GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16265, 16 July 1918, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

"We have received £1 from Mrs G. A. E. Ross for our Serbian Fund. A draft of 341 returned officers and men disembarked at Wellington yesterday. There were no cot cases. Wo have received' from the Little River Relief Fund Committee a cheque for £86 13s 6d towards the Prisoners of War Fund, and have handed it to the treasurer of that fund. The butchers' dispute will come boforo the Court of Arbitration this morning, and in the afternoon argument will be heard in connexion with the applications made to the Court for interpretations of certain provisions of the Canterbury brush and broom trade award. Applications closed at the Lands Office in Christchurch yesterday for four sections at Port Levy, in the Pigeon Bay survey district, the land bning education reserves and open for selection by discharged soldiers. The total ares is 2519 acres, divided as follows : Lot 1, 744 acres; Lot 2, 728 acres; Lot 3, 253 acres ; and Lot 4, 794 acres. In all, 33 applications were received, and the applicants are to be examined before the Land Board at a special meeting to-morrow. Possession of a military greatcoat may be a temptation to Territorials to wear it at times other than those permitted by regulations, but it is a temptation that youths are warned not to yield to. In District Orders fhero is a notification that the regulation apainst wearing a part of the uniform with mufti is boing infringed to a considerable extent. Group commanders are direrted to have all such offenders dealt with The offence being a civil one, the police are to be requested tp, take action in every case.

Details of the native troops serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Foi-e were given by Sir James Allen, at Dargaville, last week. He stated that since the first draft of Maoris left tho Dominion in February, 1915, a total of 27 additional drafts had gone to the front, the total number of Maoris who had loft the Dominion on service to date being 2134. Other native soldiers in the New Zealand Forces included 148 Niue Islanders and 308 Rarotongans. About 25 Gilbert Tslandors were now on their way to New Zealand to undergo training for active sorvice, and a platoon of halfcaste Fijians would arrive in New Zealand shortly for the same purpose. In addition, there were at presont in camp 134 Maoris and 90 Rarotongans. He considered this was a splendid record of loynlty on the part of the Maoris and other native races.

The following appeared in the report of the Works and Traffio Committee, presented at yesterday's meeting of the Tramway Board:—The Board subsidised the military pay of employees who enlisted voluntarily, so that the pay was brought up to the amount of their ordinary earnings at time of enlistment. After some consideration it decided to extend the same practice to men, single as well as married, who had been required to serve under the Military Service Act Ballot. It now found that tho Financial Assistanco Board is taking these subsidies into account when dealing with applications for financial assistance, tho effect being to relieve tho State to that oxtent. The committee had, therefore, decided not to continue the subsidy policy but subsidies alroady granted would 'continuo to be paid. The report was adopted.

'What distance from the city would the City Council allow the erection of manure works P" This was the question contained in a letter written by a Dunedin firm which came before the Council last evening. The Works and Sanitary Committee recommended that the writers be informed that no manure works would be allowed to be erected in or near the city, and suggested that they communicate with the District Health Officer regarding the locality in whitxh such wor Its would be permitted. Or. Taylor considered that the Council should consider the selection of a quarter where all offensive-smelling and/ dangerous trades could be placed. A councillor suggested Merivalo Cr Beanland said it was a matter for tho Health Department. Cr. Ell said he thought Cr. Taylor was right. The city s boundaries would spread. He moved that Cr. Taylor confer with the District Health Officer on the subject. Ct. Howard seconded the motion. It was quite time tliey should set apart a manufacturing area. The motion was carried and the committee's recommendation adopted.

By last mail Miss A. Pollock Smith received an interesting souvenir of the 23rd Battalion of tho Australian Infantry i< orces, now in France. It is a history of tho Battalion from, the time of its embarkation up to March 3rd, 1918. The following 5 is an extract, giving an account of how Private T. P. Smith won his Military Medal — "On the night of June 29th our patlols, under Captain Cull, did exceliont ■Vrork in maintaining command of No , a . 11 , s Land. A raid eventuated, which was a complete success, about eighty of the enemy were killed, and identification anu information secured from tho seven prisonors who were brought back. • It was in this operation that the courage of the men was particularly brought out. In returning, some men of the 14th Battalion lost direction, and became entanglod in our wire. ' A number of our men from A Company s in spite of tho dawn light, and heavy rifle fire and machinegun fire, moved out from the trenches into No Man's Land and rescued them, most of whom were wounded. Brigadior-General Monash sent a very appreciative letter of the rescue, and Sergeant Bradshaw, . Privates T. P. Smith, Nuttall, and McChcyne, received Military Medals in recognition I of their courageous work." J

