GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 24

GENERAL ITEMS.

CAPETOWN, June 19,

Mr Rose Innes's acceptance of the Attor-ney-generalship in the new Cape Ministry guarantees to Sir, Gordon Sprigg the support of Mr Schreiner, who has been complete

[y divorced from Mr Hofmeyr and the

Afrikander Bond through the actions of the recent Bond Congress in passing wild 1 resolutions' favouring the maintenance of the Republics and the repeal- of martial 1 law, ; ' LONDON, June 19.

Liexitenant W. Harrison, of the New! South Wales Mounted Infantry, has died from the wounds >he received during the fighting at Erste "Fabrieken. '

The railway tunnel afc Laing's Nek, which" connects the railway between Natal andl the Transvaal, has been reopened for traffic, the damage done by the Boers having been, repaired. '

It transpires that- Judge Vanlauven, on« of the judges of the Transvaal Supreme Court, took Lord Roberts's assurances to President Kruger that he would not be* exiled if he surrendered. President Kruger, •was asleep in the train, which serves as his headquarters, when the judge arrived. Mr Reitz received, the message with regard to the incident, but it is believed he suppressed it. -

- . June 20. General Forestier-Walker reporifd that Australian horses are best for cavalry, the English horses coming next,' and" Argentine third. The Cape horses are best for mounted infantry, the Indian and Australian coming next. Australian horses,delivered in South Africa cost £55 per head, Argentine £26, English £70 to -£75.

Commander Eloff, with 200 others captured at Mafeking, have been lodged in gaol at Kimberley on their way south. - The Duke of Devonshire, presiding at the Women's Unionist Association, said the Government did not intend that the Boers should obtain by political intrigues what they had lost toy force of arms.

Mr Chamberlain said'any attempt to confer improper freedom would be silenced byoverwhelming opinion. The settlement must be filial," and no seeds of mischief left.

Kloft', captured at Mafeking, has reached Capetown.' He will be sent to St. Helena.

June 21.

The transport Manchester Port, with the Queensland Imperial Bushmen, reached Beira on June 14, and sailed again for Algoa- on the 15th. Other members of the Bushmen force had already preceded the Queenslanders to the Cape.

June 23. After, the Latile of Erste Fabrieken the Australian Mounted .Infantry doggedly pursued the enemy. They' approached -within 800 yards of their laager unperceived, firing 150 rounds apiece, • and killing two cornets." The -Boers trekked in great confusion. . ."£ powerful rearguard", however, forced the "Australians to retire, which they did coolly^ without loss.

MELBOURNE, June 24.

The Australia brought twenty ; six -in* valided , soldiers from South Africa, the majority "belonging to the" New South Wales mounted forces. There are no New Zealanders. The invalids are mostly vie-

Surgeon-major Toll, of South Australia, succumbed to typhoid shortly before the steamer arrived.

Just before the Australians left Capetown a prominent Victorian resident at Capetown wrote to &ir A. Milner calling attention to the destitute, ragged condition and harsh treatment and suffering through delays in sending home a large number of sick and wounded Australians and -New Zealanders-* at Maitland Camp. He said that if the condition of the n«n was known in. Australasia it would bring about a big reaction against volunteering for future campaigns. Sir A. Milner took"'- immediate steps- to remedy- the complaints. , Thou^ sands are down with f ever^ in the . various camps. The invalided Australian soldiers r who ari rived by the Australia are practicallydestitute. They are , unable to muster a shilling amongst them, and were very scantily clad. They complain bitterly of the inefficient arrangements of the British commissariat and medical departments. They were not paid their wages for months, nor supplied with boots or clothing. They,

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Of the First Contingent, who returned to Dunedin, invalided, by the P*paroa. He was in the fighting round about Rensburg and Colesberg, and marched with the column when it left at short notice for the Orange River. When they started on the Kixnberley march they did not know what was "on the boards," but they got through with it all right. They were va the saddle for 20 hours, from 12 o'clock one night till 7or 8 the next night. Seelye was at Koodoosrand Drift, forming part of the ring round Cronje. They were well in advance with General French. G-eneral French, he remarked, was always in the front. Three miles away the Boer general was cooped up at Paardeburg. After the surrender Seelye went over the laager one evening at dusk. The effects of the lyddite and its yellow fumes were plainly evident, and the stench from the trenches was intolerable. Seelye was a week in the Kimberley Hospital. He then went down by ambulance train to the Cape to the Wyndburg Hospital.

