OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3239, 12 April 1916, Page 4

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Friday, 31st ult., was the 75th anniversary of ; : io foundation of the Taranaki settlement. ...... re are no fewer than 165 establishmi iiU in Ashburton (says the Guardian) which come under the category of factories and within the <;cope of the Factories Act. Two cases of diphtheria are reported at Norsewood (says tiie Hawke's Bay Herald), as well as two cases of infantile paralysis. The school has been closed for fumigation. Thirty years' service with the Gisborne Fire Brigade has, just been completed by Mr W. Fraser (says the Times). Mr Fraser joined the brigade, then a very small one, in March, 1886. Babbits are reported to have increased enormously during the past couple oi years in some parts of the Masterton district. Tho seasons nave been favourable to the propagation of the pest. Since the beginning of this year there have been three bankruptcies in Wellington, as compared with four in the fu-st quarter of last year. Ihere were no bankruptcies in the district last month. Is it an indication of the shortness of labour that boys arc employed shovelling gravel? A Wyndham licraid roportui recently saw two boys of 17 years of age employed in a gravel pit. The Dannevirke art union, which was drawn last week,, will realise about £3OOO. Since January, 1915, not a single charge of sly-g: - og selling lias been preferred in tho no-licence district of Masterton.

It is announced by the Thames Star that some sections on tho Hauraki Plains (formerly the Piako Swamp), sold by the Government at £9 per acre in 1910, have recently been disposed of in their improved state at £45 per acre.

Until further notice the retail price of ir ilk in Wellington will be 3d per pint, 6d per quart, a customer taking one gallon per day receiving a rebate of 4d per gallon (says the linns). The wholesale price has also been advanced.

It now appears that out of 4QO tons of steelwork ordered for the city markets only 175 tons have been lost in tho Matatua (saj'S the Auckland Star), and arrangements have been made to replace some of tho missing material. The erection of the buildings will therefore go on. " There is no greater Imperialist in New Zealand than Mr Massey, and so long as the war continues, political opponents though wo are in times of peace, 1 will loyally support him," said Mr Wilford (says the Wairarapa Times) at tho Masterton Town Hall on the 4th inst.

Tho Lands Department has set aside 3318 acres of land, good grazing country, 22 miles south-east of Carterton, to be balloted for only by discharged soldiers. The department is also setting aside 2696 acres in tho Autuwhao block, near Takapuna, divided into 24 sections, for the same purpose. The Manawatu Standard amplifies the report that Mr E. PI. Hiley, general manager of tho New Zealand railways, has purchased the property known as " Nockmor," near Linton, so long occupied by the late Captain Hewitt, R.N. The farm consists of about 2000 acres freehold, of which about 400 acres are ploughable, and the balance is hill country. The steamer Waimarino, which arrived at Auckland from Vancouver, San Francisco, and Suva on the 2nd, had on board three stowaways (says the Herald). Ihe men were found one day out from San Francisco, and, as they stated that they wished to go to Auckland to enlist, they were given work to do in the stokehold and were brought to this port. "Are we as farmers doing our duty?" asked a well-known settler of Mr T. B. Williams, chairman of tho Wang'anui Patriotic Committee. The question was asked by the settler when handing in a cheque for his promised donation to the patriotic funds. lie said that to-day some of the farmers were receiving £3l per bale for wool, compared with £lO or £ll prior to the war.

