GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14974, 22 May 1914, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

At Auckland yesterday the motorman, George Frederick Eoles, who was in chargo of the tramcar by which Michael Rohan was knocked down and fatally injured on April 30th, was committed for trial at the Supremo Court on a charge of manslaughter.

A now continuous picture theatro Is to be erected in Cathedral squareat the corner of Chancery lane. Tho building will be an up-to-date one, and will -eat 1200 people. A company has been formed to conduct the new venture, the capital being £15.000, all in £1 shares. The directors at present are Messrs C. •T. Cooper, Geo. Harris, H. Hayward, F. M. Drewitt, and Dr. Neeley.

At a meeting of the Patea Chamber of Commerce, th<& question of tho development of tho fishing grounds off tho Taranaki coast was discussed, and a committee was sot up to ko into the matter of establishing a fishing company, to include the sale of fresh aud smoked fish, fish canning, manufacture of manures, fish-bone grinding, with oeat for dairy feeding, isinglass manufacture, etc.

An address on Pandita Ramabai's Mission at Mukti to tho child widows of India was to have been given in the V.M.C.A. concert hall last night by Mrs Nalder, of Nova Scotia, who, accompanied by Mrs Blair Mason, secretary of tho Mission in New Zealand, is at present on a visit to the Dominion. Tho heavy rain and exceedingly wintry weather, however, limited the attendance to about twenty, and Mrs Nalder therefore confined herself to a fireside chat about the noble work of Ramabai and the great success achieved by her amongst the women and children of India. -Mrs Nalder's t talk was much appreciated by her hearers.

Speaking at the presentation of awards for proficiency at the meeting of the Canterbury Head Centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society last night, tho Mayor (Mr H. Holland) referred to the need of a second tepid bath in Christchurch for the use of women. The present bath was the finest of its kind in the Dominion, and Dunedin and Wellington were about to establish tepid baths. Ho had, however, been rather discouraged, as the people scorned to havo mad© up their minds to "turn down" every loan proposal. He hoped to be able to raise a loan to provido a second tepid bath, which would not cost tho ratepayers ono penny.

Speaking to a Nelson "Mail" reporter, Mr A. E. Tyer, of Auckland, who is well qualified to speati on the subject, and who had just concluded a trip round Motuoka and Rawaka, said he was surprised at tho enormous waste of fruit at these places for the want of a canning factory. It was a mystery to him why the matter had not been taken up before. Much money was spent annually with America for canned fruits, which could be produced here, besides being of superior quality. The sinful waste of fruit should be met at once by canning for export and home consumption. It would spell ruin for a number of growers if something was not done. If the glut of fruit was irtopped in the Nelson district it would mean that the price for first grado fruit would rise in Wellington, and tho growor would not only got the top price in Wellington, but also a good price at the factory.

Three years have elapsed since Flinders street station (Melbourne) was awarded the distinction, on expert authority, of being the busiest station in>tho universe (says the "Age"). Ite reputation as such was built up on figures which wero- the outcome of a special tally ordered by the Commissioners of passengers entering and leaving its portals. The daily average of passengers passing through the wickets was computed at 165,997. With a view of ascertaining whether this average has been maintained or exceeded, it is the Commissioners' intention shortly to order further statistical investigations to be mado, and it is confidently expected that the 1911 average will be exceeded by fully 10.000. Within a fortnight a computation is also to be made of the number of passengers carried on every train in the State, a special day having been selected for tho purpose. The information obtained should certainly be interesting in view of the numerous complaints of overcrowding, both of platforms and carriages.

The success attendant upon the treatment of cancer by means of radium was referred to by Mr H. Smith, president of the Now South Wales Royal Society, last week. He said that no fewer than 75,000 people died every year in *ihe United States from cancer, and, if it was only possible to save 10 or 15 per cent, of these by this method, then any expenditure of money in.the preparation or purchase ot the necessary radium would be justified, if it could be obtained. The German Government had given, last year, a million marks with which to purchase radium, to bo used in their teaching institutions end hospitals, for public work. When the mineral deposits of little-known portions of Australia were systematically prospected, it w_as probable that more extensive deposits of radium-bearing minerals than those already known would be discovered, and production thus increased. . It was worthy of consideration, therefore, whether local needs wero not sufficiently imperative to demand tho retention in Australia of local material, until home requirements were satisfied, even if the State found it necessary to undertake the manufacture of the radium itself, in order to augment the supply.

