LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11947, 5 March 1917, Page 5

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All the Canterbury trout streams were reported clear at 9 a.m. to-day. On and after Thursday road traffic on the Rakaia Bridge will be blocked on Mondays, Tuesdays. Thursdays and Fridays from 6.30 p.m. to 2.45 a.m., to enable repairs to be made. A British warship with a crew of New Zealand ratings is due to arrive m Wellington during March, states the "Post." A fitting reception to tho men is being arranged for by the Mayor. The crew hare had a particularly strenuous and trying time, and it is hoped that their stay in New Zealand will be made most- pleasant. The monthly meeting of the Canter oury Fruitgrowers' Association was held at the Druids' Hall on Saturday evening, Mi* W. Ray presiding over a pood attendance. The schedule for the Patriotic Fruit and Allied Products Show, to be held in Christehurch next month, was submitted and approved. Various remits for the conference to be held shortly at Wellington were discussed and adopted. Advice has been received in Auckland that the Military Cross has been awarded to Captain Graham Cruickshank of the 54th Kootenny Regiment, Canadian Irr.peria] Forces. Captain Cruickshank is a native of Auckland, being the eldest son. of Mr William Cruickshank. He had been resiaent in Canada for some years before going to the front ; and has been in France abcMt a year. Tho Rev J. J. North yesterday preached special anniversary sermons in the Oxford Terrace Baptist Qhurc!;. In the morning he dealt with "The Church as built by Christ." The evening's discourse was based on Count Bernstorff's expression of cynical regard for religion. There were good congregations. On Wednesday the celebration will be continued when Mr North will lecture on " Puritanism and tho overthrow of King Charles I." On Saturday afternoon a fire started at the scftith end of the Domain reserve at Kairaki, near Kaiapoi. A strong nor'-east wind was blowing and the fire quickly spread over the dry i*ushes, reaching Mr Herman Smith's week-end hut. which was completely destroyed. Other huts were in danger, but energetic work by residents and visitors saved them and extinguished the lire. The first consignment of oil, forty gallons taken from the- whale which was stranded on the beach near the mouth of the Rangitata River, arrive! in Ashburton on Saturday, and experts pronounce the oil to be of good quality. Owing to the appliances used for the molting process being so small the work lias taken a longer time than was anticipated, and lar.ee quantities of the oil have been wasted in the sand. The Woelston Band will play the following programme on the WooLstoii Domain to-morrow evening:—March, '"The Vikings" (Collins); selection, " The Bohemian Girl " (Balfe); cornet solo, "A Perfect Day" (Carrie Bond), Mr C. Dunn; overture, "Souvenir De Russe" (Rimmer); euphonium solo, "Neptune'' (Stanley Gordon); selection, " William Tell " (Rossini), trombone solo, '"Let Me Like a Soldier Fall" (Wallace); march, "Tho Victors Return " (Rimmer). The Minister of Marine (the Hon G. W. Russell) has, states tho " New Zealand Times," given instructions that in all cases where an accident occurs on the waterfront, whether to seamen or waterside workers, a departmental inquiry is to bo made independent of any other investigation, and that, a f'jll report is to be sent to him of all the circumstances attaching to the accident. This is to bo done in tho ease of the man who was killed on tho .Manuka at Wellington on Thursday. The annual smoke concert of the Christehurch Banjo Band was held on Saturday evening at the Alexandra Hall, Mr R. M. T-airoa presiding over a guod attendance. During the evening the chairman was presented by the band with a framed photograph of the band, in appreciation of his services. Various toasts were honoured, the speeches being interspersed with musical and elocutionary items, the contributors including Messrs it. Hoatley, H. Glubb, G. Rowe, B. Reynolds, R. C. Hollow, F. George, P. Angarde, Sutton and Dugay, and the Banjo Hand.

Mr Max Seliusky, the Russian violinist, paid a tribute to Mr R. A. Home's •Romance," for the 'cello, after his playing of the number on Saturday evening. ''This composition. 1 ' lie said', conversing after the concert, ;i is of a decidedly graceful character. ;xrA I was very glad to have it in my programme, as we get so much rubbi. ; ii from composers who wish to become famous, that it is a genuine pleasure to perform a work so full of merit'."' The "Romance" was composed by Mr Home for Mr George Elwood. the" 'cellist, and played as a violin number o.y M. Seliusky, met with much appreciation from Saturday night's audience. The presentation of an armoured car, or " tank," to the Imperial Government, to be placed at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief of the BniL-h Forces, h a proposition which j.-- brimconsidered by the Victoria League- in New Zealand. At the annual meet in p. of the Auckland branch of the league last week, Mr "W. J. Napier, the liewiyelccted president, 3tat«l that he had received a letter from a .-outLeri; branch inviting consideration of the proposal. It was estimated that the cost of the armoured car would be about £4700. Southern branches had agreed to contribute quotas- of the sum named, and it was suggested thai -he Auckland branch mightraise £IOOO as its share. Mr Napier said lie thought there would be no difficulty in obtaining that sum locally- It .was computed that the "tanks" had saved 25* 000 lives to the Allies. The matter was referred to the executive, with power to act, and a meeting will be held to deal with the proposal in about a week.

I For some time past the Messrs Phillips, of Kaitoke, Wellington, have been I experimenting in the making of dyes ! tron- shrubs, trees and noxious with much success. It .is said that they have been able to make dyes with a rang© of shade from black to the lightest tints of green and fawn, and in between thw whole range of browns. : khakis, pinks,'pale heliotropes andean- ' ary yellows. Further, they have experimented with a large measure of success in making their dyes fast. One lot of wool Vas dyed a light brown, ar.d was fully exposed to the weft the r for twenty-fire days, and on being compared with a piece of the same woo! that had not been exposed to the light. | no variation in shade could be detected. Mr L. Phillips says that the value of the discovery lies in the extreme simplicity of the process, and in the fact that there are noxious weeds of good colour value which at present cost the farmers a lot of tinwj and money to keep down The dyes, it is claimed, will effectively colour coarse hair, wool, silk, cotton, jute, hemp and feathers! They, too, have stood the test of scouring and milling.. In the past it has taken skilled men of science a considerable time to yrbduoe tine colour. The Phillips brothers state thai they have produced 250 shades or tints of brown green and yellow; a S well as black an<J navy bide, bttt so for-have not produced any vivid tyues or reds. How. to "Bottle" Fruit for the fruitless mocthß. We are presenting to all customers' who desire a copy ' written 'by ". an.: expert. Screw-top Jars from 'sa a dozen; Jar Rings, Preserving ;Pans, etc. Hastie, Bull and Pickering, Cashel Street. ' - X