LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 22

LOCAL & GENERAL.

In the last Gazette is published the balance sheet of the Dunedin Savings Bank for 1893. The amount lodged by depositors was £30,293 7s Id, while £40,645 4s 9d was withdrawn. Loans repaid during the year to the bank amounted to £21,652 13s 9d, and there was a credit balance of £35,497 7s Id. The interest credited to depositors totalled £3558 7s 2d. There was rceehed as interest on loans £2812 lls lid; interest on debentures, £400; interest on bank deposits, £1532 17s 9d ; and from rents, £200. The ca&h in bank amounted to £35,497 7s id ; ditto deposit account, £11,500 ; and fixed deposits, £19,500. The debentures totalled £6640. and loans on mortgage £41.969 4s Ed. The total assets are set out at £122,596 16s £d. There was due to 2460 depositors £107,046 ss, and to property suspense account £2736 16s lid. The assets exceeded the lia-bilities-by £12,810 14s 9d.

We are advised by the chief postmaster that in future old-age pensions will be paid at the Colonial Bank on the first day of each month and at the post office money-order counter after that date. As the accommodation at the Colonial Bank is ample it is desirable that as. many pensioners as possible call there, so as to prevent any crush and inconvenience to themselves when payment is transferred to the post office money-order counter, where the space is none too much for the ordinary P.O. business.

A young man who appeared in the prisoner's dock at the Supreme Court last week told the probation officer a pitiful tale. He came to New Zealand a few years ago, and obtained steady work in a tailoring establishment in Christohurch. Coming down to Dunedin lately he lost his money at the races, and started drinking. He did not care to return to Christchurch in his muddled state, and, while under the influence of liquor, ho committed a theft at Caversham, which landed him in the hands of the police ; hence his appearance in the court on the 30th. His O-flfence, of course, carried with it the loss of his position in Christchurch. Fortunately for him, the merciful provisions of the First Offenders' Probation Act were extended to him, and he was released on 12 months' probation, conditional on his abstaining from alcoholic liquors for that period and paying the costs of the prosecution (some £7 or £3).

During the past fortnight 397 cattle, 3150 sheep, 335 lambs, 114 pigs, and 29 calves were slaughtered at the abattoir, of which two bullocks and 18 sheep were condemned as unfit for food.

The Rev. F. W. Boreham, of Mosgiel, Las been appointed to succeed tho Rev. Arthur Dewdney in the editorship of the "New Zealand Baptist."

An applicant for an old-age pension at Napier has met with a pleasant surpiise. For tho purpose of proving his* age he wrote to some friends in the old country with whom, he had not communicated for 20 years. In reply he has received the intimation that a relative had died some time ago and left him about £700 or £500, but as he was believed to be dead another near relation had claimed the mon.ey. He has now taken steps through a solicitor to secure the legacy, the necessary papers having been despatched to England by the last mail.

At a meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Horticultural Society, it was decided to award Mr A. Youngson a certificate of merit for his exhibit of chiysanthemums in vases at the recent show. The thanks of the society were tendered to the judges, and to Messrs J. H. Pressly and G. Matthews, who lent a number of plants for decorating the platform, and also to the Mornington Orchestral Society for performing at the show. The priz&anoney and accounts in connection with the show were passed for payment. It was decided that at the June monthly meeting a practical illustration of pruning should be given.

Witli regard to Herr Pollak's now telegraphic apparatus, which is said to be capable of transmitting 1000 words per minute, the Morning Leader coi respondent at Vienna points out that at present the only authority for tho statements which have appeared is the inventor himself, or rather the descriptions whiclrhave been published on his account.

.The Daily Chronicle's Washington correspondent relates the following story of Admiral Dewey, told by one of the sailors just returned on the Raleigh. Just before the battle of Manilla, when the order was given to strip for action, the smallest powder boy on the flagship dropped his coat overboard. ITe asked permission to jump after it, but was refused. He went to the other side of the ship, dropped overboard, recovered his coat, and was piompt-ly arrested for disobedience. Admiral Dewey spoke kindly to the youngster, who broke down, end said that the coat contained his mother's picture, which he had just kissed, and lie could not bear to see it lost. Dewey'f. eyes filled with tears, he fairly embraced the boy, and Ordered him to be released, saying : " Boys who love their mothers enough to risk their lives for her picture cannot be kept in irons on this fleet."

