OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3097, 23 July 1913, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

The New Zealand Counties’ Conference is to be held in Wellington, commencing on August 19. In Christchurch on Saturday, 12th inst., no fewer than seven persons—five women and two men —were taken to the police station on charges of vagrancy. On Sunday night the cells were quite full. A small party of Australians were travelling between Martou and Foilding when one young lady got quite enthusiastic over a field of what she considered to be mushrooms, but which were the tops of turnips. Lucerne is coming greatly into favour among Masterton farmers, and during the coming season a very large area will bo sown down in this crop. In South Wairarapa, too, lucerne will be sown in increased areas. Dr Kenneth Mackenzie, a son of the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, High Commissioner for New Zealand, has arrived in Auckland. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, and a Master of Surgery (Edinburgh). Something in the way of a record has been established by Mr Frank Jennings, o f Wellington, who has just completed hie 37th year as secretary to the Excelsior Dodge of Druids. He has been the recipient of many" congratulations. Mr William Brakonrig (Auckland). Mr Thomas Percy Mills (Wellington), Mr Thomas Ingram Small (Christchurch), and Mr Francis Georgg Gumming (Dunedin) have been appointed probation officers under “ The Crimes Amendment Act, 1910.” Sfcveral of the farmers on Crown Terraco completed harvesting operations only last week (says the Lake County Press). Notwithstanding the protracted exposure to the weather the oats and barley crops are said to be in splendid order when stacked. The latest record-breaking feat is said to have been performed at Raetihi last week, where a burly/denizen of the wilds is alleged to have drank 43 bottles of hop beer during one evening. The man was out and about, as usual, next morning. There was a valuable collection of motor oars at the reception accorded to Sir Walter Buchanan at Masterton on Thursday’, 10th inst. The number inside the grounds was 186, while 18 were stationed immediately outside. The approximate value of the cars was about £BO.OOO. A white bittern was seen the other day near Whangarei, says the Northern Advocate. The resident who saw it look it at first for a piece of paper amongst the ti-tree. It was only when the creature boomed at him after the manner of its kind that he had recognised a lu.sus naturae. The case of a woman, aged 26 years, who had seven children, was mentioned ; n a report presented at the Palmerston North Hospital Board meeting on Thursday by the relieving officer. It was shown that the family was made up of two sots of triplets, and a single child, born in the interval between their appearances. The advantages of the practical training received at Technical Schools was touched upon by Mr G. D. Braik at a meeting of the Wanganui Technical School Committee. The boys of the Hawcra agricultural classes have learnt tree pruning, and as the outcome of Vie practical instruction received had more work than they could manage pruning private orchards. Speaking in the Legislative Council last week, the Hon. C. M. Luke said that the Rimutaka railway undertaking was referred to by one of the highest British authorities as one of the greatest engineering feats in the world. The Hon. .1. E. Jenkinson; Also, one of the greatest pieces of nonsense. The Hon. C. 11. Mills: A monument to colonial folly. The Hon. Mr Luke: Y<s, and to the log-rolling which was indulged in in those days. In order to draw attention to its lifesaving equipment, one of the Japanese steamship companies attaches to the regular ticket a coupon reserving a seat in one of the lifeboats for the holder, who is requested on going aboard to become familiar witli the location of his boat, and the place in it that has boon allotted to him. During the inquiry into the loss of the Titanic by Lord Mersey’s committee, a similar suggestion was put forward, with a view to reducing confusing to a minimum at a time of crisis. Miss Booth, of Rotorua, was responsible for a plucky act on Saturday night. She was driving her mother into Hamilton, when the horse shied at a motor car. Mrs Booth clutched at the reins and was thrown out of the trap, carrying the reins with her, and was herself caught in the wheel. The daughter sprang out, of the buggy on to the horse’s back, recovered the reins, and checked the horse before he had got very far. Mrs Booth had one leg badly broken, and but for the prompt action of her daughter wou’d probably have been killed. The manager of the Union Company at Auckland was recently presented with a petition, signed by practically all the local export merchants and every bank, urging the Union Company to rearrange the Syd-noy-Vancouvcr time-table, so as to bring the Vancouver steamer, outward l>ound,one day earlier to Auckland. This is in order to give New Zealand exporters two clear days for loading at the northern port, in view of the rapidity with which the trade with Vancouver is increasing. The petition

was to tlie head office at Dune<lin for consideration. As showing the remarkable virility of disease germs when buried in the soil, Mr C. J. Roakes instanced recently a case where anthrax had been contracted by contagion after a lapse of 40 years. On a faTm a cow was destroyed, suffering from the complaint ; and as she was a great favourite with the farmer’s family, a fence was erected around the grave. Forty years later, other beasts broke through the fencing and feasted on the succulent grass growing there. Within a short time they developed -symptoms of anthrax, and when they were slaughtered, the true disease was discovered. A lad with a brilliant scholastic record appeared in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of theft (says the Press). In describing the case as a remarkable one, -Mr Cassidy, for the accused, contended that tins was a case of education' being unduly forced. The precocity of the youth as a child was exemplified by the fact that he had secured a junior Education Board scholarship at the age of 12, gained a senior scholarship at the age of 14, and in his fifteenth year had matriculated, passing, as well, the Solicitors’ General Knowledge and Medical Preliminary examinations. During the visit of the chairman and members of the Wanganui Education Board to the Matapu school last week, the visitors came across a curiosity in the shape of an excellent map of New Zealand outlined on the floor of the school in tin tacks. The map is about sft long, and must have involved quite a labour in tack-driving. The Chiairman asked the scholars if any of them knew who placed the map there, and instantly half a dozen hands went up with “ Mr O’Dca, sir.” It transpired that Mr O’Dea, when head teacher there some eight years ago, conceived the idea and worked out this interesting map. The latest American propaganda is a crusado against the hyphen. It is estimated that there are 200 millions persons who write English, and that each of these writes “to-day,” or “to-night,” or “to-morrow,” three times a day. It takes half an ounce of force to make a hyphen with pen or pencil, which makes a total waste of 2,190.0001 b of energy daily, or enough to propel a passenger train round the world. If typewriters and type-setting machines are used, an even greater proportion of strength is consumed. As it is, the tendency io eliminate the hyphen has long been noticeable in the custom of American printing offices. Many an English reader of American books and magazines has been puzzled for the moment by such oddlooking words as “ coworkers” and “ antieanal.”