LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 32

LOCAL & GENERAL.

A Central Otago Goldfields Pioneer Association has been formed at Cromwell, mainly through the exertions of Mr John Werner (Low burn). The preliminary meeting was held in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening last, wh-en the following gentlemen were elected as executive, with power to add to their numbers: — jxessrs E. Murrell (president), D. A. JoLly and John Werner (vice-presidents), Lewis Harris (hon. secretary and treasurer), Henry Partridge (Clyde), Charles Holden and James Marshall (Cromwell). The entrance fee wag fixed at ss, arrivals on the Central Otago Goldfields from I£6l to 1£65 being eligible. At a meeting to be held this evening a resolution will be tabled to allow of old-age pensioners being enrolled as honorary members. Several members residing in the outlying portions of th-e district have bean nominated as conveners, and will canvass for members and subscriptions. Over 70 names were handed in at tbe preliminary meeting.

Our Christohuroh correspondent wires: — "Political matters here are looking up. There are candidates in front of us, candidates to left of us, candidates to right of us, candidates all round us. The papers bristle with the names of candidates, the-

air is full of their protestations of honesty, trustworthiness, and suitability to transact the business of the country. There Are Radical candidates, Liberal candidates. Prohibition candidates, Opposition candidates, Independent candidates, Political Labour League candidates, Trades and Labour Council candidates, Liberal and Labour Federation candidates, young New Zealand party candidates, Seddonite candidates, and goodness knows how many more. It is the usual triennial infliction, and the elector must put up with it th-e best way he can and reflect that it won't last long." We have received a cheque for £1 Is in aid of the " Mrs Boardmau " Fund from C. E. Tucker and Co. Canon Mayne desires the following to be acknowledged: — Mrs Ewen, £3l Mr T. X. Harty, £1; W. D., £1 ; Mtf Barley, ss: Mrs Clark. 2s 6d; Mr Campbell, ss ; shipping, £J ; A Cook, ss ; Mr Statham, 10s ; Mr Hamblett, 2s 6d ; H. M., ss; Mr Duke, 10s. The Right Hon. the Premier has received flhe following message from his Excellency the Governor: — "The Governor desires to inform the Premier that his Excellency has received the following cable from the Secretary of State : 'I am desired by the Prince of Wales to convey his cordial thanks to you, your Government, and the people of New Zealand for their kind birthday greetings.' " The fine rifle, firing .22 or .32 bullets, is, in the hands of a careful sportsman, a beautiful and serviceable weapon, but in, the hands of the inexperienced or careless youth it is a danger to all in the vicinity. An instance of this occurred at Ravensbourne on Monday morning about 11 o'clock, when the occupants of Mr G. H. Hicks's residence were startled by a crash of glass in one of the front rooms. Upon investigation it was discovered that a bullet had struck tbe window, shattering it to atoms, and had then taken a downward course, being discovered beneath a couch. The force with which the missile had travelled across the room was illustrated by a dtep cut in the top of a violin case beneath the couch. Fortunately there was no one in the room at the time, otherwise serious results might have been occasionedr

A Press Association telegram from Oamaru says: — "The Right Hon. the Premier has received the following telegram, irom the Undersecretary for Lands : 'By direction of the Hon. Mr Duncan, and ia reply to your wire, Otago applicants for Flaxbourne sections can be examined by the Otago Land Board, and need not go to Blenheim. They should state so when sending in their applications to the Coinmistdoner of Crown Lands at Blenheim, and! also inform the commissioner at Dunedia that thoy wish to be examined there.' "

The Christohurch Press understands that praciically all of the principal agricultural societies in the colony have decided to send delegates to the conference of agricultural societies that is to be held in the Museum Buildings, Wellington commencing on Tuesday, July IS. Mr P. Pattullo, of Dunedin, has been invited to give the opening 1 address, on behalf of tbe outgoing president, Mr John Roberts, who is absent from the colony, after Avhich it is anticipated that Mr- J. G. Wilson (Bulls) will be appointed to take the chair. A complete list of the subjects for discussion has not yet been received.