A big load of apples will bo tak<& ». South America by the Sha-w. Savfl!'4_\j Albion liner Corinthie. leaving WeJijrJ. ton this afternoon. Some of these *ero grown in tho XeUon district, but the majority are from Tasmania. Troth Ho.bart some 10,000 cases wero broughf by the. Tainui on Tuesday evening, {„- transhipment to the Corinthie.

Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs that another saving effected by the Massey Government as the result of the appointment oi tho Public Service Commissioners, is made through the amalgamation of the Marine aud Inspection of Machinery Departments. A good deal of unnecessary duplication j n work will now be dotie away with.

A grand benefit concert in aid of the fund for an Open-air Homo for Children will be held in tho King's Theatre to-morrow evening. An extensive programme, consisting of songs, recitations, violin and piano soli, and character dialogues and sketches, by wellknown local artists will bt- given. The concert will be under the patrouturo of the Mayor (Mr 11. Holland).

On Wednesday night the Addington District Baud held a short practice, followed by enrolment of members. Tho following officers were elected :—Patron, Dr. Thacker; president.. Mr C. T>. Morris; secretary, Mr F. Wilson; treasurer, Mr R. Woods: auditor, Mr 11. Allison;* deputy-conductor.' Mr F. Howie; sergeant, Mr W. Bates: custodian, 3lr A. Seymour. Mr Morris opened the meeting, and requested the members to take every interest in tho forthcoming bazaar.

Philatelists whose hoj>es of cornering tho recent issue of 1,000,000 steel engraved Australian penny stamps wore crushed by the issue of a second million, will, after all, havo an opportunity ot cornering tho supply (says a Melbourne paper). To do so they, of course, must secure, the second issue, which will be the last of the penny stamps to bo printed from steel plates. The Post-master-General has announced that in future steel plates will bo used only for tho 2}d. fid, and Is stamp, and those of all other denominations will be electrolyped, which is claimed to bo • a choa-per process.

Even from opium smuggling tho revenue of the Commonwealth is failing (observes an Australian daily). During the last quarter of 1913 ooium to tho value of £GB2 was seized, and £256 was pa:d in penalties by people found in illegal possession of tbe drug. Assuming the opium was sold' at its estimated value, the Government consequently gained £938, of which £46 10s was paid to informers and policemen.- Duriing tho first quarter of tho year the valiie of £-o opium seized Was only £147, but x.393 was recovered in penalties, making a total of £540, of which £32 was paid in rewards.

The Victorian Minister of Customs is earning in political pleasantry the title of "Minister of Observation" (says the "Ago"). For more than six months the only announcement he would make as to the intentions of the Government respecting the Meat Trust was that he "had it under observation." Now ho has placed another subject under his penetrating powers of introspection When -asked whether, aa Minister in charge of quarantine, he had taken any notice of the sudden recrudescence of smallpox in Sydney, ho replied that ho had noticed the report, and was watching developments. No settlement has yet been arrived" at in the dispute with the-New South Wales Government concerning the liability of that State for the maintenance of smallpox patients at the Commonwealth quarantine station. Sydney patients are still, the Minister stated, being accommodated by tho Commonwealth.

Tho main purpose of the investigation which has been conducted by the Brick Commission during the past year has been to determine definitely whether a combine exists in the industry (says the Melbourne "Age"). The investigation is practically completed. The Commission has before it the evidence collected from the representatives of tho Victorian industry, together with particulars of the working collected from other States. A visit has been paid to the scene of the State Ministry's brick works at Wonthaggi, which proved a failure, largely by reason of tho facts that tho clay from which the bricks were prepared was not suitable, and that the process adopted was not adapted to the defects in the clay. It is considered that the Commission -s likely to regard tho failure of tho State works as due mainly to departmental mismanagement, and not constituting an argument against State undertakings. Various statistics required by tho Commission have to be supplied by the companies before a determination is reached, and a delay in the compilation of the report and recommendations of tho Commission has occurred because some of its members have been appointed to the Closer Settlement Commission, now in Gippsland.