Two of the cases on the Supreme Court list were disposed of on the 31st. Thomas Ritchie, charged with stealing a watch and chain, was found not guilty and was discharged, and Alexander Blue, charged with house-breaking, was found guilty and sentenced to four yearn' imprisonment, with hard labour.

At a special meeting of the Oily Council, held on the 31st, the council confirmed the bylaw passed at a previous meeting, with the object of preventing street belting .

At a largely-attended meeting of the Workers' Political Committee, held on the 31st, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted : — " (1) That this coimi ittee urge upon the Minister for Labour the necessity of bo amending the Factorials Act as to r.om-

pel all institutions, such as Salvation Army laundries^ that compete for work in the open market to" register, and come under the control of the inspector of factories. ■ (2) Th^t the Minister for Labour be requested to have the Factories Act so amended as to make the hours of labour not more than eight on five dayjjf of the week and four hours on Saturday.. (3} That this committee strongly approves of the City Council taking over the city and suburban tramway system."

During the hearing of a judgment summons case at the Magistrate's Court on the 31st the defendant ■admitted that, in addition to paying 2s 6d to join a building society a few weeks agOj he also paid 2s a week to the society and 3d a week to his union. His Worship, howover, held that it had not been shown that the -debtor had had sufficient to satisfy the claim since the issue of the summons, and refused to make an order for payment of the debt.

Tire vital statistics for the month of May are as follows: — Births 105, deaths 71, and marriages 43. For the corresponding month of last year the births were 90, deaths 50, and marriages 27.

The regular weekly meeting of the Benevolent. Institution Trustees held on tho 31st, was .attended by Messrs Watson (in the chair), Wilson, Treseder, Green, and Haynes. Accounts amounting to £90 7s Id were passed for payment, and 26 relief cases dealt with.

Mx H. A. Stratford, S.M., has arrived in Dunedin to take up the duties of magistrate in th"c Clntha-Tuapeka district, Mr Hawkins, S.M.; taking the place on the West Coast vacated by Mr Stratford.

Mir C- M. Howison, well known in business'circles in this city, has received the appointment of chief agent and attorney in Otago of the Northern Assurance Company.

The youthful fire-raiser at St. Albans was before the Supreme Court on the 2Slh (says the Press).. From the evidence given by Detective Livingstone, it would appear that there was .a band of fire-raisers existing in St. Albans, and that the young man charged had developed quite a passion for arson. The charges for which he appeared before the court involved one, as was pointed out by the learned judge, which would some years ago have been regarded as a capital offence. That was the"setting fire to a house with persons therein. The sentence of three years' imprisonment will, as his Honor pointed out, put a stop to the uroclivities of the young man in the direction of arson for a time.

The total revenue for the fourweekly period ending 29th April^ from the 2035 miles of railway open in the colony was £138.921 9s 3d, while the expenditure was £77,232 14s lid, the percentage of revenue being 55.59. The 824 miles in the North Island yielded £48,284 2s 5d in revenue, the expenditure being £31,256 12s 6d, or a percentage of 64.80. The revenue from the 1261 miles in the South Island was £90,637 6s lOd, and the expenditure £45,946 2s sd. The Hurunui-Bluff line, of 1154 miles, yielded £80,958 in the way of revenue, while the expenditure was £40,716 2s 9d.

