OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2675, 21 June 1905, Page 12

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

According to Chief Detective M'Grath, an undesiriblc class of young men is flocking to Wellington tor the ivinlsr. Owing to the unpopularity g£ the Wanganiii prison a movement is afcot to have a gaol erected' in Pahnerston North. At the Waihi Polico Court Uo young -men were sentenced to three months' hard labour in Mount Eden for using obscene language. > Tlie racehorse Dangai. which was purchased at a high price for Mr A. A. Apear, the Indian sportsman, died on the way to India. Alaigelump of ambergris was picked up on the beach at Seatoun on Saturday morning- by a lucky youth in search of sea treasures oast ashore by the long- spell of ' southerly weather. A troopers' memorial is to he erected at Kelson at a cost of £250. The memorial, which is to bo delivered m eight months' time, will consist of a marble figure of a , trooper on a hcr"e. Writing to a friend in Gore, Mr W. H. Hawkins, M.H.R. for Pahiaiua,' states that he intends visiting Southland shortly to see for himself tho district of which ho has hoard so much. "I have only been in this country three weeks," exclaimed a burly individual ehargod with drunkenness at Ohristchurch on Saturday. " That is throe weel's too Ivmch," retorted Mr Bishop. It is understood that an action for criminal libel will be taken against the writer of a letter which w-is produced at the recent meeting of the Chrstchuroh Licensing Committee. " vr - Albert Bruce, town e'erk at Thames, hf a second donation of £500 fiom Ivi -Ja-rne^ie, being portion of the grant towards the erection of the now pub'io library for Thames. Motoring has "caught on" greatly in Hawke's Bay, where about 50 motor cars are in use at the present time. The roads ■ in that province are eminently suited to this means of locomotion. A reoent dicision of the Comm ssioner of Trade and Customs places eastinfs ia the rough (being unfinished part/ 1 for manufacture of oil engines) on the list of imports admitted free of duty. The Ashburton police ha 1 . 0 inve_ti (rated the cpse of juvenile driuik?:ine«B mentioned in a recent issue, ard l:av."> asccrtnirod that j the youthful inebriate strle a bottlo of 1 korpe-made wine from his parents' hoiue. 1 Tho Selwyn Estate, which was recently a^cfuirod by the Government from t!*o Thames Valley Land Company, will bo thrown open for selecton in August. Surveyors are now engaged on the work cf suh-divi c ioi). The Manawatu Heia^l mentions that during tho last few days large quantities of coal have been cast up on the beach near Foxton. It also notes the- discovery of huaro numbers of a rare species of cceklc, called by the- Maoris "kpikaikaroro." -\ It is expected there will bo between 30 1 and 40 applicants from the Oamaru district I for sections on the Flaxbourno Estate. The I MiiiisW of La-nds has piomi ; ed to avranpro f ov applicants being examined by two members of the I/uid Beard at Oamaru Rccentlv t:he We'tpoi't Coal Company despatched a cargo of coal to the. Carolines. to consignees in the. isliucJs of ~sTap and Ponap^. Tlip r&rgo consisted of 1112 tons, and was carried by the barque In? rid. The Caroline Ts'anch belong to Germany. The Ci'ifch-n 'Lc«.d< 5 r states that tho river -steanie.' Clylo while negotiating the shallows above Clvdevale on her trip to Tuar;pka Mouth last week failed to answer her helm owing to tho liorht run of water, end took the b"ach dospiie- tin efforts to pro vent ir. The crew made an effort to kedge her off. but worp unsuccessful '' T)o yon elect to be rWilt with summarily o, 1 : od by a iuiy'" wa=: the usual qu^-tion T "ii, to an old mail at. tho Christchurrb Ma^is^varc't, Court on Ssturdav momi"£r in '"■onnocf'on 1- fh n rbarcro cf ■ thoff- "T wiU hr- tricl by the io-\orend c-f;;tloira'T thoro "' replied iV--> .ircu^d. in-die-ting the cmbarra r s"\l mrci-trato. Privntc sdvic"s havo 'reC'i r." 0 vrtl to tho eff-ri that the Er tish Adnii.-alty wil almrs', immediately resume the aivinoomciits for th" s.icnly ol ro^l to tho Clr'na ptfhtin by the Wpstpoii Coal CVmr.anr. The arrar-3'praent has been msvcnderl for some iinxc owing to the unsettled =tnfc of a^-tirs in tho East and the pos«ib : l.iy of E'-.Q-lf nd being involved in war I At the ai nuil meetinsr o' the fanfer-biM-i' SI an gl.tr> .'men's Ass'srpnts' tJnion last wrol- lho fol'owiur rp-,olr,iion wa- i>nini-moi'-'y carried: — "That it is do,=hv>b!e tint an avnondme-i) V--- dip.' I'l1 ' 1 in the Coi c'in lion .mid A.ibitration Act to pro>ids that

two or more unions of related industries be allowed to amalgamate and adopt a new naino without cancellation, and without existing awards being affected." According to a good authority, the business people of Groymouth must be a somewhat careless lot. It appears that the pv'ice often find doors of business premises left unlocked or wide open at night. Next morning the proprietor is surprised at such being the case, and generally suspects a robbery has taken place. A search of the premises reveals nothing missing, and the only conclusion ho can come to is that the door was left open through his own carelessness.