As a destroyer of the übiquitous rabbit, the hawk, like the weasel, the 6toat, and the ferret, can hardly be acclaimed as a great success —its destructive work being mostly confined, it is stated by reliable authorities, to putting the coup do grace to tho rabbit after he has Seen caught in a trap. In fact, the hawk has come under the suspicion of preying on its feathered fellows in its search for food, instead of bunting down the four-footed animal, and the destruction of many of the young broods of pukaki and tho grey and paradise ducks has, it is feared, been brought about by its work. Now Nemesis is enveloping tho hawk—tho Nemesis in this instance being the Otago Acclimatisation Society—which is paying 3d for overy hawk's head (says tho "Otago Daily Times"). As about £100 has already been disbursed by the society, a little calculation will show that some 8000 hawks havo been accounted for. This wholesale clearing out of tho hawks, and th© fact that last year was practically a close year—only a fortnight being allowed for gunmen to pursue feathered game—are stated to have had tho highly satisfactory result of enabling pukaki ani grey and paradise ducks (the latter of which, it should be mentioned, are protected) to rapidly multiply. Ono prominent member of the society stated that these birds wero never so plentiful in Otago and Southland as they are this year.

The Rev. ,F. C. Spurr, late of Melbourne, in the course of an article in the London "Christian World " on lifa on board tho mail steamer in which he travelled, says:—"The concert reveals both casto and charity. The music-hall artists on hoard wero tho kindest of all. They rendered the items for which they were famous with a cheerfulness which was delightful. These artists wero a revelation to some of us. | They were true ladies and gentlemen, i and one of them, a famous cornetist, sat day by day on deck with an open j Bible before lilm, 'trying,' as he said, 'to got the prooer atmosphere before ! visiting the Holy Land.' "When, on our last night before reaching Colombo, the present writer, who was chairman of the sports committee, proposed a hearty vote of thanks to these- professionals, and wished them good Inck m their profession, the dancer was visibly moved, and in replying, said, 'It is the first time in mv hearing that a clergyman has wished well to a gentleman of mv profession.' If w orily knew these stage performers better we should respect them more. Too many condemn the music-hall artist without knowing him. It has been my lot- at various times to travel with many pros, and, for the most part, I have found them real ladies and gentlemen oi rennement, ready at all times to help their fellows, j There are exceptions, of course, but 'even in the ranks of the ciergy there are some curious persons not over refined and not particularly Christian, but who would dream of -judging the entire brotherhood by their measure.

Mr A. E. Hall has contributed £1 to the Coal and Blanket Fund. The Hvraan Marks Trustees have promised £10 10s to the fund ior providing open-air homes for children. Among the arrivals at Lyttelton by yesterday morning's ferry steamer were twentv-hvo immigrants from Loudon, who reached Wellington on Tuesday night by tho Shaw. Savill liner Tamui. As the result of an interview which took place between the Prime Minister and the representative* of tho Greymouth Battalion Band when Mr Masse v visited the West- Coast recently, negotiations are now in progress which, it is believed, will result in tho band beine proclaimed the Regimental Band for the local Territorial if'one. A good deal of unemployment through the rainy weather Of the past fortnight has been responsible for aheavy" demand upon the resources of the local charitable institutions (telegraphs our Wellington correspondent). The manager oi a tnoirro connected with one of the largest social and charitable institutions >ays that the demand for free accommodation and free meals which is being made upon him is exceptional. In the obituary notice of Mr «'- H. N. A. Burnes, published in yesterday's issue, it wa«» stated by our Wellington correspondent that Mr Burnes was the son of Mr Adam Burnes. who in ISo7 opened the Oriental Dan King Corporation in Wellington (the first bank established in the colony). A correspondent writes- to us pointing out that tho Union Bank of Australia was also conducting business in Wellington in ISo?, and that it had been established there for some timo before that year. Tho Supremo Court was occupied all day yesterday with the hearing of the charge against Janus Edward Rund'e, in what- is popularly known as "The Customs case," and bidv fair to take up all of to-day as well. The ca*e \« very complex. A very great deal of detail is involved in tho caso and the hearing i s necessarily. nieticv*jus aud careful. One witness yesterday occupied the witness box for three hours and a half in giving his expert departmental evidence. His cross-examimo-tion by tho defence will be undertake!' this morning after some further original evidence has been given. It is understood that tho Crown is calling nine witnesses and it if> more than likely that the hearing will bo even more protracted than is at present expected An alarming volume of papers was .put into tho Court, which will resume this morning at. 10 o'clock.Tho Veterans' Association will hold their Annual t Empire Day. Celebration at their rooms, Gloucester street, tomorrow evening, at S o'clock. Tho annual memorial parade in honour of the

