GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17113, 7 April 1921, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

All the Canterbury rivers were reported clear yesterday. During March 98 vessels, with a total net tonnage of 93,830 tons, entered tho port of Lyttelton, as against 153 vessels aggregating 127,965 tons during the corresponding month of 1920j the average size of the vessels thus increasing from 836 to 957 tons register. Fishing at Lake Pearson, Messrs Atkinson, Milliken, and the ttev. Hughes made some excellent catches. Teh biggest trout—a Rainbow—waslanded by Mr Hughes. It turned the boalcs at 141b, and took 40 minutes to play. Mr Hughes also landed one of lli*lb, and Mr Milliken one of 12jlb. Mr G. H. Bullard, the new Commissioner of Lands for Canterbury, has, since arriving from the North Island, been busy in getting into touch with Crown and soldier settlers. Yesterday he returned to Christchurch after touring North Canterbury, and inspecting the Waitohi and Brookdale soldier settlements. He was much impressed by the optimistic spirit shown by the settlers in spite or the prevailing depression in prices for wool and mutton. Mr Bullard intends to inspect the whole of the Canterbury Lands District as soon as possible.

Owing to tho financial stringency the Dunedin War Memorial Committee has postponed for six months their attempt to raise funds.

William Henry Conway, farmer, of Governor's Bay, has been adjudicated a bankrupt on his own petition. The first meeting of creditors will be held in the Official Assignee's office, on Thursday, April 14th, at 2.30 p.m. At tho annual meeting of the Dunedin Orphans' Club (telegraphs our correspondent) tho president (Bro. G. W. Mcintosh), speaking of a visit which the club paid to the Timaru and Christchurch Savage Clubs last year, said it was a very desirable thing to keep in touch with the kindred clubs of other centres._ This particular trip had been a delightful one, and members looked forward to a visit from the South Canterbury and Christchurch savages. The Dunedin orphan would do thoir best to return tho splendid hospitalitv shown them by these clubs. Bro. Mcintosh was reelected president. Tho fact that this year, owing to May Ist being a Sunday, the opening of the shooting season has been fixed for Mav 2nd, was warmly commented upon by Mr C. R. Clark at last night's meeting of the Council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society "Of course, it'B just the sort of billy thing an Englishman would do," Mr Clark said, when informed of the date of the opening of the season, "but no Frenchman or nnyono else wculd do so. It proceeds on the erroneous assumption that no ducks are shot on Sundays. Now, a lot of fellows will go out and get big bags on May Ist, and we wretched members of the Society won't, be able to get any!" Tho chairman (Mr M. H. Godby) remarked that in that enso there would be a large number of fines to bo paid. Cr. .Shaddock, chairman of tho Dunedin City Councils Electric Power and Lighting Committee, speaking at a meeting of the Women's Citizens' Association in Dunedin, said it was now sixteen years since the Council acquirod tho Waipori scheme. For the first few years no profit was made out of this venture. In its early stages there was a strong prejudice against tho use of electricity, but this hod gradually died out, until now it was considered an absolute necessity. Ho paid a compliment to the pioneer work done by Mr Stark, engineer, and later of Christchurch. In 1&07 there was a loss of £4OOO on tho year's operations. This losa continued until I*9ll. when there was a profit oi*\£looo. This had gradually increased, until last year there was a profit of £IB,OOO. Tho Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday considered a proposal that salvage should be claimed in the rescue of the sailing boat Alma, of Redcliffs, which was sighted floating bottom upwards near the Heads on March 29th. Tho harbourmaster reported that the tug had towed tho yacht in, and had consumed four tous of coal in doing so, at a cost of 50s per ton. The engineer estimated the value of th;> yacht at £IOO. He said the owners had seen him, and complained of the damage caused to the boat by the tow. The crew had fot ashore, and intended to salvage the oat themselves later. He would recommend that the men be let down as lightly as possible, for if boating men were not encouraged there would be no sailors. The tug had gone out to save life, riot to tow the boat in. The Board left the matter to the chairman and engineer to settle.

