OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 8

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Tho Government valuation of the properly in tho liawke's Bay County is placed at £7,500,000. I'ho revenue derived by the Auckland Harbour Board during tho past year amounted to £156,284. which is a decrease of £80C0 as compared with that of 1916. Amateur fishermen have secured some fino catches of king fish during the past few days at Napier. One- fish weighed 501b.

Help the doctor by taking pre.-cmiUuna w> J. Water? chemist (next Herbert. Haynes> ..

Permission has been granted by the Tiinaru Licensing Committee to the hotelkeepors in the borough to extinguish tho outside, light? of their premises at tho hour of closing—six o'clock. A man named George Maxwell, employed by Mr Holgate (farmer, Barnego), had his leg broken on Wednesday through a horse falling on him. The Department of Agriculture estimates that only 27 per cent, of 'the tillable land of continental United States is actually under cultivation.

Everybody enjoys {rood coffee, and once its tasto is acquired it holds the consumer. Tho wise housewife should therefore order " Bourbon," the coffee of consistently high quality.... The salmon are now running sparsely up the Waitaki, and several anglers have been successful, but tho large runs that may be expected from now on to tho end of April have not yet materialised (says the Oamaru Mail). A Mastorton resident has had the misfortune to lose two tons of potatoes through ■blight. Tho blight is general throughout the town. "

White pine is becoming a valuable commodity. Wo understand (says the Wanganui Chronicle) that bush of this timber near Okoia is now being felled and the logs railed to Hastings to be sawn.

Help the doctor by talcing prescriptions to J. Waters, chemist (next Herbert. Hnvnesl...

A serious accident occurred at Stuart and Chapman's tram line at Ross on Wednesday morning. Thomas Elcock (60) was run over a loaded truck, and his right leg was smashed to pulp below the knee. Two pupils of the Canterbury Aviation School, H. T. Lucena (Palmerston North) and E. W. Reeves (Christchurch) have passed their flying test. Each candidate received a first-class certificate.

The Greymouth Star says that a gazetted military deserter from Trentham Camp, named Daniel Hayes, was arrested at Denniston, where he had boon working in the mine. Ho was despatched to Greymouth to be handed over to the military authorities. At an inquest on the body of a man who dropped dead in Masterton the other day, the coroner returned a verdict that death was due to a sudden acute attack of appendicitis.

Remember the boys in the trenches. Assortments of necessary trench comforts, in tin boxes, sent to any address. Prices, from 12s 6d to 21s.—Particulars Marshall's Pharmacy, Dunedin.... Diphtheria is prevalent in the- borough, and suburbs (reports the Wanganui Chronicle). Last month 11 cases were reported from Gonville, one from Castlecliff, ond five from the borough. From Wanganui and Waitotara Counties combined four cases were reported. Wheat crops in the Greenstreet district have ripened rapidly daring the past few days, and on Thursday (says the Ashburton Guardian) binders were operating in several wheat fields in that locality. Some of the crops have gone off considerably, and ehow a large percentage of empty ears. Fourteen tons of fruit left the Alexandra station last Monday morning. This is three tons less than on the same Monday last year, and four tons less than on the preceding Monday. The decrease is no doubt due to the cold, broken weather interfering with the ripening of the fruit. When 'your children grind their teeth. start in their sleep, it'e a sign of thread worms. Marshall's Worm Syrup will remove these pests. Price, 2s 6d; posted, 2s 9d.—Marskall'e Pharmacy....

Harvesting operations appear to be fairly general in the Hillend and Greenfield districts at present (states the Clutha Free Press). On some farms the oats are to be seen in stook, and at others reapers and binders are busy. From appearances the crops seem to bo fairly good, but very short, pointing to a scarcity of straw for the winter.

It was reported last week that at the Timara wool valuations the record price, for South Canterbury, of 23d had been given for an exceptionally good clip of greasy merino. When this was reported the valuations were incomplete, and later _on 23ad was given for greasy merino. This is 6aid to be the highest price ever paid in Canterbury. M'Phorson may call! Have yen what he expects?—Wm. Orossan, Waterloo Hotel, Caversham....

A serious accident recently occurred at Mr W. G. Stead's residence, Flaxmere, Hastings. Whilst engaged in pumping up the tyro of -a motor car with -p. patent pump! William Mahalm, of Christchurch,* chauffeur for Mrs G. G. Stead, sustained severe injuries throueh the sudden explosion of the pump. His left eye was blown out, his left arm fractured in two places, and one of the bones in his face fractured, While he also received several abrasions. Ho was at onco removed to a private hos- , pita] in Hastings, where no hopes were entertained for his recovery until Mondoy, when he I sho\vcd signs of improvement.

The scarcity of men in the back country of New Zealand (especially bush-fellers), results in there being an over-running of wild pigs, which endangers the farmers' lambs in lambing seasons. Recently, in the King Country, adjoining Mahoenui, one farmer, when mustering, counted as many as 130 odd. During Christinas week a Hawera resident, while visiting a brother, went out on an afternoon's hunt, and in the clearing they accounted for 14 pigs. During another couple of hours, while riding on horseback, they saw several more scurrying down the fence lines towards the bush.

There aro ghouls in New Zealand as well as 'in Germany. Ono variety (says the Taranaki News) is tho memoriam card dealer who searches tho casualty liste daily, and sends along immediately a soliciting circular, and samples of tho work done, to tho bereaved relatives. Wo wore recently shown one of these circulars. It contained verses of doggerel that would insult the * memory of any soldier. Attached was a portrait of some poor soldier whose relatives had succumbed to tho importunities of the pushful card vendor. <3t is too much to expect a display of fine feeling or decency from this class of people, but surely even they could postpone their unwelcome obtrusion until the bereaved ones had a little, time to recover from their blow.

A painful incident interrupted the performance of the " Marriage of Kitty," at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on Tuesday night. In the love scene in the second act a loud grunt from the stalls set many *■ of tho audience tittering at a most unfortunate moment, anel from the samo direction was thrown what appeared to be a email tin match-box. After bowing her acknowledgments at the end of the scene, Miss Mario Tempest came down to the footlights and said: " Ladies and gentle- • men, I am a stranger in your country, yet some gentleman has dono mo the honour to throw mo a tin box." "No gentleman did it,"-came a reassuring bass voice from the stalls after a momentary silence, and the audience warmly applauded the sentiment. "Thank you, sir." said Miss Tempest, and retired amid renewed applause.