The Supreme Court on Thursday was occupied all day in hearing the charges against Mary J3amvell and her husband, Charles J'anwell, for the theft of a great number of articles from various tradesmen. There were two indictments against both accused, charging them with stealing the goods and on a second count with receiving them knowing them to bo stolen. The wife pleaded guilty in each case of stealing the goods, and gave evidence that the husband did not know they were stolen, but had found fault with her for spending money upon such rubbish. The husband told the same story on oath. For the Crown, it was urged that the stealing had been of such extraordinary magnitude that it was impossible the husband should not have known that the goods had been stolen. The accused Charles Ban well was acquitted on both the indictments, but as the prisoner was serving a sentence given in the lower court for rereiving stolen property he was not discharged from custody. Mary Banwell also pleaded guilty to a further indictment, but it was pleaded .on her behalf that after long years of apparent honeEty the accused developed a tendency, described by herself as uncontrollable, to steal nearly everything she could lay hands on, to store up, among other things, great numbers of useless ornaments, and, so far as is known, not to have attempted to make money by disposing of stolen goods. His Honor sentenced the woman to two years' imprisonment, and expressed his intention to recommend that tho case should be investigated by experts.

The output of coal from the mines of the" Weslport Coal Company (Limited) for the •month of May was 28,941 tons 2cwt.

At a meeting of the Federated Seamen's Union, held on Thursday, the following resolution was carried:- -"That this meeting expresses its sincere regret for the lamentable disaster which lias happened to the s.s. Oliau, whereby 22 valuable lives wore lost, 10 of whom were members of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand. We also desire to offer our deep sympathy to those who have been bereaved of their husbands and friends. We arc of the opinion that if ordinary prudence had been observed by the vessel taking shelter from the severe gale that was raging no loss of life or property wculd have occurred. That the Hon. the Minister for Marino be requested to hold a searching inquiry as to the manner in which the vessel was loaded, and whether sho had sufficient stability to encounter a heavy gale when loaded to her official load lines."

The Agent-general has received a communication from August Reiehwald, of 9 New Broad street, London, representative in Great Britain of Krupp's steel works, intimating that he is in a position to dispose of large quantities of chrome ore and hcheelite, provided that prices and quantities are suitable. In order to save time Reiehwald suggests that the owners of these ores should quote to him direct their prices, payment net cash on receipt, and determination of anatysis in London. Also it would be advisable to send him a f 2\v samples, say, a small bag of each ore or a complete analysis of each, and he would like to be informed as to what quantity of each kind of ore could be delivered this year. Thid information may possibly lead to the scheelite

— n .* mine at the head of Lake Wakatipu being again worked. The cost of carriage, however, to a port of shipment is so great that the mine is severely handicapped.

A case of some interest to church authorities who get up art unions and bazaars for the purpose of augmenting the church funds was heard before Mr M'Oarthy, S.M., at Arrowtown, on the 30th ult. It appears that Mtf R. J. Scott got up a bazaar for the purpose of raising funds to liq\iidate the debt upon the local Roman Catholic Church. The police became cognisant of the fact that the Gaming and Lotteries Act had been infringed, and thereupon instituted proceedings in the court against Mr Scott. Detective M'Grath was sent up from Dunedin, and conducted the prosecution. After hearing the evidence, Mr M'Carthy inflicted a fine of 40s and costs, and - in giving judgment against defendant commented somewhat severely upon the practice of holding lotteries in connection with the churches, which should do all that they could to discountenance gambling, which was a growing evil in the colony.

The member for Waikouaiti, Mr E. G^ Allen, addressed his constituents in tho schoolhouse at Olakou on Wednesday night. Mr Bishop, the chairman of the Road Board,' presided. There were between 50 and 60 persons prosent, including several ladies. The chairman referred to the satisfactory manner in. which Mr Allen had represented the district in Parliament. At the close of the address Mr Taylor proposed a vote of thanks and con-* Science, which was seconded by Mr R. Mitchell and carried unanimously, with loud applause. Mr Alien spoke at Sandymount on Monday, when a vote of thanks and confider.ee in Mr Allen and also confidence in the Government was carried.

Referring to the operations at Orepuki of the company which now owns the, Kaitangata coal mine, the correspondent of the Southland Times says : " Shale obtained from a trial shaft, put down in the drive and tested by Mr Dunlop in a retort, which has been erected, returned, I am informed,' the magnificent average of 90 gallons of oil to the ton of shale, so that the prospects of success of the company are good."