Some delay was caused to the northern railway traffic on Wednesday by the derailment of a waggon attached to a special goods train. The derailment occurred at 10.30 a.m. as the train which was coming from Oamaru to Dunedin approached Evansdaie, and the line was not clear for traffic again until 4- p.m. As a result of the derailment of the waggon a good deal of damage wag done to the track for a distance of threequarters of a mile, and the 1.26 p.m. express from Dunedin for the north was stuck up at the locality for nearly two hours. The 5.15 p.m. northern express to Dunedin was also delayed at Waikouaiti and at Seacliff owing to the resumption of traffic from Evansdaie, and was half aa hour late ill arri\ mg at its destination. The early passenger train from Oamaru wps delayed considerably at the soene of the accident, aud chiving the period c-£ wait.

Ing Mrs Gardiner, in the vicinity of whose iouse the train pulled up, very kindly sent down some hot tea to the passengers, an

act of thoughtfulness which was most ihighly appreciated, and which the paseengsrs request us to acknowledge. An inquiry will be held into the cause of the

derailment.

The Benevolent Institution Trustees met on Wednesday afternoon, the members present being Messrs R. M. Clark (chairman),

nTapper, Wilson, Talboys, Burnett, Thor-

Eon, and the Hon. H. Gourley. The Secretary reported two deaths in the institution Owen, aged 75, and Anne Calvert, Aged 83). A present of illustrated papers was acknowledged from Dr Stanley Bat-

ohelor. The monthly report submitted showed that 316 cases had been relieved

during May last— l 34 men, 216 women, and

533 children,— .at a cost of £100 Os 6d per .•week. In May, 1904, the cases relieved were 327—124 men, 211 women, and 565 children,— at a cost of £110 7s 6d. Accounts amounting to £440 17s 7d were passed for payment. -The Chairman reported on the result of the recent deputation from the trustees to the Premier' re appropriation of the poll-tax levied on Chinese for the purpose of sending indigent Chinamen back to China. The Chairman said that Mr Seddon explained that the tax was not levied for revenue purposes, but as a deterrent to Chinese immigration. The only promise obtained was that the matter .•would bo considered by the Cabinet. Mr Tapper said he could not understand how a smart business man, as the Premier was supposed to be, did not recognise the fairness of the request made by the trustees, for the question was fairly put before him. •It was eaid that 3s per week was enough *o keep a Chinaman in the country, but it cost 6s to maintain him in the institution. If the Chinese were shipped back the passage money would be saved to the State in a year. Twenty-eight applications for relief were dealt with.

The Wellington Post says: — "We have %he authority of the Minister of Customs for stating that the Cook Islands Government closes ;the financial year with £3000 to credit, and land and court fees due swell the amount to £3750. The receipts, including balance in hand from preceding year, totalled £8000, and the expenditure is less than £5100 (including £437 refunded to the New Zealand Government in respect of Bums paid in previous years, and an amount of £300, representing the first instalment of the ,cost of the Countess of Ranfurly, as well as more than £600 spent on publio works). Improved demand for copra and increased production of bananas have been the main causes of an increase of £4000 in ifche exports, which totalled £38,000; imports amounted to £33,000. The vital statistics for the three largest islands are : Births 184, deaths 148, marriages 87."

The Rev. A. O. Williams, of the Anglican Maori Mission, speaks very favourably of the change in the attitude of the Natives of Taranaki, generally speaking. He says jthat, whereas a few years ago there were monthly long processions - of Maoris to Parihaka from as far south as Wangaehu, it is now a rare thing to find a Te Whiti-ite south of the Waitotara River, and the gatherings of Taranaki Natives have diminished to very 6mall dimensions. Apart from the work done by other churches, of which he speaks in terms of high appreciation, the Anglican Church has Teceived back pretty well 1500 Te Whiti-ites, and whereas 20 years ago a missionary could not get a hearing, now he is welcomed pretty well everywhere, except in Parihaka itself. Two Taranaki Natives Siave been ordained. Speaking of his district generally, Mr Williams adds that last year, for the first time in the history of ifche diocese, Native clergy were wholly gupported by Native money, and during the last 12 years the Natives have built nine churches, besides parsonages and schoolIhouses (a building in one case costing £400), and not a penny of debt is due on any of them.

