Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 5 May 1903, Page 3

A telegram to the Tourist Department from Mr Warbrick, who acts as guide for tourists visiting the northern hot lakes and geysers, states that there has been unusual activity at Rotomahana and Waimangu. On. Monday Waimangu made the biggest " shot " that Mr War-,-brick had seen. Some of the lava was thrown a distance of over half a mile. One of the candidates ior the mayoralty at Gore unconsciously caused spine merriment in his speech after nomination. As everybody knows by now, the prohibition drought starts in Gore after June 30. The aforementioned candidate gravely announced that " after June 30 he | would have more time to devote to municipal matters. " As a matter of fact, he ; is retiring from business on that date, i and wished to convey that he would coni sequently have more leisure.

An ordinary telegraph operatorcan transmit about 30 words a minute. With the aid of a Wheatstone duplex instrument his speed may be increased to 200 words. The Victorian PostmasterGeneral, says the Melbourne " Argus, has now been furnishedwith particulars of a new patent, by which it is claimed that 2000 words may be despatched in a minute. It is asserted that this system hai> been successfully installed by the Pennsylvania Eailway Company, in the United States, and that it is almost unaffected by atmospheric disturbances, i Ihe central Postal authorities are somewhat sceptical of the invention, but they have submitted all the data in respect to it to- the departmental electrical engineers, and asked them to report upon it. While in Hawera recently, says the " Post," Mr R. O Bruce heard that some Maoris on a small reserve had killed over 1000 tuis. Speaking at the Wellington Acclimatisation Society's meeting Mr Bruce sad this seemed to him to be absolute sacrilege. He would like to see tuis, "Vhich were now supposed to be protected by law, preserved by fencing them jound, so to speak, with a hedge of sentiment, bo that, like the robin redbreast at Home, not even the small boy— who was said to be of a very murderous disposition — would touch it. The speaker thought the Acclimatisation Societycould do much towards investing the tui with an air of sanctity which would preserve it from destruction. Mr Brace's remarks were fully endorsed by the meeting. There ia considerable activity in the oats market in Dunedin (says the "Otago Daily Times "), and more business has been done within the past few days than since the opening of the season. This demand, coupled with the bad weather, and the consequent uncertainty as to the Southland harvest, has had the effect of firming the market, and buyers are finding it difficult to get their offers accepted. New Zealand oats of good feed quality are selling in Melbourne at from 2s 7d to 2s 8d (duty paid), as against 2s 9d to lOd asked for Victorian Algerians. It is also reported that Melbourne buyers have arranged considerable shipments of oats, both to England and South Africa. The opinion is generally |held that oats have reached bed rock, and from this out we may expect a steady market, with an upward tendency. Deliveries are coming forward slowly, and prime B grade for immediate delivery are very scarce ; for forward delivery Is IOJd f.o.b. Bluff, sacks inclnded, is being asked. Northern quotations range about Is 5d to Is 5Jd on trucks for Danish, and Is 6£d to Is 7d on trucks for Gartons ; but the market is excited and in an unsettled condition, i Timaru advices state that 18,000 sacks of oats were shipped for South Africa last week, and that another large line will be shipped for the same destination shortly, j A remarkable fatality occurred in Maia street, Ballarat East, (Vie.) the other evening, when Richard Rutter, the proprietor of a shooting gallery, was wounded by a lad about 11 years of age, at present j unknown, and died shortly afterwards. The lad on entering the gallery put down a penny and said he was " going to have a shot." Two men, named Cantillon and Morris, who were present at the time, say that Rutter went forward to clean the target. The boy, while he was thus engage!, took aim, and a moment afterwards the rifle was discharged. The bullet struck Rutter on the left breast, just above the heart, and he sank |to the ground. The boy, alarmed at • what he had done, dropped the rifle and fled. Medical assistance was procured, and Rutter was removed to the hospital, where the unfortunate man died soon after admission. The exports of frozen meat jfconi New Zealand for the month of March were as follows, the quantities for tlie corresponding months last year being given given in parentheses :— Mutton 336,817 carcases and 10,416 cwt legs and pieces (197,275 carcases and 8491 cwt legs and pieces); lamb, 496,418 carcases (321,896 carcases); beef, 15,657 cwt (18,28'J cwi). Cabling from Ottawa on Noyditer sth of last year, the London " Daily " corresponient gave particulars of an instance of the amazing mismanagement which characterised the conduct of the war in So.ith Africa. Tie scandal was connected with the contract for the supply of corned beef from Canadh, god particularly with regard to one iaxge contract, amounting in the aggregate, it is believed, to some hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth. On the arrival of certain shipments of this beef at Capetown portions of it were condemned as being putrid and unfit for consumption by the troops, and though no wholesale examination was made, praCtiflßUy the whole quantity was left xuuou.ui.e-. uncii towards the end of the war. A request was sent to the War Office to send back to Canada representative packages of the alleged putrid beef. With this request the War Office complied, and a Board of Inquiry was appointed. With great care the cases which had been returned were examined, and the entire contents were found to be excellent, only an infinitesimal percentage being damaged by transportation, as is customary. Payment in fulll was then made by the War Office.