men of the various contingents who were killed or died during the South African War, will take place on Sunday, May 31st. All ex-contingenters, veterans, and mcmbors of the old volunteer forces, will parade at tho Barracks at 2.30 p.m., under Captain Gwatkin. The C.V.C. Band will accompany the service, which will be,conducted by tho Rev. A. H. Norris, formerly of the Second Contingent. Addresses will also be given by Colonel Slater and, his Worship the Muyor. Tickets for relatives of South African members and veterans, to admit to enclosure. Victoria square, can be obtained from Captain Gwatkin, or the secretary, Mr G. Crcsswell, at tho Association rooms.

"I object to affidavits containing clang," said Mr Justice Cooper, at the "Auckland Supremo Court. "In the ono before mc tho word ''billet,' instead of the right word, 'situation,' is used several times." When preparing such documents solicitors should use English. The term "billet" had probably been adopted to some extent in English, in the sense mentioned, but, nevertheless, it was clang. The old English word "billet" could only be used in reference to the quartering of soldiers. l 1 like to 6ce the English language kept undefiled," said his Honour, "and I think an-effort-should bo made to preserve its purity." Counsel addressed bowed to tho ruling of the Judge, bnt mentioned that in a recently-published dictionary, some one hundred pages were devoted to words exclusively used in the' Australasian collies, though he could not say if "bTHet" was included in the list.

A striking example of the itinerancy of the average Government official was mentioned to a "Southland Times" reporter on Wednesday, when it was stated that tho entire personnel of-the local Customs office staff had changed during the past 15 months, and that the official of longest standing had not served longer than that timo in the local office. Upon enquiry being mado this statement was confirmed,, and it was further stated that the last of the old staff had only a few days previously received notice of his transfer. The last-named official had been three years in the local.office, and next in order of length of service came a cadet who had served 15 months. The last transfer means that from Collector of Customs to cadet the staff is entirely changed, and a new generation of officials is today attending to tho work of the department.

i The late Mrs Townend was noted for her affection for animals and birds. The Glenmark station was for a* Tong time the resort of rooks, and as the English birds were imported it was ! not unusual to find that the earliest i arrivals soon reached the north 1 side of the Waipara. She had a surprising lot of motherless lambs, which knew her approach at regular times to visit them. She had a very fine swan pit, which contained nTyrjh<_rs. of white swans, and it was her delight to toed and watch their actions. At tHo time of tho fire of tho mansion hou.'e on January 24th. 1891, wh«i, £30,000 worth of property was in flames, and jewellery, diamonds, plate, treasure, cabinets, and tapestry were being destroyed, tbo melting lead falling from the roof like water in a rain-storm. Miss Moore (as she then was) rushed through jt to save her pot song birds. In spite of warnings that the lead would*" iniure her, she persevered till they were all ie. a place of safety at a Wellingtoma tree, but this caught afire, and in performing a second rescue her face and hands were badly scorched. After her marriage with Dr. Townend, and taking residence in Christchurch, Mrs Townend became an active helper in the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to "Animals.

