INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3958, 25 January 1900, Page 7

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

A special train, consisting of 30 odd tracks with 120,000 frozen rabbits on board, loft the Mataura- Freezing Works on Sunday for Port Chalmers. The consignment will be shipped Home per s.s Paparoa. The epidemic of influenza is at present causing a lot of trouble in and around Westport, where few families have escaped its malignant grip. One hundred and fifty miners at Denniston are also said_ to be suitering from the same disease. —“News." Influenza is rampant at Wairere, and a case is reported of a whole family being so prostrated that when a. visitor called only one member of the household coulu wait upon the others, and then only on her hands and knees. Tho value of tho imports at tho port ot Timaru for the year 1899, as declared at the Customs office, was -2119,791, a decrease of .Ft 189 on the value of 1898. The export values were .£',22,502, or 4:214,123 greater than in the previous year. The Customs revenue and other receipts totalled =£23,673, an increase of .£1605. Beer duty also showed an increase, from =£B66 to £1661 , The Catholic mission at Cheviot last week was conducted by His Lordship Bishop Grimes. Dean Foley and Father Price \ve v e also present. The subscriptions obtained, amounting to .£4lO, were in aid of tho proposed cathedral in Christchurch and a church at Cheviot, the sum of £l7O being set apart for the cathedral and £240 for the Cheviot church. Ten acres of land have been secured for the latter pui’pose near McKenzie. .At tho confirmation, service there were twenty-five candidates. .Bishop Grimes is expected lo again visit Cheviot in March. One of the employers when giving evidence before the Conciliation Board in Dunedin said ho always let men smoke when they liked and as much as >uey liked. Ho did not think that smoking interfered at all with the amount of work done; but did believe that men would do more work and better work if they were not troubled with unnecessary restrictions. Anglers'will bo glad to hear, says tba Timaru “Herald," that the big fish are coming into the Opihi in large numbers. Mr George Triggs returned to town with a 16-poundcr and two smaller fish (silb and 4|lb), and Messrs F. Foster and J. Ogilvie with splendid baskets, including one 81b, one 71b, and one 61b.

Mr W. Jarvie, of the post office, and Mr P. Taylor, of the Railway department, have received instructions to to Dunedin.—''Grey River Argus." No less than six persons were fined at the Milton Magistrate’s Court last wee!: by Mr Stratford for failing to destroy rabbits on their property. Air C. P. McGlasban, late of the Wellington Garrison Band, and formerly of the Kaikorai Band, has been appointed conductor of the East Coast Battalion Band. The "Otago Daily Times” says Mr W. A. Shain (resident engineer in the Public Works Office) and party have proceeded to Oatlins River for the purpose of locating a. further section of tho extension of the Gatlins railway line towards Seaward bush, after wnich the Government, it is understood, intends proceeding with the work of construction.

Of late weasels have become quite a nuisance in Milion, and several householders, thre “Bruce Herald” says, have complained of the ravages of this pest in their t'owlyards. The "Hawera Post” says: Labourers are scarce in this district. Contractors from the country complain that they have a difficulty in finding sufficient 'men to keep up with the specifications of their contracts.

The young girl Myra Wood, who was accidentally shot in the wrist on Christmas Day, has not yet had the bullet extracted. The doctors in town managed to locate it, but could not extract it without cutting some of the sinews, and decided it would be better to leave it where it is. She has not yet quite regained the power of her arm.—“ Mount Ida Chronicle.” • The Mayfield, Methven, and the Forks correspondents of the Ashburton “Mail” state that a disastrous hailstorm was ex* - perienced in those districts. It lasted -for an hour, and hailstones as large as pigeons* eggs fell, the ground being covered to a depth of 4in. A largo amount of damage was done to the growing crops. The “'Otaki Mail*’ records the instance of a well-known sheepfarmer who lost .£2OO through selling his wool for the day before the Wellington sale, where it brought 10d.

The Palmerston (South) "Times" reports the death of still another pioneer in the person of Mr M. Green. He came to the colony in 1842 with the 65th Kegiment, and after serving with the colours in the north settled on land in the Goodwood district in 1850. Some years later ho removed to Waikouaiti, and there he resided until his death. He is survived by oho daughter, Mrs John Duncan, of Corner Bush. The Clutha ‘'Free Press” reports the death, at the age of 82 years, of Mr Henry Tilson. He was a native of Ireland, and came to Otago in the ship Jura in 1858. In 1860 he took up a farm in South Molyneux, where he resided till his death. He leaves a widow and a family of three sons and two daughters.

Lot 2 of the Puhipuhi State Forest, comprising about 11,747,132 superficial feet ,of kauri-timber, and 300 totara trees, was sold to Messrs Bradley and Mander, timber merchants, at the total upset price of .£6173 lls 4d. The Taranaki Land Board has decided to prosecute two justices of the peace for signing blank declarations of applications for land which were afterwards filled up and sent to the Land Office.

A local resident of a fiendish disposition (says a correspondent, writing from Waihi to a Waikato paper) has been writing letters to, several persons here, to wives accusing husbands, and in other cases to husbands accusing their wives of unfaithfulness, and without the slightest foundation in fact. Naturally, it has caused a great deal of feeling. Upwards of 10,000 acres of the Ngapaerum block are to be thrown open for selection in about a month’s time (says the "Bush Advocate"). The land is of firstclass quality, and the co-operative parties which have been at work there have made good roads through the block. The "Timarn Herald” says—A testimonial to the Hon Major Steward is in course of preparation by -the electors ,of Waitaki, in recognition of the services rendered by him as their member during the 18 years he has represented them in Parliament.

It was mentioned in the Westport Court on Wednesday that an expert was now on his way out from London to examine and report on the General Exploration Company’s properties in that district. A most extraordinary affair is reported from Methven (says the "Ashburton Mail ). A young lady was found early on Thursday morning with her hands fastened behind her back and a handkerchief over her month, having, she says, been tied all night. At first she stated that a man tied her up, but she afterwards confessed thjat she tied herself up.