Local News.

Grey River Argus, 8 April 1904, Page 4

Local News.

■ « Private Jotters received in New Caledonia from the New Hebrides settlers expressed the satisfaction of the settlors there concerning the new steim betvice inaugurated by the Messageries-Marttimes Company, and suggestions are being put forward for the establishment of an interisland line of steamers, to be put on so as to coincide with the arrival «if the Pacific) ue Mr G Fair, who has made arriingements to pr.epeet uu an. extensive scale for petroleum m New Plymouth, awved from Sydney on March 24th. Sixty tons of boting plant is coming by steamer, due at Wellington this week. Mr Fhir is, in view of former operations, sanguine of ■access. About 4000 tfons of Oamaru stone; have been used up to the present in the construction, of the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral. The , quantity of Mount Somers stufto is about. 230 tons, of eminent 4280 tons, of Vrooght bluestone lOTtons. Serious floods and storms are reported t6 have tali en place in New Caledonia. Much damaae was done to public and private dwellings, and the standing crops suffered considerably. A branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation hag been formed in Timaru, with Mr H B Kirk' as president. ' JRed.deer will shortly be liberated m the Faiiding district; by th« Feildiny and District Acclimatisation Society. ■'■' An immenie fire occurred *t Rccnester, New York, last month. It broke dut in » dry goods istore, and was caused ky defective connections of an electric motor working thetiiffc. Th«- water mains>ere ang ifc wy intgosßibl^ to gefrjrent '

the flames from spreading, the result being that buildings and stocks in the com- I morcial portion of the city to the vaiue of | L 1,400,000 were destroyed. The returns of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States show that the assurance in force at December 31«t. 1903. reached the enormous total of 1289,738,3011 and assets L 78.241.950. The new business for the year exceeded that foe 1902 by LS, 383, 994. 'As Bomo uncertainty seem 3 to be linge ing in the minds of sportsmen a to the opening of the duck shooliag season, it may be stated that the opening of the seasons are^now uniform for native and. imported game, viz.. May 1. This year will be an entirely close season for pigeon, and pvkeko. A biaarre club has been formed at I Fribourg. The only qualification for membership is a bald head. Persons seeking admission must hay« bald heads which absolutely shine. Tho rules set forth that the members must meet every month in order to eat ham and listen to mnsic The DunedinT Scottish sociotioa have sent home L 46 for General Sir Hector Macdonald's memorial. It is intended for a memorial to be erected either in Edinburgh or Dingwall. Mr William Miln« has been ie»ppointed % director of the Bank of New Zealand for a further term of two years. The capital value of New Plymouth borough has increased by L 90.000 since the laet valuation.