OMNIUM GATHERUM

Otago Witness, Issue 2105, 28 June 1894, Page 34

OMNIUM GATHERUM

NEWS. GOSSIP. AND ADS. The coal export from Westporb last week was 4150 tons. It is proposed in Wellington to start a Palraographical Society of Australasia. A cash box containing £49 has been stolen from the Middleton Hotel, Kaiapoi. Last week 3090 tons of coal and 62,500 ft of timber were exported from Greymouth. Five accidents on five successive Saturdays is Hawke's Bay's football record this season. A Native named Kuahu, who was supposed to be 120 years old, died at Turakina on Monday. The Earl of Fingal and party are making a minute inspection of the West Coast mines of Tasmania. The Wellington Post insists on the truth of the story re the plot to burn down Government Buildings. The death is announced of the Rsv. William West, Presbyterian minister, at Southbridge, Canterbury. Dr King comes back to Mount View Asylum, while Dr Mills goes to Porirua, and Dr Hassell to Sunnyside. The Bishop of Melanesia has been presented with a pastoral staff framed out of timber from the old mission vessel Southern Cross. At Auckland on the 20th Edwin Bennett, a lodging housekeeper, was .fined 59 and .costs for keeping an unregistered lodging house. An Antwerp pigeon, evidently blown out to sea, met the s.s. Hauroto about 400 miles from Wellington, eventually falling on the deck in an exhausted condition. Mr W. W. Carlyle, of Woodville, who cantested the Waipawa seat as an Independent candidate, has been appointed editor of the Wellington Evening Press. Michael Ryan, a farmer at Eatonswill, New South Wales, committed suicide in a most determined manner by tying his hands with a strap and jumping into the river. According to a Dalziel cable message, "Mark Twain's publishing house, Messrs Charles L. Webster and Co., has failed, the cause- being business depression." The Linwood Borough Council decided toask the membor for the district to urge upon, the Government the necessity for equalising all endowments to the city and boroughs through*out New Zealand.

Mr A. C. Hanlon, solicitor, was married at St. Paul's Church on the 20th to Miss Hudson, daughter of Mr R. Hadaon, our well-known-townsman. The Rev. Mr Melville was th& officiating clergyman. There were 1740 men employed on Government co-operative works in the colony last month, of whom 121 were artisans. Out of a total of 960 employed by the Survey department, 302 were in the Wellington district, and the Public Works department had 146 men on the Trunk railway works, and 142 on the-Eketahuna-Woodvillc railway. The Minister for Marine, yielding to representations, has remitted the fines imposed on the Tainui's men at Lyttelton for having cigars in their possession on which duty had not been paid. The goods seized will be returned. The Minister was assured they were purchased in Teneriffe for the men's own use, and that the customs officers were informed all about them.

In the case of Mary Cassidy, charged with receiving into her care an infant under twoyears old, she not being registered as the occupier of a house and not registered under the Infants' Life Protection Act, the magistrate said he would take counsel's word that defendant was not a baby farmer. He cautioned defendant, and dismissed the case without costs.

At the meeting ot the First Church' Young Men's Literary Society, held on Monday evening, the subject debated was "Is War Necessary p" Mr J. L. Salmond took the affirmative, and Mr J. Armstrong the negative. After a discussion among the members, a vote was taken, which resulted in favour of tho affirmative side by a considerable majority. Mr J. F. Lillicrap oocupied the chair.

Miss Isabel Sarah Rees, daughter of Mr W. G. Rees, sheep inspector, late or Wakatipu, died at Ashburton on Thursday night of inflammation of the brain, after seven days' illness. . Deceased won the Champion Ladies' Tennis Singles at Dunedin in 1892, and at Christchurch in 189091, was the finest horsewoman in the colony, and a fine all-round athlete. She was only 27 years of age, and was tha mosD popular lady in Ashbutton county.

The New Zealand apterix presented by Sir Wajter Buller to the Paris Museum, and one of its greatest rarities, snms time ago disappeared. It had been kept in a special cage and the temperature watched anxiously. Viva months afterwards the bird, which had been treated as an exatic, was brought back having during that period lived in the cellars of some houses in course of erection in the Rue Buffon. How it picked up a living is a mystery. At a meeting of the committee for the forthcoming temperance mission of the Rev. L. M. Isitt at Auckland, the secretary was instructed to write to the Premier, Minister for Justice, and Sir R. Stout drawing attention to the remarks made at the recent meeting of the Invercargill Licensing Committee. The Jubilee Pioneer Assembly Knights of Labour have also passed a resolution which is to be forwarded to the Minister for Justice expressing regret at such remarks, and requesting that he will take cognisance of them.

The Post states :— " The resignation fey Colonel Fox of his commission as major (local lieutenant-colonel) on the aotiye list of the Royal Artillery was gazetted just before the English mail left aa dating from May 8. The resignation is described as 'on gratuity.' Colonel Fox informs us that his resignation had no connection with the differences whioh have occurred between himself and the Premier or with recent events in New Zealand, but ia merely sent in as a matter of private convenience. He applied at the same time to be transferred to the reserve, and the Gazette notice placing him on the reserve list will probably have appeared after the mail left.

The North Canterbury Educational Institute have passed the following motions : — " (1) This institute is of opinion that the reductions which are being frequently made, by the various boards of education iv thescale of salaries paid to teachers are owing to > the transference of funds from the maintenance, to the building account, and that steps should, be taken by the Government to allooate a« fixed proportion of the education grant for teachers' salaries. (2) This institute protests: in the most emphatic terms against the scheme: of retrenchment adopted by tfite North Canter' bury Board of Education as being motfc inequitable and unjust. (3) This institute asks theboard to reconsider its decision with reference to the dismissal by October 1 of male teacher* in schools of 29 and under, but to carry out itsproposal to appoint female teachers to such schools by waiting until such positions are; vacant in ordinary course."