A combined rehearsal of the Christchurch Orchestral Society and the chorus of the Festival of New Zealand Music will be held to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock. Permits wero granted for the erection of ten buildings in the city during June, the total value being £3700. There were two permits for buildings in the Central Ward (outer), representing a valuo of £1500, six for buildings in St. Albans, representing a valuo of £1700, and one in Sydenham, representing £500. An echo of the recent failure of the Lake Coleridge electric supply was heard at the City Council last evening, ■when the Council's Electric Light and Power Committoe reported that it was taking the matter into consideration, and especially the question of the provision of an adequate stand-by plant, and it hoped to furnish a report to the next meoting of the Council. The shortage of the milk supply was brought up at last night's meeting of the Sumner Borough Council. Councillors said tho position was far from satisfactory, and something should be done. The Mayor explained that he had already interviewed the suppliers, who were faced with considerable difficulties. However, he would make further endeavours to secure an adjustment of the supply. An interesting collection of New Zealand birds is now on view in the new acquisitions' caso at the Canterbury Museum. The collection has been prepared by Mr E. J. Haynes, taxidermist at the Museum. It includes specimens of the whito-fronted tern, the curlow sandpiper, the spotted shag, tho wandering albatross, and the black teal, a bird seldom found in the South Island, but fairly common in the North. At the meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League last week Mr W. J. Jenkin, in referring to the proposed Orari-Geraldine-Rangitata deviation of the Hurunui-Bluff line, stated that tho proposition had been placed before the railway authorities by the committee in South Canterbury which has the matter in hand.. Mr Jenkin finds that this statement was not correct, but he is informed that tho matter will be brought before the railway authorities shortly. A feature of the "Dick Whittington" pantomime on Thursday night will be the singing of "The Tramway Copper Trail" appeal song, the wording of which is by Miss Coralio Stanley, wife of Lieutenant A. C. McKollar. who is at the front, and the music by Mr R. A. Horno, of Christchurch. Miss Vera Pearce, the principal "boy," will have the honour of being the first_ artist to sing this song in public. Copies will be on sale during the interval of the performance, and possibly some autograph copies will be sold by auction. In the sporting pages of this week's "Weekly Press" : —Wayfarer Listens to Parliament; Spectator's Notebook; Form at Trentham, by Looker-On;' A Sporting Parson on New Zealand Racing, with some comments by Rapier; Wake Up, Sportsmen, by Antisthenes; Sprinting versus Sport; Racing in Germany; Racehorses as Remounts; Famous Racing Mares' Stud Records; What they Ask of the Trotter in America; Golf Courses and Food Production; The Art of Boxing; Billiards: Inman'g Appeal for Exemption; Bridgo: The Pre-Emptive Bid. With a view to dispensing with the erection of tents in Cathedral squaro lor tiio saio of goods in aid of patriotic societies, the City Council's Works and Sanitary Committee • recommended to tiie Council last evening tiiat a stall be erected, at an estimated cost to the Council of £30. Cr. Howard objected to such a structure, which he described as a municipal pie-cart, being erected in the Square. He was in favour of a shop being secured. A motion by him that the clause bo referred back to tho committee was lost, on tho casting vote of tho Mayor (Mr H. Holland), and the recommendation adopted.

iiecoiit additions to tiio Canterbury Museum liioiuuo u copy of. "Xo jj.uia," the ti'oopsmp magazine ox the isist lit>mrorcemems;, presented by Vr. VV. IJ.1 J . a mat, from Ooiac Hay, cibuthland, presented- by Air I<\ Jii. Berndtston.and a specimen, of tlie fisli Braxua squamosa (.pom-trot), rocoutiy found in Canterbury waters, presented by Mr Knowles. A piaster cast of this iisli has been mado by Air ijaynes. The collection of rocks and ores from Broken Hill, which the Museum authorities purchased recontly, is now on view, while the value of the large collection of wator-colour drawings of New Zealand plants, by Aliss Al. O. Stoddart, has bean greatly increased by descriptive labels written by Dr. Cockayne.

The July issue of the "St. John Bulletin," the quarterly publication of the Canterbury and West Coast .District of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, contains many articles of interest to ambulance woricers. Amongst these aro one ''On Being Curious," by Captain W. W. McKinney, and another describing ambulance work in America. Mr iSeed, tiie Assistant Cominissioner-in-<Jharge, iN.Z., lias sent the following message:— "1 give the 'Bulletin' a heurty welcome, anu trust it may have a good run, ana be the means of cementing the members in Kew Zealand into a brotherly body united to serve humanity and einula lo the knights of old from wnich our no bio Order is descended. I oommend tho 'Bulletin' to all Brigade members, and! trust it will meet with the support it deserves."

