LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 51

LAND AND WATER.

Writing of the finances of the New Zealand Rifle Association, the Chairman (Colonel Sommerville) says the Oamaru meeting of two yeara ago showed a loss of £74- 19b lid; "but, he adds, it must bo borne in mind that ■we did not receive one penny from Oamaru as subscriptions, while the prizes exceeded the entries by £230. "The question of finance is always a worry and trouble to me as chairman ; it is so difficult to estimate the receipts. A programme must be sent out some time before the meeting, and this is usually based on the supposition that we will get 200 entries, or 220, and although at times the numbers seem all right, it is afterwards found that many of the men only enter for one or two matches, and the amount received is generally short of the estimate. The Wanganui meeting will, however, help to make up for the Oamara one, as liabilities of over £leo have been paid off, and the bank balance reduced considerably. "With a good meeting at Putiki this year, I -iiope to "wipe off the bank overdraft, and Jiand over the association to the • Government on a clear footing." ' The shipment of salmon ova which, arrived in December from America is, so far "as can be learned, the most successful ever received in the colony. In all half a million ova wer& received. Of these 300,000 •were sent to the Hakataramea hatchery, and 180,000 fine young fish have hatched out. The remaining 200,000 ova were sent 4o Lake Ohau, and from these 175,000 fish !bave hatched out. The lower percentage latched out at Hakataramea is accounted •for through rust from the wire gauze trays "on which the ova were placed for transit affecting the ova. The wire gauze was "covered with an asphaltum varnish, which in some instances came off and allowed -the trays to rust.

Mr Keeble, manager of the Union Steam Ship Company at Nelson, who has been in ill-health for some time past, has gone to the Eastern Pacific for a change of air and -scene. Mr J. Ramsden, from the Dunedin office, is relieving Mr Keeble at Nelson. The deer-stalking season opened on Friday in favourable weather (says the Tapanui Courier), and the number of rifles out was larger than usual. The fusilade, especially on Sunday, was like a Boer rearguard action, and the deer left alive must have got a severe fright. A few stags were brought in. and these were in prime order. A mounted corps 16 strong has been "formed at the Tiritea School (says the Mana--watu Evening Standard). The boys have .'•elected their own officers and are drilling •with great persei franco and enthusiasm. The troopers say the sergeant-major is a " whale '" for drill. The Wellington Acclimatisation Society has decided to spend £100 in importing a .further consignment of Virginian quail to the colony. The Stafford correspondent of the HoKitikji 'Guardian states that two keas were recently shot in the centre of the township. This 13 the first instance of any of- these birds being mot with in the district. An Invercargill telegram states that tho sports of the Irish .Athletic Society, &»ld yesterday, were favoured with fair

though cold weather, and there was a good attendance. The winners of events were all district men, and there were no notable performers. 6. M'Kettrick (11yds) won the Sheffield Handicap for the second time in succession. Time, 13 2-ssec. He also won the 75yds from one yard behind. A Ralston won the Three-mile Bicycle Race from scratch in 7min 30 2-ssec. Fish have become suddenly plentiful in the straits (says the Western Star), Riverton fishermen having made large hauls during the past few days. On Monday three boats caught a ton of cod and groper in a few hours. SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS. A Wanganui telegram states that at the Championship swimming sports swimmers were present from different part 3 of the colony. The New Zealand record for 50yds was broken by G. Tyler, Dunedin, winning in 29 l-ssec. The High Dive Championshin was won by Johnson, of Wellington, and the Plunge Championship by W. J. Mahoney, of Wanganui, with J. Gray, of Wellington, second.