prisoners tire not under any regular guard, and, being: convalescent, have free access to other parts of the hospital. Visitors talk freely to them, and recently a naturalised German "who was also a patient used to spend hours a day conversing with them. The correspondent states that he was so indignant that, though suffering severely, when he found out the state of affaire, he at once left the hospital. Mr Evans, who states he has had eleven gears' imperial service in India, and had two years' service in Egypt, says that such treatment of prisoners is unheard of in the Imperial: service; even ordinary prisoners m peace time being kept apart, and if sick attended by orderlies, and not by female nurses. He says that one of the nurses, who had lost a brother at tho front, felt very keenly having to wnib on the prisoners. The" letter goes on to say. that there was nothing to hinder the prisoners escaping if they so desired. Another phase of the matter which increased the 'writer's indignation was the alleced turning out of the hospital of an elderly man who was suffering severely from rheumatism while the Gorman prisoners, who were able to walk ; about, were still kspt in tho hospital.