General News.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18480, 7 September 1925, Page 8

General News.

In a ciril case heard at Auckland last week it was stated that a bull had got> into a garden and caused damage estimated at £lo7. The property destroyed comprised 2200 cahuages, IoOjUOO onions, "20 rhubarb plants, young fruit trees, and numerous car. rots, parsnips, beetroot, and lettuce. A Mastertop business man recalls an incident where an fucre of land close to the post office was sold for a cow and an iron clothes boiler. As the vendor did not hare much use for the cow, he gave it back to the purchaser. The acre had a frontage to Queen street, and was certainly cheap in exchange for a boiler. It is now worth about £l5O a foot.

"I enw the clarity of vision of my brother Judges in expressing themselves on this question," said Mr Justice Alpers in the Auckland Supreme Court when dealing with the dual obligations of a divorced man who had remarried. What, he added, was to bo done when a man had only limited ipeans, being unable to support two homes, and vet had two wives dependent upon him? His Honour thought that a serious duty devolved upon divorced men in considering their financial means before taking a second wife. A five-sea ter motor-car came to grief on Friday about a mile and a half on the town side of Motukarara. By indications the car swerved in a heavilygravelled portion of the road, and dived down the bank into a swamp. It struck the fence, partly breaking through, and then turned over on its side. But for the fence, it is probable that the car would havo turned completely over into the soft swamp. The occupants had a lucky escape. The ear was not much damaged, and the occupants were only shaken. "I think the Maori of those times knew and understood his religion as well as, and better than, the average man on the street to-day knows his own," said Archdeacon H. W. Williams in an address at Auckland on "The Ancient Eeligious Beliefs of the Maori." The speaker said that if a man met casually on the street was asked what was his religion ho would know, but he could go very little toward an explanation of it. The Maori's life in years gone by •vas woven round religion, and he understood it and its significance in relation to his existence.

In a govero thunderstorm in Wellington on Friday night, a house at Upper Hutt was struck by lightning and badly damaged. The New Zealand Shipping Company's Ruahine arrived in W cllington from England yesterday .afternoon. The Christchurch passengers will reach town to-morrow morning.

The momentary failure of Lake Coleridge power on _ Friday evening was causea by two insulators on the North Lino having been broken, evidently by an act of mischief. The following additional contributions to the Mayor's Coal and BlanketFund hare been received :—'T.F." (oth donation), ss; "A Friend' 1 £1; Licensed Victuallers' Association of Canterbury £5. "I do not know whether Auckland is like Wellington," remarked Mr Justice Alpers in the Supreme Court at Auckland. "Iu Wellington half the streets are under repair and tbo otliei half ought to be." At the inquest in Auckland on Roy Morton Furness, who was found dead in his oar in the Domain on August sth, evidence was given that deceased had been accustomed to take strych nine for his norvos, and that lie was a dispenser at a military hospital duiing the war and was therefore ax> quainted with' the use of the drug. Th-C-oroner said that the evidence did not justify tho verdict of suicide.

For the nine months this year Christchurch and district has had more rain than the mean annual rainfall for tho previous 23 years. The mean annual fall for the last 23 years is 25.793, whereas the rainfall to date this year is 25.798 inches. Thus the fall for the eight months and five days of tho present year has exceeded ttio annual average for the past 23 years by .005 inches.

Saturday was to have been the opening day of tho Oust Cricket Club but Friday's rain had left the ground in a terrible condition. However, six enthusiasts turned up. They waded two creeks, skirted several lagoons, splashed through some marsh and reached tho concrete pitch. After a short knock each, when every hit meant wading or diving for tho fielder, they decided to adjourn and watch a cycle road race pass through the township.

The "Church News," describing the new Avonside Sunday School which has been built to replace that recently destroyed by fire, states that the new building ifl of brick. The cost was about £3BOO, furnishings costing about £175 additional. From the insurance on the old building and the money raised by the efforts of the collectors, about £2500 has been accumulated, and great efforts are still being made to clear off the debt within the year.

