NEW ZEALAND-NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13762, 29 May 1908, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND-NEWS.

Bsfkbrino to Mr. W. C. Buchanan's .offer of £6000 for an experiment farm • for TVairarapa and the Government"* non-ac-ceptance, the New Zti&land correspondent of the Pastoral"*!*' "Rftview, Mjc.i—'"What m needed in this country i* that the local authorities should establish such form*, as i« done elsewhere, receiving a eub-sidy from the- general Government." .■> Cancellations of unions registered '•«•«;• der the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act continue. Last week**- Gazette contains the notification of cancellation of the Hamilton Typographical" Industrial Union of Works's, the Duacdin Wharf Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers. and the Taranaki Matter Bakeis' Industrial Union of Employe's. A gentleman who ha* recently travelled through the Macraes ami adjacent districts (Otago) infowned the Otago Baity Times that during all travels he saw only three rabbits. The district formerly suppotted a rabbit-canning factory and » host of trappers. The causes assigned for the extirpation of the pest are threefold—the extensive trapping thinned out the rabbit?. "he heavy snowfall of about five years ago assisted, and the natural enemies have done the rest.

Mr. Horn (a candidate for tho'-Tuapckik seat) rather electrified his audience at Lawrence the other night by a remark that the Otago Central railway could be extended without costing the. Government a penny. Ho went on to explain that the railway would open* up ft ha country and take people on to the country. He asked his hearers to imagine the production which all that immense number of acres werd capable of, and what it, would mean to the railway and to Otago.

The sitting of the Conciliation Board in Canterbury, in tin- farm labourers* dispute, occupied 95 day*. and 221" ; iesft«* were examined. Seventeen days wevc occupied iti summing up alone. The official reporting of the proceedings, which wa« dona most entirely by : one lady stenographer, reached the huge total in typewritten matter that would be required 16 till about 700 newspaper columns. This would be, considerably more tkui a million words, and since five copies were struck at thesame time on the typewriter, -.* the total matter turned, out was well over live mil* lion words.

A Feeding, timber merchant "ho is familiar with the milling business throughout the Dominion has informed the FeikTirig Star \ that the timber industry is busier this year than it has Wen at. any time during" the? past live years. The demand .. is greater than the supply. Already this year sumo three, million feet of timber have* been imported into New Zealand from British Columbia. '"With the great -forests and cheap Japanese labour," the merchant says, " millers over there could land timber here, as cheap our own millers on the spot, could produce it." He. supposed thai .'there, was great activity in the building trade, as the timber most in demand was that used ■for buildings purposes; -- - • Concerning tits deer-shooting season which has just dosed, the Tapamii Courier says:—'"The number of good heads obtained must have Wen the smallest on record, and license-holders generally report very .poor .sport. .The stags only ' roared' for «'. couple of days, and the general impression' is that they are both scarce and shy from ■ constant hunting.. 1 There are indications that feed is now very ware-m the-mountain-forests, and starvation is' having its effect*?. Many portions? of: the bush that were hitherto well ."slocked with deer are now entirely, deserted. Hinds sue still numerous, but in the forest area .especially they are in very poor condition. A great many parties* camped on the mountains this season, ancl every portion of the deer country was* persistently hunted." '■; ' ! '' :

For many months pant (says the Hot Lakes Chronicle) it has been noticed by the native** that the Korotiotio'-apriug ill the native reserve, at' Whakarftwarewa, the' source of the supply for the oil baths,'-has been gradually but surely lessening. We learn that on several occasions during the past two months what whs originally the spring pool has. been practically dry, and the supply of waiter has been of an intermittent character, The water recedes, and for two days at a spell fails to put in am appearance, so that so far as the oil. bathe, which were - supplied from the surplus water from the spring, arc. concerned, they are of no commercial value. These baths were greatly appreciated while they wer« in existence, but, like Walmangu, a change in the subterranean passages has evidently taken place, and the oil baths arc a thing of the past. :

• "Father lost his pension," was the ex-j plniiatiort of a female applicant for charitabie aid to the Dunedin Benevolent Trustees. " How did lie lore it'" she was asked. "He got work," was the reply, " and his earnings wow too big to entitle him to the pension." " But are yon not better off now. that he is working?" " No," replied the applicant, " he is out of work again." " lint can't he get the pension the same an; formerly '{" asked; the tmstces. The girl shook, her head, and said, that father could not, .re-apply.'for, the pension until a. year had elapsed front, 1 the dale of the cancellation of the pension -the magistrate had told her go. ~ The statement was received with some surprise, and the trustees decided to find out whether it was correct, for if so, they said, it was 11 most undesirable state of the old age pensions law. .

The late Mr. Anders Andersen, of " Duncroft," Fcatberston, hag left under* hi? will a number of bequests. -..-. The trustees of the .Methodist Church, at Grey - town arid , '!ai\J'cathcrst.6bi'' : .ahß'' 'the .South Wairarapa Hospital at Greytown, benefit, t-j the extent of £100 each. . There la another bequest of £100 to the trustees: of the South Wairarapa Hospital for' funds towards the'erection of a .new bos-' pita), while a portion of the estate, after payment of bequests, is to be handed over towards the same institution. ft is believed that the sum will run into several hundreds of pounds. A clause in the will refers to another bequest for a home or hospital in the Wairarapa for incurables. I,i there be no such institution ,in the Wairarapa, the sum is to be devoted to the home in Wellington, preference to be given to Wairarapa patients in proportion to the amount of .help given to the hooK" by Mr. Andersen's bequest.

Speaking at the opening of the Cosmo [jolitau Club in Giftborne, Mr. A. L. D. j-'iatcr, M.l', for Napier, made some interesting remarks upon the influence of clubs on the life of the members and the people among whom those members mixed. The visitor (to quote from the Cisbpine Times) said they had built thai* club and formed their membership, but their duty was only beginning. He thought that club life should be a lesson Ui • the outside world. They would soon have to face another general election/' and it. would be for the people to say whether they ' would have liecuses or not., V ."H* hoped the club would let the people feel it.-, pulse working at that time, for he felt- sure •every member would work for the good of the-" town of CJisbome, It should be a pleasure to be a member of a club, and their influence should be farleaching. The members should not be selfish, but should let others share their pleasures, and, .as time went on, provide in the club buildings afternoon tea rooms, reading-rooms, mad such t places, to which they could take their wives in comfort and honour. The older, members of clubs had a duty to the younger member*,." no! t«. let them see the evils of the curse of drink, to encourage them in sports, musk-, and educational advancement, and to make club life but exaggerated home life.