OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2504, 19 March 1902, Page 45

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

No sales were effected at Mee.-rs Park. Reynold-, and C'o.'s auction sale of properties in Otakia. Brighton. Sawycr.s Bay, Slopedown, and the city j-estcrday. It is undcr-tood (->ays Christchurch Truth) that o Wellington architect has w-on the competition for the best plans fur the Citizens' Life Insurance Company'? newoffices, to be erected in Wellington et a c-st of about £30,000.

An Auckland me-iage says: — Mi« Phair, of Dp\onport, has received a message from her brother. Lieutennnt Phair. of the seventh contingput, stating that he was wounded in both legs at the lecent engagement, but was doing well. \Vp have reoeivcd from the chemical dnision of the Department of Agriculture the annual report of Mr B C Astca. F.C.S., a paper on " The Extension of Trade and Commerce." by Mr John Holmes: and the journal of the Department of Agriculture of Western Australia.

Our Naseby corre.-pondent telegraphed late on Thursday that a firp broke out in James Dawson's store and bakery n* 2.3 C p.m. on Tnursday. Tho promi-es were gutted, and Kif-at de.-tru(tion of no d* re- tilted. The building «:■- m-iuvd in tho Nntional ofiu " for £130 and the ttcxk in the Victoria office for £150

The Ashbuitnn Hospital Board on Friday decided to proceed with alterations mid addition*, costing about £1200. The board aho adopted the septic tank system of drainage. A motion to rescind tho resolution passed at last mooting allowing patients to bo attended by their own doctors was reiected.

Last week's Gazette states that the Royal Visit Expenses Act of lupt tci-:ion, " to provide for the reimbursement of cena ; n lia bilities incurred and moneys disbursed by the Governor in connection with the royal visit," has received the royal assent. lhe loyal ar-ient was necessary becau-e the act provided for reimbursing tho Governor.

Gruesome humorist* aie not extinct in Sydney, as the following advertisement from a recent Australian Star wjll show: — "Ten pounds rewurd will be ppid by the Sa\ings Bank, Barrack felreet. for the name of the prison v. ho deposited upon a glass roof of tho bank a package lOntaimng dead rats. — (leors" R Dibbs. Manning Trustee."' Tiiw is Sir George Dibl's. the politician.

A foriPspondent. signing hims-elf " lii-h Catholic ," writes a« follows t > the Southland Tunes: — "I am of the opinion that the Irishmen of Imercargill should hold a meeting for the purpose of .sending a wire to Mr Redmond protesting again-t Uie action of some of the Irish members lately in the House of Common?, when the poriowful news of Lord M"thuen's capture was announced. I am nlso certain that this lowdown conduct will materially hurt the Irioh ciui-o in these colonies."

A correspondent writes to v- from Tapanm deprecating the reference m a paragraph, quoted by u<- fiom the local paper, to tVte action of the railway s-urfaceman in ordering tho county surfacemen off a gra\el reserve. The reserve in question i~, ho says, gazetted for railway purposes only, and "the railway employee was acting in what he dicj. under i::strcctions from his superior officers. The ftuifacemen in the district are, he adds, an exceptionally hard-working, industrious, and sober lot of men, and the insinuations that have been made against them are keenly resented by the residents.

A meeting of creditors in the estate of Henry Hanson, merchant, of Invereargill, bankrupt, was held at Invereargill on Monday, Tin Jlonutg A**iapee stated ta&t th.c

whole of the liabilities came to £11,000, and about £2000 was? in hand, .«o he would declare a dividend of 2s 6d in the £. He> had allowed the bank £2100 instead of £2700 for voting purposes in the meantime. It was decided to pay the trustees £130 15s 4d commission and £55 Ep 8d legal costs. The household furniture, amounting to £102 19s, was granted to -the wife, and the meeting adjourned.

The survey of the Urewera Country for tribal and harm purposes is almost completed. At the beginning of the season the approximate area surveyed was 472,173 acres. Thp survey of the remaining 184,527 acres out of the total area of 656,700 acr«s is now nearly finished. The surveyors engaged are Mes=rs L. Sm.p=or.. O. M. Creagh. and R. C L. Reay. With tho exception of ■some small patches, thp country is heavily timbered. It is \ery broken, but suitable for pastoral purposes. At present, of cou-se, it is not a\ai!able for European settlement. Its partition among the Native" interested should shoi try be concluded.