LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 83, 7 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS.

:Mr Hughes, the Federal Prime Minister, is progressing favorably, so a London oable'gram reports..

Tenders are1 invited by the Tua, Marina River Board for. raising and strengthening about thirty chains oi flood-banks.

Stoats and weasels are reported to be ihunierous iirthe I-Caikoura district at; the present.,time, arid ,in some instaiices they have done considerable damage in the. poultry, yards.

Just think, of 1 it! So early in the season; and we're selling ready-to-wears from 3s 6d each at Half's.— Adv*. ■•■■■ ■.':■ :1----' :'.■■■■■:•

Some £6 oases, of bananas were eeiaed! b) r the'Healiih Inspector; at variou;; shops in Nelson on Wednesday, as being unfit, for human consumption. The bananas are to be talcen to the'! Tip, sprayed with kerpseue, arid bui ned.

The Belgian Government has ccmlileted its reply to the Germ-in White Book, wherein it Was sought to provo (Joj-man charges jegardirig the attitude of .the l?elgiaii ; people towards the Kaiser's troops'. The reply, it is said,'establishes irrefutably that the evidence givori by .German officers was invented f 9 v the needs .'of' the cause. '-■■'. .-■■.'■ "We're' offering such value in men's underwear"and' clothing as you, won't sco for a long time, at Hall's.—Advt.

"There is only one thing which I sometimes fear,".says Lord Rosebery, ' and it is that when successes begin there may be some weak-minded cry in this country for a. premature pfi&ce. I hope that no man of ■you will lend any support to such a false and misleading policy. A premature pea'.ie means a ; short peao3 ; and war that will be orai wovse than this to tollow "'

Judgment by default was given by. Mr. F. 08. Loughnan to-day in tho following cases:—State Advances Superintendent v. Robert M. Greig, £7 15s 2d, with £1 2s costs; Martin' Healy v. Frederick Vercoe, £15 4s, with 15s costs. In the .judgment' summons case Jack McDonald v. W. J. Simmons, £7 3s 3d, an order for immediate payment was made.

The local committee of the Dr Barnai'do Homes desires it notified

that the proceeds of Mrs James McKinley's children's garden party m aid of the funds of the Homes will be despatched to London as a special contribution from the children, as funds are urgently needed.

At- a special meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council last night, resolutions were passed confirming the &pecial order authorising the raising o.V a special loan of £500 for the balance of the purchase money and other charges re Waterlea. Park (in accordance with section 120 of the 'Reserves "md . other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1915), and providing j'or the levying of the security rate."

The members of D Company of the Twelfth (Nelson): Regiment left Blenheim on Wednesday night by ,train, and, embarking at Picton, proceeded to Nelson en route lor the annual training camp at Tapawera. The ■<;amp wafr: reached in good time, the journey having been accomplished without hitch. Attendance at'camp has been strictly insisted on, and, very few exemptions being granted, there "is a good representation of the local Territorials. /

Yesterday afternoon many little functions passed off very enjoyably on account ot Desart Gold Tea being served. Test it in your home.—Advt. Mrs Green, licensee of the Cale- ■ donian Hotel, Wellington, and formerly of Picton, has received a cable message stating that her third son, t Warrant Officer Alfred Kerr, has been promoted: to the/ rank of lieutenant. He has recovered from his wounds, and is now in good health again. He is a brother of Fred ■Kerr, feather-weight boxingccharm r pion of New Zealand, who was killed ■at the Dardanelles.. . Colored tweeds from Is 6d yard* at Thomas's.—Advt. ,'...-■-

A warrant has been issued for th«, arrest of an employee of the Christchurch City Council named William Francis Bert Dunn, charged with during ,the last few days receiving the sum of £940, for which he faileu to account to the Council. He has been missing since Tuesday afternoon. He got oft\ to arrange his -affairs in order to leave with the Fifteenth Reinforcements on Wednesday, but hk did not parade and does not appear to have enlisted. The city does not; stand to loso, being protected by a fideJity guarantee. Friday was the last day of the Council's financial year. Heavy sums .were received for rates, and the amount was shortbanked, r <;■.'..'.

An unenviable experience- (sr..ys the "Aitcklaad.-' Starl befel Mr ; F. M. V reale, of Pari.kao, last. week. Suffering from appendicitis, fo i* which an -operatiori, >yas necessary, he started by" motor-car' from Paralrto to go into .x private hospital in . Whangarei.'. /The.'-car broke vlqwii on,; thor: P.argjiA. ville-road. A wait foi-: four hours ensued. Then a-oar from Dargaville came along and; ■•■picked up the sufferer. Further on the second car nlso -woke' down." Finally «a ; tele-; ■phone message brought out a,1 car from Whangarei, ami 12 hours after he, had started Mr Veale \\"i>,s lauded at' the hospital.1 By thisf time the appendix had burst, 'and an immediate operation was performed. The patient's conditioii was very serious, ''■bat a recovery is a'riticipated.