We learn from Miss Beatrice Barth, the ■Focal secretary, that 182 candidates have entered for the examinations of the Trinity College, London, to be held in October and November next. Of these 19 have entered for the higher examination for the degree of A.T.C.L., 16 for the senior, 25 for the intermediate, 56 for the junior, and 66 for the preparatory examinations. '

We have received the following additional subscriptions in aid of the Mrs Boardman Fund: — W. H., 2s 6d; M. M-, 6s; F. W. P., 10s; D. W., 2s 6d; Sympathiser, ss; W. C, Roslyn, 10s; H. S., 2s 6d. Canon Mayne desires us to acknow?edge the following subscriptions : —Mrs Mungo Watson, 10s 6d ; L. Inder, Gore, 10s; Mrs Remshardt, 10s 6d; Mr De Beer, £1 Is; Medicus, £1 Is; Mx A. W. Morris, ■£2; Mrs Evans, ss.

The following extract from the American look " The Boss " was read at Naseby on ■Wednesday evening by Mr Herdman, M.H.R., as an appropriate description of the type of public men to be found nowadays on publio bodies: — "He owned shrewdness, force, courage, enterprise, and mas. one of thoso who carry about with them a pleasant atmosphere that is like (hypnotism and which makes ,men like them. His manner was one of rude frankness, and folk held him for a bluff, blunt, genial eoul, ,*rho made up in generosity what he lacked Sn truth. And . yet I have thought folk mistaken in Big Kennedy. For all his loud openness and friendly roar, which would seem to teJl his eveiy thought, the man could be the soul of cunning and turn Beeret as a mole. Ho was for his own enterest; he came and went, a cold, calcuSat'ng trader of politics; he never wasted! hiss favours, but got as much as he gave

and indulged in no revenges except when revenge was needed for a lesson. He did what men called good, too, and spent money and lost sleep in its accomplishment. To the ill he cent doctors and drugs ; he found! work and wages for idle men; he paid landlords and kept the roofs above tho heads of the penniless; where folk were hungry he sent food, and where they were cold came fuel. But for all that it was neither humanity nor any milk of kindness which put him to theso labours of grace; it was but bis method of politics and meant to bind men to him. They must do his word; they must carry out his will; then it was he took them beneath the wing of his power, and would spare neither time nor money to protect and prosper them. And on the other hand, hei who raised his head in opposition to Big Kennedy was crushed, not in anger, but in caution. He weeded out rebellion and the very seed of it with as little scruple and for the same reason as a farmer weeds his field."

We are informed that an arrangement has been como to between counsel engaged in the Chalmers licensing- appeal case which may result in the petition against the validity of the local option poll being heard before Mr C. C. Graham, S.M., at an early date. Mr A. S. Adams, as counsel for the objectors, haa agreed, subject to the magistrate's approval, to waive the necessity for the production in court of the document containing the Privy Council's judgment, and to this Mr F. W. Platts, as counsel for the petitioners, has agreed. Mr Graham, having been notified of the arrived at, has referred the matter to the Crown Law Officers, and should they approve he lias expressed his willingness to hear the petition whenever the parties wish.

A meeting of the executive of the Otago League was held on Thursday, when it was decided to hold a public meeting in connection with the league in the Town Hall on Thursday evening next, the purpose of the same being mainly to bring the league and ita objects prominently before country visitors who will be in town at show time. A number of speakers will be arranged for, and tlie Mayor will preside.

Mr J. A. M.Har, M.H.R., has received the following communication from the Colonial Treasurer in reply to a letter forwarded by him some time ago: — "Wellington, May 25. With reference to your letter of the 23rd February last, advocating payment of the subsidy withheld from the Dunedin City Council on account of Us non-compliance with Axidil Office requirements in the preparation of its balance sheet, I have the honour to inform you that, acting upon our Lav/ Officer's advice, the Treasury haa now paid the subsidy. At the same time it must be pointed out that the council has not had its accounts legally audited since 1901."

After his political address at Naseby on Wednesday evening Mr A. L. Herdman, M.H.R., was entertained at tupper by a large gathering of people from all parts of the district. The Mayor (Mr Cutten) presided, and numerous toasts were honoured and felicitous speeches madei. One speaker, Mr Malone, brought under the member's notice the fact that* goods not exceeding 7cwt in weight were brought on to Ranfurly in a goods van, but anything exceeding 7cwt was allowed to remain at Hyde, a distributing station, until a truck was available or it suited the convenience of the officer in charge to rail on the goods. The reason given was that it was desired to prevent the haulage of trucks more than was necessary; but trucks were going through every day to Omakau, and the Railway Department's reason was not tenable. The consignees of goods for Naseby and Ranfurly district objected to this needless delay at Hyde. Mr Herdman promised to bring the matter under the notice of the proper authorities.

