GENERAL NEWS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17114, 8 April 1921, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

All the Canterbury rivers were reported clear yesterday. In view of the financial stringency, the estimates of expenditure have been carefully revised by the Dunedin City Council and pruned in the total by about £6OOO, the works department estimates alone being cut down by £2OOO. "I .suppose you are a" rabid teetotaller?" said Mr 0.. T. J. Alpers to a witness in a caae in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. "I'H. drink a whisky with you any time," promptly retorted the witness. "Will you?" said Mr Alpers. "Shall we have one this afternoon?." "It's on," said witness,' "and you can bring the 'other boys' along if you like." A Press ■ Association telegram from "Wellington says it is understood that a movement is on foot for the amalgamation of several trade unions in Wellington connected with the building industry. A conference. will probably be held in a lew days to consider details. The. scheme, if adopted,, may result in pooling the funds at present controlled by the individual unions, and ultimately amalgamation may become national. The receipts at the Dunedin office of the Tourist Department for the financial year ended March 31st were £3295 17s 7d in excess of those of the previous twelve months. For tihe past twelve months 2368 tours were booked, with a revenue of £13,330 Is 7d, as compared with 2343 tours and a revenue of £10,034 4s for the previous twelve months. Mr Robieson, the Dunediu tourist agent, states that during the last twelve months a larger proportion of the tours were to tihe North Island than formerly. Bookings for the southern portion of the South Island were very much smaller than usual, the cause of this probably, being that tine boats were not running on Lake Manapouri.

A Taumarunui telegram states that loan proposals totalling £97,300 for electric lighting and power and street ■works were carried. The City Fire Brigade turned out at 2.15 a.m. yesterday to 125 River road, Richmond," where a detached workshop behind the house of Mr Robert Geddes ■was burning. The brigade was unable to save the shed, which was .almost completely destroyed. It was valued at about £75An Auckland message =ays that "the taking of evidence in "the boot case,' as it has come to be known during the weeks it has been before the public, wiis concluded vesterdav morning before Air . E. C. Cutten, S.M., and counsel addressed the Court in the afternoon. The defendant is Ernest E. Leaning, or Queen street, who is charged on tlhe information of tho Board of Trade with having sold a pair of surgical boots at a price which was unreasonably high, namely. £4 19s 6d. Tho Magistrate reserved his decision.

The last trip in connexion with tho Christchiirch-Timaru aerial mail service was made yesterday. No othci - * service will now be run by the. Cantorbury Aviation Company until the inauguration of the Christenurch-Blon-heim service, the date of which is not yet fixed. Meanwhile, preparatory work is being carried out in connexion with the service, and the parts of three large machines are being assembled. The type of these is DH9, each having a 250 Siddeley Prima engine, and capacity for a pilot and three passengers, in addition to tlhe mails.

As a result of a strong feeling of dissatisfaction oyer the new high valuations of borough property, a large meeting of ratepayers was held at Gisborno last night to enter a protest. It was debided to form a committee to consider united action by lodging test caso objections. Subsequently it was decided to form a Progress League to further the interests of the district as a whole, the first business transacted being the.passing of a'resolution protesting against the reduction of expenditure on the Gisborne-Napier railway. "I havf> not worked this year,',' said a judgment debtor in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court in setting out his reasons for -not paying the amount of the claim which was the subject of the case. He was a painter, . and in response to- a query by tho Magistrate, he said there "was work offering but tho price was not good enough. He would take a contract at £1 per day, but a ten shilling rate was no good to him. Debtor did not seem much impressed when his Worship endeavoured to point out that work at any rates was better than unemployment, but he did not succeed in convincing the Court that, an order ehould not be made against him. He .was ordered to make payment in a fortnight's time. - "Those who patronise the tram services in Melbourne," says the "Australasian," "have been called upon to pay heavily increased fares to offset the latest increase in wages granted to employees on the trams,' amounting to more than £140,000 a year in the aggregate. This increase has not been exacted from any 'profiteering' capitalist, and the ridh man with his motor-car does not pay it. Those who use tho trams aro mostly workers, and it is they who pay directly to- meet tho demands of their brother workers.' It is a simple instance of what invariably/happens when one section of the community demands and obtains a considerable concession. AIL other sections must bear tho added burden. Complaint concerning the increase in' fares is natural, but the Board must have the added revenue." •"