A. few days ago, it 'was reported, a live

jur i 1 among some driftwood on tho beach at Mokau. On the 29th ult. v .... lxic i„LaiuiKi Herald) some email boys killed one on the beach beyond To ti.cnui River. It measured about two feet :••■!. ml. |jl v -!. the one found at Mokau, was almost black on the back and lighter underneath, with a ekin that had the ap-

"Wo'll have thousands of these peculiar complications before wo are finished," said the Mayor of Napier at the Patriotic Society's in • ting, when dealing with a peculiarly difficult case of a mother who applied for assistance and gave as her reason in i s:iif h ! son bid gone to Trcntham he had got married, and was not supporting his widowed mother. No action was taken, as it was pointed out that the soldier was earning -84 10s per week. Accompanied by Mr Clinch, the ranger for the South ' nntorbury Acclimatisation Society, Mr Leckie (who has since met with a serious accident) netted in about a day and a-half last week between 4000 and 5000 trout, from four inches to eight inches in leoigth, from the Tcmu'ka River (says the 'J iiii.iru Herald). In one haul 420 fish were secured The fish were placed in two 200-gallon tanks and taken by' motor lorry to Hanging Rock, where they were liberated.

An old Balclutha boy, Mr John Roonoy, a son of tlio late Sergeant Rooncy, stationed there in the early days, ha* from time to lime displayed a &train of inventiveness (says the Press). One of his latest efforts was to produce a collapsible cover tor motor car tyres, to shield the perishable rubber from the sun and rain. It is on the umbrella principle, and is so workable in dosign and application that the wonder is such a contrivance to prolong' the jife ot the tyre has not boon thought of before. The first Mastcrton business to have to close down as a direct result of the war is the British and Continental Piano Company (says the Wairarapa limes). Under the able management of Mr J. Lowndes, this company has built up a flourishing business in Masterton. Owing to most oi Uij piano lactones in England having been converted into munition works by the war authorities, it is impossible for the company to keep up its stock of pianos, and it will bo compelled to close its Masterton premises this week.

A good "April Fool" joke was perpetrated ihe other day. A partner in a wellknown Masterton firm picked up in the street a military notification card, which requested tho person to whom it had been addressed to report at Trentham on the 4th inst. (says tho Wairarapa Times). He posted this to nis partner, who subsequently received it and used violent language in connection with what he termed the inconsiderate attitude of tho military in asking him to gO into camp without, clue notice and before all the single men had been called up, he being under the impression that the notification was the outcome of the National Register. A movement, which has been on foot for somo time, with the object of permanently commemorating Mr James Oraigie's splendid gift of an avenue of trees to Timaru, was brought to a successful completion on the Ist by the erection of a memorial stone at the head of Craigie avenue. (says the Post). The stone is a handsome granite obelisk, supported by a handsome base mounted 'on concrete. The monument is suitably inscribed. There has been no unveiling ceremony in connection with the erection of the stone, Mr Craigie, it is understood, having deprecated the suggestion that money should be spent in that way during war time. Mr J Bragg (Stewart Island) instituted an unusual experiment this season (says the correspondent of the Bluff Press). At the mouth of Halfmoon Bay there is a group of bushy islands, including one known as Pukcokaoka Island. Here Mr Bragg cleared a patch about 65ft x 24ft, and sowed down in potatoes (mostly Up-to-dates). He did not visit the place again until a few weeks ago, when he looked over to see if the crop had come to anything, imagine his surprise when he dug up a shaw or two to find potatoes weighing about 21b in weight—huge tubers every one of them. This small patch returned a crop of half a ton. This will probably lead to some further exploitation of these little-visited islands.

A remarkable fire occurred on the Wyndham Valley road on the 3rd, in the vicinity of Mr George Williamson's, Redan (says the Herald). A five-horse -wagon load of dressed flax fibre took fire, and the horses, taking fright, bolted. They were stopped with difficulty, and nothing could be done but get them released with all celerity. They ran against a head wind, and the enveloping flames carried backward. Attempts to get off the bales of fibre failed. The flames burned themselves out, but neighbours who witnessed the mishap did what they -could to keep down the fire by throwing on water. The whole of tho woodwork of the wagon was consumed- exceptmg the wheels, which were partially charred. The fibre and wagon were the property of Mr William Hunter, whose loss amounts to about £l2O. The driver of the wagon states that he got off the load for a smoke, and when done placed his pipe in his pocket. The ashes from the pipe set fire to his clothing, communicating with tho fibre.