The Oamaru Mail claims to be in a position to state that the Government is not likely to attempt to influence the Legislative Council in its selection of a Speaker.

It has long beien the boast of the porkpackers of Chicago that they are able to turn waste products to such good account that nothing of the hog escapes except the squeal. The American canned fruit industry has not hitherto been so successful in its pursuit of economy, as core 3, peel, an<l worm-eaten spots (worms included) have been oast aside as worthless. At last, however, if the New York Public Opinion is to be believed, the ingenuity of twentiethcentury science has been brought into play with such effect that nothing of the fruit is lost in the cannery except the smell. The refuse is dumped together, along with spoiled fruit of every kind, and made into a heteirogeneDus pulp, which reappears later in the form of " pure apple jelly," " pure currant jelly," and other tempting brands.

Among- the prizes at the disposal of the Academic dcs Sciences (Paris) is ono left by Madame Guzman in memory of her eon, amounting to 100,000 francs, and to be awarded to the first person who shall find a way of communicating with any star or planet, exoept (curiously enough) Mars. Very wisely, a provision has been inserted directing what is to be done with the money should a period— five years, for instance — elapse without the discovery of the means of communication with any planet except Mars. The interest of the capital is to be allowed to accumulate, and every five years to be offered to any astronomer, native or foreign, who shall make a discoveiy or some important progress in the pursuit of his science. In addition, £4000 is offered for the discovery of a drug which will cure Asiatio cholera, or for some prophylactic as sure and as certain in its results as vaccina-

l tion, for instance, ia in the case of small- . pox. Heirc, again, if th© lump sum is not ■ awarded, the interest provides a prize for > anyone who can prove the existence in the S atmosphere of substances which may play ! a part in the propagation of epidemics, i And again, if the prize cannot be given on i these condition?, it will £0 to him who shall i discover a radical euro for skin diseases — i ringworm or other horrors— or who shall ; throw the greatest light on their etiology. For 25 years after 1896 a prize of nearly ; £1000 a year awaits the fortunate individual . who shall find a cure or preventive remedy ■ for tuberculosis. Tho only condition io ' that the remedy shall be considered " sovereign and efficacious " by the Academic. Tho death, from natural causes, of the 1 president "of the Suicide Club, an American institution, brings the career of this gruesome society to an end. The president was the last survivor of the club, which consisted originally of 13 members, and he was the only one of the 13 who did not die by | his own hand. When the club was formed, 1 10 years age, it was greeted with ridicule, but the public attitude towards it changed when it was eeen that the members really carried out -their mad vows. The members were German-Americans, jolly fellows, good l ' livers, and the iast meai on earth who might :be suspected of morbid fancies. Yet after ! every annual meeting a member died by ! his own act, generally in somei fantastic fashion. One member, an editor, waited his turn, wrote a burlesque report of the . club meeting for his paper, and immediately I it had gono to press killed himself. In her "Free Opinions Freely Expressed" ' Marie Corelli makes a vigorous and . amusing onslaught on free libraries. " The true lover of books," she says, " will never , want to peruse volumes that are thumbed and soiled by, hundreds cf other hands— ho or she will manage to buy them and keep , them afi friends in the private household, i Any book, save the most expensive ' edition de luxe,' can be purchased for a. few shillings—a little saving on drugged Leer and betting would