The Sydney city coroner recently held an enquiry into the iieatli of John Burrell Hyman, aged oy lately residing at 168 Enmore roadj Marrickvillo. Charles Henry Pilcher stated that about two years ago Hyman had spoken to him about stomach trouble, and that he had fasted 17 days on account of this. Ho was then in a very low condition, but when witness saw him a month later he was much improved. Pilcher believed that deceased had Iregun hia fatal fast believing himself to be suffering from some constitutional disease. Evidence was given by Sergeant Bowman that Hyman, when witness saw him two days before his* death, told him that he had then been fasting for 46 days, and that he intended to continue until he was cured, which would be when he felt hungry. The coroner found that death ( had resulted from starvation. "The Public Service Association stands for Iho principle of promotion by merit with seniority as- ; a makeweight when other qualities are equal, therefore the appointment of Mr Verschaffelt as an Assistant Public Service Commissioner has our support, and our hearty approval," states the "Publie Service Journal." "In addition to his natural ability . and high educational qualifications he possesses an experience gained during his term of office as Secretary to the Public Service Commissioner; which must be of great value to himself and to the Commissioner, also an . advantage to the Service. The practical application of the principle of promotion by merit should encourage ,young officers to strive to qualify, by study and by a sealoua discharge of their, duties, for the prize positions in the-Service, which are coming closer to their reach.'' The note goes on to complain, however, of the delay in the appointment of the second Assistant Commissioner. From statements made by a "doctor of optics" in the .Magistrate's Court yesterday, it appears that the term '"doctor of optics" is merely another name for an optician. The "doctor", in question underwent-a searching examination by l Mr M. J. Gresson, as to his qualifications. It appeared that he had two "diplomas," one, some thirty years old, and the other granted last year by an "institute" in New South Walea. "You have no more right to call yourself a doctor than I have, said Mr Gresson. "Haven't I?" said witness. "You can't stop me-nor the British Medical ' Association either. There's no law against it. What about vour dentists—half of them 'stick' most of the alphabet after their name, when they're not entitled to a single letter-. ' Mr'O. T J. Abiers: "You shoukL be liko me—have so many letters before your name that there's no room for any after. The "doctor" admitted that he paid a fee of four guineas for his latest "diploma," the .worth of which was somewhat discounted by his statement a few minutes later that he could "teach anybody the profession m three months."

Although it is the intention of the Commonwealth military authorities to incorporate into the training ot Mo citizen forces many of the principal lessons learnt during, the war, comparatively few innovations in method have -been, made so far,' states the "Age, rrinuinir in the Lewis gun and in btoKos mortar work, however, is being arranged for, as is-the organisation of bombing classes; but any very advanced alterations will wait until the divisional organisation of the forces .is completed. Then t*he work of the ordinary citizen soldier will become more interesting. For example, in the near future the Commonwealth Air Force will be placed upon a -working footing, with organis<Ki squadrons of the latest aeroplanes; and eventually it is intended to train the infantry to work closely m conjunction with the firing men at manoeuvres. The artillery of the citizen i'orces will also be trained in co-operation with toe airmen, and such matters as camouflage methods and concealment of gun positions and of troops will occupy the attention of the staffs responsible for the training. Anti-aircraft practice will also probably be indulged in by the artillery and bv Lewis gunners, in which case kite targets are likely to be used.. and in other ways the whole training of the. forces will bo modernised, concurrently with the changes in organisation and working brought about by the creation of the new infuircry di\*< sioiv

. f A qumnat salmon, weighing 25Jlb, was recently caught in the Rangitata river. It is expected that Rannordale Home, Papanui road, for tho care of disabled soldiers, will be formally opened in about a fortnight. Mr George Parr, chairman of the Waikato-West Coast Light Railway Board, has received word from the engineers that an eminent \ustralian firm has made an offer to finance the construction of the whole of the light railway from Hamilton to Raglan and Kawlna. They expect it will be possible to commence construction almost immediately. t Further evidence that the Defence Department is prosecuting its scheme of economy, is provided bv a paragraph in the latest issue of General Headquarters Instructions. ''With a. view to economising officers," states, tho paragraph, "tho duties of O.C. Regi.ment Royal New Zealand Artillery will in future bo absorbed into those of the Director of Artillery." At a ■well-attended meeting of tho Timaru Presbytery, held yesterday, reference was made to the" attitudo adopted by the "Outlook" on the Irish question, and on the motion of the Revs. J, D. Madill and J. B. Hall, a motion -n-as carried unanimously to the effect that "tho Presbytery is "strongly of opinion that as the' 'Outlook' is the official organ of the Presbyterian Church, its editor should express in it the views of the church generally, and not the views which are held by a small minority." A special meeting of the Board of Governors of Canterbury College resolved: —(1) That in the "opinion of tho Board of Governors it is desirable that immediate steps be taken to appoint a rector of the College. (2) That a special committee be appointed to (a) Draw up a schedule of duties of the position. (b) To recommend a member of the, Professorial Board suitable for the position. (c) To confer with the Finance Committee with a view to providing funds for the appointment. (3) That the special committee consist of the chairman of the Board (Mr H. T>. Acland) and Messrs J. C. Adams, C. T. Asdhmnn, J. R. Cuningham, A. E. Flower, W. M. Hamilton, W. Brock, and L. B. Wood. According to an official of the Wellington Society of Carpenters and Joiners there is still plenty of work in the carpentry- trade obtainable in the city at 3s an hour, and more, provided the labour offering is good. Last weekend, he says, he could not find sufficient men to fill jobs which were offered at thoso rates. There was an abundance of work to be had .in the country. A "New Zealand Times" reporter was shown a letter received from a bar-. penter who Tetreated to the country rather than accept the reduction of the maximum rate from 3s to 2s 9d per hour recently imposed by tho local Master Builders' Association. Tho writer stated that his fortnightly earning* since leaving the city had been from £ls 10s to. £lB, with board provided. There was, plenty of work on the Wairara.pa line at 3s an hour. In Palmerston North there was no lack of work. . . I

