OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

A Christchurch firm of bootmakers has just manufactured a pair of men’s 15* boots for a client who is reputed to stand 6ft Bin in hie socks. A resident of Wavorley, aged 88,. who was reported a few days ago to have suddenly lost his eyesight, has regained it, and is able to get about as usual. At present there are 345 members of the Wanganui Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Of this very large number only one is unfinancial. At the Kahuika and Waipahi Schools the attendance has so decreased that (according to the C.'utha Leader) they arc likely to revert to one-teacher schools after the end of the year. ‘‘A Cow-testing Association is to show the dairymen what cows are keeping him and what cows he is keeping,” was the way the position was described by a speaker at a meeting in Dannevirke a few days ago. A young married man at Winton was fined £5 and costa for failing to attend the annual training camp, notwithstanding that he had put in a doctor’s certificate with regard to his wife’s health'and could not, therefore, leave home. During the discussion at the Baptist Conference at Wanganui last week, one delegate perpetrated a pretty bull. He vvas more or less a stranger, and in rising to speak ho said: “A now face is somewhat slow in standing to its feet.” More married men are said to bo out of work row in Christchurch than is usual at thus time of the year. It is a slack lime, undoubtedly (says the Lyttelton Times). Retail shops are not doing a vigorous trade, and many factories arc shortening hands. Mr W. Thompson, of Halkett. near Christchurch, aged 25 years, has invented and constructed a machine that can bo driven over a turnip paddock, will lift the turnips from the ground after grubbing, clean them, cut them up, and deliver the cut roots in a neat lino ready to be eaten by the sheep. A man, a two-horso team, and the machine can raise and cut about six acres of roots per day. Continuing its efforts to find homes for the people (says the Press), the Government is understood to be contemplating the purchase of further blocks of land in and around Christchurch for the purpose of c , » fi’i-i'.Oiug i S .iMlßications for such have been received of late. The whole of the workers’ dwellings being erected by the Government at Shirley should be completed before the end of the year. Throughout the voyage of the R-imutaka, which arrived at Wellington on Sunday from London, wireless communication was maintained with some other ship or shore station. The night after Durban was lost Perth was picked up at a distance of 2050

nulee. This is a remarkable performance, and demonstrates that a vessel fitted with wireless may nowadays keep in constant touch with land even oii a 10,000 miles’ voyage. The Opotiki County Council is not burdened with a superabundance of cash, and at a recent meeting the county clerk explained that there was not sufficient money m the exchequer to meet the liabilities. “ Gentlemen,” said the chairman, amidst, general laughter, “ the rate notices will be out next week, and if all the councillors pay their rates before the end of the month wo will be able to meet our liabilities.” A young daughter of Mr Crude, of Tongaporutu (Taranaki) had a very narrow escape from serious injury, if not sudden death, on her way home from school on Saturday. On going round the Hutuwai road her horse slipped and fell over the cliff into the riverbed, a distance of about 60ft, and was killed instantly. The little girl fell off the horse and over the cliff, but managed to grasp the edge of the road, and, . assisted by some gigi growing out of the cliff, struggled back on to the road unharmed. A few oases of early strawberries were sold by auction in Auckland a day or two ago at from Is 3d to Is lOd per lb. a much lower rgte than was realised for ' the first few “chips” sent to the market. The recent showers of rain have been highly beneficial to the gardens, but the berries, although slightly improved in quality, are ripening very slowly. Several inches of rain within a week or so would be warmly welcomed by the growers, as a fall of this volume would give the plants sufficient strength for the season. The best berries are being sold in the retail shops in the north at 2s per lb. The Invercargill butchers have unanimously agreed that hawking carts are undesirable, and have decided to discontinue the hawking of meat as from November 1. Customers from that date will be required to order their meat when the butcher delivers their previous orders, so that the carts will now carry only meat that has been ordered by customers, who, therefore, will not be able to choose their meat from the cart as has previously been the case. Now that it has been decided to discontinue the system of hawking, butchers are In hopes (says the News) that the necessary amendments to the by-laws will be made so •as to prohibit hawking. The havoc caused by opossums was described in a letter received by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society Last week. The writer stated that the opossums came down his chimney and ate the food off the table; and they swarmed round his fruit trees in hundreds every night, leaving nothing but bare branches; and that roqt and other crops were totally destroyed by them. Ho asked the society not to be too kind to the opossum. As the correspondent failed to give his name or any indication as to whore ho lived, the sosietv could only formally receive the letter. Doubt was expressed (says the Herald) as to whether the writer lived in the dominion or was talking of his experiences in Australia.