enable the most ordinary mechanic to stock himself with a very decent library of his own. To borrow one's mental faro from free libraries ie a dirty j habit to begin with. It is rather like piek- • ing up eatables dropped by someone else I in the road, and making one's dinner olf '. another's leavings. One book clean and fresh from the bookseller's counter is worth ! half a dozen of the soiled and messy knockabout volumes, which many of our medical j men assure us carry disease gercns in their ■ too-frequently fingered pages. Free libraries ' are undoubtedly very useful resorts for i betting men. They -can run in, glance at J the newspapers for the latest ' Sporting ,' Items,' and ran out again. But why rate- < | payers should support such houses of call I for these gentry remains a mystery which I ono would have to pierce through all the wool and wobble of municipal corporations to solve." It is with sincere regret (write* our ; Home correspondent from London on ' May 6) that I have to record the death of Mrs John Henderson, formerly Miss Alice Landels, which occurred on Sunday last. Mrs Henderson's ' i confinement had taken place two days previously, -when twins — a boy and a girl — [ wore born to her. Both they and she appeared to be doing well, but on the same evening she was suddenly seized with convulsions, which continued at frequent intervals throughout the nierht aaid during the i following mornint?. The assistance of a specialist was then obtained, but he declared that nothing more could be j recommended beyond the treatment 1 then being pursued. On Saturday afternoon there seemed to be a marked improvement, and several hours , passed without a fresh convulsive seizure ! being experienced. But shortly after midnight a very bad attack came on, and from this the patient virtually never rallied. She passed away on the Sunday morning. The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, and was attended by many friends of the family. A number of beautiful floral crosses and wreaths were sent. Deep sympathy is felt with the bereaved husband. What adds to the sadness of the case is that Mrs Henderson's mother and sister are now on their way to England with the intention of visiting her. As it happened, they broke their journey at Monte Video, whither a cable message was accordingly sent conveying the melancholy news. Both of the twin children are well, and thriving. The sad event just mentioned has necessarily made material difference in some of the business arrangements of Mr Henderson's firm. His partner (Mr Clarence Inder) was going to Singapore on business, and had arranged that his wife during hie absence 6hould pay a visit to her relatives and friends in New Zealand ; she was formerly Miss Murdoch, of Christchurch. All arrangements had been made for the through journey, their passages taken and luggage sent bo the docks. Inj deed, I included their names last week in the steamer passenger lists. Fortunately, • however, they had not actually started, and so it proved feasible to cancel the | arrangements with the view to the reconsideration of their plans. At bis meeting at South Dunedin on Fr- ' day Mr Slidey expressed the opinion that ( apprenticeship trade schools, which supersede the system of apprenticeship to an J individual, and compulsory night schools will, before many years, be established in the colony. Air William Elmer, who left Dunedin towards the end of last year and is now stationed in London as representative of Messrs O. Begg and Co., sends us the following, to show how London presents itself in spring to a Dunedinite: — ''To see London this spring it looks as with an eye hungering for something it has never se-en. This morning the sun was shining 1 , and women, were selling violets and roses in the streets. Yet not a soul seemed to have eyes either for sunlight or flowers. Tramp, tramp ; tho click-clack of horses, the rumbling of 'buses onward— srhitb.gr 2 And the faces! The

