MISCELLANEOUS.

North Otago Times, 3 August 1903, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The position of a town clerk to a suburban borough is not always a bed of roses, says the Star, and whether he does his duty or not, he is liable to be shot at by any of the members who may be inclined for a little diversion from the dry-as-dust details that usually come up for discussion at tin monthly meetings, At the North-East Valley Council meeting, Councillor Green hotly reprimanded the town clerk for having supplied a plan asked for by the Government Survey Department without having first brought the. matter before the Council, while Councillor Brittenden, on the other hand, want' ed to know why the town clerk had waited for tho plan to lie asked tor before Supplying it. A London paper says that gas is knocking electricity out. of public lighting. They are replacing gas lamps, with mantle fittings, in a great number of towns, as they find it gives three times the light, and is one-third the price of electric lighting. In Paris there is very little electric light in the streets. All are mantle-gas lighted, and there is 110 lighting in the world equal in the Rue de la Paix, it is brilliant in the extreme; the posts ate only 30 yards apart, and they have three mantles to each post.

The anticipated shortage of sheep in the Cantcijbury-Knikoura district is looked uiJon, by one authority, says Truth, as likely to prove more imaginary .than veal The gentleman referred to points out that a better class of CiWo has been put to tho rams and that the present season has been more favorable than the last. In addition, he remarks that the sheep returns aro not absolutely reliable. Ho has known of cases where farmers have liiiido up their returns about the middle of May, anii inadvertently, of course, omitted to include the number of sheep and lambs sent by them .to tho freezing works between tho end of April and the time of making up the returns. According to a recent issue of the Clutlm Leader, tho number of men employed on the Catlin railway wtis reduced by about one-third, and there is a prospect of a further reduction within the next Week or two, the number now employed being a little over thirty. Our contemporary declares there is no justification for this step, and goes on to say"This work w|as to have been finished by last Christmas, and then when it was found that it Was impossible tho ensiling Christmas wps authoritatively mentioned ns being the time when tho work would be completed, But at the present rate of progress those interested may rest assured <hat not this Christmas nor the following ono will see it finished."