NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14869, 18 September 1918, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

' Recently the domestic staffs of Nelson College held a very successful dance ii the Provincial Hall in aid of the Red Cross funds, when the satisfactory sum of £22 was nettod. The ladies concerned are to be heartily congrafcuUited iipon the success of their effort.

A correspondent writes: —Nelson is rightly called "Tho Garden of New Zealand/ and our flower shows prove that the place deserves the name. 1 see that the Presbyterian flower show is to bo held in the Church Hall on Wednesday and Thursday. Mr. Bradbury, the well-known nurseryman 'of Christchurch, will bo the judge of the exhibits, and this gentleman >vill stage a lot of his choice blooms. He lias generously given a. number of prizes for: competition. Tho showjshould be weli! worth visiting ** j

Tho drawing of the Murchison Red Cross art ifenion has be-on postponed from the 20th inst. till next sale nieht (October 4th). Nominations .are invited for the election to fill the extraordinary vacancy on-the'General: Council of Education caused;by the .death of Mr T. S. Foster. '. The. twelfth annual Plunket Medal contest: for oratory, in connection with the Victoria College -Debating Society .- Wellington, was won on Saturday by Mr P. Martin-Smith. Mr. H. Hunter-Brown's third free public lecture on "New Thought" "will be givoa on Friday night, m tho Oddfellows' Hall. The ratepayers of Upper Moutere I and surrounding districts are notified I that a public meeting will be held in j the Public Hall on Thursday evening, | when members of the Nelson Harbour Board will address them on the wharves purchase loan, proposals.

Beforo the Hindenburg system can be seriously attacked (says the British Minister of Information) much reconstruction is necessary as regards communications. Already much work has bpen done in re-establishing bridges. The efficiency of our transport is shown by the fact .thai last month British artillery filed at least ten million rounds. Counter-battery work resulted in the destruction of enemy guns on a scale more than ten times greater than outown losses from a similar cause.

The !-Nevv Zealand Gazette' 3 containing the, names of the balance of Class1 O men of. the Second Division called up for" service,- will be published to-day.

' Ihe .iniraal-' meeting oi: the Nelson Trotting Club will be held at Mercer's rooms this evening at 8 o'clock

The spring flower show in connection with the' Presbyterian Church will be_ opened in tho Presbyterian' Hall this afternoon by the Mayor (Mr IV \V. Snodgrass) at 2.80 o'clock. It i« expected that there will be a fine display of bulbs, and cvi blooms, which Jm- lo'-,I o '-, slKlSotl h Y Nr- Bradbury C f Chnstchurch. Tea ard coffee will bn obtainaoie and there will, also lie a sde the ?al° of P3alu ™* fan CT -

Mesbi-s E. Smallbonc nnd J. Cle«*.r were tljo presiding justices at . tte Magistrate's Court' yeiterdav. Although a large number of cases were cahod unou, they were, with one exception, either adjourned or struck oat. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the case of A. Bensemann (Mr. Moore) v. Thomas Goodman, claim for £2 16s, with costs 10s

What does the elector ask'for if lie signs the- -Liquor Trade's Petition 0 Ostensibly he requests a poll on three issues:—Rational Continuance, National Ownership, and National Prohibition. Jiut read the Liquor Trade's JI oution carefnily and it will be found that it asks that these issues sre not only to he decided on a bare majority vote bat the elector is to vote for one issue only, and,, still more important that no issue is to he carried unless it secures a majority of the total votes cast on the three issues. Just what this delightfully undemocratic measure involves is be>:t seen.by noting ho.v it nu^ht work out- at an election. Suppose JNiatumal Continuance secures a majority— piainls- the Trade, wins. Suodoso National Ownership secures a majority, who wins? The Trade, as will be clearly seea wiien its price is mad-> known. But suppose no re of the three issues^ secures a majority, who wins? The Trade onco more scores, for there would:be i-o change. In short, Liquor demands a th'.-ec-toone chance. Not bad odds, is ife?—for Liquor. Contrast this with the Alliance Petition. The Nation?:! Efficiency Board investigated the Liquor Traffic with impartiality. After hearing the arguments of all sides and classes, it came to the conclusion that the Liquor Traffic is one of _ New Zealand's greatest enemies to efficiency In the interests of the people it therefore |iropo.sed to secure National Prohibition at once—provided a. majority of electors 'were in favour of that course. The Alliance Monster Petition .isks Parliament to grant a poll on the hpsis of the board's reoort. Sign the 'New Zealand. Alliance Petition and refuse to sign that on behalf of Liquor. If you have signed the latter under a misapprehension, ask vo'ur M.P. to have your name removed or send word' to the New Zealand Alliance representative at once.*