City stare — tho baleful, gla?sy, steady, sight- . less stare that ono sees in the eye of a • newly-dead codfish — the expressionless stare of something once happy. Of such a stare, more or less, is every face made up. There is protest in the thin, nervous lips that saem never to have laughed ; there is protest in the shrivelled faces in which overdriven nerves flick under parchment skin stretched tightly over set j"aws; there is protest in the monotonous sameness of the men, everlastingly going onwards; there is protest in the unvarying, purposeful, mechanical grind of the dull day's round, marking a date off the calendar in the rigid cycle; there is a protest in the eternal buying and selling, the cackle of the marts, the unvarying coming and going 1 , the eternal breaking of the joy of life on the grim wheel of Commerce. Oh ! just to take all this sombre London, this huge tide of monotonous humanity droning in a grey prison, to arise for one morning absolutely free in Dunedin, in full joy of a hilarious self, and to send it back smiling to an irresponsible day — to spread one fat ripple of laughter from the east to 6 the west! If it were possible !" Interviewed by a New Zealand Times reporter regarding the statement fh'at it was intended to complete the Midland railway in 18 months to a point beyond the Broken River, Mr Hall-Jones stated that the department wanted to get throagh to the Cass as soon as possible, so as to render that part of the line reproductive. The- heaviest part of the work was at ths beginning of the section, but that is now almost completed. "I am anxious to get the rails > laid through to Cass," said Mr Hall-Jones, "so as to enable passenge* traffic to get through to the Coast in f>ne day fiom Christchurch. The railway will bring passengers out on the road at; Castle Hill, winch will be the first meeting place of the railway and the main road.'' Tfae five-mile tunnel which is to debouch at Otira, and so avoid Arthur's Pass, has no's yet been commenced. A Wanganui man lias invented a device to g'i-7e absolute security against accidents at railway crossings. It is called " TheAutomatic Triple Signal," and takes the ' torm of a box post about 12ft high, to be erected by the side of the lisa at any crossing or upon auy elevated position most conspicuous. It combines, first, an arm to which is affixed a disc lettered " Danger, train approaching " ; and second, two red glass discs which fall and cover a light burning upon a shelf at the posVbead; and third, a lOin bell struck by triple revolving hammers from the inside, thus securing compactness and free and uninterrupted radia- i tion of sound waves directly outward. The ! bell has a capacity of 120 pvala, and can 1 bo adjusted to any rate of speed or pitch 'of tone. Either set of signaJa can be- used independently, and the automatic action of the contrivance is such thai no train can come within zone of its action without ; bringing the signal to its position indicative ;of " Close " or " Dauger,'' and likewise ; no train can retreat without, returning "Wiem , to "O:ear'' or "Safety."' j We hate received £1 each from Mr 3 Durrand and "Jack" for the Mrs Boardman iund. At length there appears to be a. prospect of an end being put to the terrible slaughter which has been a feature of the RussoJapanese war. Both nations have agreed to appoint peace plenipotentiaries, who will probably meet in Washington. The Government has circulated a proof of a notification, to be inserted in the Gazette, providing for an amendment of the regulations respecting the standard of attainment for a certificate of proficiency. The following are the terms of the proposed modification: — "No one shall receive a certificate of proficiency unless he — (a) obtains at least 40 per oent. of the possible marks in English (including not less than 4-0 per cent, in each of the branches reading and composition), and at least 40 per cent, of the possible marks in arithmetic; (b) obtains at least 60 per cent, of the possible aggregate marks in the following compulsory subjects — viz., English, arithmetic, geography, and drawing; and (c) satisfies the inspector that ho has received sufficient instruction in the other compulsory subjects, as prescribed by these regulations. In tho compulsory subjects named in (b) the possible marks shall be in the following proportions, viz.: — English, 400; arithmetic, 200; geography, 100; drawing, 100." There is an obvious absurdity about the proposal, for if a pupil obtained ths prescribed minimum of 4-0 per cent, in English and arithmetio he wouid not obtain ' the prescribed minimum of 60 per cent, in i the four compulsory subjects named, even { if he scored tho maximum number of"' marks in geography and drawing. The Hospital returns for last week are as ' follow : — Number remaining from last week, ' 101; admitted, 26; discharged, 29;— total 1 remaining, 98. As example of the necessity for precaution in respect to consumption, Dr Ogston instances a. ease that came recently under his notice of a young girl, of healthy family and herself quite healthy, who went into service with a family in Christchurch, foolishly sleeping some time with licr mistress, who was consumptive, and who> after being less than a year in her position, returned to her home in Southland, dying there last month of consumption. A somewhat extraordinary course was adopted by tho Waihi Hospital Trustees in the mat! or of insurance. It appears (says the Auckland? Herald's correspondent) that tho Royal Exchange Insurance Company has held a £500 risk over the furniture of the hospital, and as the term is feboui to expire the company, through its local agent,

