OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2541, 26 November 1902, Page 12

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Locusts are doing much damage to the crops at Saints (South Australia). The Russian Empress, who has been «o dangerously ill, is insured for £250,000. The Southland Times states that tho Mil ford Sound-Te Anau track is now in good order. The Oamaru Mail's Pukeuri correspondent reports an outbreak of scarlet fever at Hildei-thorpe. At present the Hutt County Council is paying nearly £900 a year on hospital and charitable aid.

In Germany, says a correspondent of the Hospital, private nurses are sent out for 163 to 18s a week.

The Otiake School has been closed for a few weeks owing to an outbreak of scarlet fever in the district.

On board the Warrimoo due at Wellington from Sydney on Tuesday, there is a party of 35 Germans. Greyish - yellow uniforms and BadenPowell hats are now being worn by a portion of the Swedish army. In the carpenters' dispute before the Arbiration Court at Wellington about 300 town and country employers have been cited. A duckling with two heads, three eyes, three legs, »nd two beaks was hatched at Seddonville (West Coast) a few days ago. A young woman was arrested at Christchurch on Wednesday night on two charges of obtaining goods under false pretences from local tradesmen.

A bill to increase the endowment to the University colleges from £5000 to £10,000 has been read a third time in the New South Wales Assembly.

By order of Dr Finch, the Government health officer, the Waimate School has been closed for a few days to allow of the building being properly fumigated. The Dennistoi? mine, Wcstport, will be closed for a considerable time at Christmas, to allow of a thorough overhaul of the incline railway and other renovations. A farmer's daughter at Glen Tnncs (New South Wales) fell against a milk separator, and her hair catching in the machinery her scalp was completely torn off. The stamp duties in South Australia realised £10,575 from July 1 to November 11 — ■ an increase of £1023 compared with the corresponding period of last year.

During the last 11 years th© increase in the unimproved value of land in the South Inland U put lown at £6,582,2*4-, while in the North Island it is £25,998,859.

Recent notifications in the Gazette show that no lewer than three ladies in the Canterbury provincial district are applying for respiration as medical practitioner?.

Mr Wise. -\t the Sydney Boy?' Brigade Home the other night, fetrong'v appealed to the public to insi-t upon k^gielation to ameliorate tlie condition of Sydney's nr^elFoted children. The CosaiojDolitan Club, "YY^Manui, gjp-

poses to purchase a patch of ground at th<y back of the local racecourse with a view to providing an up-to-date recreation ground for its members.

The police had a sensational encounter at; Newtown (Sydney) early the other morning with five suspected men. Shots were fired, and one man is believed to be wounded. Two others were arrested.

At the feast following the funeral of m centenarian at Vamoshara, Hungary, the guests ate two oxen, two pigs, seven lambsj and a ton of cakes, while the liquor consumed included 400 gallons of wine, si* barrels ol beer, and 30 gallons of brandy. At Mataura cm Saturday a two-storeyed! building, used for rabbit-packing purposes, and a stable, belonging to Mr J. Taylor, rabbit exporter, were destroyed l>y fire. The> building was insured for £60 and the stock' for £30, but their value is said to be fully; £100 over this.

The four Chinese passengers by the "Venfc-c nor, which was wrecked a few weeks ago-, have aeked the Auckland papers to publicly, thank a settler of Opononui (Mr A. S« Andrews)j-who supplied them with tobaccov food, clothing, etc. The Chinese lost everything. A retired Government servant, Mv Dugald Macdonald, of Montreal, Canada, who has made a 25 years' study of Egyptology generally, and the Pyramids in particular, claims to have wrested from the: latter the secrets hidden in their hieroglyphics. The use of the typewrite/ as a means of recording evidence has greatly expedited the* business of the Christchurch Supreme Court.At one day's sitting (says the Lytteltoni Times) no fewer than 35 witnesses were heard, and their evidence summarised and typed without the loss of a moment.

At Wallingford (Hawke's Bay) during a gale a few days ago a trap, was blown over and completely smashed, the two occupants having a narrow escape from injury. It i 9 reported also that a man who was riding over a hill during the same gale had to dismount and lie down till the worst of iti had passed over. In reply to an invitation from the Mayor of the borough to visit Arrowtown and address the farmers of the -district on tho question of the purchase of the Lake Wakatipu steamers. Sir J. G. Ward telegraphed that he could not yet definitely say whether he would have the time «t his disposal to comply with the request. Signor Marconi has submitted to the Italian Minister of Posts and Telegraphs a scheme for the creation of a radio-tele-graphic station communicating with thosa established or to be established by the Marconi companies in England and America. The scheme will be .submitted to Parliament.. Its estimated cost is about £28,000.

The Now York Herald recently published the following telegram from Lima, Peru: — '* Mount Chullapata, which is situated 18 miles from Celendin, haa been throwing up dust and ' smoke for a fortnight. Loud; noises have been audible at a distance o€ 30 miles from the mountain. There is no record that Mount Chullapata was ever believed to be a volcano."

A report on the mission to the Natives of Stewart Island, submitted by Mr Thomson (a schoolmaster at the Neck, Stewart Island) to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, states that Maoris there are decreasing in numbers, and that if the decrease continues at its present rate the time wilt come when the Maori race will have disap» peared from Foveaux Strait.

Speaking in the Arbitration Court, Wei* lington, on behalf of the local mill-owners, Mr Hutehen said that in consequence of the) lower rate of wages for carpenters *nd joiners prevailing in Auckland, work froml that city competed seriously with the Wei* lington products. He knew of one Wellington firm which had in four months paid £270 for doors alone imported from Auclm land.

According to M. Dierckx, the Belgianf astronomer, who, along with M. Francois Miron, the geologist, has just concluded _al study of the rauses of the eruption iri Martinique, the Mont Pelee disaster was dv€ to local causes, iet in motion by the action of the sun and the moon. If thai astronomer's theory is wreet. further catarlvems may be expected in Martinique onl16th December. A whisky 'K)tllr> containing the following note, noatlv written on the corner of a/ piece of foolscap paper, has been /picked upi> in the Kaiapoi River at Askheaton:— * "Christrhurch, November 12. Writer, ChasyJone*. Finder kindly report to police station that I have committed suicide in the Waima-< kariri owing to big losfes o\er the e^J Zealand Cup Gooc'.-by^- I am the abov«i Charlie Jones." The police are makmff in.- ' guiricfi ia to the matter.