GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14975, 23 May 1914, Page 10

GENERAL NEWS.

Tho auction announcements of tho New Zealand Farmers' Co-op, Mark Sprott and Cm., National Mortgago and Agency Co., Maling and Co., K. Salter, H. Matson and Co., Harris Bros., Tonks. Norton and Co. t Wright, Stephenson and Co., Couway Matson and Sons, Charles Clark, and Lawrie a-nd Dalton, will be found on pa go 19 of this issue.

The Woolst-on Band will not play at Cashmere Hills to-morrow, as promised, on account of tho wet weather.

An Auckland telegram states that tho girl, Evelyn Tynan, whoso father is m custody on a, chargo of having attempted to murdor her, is progressing as well as can he expected, and there axo hopes of her recovery.

fcom© curiosity is being expressed on the waterfront at Bluff concerning tho whereabouts of the General Grant salvage brigantine, which left San Francisco over three months ago for tho Auckland Islands. Sho was to call at the Society Islands .and Bluff on routo to the Aucklands, but nothing has been heard at Bluff concerning tho vessel since her departure from tho American port.

A sensational incident is reported to have taken place at Kohimarama on Thursday <says a Press Association message- from Auckland). Information was received by the police that a man went to a house and knocked door. A woman answered the call, and the stranger then asked if her, husband was at homo. Upon receiving a replyin the negative he is stated to have prosented a revolver and demanded all tho money the woman had. At tho same timo tho man accidentally dropped a cartridge. The woman said she had no money, and the man then went to another house. Afterwards he made off.

A report was circulated in Sydney snipping circles, last week that the ship*ping company of Huddart-Parker, Ltd., had secured a large interest in Hebburn coal mine, an extensive colliery in Maitland (New South Wales) district. Captain T. Langley Webb, director of the company in Sydney, confirmed the report of the deal, but was unable to go into details. "All I can say," said Captain Webb, "is that Huddart-Par-ker, Ltd., has secured large, interests in the mine, and arrangements have been made for the offices of the coal company, which are at present in London, to be controlled in Australia." Certain arrangements have yet to b<? completed, and these will take sotno time. Huddart-Parker, Ltjj., hold large contracts in the Commonwealth, employing a big fleet of steamers and colliers in tho inter-State trade. .. Hebburn mine is one of the finest in New South Wales. It forms part of the A.A. Company's property., ;

The ill-effecte upon Maoris, of Europeans working on Sundays were referred, to by th© Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. A. "VV. Averill), in the course of his- speech at the annual meeting of the Lord's Day Alliance at tbo Auckland Y;M.O. A. on Tuesday nighfc. "Before I came to Auckland I was travelling in tho Bay of Plenty," said tho bishop, "when a Maori asked aio to go to his house as he wanted, to show mc somothing. I accompanied him, and he produced a prayefbook, and turning to tho fourth commandment, nsked mc if that nDplied only, to tho,Maoris and not to the pakeha. His reason for asking, ho said, was that all his pakeha neighbours worked on Sundays. I was ashamed. Three weeks ago I was asked practically the same thine by a Haovi in tho Xorth," said Dr. Averill. "This man declared that one of tlie greatest evils before tho Maoris to-day was tlie bad example of the pakehas. T told bira to live true to his principles, and God might uso him as sa missionary to the pakoha." . '

A iNew Zealand fruitgrower who is now in Tasmania writes as follows to a iriend in Wellington:—"l visited the Australian Interstate Fruit Show, whieli was held in Hobart recently, and was disappointed with, the display. There were only two trophies, and they did not have any particular merit. I have seen better at tho Now Zealand "Winter Show. Tho cjuality, speaking generally, of the fruit was not on as high a standard as ono would expect at a show of such importance. There was somo really fine Tasmanian fruit exhibited. For quality, there was nothing to equal the 'fruit of this State. South Australia had the largest number of varieties, namely, 177 pla'cs of apples and 100 plates of pears." Speaking of ono orchard that he is fanvliar with, he says:— "'lt is 22 acros in extent, and produces over 5000 bushels of apples and pears." This works out at nearly £.57 per aero, taking the fruit at only 5s per case, pears and apples alike. Tho usual wagn paid to orchard Jiands in Tasmania is, it is stated, 6s a day.

