LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 57, 31 December 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■i' The Government is no.w incurring con- ■'"' ■ " expense m; carrying out the Bl survey of the ofi-beanng porhe Taaraoaki district, chiefly in •est ot inose engaged in boring aleum. ."When tno survey is d,'' the Minister of Mines said ouso a few days ago, "the data by the officers engaged upon -- J .lSßiPirk will be published and should " WW&W* much assistance to the indus- - tlJt *.ai3y point out that in addition " toiii&work now being performed by the in the direction ma subsidy was granted a few - towards the cost of sinking tuio'& the bores, and * bonus of 3d per N gafiftn is now l.eing offered on the first ISjJOQO galbns of niiuoi.il od piodured ' HS.ifae Dominion. In view of all the I cannot see my way to rtfctfMinend the Government to depart fr-2tf£%hetr esfiblished policy in matters of this! kind by sinking a special bore in the manner suggested." The various naxmills in the Horowlienua and Oroua courts, in the North Island, are stateu u> be working double shifts at present in order to takv ndvantage of tlie present satisfactory prices. The money which is being circulated at the various mills is said to be improving tho general conditions of trade in the townships adjoining the mills. "Altogether things look, exceed ingly bright at present," sai<l ajniller to a representative of the 'Dom.nion/ "and it seems certain that if prices keej up for another three months the lossei of past years will be considerably .soft ened." The fact-that cattle and hrfrser have been kept out of the swamps, and that the drainage has been improved a:id the toi-toi and scrub grubbed out. has resulted in a marked increase and improvement in the flax. The leaf generally this year is good, and millowners are turning out a large amount of fibre more economically than ever before.

The following additional items appear on the Supplementary Estimates: Gratuity, equal io one year's honorarium, to the widow of a late member of the Legislature, Mrs G. F. Richardson, £u00; education reserves, Southland, payment to Otago School Commissioner for Lauding over to Southland County Council, £2731; H. A. Massey, refund for loss of Grove Bush sawmill areas, suney fees, and royalties'paid, £930. H. A. MasEcy, refund for loss of 120 a.-res in sawmill area, £182; survey fee and royalty paid, £230.

A rumor which has found credence in quarters not very remote from official circles (says the 'Dominion') is to the effect that the Government has decided to obtain a successor to Mr Dimiie from England. Mr Tunbridge, who resigned the position of Commissioner in 1903, as a consequence of differences with the late Mr Seddon, was generally regarded as a strong and impartial administrator, and it is lielieved that his reappointment will be widely popular. He is now in England, and a few months ago he was elected mayor of a borough on th: l South Coast.

The new factory tliat has just been erected and equipped by Messrs Bryant and May, Bell and Co. Proprietary, Ltd., in Richmond, close to Melbourne, for the manufacture of matches, was formally declared open by Mr A. Deakin (wife of the Prime Minister) last week. The f.;:-t::ry is said to be the best in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the mc-.l complete and modern —in point of machinery and accommodation for employees —in the world. When in full working order it will have an output equalling 13,000,000,000 matches a year. , Melbourne was selected as the location for the factorv because of its drier atmosphere. The factory now employs 130 hands. In 12 months it will employ 300, and iat?r on 500. , Borne of the Supplementary Estimates brought down on Friday morning are as follows:—Financial adviser to the Government in London, £400; bonus for best method of eradicating noxious weeds, £250; purchase of stud stock, £1200; compassionate allowance to Motorman Barton, £350; cost of Addington Workshops inquiry, £7OS: old Parliament Buildings, restoration, etc., £2000; Secretary General Post Office, expenses on trip abroad, £35-0; maintenance of roads,-£10,000; relieving magistrate, £500; cost of Police Commission, £1050: grant to Detective Cassells for special duty in England, £200; expenses of by-elections (additional), £100; printing report Police Commission, £350: Prime Minister, expense; on trip to England, £*00; Pn:w Minisier's private secretary's .expenses on trip to England, £450 >tficmoria! to Sir .Tame" Hector. £500; compensation to the relatives o f the late Captain Paviy>'fk'iii'i"T*--i» a motor car aceident (on account £3500), £250.

Mr A.' Moore, of Cliristchureh, has invented a lifebelt which is put on by the simple operation of thrusting th-> aims through the loop? as wheu donning a vest. The chief innovation is n collar-piece of sections of cork, which encircles the neck and secures greater bitovancy. A number have been ordered by the Government.

A striking example of regular school attendants was mention";! by the headmaster (Mr C. I). Hardie) at the, prize distrhutio-i at the West (liristehurch District High School, when <a lad named Arthur Barnett stepped forward for his attendance prize. Mr Hardie stated that the lad had not missed one school day for eight years, and for the last three years he had had to walk 12 miles to the school and 12 miles back home. The lad was loudly applauded by those present.

A few nights ago a resident living in one. of the streets adjacent to the Square, Palmerston North, heard a noise as of a window being raised, asnl on investigating the eause found a man attempting to make an entrance. Seizing a poker he struck the fellow a Wow on the head, which had the effect of making him beat a hasty retreat. On looking around the house next morning blood wis found on the ground, so that the wow.ld-h,-v .burglar muvt have reoeivw a blow that he will not forget fr>.: a few days.

Some of the people who. "go on the land" displav remarkable ignorance of the profession they are about to take un. At the last meeting of the Land Board (savs the 'Rantritikei Advocate') the Commissioner, of Crown Lands (Mr

Jerries McTven sric) told an amusim? story of this. A man. he paid, had taken a piece of land, and one day said to him. "That's a fine of -wmrs': there's a lot; of kahion )t." "Is that sop" was the "T muit, get a gun; it,will help pot boiling."