There was such a strong desire for pictures of Canterbury's snowfall, as indicated by the many orders wnich. couxd not be filled, that the management of the "Weekly Press" has ro.peated the illustrations in this week's emtion, and supplementary to them are engravings trom photographs obtained in other parts of the province, showing bur.ed rescue and forage parties, and the effects of the weight of snow on houses and verandahs. Another feature of the same issue, one •that will be equally interesting to every section of the community, is the excellent collection of snapshots of tho annual football match between Christ's College and tho Clxristchurch Boys' High School, depicting a very lino Rugby contest. The "Weekly Press" of July 17th is a splendid one to mail away, and the issue will no doubt be sold out soon after it leaves the machines.

In a letter from Palestine to his relatives in.Christchurch, one of the Main Body men discusses some popular delusions. He has seen plenty of fighting, but he got his first bad fright while lying in his bivvy reading. Ho suddenly saw a monstrous tarantula coming at him, and promptly killed it. He supposes that it was the suddenness of it that scared him, for he is pretty used to them, and has, indeed, been bitten by one without bad results. "This place abounds with scorpions," he adds, "and many of our chaps have been stung by them, but the sting is not fatal nor dangerous, though it is liable to make one ill for some time. We are carr>H in the valley of the Jordan. White people aro supposed not to be able to exist in the valley in summer, but we are here, and in May, the hottest of months. Of course, white people wero not supposed to be able to cross the Sinai in summer. "We not only crossed it, but lived there right through two summers. We have shattered a few old beliefs. Even our horses have done their share in that. There is a deadly, or supposed-to-be-deadly, fly that attacks horses witn fatal effect here. Death is supposed to occur ten days after the bite. While on outpost we had several horses bitten, but they are still _alive and going strong. As if a bite from a fly could kill our horses! It takes a direct hit] from nothing less than an eight-inch i coal-bos to kill them. We have horses, and lots of them—well, a gocd few of them—that have been wounded five or six tunes."

The Fire Brigade was called oiit at 5.40 o'clock last evening to a chimney fire at 541' St. Asaph street.

The reward of £500 offered by the Government for information which would- lead to the apprehension of the person who committed the West Coast double murder (Egsiers) has been allotted as follows:—Detootive Ward •Clio, Detective Connolly £100, Detective Abott £100. Morgan O'Brien £50, Inspector Cruirkshank £40, Sergeant Foley £10, Constable Hodgson £10, Cliiof-Dete-tive Mcllveney £15, Mr Murray (West Coast) £15, Mrs Russell (West Coast) £15, Mr Batt £15, Mr Watt £15. All kinds, of trusses at Loasby's. Stocks getting short, and no supplies arriving. Purchase now. Loasby. 2 There are a good many photographic obligations you have never paid. Call on Steffano Webb at once, 252 High street, Christchurch. Telephone 1989. 6 What aro Toric Lenses? Thev are lenses which are ground scientifically to fit the curvature of the eyes. They give wearers a larger field of vision, and are most becoming. We fit Toric Lenses for all sights. Walter J. Watson, D.8.0.A. (London), Expert Optician. 2 "Thinker's" favourite and "Golden Rulo" Writing Tablets. Splendid value. Is each. Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd. 2 You can depend upon everything being done promptly and well if you onlv hand your snipping documents to J. M. Hey'wood and Co., Ltd, They are recognised as exports at this work. Telephones 250, 1241, and 2174. 6 GOLD CAR TO LEAVE CITY SHORTLY. The famous Studebaker Gold Car will be on view at Adams, Ltd.'s Showrooms, High street, oniv a few more days. Those who have not>; seen it should make a visit to-day. It is an automobile well worth seeing—the ""ostliest and most beautiful in the world. 6 WANTED TO SELL, FOUR NEW STUDEBAKER CARS. We have ready for sale in our show rooms to-day one 4-cylirider Studebaker roadster, 2-3 seater. finished in carmine, £465; one 4-cylindor 5-seater Studebaker touring car with two auxiliary seats, finished in light brown, £465; one 6-cylinuer Studebaker roadster, 2-3-seater, finished in lemon yellow, £565; and one 6-cylinder 5-seater Studebaker touring car with two auxiliary seats finished m dove grey. Adams, Ltd., Show Rooms, High street. 6 WADE'S WORM FlGS—Wonderful Worm Worriers. Price Is 6d. 4