offered to renew at 6j 3d per cent. THg State Fire Insurance Department, however, also had offered to insure, its terms being 10s id per £100, a difference in favour of the Boyal Insurance Company of 4-s Id per £100. When the matter came before the trustees, Mr Donaldson said he thought the Government had assisted the institutes and deserved consideration. He moved — " That the Government's tender b3 accepted." This was seconded by Mr, Wood. An amendment was moved to re* new the risk with the RoyaJ Exchange Company by Mr Gilmour, who contended" that, as trustees dealing with public funds, it was absolutely wrong to spend monej needlessly as was proposed. The motion' giving the risk to the State Department was carried, only Messrs Gilmour and: Saunders voting against it. Such is the severity of a matrimonial epidemic which has broken out in South. Dakota that, many public schools have been closed because young ranchmen and cowboys married the teachers (telegraphs a Newi York correspondent). The State school authorities have decided to compel the teachers to sign contracts promising not to marry for two years, and also not to receive attentions from men. Even this agreement has failed to stop the epidemic, as the ranchmen willingly pay the forfeitures to secure brides The trouble lies :n: n the fact that there are too few women in the State. An important extension of the use of the telephone is being proposed in America for the benefit of residents in country places where postal deliveries are few. A' bill will be introduced into Congress* providing that there shall be printed a special 10 oent stamp, and that any letter bearing this stamp shall be opened by the terminal postmaster, and its contents read by him over the telephone to the addressee. By securing permission from the department, it is already possible for a rural postmaster to arrange privately with any, person in his district that his correspondence shall be treated in this manner, and the facility thus afforded is said to be greatly appreciated by farmers who have business interests in the towns. The sensational cases in which four exmembers of the Dunedin Police Force were charged wit : i breaking and entering and theft veire finally disposed .of in the Supreme Court on Monday, when Moses was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, M'Donald to four years, and Osborne to three. Quill was acquitted. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr Fraser) stated that the Commissioner of Police was now in possessioni of the full facts of the cases, and Mr Justice Williams expressed his satisfaction at this. Mr Fraser also said he was not at liberty to disclose the source of the informationupon which thei Commissioner of Police had! based his memorandum, but it is commonly reported in the city that one or more of the prisoners has made :i full confession of a«ll the alleged fact 3 coneevning the offences. It may be added that it is currently reported that admission to the buildings where the robberies were committed was in almost every instance effected through windows that had been inadvertently left open or by means of trapdoors that had been carelessly left unclosed. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan arrived in Dunedin by Monday moi'ning'a train from Oamaru, and left again in the afternoon for Lawrence, having been engaged during his short, stay in town in departmental business. He was to drive through the Greenfield Settlement, on his way to BalWutha, returning to Dunedin again on Wednesday to open the winter show in the afternoon. In connection with, the winter show thia week numerous attractions have been provided in the city for country visitors. On Wednesday, the opening day of - the show, there will be a meeting of the National Dairy Association in the board room. Agricultural Hall, at 10 a.m. The show will beopened at 2.30 p.m., and the annual meeting of the Otago A. and P. Society will be held in the board room at 8 p.m. On Thursday the Dairy Association Conference will be continued at 10 a.m., and at 2.30 p.m. MiGilbert Anderson will lecture in the board room on the frozen meat industry. At 8 p.m., in the Town Hall, there will be a meeting of the Otago League. On Friday, at 10 a.m., there will be an address in the board room by Mr J. A. Kinsella, Chief Dairy Commissioner, and the show be continued till 10 p.m. on Saturday. A rather clever capture was made afc Na»eby on Saturday. Since the smart ariesfc of the trout poachers and their subsequent conviction Constable Lemm has frequently been told by anyone carrying a box that it did not contain trout. All this chaff was received good-humouredly. Of late several Chinamen have been very ostentatious in informing him that boxes or bundles they were carrying were '" No fishee," and at the same time pretending to open up their packages to corroborate the assertion. On Saturday afternoon a couple of Chinamen were observed hanging about the constable's fence for some considerable time aud departing quickly on the approach of the carrier's waggon from Ranfurly- This circumstance, together with the fact that several other Chinamen were to be seen at various points, aroused ihe constable* suspicions, and these were strengthened on the carrier replying in the affirmative to his inquiry if there had been anything on board for Cinnamon. The constable then made a tktour, and, coming upon the waggon as it uas bamg unloaded and seeing a number of natives of the Flowery Land: watching the operation, thought it advisable, to interview one of their number who was making off with a box and who was evi-