Mendicants and nomads with no fixed place of abode have always been a Bource of worry to the census-taking authorities. It is naturally the aim during a national counting of heads to record every single one, and the man who sleeps under a tree or bridge is from one point of view a- nuisance. Strenuous eiforts are to be made by the Australian Census Bureau during the taking of the census this year to count in all mendicants and wanderers who work, states the ''Age." On census : night the police all over Australia will be on the look-out for open-air sleepers. Parks and gardens will lie combed, and the occupants recorded on census cards. Out in the back-country whore rabbit trappers and others move from place to place, and "fold up their tents like the Arabs,'' special precautions have been taken to" secure records. When the counting of cards takes place few. people, if any, will have been missed. Cr. Douglas, chairman of the Dunedin Tramways Committee, and the only candidate, so far. for the city Mayor, in the course of a speech yesterday (telegraphs our correspondent), said that Dunedin was <the only place in New Zealand where the penny tram fare had been maintained, and the school children were carried cheaper there than anywhere else in the Dominion. Owing to the substantial credit balances from the tramways, the rates last year had been relieved to the extent of £3150, and it was proposed this year to hand over £6IOO for this purpose. Cr. Taverner, chairman of the Finance Committee, said the capital outlav in borrowed money was about £1,500,000, which returned a percentage of £4 7s Cd per annum. In 1922 £516,000 of thiS" would fall due, and probably this could not be renewed at a lower rate of interest than 7 per cent. This one item meant a serious matter to the Council. 'He added that Dunedin enjoyed cheaper gas, cheaper electricity, and cheaper tram fares, than any other part of New Zealand, and this result was not brought about by starving any department. The application of the Wellington Harbour Board to have certain of its employees exempted, from the jury list was considered by a meeting of Justices of the Peace at the Magistrate's Court at Wellington on Monday. It was stated by Mr J. F. B. Stevenson that the men were employed as special constables, their duties being in the direction of detecting pillaging, regulating traffic, etc. Inspector Mcllvcney said that as the duties of these men were liihited to an area within a mile ot the wharf they could not bo said to be constables within the meaning or the Act. He had no objection, however, to the exemption of a man placed in the position o*f a caretaker at the boat harbour. Mr Stevenson intimated that the application\ would be reduced to 15 names of employees who, by coming into touch with the direction of traffic and the public, wei'o called upon to exercise the duties of special constables. On going through the list it was found that it did not contain two of the fifteen names submitted. After some discussion, the Magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle) stated that the. thirteen name* would be removed from the list.

Last night's meeting of the Council of the North Canterbury Acohmatisntion Society was the last one prior to the Council going out of office, and this was advanced by the chairman (-Mr M H. Godby) as a reason v.hy finality should he reached in what has become known as "the white heron case. Mr Godby remarked that it was no. a legacy that they should hand on to the new Council. He read a kgal opinion from Mv M. J. Gresson on several -points submitted for his consideration. Mr Gresson was by no means satisfied that white heron is native game. lias was the opinion of the Minister of Internal' Affairs, the white heron was native game, proceedings could be taken. Mr Godby dealt at some length with the provisions in various Acts and regulations dealing with the whitu iheron. He said that he was unofficially informed that the white heron was in the Museum. Mr C. R. Clark remarked that it was in the best place. Mr Godbv concurred, and remarked that it would be Gilbertian to send the ranger to the Museum to seize the bird, and for proceedings to be taken against the Museum authorities. The secretary (Mr C. W. Hervey): "It would be, seeing that 1 rang up Mr Speight and told him that I thought the Museum was the best place for it!" After much discussion, and after several suggested motions had been abandoned, it was agreed to refer the matter back.to the sub-committee set up to deal with it.

The Professional Orchestra will gife a concert in the Liberty Theatre on Sunday evening.

A meeting was held in the Somcrfield street school last evening to further the candidature of Mr W. "H. Winsor for a scat on the Christchurch Citv Council. Mr A. Smith presided". Mr Winsor addressed the meeting, and all present formed themselves into a committee to work for nis return.

Tho Justices of tho Peace who were appointed to occupy thi> bench at tho Magistrate's Court yesterday were both named John Brown. This fact rnised a quiet little debate on the question, "was the association of the two gentlemen bearing thu common name a coincidence, or was it the law of averages proving itself again?" A new magazine which has just made its first appearance is the '"Now Zealand Decorator," the official organ of tho New Zealand Federation of Painters', Decorators', and Signwriters' Associations. The publishers are Messrs Andrews, Baty and Co., of Christchurch, and the editor is Mr W. W. Dnnsterville. editor of tho "Motor Journal," and formerly a member of tho staff of "The Press." It is pointed out in «i circular thnt tho new magazine Im* been launched becauso of the earnestly expressed opinion of prominent men in the business catered for that it was high time that such an important and growing industry should be adequately represented in the journalism of tho Dominion, If the first edition is to lo taken as a criterion, the "Decorator" will be a. welcome addition to tho ranks of New Zealand's trade mngazines. It deals with many subjects of particular interest to the trades for which it caters;. it is profusely illustrated witli portraits' of prominent men of those trades, and it is Artistically printed. Tho cover design is a real work of art, and is from the brush of tho well-known local artist. Mr K. Wallwork. Tho launching of tho new journal should result m a very lengthy and successful cruise on the seas of lead, oil, and brush.