' The meeting of the Tua Marina Iliyer . Board was held lasv ■evening. There wlere present:— Messrs W. Smith (chairman), G. Botliam, W. Broushan, J. Irvin, and, J. 8.. Barnett. The proposal of the Spring ■-Greek"-Kiver" Board to purchase the , Peninsula property - for flood relief for the district could not be entertained. The following tenders were received for about 14 of banking jOn the western1 side, of the river: Albert Robinson, £1 17s \sd per chain (accepted) ; F. 'Nieal, £2 4s; Mr Baraett .moved., and Mr Botham. seconded, that a rate of l^d be struck over the whole district. This was carried. It was left in the hands oi

Messrs Barnett and Botham to attend to culverts on the w/estem side. It • was decided to complete the removal of willows from the banks ol the Wairau River. The secretary reported that after paying accounts before the meeting (amounting to £27'12s 6d), the overdraft would be £10 5s 4d.

."Sheep-farming in America," said Mr E. Clifton. New Zeal-md Commissioner at the recent- Panama-Pacific Exposition, who returned 1o the ■ Dominion in the Niagara "is carried out on different "ines to the system pel opted in New Zealand.'' ll© remarked that fill .sliwp wore herded infloek.; or from 2000 to 3000. The. herder lived with the sheep, and fencing was unknown. The reason for the presence of lire heivler was to protect the stock from predatory animals, <mch a.s -the coyote r..nd the iox. A furih«r reason was that the tenure of land in snnns "f xhe largo districts was not well denned.

The members of the Spring Creek National Reserve will attend a

Church parade on Sunday morning, j An open-air service will be conducted, and the Blenheim National Reserve Band will be in attendance. In the afternoon tho band will render a programme'of music, and a collection will be taken up for patriotic purposes. \

One of Rua's boasts was that he could command the sea, and a great cavalcade once went down the valley of the Whakatane River to Whakatane township to see the prophet make good his words. When they reached saltwater, Rua turned to his flock and asked in touching tones, "Do you believe that I can command

the waves?" The faithful answered with one ascord that they did. "Then," said the long-haired one, "there is no need for. me to show you that I can." >

At the meeting. of the Christchurch1 Hospital and Charitable Aid Board the other, day it was stated (says the Press) that the, number of applications from, young women for admission to the Female Refuge was quite exceptional, and it might V>a found necessary, with the • Board's sanction in special cases, to discharge women with their infants" as soon as they are' able to take a situation;. that was, unless the condition of the baby was such as to maku retention there necessary. l '

An earnest appeal for recruits was made by a speaker at the annual meeting of the Wellington Football Olub. "To those of you who have not helped to give the knock-out blow to our enemies T say that you must give, the matter of offering your services to your King and / country very serious consideration,", said 'the speaker. "You might think '_ that ji does not count just now, but what or the future? t Some of you !are single and1 have the opportunity of offering

your services now. Say, you ■don t You marry,perhaps^ and become the father of children. Think of the harm you are bringing on that iniibcent child! when he, or she, in a few years' time is "branded as the son or daughter of a shirker. The man who can and won't answer the call is committing a.sin." After further 'exhorting the men to respond to the call and thus fill; the gaps left by the fallen, the speaker urged the iiieligibles to keep the club going thus helping the junior players to become fit and fill the greater gaps in the ranks at the front' in the near future. "Wool underpants and singlets, old prices at J. Wj O'Neill's.—Advt., Mr Hainlyn, the contractor:for .the Oonwajy, j bridge, has now completed the work, and it looks a. : ,very "solid structure, says the., Cheviot correspondent of the Christchurch Press. Motorists need, have no fear of getting stuck at the lord now, as1 the approaches are' so hear being .(■ompleted. tliat cars can get over. -The •■leader bridge had been, strtEtell by Mr Hay ward, the contractor- aml should' he ooimpleted before, the spring. The new shingle that- was a. r^inirce of annoyanc© to. motorists on the Parnassus-Kaikpu'ny road, has now been worn ill to kuch- sin extent Hint very l;ttle trouble,is mei> with on the; 'wholiß route. . > , .