• The reports of the examiners in England of the "University of New Zealand examinations of 1913 are to hand. Tho examiner in reports that better work on tho whole is shown by candidates than five years ago. He is ghvl to sco that the number of honours candidates in Latin has increased this year (fifteen), and of these three are deserving of a first-class. As to French, the examiner soys: "There was no lack of carelessness or over-hurry." The examiner in German says the general impression as to the results obtained was decidedly favourable. It was evident that most candidates had been taught carefully, and had worked with genuine interest. But a most regrettable fact was tho considerable shrinkage m the number of candidates for degrees in German, "which points to a very serious decline of the higher study of German in the University of Now Zealand." He urges the great desirability of granting to the best students of German after they have taken high honours, some bursaries or travelling scholarships. Tho report of tho examiner in Economies is of an unfavourable nature, and even more unfavourable is ihe report of tho examiner for B.A. Degree in History. In Constitutional History, the general average of the papers is reported to bo very fair, and the Jurisprudence papers "maintained a very fairly good level." In the Education papers the examiner says there has been a gratifying improvement in the general standard.

• particulars of altCrttiW'to'U'^B Juhus on Wednesday^^ <hying to tfao unfaronrable weatijtt tho North Canterbury Motor CySM Club hns decided not to BoM.iiSßts khana to-day. \' w^i® At Auckland yc&tcrdav,. Chajt&ll James Metcalf.-, for ille&Hy 5S3§ wino to v constable, was sentcnocditolf two months.' imprisonment with' KiiSIS labour. David H,, 2 h McDermott*W=§ selling liquor without a license/**2*ti fined £20. . γ^ll The hearing of the Customs which James E. Kuudle is invoJj*T% occupied the Supremo Court all yesterday, and was not concluded InfiP wil! bo resumed at 10 o'clock'^*? 1 morning. By sitting till nearfr *p#' o'clock tho Court hoard all the■ donco, and this morning will hear'tKttf? addresses of counsel. ■ v';•'■ v.^f., The provisional directors of tie N*r Mi Colosseum. Limited, the which intends to erect a now iatnfcßj? picture theatre in Cathedral >lr C. J. Cooper (Chrietchurch), T. W. llislop (WVllinston), 3U|b»S : Henry Hay ward (Weliingtoa)V M. I>revritt, and W. S. Mitchell church). ■' •■\-'i ,^ Air G. "W. Purser, of Lecskm, i chrysanthemum gro\re,r, has met much success in growing "Mrs Drabblo,' , a new white variety of"gr§»|tfl beauty, and several bloome )iim aro on exhibition in Broadrojjfclf ■ Local growers will no doubt' intercstod in this uovclty quality of tho flowers. :^K§K? It is reported that Lake is getting dangerously high. •■ , ;ApMi»r^|