Mr and Mrs Borrows, who have just celebrated their golden wedding, have been residents of Dunedm smce 1872. Though 50 years since they ■were married, toth are hale and hearty, a fact attributable to some extent to their being married before they were 20, Mr Burrows being now only €9 year 3of age. Mr Borrows is a baker by trade, and served at the Seacliff Asylum for some years in that capacity. They have three sons and a daughter and 14 grandchildren.

Stationmaster at Oamaru, promoted to the same position at Christchurch. Mr Piper joined the railway service in January, 1868, as telegraphist, being the first to act in that capacity on the Canterbury railways. He has occupied different positions in the service since that, culminating in his appointment as stationmaster at Christchurch. He is probably the oldest cadet in the service from the Canterbury railways.

Mr James Butkerford, captain of the Kaitangaia Kifle Corps, was tendered a farewell banquet by the citizens of Kaitangata last week, when he was presented with a handsotno travelling bag and dressing case combined, while Mrs Rutherford was presented with, a handsojie butter dish.

Mr Fred Rogen, the proprietor, is indisptitably the "father" of the "fancy" in New Zealand, a popular judge of all breeds of dogs and fowls, and the most successful breeder of his specialties (collies and Langshans) in Australasia. During recent years he has practically swept all before him in the show rings of Melbourne, Sydney, and New Zealand.

Of Masteiton, who was recently presented with the New Zealand Humane Society's certificate for saving the life of a little girl named Amy Vaughan by stopping a runaway horse. — C. Miller, photo.

lilt Donaldson, who has proved himself a thoroughly efficient .aspector in the Dunedin City Corporation's employ, is a native of Edinburgh, and was intended for the veterinary profession. Though his intention was not carried into effect, Mr Donaldson has made a study of anatomy, and has acquired a serviceable practical knowledge of the diseases of sheep, cattle, and pigs. He was cne of three lads employed by Professor Dick and J. Gamgee in Edinburgh when rinderpest was carrying off the cattle all over Scotland m 1866-67, to locate the seat of the disease, and was afterwards employed to collect specimens for diagnosis. Mr Donaldson has acted as City Meat and Dairy Inspector and Inspector of Nuisances for some years past, and during the recent inspection and condemnation of insanitary buildings he has done good work for the city.

Mr Jackson, although he has resided for many years m the north, was originally a Southland settler, where he was engaged for some years in pastoral pursuits. In the fifties Mr Jackson several times made the journey from Dunedin to Invercargill on foot. He was the second son of the Rev. Francis Arthur Jackson, M.A., rector of Recall, Yorkshire, England, and was born at Recall about the year 1838. He left England for Hew Zealand m 1851, per ship Sir George Pollock, arriving m Lyttelton the same year with the Canterbury pilgrims. He explored the southern part of the South Island, and was on the site of Invercargill and of Riverton before either of those towns were laid out. As a member of the Provincial Council of Southland, Mr Jackson sat for a term of about three years in the early sixties. He settled in Wanganui in 1867.

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slso complain that British non-commissioned officers favoured the Imperial troops. June 25. ' The invalided soldiers include Trooper Morris, of the New South Wales Lancers, and Trooper Kruger, of Westralia, who ihave been recommended for the Victoria Cross. The latter won the distinction for rescuing a wounded lieutenant near Rensburg under a heavy fire, despite the fact 'that 'he himself was .struck and slightly wounded a couple' of times. Morris rescued a fellow trooper under a galling fire at iArundel. BRISBANE, June 25. The Executive of the Patriotic Committee have asked the Government to cable to the officer commanding at the Cape to allow no invalided soldiers to return to Australia until physically fit, with wages paid; to date, and provided with sufficient clothing -and comforts, the committee 'meetN dng/ airy 'expenses -incurred above the recognised amount. / >