NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1599, 17 August 1916, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

In a letter to the Pahiatua Cooperative Dairy Company (cheese), a well-known Xew Zealand firm interested in rennet supplies quotes the following significant passage from an American letter: —“Canadians are complaining of the cheese famine owing to the scarcity of rennet. A number of cheese factories have closed down, and cheese retails upwards of one shilling per lb where it is obtainable." The Pahiatua Dairy Company is fortunate in having full supplies of rennet for this season on hand, but some of the other factories in the district are not so fortunate.

On 30th .Tunc, the Post's London correspondent Avrites: A portion of the ensign mast of the battle-cruis-er Xew Zealand, struck by a German shell during the action will', the German High Sea Fleet in the naA’al battle olt Jutland on 31st May, is now exhibited in the wiihloav of the Xoav Zealand GoA'crnment Office, Strand. The spar has been presented to the people of New Zealand by the officers and men serving in the ship at the time, and has been temporarily placed in the midst of a very fine display of the avool industry of the Dominion.

The AVyiidham Farmer records a ruinanee of the war. A gallant young district soldier, who has been discharged after two years’ arduous service, during which he was the victim of divers wounds, and other severe affections of his system, has now sufficiently recovered his wonted health and strength to warrant his determining upon a matrimonial venture. With l*tnt laudable end in view our hero proceeded north, vo wed at Auckland an English lass who had nursed him through a serious illness in a military hospital, and whom he duly wooed and won.

A tine exhibit of variegated stones recently was on view in the lobby of the House of Representatives. This was arranged by Mr J. W. Maekay, and consists of specimens of block and red variegated jasper and argillite. The -rone is found in extensive deposits within a few miles of Wellington, and will be useful in the bases of buildings and for deeoralivw purposes. Members of the House were surprised to learn that such rare and valuable deposits were to bo found in the district. The deposits consist of a remarkable rock - , including granular lime stone, serpentine and brown jasperiod, dark purple jasper, and a red variegated jasper, also a greenveined terra-cotta jasper.

Some wholesome advice to girls about to marry, and to their mothers, was imparled by His Honour Mr' Justice Cooper during Divorce Court proceedings at Auckland. ‘‘Session after session,” said the Judge, “I am confronted with cases in which the husband has been a drunkard. I cannot help thinking that far too much carelessness exists on the part of parents of girls inquiring into the previous conduct and life of the men who desire to marry them. After all,” added his Honour, “marriage is supposed to be a life-long contract between man and wifej, and in many instances less care is taken to ascertain the character of a man or of a woman than if a man were Inlying a horse or a woman were buying a dress. The result is that cases of desertion are continually coming before the Magistrate’s Conn. To my mind, the lives of far 100 many wives are spoiled by the drunken habits of their husbands, which must have been in existence before thev were married.”

After the recent floods in Nelson it seems paradoxical that that city should have experienced something of a wali't’ famine during la»i weekend. The Nelson Colonist slates that the shortage affected residents on the higher levels of the town, and in the sou I hern and south-western areas. During last week the council’s stall had mtrjed water to Britannia Heights for domestic purposes. ami when the supply failed at the General Hospital, arrangements were made to connect up with the Mental Hospital, which has it.j own reservior. It appears that the flood waters the other day had brought down a lot of dchri* into the weir, and a tree trunk had blocked the scour pipe. Great difficulty was experienced in removing the obstruction, hut whop this was done the supply jo flip greater part of the high levels was res tor-

ed, though 1 lie pressure avus much below normal. The eiforts to clear the various sections of the mams of debris due to the flood are being' continued.

It will be remembered in Xoav Zealand that a family of the name of Sellar achieved some prominence in the early days of the universal training system by refusing to submit to training, as required by the Act. After a series of prosecutions and imprisonments, they eventually left the Dominion and returned to live in England. It is scarcely necessary to say that the Sellar family remain stubborn in their objection to military service. Mr Sellar senr. and one son have been engaged in a printing business at Basildon, Essex, and the others are employed in the vicinity 01. London. They have become members of the Xo-Conscription Fellowship, and have resisted the Act by merely ignoring il. As a consequence, Harry Sellar, the younger of the rwo youths avlio were imprisoned in Wanganui in 3913, has now been arrested as an absentee. He was brought up at Clerkenweil Police Court, and lined 495, and then handed OA r er to the London Lilies and sent to camp at Salisbury. There, it is stated, he refused to obey orders, and ’.vas confined in a cell. The other members of the family who are liable under Hie Act tire still at large.