ently the outlet js not fulfilling; wiitf;s9 was expected from it in tho w*yls;f : | keeping the level of tho lake *| ifc§>s normal height. It is anticipat«lvtitt|p if tho water in tho lake docs nofr '■■ subside, crons in tho vicinity ofTCthefSi; shores of tiio }ako are likely swamped. •• :^h§3l What must be something »lii;Ut<|3|;; nature of a record in tho way of evidence on tho part of one witness been established in tho course ofsSjffs!i present Sunremo Court hearing Customs case. Mr Hugh S. an officer of the Customs took tho box on Thursday aftoraooij&fgi lore two o'clock, and his evidenoinift%| chief and cross-examination , oceßmiw •& 2 the Court till 12.85 p.m. yesteSfci'^ , ' Tho actual time he was in the boxf&tf-l" just a few minutes short of six hofii£*p At a. meeting of the Marion Beautfefe tying Society, it was resolred: "Thaifl 03 page 290 of the 'Fear Book , showSl that the Dominion revenue reoeivecTfJi something like £90.000 derived frfeSi the recreations of the people, in'-.the'sri; opinion of the Society* tho least thaV=|f the Government can d"o is to portion of it to the people of New Ze**i§ land in tho shape of grants towards thagf' upkeep .and improvement of publiqS parks and domains throughout the Do-5§ minion, which are used entirely as plac«il!f of recreation of tho inhabitants h?M whom the tax is indirectly paid: .an<lsf| that a copy of this resolution bo for-*«M warded to the Minister of Internal Jtf-fsf lairS. _ . • - . ..vj.:-,-J|^ The following programme played by Dr. Bradshaw, city 'txjgjjijSii&pM at the Organ Recital to be given i4:B®p Majesty's Theatre at row:—Morcoau Symphonic, a, Mozart" (op. 65) (J. Andantino in G Minor «fl Overture to the "S'B&iiJ || ranndo" (Schubert); ■ ~ ea^^fiU'Aj&gi&W, |£j Guard Thee" (BerceuM;d^?i : Jo^^.r : ;iS (Godard); Caprice Orientile (L«Mre);Vf! Suito GothiqOo , ; (<?p. ?: i2s)t^ t .lj>ijj Introduction— : Cßoral (leading :■ 'tofvJlM Minuet Gothitfue; Till. Pricro iac KotrfeS Dame; i IV; Toccata- (Bofillman) j ■Lβ Badinage. ("Tho Jest") (MaiUv) *, mard» in O major, from Ihiote (Weber)..:.. . '.' r^.,_..; -■■■■y'^Wm The industrial conditions in and througliout province arc fiaiijg thoro being a marked dearth of demaattjS for artisans:and nnskilled woriere (says* a Press . Association message). is estimated that; over iwo ■ hundred%M men are unemployed, and about a dred workers tinly employed Owing to the wintry weather and Jifiit»p| ed naturp of the works iii band^.nft|s : Public "Works of magnitudo are go|(isMi forward, and tho ijeneral verdict'is. tKi|S unless public bodies, private 'cbmpatfftpf and enterprising citizens, can profi3|S sources labour thero is a bitter - Wills tor ahead of many artisans and labinii^p Our Patea- correspondent telegrapivis that Messrs.. J. lOsboroe . andM Co., of ■' Christchurcii, the oop ?!» tractors for the work .of ■ ing. the boro in connexion -withr Patea Borough's trater supply> OhaTeS now finished their task, - and expr«fe| thomselvos as more tlian satisfied the result of their labours. .■ ?i.s3w»ss|| flow at the present time in fraction of 70 gallons per over 100.000. gallons per day,v should mora than suffice for F*t***s|| requirements for many yeara'to It is tho intention of tho vptujcustgig construct a' concrete around the well, capable of Jholamggj some 40,000 gallons. . : ' : ;' ''/■ i^-: ' : 0'-wM Following upon Mr Justice objection at Auckkmd. to ? tho "billet ,, in legal documents, an " C 6 plea for purity in- tho nee of Hsh language, Mr Justice Deumstoß#|i| tho Supremo Court jected to" the use by the; Crowo;<couag| sel's associate of tho word {&f&.-WsßSi being slang. Mr Wright &<W-abvatmm edly accepted correction, butpleWWp that he had followed Mr ■ : 'WTBssm counsel for the defence, in the ■■W-gWi the word.. "But wo look far 'MWgjp things from counsel for the rejoined Mr Raymond laughiingiy.the coiireo of & few -exchanges.<prt"#lft! judge and counssel it was mentioned.tn*|g tho'phrases' "Urred with .J™. , *"*™ brush" and "on the wrong Ride o£vM» fence" had been condemnedm lish Courts. ■ ; ~. t '."-'■.■:'•-v^kl Mr G. W. C. Moon, Chrietehureh Tourisi Burean, sbwg ed a reporter yesterday tor&sting letter he had from America. Tho letter Dear Sir,—Tho writer, Zealand girl, would esteem it; a 'K3» favottr if you could find it witmn /JWg power to forward literature if possible, showing many oft teresting resorts to be found Zealand, to some American :^ne tho writer's, whom I have far an io make desirous of visibng:»wip|Zealand at a later period. ,^ h ? has been asked many, and I'™8%2&ll weird questions concerning ? ew< ;raaM land, and certain facts that mentionfd to thorn have been with great incredulity. However, sure it will interest you to «»<J*?l??p| the Christchurch -Weekly Press, *«Sg is always forwarded to mo from.mmg& time, fias been the means of in f°r3ft voting Americans of it* stalwart:■SJpli* of manhood to make the journey ZeaLiud and settle there. Tho of th* Americans tbo wr,terll P i ■with in Pennsylvania, and agaitt *^p§ : Kay in other States, havo very J *TQM knowlcdgo connernins f ar Zealand, or even know where our ; mc country is. Thanking you cipation.—(Signed) Laura Bennett. In a postenpt ike JgJ%M§ social enquiry for literature on Jack. • -■-Jirl'i-sfsS

