OMNIUM GATHERUM

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM

Constantinople is about to be provided with a service of taxicabs, writes a resident, and the Turkish horse-cabmen are protesting vigorously. ';; "I sometimes think bazaars are a form of highway robbery still permitted by the law of England," Lord Justice Moultdn said in opening a bazaar at the Chelsea Town Hall. Mr P. J. Bellett, lately auctioneer of Christchurch and formerly of Greymouth, intends shortly to publish a book which Eromises (says the Grey River Argus) to e sensational. Record quantities of cattle are being driven overland between Eastern Australia and the Northern Territory, and the industry is becoming very important to North Australia. It is calculated that within the last 20 years at least 200,000,000 dollars of. American money has been wasted and squandered by the titled European husbands of American women. A seaman on the Ruahine, which arrived ta Wellington irom London on May 29,. was declared by the Port Health Officer to be suffering from consumption, and was reshipped by the Tongarira. An American claims to have discovered in the palace of the old Moorish king at Ronda, in Andalusia, a great treasure, consisting of numerous jars filled with gold and silver Moorish and Christian coins. The Government has accepted the services of the Chatham Islands Defence Rifle Club. This is the initial movement of defence matters in the islands. The club has undertaken to train the Cadets there. The Riverton Natives arrived from the Muttonbird Islands' on May 31 by the cutter Bravo. The Hrdß (says the Western Star) have been very numerous, and as a result large quantities have been captured. Dr H. Williams, medical officer for the' port of London, states that during 1909 50,166 rats were destroyed in warehouses and ships. Since the work began in 1901 no fewer than 606,110 have been accounted for. Probably the present year will be a record one for the British motor industry. Cars are being produced in larger numbers than at any time in the history of the trade, and one firm is turning out 40 each week. A car-load of babies from New York foundling and orphan asylums was distributed at New Orleans recently. So great was the diemand for the children that only those who had applied in advance obtained them. Among novelties in timepieces are phornpfraphjc clocks, which call out the time in 'rench. A wealthy German has ordered a timepiece, which will announce the time

in German from a box placed under his dining table. At an inquest held on Joseph Adams, who , was killed by lightning- near Marlborough (England), the theory was advanced that the electric current was attracted from the earth by the heavily-nailed boots which he was wearing. The Tourist Division has received information that the fishing in Lake Tarawera at present is excellent. Mr Irvine, of Auckland, and' a friend recently visited the lake and took 24 fish of an average weight of 51b, the largest weighing 101 b. Herman and Louis Bleyer, the famous twins of Milwaukee journalism, celebrated their sixtieth birthday a few weeks ago. They have arranged to celebrate, at an -early date, the completion of 45 years of continuous service on the Evening Wisconsin. The Masterton correspondent of the Dominion states that at one time the whole of the Wairarapa Valley was under offer to a South Wairarapa settler for a sum of £IOOO. The money could not, however, be- obtained at that time, and the opportunity never again presented itself. From a London Fire Brigade return recently issued it appears that of 3197 fires which occurred in London last year, 698 were caused by lights being carelessly thrown down. Among the many other causes of fire were spontaneous ignition, friction of machinery, and lime-slaking. Shooting in the south is having the effect of driving the birds up to South Canterbury waters. On ■ May 31' (says the Timaru Herald) the Washclyke Lagoon was black with feathered game, the birds finding there, owing to the close season which is being observed in South Canterbury. Napier, having accepted a loan of about £148,000 from the A.M.P. Society, expects to have its tramway running and its* electric light system in full swing in about 18 months’ time. Mr Fredk. Black, consulting engineer, of Vy ellington, has been engaged by the Borough Council for the con.struction of the works. The sum of £lO has been collected in the streets of Waimate in aid of the relief fund for the sufferers bv the recent mining disaster in the Wellington pit, Lancashire. Mr Garnet Campbell was the originator \tt ™ lOVelllien t. On Saturday night both the Waimate bands -gave entertainments in support of the collection. Muritai—“ Moan of the Sea ” (or the sea breeze)—is a name which does not satisfy the School Committee of that district. It requested the Wellington Education Board to change the. school’s name to “Eastbourne/- but the board was unanimously against it. Several members described “Muritai” as a very pretty name, and they resolved that it should stand. An unusual consignment arrived at the Bluff by the Maitai from Melbourne on May 30. It consisted of a kangaroo and two wallabies for Mr W. S. Fleming, of Rakahouka. The marsupials,, which were taken on. board at Hobart (says the Southland News), are in excellent condition, and are remarkably handsome little pets. A silly rumour was abroad in Invercaxgirl on May 30 with regard to the safety of the s.s. Moeraki. Numerous inquiries were made as to the truth of her having been wrecked, and the Union Steam Ship Company’s officers were (says the Southland Times) at some pains to assure the seekers after truth of the steamer’s safe arrival at Bluff. In consequence of an attack on some American tourists in Jerusalem by an Afghan fanatic, on 10th March, when two American ladies were wounded, the authorities have placed all Afghans under observation, and have expressed to the American Consul and to the wounded ladies their profound regret. The aggressor will be severely punished. High seas on the shore north of the Oamaru harbour have* lately been eating away the cliff. Similar inroads by the sea some time ago rendered it necessary (says the Mail) for the Woollen Company to build protective works along the shore in order that the foundation of the l mills might not be destroyed. The latest high seas have rendered repairs to these protective works a necessity. New Zealand has brought the United States into the zone of the penny postage, but the United States Government has not extended the same concession to New Zealand. While the postage from New Zealand to the States, therefore, is one penny, the rate from the States to New Zealand is five cents, or This applies to letters from all parts of the States. In view - of the fruit season being practically over, the Hastings Standard madinquiries at the station with the object of comparing this season’s output, with that of last year. In 1909, 900 tons of fruit were railed away, producing a revenue to the department of £9OO. This year 1750 tons were railed, producing a revenue amounting to £I7OO, an increase of £BOO. _ It would seem that New Zealand is still a tera incognita at Home. A man who has just arrived in Timaru from Great Britain sold his bicycle before leaving, because (says the Timaru Herald) he had been given to understand that the roads here were not sufficiently good for cycling; he also disposed of his golfing requisites, never dream-

