MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume 57, Issue 10520, 27 August 1901, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

1 There are some cases, says the Premier, in which returned troopers have been paid twice — in South Africa and in New Zealand. There is a likelihood of a manufactory for binder twine being started in Napier if the project for establishing woollen mills is successful. The Southland grain traffic this season is by far the heaviest on record** If the law is properly carried out, the Premier thinks, no further .legislation will be needed to .prevent sweating. * <s Mr Fisher is asking the Government to furnish the names of those members who did not take the L4O voted for members last session. . Mr Napier wishes to have friendly societies exempted from taxation duty in respect of sick pay to members. He ' intends to ask the Government if it r " will instruct the Commissioner to give effect to such remission. That section of the House which has been agitating for an increase in the honorarium is exercised at the absence from the Estimates of any vote for that ••• purpose, in view of the fact, as they say, that a virtual promise -•- has been given that the pay of members will be increased, and a statement to that effect made in the Governor's Speech. W A deputation of returned members ;.. of the third Victorian contingent : waited on the Victorian Premier on Monday and said they had been given '■- to understand that they would receive the Rhodesian rate of 5s a day, in addition to the 3s 6d allowed by the Victorian Government. Injeply, the |. Premier read the cable from Lord v. Kitchener, stating that the men would „ not receive the double rates, but were % entitled to the highest rate — namely, f:- the 5s a day. The Agricultural Department has ' been advised that three shorthorn cows and a shorthorn bull are new on the way to the colony. They are the balance of the prize cattle which Mr Gilruth pur- :': chased when in England, together with two Ayrshire bulls recently ordered ?. by cable through the Agent-General. 'f The Wellington Gas Company is g making every affort to afford consum?i, ers of gas the greatest amount of convenience at a minimum of trouble and cost. A shilling in the slot meter is fixed free of charge whereby a supply of gas can be obtained by dropping a shilling into the receptacle. This arrangement is very convenient for those who have meeting rooms and halls to let. The company also supplies rings for cooking and gas fittings free of cost to the householder. — Post "The morals of this city are as much in my keeping as in that of Mr Commissioner Tunbridge, or any one else. Else why am I constantly returned to . this House?'— Mr George Fisher.

An example of the affectionate feeling displayed by the Yeomanry to* wards Lonl Methuen is given by a member ,ojLthe force in a letter Home. "There was a scene of great enthusiasm at Mafeking station as our general (Lord Metheun) came to f wish us goodbye and shake hands. But he never had a chance to speak, as the. Yeomanry cheered themselves hoarse, and finished up by carrying him; all round on their shoulders. Poor old chap, he was sorry for us to leave him, and he broke down and <^ ied like a child whe.n.we came away." Some very remarkable statements have been made by Mr Bird, the superintendent of the' London "Shoeblack Brigade, which celebrated its jubilee recently.^! r Bird said that one boy earned. 2658 pence one- month recently, which is just over L 2 15s a week. Ifc appears that many' of the London shoeblacks earn over L 2 a week. It is underslood that a ballot of all the Government railway men in the colony will be taken this week to decide whether they should be brought under the provisions of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. In one of the last hauls of fish by the Dat o a queer specimen known as the "Maori Chief" was brought up. It was what has been called an angler, and has appendages about the mouth, somewhat similar to short fishing lines, by which it is supposed to atbraet its prey, while it lies partly embedded in the mud at the bottom of the sea. The fish in question has a very large mouth, and is marked with_excresenees resembling the twtooing of a Maori chief, hence its name. A somewhat similar fish is not uncommon on the Eritish shores, but the "Maoii Chief" is rarely seen in these waters. With regard to the offer of the Queensland Government to send back to South Africa a\ number of returned soldiers who desired to go a reply has been received from Eng~ land that the ofier of the men's services would be accepted on the same terms as granted to the men of the 6th Contingent— ss a day from the time they leave Queensland. Ib is proposed to send them on the Britannic.