OMNIUM GATRERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 44

OMNIUM GATRERUM.

A sister of the great Maori warrior Titokowaru died near Okaiowa on Thursday week

The output from the Westport Coal Company's mines for last week was 6808 tons of coal. The Waihi Gold Mining Company will distribute £40,000 in dividends at the beginning of next month. The report that a performingbear was at large in the llissington district, Hawke's Bay, iurns out to have been a hoax.

Mr T. N. Brodrick has completed the survey of the Three Springs estate for settlement purposes, and returned to Timaru on Friday. Lieutenant and Adjutant F. Stronach has been promoted to Captain and Adjutant of the Otago Battalion of Mounted Rifle Volunteers.

News from Mamaku (near Rotorua) states that bush fires have been prevalent during the last few weeks, and a large area of country was burnt off. Constable Lawrence, who has been relieving at Waikaia lately, and was formerly (stationed at Gore, arrived in Balclutha on Saturday to take charge of that station. At 'the Magistrate's Court, Oamaru, on Friday/, hefore Major Keddell, S.M., the hearing of the second licensing petition was further adjourned to March 20. At Tapanui on Tuesday, before Mr H. A. Stratford, S.M., D. Haugh was fined £15 and costs (7s), and Geo. Turnbull £5 and costs costs (7), and Geo. Turnbull £5 and costs (17s), for failure to keep down the rabbits on their properties. In a ca.se which came before Mr C. C Graham on the 14th, a seafaring -witness described tho results of a collision betwsen two vehicles by stating that the driver of a drag struck a van on the starboard quarter, knockins one of the wheels off. " Yoii people make an act stating that eight hours is a day's work, and I do not see why I should be asked to sit here to all hours to finish a case." Thus Mr Hawkins, S.M., on being asked by Mr Guinness, M.H.R., if there was a chance of another case being taken.

It is stated that the rabbits. have been allowed to become very numerous on the Takitu settlement' (late Clarkesfield) recently acquired by the Government The Califomian thistle is also reported to be very bad on the property, patches of the obnoxious weed covering miles of country. . . The inducton of the Rev. Mr Gray to the pastoral charge of the Presbyterian Church at Oteramika took place on the 14th inst. In the evening a welcome tea meeting took place, when addresses were delivered by the Revs. J. Gr. Smith, Cummings, Paulin, Roby, BisseU, Gray-, and Mr Rosevear. Wo (Mailborou^h Daily Times] leara that

Mr A. G. Adams (youngest son of Mr C. W. Adams), who visited Blenheim lately, after completing his course at the Otago School of Mines, is now doing assay work at the Tasmanian Smelting Company's works, at Zeehan, a mining centre of about 8000 inhabitants in the west coast district of Tasmania.

One of the oldest identities of the Tuapeka district passed away on Tuesday in the person, of Mr Frank Pollock. Frank wa3 an old Staffordshire man, and, like me of the ancients of Tuapeka, was a seafaring man, and led an adventurous life before his arrival in that district. Mr Pollock was connected with, the Tuapeka County Council since its initiation. *

The following appointments to the Posfc and Telegraph department are notified in the last issue of the Gazette: — John Higgina (Momona) and Edward Vernon (Whit'ecombe),; postmasters; William Griffin (Nenthorn) ana Win. Scheib (Queensbury), postmasters and! telephonists. A post office has been opened; at Whitecombe and a telephone exchange at Palmerston. Telephone bureaux have been, opened at Berwick, Henley, Macraes Flat, Nenthorn, Otakia, ShSg Point, and Waihemo; : The Taieri River is (says tb'e Advocate), silting up very rapidly in the lower reaches.At Henley, where a few .years ago there used' to be six feet of water, there is now a mudbank. Twice Mr M'Kegg has had to extend his jetty, and he will have to extend it a third time to obtain deep enough water tofloat his steamer at low tide. All the way down the river, mudbanks are forming, and it really appears to be only a matter of time when the river will spread over the adjacent land.

At Wanganui on the 2nd inst., before Mr Eyre Kenny, S.M., Bessie Fleming, licensee of the Aramoho Refreshment Rooms, was charged on six' informations with selling liquor on December 6 (general election dayi! and December 25. The contention of the defendant was that she was entitled to keep open and sell, and that the restrictions that were applicable to hotels did not apply to railway refreshment rooms. The magistrate gave judgment on Tuesday, finding in favour of the defendant, all the charges being dismissed.

In an article recently appearing in the Picton Press, and quoted by the Pelorus Guardian (owned by Mr Mills), dissatisfaction is expressed al the Government's selection of Mr M'Gowan for a seat in the Cabinet.' It is urged that the claims of Mr C. H. Mills and one or two other members of the Government party to Cabinet rank are far superior to those of the member for the Thames. It is understood that a Marlborough deputation of Mr Mills' s supporters went over to Wellington to interview the Premier to ascertain why Mr Mills was not included in the Ministry, and to see if an additional Minister could not be appointed, so as to make room, for him. The result of the interview has not been made known.