A meeting of tho Dunedin Fabian Society was held at the Zcalandia Chambers, Dowling street, on Thursday, Hon. W. M. Bolt (president) being in the chair. Mr D. R. White, rector of the Normal School, read a paper on "Wise and Unwise Legislation: A Difference of Opinion." He treated the subject from a philosophical point of view, and referred to the principles laid down by Bentham as to what should guide legislators in making laws, pointing out how those principles applied to some of the laws that we had been passing during tho last quarter of a century. The paper was very favourably received, Mr White being accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his contribution. During the evening Mr Briggs played a cornet solo, and Miss Lichtenstein and Mr Applegarth each sang a song. Miss M. Hutchison acting as accompanist. Notice of motion was also given for the annual meeting in the direction of altering the constitution of the society.

Tho committee of the Landtag (Provincial Assembly) of Lower Austria appointed to draw up a scheme of franchise reform, has unanimously recommended that the exercise of tho suffrage should be made compulsory on all qualified electors. It is proposed that a fine of £2 10s should be imposed on every elector who, without adequate reason, does not vote at a parliamentary or local election.

The Premier has intimated to a deputation which waited on him when he recently visited Naseby, urging that a telephone wire to tho doctor's residence at Naseby might be erected, and connected with the local post office after hours to enable medical aid to be promptly summoned to outlying districts when necessary, that he will approve of the application on payment of £6, the estimated cost of construction.

The meeting of the committee of the Technical Clashes Association, held on Thursday afternoon, was attended by Messrs A. Burt (in the chair), W. Cuttcn, D. M'Nicoll, D. R. Eunoon, J. Hislop, G. Simpson, G. M. Thomson, and D. White. A letter was read from Mrs W. H. Reynolds stating that the ladies who had undertaken to fit up the cookery room more fully had raised and expended the sum of £23 Is 4d, which the association's cor/.mitlee supplemented with the sum of £8 10a 3d. A very cordial vote of thanks was passed to those ladies who had interested themselves in this matter. The resignation of Mr J. S. Tennant, teacher of botany, was received, and it was resolved to record a minute expressive of the committee's appreciation of the good work done by him. Salaries and accounts amounting to £258 5s lOd were passed for payment. The secretary staled what stops were being taken by the past and present students to raise funds for additions to the present buildirg, and the members present undertook to further their efforts.

The plans of the proposed road from Balclutha to Pukepito and of the new bridge over the Matau River at Kaitangata are well forward, and tenders will be called for both works at the end of the month.

An intelligent visitor to New York says that three-fourths of the men in large cities read scarcely anything but newspapers. Women read proportionately more books than the sterner sex. One leading bookseller said : "The magazines are driving out the books, and the newspapers aro driving out the magazines." This, however, the British Weekly points out, is hardly true, for it is admitted that the past holiday season witnessed enormous sales of books, exceeding all previous records. Among the great novelists Thackeray leads,' his tales exceeding those of any other. During the past two years George Eliot has gained decidedly, Dickens has lost very perceptibly, and Charles Reade and Bulwer are seldom called for.

An amusing story is embodied in the report of Captain yon Esdorff, the Governor of a district in the German West African territories. An order had been issued to register and stamp all the firearms in the hands of the natives, who were very reluctant to obey.

instructions, being afraid that they would be deprived of their weapons. In Dimaraland, however, Lieutenant Eggers succeeded in cairying out the task with complete satisfaction. He had been employed three years ago .to inoculate the cattle as a protection against tha rinderpest, an. operation which the Damaras appreciated thoroughly after a short experience. The wily lieutenant gave out thai he proposed to vaccinate all their rifles and muskets so as to make them shoot straight, and to preserve them from injury. •With childish confidence the Damaras rushed into his camp from every part of the country, and eagerly submitted their guns to the BUmping process.