A few days' trial proves the advantage of using Mrs Rolleston's Special Cream for the face, instead of water, during the cold weather. It is imported from England, and is guaranteed not to promote the growth of hair on the face. Price 4s l>d large jar, 2s 9d small. Dominion Building, Cathedral square. S

T. Armstrong and Co., Ltd., have a [ special line showing from to-day of I Coney seal and Musquash hats, suitably trimmed Fitch fur and velveteen. Usual price 455. sale price 8s lid to a guinea. Smart ready-to-wear trimmed velour felts, 4s lid, undoubted bargains. 1 Competent operators sent anywhere tc make wedding or family groups. Artistic flashlight work a speciality. Ask lor details. Telephone 1989. Steffano Webb, Petersen'* Buildings, High street. o Walter J. Watson, D.8.0.A.. London. Expert Optician (near Kincaid's). Accurate Sight-testing and Spectaclefitting. Repairs to Frames and broken Lenses matched. Charges moderate. 8 To-day concludes tho very successful r-nlo eonciuct<-d by Messrs T. Armstrong and Co. of the stocks in bankruptcy of Morev and Moore. All lines in hand j at the moment, will be disr/osod of at j to effect a complete wind-up of the estate. 2 Modem Trilby*. It will not be much good being the Mme. Melba of tho next generation if Miss Leila Simon, of Cincinnati, is