The steamer Ten a Nova, one of the vessels which went to the relief of tho Discovery expedition in the Antarctic, is again employed in similar work. Under the command of Captain Kjeldjen, a wellknown ie? navigator, of Tromsoe, who commanded the "Frithj of last 3'car, she- sailed last month with the third expedition for the relief of Mr JTiala and his 35 companions, who, with their ship the America, have been in the North Polar regions for the past two years. The W-a=fc Coast Times says: — "We understand it is the intention of tho trade in the Greymouth district not to remain passive whilo the no-licenso campaign is in progress h\ vioa cf the local option poll, it is stated it intends to raise a substantial fund, and to ?end agents throughout the licensing district to organise tho forces and to consolidate its political interests. A strong committee, wo are informed, is to be organised in Greymouth to make all necessary arrangements." Ai a recent meeting of the Womerah (Sydne>) branch oi the Australian Natives' Association it was unanimously decided that no intoxicating liquors or beers be allowed aI. ani '•moke concerts or social iv notions of tho branch. The proposer of th',- motions stated thai ho was moved to ihi course of proceeding on account of {he inoxication and diparracefi'] scenes he had witnessed at a meeting of a branch of another friendly society, where old 111011 and mere boys became helplessly diunk.

At the Central Criminal Court, Sydney, on May 29 Hdward Connaughton, 29. who ' liad bi»on employed tireman on the ' Amerii'iii hrer Ventura, was convicted on . a chai-gi' of wounding Margaret Connolly. p. barmaid, with intont to murder. The 1 jury rccommondcl the prisono:* to mercy i 0:1 the grounds that he was led away b3' pas-ion. Tho accused, after firing three at the voivsan. one of which took cfJ'oet, ran away quickly, but was caught. The woman was an inmate of the hospital for ten dajs. Sentence of death was ' recorded While the New Zealand-born formed at the last census 67 per cent, of the whole ; population of the colony, they contributed only 28 per cent, of the prisoners received 1 in tjaol. Of the New Ze? land-born oopula- | tien, however, a large number are under 15 years of age, and therefore another 1 comparison is necessary. It is found, says the Registrar-general, that the New Zeals nd-born over 15 years of auo formed 52 per cent, of the total population above I thar age; but. as before .stated. New Zcalaiidci\* constituted only 28 per cent. 1 of the Lolal number received in gaols. A Njw Zealand railway labourer carninar £2 2& a we*>k has supplied to Mr G. Lauren- ' son. M H.R , figures showing how h's wages 1 were applied for the support of himself, his wife, ajid his fh c children, and those figures were quoted by Mr Laurenson during the course of his lend lecture. According to the man's statement, he spent 8s 5d monthly on superannuation, 5s for lodge expenses, £2 for rent, £2 5s for groceiies, 12s for moat. 9= 6d for bread. 6s for milk, 03 for fin lg and lighting, and 2s for a newspaper — ' " the only luxury that the man allowed himself,' 1 Mr T.v.u-enson added. The speaker pointed o-vt thnt only JBI 14s Id was available momhly for providing boots and clothing for t -;e family. Several very complimentary references to New Xto-a.-d md its people aie to be i found amoi gst tho entries made in tho visitors' book at the Auckland office of the Government Tourist Department during tho prsi ttck. "'A very delightful country '' is tho brief but flntt-cring tribute of a ' viiito:- from Glasgow, whilst a lady from "Victoria. igcokls her favourable inipres&ions j by noting that she is "very much in love vi'ith Ne-.v Zealand and its people." The

fio-.pitalitv- of the people, she says, "can1 no< be spoken tco highly of."' The opinion o? a Sydney -\ isitor is equally compliniii'itaM*. his entry reading: "A ■scry baautiful country, splendid climate, and very hospitable people. It is. indeed, bkived by Prouvleueo." 4notLoi- Syd-

neyite, whilst agreeing that Now Zealand is "God's own country." says: "I would suggest that the Government put the names of the different railway stations up, so that visitors would know the names of the towns." •

jX new idea for encouraging thrift is being developed in Italy. It is nothing more nor less than an automatic bank. In a oast iron pillar there are three slits. In the top one fche ooin ia inoerted — a 10-cen-time piece. If it 33 false it is promptly rejected, and falls out of a lower slit. If it be good, tfc.9 receipt promptly drops from the third opening- at the bottom of the box. So soon as the depositor '-as collected five or more of these receipts ho can exchangethorn for a bank pass-book at the- regular fiavings bank, and on his savings he. will be paid by Government interest at the rate of 4 pel- cent. By means of this- excellent little invention the labourer is able to place a fraction of hU daily wages at interest without the trouble or time incident on making a journey to the nearest post office, a great fotivonier.ee, s-ecLn^ that such banks rre open only at certain hours, a.nd those not suited to the man who work., with his lianas.

Some 10 tons of Bulii soil have been received by the Athletic Park Company, Wellington, for improving the cricket pitches upon its ground. ■4-Theie died at Parihaka recently a Native, nearly 90 years of age. one of the^old school, b3' name Pene te Mnwae. Pene^was always a staunch friend of tLe Europeans, and particularly of tho eady missionaries. He was one of several Natives who, with a European, sawed the first timber cut ia Waiiganui, in a pit where now stands tho Mo'iloa monument. The timber was sawn from a log of totara which drafted down th© river. The late Major Kemp and Pene werefast friends, and lived a good deal together at Horowhenua. He and Kemp, in the veryearly days of Wanganui. eai'iied the mail from Wellington, Pene often carrying it on foot from Waikauae. He was living at a pa. Pukehika, oppca'to Hiruh&rawa, where the Taupo Natives' " a tana " (war party) called on their way to Waitotara, whither they went to avenge samn wrong which the Waitotara, Natives had done them. Pene was one. who addressed them and tried to per-surde them. One of the war party — Te Wanikau — replied: ''Come with us and get a raokai [Kaere tana ki tetahi mokai man] ; come with me and pet a slave for yourself." But history has it that tho bcot was on tha other leg, and that few of this party returned, most of them being slaughtered by the Waitotara and Paten Natives. Pene had bo-en living at Parihaka since 1878.