flemtjy in too much of 8 hurry to pass the usual remark of "No fishee." The interview confirmed tho constable's suspicions, as several tins of opium were found hidden in the box. The Chinaman was thereupon

A letter was received at the meeting of the Otago Rugby Football Union Committee last evening from the referee complaining that in the match Taieri Rovers 11 and •Port "Chalmers II a hare which ran across the ground at Forbury Park was surrounded

'by the players and brutally kicked, being

finally allowed to crawl away. The letter aleo stated that this sort of thing had occurred before in a lesser degree. The ihare referred to was killed by a member of I fche Coursing Club to put it out of misery.

It was resolved to write to the Coursing

Club stating v.hat the Rugby Union Committee would be pleased to assist it in

putting a stop to these practices.

The Inspector of Mines in Southland has reported the exposure at tho Ourawera olaim, Round Hill, of 30 or 40 impressions of birds' feet, in a good state of preservation- The bottom on which jfte impressions

yrea& found rests on an ancient oreek bank,

Hie -cover consisting of three layers of old ' forest trees and lignite beds. The front

'tceS'Of the feet are plainly discernible, but the ' hinder toe is lesa prominent in most cases. The manager of the mine is taking Steps to preserve the imprints.

Colossal as is Mr Carnegie's recent gift

*>l £2,000,000 as a pension fund for American professors and teachers, he has given an equal amount on two previous occasions —

once, in 1902, to endow a Carnegie Institution at Washington, and, more recently, to the Scottish Universities; while his variou9 benefactions to Pittsburg institutions have reached the same figure. In a 6ingle year (1901) Mr Carnegie has given as much as jix and a-half million pounds to different philanthropic objects; and it 5s said that his total benefactions have now reached The largesb individual gift, however, still stands to the credit of Mre ■Leland Stanford, who some years ago contributed £6,000,000 to the endowment of 'the university named in honour of her son.

At a meeting at Christchurch last week Mr W. D. Meares, insurance manager, mentioned that the fire waste last year in this colony was £520,000. The architects and builders could do most to minimise this 'damage, because a great number of fires Vere caused by faulty construction.

The members of +ho Otago Education Board who retire this year are Messrs D. Borrie, W. Nicolson, and ~W. Snow. Nominations for the three vacancies will be rejseived until Monday, July 3, and, if ne'eesfcary, the election will take jDlace on Monnay, July 24-.

1 Much has been published on the subject x of the Finsen light treatment, but perhaps •by. the general public it is not fully understood. A writer in ths first number of

the Nursing Times gives an explanation. The light i^sed is an electric arc-light of 20,000 candle-power, and ifc is foeussed

through telescopes (containing distilled

jwafeir) to a spot the size of sixpence. Ail the rays pass through the telescopes, so that the light looks white upon the skin ; - but the blue rays are the ones used, the red being rendered harmless by the absorption of the heat which they convey. When the patient is in position; the nurse adjusts % pressure glass to the spot about to be , treated, and presses it firmly enough upon ' Hbe tissues to render them quite anoemic. ifhis is an essential point of the treatment, > as otherwise the haemoglobin would absorb the blue rays before they had penetrated deeply enough into the tissues to do their work of destroying the germ and rendering the tissues norcnal. Of the great success of the treatment there is no doubt whatever.

We have received a cheque for £2 from Mr R. Meikle," collected on account of the " Mrs Boardmah Fund." Canon Mayne desires to acknowledge the following subscriptions:—M. L., 2s 6d; J. M. Ritchie, £l.ls; Friend, 10s; Churchman, ss; Friand, 1c; Tobacconist, ss; Hugh Poole, 10s; R. Crawford, 103. Memories of what is known as the Richmond poisoning ease have been revived by the death in the Melbourne Hospital of the dwarf Rosina Hubbard. This woman, it will be remembered, was indicted at the end of last year for murder. Her mother, step-father, and herself were driving in fche city, when the mother was thrown out )of the buggy. While the mother was being nursed she developed symptoms suggestive of poison. The doctors, becoming suspicious, had her sent to the hospital, but fche was'' admitted in a state of collapse, and died in a few days. Her misshapen fclwarf daughter, tho mother of an illegitifcnate child, was placed on trial for murder. She was acquitted, but not long afterwards pbe confessed that she was guilty. She Dwned to an intrigue with her step-father, and said she had put her mother out of the way because she was jealous of her. •Now she herself has died, and there is a suspicion of poisoning in her case. The Stomach has been sent for analysis, and pending the analyst's report Dr Molhson, who made the post mortem examination, does not oare to express an opinion as to the cause of death.

At the monthly meeting of the Dun-

>din City Mission the following dolations were reported : — " A Grateful Mother," 2s 6dj "Two Lady Helpers," Jls each: "City Merchant," 21s; "City >inn," 21s; "Young Fellow," 20s; "Mr !»."," ss; attendance cards, 7s 6d; Russell street Hall. 21s; Good (Samaritan fund, J 'A Friend," 10s.

Capitalists and speculators will be interjsted in the offer for sale of a big farm m the Kaiigitikei district (North Island) by Messrs Regd Bros., the well-known land »gents. The farm contains 9500 acres, and is situated in the heart of one of tiie be=t nnnting and polo dulucts 111 Uic cc.o' y.

The firm will be pleased to afford full particulars to anyone interested either at Wellington or Wanganui, or by correspondence.