Lord Novar, formerly Governor-Gen-eral of Australia, has criticised the Commonwealth Government- for its neglect of the question of ro-afforesta-tion, and, in a recent speech in England he spoke of the danger Australia faced through the rapid denuding of its timber areas. He also referred to the absence of any effort to turn Papua to profitable account in this direction. Ihe Minister of Homo and Territories (Mr Poynton) pointed out in reply thn< somo time ago the Government had made arrangements to employ an expert m afforestation who has had experience in Nigeria, and that £2OOO was provided on the estimates for this purpose. The officer, through illness, was unable to accept the offer. Efforts subsequently mode to obtain tho services of other experts had failed, and nothing since had been done. Replying to the contention of Lord Novar that Australia was neglecting the question ; the Minister showed that Borne attention had been given the matter, though tho efforts made up to the present undoubtedly had been exceedingly feeble. The Commonwealth subscriber! portion of the expenses of sending two delegates to the recent Empiro Forestry Conference, and undertook to contribute one-sixth of the cost of the establishment of the proposed college of forestry at Gosford.

Evidence accumulates with almost every mail to the United Kingdom thn+ whatever the terms of the. contract alfcput to be negotiated between the Commonwealth Government and the Orient S.N. Company for the carriage of overseas mails, it is_ essential that there shall be a strict insistence upon regular dispatch and prompt delivery at the other end (says tlie Melbourne "Ago"). Mails arriving at Toulon by the Ormonde were unreasonably delayed, and, business men in/ England again found that, owing 'to 'this delay, they were unable to deal with Australian correspondence in time to dispatch replies by tho next outward mail. This has been a source of irritation and loss both in England and Australia ever since the war disturbed the weekly services previously provided, but the reasons for such occurrences nowadays are difficult to discover. For > a comparatively small outlay Australia coiild dispatch her mails to the? United Kingdom at poundage rates by every steamer sailing, but heavy guarantees are given and yearly payments made, in order to ensure that there will be regularity of service, and that the dates of sailing and arrival can be scheduled and depended tipon. In entering into a new contract with the Orient Company, which will probably entail an outlay of something like £250,000 a year, the Government must pijbtect the interests of the community by making such arrangements as will guarantee a return to tlio same regularity, if not the same frequency of service, as was provided in the days before the war. An impoverished condition of the blood is generally responsible for unexplainable headaches, lack of energy, lassitude, etc. The remedy is to strengthen your blood with Loasby's Nerve Tonic and Blood Enricher—it makes rich, red blood. 3s 6d and 6s 6d a bottle, all chemists,, or from Loasby and Co., Chemists (opp. Ballantyno's). °

A small expenditure in spare parts will often save the oxpense of a new Potato-Digger. We stock spare* for Aspinwall, Reuther, Jacks, and Champion Digcers. Ivorys, Ltd., 21 Manchester street. loaoWhen you trust your goods to us you are certain tl.at they will ho carefully handled. Shipping— inovmg—storage; we do them all, nnd do them well. J. M. Heywood and Co., Ltd. H494d Theatres of the future will bo featuring beautiful world-lifting pictures, owing to the wonderful influence or the Thinker's Pictorial School Exercise Books and the famoud Biblical Gdlden Rule School Rulers now circulating amongst Mew Zealand ku^m

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1005—Overland, 4-cyl., 5-scater, £323. 10J1 —Ford, o-seater (£1(30 allowed on this and £lO spent), £l5O. 1039 —Studebaker, 4-cyl., 5-seater (£SOO allowed). £495. 1033—studebaker, 4-cyl., 5-seater (just repainted), £4OO. 1032—Studebaker, Big Six (5-7-seater), £675. 1026—Studebaker, 6-cyl. 15-<-6cater), £SOO. ' v 1013—Studebaker, 6-cyl. (5-7-seater). £350. 1014—Studebaker, 4-cyl. (5-7-seater), £325. 1010—Talbot Delivery Van, £75. 100(3—Studebaker, 4-cyl., 5-seater (£335 allowed, £3B spent) £350. 1007—Clement-Bayard Chassis, £l4O. 104-6—Oldsmobile, 6-cyl., 3-seater, as new, £SOO. 1000—Silent Knight Minerva, 4-cyl., 56eater, £475. 1045 —Studebaker Light Four, 5-seater, £SOO. 1049—Studebaker Big Six (5-7-seater), £675. 1052—Studebaker, 4-cyl., 3-seater, £3CO. 1050—Studebaker, 4-cyl., 5-scater, £2OO. 1051—J>aimler (S.K.), 3-seater, £SOO. 1053-r-Sunbeam, 4-cyl., 5-seater, as new, £9OO. 1054—Briscoe, 5-seater, £250. All the above used cars are listed at cost price. Adams, Ltd. Garage 219 Tuam street; Showrooms, 152-154 High street. 6