LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 8 May 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A letter was read at tho W.-iimca County Council yesterday from tlw New Zealand Counties’ Associated) t«*. garding standard size of direction and mile pests, and giving particulars thereto. (V. Drummond wanted to know who was going to pay lor thee., aid was informed that this privilege was left to the* Council. It was considered by the councillor that the- roads in the district were already well served so tar as direction posts were concerned; anil the matter was shelved in the usual polite way by filing it tor ret ere rice. .Mr Harry Atmore, M.P., has received the following telegram from Sir era nets Bell: “Your joint, telegram re duty on hops received and is having consideration.” This is in reply to a telegram sent in conjunction with Mr 11. 1 • Hudson. M.P. An Order-in-Council announces that Empire Day is to he celebrated on the King’s Birthday, .lune 3rd. Press Association . In this issue Mr G. 0. Wearing is offering his attractive borne m Bu- imond for sale nr to let, bose on the look-out for a desirable borne should not fail to inspect this.

The Waimen County Council al it* !jiciii(ii!\ meeting v erday agreed < ll contribute its quota towards the cist ot the overhead bridge I Annosbrnnk !';i i 1 \V;( \ Cl OS.Mtlg I lie ICSnlllt M :I1 Was moved 1 1 \ I'r. i lewd sun. who said thni evervonc v he- crossed tin l inn* eattied their lives in their hands. ti ■ Maeiiimlmlll seconded the pi oposit ion. which was carried. It w.as Mated that at local bodies cmicol'nod had now agreed i<; pav their respective proportions. Another link with the sailing ship has hceii severed l;V I lie handin'; over to the shiphreakers at' Nantes, in I'ranee of the Mount Stewart, the last ot the eelebt at - ed Al.erdeeut clippers. IMlill nearly 35 years ami, she was of a later date that) the more renowned rivals—the t. titty Sark and the Thermopylae —anil, while rarrving a fine spread ol canvas. ne\ii equalled their speed records. Mir sailed principally mi the Australian and : oui.t Amei lean routes, and contrived 1 n ' nut the. war to continue her Ini-t i.As at sea" without mishap.

Hastings, in Sussex, has decided to hand hack to the City ..f Quebec tun shield which was taken Irom the gates of the citv when it was captured to 1759. The'shield was presented to Hastings bv General Murray, who was with General Wolfe when the. city fell. recent years litany unsuccessful attempts have been made to persuade Hastings to give up the trophy. Letters have been received recently, howevei. from the High Commissioner of Canada and the mavor of Quebec asking lor the return of the shield and the opinion of the Hastings Council is that it would l e a graceful act to- return the trophy. Settlers who have failed to meet their obligations to a ranger in the \\ aimea County regarding driving fees are to receive a gentle reminder in the shape of a piece of blue paper unless they pav up. At vesterdav s meeting of tnc Council a ranger wrote complaining that he was finding it very difficult- to collect his driving fees, many promises made to ••send the amounts along tv the next mail" not being tulfilled. His faith in human nature lias been severely tested; and the Council resolved to come to bis assistance and issue summonses for “overdue accounts. Dr Sam Parr, who died 100 years ago. set. out to be to the Whigs what Johnson had been to the Tories, but bis egotism, vanity, and credulity counterbalanced his vast, erudition. None the less, we owe him a, certain debt lor having been the vehicle of one ©*. Charles Lamb's best, Elinnismsr. Sam ViUT was <i* methodical smoker who took onlv the finest tobacco, used to half fill his pipe with salt, and smoked with a philosophic calmness." One day he had been watching Lamb at work, using (lie: strongest tobacco and puffing out smoke like some furious Enchanter." Parr put down Ins own pipe and asked Lamb how he had acquired the power of smoking at such a rate. "I foiled after it, sir,” said Lamb gravely, “as some men toil after virtue! Her Royal Highness Princess Louise Duchess of Argyll, who celebrated her 77th birthday fast month, unconscionsl]v helped to Intake the fortune of a great novelist, whose birth centenary falls this year. When lb D. Blackmore’s “Lorna Doone” was published in 1874 if at first attracted little notice, but the announcement was made of the engagement of Princess Louise and the .Marquess of Lome. The muddle-headed public conceived the idea that the book had something to do with the Royal love-match, and the sales went up with a rush.

It is curious that the one man who hated the wearing of the green was tlie greatest of Irish leaders —Charles Stewart Parnell, among whose beliefs was one m the ill-luck of green. When lie was sent to Kilmaiuham prison an lush political prisoner, wishing to repevo the bareness of his cell, took a green tablecloth which had been worked for him by friends outside and out it on Parnell’s table. Coming up he found the table bare and the cloth huddled away in a corner. “What have vou done with my beautiful cloth?” be asked. “Ah,” said Parnell imperturbably, “green is an unlucky' colour.’ The County Engineer (Mr Brewster) i s a great believer in road-graders and told the County Council to-day that he had a great weakness for them. “And a very good weakness, interjected Cr. Wilkinson. The Engineer went on to say that if more graders could be obtained and the necessary machinery to haul them, road maintenance could be carried out, at a much cheaper rate.—Cr. Drummond said he quite agreed with this view.

