TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18833, 28 May 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

In March last M. Breton, the French Minister of Hygiene, who directs the official Inventions Board, gave the details upon the patent rights for a new gun, which he says has been bovight. by the British and Belgian Governments:—-He described it as a “turbine gun,” for it differs from the ordinary gun to the same degree as the turbine does from the ordinary steam engine. The missile is propelled through space by a turuilig action, caused by the pressure of escaping gases upon fins. The gun barrel is open at both ends. As the pressure of the gases is directed against the centre of the barrel, and not against a breach in t)ie rear (as in the case of an ordinary ballistic weapon), there is no recoil. This permits of quicker and more accurate firing, and also obviates the use of heavy gun-carriages. The explosive charge is fired in a chamber which lies along, and is connected with, the whole length of the barrel. So far, the Delamare-Maze gun has not been able to fire shells at a greater speed or distance than that of an ordinary gun, but the extreme lightness of it makes if, even so, preferable to the old types. M. Breton added that he did not despair of seeiing even such prodigious distances as 100 to 150 miles being attained with it, after a few more years’ experiments.

General Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, a millionaire brower of Philadelphia, was called up for the draft in the United States in 1018 but he did not report. Ho has just, been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour and loss of citizenship.

For the first time a shipyard worker figures in (he civil honours list, John Moir, of Belfast, has been appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire for making the world's record in driving 11,209 rivets in a standard ship in nine hours on June o, 1918.

It is slated on reliable authority that quite a number of South Wnirarapa 6tationholders intend sub-dividing their properties at an early dale and placing them on the market.

Many land sales have taken place in the Whakatane district during the past six weeks (writes the correspondent of the New Zealand Herald), the sales in the aggregate amounting to something over £500,000.

A man named John Edward Olliver was arrested by Constable Wroblenski at Bluff on Wednesday for the alleged theft of shaving material, three shirts and a camera, valued at £8 12s. The accused was .demanded to appear at Timaru to day.

A middle-aged man who was a witness in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North recently was unable either to read or write. Inquiry by the judge showed that he had been living in the back-blocks of New Zealand, where it had been impossible to get education.

At the meeting of the North British Railway Company in Edinburgh the chairman said that compensation claims for goods lost or stolen numbered the last year 28,144, as against S6lO in 1913. They had recently been paying £IOO daily for whisky stolen in transit.

Public borrowing from the United States has commenced in Australia, recent issues of Sydney papers stating that the corporation of that city has accepted an American tender of £300,000 towards a municipal loan of £850,000 recently offered. The lei ms do not as yet appear to have been made public.

A proposal has been mooted to establish a company for the inauguration of a flying boat service between Auckland, Gisborne and Napier and to extend the aerial service round the roast of both the North and South Islands should the circumstances warrant the venture.

A !• oxlnn boy has confessed I hat. after icerntly visiting a picture show, he broke the show window of Foxtou premises and stole a pea-rifle, revolver and cartridges. The firearms were recovered in lupins the worse- for their exposure. - The lad says that he stole them to shoot rabbits.

The annual meeting of the Taranaki Farmers’ Union carried the following remit ; “That as a means of restricting the trafficking in land, legislation be provided that on a sale ail existing mortgages lie cither paid off or reduced by a minimum of 10 per cent, increasing I per cent for every 10 per cent of rise over previous sale.”

A remarkable potato-growing record, duly certified by vouchers, was disclosed as the result of a competition at the Franklin Winter Show. Mr C. 11. Mason, on his Pukekohe Hill property, produced from an area of land slightly under one acre, 18 tons Bcwt Iqr 211b of potatoes, of a market value of £273 Is 7d. The vouchers and all documents were examined by the Auckland Star correspondent.

Picture theatre posters having been alleged in some eases to be of an objectionable character, the matter was brought before the Minister of Education by the Auckland Education Hoard. One speaker said some of these posters were so extremely objectionable in character that it was considered there should be some kind of censorship exercised over their distribution throughout the country, as they very frequently came into children’s hands. He had been reliably informed that one man in particular in Wellington was responsible for the production of this class of poster. Mr Parr expressed his entire sympathy with Ihe protest, and, further, suggested that a woman should be included on the proposed Board of Censorship. “And send me along the name of that man,” lie added, “and I will see what can be done with him.''

