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King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 632, 7 January 1914, Page 4

The Queensland revenue for the half-year amounted to £3,325,291, an increase of £247,724, and th 9 expenditure was £3,191,414, an increase of £292,586. Mr A. E. Robinson notifies the public in this issue that he is stocking bicycles and accessories. Now that the roads are so far under weigh there is little doubt but that this mode of locomotion Will be made use of. According to estimates, 24,000 executions took place in the Szechuan province, China, in 1913, the victims being mostly robbers. The largeness of the list is attributed to the national transition troubles and the dearness of opium. The bush dairving companies at a meeting held at Pahiatua on Saturday decided to make a levy up to Id in the pound on October's butter fat, as a contribution to the expenses of the Wellington Citizens' Defence Committee during the strike. The recent spell of dry, hot weather has tempted the settlers to set their bush fires going, and yesterday a pall of smoke hung over the district. A number of those who have areas of bush chopped are holding: off a little longer before burning. The alteration in the boundaries of the Waitomo County come into force after March next, when another councillor will be elected to represent the Tangitu riding, which has been created by partitioning the old Aria riding. The new riding will increase the number of councillors to nine. The farmera throughout the district have taken advantage of the fine weather to harvest their grain cropg and hay, and golden stacks are springing into existence on all hands. Such fine harvesting weather is rarely experienced, and the result should be some compensation for last season when many crops were spoiled through the unsettled state of the weather.

A late member of the London Stock Exchange has bequeathed trie sum of £70,000 for thd establishment of a cancer hospital at Fulham. Settlers will be glad to learn that the length of telephone to link up Moeatoa and Mangaohae is to be completed forthwith. The material is practically all on the ground ai:d the connection should be in working order before next winter. The Commonwealth returns for the six months ended December 31et show that the Customs revenue was £7,483,746, a decrease of £466,493; and postal revenue £2,2i)5,472, an increase of £153,673 compare width the same period last year. A well-known engineer and a member of the Town Planning Association, Mr Davidge, has accepted the British Association's invitation to address meetings in Melbourne and Sydney on town planning during the associations' coming congress in Austraila. The Home Rule fund at the close of 1913 totalled £20,210. Lord Willoughby cle Broke, speaking at Dudley, said that those in favour of Home Rule should be prepared to fight for it instead of emloying the King's troops to do their dirty political work. ' The roads in various parts or the back district have now quite dried up as a result of the fine spell experienced since Christmas, and dust has taken the place o° mud. The various contracts for metalilng are in full swing and there is every prospect of a fair season's work.

The many friends of Mr Frank Foster, of Otorobanga, will regret to hear that ha has been indisposed during the past few weeks and an operation will be performed during the present week in the Hamilton Hospital. Ws trust that Mr Foster will be speedily rastored to good health. The sanitary authorities at London have seized a hundred eases of New South Wales o: tongues landed from the steamer Rangatiri, and condemned 8 per cent of them for putridity. The chief sanitary inspector says that if such goods passed the export inspector his examination is nothing more than a farce.

Major-General A. J. Godley, G. 8., commandant of the New Zsaland forces, who, with Mrs Godley, has been on a seven-months' trip to the Old Country, returned to Auckland by the Victoria on Monday. While in England General Godley attended the manoeuvres of the British Army.

A new espionage law just passed in Russia forbids newspapers from publishing details of any changes in the equipment of the army and navy, the arming of warships, the strength of fortresses and the results of the manoeuvres, and test mobilisations on the foreigners. Many other details are forbidden.

A sports meeting is now being promoted by the Maoria of Hangatiki and other districts and the gathering will probably be held on the Te Kumi racecourse on February 6th. It is understood an excellent programme will be presented with prizes o£ sufficient yalue to attract outside competitors.

Work on the town streets ia progressing satisfactorily and a marked improvement should bs shown by the time winter sets in. Tsupiri street is being kerbed and channelled and the work of laying t.ie metal haa also been started. When the metalling programme has beer, carried out the prevailing dust nuisance will be considerably lessened. The Denver papers assert that Paderewksi, the world-famous pianist, has fled from that eity owing to the fear that he ia followed by Nihilists, who have been threatening his iife. He went in a private car to Colorado Springs, guarded by six nf Mr W. J. Burn's private detective ttaff. It is not expected that the pianist Will appear, as the money paid for tickets has been returned

The Eugenic Marriage Law passed in the State of Wisconsin requires the medical examination of both applicants for a license, and becomes operative with the New Year. The State officials have been besieged by a crowd of persons seeking permits to evade the act. Those who are unsuccssssful intend to get married in the neighbouring States, where the law is less stringent.

The members of ,the Ohura Rifle Club performed excellently at the Auckland Rifle Association's meeting held during the holidays. B. Loveday was sixth in the championship agggre- , gate list, his father, who is president of the club, being sixteenth; W. K. Williams waa fifteenth and C. Williams seventeenth. L. Loveday, who is located at Wondville, occupied twentieth position.

During the holidays a cricket match was played between Canterbury and Wellington, at Cfariachurch, for the Plunket Shield, when the holders defeated Wellington by 253 runs. Both teams were somewhat weakened by the absence of players in the team touring Australia, and though Canterbury had the greater number of first-class players absent, those who took thair places showed excellent form.