A Wellington resident who recently returned from Australia, states that we have much to be thankful for in the efficiency displayed by our Post and Telegraph Department, compared with the "service offered in the Commonwealth. On one occasion he was .in the country, and one of the party had missed a travelling bag. Finding that the bag had probably been sent on to Sydney, a telegram was dispatched at about 1 p.m. to the luggage room. The party returned to Sydney that night, and called the next morning to see if the missing bag had turned up. It had, but up till that time—betweeli 8 and 9 a.m.—the telegram had not been received. It was also mentioned that when a steamer was leaving Sydney for New Zealand at 11 a.m., letters to catch the mail had to be posted the afternoon before. If they were posted any later than that, they had no chance of being sent, but were held back for the next steamer (unless posted on board). The telephone system was very poor and very expensive in Sydney. It was arranged on an annual subscription, plus so much per ring, which meant an elaborate system oi accounts. Even if a subscriber failed to "get his man" -the charge held, good. 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 EnricherWit makes rich red blood. 3s 6d and 6s 6d a bottle, all chemists, or from Loasby and Co., Chemists (opp. Ballantyne's). . ' "' Farmers needing ready, cash, wjll find it in their plantations. Here are our special prices for circular saws: 22in 70s, 24in 80s, 26in 9(h, 28in 100s, 30in 110s. Quality considered the cheapest in the Dominion. Ivorys, Ltd., .21 Manchester street. . ..' 15382 For artistic pictures and pictureframing, patronise Gibb's A.rt Depot, 105 Cashel street, opp. Ballantyne's. Big stocks of artists' colours,.■ .brushes, and materials. a One. of the biggest sales of "drapery and clothing ever recorded in Christchurch is now proceeding at .Armstrong's—the people's draper—where <i single article can be had at wholesale price. It is ao'tly called the "Slump Price Sale," because every article in "the two enorinous shops .aro offered at slump prices. These prices cannot last —they must rise again, on account, of the high cost of labour, so ladies are advised to pay a visit now while stocks are wide and prices slumped to-the lowest possible depth. ' Pilkington's motors run twice daily between Christchurch and Akaroa. 8 "Chester" Dinner Sets, English make, now arrived, .stock''.pattern, 32 pieces Dinner. Set £5 ss. "Drayton s, without delay, Colombo street (north). 6 Ladies and gentlemen, whenever'or wherever vou' iind a storekeeper doing his utmost to- satisfy all demands for the' famous "No lluhbmg Laundry Help," load him with your best> wages-

RING UP 2561, AND AN! CAR ON THIS LIST WILL. BE- SJS.NT TO YOU FOR DEMONSTRATIONTOWN OR COUNRY. NO OBLIGATION TO BUY. 1005—Overland, 4-cyl., 5-seater, £325. -1091—Ford, o-seater (.£IOO allowed on this and £lO spent), £l5O. 1039—Studebaker, 4-cyl., o-seater (£ooo - allowed), £495. ; . 1033—Studebaker, 4-cyl., o-seater (just repainted), £4OO. Big Sis (6-7-seater;, 1026—cjtudebaker, G-cyl. (5-/-ecater), £SOO. '_ 1013—Studebaker, 0-cyL (o-v-seater), £250. „ 1014—Studebaker* 4-cyl. (ft-i-seat«r), £325. 1010—Talbot Delivery Van, £75. 1006—Studebaker, 4-cyl., o-scater (£330 allowed,' £3B spent) £350. 1007—C:ement-Bayard Chassis, £l4O. 1046—Oldsmobile, C-cyl., 3-seater, as new', £SOO. 1000—Silent Knight Minerva, 4-cyl., 5seater, £475. 1045 —Studebaker Light Four, 5-seater, £SOO. 1049—Studebaker Big Six (5-7-seater), £075. 1052—Studebaker, 4-cyl., 3-seater, £3CO. 1050—Studebaker, 4-cyl., 5-scater, £2OO. 1051—Daimler (S.K.), 3-seater, £SOO. 1053 —Sunbeam, 4-cyl., o-seater, as new, £9OO. 10-5-1 —Briscoe, 4-cyl., 5-seatcr, £250. All the above used earq are listed at cost price. Adams, Ltd. Garage 219 Tuam"street; Showrooms, 152-154 High street. 6

DEPENDABLE BICYCLE TYRES. Saville and Co., direct importers of highest quality bicycle tyres —British, manufacture, 12 months' guarantee, 17§ 6d. Micholin aid Duniop tyres also obtainable at Saville's. near Theatre Rot'aL 8883&-4C3