At the Magistrate's Conit yesterday morning, before Mr U. Uruicksbank, S.M., judgment by default was given fur plaintiffs in the following cases: --George Hector Cross v. George Patterson, claim £8 IS/-, with costs £t 3/(1; Davies A Premice, Utd.,

v. .James Shepherd, claim 111/-, with costs ID/-: A. ffpiers v. Catherine Sim, claim £5 it/-. with costs £1 3/ti ; Helen Bacon v. Denis Hunt, claim £1 2/-, with costs (1/-, In a defended case in which Lewis Mathesun proceeded against Eli-rn Niehol (Mr Lnnguet i for £1 10/- alleged to lie due as balance of rent on the lease of part, of a gravel reserve at 'South Invercargill, the Magistrate gave judgment for the defendant. He staled that the evidence had disclosed that an agreement had existed between the two parties, by which the defendant was to pay £2 a year. In face of the agreement the plaintiff had no power to raise the rent.

The historic property in the centre of Dunedin known as the Royal Arcade was offered for sale on Monday afternoon at the rooms of Messrs James Samson and Co. under conduct of the registrar of the Supreme Court in a suit for the partition of the property (stales the Otago Daily Tiniest. A great deal of interest was shown in the sale, and this was revealed in the large attendance. An additional point of interest was contained in the fact tha some doubt appears to have been thrown on the right of the proprietors to deprive the public of the long-established right-of-way through it. The owners of the property when if was nut up to auction were Mrs Sirvwright's trustees and Mr A. Palmer, each party owning a half share. The conditions of purchase were read by Mr F. C. -Culvert, representing the solicitors for the vendors. Mr James Samson then opened the sale, remarking that it whs very seldom that half an acre in the centre' of the city was offered for sale by public auction. At the present time there wore 33 shops and a cafe on the property, and if these were removed the site would be eminently suitable for the erection of a theatre or an hotel. The first oiler was a bid of £12,000 by Mr W. Quirk, late of the City Hotel. The price quickly rose to £15,000 and at this figure the property was knocked down to Mr J. B. Nichoi, of the firm of Messrs- Sievwright, James, and Nichol, It is understood that Mr Nichoi effected the purchase on behalf of a private syndicate.

It is not generally known that local drivers were in charge of the Royal train, over the Southland section of railways and mention of the fact was inadvertently overlooked. The honour of driving the Royal train to and from Balclutha was accorded to Mr W. Smith, while Messrs J. Walker and R. Walker were in charge of the pilot and emergency trains.

The Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education) visited Stratford on Wednesday and received several deputations concerning local requirements with' regard to the necessity for a hostel' in connection with the new High School. He promised favourable consideration. A deputation asking that instructions in the effects of alcohol on the human body be part of the school curriculum was informed that the Minister, while sympathetic, could make no definite promise until he had met a dominion deputation on the same subject, which was expected to meet him shortly.

The question of speculating or trafficking in Crown leaseholds was the subject of a general discussion at the meeting of the Otago Land Board on Wednesday. It appears that a number of instances have occurred in which persons who have acquired a Crown lease by transfer have shown a desire to dispose of their holdings within a very short lime, and at a greatly increased price. During the discussion one member of the board suggested that a “black list” of speculators should be compiled, and that this list should be circulated among all land boards throughout the Dominion, so as to prevent a trafficker whose operations have been stopped in one district from seeking a new outlet for his objectionable activities. Although no formal resolution was adopted the board decided to keep the matter prominently before it so as to do all in its power to eliminate the practice.

That the course of true love does not always run smoothly was exemplified on the arrival of the lonic at Auckland last week. A gentleman in Auckland who went to the saloon to seek out his lady love who left the Old Country, with the intention of coming to New Zealand to marry him, found that she had changed her affection on the way out to a fellow passenger and assured iter former sweetheart (hat she wished to say good-bye to him there and then, as she wished to link up her future career with the man whom she had met on the boat (says the Auckland Star). The decision was not a surprise to the other passengers, but it was a severe shock to the man who hud waited so long and patiently on the wharf only to be thrust aside so completely in favour of another.

The question of starting dried fruit and vegetable factories under a process known as de-hydration, was referred to at a meeting of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce recently. In reply to a letter from the Chamber, a resident of the United States forwarded information and samples of dehydrated fruit, meat, fish, and vegetables, and gave information as to the cost of the plant. Mr G. Parr, who presided, said that the Chamber intended showing the samples at the winter show. De-hydration of vegetables and fruit allowed growers to provide for the winter, and the process had proved it great success. He mentioned that a dehydrated cabbage weighed only a few ounces, but when put into water it assumed nearly its natural size, and was found to have lost none of its natural flavour.