; ing that he would see linke in tha Dominion. A very deliberate theft of a rather daring nature is reported by the Oamaru Mail to have taken place lately at Mr W. H. Paterson's home at Awamoa. The thief, who was evidently provided with a spring-cart or some handy means of transport, helped l himself liberally to the apples from the orchard, and, not content with that, smoked the beehives and stole a quantity of honey. The practical common sense of the Englishman (observes the Berlin Tageblatt) is Shown by the fact that he does not give a weapon to the guardian of the people which should only be used against the Fatherland's foes. The truncheon is well suited for defence against rowdies, but the sight of it does not irritate peaceful folk as do the helmet and sabre of the Berlin policeman. The Federal Treasury received by the R.M.S. Osterley, which reached Port Melbourne on May 23, the full consignment o£ £25,000 worth of threepenny pieces, ordered:under the Silver Coinage Act. The whole of the silver has now arrived. The only currency still to come to hand is the copper coinage. The Treasurer has not yet re-' ceived an intimation that the bronze coins have been minted. New construction works will cost £383.000 to the underground London railways. The Baker street and Waterloo Railway seekto construct a new sloping iron subway at Oxford Circus, in order to relieve the congestion at busy times cf the day. This tunnel will be 17ft in diameter, and will have two moving staircases—each capable of taking 150 passengers at a time—running continuously inside. It is freely rumoured (says the Grey< mouth Star, a Government journal) that another change in the High Commissionership is probable, and that the Hon. Dr Findlay will in all likelihood be the next New Zealand representative in London. In that case, not only would the Government require a new leader in the Legislative Council, but a vacancy in the Ministry would be created. ~„■.„« TCW In the case in which Mr H. F. S. -King sued the Dannevirke Publishing Company for £2OOO for breach of agreement, the deed of agreement provided for matters in. dispute being referred to arbitration, and accordingly the dispute was decided in that wav. Mr "King amended his claim to one of "£233 6s 6d, and ultimately agreed to accept £166 13s 4d in full satisfaction. Mr Pirani was the arbitrator. Professor Ludwig Lewisohn, a young German-American, and his wife have made it their hobby to be married in every State in the Union. They have now' gone through the ceremony 43 times. According to the Stratford by-laws the greatest quantity of benzine which may be stored in any business premises within the borough is half a-pint. The by-law' had been framed prior to the advent of motor cars. • The Rome correspondent of The Times writes in high terms of the retiring officers of the International Institute of Agriculture. .Count Fain a has shown admirable zeal as president! The only fault seems to have been excess of zeal and a not quite clear, understanding of. the officers'' exact duties. The writer is not surprised that there has been friction in the working of the new institution, but that there should • have been so little friction. ' An amusing incident occurred at the Coombungee agricultural show, near Brisbane, where a prize was offered for the largest family in the district. The Queensland Minister of Agriculture was present, and remarked that the district could hardly equal his own constituency,, where there Lived a man with 24 children. A farmer promptly rose and interrupted the Minister by remarking that he had 32 children, and that all were living. Inquiries showed that this wns the fact, the fawner having been married twice, and having reared two families, one after the other. Dr D- Hastings Young, formerly of Milton, has patented a " hygenic milk jug " , for the sterilising and pasteurising of milk' both for infant feeding and ordinary domestic use. A small syndicate_ of eight, of whom several are well known in Milton, has (says -the Bruce Herald) taken the matter in hand, and has secured patent ' rights in 12 countries. Dr Young is also the author of three books, two of which are now in press by Routledge and Sons, London. The first : " First Aid to the Sick." will soon be on the New Zealand market.