NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14893, 16 October 1918, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The secretary of the 12th Regiment Band desires to acknowledge the receipt of £1 from Mrs Batira towards the fund for the* purchase of V.M.C.A. coupons for bandsmen at the front.

There was a short sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Messrs "w. Lock and J. Clegg, justices, presiding, when a number of cases were called on and either adjourned or settled out of court. Among the latter were several in which the Nelson District Fruitpackers, Ltd., were the plaintiffs, claims tor calls due, which were all paid.

}he Rev. Dr. Weeks visits Auckland this week to fulfil engagements' in connection with the meeting of the Anglican Synod there. In the course of a tew personal remarks before be<nnnin<r his sermon at the midday service at the Cathedral on Sunday, Dr. Weeks mentioned that he had recently within a short space of time received two invitations from Auckland parishes—Ponsonby and St. Mary's Cathedral (Parnell) lhese promised an opportunity for a wider ministry, but, after givino- the matter earnest thought, he had declined thorn reeling that his work' was hero ior the present.

An accident by which Denis Collins lost Ins life occurred at Messrs Ellis and Burnahd's saw-mills at Mangapehi Men were engaged in blasting a piece oft a inatai log, which was too large to go through the breaking-down saw A portion of the log, weighing about one hundredweight, was hurled through the air, and struck Mr Collins, who was loading a truck of tiniber 40 yards TO , . The Wow broke his neck and killed him instantly. The deceased who was 41 years of age, and 'a native of lauranga, was a returned soldier, with two years' active service in France to his credit. He had commenced work at tue mill only a few days before he met his death.

, At a meeting last week of the Wellington shareholders of the Nelson Cooperative Fruit Company, presided over by Mr E. S. Baldwin, the scheme of the directors to provide fruit-evaporating works at Tasman and cool-stores for 16,000 cases of apples at Mapua was approved.

The "Otago Daily Times" of Saturday contained seven columns of In Mcmoriam notices concerning^ soldiers who were killed in action at Passchendaele Ridge in October 12th, 1917.

"France is a very sad country now; most of the women are in mourning, and I noticed numbers of them very sad-eyed when our train was passing through different towns, particularly in the north," writes a young Masterton soldier.

Inquiries made in Christclmrch last week from the highest medical authorities in the city elicited a consensus of opinion that while the present influenza epidemic is 'by no means so virulent in form as in other countries, every precaution ought to be taken by persons affected. Confinement to bed is regarded as an absolutely essential safeguard against serious developments, and care should be exercised by persons recovering not to come into close contact with others as the epidemic is easily and speedily transmissible. A warning is issued that the present outbreak is not to bo confused with the ordinary bad cold, following upon a chill, wliich is popularly and erroneously called influenza in this country. The present epidemic is of a character which may develop along serious lines unless the patient takes every precaution against further chill.

Mr Samuel Gompcrs, head of tho great American Federation of Labour, who with his colleagues recently visited England to place before the British Labour Federation the war aims of the American workers, is also chairman'--'-of the United States Council of National Defence. Eg is a Jew, and was born in Smith street, London, being about 70 years of age. *Aft<jr being educated at Jin elementary school, he'"emigrated to the United States at 'the age of 13. A cigar-maker by trade, he became vicepresident of the Cigar-makers' International Union. In America he wields enormous influence, and is all out to beat the Germans.

A large number of young English women who have married Australian soldiers in England arrived in Melbourne on the Ist inst. Rain was falling and the wind was cold, not at all like the weather the new-comers had expected. "We heard in England that this was the land of sunshine," «aid one. "I never felt such a cold wind before.'" That Australia was a land of great winds, but a sunny land for all that, did not convince some. Babies and very young children were numerous. Six babies had been born between Capetown and Fremantle. The mother of one of these was a dainty little French girl. Critical eyes scanned the groups on the ship's deck, for everyone wanted to know what these conquerors of the Australian soldiers were likfrj. They were (says the "Argus") not all pretty, of course, but allowances! had to be made for the effects of a long sea voyage. Some looked about them rather timidly. Everything was so new, and they v/ere a long way from England. -~

The Dtmedin papers report the official opening of the Ross Home (NorthEast Valley) for aged persons. Mr and Mrs W. Fleming (the master and matron) have already taken up their abode in the home. Fourteen inmates are coming into the home almost immediately, and provision is being made for 10 more. The cost, including roadm.g and asphalting, is nearly £6000 of which sum about £4000 has been subscribed to date. The committee has In view the erection of further necessary buildings, such as a hospital, and additional living rooms, which will involve a further expenditure of £5000. I he; Rev. A. Cameron said that the Presbyterian Church and the people of Otago and Southland' were under a deep debt of gratitude to Mr John Ross for the magnificent gift of the 10 acres of land, which, by the way, was only one of several handsome gifts that Mr'Ross had made. The building erected would ultimately be the administration part of a pile which the committee had in view Ihe buildings for the accommodation of the inmates would be erected to the north and south of the edifice they saw before them. They had received applications from about 30 old people for admission, but they could not accommodate anything like that number at present, and in order to take in as many i\s possible if would be necessary to adopt the dormitory system, on a modified scale, the larger rooms being divided into comfortable cubicles; brtt he hoped the committee would not rest satisfied until each of the old people had a separate room with a fireplace, a place they could call "my am hoose."

Several Wairarapa returned soldiers, who had been allowed to travel firstclass from Auckland to Palmerston North on second-class tickets naturally thought that the same privilege would be extended to them from Palmerston to Masterton (says the "Times"). Some of them consequently got into first-class carriages with relatives who had previously purchased first-class tickets. Tne guard of the train, however, demanded the difference in the fare. There was a scene in one carriage in which the women-folk assailed an overofficiuus guard with all sorts of remarks of an uncomplimentary nature. The guard retired for a timo, but returned to the attack, and threatened to take the names of the soldiers and report them. There was a warm scene for a while, in which the womenfolk took the chief .part. Eventually, in order to save the soldiers from getting into trouble, their female relatives paid the difference in the fares. The guard, the railway authorities, and the National Government were the subject of some very pointed criticism during the rest of that journey to Masterton.

What is the matter with drink anyway? Is it the name of the Licensee, the location of the Bar, the hours of •sale or the amount of Revenue received? No! The trouble is that Alcohol is a poison. It paralyses nerve, warps moral judgment, dims sight, dulls hearing, blunts affections and destroys selfcontrol. Whether brewed in a private or public vat, Alcohol is a physical menace. The drinker is affected exactly in the same way whether the Bar tender is paid by the local publican or by the Minister of Public Houses. His self-control is weakened just as readily by Alcohol whether drunk at the corner public house or in a place adorned by the King's Coat of Arms. Prohibition, not State Control, is the remedy for the ills of Drink!*

The Thermometer. — At 3 o'clock this morning the temperature outside this office registered 43 degrees.

Where to stay at Murchison.—Commercial Hotel,' J Thomaaon, proprietor. Stopping place for Newmans' «ars.*

Where to stay when iv Westport, GRAND HOTEL, oppasite Bank of New Zealand.*

Emms'a mail cars leave Nelson fer Takaka from Jones's Postcard Shop at 8 a.m., arriving in Takaka at 1 p.m. Leave Takaka for Nelson at 7.45 a.m., arriving in Nelson at 1 p.m. Cam meet- in Motuaka a* 10.15 a.m.*