A Glamorganshire doctor, who died the other day at Maesteg, in that county, was followed to his grave by 15,000 people. Maeeteg (says the Western Daily Mercury) lies in the hollow of a great circle of mountains, that encloses collieries and the workshops of several busy industries. Dr Thomas was a native of this valley, and hacl practised through the length and breadth of it for 37 years, himself during 24 jears hampered with a form of heart disease which might any day suddenly have ended his life. The affection ■which he had secured in such extraordinary measure can only have been felt for an exceptional personality. But of his work as a physician, it is to be said that he had lived in accord with the entirely noble ideal of beneficent service, which makes of medicine a profession, as distinguished from a trade. x He was the same man with rich and poor, ■without respect lo his fees, and he never spared himself. He died in his fifty-ninth year, and he died poor ; but he had made his life worth living. On the day of his funeral there was no work done in the valley, and no house without the blinds down. Twentyseven clergy and ministers were present at the service conducted by the vicar of Llangynwyd.

Mr Hugh W. Farquhar, who was connected in Auckland with the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, has arrived in Dunedin to fill the position of clistrict secretary of the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, and has entered upon tho duties of that office.

In ano.ther column this week will be found the first of a series of articles on the dredging industry. Recognising the rapidly growing importance and the value to readers of accurate and comprehensive information, the proprietors of the Otago Daily Times and Witness have despatched as special commissioner a gentleman who has had extensive mining experience, with instructions to furnish a full report on the dredging industry in Olago. He will visit each dredging claim in Otago and report thereon, and with the friendly co-operation of dredgemasters and secretaries of companies, we hope to be able to place before our readers the yields of each dredge since operations were started up to tli3 present day.

The Divorce Act passed last session having received her Majesty's approval came into operation on Thursday last, in accordance with a proclamation by his Excellency the Governor in the Gazette.

The Agricultural department*recently wired to the Agent-general respecting the admission of sheep to the Argentine from this colony, and has received the following reply: — "Argentine will accept certificate Foreign Minister for Agriculture, provided no cause for suspicion. Buenos Ayres declared sole port of entry."

Tho charge against William Gilchrist of aseaulting a child of tender years at Ardgowan was concluded at the Supreme Court on Saturday afternoon. After deliberating for a little over three-quarters of an hour, the jury found the prisoner guilty, and ho was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and to be flogged. The last case on the criminal calendar will be taken to-day.

A meeting of graduates of the Ot-ago University was held on Saturday morning to elect a representative on the University Council in place of the late Hon. W. H. Reynolds, M.L.C. The yikv. A. Cameron presided, and there were about twenty other graduates present. Dr Milne declined nomination, being the holder of a lectureship. Mr J. Ronnie then proposed and Mr R. G. Whetter seconded tho appointment of Mr T. K. Sidey. Mr J. E. Bertram proposed and Mr D. M. Pryor seconded the appointment of Mr A. C. Begg. Mr Sidey shortly addressed tho meeting. He said he could not pledge himsolf to any particular line of action ; but with regard to the appointment of professors, he would give every consideration to the claims of distinguished graduates of Otago University. Several speakers having supported Mr Sidey' s nomination, Mr Bertram withdrew Mr Begg's name, remarking that it appeared to be the general wish that a graduate of the •university should bo appointed. Mr Sidey was then declared elected, and he returned ihonks for the honour conferred on him.

The smallest letter ever posted in the colony went through Auckland Post Office a few days ago — a mere postage stamp gummed on a piece of paper of its own size, with the address across the face, and an inquiry on the back. As the postal authorities held the stamp to be defaced the recipient had to pay iw opence.

A rather singular piece of evidence came up at the Supreme Court on Saturday. The ■whole question for prosecution and defence rested upon the point oi identity, as, unhappily, there could be no doubt that a dastardly assault had been committed. Of course there were other circumstances relied upon as showing the identity of the accused with the assailant of the child, but the one matter which was regarded as confirmatory evidence consisted of the fact that the end of a cigarette was dropped by the man who committed the offence, that the paper round it was found to be " rippled," and that a hook of similai cigarette paper was found on tho accused.

Mr E. H. Carew held a court at Port Chalmers on Saturday for the consideration of claim j for old-age pensions. One male applicant was granted a full pension, and the an-

plication of a second was deferred for the production of proofs.