The Auokland Acclimatisation Society has under consideration the importation of a large number of large-mouthed bass. The bass is a sporting fish welL known in California and in certain parts of Australia. It will thnvo where trout die, and is particularly at home in sluggish streams. It wa6 reported at a meeting of the Society that 2000 fry would probably be imported from Vancouver m 1926. The bass is an excellent eating fish, and should add to tlie sport of the angler in the province.

Tho affairs of an actor who left the boards to enter into business as a building contractor, and who was unsuccessful in the new avocation, were investigated by the Official Assignee at Auckland last week. The Assignee said that bankrupt had commenced business with about £3O and in sevea months he was owing over £IOOO. Ho had had an investigation made, and it transpired tihat when bankrupt started business he was owing £64, and that was Btill owing. It was quite clear that he had been insolvent when he commenced. His books did not throw much light on the matter, but it had been ascertained that bankrupt spent over £3OO on. personal expenses during the period he was working. The salient features weno that he had contracted debts when lie '-new that he was insolvent, and for ; a to start in business and live at t,. rate of £6OO a year was bordering on unreasonable extravgaance. The creditors decided to place the facta before the Crown solicitor.

A church at East TamakA that has been privately owned for seventy years has now become the joint property of the Anglican and Methodist Churches. The . church is a small but substantially buiit structure, and was erected in 1855 by tho Rev. Gideon Scales, and during the Maori War served as a military outpost. Mr Scales was a pioneer minister in Auckland district, and hia enterprise in building tho little church on his own property at East Tamaki was carried out in the face of many difficulties. No cement was available, and shell lime, made from shell deposits on the hill, was used for making the mortar. Mr Scales was assisted in work by a 'Scottish stonemason. Stone blocks, cemented together, formed a strong shell, and the inside of t.ho church was lined in heart of rimu. The building is in "a splendid state of preservation.

Unusual circumstances were disclosed at an inquest in Auckland concerning tho death of a two-year-old child, who fell from one of the high chutes in the children's area at Victoria Park on the morning of August 18th. Tho child was admitted to the Hospital suffering from a fractured skull and died there two days lator. A brother of deceased said he took the child for an outing in a pram. They arrived at Victoria Park, and after giving the baby two or three rides on the smaller chutes he took him up onp of the big slides. Just as he was about to put the baby on the elide ho was pushed from behind, and the baby foil out of his hands to the ground below. He yd not know who pushed bim. Edna Crimmins, a girl ivho. was in the Park at the time, she saw the elder boy ascend one of the large slides with the fcaby on his back. When he reached the top she saw a boy who was standing behind K im a j P i° haby fell over the side and bumped his head on a Dole before he reached the ground.

Dou t wait lor rheumatism to become .i-wly entrenclied m jour ioiuts u ,M UrS6 -„° f McArttlu r's Itueumauc Pebbles will remote the uric acid and gradually clear the rheumatism nsriifc out 2, 6d per bo, l'„ teep functions m good order tako at tlie same time Dr. Fellow's A.C Unri Constipation) Tabs, 2s lid p ' et 7 jilc Arthurs, Ltd., Chemists 675 Colombo street. ' . —4

Just received in response to cable a parcel oi tno very lawst and smartest ladies hose tor spring near. Ladies' an Bilk and wooi hose in the latest check designs, black and white cham pagne and white, tan and white si I ver grey and white, 7s lid ne r ' Ladies' art silk and Lisle with the latest tancy ring uesigu s } n a( j the new light gi-ounds, 7s lid dap pair. Ladies' art silk is Id rib hcSf expanding cashmere top and wool' soles. In all shades. 6s ild nor Ladies' wool lined black art silk hose'' a very special line at 6s 6d per nair' Armstrongs' two busy stores, y-' square and High street. %

"Reid and Gray"' Tractor Ploughs, new Drill, Lime Sower, all best Farm Implements and spare parts, consult Mr Harry Anderson, 193 Cashel strpfk Christchurch, and lieid and Gray Ltd' Ashburton. '

From August Ist P. and D. Duncan Ltd., are introducing a new system of selling agricultural implements dispensing with both agents and travellers and dealing direct with the farmers For direct farmers' ordera they are allowing 10 per cent, discount f or cash with order. Full particulars with order forms free on application, p. ant j Duncan, Ltd., 196 Tuam street, Christchurch. D 2817