o to bo believed, for Leilc asserts tart""*" 5 she can imitate Svengali' and "t - 0 musical geniuses in a few mouths "It - - is all done," she explains, ''through the.' subconscious mind, aud tho wondeT ' '• Z orku ni agont IS . what * known as tM ' * c New Thought: in other words "faith - ~ and will power. What now takes r.T» - jr- years and more to develop, with a good voice at the beginning. 1 hope to do in -* H five months with no voice at all.' 1 - How to Spend One's Income. ___ The proper way to spend one's iu- ;_ come is, a writer in "T.P.'r Weekly* rt suggests, is tho following ratio:—-JJoat d rates, and taxes. '20 per cent.; houses hold, 10 per cent.: clothing, 10 w r t cent.; amusements, 10-per cent.- food ' t 30 per cent.; savings, 20 per cent The ' ii expenditure problems of the well-to-do f it is pointed out. are quite as Urgent" >- as. those- of the hard-up. Indeed, ther . are more complex, hor if one has - !i much it is so ea„«.y to waste, while thoso ■ a who have to bustl" about to get enough. r for their needs find it easier to i-pond s to the purpose. / * Moving Pictures at Sea. v . s Passengers in liners crossing tho Atx lantic will in future he able to relieve c the monotony of the voyage by attending moving picture exhibitions. Th©, ~ Fabre liner Patria, which left .Naples on her maiden voyage on April 2Jfh 3 wtvs fitted with an up-to-date- kinematr> . graph theatre, and it. is probable that i , this installation will be quickly adopted j by other steamship companies. The kinema will then be the last— not the final —addition to the following list of ' comforts on various liners":— Datlv ? newspapers, electric laundry, extensive ' libraries, swimming baths, rowing ma-. • 5 chines, photographic dark-room«, gym--1 nnsia. lifts, automatic horse and camel 1 rides. j Bullets for Waterloo. The Crimee srrived at Marseilles the - > other day with a hundred ton weight • " of little sacks on boa--*", which gave , a metal clink as they dropped trom the ] cranes. Three of four other tdiips of - the Messageries Maritimes unloaded > smaller quantities of little bags, and • all tho h-gs have been sent on to Bel- - gium. They contain bullots which have been collected on the battlefields . ; of the Balkans (the "Daily Express" • i says). They are going to* Waterloo, " where they wil] be sold to tourists as . I relics. The stock of genuine Waterloo bullets gave ouf. some time ago, and . '" the demand is vorv steady. The Balkan war will now supply a long-felt want. , <, _ A President Wilson Story. The "Westrainstor Gazette" tells the - following story about President Wilson: ' —In a town in Pennsylvania a twelve-year-old boyr paralysed, and. with life ] slowly ebbing away, had an intense doi sire to foe the President Under the . new regime, at the White Houso calls, i except on business, are strongly discour- ' aged, and it was with much hesitation that tho lad's mother wroto to Airs Wilson asking if this wish could bo granted. The President promptly gave consent, and the boy was taken to Washington and brought to tho Whito House on a stretcher. Mr Wilson chatted for several minutes with the little fellow, whose eves beamed with joy, and who was at first too happy to speak. The President's eyes were dim as he turned away *« his day of work, and the sufferer was carried out on his stretcher to a motor ambulance,, and away to the railway station. : Fool-proof Train Doors. A safety lock for railway carriages, patented about a month ago, ha* brought a fortune to a railway signal- *TC man named George Haswell, of Church -** road, Newport, MonmouUishiro.fJsays $; ' : '., recent "Daily Mail"). Oho of tho prin- j" cipal railway companies has, it if .'""'. stated, offered £19,000 lor the inveii -"' tion, and the offer has been accepted j. Mr Caswell built a model of a trau in brass and showed that a rod running the whole length of tho train on the top of tho carnages, and controlled" \ by a levor on the engine, could effectively lock tho doors of all the carriages in tho train, and thus the guard could unlock them by a lever in his van. The rod is, connected with a simple apparatus at the foot of each door. Mr Caswell, who is a young man, claims that his locking devico is absolutely fool-proof. The Father of Anatomy. Under the auspices of tho Belgian '"■ Government, a monument is about tobe erected to the memory of Yesalius, the great Flemish anatomist.. His interest iv the subject began in child- "■ hood. Butchers' shops interested him '- more than toy shops; aud his great , :' delight as a small boy was to get hold of tho heart, or kidneys, or other in- \. tcrnal organs of a sneep or bullock, "* - and dissect his purchase—a task in which he was encouraged by his lather; wno was the apothecary of tho Emperor Charles V. When only a little older he dissected tho bodies of" \ criminals which had been thrown to ' > the dogs- actually fighting with tho - dog-'- in order to obtain them. Bjs ' Universities wero Louvain and Montpeliier; and, at the ago of eighteen, he was actually a Professor of Anatomy at Paris. Accused of having begun to dissect the body of a Spanish nobleman before life was extinct, ho was condemned to expiate his offence < by a pilgrimago to th© Holy Land; -1 but. on his way back to Padua, where he was to have beeu professor of Medicine, f<i .1561, ho was shipwrecked, and died of exposure at Zante, where tho monument is to be set up. Trunkful of Diamonds. '; A. great diamond deal was completed '*"" last month by Messrs L. Breitmeyer 'I\* and Co., of Holborn-viaduct, London, ri who Bought German South-West -2^ can uncut diamonds to,the amount of "% 500,000 carats for approximately *f 3 £1,000,000. Other large firms in EnS- :t j land and on the Continent have been ~'*i competing for the diamonds (says the {? "Daily Mail"), which aro of moderate ;-,-_. size and in bulk would, fill an ordinary' T -; travelling trunk. They will be for- -"; warded to f'ngland in parcels labelled 1 according to the size of the stones. Transactions of this kind are carried I out for cash. It was estimated that .-__ tho value of rough diamonds won in ■ ■ ' German South-West Africa in 1913 was £12,000,000. Tho stones, which are sold J i I tnrough the Government, are found by I the shore, irrrcrs thoy are knocked into -'J i shape by tbe heavy wrirda v&iob caii«* \ the sand to rub against them. Alter & a galo they can be found on the turf ace. Colour-Blind In a Flash. Mr Hoyle. Minister of Railways in New South Wales, while agreeing thai certain features of the eyesight ten for • the railway service should bo modified, emphatically stated last week to a deputation that if a medical man pronounced an applicant to bo colour-blind that would effectually prevent him from being placed in charge of a passenger or '- goods train. To show the reason why, he quoted a which had occuried in tne railway rservice. where a man who had been ruled out declared that I* ( the doctor had on "edge on him. The - Chiuf Commissioner at that timo (Mr, Oliver) permitted him to have a further *"- test, and promised that if he answered all the questions correctly he -would be . r reir.-stated. The man did answer the questions correctly; but later on, upon _~* the doctor suddenly enquiring. "What . . colour is that Venetian blind?" ho r*- ;£s. plied, "Green,"' when it was in reality "./£.,

.* ef a slate colour. To a further question as to the colour o the cover of a Book lying on the table, ho gave an--sher incorrect, answer. ihe colon. - blindness, the doctor declared had dome unon him like a flash. j>uch .a thine might not havo occurred again for ten but tho danger was that it might have come to him when he was 'looking at a signal, and a terrible accident would have been tho result. 'Therefore, if a roan 5? declared by the doctor to bo colour-blind," said the Minister, "that is the end of it." Tho deputation assured, him that the service did not ask that a man suffering this disqualification should bo in charge of a train.