PICNICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12601, 3 March 1903, Page 6

PICNICS.

-*> . On Saturday afternoon about 50 of Ifessn. Herbert, Haynos, and Co.'s employees, accompanied by Piper Chisholm, drove in drags as far as Norlh-East Harbour and held a most enjoyable picnic. The day being all that could be dosired for outdoor amusement, a very pleasant time was spent, the party reaching town bout 7.30 p.m. Members of the Shakespeare Club, under the direction of Mr Whiteon, enjoyed a marine excursion to Portobello on oaturday last, when tha weather was delightful. Tlio majority wnlked from tho picnic reserve to Hooper's Inlet, and on returning to embark found that the vice-president had provided room for a large number of children who had missed their steamer on her return journey to the city. A happily-timed compliment was paid to Mr Whilson when the excursionists closed their programme at 5.30 p.m. —It is so common a thing to read thai fires of mysterious origin were doubtless caused by a defective clectrio light wire that it is something of a surprise to learn from recently-published statistios on. fire losses and causes for 1901 that, out of a total of 30,800 fires in the United Statee, but 105t were traceable to electricity. On the other hand, tho fires arising from this cause occasioned the highest average- loss per fire. By far the largest portion of the fires causing losses, or about 66 per cent., were due to the use of coal in some shape— defective fluea, stoves, sparks from locomotives, furnaces, etc.