NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15346, 9 April 1920, Page 4

N EWS OF THE DAY.

The County Engineer recommended yesterday thafc a 60ft truss span bridge be erected at Pole Ford, Maitai, at a cost of £650 to £700.

The Moitai bowling green will be officially closed for the season . to-morrow afternoon. Bowlers are cordially invited to participate in the i>lay, .which commences at 2 p.m.

There will be no mail from Wellington to-day, the Nikau having been detained by bad weather.

The cargo steamer Port Napier took in 10,000 freight carcases from the Picton Freezing Works, and 2000 bales of wool, in addition to other cargo.

A Wesfcport paper reports that a constable left for Wellington with. Arthur Morris, sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for arson at Burnett's Face, and George Harold Quayle, sentenced to three years for indecent assault.

A ballot taken by members of the Waihi Miners' Union on the question whether they would accept the mine owners' offer made at the conference resulted in a large majority favouring acceptance.

. The impossibility' of renewing the) present bridges in the county out of J rates was referred to Ijy the chairman of the County Council at yesterday's meeting. Something would have to be done very shortly, and he thought the best course would be to go to tiie ratepayers for a loan. Cr. Allport thought ratepayers would welcome such a course, and said it was the only sane policy to adopt. It was eventually decided to instruct the Engineer to report at next meeting on the whole question of bridge repairs°and new structures required.

Tuesday Next. April Money-saving Sale starts! Big Money-savers in High Quality Navy and Black Costume Serges. Wait for prices.—Auckland Clothing and Drapery Co.*

The construction pf the Motueka bridge has been greatly delayed owing to shortage of cement supplies, but the Engineer reported at yesterday's meeting of the County Council that a large quantity would be delivered this week.

Motorists will be particularly pleased to note that at yesterday's meeting of the Waimea County Council it was resolved that 500 yards of metal be crushed for the Nelson-Stoke road. The Engineer urged that the road should be tarred, stating that this system would greatly reduce the cost of maintenance.

The Telegraph Office advises that the following vessels were within wireless range yesterday : —Of Aw-anui, Makura ; of Auckland, Makura, Arahura, Whangape and Waipori; of Wellington, Mararoa, Wahine, Pateena, Moeraki, Mokoia, Corinthic, Ngakyita, Tarawera and City of Agra; of Chathams, Athenic and Maliia ;■ of Awarua, Westralia, Te Anau,' Tarawera, and Cathlamet.

After having been closely associated with the business life of Wellington for about seventy years, the fiVm of Messrs Anderson and 'Son, the well-known grocers of Molesworth-street, has ceased to exist. The premises have been acquired by Messrs Burns, Philp, and Co., of Australia.

"We have had quite a number of mothers of-families asking for a few days' work a week." said one employment agent in Auckland, "women whose' husbands are not earning enough to keep the family going. It seems to me n sad thing that mothers should have to leave their homes an 3 children for days together in order to earn the few shillings needed to keep the famil3 r from want."

A new form of vandalism and desecration has appeared in Christchurch— robbing n grave of its wreath-ribbons. Recently about 50 wreaths were placed on a grave, and an hour later it was found that every piece of valuable ribbon had been, taken from the wreaths.

Arising out of correspondence in connection with the forthcoming visit of the Prince of Wales to Nelson, the Wairaea County Council decided at yestei> day's meeting to join with the City Council in presenting an address of welcome to the Prince, ■ and tliat £50 be granted towards the cost of feeding the school children. A letter from fhe Minister of Internal Affairs stated that the Prince would make a stay of 15 minutes at Glenhope on the 11th May. Regret was expressed by councillors that the Prince was not making a stay at a more populous centre of the county, where a fitting demonstration could be arranged. It was resolved, however, that the residents of Glenhope district be notified of the fact of His Royal Highness spending a short period at Glenhope, and that the chairman of the county council and as many members as possible be present oh the occasion.

"What a storm there is about the ball. The 'Mail' has joined the democrats and gone off like a packet of crackers agin it," sez■ Mumbles, "just as I was skeeming to get in with the tony class and social climbers. But I," ses-TMumbleSj/'Td dearly like to have a diince with the Prince, and see how they do things in 'igh society; the arrystocracy do things so different to us commons. I've some misgivings about my dress, with its bjg frills; but I'm more scared about _doing the 'bunny mug' and turkey trotters with the Prince,' at my time of life; the ezzitation waltz would suit better. Everything will be werry nice, but werry expensive, but the ratepayers are finding the shekels. Pm goin' if I can pass the censor, and if I ean'fc get a whirl, with the Prince, I trust to Cr. Bill Surrell, P.P.M., or Railway Tommy, and I don't think Frank Greengage would let me be a wallflower, as the sayin' is. Tom Petty doesn't danco, so I won't 3ave to.give 'im the glad' eye, as..; the sayin' is. After all the jollity is over it'll be lovely to recline* on one of Lock's easv'chairs, and delightful to sleep on one of Lock's Sanitary K. Beds. My eye. Lock's -have a lovely stock of Furniture to r-hoose from —everything to suit a cottnge or a/ mansion; and Lock's Di'ices are so low that other firms can't compete with them. Go to Leek's and' save money, sez yours truly—(Mrs. Mumbles). " t