The number of inmates in the Dunedin Hospital at the end of lasfc^week was 106, and dtring the past week 20 have been admitted, 28 discharged, End one (Agnes Curline) has died. There now remain 97. A Nelson applicant for an old-age pension had had £100 in the Savings Bank, and had recently drawn out £50, of which he had paid away £1-0 and given away £10, " as he thought he had too much money." The magistrate therefore rejected his claim to a pension, as he had deprived himself of property in order to qualify.

Information has been received in Dunedin of the murder in the bush at Soerahaya, in the Island of Java, of a man named Edward Borden Clifford. The deoeased is supposed to have a married sister residing at Wanganui.

Professor Dewar, in the first of three lectures at the Royal Institution on the " Chemistry and Physics of the Atmosphere," showed the influence which dust particles have in qausing fog and mist, and the liquefaction of two samples of air in adjoining tubes manifested the difference between London atmosphere and pure air. One of the samples was washed and purified of all dust, microbes, carbonio acid gas, and water, while the other was just the ordinary atmosphere of the Royal Institution lecture room. When liquefied the latter was a grimy, opaque, Lsoupy puddle, while the other was clear and limpid.

At the Agricultural Hall, on Sunday j evening Miss Edger gave a lecture entitled " The Mystery of Death." There was a full attendance. The chair was occupied by Mr G. Riohardson. Miss Edger spoke for upwards of an hour and a-half, describing the progress of the true self from the time it cast off the physical body until, through various stages, it had learned all it was possible to learn \ from earth life and a physical form. Then j came the second death, whioh really led to j everlasting life, in which the true self, or j spirit, lived eternally. Questions arising out I of this lecture will lie answered at the Thejo- | sophical Society's rooms on Wednesday night. ]

The second-class bands will hold their contest this year at Queenstown on the 24-tli October next. The prize money will amount in all to £104-, and the committee have decided to add a solo competition, which will take place on the 25th. The test piece and n'arch have been ordered from England, and will be posted io bands competing so as to reach all on the same day. Applications for the music, accompanied by tho fee, must reach the secretary (Mr James Stenhouse) at Queenstown not Utter than July 1. '

On Saturday evening the East Taieri Riflr* to the number of -12, under Lieutenant Cameron, visited the Dunedin Rifles (Burt's corps) at their orderly room, Sussex Hall, George street, and engaged them in a friendly match at cards, quoits, and draughts. The visitors were the victors in the cards and draughts, whilst the Dunedin Rifles won the quoit games. During the evening vocal items were contributed by members of both corps, and one and all spent a most enjoyable night. A return match, to be played at Mosgiel, will take place in about a fortnight, which is eagerly looked forward to.

At the annual meeting of the City Licensing Committee, which was held on Monday, the committee in the majority of instances granted the applications for new licenses and renewals of licenses, while a number oi applications were adjourned until the 19th inst., in order that the licensees might have an opportunity in the meantime of complying with the recommendations of the police in regard to providing fire escapes.

The case before the Supreme Court on Monday was that in which Charles Dillingworth was charged witli an unnatural offence. Mr Barclay defended the accused, who pleaded not guilty. After a jury had been sworn in, the remaining jurors were discharged for the day, and his Honor remarked that the evidence was so disgusting that no one who had any respect for himsolf, and who was not compelled to remain in the court, would stay to hear the revolting details. This plain hint was accepted, and all in the court except those whose presence was necessary at once left the court. Tho taking of evidence occupied the rest of the clay. This morning counsel will address the court, and after his Honor's summing up, the jury will consider their verdict. This is the last case on the criminal list.

Those drawn by business or pleasure to the margin of the upper harbour during the present calm frosty weather have been at first puzzled to trace the origin of the " pit, pit, pit^" to be heard out on the water, and even when the discovery is made that it emanates fiomTi small launch, the question is always asked "How docs she go without smoke shewing?" The little craft in question has been imported by Mr Lietz, and is the first specimen we have seen here of the now elec-tric-gas motor vessels manufactured by the Sintz coy., Grand Rapids, U.S.A. She is 25ft long, and sft beam, and is driven by a dainty little two horse-power engine, which scarcely takes up any room. It is capable of making 500 revolutions a minute, but running at 300 sends the launch along at about eight knots an hour. As there is neither smoke nor disagreeable smell, and no necessity to carry a certificated engineer, the Sihtz principle seems admirably adapted to the requirements of residents round our harbours and lakes. Mr Lietz tells us that the engines can be had up to 50 horse-power. His own boat ib a most interesting example of the evolution in marine engineering which has taken place since the first introduction of the petroleum engine.