Mr E. CaJderwood, health inspector for the King Country, has received the following letter from the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Minister of Health"The Chief Health Officer ha 3 expressed his great appreciation of the services rendered by you in connection with the recent epidemic of small pox and I take this opportunity of thanking you officially for the good work which you have done in the interests of the Dominion. "

Acres of valuable land are being washed away by the Hutt river in its upper reaches, and the river board is growing alarmed at the damage which is being caused. The stream is under its jurisdiction but owing to a lack of financial means it has got beyond control. The damage could be checked by protective works, and at its next meeting the board will formulate proposals for a loan to pay for their construction.

The Rev. Prank Milne, preaching in the College Church at Parkville, declared that the dictim of Mr a! Car n egie, that the level of public entertainment was sinking, was eminently true of Australia. Lascivious dancing and the Sunday parade on the beaches with women in a semi-nude condition were simply abominations. He al«o instanced the crowds flocking to Luxiug contests, and condemned ragtime. He said the gross forms of pleesure and material prosperity wera destroying the spiritual life.

The funeral of the late Mrs S. A. Rhodes took place on Saturday afternoon at Boltun street cemete'y, Wellington, about five hundred persona being present. These included the Hon R. H. Rhodes, PostmasterGeneral, who is a nephew of Mrs Rhodes; the Hon. H. D. Bell, Minister for Internal Affairs Sir Robert Stout, Cnief Justice and other prominent people. Dr Sprott, Bishop of Wellington, officiated at the Graveside, and was assisted by the Rev. W. Bartlett. of Wadsstown.

Captain Bourgeson, of the schooner Annie M. Campbell, stateß that before leaving Papeete an envoy from the young women of Easter Island begged the crew to return with him to become the husbands of a number of rich spinsters, and the masters oftheir cattle and sheep. He hastened to set sail before the matrimonial inducements could rob him of bis crew. It was said that the crew of the schooner El Dorado, which was wrecked on Easter Island several months ago, have qualified as husbands.

The crew of the schooner El Dorado, which was abandoned in the Pacific, has arrived by the Knigbt of the Garter at Sydney. They tell a harrowing tale of privations at Easter Island, which they reached after 12 days' buffeting by a terrific gale. Their provisions an water being exhausted, they ate berries and grass until discovered. The natives treated them kindly. After five months they were picked up by the Knight of the Garter, which put in with a damaged rudder. They might have waited two yeara, as steamer? rarely call at the island.

Surf bathing claimed two victims on the bnach at Point Lonsdale, Melbourne, Muriel Hunter, aged 23, and William Seabrook, 32. Three others, Thomas Seabrook. Rupert Anderson, and Arthur David, after battling with the sea, were cast up on the sand in the last extremity, and after persistent efforts were restored to consciousness. Muriel Hunter and her fiancee, Anderson, were first in difficulties. There was no lifeline. The bmther3 Seabrook and David went to the rescue, but their strength failed. The girl sank and William Seabrook was also drowned. The other three were washed ashore. The point of demarcation between the responsibility of the parent and tbe duty of the teacher was humorously touched upon at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute at Auckland on Monday morning by the president, Mr T. A. Wells. The parent of a dull youth, said the latter, nailed upon a teacher —a friend of the speaker—an d complained that the he was not making a smart pupil of his boy. Said the teacher to the parent: "You are wrong. Tbe responsibility of supplying the boy with brains was in your contract. I can only do my best with the material which you have provided." The sentiment was laughingly endorsed by the delegates, It is seldom that anyone ia subjected to such an unpleasant but curious experience as that which befel a resident of Waitara. It appears that a lady was in the garden with another lady friend when suddenly she was attacked by a bee, which, after stinging her on the cheek, slipped into her ear. The lady, distracted with tbe bee in her ear, rushed forward, and in doing so kicked over a stump and landed full length in a bed of plants pulling her friend down also. The bee, meantime, had made itself at home. At first, when an examination came to be made, no traces of the bee could be seen, but a slieht backward movement on the part of the insect revealed it, and it was promptly seized and pulled out. Beyond the sting and a few bruises resulting from the fall no harm was done.

The announcement is made that the Minister for Internal Affairs has granted a concession for the promotion of a lottery, the prizes consisting of two nuggets ot gold, one valued a £3OO, and ths second valued at £IOO. The spirit of the times i; opposed to Government concurrence in ventures of this nature. But the promoters, who are largely interested in the welfare of the Auckland Exhibition, approached the Prime Minister, and sought his approval of the scheme, with the object of advertising Auckland's big show. Mr Massey submitted tbe details of the project to the Attorney-General, and on the promoters providing suitable assurances that the lottery would be properly conducted, the Minister for Internal Affairs issued. the necessary license. The drawing, which is to take place in Auckland, is fixed for Anniversary Day, January 29th. Considerable interest attaches to the various reports which have been received regarding the fate of the . Stefansson scientific expedition to the Arctic regions, owing to the fact that the party includes Mr D. Jenness, of Lower Hutt. While feeling a good deal of uneasiness as to his brother's welfare, Mr G. A. Jenness told a reporter that ha placed very little credence on the report! received. If there had been any semblance of truth in the reports the family, he considered, would have been advised by the Canadian Government, as the latter was under that obligation. Tbe Government had forwarded Mr Jenness' remittances regularly every month, but had not mentioned anything to cause special anxiety. Mr Jenness also explained that his brother was not actually with Stefanssoii, but that he waa a member of the Southern party.