A few days' trial proves *k, e .3£3s ago of using Mrs ' RollestonV efiwj Cream for tho face, instead opW& during the cold weather. It is }°>PS£| from England, and is S u » rM promote the growth of hair on *(&fg2 Price 4e i>d large jar, 2s 3d sroalK>fSgS minion Building, Cathedral.equajM

7 ■ " "Steffano Webb mnkes a specialty of i ; and family photographs artis- "-■ S cronnr* nnd «cel!entlr finished. ;". .-TKhono 10S9, Petersen's Buildings. :. •"' High street. h Walter J. Watson, P.8.0.A.. Lont don, Espert Optician (near Ivincaid s>. ■!: • Accurate Sight-test,n ß and SpecUclc- ■ fitt : n- Repairs to rrames and broken :■' •■■'• Ecn'-S' matched. Charges moderate. 3 i- Get in touch with -1. M. ]lcy;vood 4"-' and Co.. Ltd.. dirr-ctlv you «e"ido to • n? O V They will handle- your iarn.- :. SI carefully, pack it .securely. I. rcak •'"■ ' nothing- and deliver it unsc-ratched *o ".;■ " your new residence. *> : :" " Tlic mornings grow dark. The modern -:•■■.■■ -flTatchinan. "Big Boa " wilJ .call on the ■:; mo nient and insistently Price 12s od, : ' ntHastie. Bull and Pickering's, oppo- ,-'_■ So -Ballantync , *.- "Big Ben's little brother "Lookout." at <.*• o Doctor C. Chussler'f. now biochemical remedies will mike you well. Tho . twelve natural cell s-alts for ail oispa«e, I 5 an(l - s a ,X)tUO - ,rom Jno - -■ Berry, chemist. G7O Colombo street. 5 An apparatus <.iU*xl a "Mirrotcopo" -• /' for showing postcards, phntsv. oto., en- *' " brged on a wnll a mn-ic l.intern icust provo intensely intoroting to ' old and your.g. lilted with electric, gas, or acttykno lifcht will provide many enjoyable ovenings ' - and they are procurable at John h. ,' ' Proctor's. OculiVts' Optician, 200 High J street, Christchurch. ° . An E&sy-Going President. Prosidoiit Wiben told the Wnshing- - • ton Press Club rccomSy that when ho came'to the White House hM year he ' tras almost a itranger to Washington, - 'and now he never expected to ceo the . inside of tho public buildings of tho - . city until the end of his term. '"J'ho - minute I turn up nnywhero I am personally condurtfti to beat tho band. The curator and tho assistant curators and every other blooming ofiicial turns up, and they show mc so much attention that I don't sco tho building. J •would havo to say, 'Stand aside, and let mc see what you are showing me.' " Tho President, added that ho had sometimes thought—if it were not against the law—of going to come theatrical costumiers and buying nn assortment of beards, rouge, and all tho known means of disguising himself, so that he might go about Washington as "a freo Americap citizen once more" v and ''haro a jolly time." 'Man and Wife Flyers. Frau Melli Beese, the only airwoman, in Germany 'and the only woman in / tho world who conducts her own aeroplane works, informed a correspondent cf tho "Daily Telegrapir' that sho was building an "ocean-going waterplane" nith a view to conmeting for tho £10,000 p:ize for tho first TiansaLlantis watcrplaiie. flight, by that journal. Sho describes her machine, which will shortly cany out trial trip 3 over the Baltic and tho North Sea, as a "flying boat." It will be equipped with ono of the wonderful , 3lercedes ]CO-horso engines with which Germ&n airmen h'&vo captured most of the important flying records. "If the •Uirthcoming trials are .satisfactory,' ,, said Frau "I certainly iiitend to enter for tho Atlantic competition. F/-ery thing dflpethds on the trials." Fraa Bcese.who is a small woman, has great courage and is unuauntod by the half dozon aeroplano accidents in which blie has broken .bones. Recently she married ono of the pupils of the flying school she runs in.connexion with her •norks at JohannistbaJ. Ho is a young frenchman'-.named Boutard, but she , retains her maiden name as a "flyiug name." M. Boutanl will be her passenger should she start on-the Atlantic flight. ' . x Radium No Cancer Cure. * . Then!) has been n great deal of dis■fussion in tae United States lately — concerning tho use' of radium as a r iuro for caneor. The opinion of . the leading .surgeons, as expressed on ; several occasions, seems now to ho that ail hopo of curing the diseaao by - radium mnst be abandoned (writes our American correspondent under date ofApril 27th). At tho-. Convention of the American Surgical. Association, £arly this month. JJr.cSpannann, . of Vienna, said that: in 42 cases of 'iri- * operable cancer \vhcro radium was used us hnd improved,. 