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, for coiiglis and colds,' never f ails.-^Advt/ •..;•.■ "Th^ following r bi'ijjf Vefer-esice j;ppears in ji oinadia.ii'' 'newspaper, which was included in ;u inaii- by the Jsiagara, to -tlie inre on the titenrner Ma-tatua at St. i.Fphi^ New. Brunswick' on' March 1.2 i "FirebrbAe1; o}it early on Sunday ntOTnibg aboard the steamer Matufria,! loading at; one of 'the docks ;at \Ye&\ Sfcif- John, and did damage estimated/in the vicinity of '±■80,000.' '■ The/origin; ot the .fire is i>ot definitely known. If.started in ;Nol 2 /hatch, which was ■ loaded,,: with carbide. / The' steamer had aVvaried cuvrgo,'and- was almost,'.ready.' /to'^aik Althovigh the' /'Cityvuro <Tepartnie,i£t and the iiro boat- worked contimio^;;ly:] their , efforts fhiled/until six o'clock' on . ' Mpiidiiy ' iijorniug, \vhen the names apparently were ,extuw guished. Owing 'to the-great amouait. of W&iter which it. was necessary to pour into tho'hold; of the vessel, tho cteamer fiettled several feefc, and ■at ■ow-tide he.-: t&ern touched bottom, b.utjit is. expected ;that .it Arill be x>os&o)lfe to raise her easily. 5' (.^ ■ ■■;. ■c,

Mr Ashmead Bartlett, the famous war 'correspondent; said "in' ai; j-ecent. "iiite-Miew :;''There is a gieafe work;-aiid a splendid cliance for -the new .Austra.'ian and New Zealand formations to carry through. We have not given up Constantinople, we have, merely ahandonpd tho old and false route, and aro waiting the turn of the tide to start on ihe new. Dardanelles, is not the only road to Byzantium. The Balkan States /are not ,qiu" real •enemies. We. have to defeat the Central Powers. If you defeat the Tiuk and the Bulgarian you do little towards smashing up Germany and Austria. But if you smash Germany you can dictate your own terms to the ! Balkans. We hold a gateway to the Balkans on our occupation of Salonika. The time will come when this will prove of inestimable advantage to us. We can push in and turn th-3 Gallipoli peninsula, via Tlirace. when we have driven back the Germans to their own frontier. We have left the graves of our heroes in safe and honorable hands, but only temporarily. Before this war is at an end, I am certain, we shall hold that hallowed ground."

In three of the Queeiistcwn hotel* • the charge for a "whisky and soda*, has been raised to ninepence*Whisky and water may sti'.l be oh* tamed for sixpence, but those whah prefer their liquor' diluted with sodai or cordials will have to pay an extraf threepence. Nearly 50 years ago therprice of drinks in Queenstown. was reduced from one shilling to sixpence-,-and the latter charge remained un>« altered until a week or two ago.

In an interview with a Southland!' News representative, tho Hon. J. A rf Hanan said he was going into thef question of the conditions . under! which free places were granted atf the High Schools.. He was asanxious as anyone ,in regard tol securing equality of opportunity bo/V far as education was concerned', and that every capable^ girl and boyr should receive the benefits ct free* . secondary education, but there wasfno denying the fact that a number ofi. boys and girls entered! the Highk Schools under the free system who*" ' having regard to their capacity ana: aptitude, should1 be going to Tebhnincal Colleges. It might be a deskl* able ambition to hitch one's waggot^ t<?-a star, but there should be somediscrimination about the kind pfif star it would be well for .the partieu-*-' iar. individual to try to harness uO--witlu They drew standards of value* concerning positions and fitness forr positions, and there ' were ->. manyj i failures through misfits. . ""I y. The bride was gowned "in nattier blue,.' With shoes and toque of "tango" huej; The bridegroom, in a ,suit of brow^i, '; Looked quite -the smartest, "sport injt ,

It was' made mown a short tim^ ago in evidence tendered by_ thet1 ; Orown in a case of alleged conspiracy! that "Listening Officers" in the service of the Commonwealth Govern-*, . ment sit in metropolitan telephone- i-: exchanges to take note and record o£ conversations which take place overt;, the wires, (writes the Frost's Sydneyj ■ ■ correspondent). Yon can imagino what consternation this disclosure* \ . caused amongst persons of both sexet* who had been wont to use the teler> y phone : for' little talks of; indiscretion:; ; or special intimacy. Some ibusines* ■: ; people, .too, .became uneasy in them- . miinds over the revelation.- 'As.ai ' , consequencej there has been an , ex-^ : tensive brushing up. of French an<E even German, for the purpose of