The Housing Board of, the Labour Department has decided to favourably consider applications from approved artisans, either singly or in groups, who desire to erect workers' dwellings for themselves.. They may. either, erect dwellings from their own plans, subject to the approval of the Housing Architect, or they may adopt the departmental plans. The department. is also willing to supply material at a price.

In connection with the 'ball to be held on the occasion of the Prince of .WalcsV visit, intending, patrons are reminde£" that applications for.tickets should bej made in writing of !by 'phone to the' Town Cleric (Mr G. A. Edmonds) not; later than Monday next. For the.pur-' pose of making,satisfactory hall and ca-! tering arrangements, it is necessary j that the committee should know the! number to be provided for, *and it is for this reason that applications for tickets are asked for BY the above date.

The total number of passengers on the Nelson section of railways for the period ended. February 2sth, 1920, was 10,909, as against 8,997 for the corresponding period last year. There was a falling off in-the live stock carried, the numbers for the respective periods being IS7O as against 3642. There was little difference in the tonnage of goods- handled, the quantity for the latest period being 3206' tons, as against 30-13. The revenue showed a slight increase, and figures being £3450 8s lOd and £3286 19s 2d respectively.

An inquest was held at Ilaetihi touch-1 ing the death from a gunshot wound of Mr Arthur J. E* Davis, at Manganui-o-te-ao on March 28th. Constable McCowan, who said he had examined the locality carefully, deposed that it. was quite evident that the deceased, when going over an embankment about 4ft high, to enable him to take a short cut to the. track: leading to the back of his farm, must have fallen or stumbled with the gun, in his hand. Tlie whole surroundings pointed to an accident. The District Coroner (Mr J. J. Pilkington) returned a verdict that the deceased was- killed by the accidental discharge of a gun which he was carrying. "Waimarino County Call" says: "The deceased was about 32 years of age, and had been married less than a year. He took ui> land in this district after returning from the front, he having gone with the Main Body. He was a most promising settler, and had excellent j prospects."

Members of the Rival Football Club are notified that tlie gymnasium at All Saints' schoolroom: will, be- open this evening from 7 o'clock.

Burglars broke into the Auckland Municipal Fish Market during the holidays. Finding neither money nor fish, but merely a few unimportant documents, the intruders decamped emptyhanded, leaving a pencilled intimation to the effect that "it was the meanest show ever entered," adding "will come again."

Messrs Climie,- organisers for the Canterbury Progressive League, and Manning, organiser for lihe Workers' Educational Association, have ;been making themselves conversant with the different parts of the Buller district in the vicinity of Westport (says the "News"1). " Visits, In company with members of the Westport League, took them to Charleston, to inspect the coal field awaiting. development; Denniston and Millerton, to note working oonditions: iii the mines and living conditions of the miners; the Nine Mile, to note the traversty on State economy in an unfinished railway, and round" the harbour works, to see for themselves the immense shipping tonnage that the

port is capable of handling when coal and other minerals, timber,, and dairy-

ing products, are made available for shipment by a prdper roading and railway system. The visitors' were naturally greatly impressed with what they saw," and return to Cliristchureh with a story to tell the people in

Canterbury that cannot fail to

vince them that there -is a great un-

developed wealth in the Buller district

The case of fi returned soldier who has done remarkably well on the section of

land which he acquired from the Governmen on his return to New Zealand was mentioned by the Minister for Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, in Wellington. This young man, said the Minister, took up a section of land, not first class in quality, and his gross re-: turns from his oat crop, the whole of which he cut into chaff, were £2300, or more than the capital value of his holding. He was now in a position to relieve himself of his indebtedness and to hold his land free, or, If he preferred, to improve his farm, and so secure to himself comfortable conaitions in future. Mr Guthrie said that he brought this ease to puiilic notice in the hope that other soldier settlers might be encouraged to emulate this Very fine achievement. This settler had had the advantage of the advice of the supervisor of soldiers' settlements for the: district. Mr Guthrie added his opinion that the appointment of these officers would prove of inestimable value in the development of the scheme for the settlement of soldiers.