Lovers of Italy have an unparalleled chance in the offer of two beautiful islands nil Lago Maggiore shortly to be sold as “bankrupt- stock.” I here are four islands on this lake, all beautiful Isola. Bella with its succession ot terraces: Isola Madre, where there is a luxuriant English garden; Isola. oet Pescatori; and Isolino San (jiovanr.i. Count Borromeo, to whom they oued much of their original beauty, w.-s a master-gardoner, planning the tevrrcos and bringing the soil that- ho do-•mod most suitable for the trees and fh wars lie wished to grow.

To prophesy accurately the time that will he taken by a ship, nearly 1000 feet in length, on its maiden voyage from Great- Britain to America is one of the wonders of modern science Preliminary designs of a large Atlantic liner are first prepared, it being assumed that- the sea express will leave Liverpool or New York about once every th rc . o weeks. Tn order to avoid. a rapid and expensive ‘‘turn-round in port, not more than five and a halt days are usually allowed for the voyage. A speed of 23 knots is therefore decided upon. Whether this speed will be attained depends to a large extent upon the shape of the bull and the size ef the propellers. The plan adopted by the builders of one fit the largest A-.-lantic greyhounds was to make a small wax model ot* the boat, according -0,.* preliminary designs of the hull. -tins model was floated in a tank 400 toot long and 20 feet wide, and was U r-n drawn through the water at a »a'o proportionate to the designed speed o. the ship. Intricate and delicate record-' iim instruments noted-the resistance oi the water and slight alterations m the chape of the wax model were made untd the water resistance was as small as possible. In a recent ease 357 experiments were necessary before the idea! shape was given to the bull and the best size found for the propelleis.

By advertisement in this issue it- is notified that the premises of members of the Soft Goods and Jewellers’ Association will close at- 12 o’clock, noon, to-morrow, Saturday, race day.

Closing as usual at 5.30 p.m. this evening. Also at 12 o’clock to-morrow (Saturday).—T rat hen ami Co-.*

Nature generally makes compensations. Here’s a case in point. The gum country in the North of Auckland is so poor in quality that the soil refuses to- lend itself to agricultural operations. Yet this land so- unsuitable for the growing ol ordinary crops, is splendidly adapted for tobacco culture, in proof of which you have only to sample the really fine tobaccos now being manufactured from North Auckland grown leaf. These include Rivorluad (told” a mild aromatic with a- distinctive flavour, “Navy Gut’ (Bulldog!. medium strength, and “t lit Plug No. 10” (Bullshead), full flavour. All these tobaccos arc toasted, a process that has a good deal to do with their excellence, by the way. Another of their good joints is that they may he smoked with impunity.. That . is because they contain but comparatively little nicotine. The success attending the culture of these tobaccos in what was formerly regarded as barren country, is convincing growers that “there s money iri it.” The yield of leaf per acre represents £SO and often move.*

Tim Mail's Uirislehnri.il correspondent. wins: - ■•Tlic l’ress this morning <av>, it is understood that a well-known member of the legal profession m Christchurch has been charged with a I.reach uf the law affecting the revenue ; r the Dominion. 'I lie bearing of the charge will lie taken at the Magistrates C,,nrt in a few days. It is understood 1 hat another solicitor is involved in the

The sailine-ship did not cease to malm history with tin* passing the famous ‘'clippers" in the India-China trade. The Viola, of Pad stow, a 300ten three-masted schooner, engaged m t!u* coasting trade, "joined up and

“did her bit" right loyally in the (Iren 1 War as one of the decoy ships employed against the* enemy submarines. tier bulwarks were hinged to allow ei tlietv being dropped on deck, so enabling .’lei guns to bear. To-day. a ilreaty hoik, she lies, forgotten and lorlorn. careened on the. mudbunks ol Stonehoiise P •<•!

Cr. Tunnicliff at the Waimoa County Council meeting to-day. put in a strong plea for an additional sum to he put. on Hie estimates in bis riding, providing for two more, electric light, street, lamps for Wakefield. He pointed out that the township was growing, and that it- was entitled to some consideration. The Council took a favourable view of the proposal, and increased the item accordingly.

His Majesty the King, while on his sea trip in the Mediterranean, probably recalled another compulsory sea voyage, namely, bis first. That was on the old Bacchante, in the early ’eighties, when 478 days were spent at sea. On the Me diterranean station he spent over three years as a, lieutenant, llis roughest exnorienre must- have been in the old Thursli, oil the West Indies station — the displacement of the vessel was only 805 tons. The staff was so small that a chaplain was not, carried, and the Ifing—then Prince George—had to conduct Sunday service as captain. Guides to public buildings are notoriously gifted with powers of invention, but the palm nitty be given to the guardian of the peace who kindly volunteered to show some school children <,' (•>' He Houses of Parliament in Loudon, and was overheard saying with .< t.vim .on and solemnity, “This 'ere Hi* Moses room—so-called because of the pictute a Moses descending from Mount Ararat with the Lord’s Braver in his kinds.”