At the annual meeting of the Oamaru Licensing Committee all applications were granted. The committee refused the privilege of extinguishing lights at closing hours.

The Lake Wakatipu Mail reports that owing to a leakage in some tins of phosphorus contained in three cases on board the steamer Ben Lomond, a fire broke out on the deck of that, staajner while lying alongside the wharf.

The boxes were eventually thrown overboard and the fire suppressed.

Priscilla Morrin, aged 74- years, was found dead in her bed at Naseby on Sunday. Deceased, who was last seen alive on Friday, was the recipient of an old-age pension. An inquest was deemed unnecessary.

The Rontgen rays have -been applied to a new purpose in Austria. At Ratisbon there is a well-known picture, ' The Saviour Giving His Blessing," which has long been ascribed to Albrecht Duerer, although some doubted its genuineness. Now, however, the " critical rays '.' have put an end to all doubt. The other day when the painting in question was subjected to them they distinctly showed Duerer's monograph, and at the same time rectified an error concerning its date. Whereas hitherto 1521 had been believed to be the date of the execution, the rays plainly showed the date 1524-. Duerer painted the picture on a silk kerchief, which was then mounted on an oak panel two centimetres thick. The highly successful application of the X rays in this case, which was accomplished without the slightest injury to the picture, gives encouragement for their employment in similar cases.

The Rev. T. Smaill writes from Nikaura, Epi, New JHebrides, under date April 18, as fo:lcws: — "Another volcanic disturbance has been in evidence these last few days. A few weeks ago Lopevi showed signs of unwonted activity, and we feared another violent eruption. This did not happen, however. On the 15th inst. — i.e., last Saturday — we heard the peculiar rattling din that told us that one of our two volcanic neighbours was in a state of eruption. This turned out to be not Lopevi, but Ambrym. By the afternoon its majestic pillar of cloud stood high in the air, a column fully 10,OOOft in height, almost perpendicular. It may have been merely a eoircidence, but Lopevi has been showing more smoke than usual. On former occasions I have not observed any synchronism in their activity. The huge black column of smoke went steadily up all Sunday, and towards evening the sounds grew heavier, until, about half-past 9 p.m., the doors and windows began to rattle witli the vibration, although we are 25 miles away from it. This continued for a considerable time, the roar from the volcano being at times very loud and heavy, The quality of the sound often resembled distant thunder, but is generally lighter and more rattling in tone. It has the boom of a threshing mill in the country, together with the crashing of a road metal crusher. Yesterday and to-day the sounds have not been noticeable. A curious phenomenon was seen yesterday, and once, at least, previously — viz., a rain column in close connection \vith the column of smoke, and evidently caused by it. What was this? Where did it come from? The smoke went spiring up in the centre, and the rain kept falling at the edges, but not encircling it. Was this water thrown up as vapour from the bowels of the mountain, condensed by the cool air, and then precipitated as rain? Or, was it merely ordinary atmospheric moisture thrown down by some action of the volcanic smoke on. the clouds? Let the doctors say. The facts are as above." In an article on the Otago Central Railway the Dunslan Times says: "There are only about 60 miles from Ranfurly to Clyde, but at Poplburn Gorge there will have, to be encountered about five miles of heavy work, and about two miles at Tiger Hill. We, therefore, contend that it is the duty of our different members and the railway leagues, local ones as well as Dunedin, to impress on the Government the necessity of going on at once with the heavy part of the work which we have mentioned so that there will be no delay, as the other parts are compartively easy. Now is the time for Central Otago residents to wake up and demand the railway. Our district is before the eyes of all New Zealand, and leading in the way of dredging, and still we are left without railway communication, which, must seriously, and does at present, block our dredging industry."