The Commonwealth immigration laws as they relate to the entry of aliens into Australia are to be tightened up very considerably in the near future (says the Melbourne Age>. The Federal Government introduced a Bill for this purpose in the last Parliament, but, owing to the dissolution, the measure lapsed. On Friday, April 23, however, the Bill was reintroduced, and read a first time in the Senate. It provides that every alien already resident in the Commonwealth shall, unless otherwise exempted, register as an alien, in accordance with the Act. The penalty for non-compliance with this provision is fixed at £IOO or in default six months’ imprisonment. Every alien who enter- the Commonwealth in, or as a member of the crew of, any vessel, will be required (o register immediately after arrival of the vessel at the first port of call in the Commondwealth, while every child of an alien registered in the Commonwealth, who is not by birth a natural-born British subjeot, must register under the Act within one month after attaining the age of 16 years. Aliens will be required to report immediately any change of their abode, and will not be allowed to change their names without first notifying the authorities. All hotelkeepers and boardinghouse-keepers will bo required to keep a register giving particulars of all aliens using their premises, the date of their arrival, time of departure, and destination on departure. Employers will also be required to keep a register showing the names of all aliens in their employ.

Attention is drawn to Messrs Bray Bros.' auction sale of timber on Saturday next, particulars of which will be. found in our advertising columns. — (Advt.! Same clever person has se.id that the sparkling diamond was once a lump of mud. May be! But that’s no reason why we should cherish the mud. Leave it where it helong»--outside. 1 lyndmau’.-, Dee street, offer three special lines in Brush Door Mats at .'5/11, 5/G, and G/G each; posted, I/- extra.

Velveteen. Its unique draping qualities, tich and lustrous appearance, and deep velvety pile make it the most economical fabric any woman can buy. The Progressive Stores received last week a large range of the Behren Velveteens and it offers a choice of fashionable anil reliable shades impossible to find in any other fabric and offer at 4/11 per yard in these colours:— Cream, mid-saxe, dark saxe, navy, midbrown, dark brown, seal, mid-grey, cardinal, crimson, moss green, olive green, and black. Colonial pure wool Tweeds, 13/G, 15/G, IG/G, 19/G to 22/G; also a splendid showing of all wool Navy Serge, 45in wide, 5/11, S/G. 9/G. Doctor Flannels (just the thing fm tender skin? I from 4/3 to G/G per yard. Colonial Flannels, 2/G to 3/11 per yard, and many other lines you ought to see at the Progressive Stores, Tay street, Invercargill and (lore. Mail vmir orders to H. <fe .1. SMITH. Ltd., P.O' Box 309, Invercargill.— (Advt.l

Special value in Art Silk Scarves can be procured at THOMSON & BEATTIE’S, in White, Champagne, Saxe, Emerald, Bose, Brown and Bottle Green, at 6/11 each. In the same colours at 12/G each; also in Black, Fully, Sky and Cerise. Cotton Woveh Fiinpei! Scarves in light and dark Navy, Violet, Brown, Cinnamon, Putty, Heliotrope. Cerise and White, from 3/11 to 5/6 each. (Advt.)

Flour cheaper; cost of living reduced — Finest Flour, 2,51bs .5/6, 501bs 10/6, lUOlbs 20/0, 2001hs 67/-. The lower the price the quicker (he sale. Superior Fowl Wheat, 34/- (sacks extra) at BAXTER'S, — (Advt.) MA&iiaikO, niTJ.. nett the oiiginjm . the 10 per cent, discount to returned sol uieia. Other storekeepers have copied ijj and we now go one better. We now invite all discharged soldiers and those waiting discharge to have their military hats r; blocked, Iree of all cost, by the only hatter in Southland. We. still give a 1U per cem. rt.lcct.on to all returned soldiers.--MASTERS. LTD., Dee stie=t. — (Advt.i

Ladies’ Knitted Pure Wool Coats in grey, heather, drab, cream and blaca, with two side pockets and small turnbacK culls, splendid cheap coal for tne home or for told nights. They are the very be.-t obtainable in the Dominion. Call and inspect tncvaluts at PRICE <k HULhEID'S, Lta., Tay street. — (Advt.) (Advt.)

usance will not do the work.” (Scott' —No one can auord to take chances with health. Vet how many during the Wmtii when coughs and colds are so dangerous, experiment with preparation after pieparation. Take BAXTER'S Lung Preserver luunedioteiy and be sure. Ivir Baxter did •is the experimenting 64 years ago and now you can promptly remedy co.;gh, cold, sor* throat, chest and bronchial troubles. Tflie • telling specific is quick in its action, permanent in its relief, Get large 2/6 bottle ,_-aay tram chemist or store. — (Advt.i

HATS for men, youths, and boyr—a fine shewing of all the popular styles -tad value prices. UNDRILL’S, opp. P.O.—(Advt.)