OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3455, 1 June 1920, Page 29

OMNIUM GATHERUM.

Empire Day will be celebrated on June 3, the King's birthday, which will be a Government holiday throughout New Zealand.

The Westland War Memorial Fund is now at the £IOOO mark (says the Hokitika Guardian), and thero is fully £3OO yet to come in.

A farmer recently sold Iris potatoes to a Masterton firm at 9a per cwt. A neighbouring farmer purchased potatoes on the same day from the same firm, and was charged at the rato of 17s 6d per cwt. A correspondent writes to the Wanganui Chronicle: "A sure cure for croup is to tie around the child's neck a rag dipped in kerosene. The rag should be removed immediately relief is obtained, which is usually very soon after application, "'The eld age pension works out at los 3d a week," said Nurse Maude before the Ghristchuroh Council of Churches recently. "Think of it—l6s 3d. That vfill not buy boots or clothes. It will feed only one' — and. barely that." The C'lutha Borough Councillors present at the insisting recently held were greatly concerned about the town being made unsightly by the erection of advertising signs, and expressed themselves as being opposed to any pasts being erected on the footpath. There has been sold by auction in Chrtstohurch "Strowanlea," a residential property in Park terrace, in the estate of the late Mrs G. G. Stead. The purchaser was Mr J. D. M'Gruer, lately of Invercargill. but now of Christchurch, the price beinf £6OOO. Giving evidence before the Pastoral Lands Commission in Timaru, a Mackenzie Country runholder said ho knew a man who had 400 acres of land, and who, after putting up wire-netting, and going out with dogs and traps, took 7000 rabbits off his place. A titled sportsman in his will made the following bequest: "I bequeath to my brother the sum of one shilling to show my appreciation of his noble sacrifice to his country in avoiding military service until compelled to join up." The testator himself, needless to say, had served with the forces.

Loading has now commenced at the South Otago Freezing Works of the 41,000 freighi carcases cf beef and mutton which are to bo shipped by tho Remuera. The output will considerably relieve the tax on storage space, but it is expected nevertheless that the killing season will conclude about the end of June, when the commandeer will terminate.

Seventy or so pottery manufacturers in England have established a college of experts and chief chemist, and head of that institution is Dr Mcllor, who 20 years ago was a clicker in a Christchurch boot factory. Dr Mellor is well thought of by the founders of the college, and it is estimated that the expert advice given has resulted in a saving of 25 per cent, in manufacturing rost.

A little over a month ago the men working at the Otira end of the tunnel were granted permission to engage under the contract system, and inquiries made by the Greymouth Star on Monday elicited the information that the contract system had worked admirably. The men are now earning approximately 23s per day as compared with 18s formerly, and the work is going ahead at a reasonably rapid pace. Tho use of chaffed lucerne as a constituent of the morning mash for poultry has been advocated for tho past 20 years (says the Sydney Telegraph).* With the high price of feed, and th e certainty of still higher prices, its use becomes essential economy. The State poultry expert. Mr Hadlington, points out that it takes 15.000,000 bushels of pollard and bran annually to feed the poultry of the State. And he significantly adds that "at least, one-third of this great total could be replaced by lucerne grown on the poultry farms."

"It is extremely doubtful" (says the city engineer, in his report to the Wellington City Council) "whether the expenditure of money derived from loans is advisable for the. construction of tarred macadam roads, as the life of a road built according to such methods is too short to allow satisfactory provision being made for its renewal. As far as one could gather the_ life of a tarred road under ordinary city traffic conditions could not be estimated at more than 10 years, which would reouire a high annual charge to provide for renewals. The conclusion, therefore, is that tarred roads should be constructed out of revenue only." "Nearly one-third of the people of the United States, or more than thirty millions, live on farms." states the Cuaranty Trust Company of New York, in a circular dated February 23, 1920. 'Nearly 20 millions more live in communities bavin a: a population of Irr-n than 2500. In other words, nearly one-half of the population of the United States is to be f( und on farms or in country districts, according to a compilation of agricultural statistics contained in the booklet. "Our Basic Industry." The value of all farm property is more than that of al7 the manufacturing establishments, railways, mines, and quarries in America.

One of the fiercest gales Westport has experienced for many years occurred a week ago. A howling westerly gale, accompanied by torrential rain and_ frequent hail storms,, made many people sit up in bed. Fences and chimneys in various portions of the town suffered through the eralo. There was a "blow out" at the Grand iaotel at 9.30, a sudden squall sending out the end of an old bottling store on to the footpath. A passing child" narrowly missed being covered up by tho debris. There was a slight fall of snow. Denniston reported a perfect dehige. The surrounding hills had a liberal coating. The force of Wednesday nights gale was well exemplified in the condition of a new open trapshed recently erected in Humber street (says tho Oa-maru < Mail). Its open side was towards the wind, and it was lifted bodily and placed in a flattened-out condition in another yard. The wind came in great gusts and was followed by heavy rain which found all defects in roof plumbing. Although it was a very wild night in the back country, Kurow reports no damage to buildings, and apart from a generous coating of snow on the hills, little harm appears to have been done, save to badly-built stacks, the greatest force of the gale having been evidently spent upon the coast.

Some amusing interpretations of the various church bells which are rung in Auckland each Sunday (says the Herald)

were given by the Rev. Jasper Calder at a meeting of the Women's Mutual Aid Society. He said the bells of St. Andrew's Church pealed forth " Immersion, immersion!" the bells of St. John's Methodist Church, Ponsonby, " Prohibition, prohibition !" the bells of St. James's Presbyterian Church, "Collection, collection I" the bells of a certain unnamed "select and elect" denomination, " We're all going to heaven! We're all going to heaven!" the answering bells of a neighbour, ing church, "I doubt it, I doubt it!" while the bells of St. Sepulchre sounded, "Out you pro, Jasper! Out you go. Jasper!" G. O. Blakcy's drapery store, a large two-storeyed building- in Auckland, -with its contents, was totally destroyed by lire on the night of the 13th. The damage will amount to soine thousands of pounds. Insurances: South British, building, £950; London and Lancashire, stock, £2OO. The estimated loss exceeds the figures by £4500.

At the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch William Shaw, trad : ng as the North Shaw Rubber Company, was charged with breaches of fcho Bankruptcy Act, in that (1) hawing been adjudged a bankrupt, ho had, within: three years before the commencement of such bankruptcy, made payments out of the regular course of business, not being for the ordinary expenses of himself or his family; (2) that having been adjudged bankrupt, he had by unjustifiable extravagance brought about such bankruptcy.. Shaw, who pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed for trial, bail being allowed in one surety of £IOO.