14 cases had heen aggravatod, five showed no effect, and j .17 persona died under treatment; Tnat ' t tho of. American- eurgeous is even moro discouraging was revealed by a lecture in Isow York a few days 'ago, delivered by Dr. F. C Wood, head of tho cancer research laboratory at Columbia UnivorsityJ "Radium is not a 'euro, for ■ cancer," .■. ho said/ 'There is no euro for cancer except to cut it out. Popular belief in "radium as a cure is based upou the _ - fact that only tho occasional reported f »cures are heard from; ; never tho r ' failures; 1 can assure you that tho failures of radium outnumber the curss 100 to one." . I>r. W\ H. Mayo, .another specialist in cancer, acreed, but said that cancer could always bo cured if operated on in the oarjy stages. They united m sajiag ithey had discovered neither the cause nor the nature" of cancer. Useless Applications for Billets. Many applications arc mado daily to Mr Hoyie, Minister of Railways in New South Wales, for positions in tho Public Service —go .many, in fact, that,'wero ho able- to deal Avith them, ho should havo hardly any timo left for his ordinary work. "A very largo percontogo of my daily correspondence and callers," ■ ho Mud last week, "consists of business ! ot a purely pcrsoiia] character, and it is -mrpming what a number of people think that a iliuistor can obtain ior , them a lucrative position or other such advantage by a mere scratch! of tho' pen or a ring on tho telephone. It is only a pleasure to mc to lend a helping Band whenever I nin able in any deserving case, but a Minister's power in matters of this kind is vory limited. All appointments, promotions, and transfers in tho Public Service, for instance, aro deajt with by tho Public Service Board, which, was established for tho purpose of removing the Service from political influence. The control of tho railway staff rests _entirely with iho Railway Commissioners, and & similar thing applies to tho. Sydney Harbour Trust, the Water Supply and Sewerage Board, And the other Government departments independent of tho Public Service Board. It is unfair to mc to ho besieged with applications which should bo dealt with by tho Public Servico Board or. tho other departments concerned, and I hopo thnt I thus make it clear that my power in such matters is practically .juil, requests of this r.aturo will appreciably decrease." and I will bo enabled to give moro time to legitimate public business." " Blind Telephone Operator. Hoiborn, 5330.—A prosaic enough telephone number in a book of. thousauds of numbers,, but one with a path- - eiic interest. Few of the numbers who ask for it daily know that the man who answers and (switches tho calls to tho correct;,department is totally t>iind (says a London paper). Mr" A. \V. Bryant, the blind 'operator, has just completed fifteen years at a telephono switchboard. For eight years his sight was normal. Then came blindness, and for a timo ho thought he should be of no.more use in the worid. Mr Bryant did not mean to givo up without a struggle, and he asked to be allowed to keep on, with an assistant, to eeo if he -could master the keys and indicators shut off from his sight. Soon ho was t «bhj to dispense with the assistant. Mr Bryant distinguishes the "clicks" with tiie same unerring accuracy as a musi- || *rcun distinguishjes the notes of a piano.

To distinguish the holes for the connecting plugs he has erected an ingenious device of stops waich enables him to pick out tho holes without running Irs fingers over the whole board. Ho deals with t.even exchange lines _and twenty-two extensions, and at busy times "has 0000 rails each day. He is very happy, for he finds interest in the thousands of different voices that speak to him, interest in speculation of tho personality of those he hears but cannot see. Mr Bryant believes that his is ar. occupation which might well be taken up by more blind people. He has nothing but praise for Mr Arthur Pearson's movement for supplying more Brnille literature to the blind and at cheaper rat&s. He has taught himself French by Braillo books.