NEWS ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9100, 19 March 1901, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

The N.Z. Times says it is very probable that the Government will announce in a few days the amount of subsidy thatwill be given to either the New Zealand Shipping Company or the Tyser Company for the institution of a regular steamship' service between this colony and South Africa. .-■•':■- :

A rather unique discovery, was made the other evening at the house. of a Hutt resident. A peculiar odour was apparent in the drawing-room, and after diligent, but futile search for the origin, the skirting board round one wall was removed and a large swarm of dead bees was discovered. It is surmised they had followed the queen bee into, the cavity, and were unable to make their way out. After paying 5 per cent, for three years the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company will distribute to its shareholders six per cent, for the year just closed. Six per cent, was paid in the^four years between 1894 and 1897. The directors consider the result' for the last year very gratifying, in view of the strong and-un-equal competition of the Government railways. The company's land transactions last year were especially lucrative.

If fifty deaths occurred in one year from bubonic plague (says the Lyttelton Times) "we should have the country scoured clean from end to end, special hospitals would be erected and experts imported at great cost to deal with the disease." Yet. about 600 deaths a year are caused by tuberculosis, and few people worryiabout ri. A Christchurch doctor says thai city is "rotten right through" : with consumption.

Mr W. H. Holmes, of Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, has written to the Premier, asking for a copy of the Official Ye*ar Book, as he is anxious to know more of the" country and of the people who "next to England have won the chief glory of the war." The writer states that the admiration and pride of Canadians have been heightened by the splendid exhibition of Imperial loyalty of their fellow-subjects in New Zealand, and by this colony's decision not to withdraw her troops from the scene of operations, as Canada and others have done.

Professor Watson Cheyne, late surgeon to Lord Roberta's staff in South Africa, in the course of a lecture recently, caused much merrriment •by describing the various methods resorted to by the soldier in mendingtfais own ragged clothes. He remembered how on. one occasion a Tommy on the march was going about in a deplorably tattered state, and in order tp make •himself respectable, he conceived the idea of utflisiag a square out of a biscuit tin. He made in this four holes, and with the aid of string fastened it on his trousers. When, added the Professor, that man was marching up hills he [resembled a heliograph- on two legs. Prom a private source I learn (writes 1 jthe Wellington correspondent of the Christchurch Press) that the public, by i express wish of the King, will be expected to wear half -mourning at the recep--1 tions of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. Officials, that is persons in any way connected with, the Government, will be expected to wear full mourning. On the 27th of May, at Sydney, there is to be a dinner party at Government House, and on the two succeeding days there will be a reception and levee at Government House. On the 30th there will be a party at Admiralty House 'to witness a naval display, and another reception at Government House in the evening. On the 3rd His Royal Highness will leave on a shooting expedition up country, returning, on Wednesday, sth, and sailing for New Zealand on June 6th. - The Rotorua Chronicle says, in reference to the giant geyser at Echo Lake, Rotomahana: "The recent outbreak continues to attract many visitors to its vicinity daily, and when made more easy of access will prove the greatest attraction of the district. On Sunday last Mr Hay, M.1.C.E., Mr Fletcher, of the Brush Electric Company, and. a large party, accompanied /Mr Isles, photographer, visited the spot, and witnessed some splendid eruptions while there. ine whole mass of boiling water abont halfa n-acre in extent, is lifted bodily in a dome-shaped mass, fronr the centre of which a lofty column of water, .stones, and other debris, shoots to a height of from 200 to 300 feet, lasting quite ten minutes. Immense clouds of sf«am mount upwards until they mingle with the clouds and are lost in the blue of a summer sky, the stones, which are quite hot when picked up, being thrown a great distance."

A gigantic eel was the cynosure of the scientists and others attending the Philosophical Society's* meeting at Wellington last week. It measured sft 6in in length. Sir James Hector described the habits of eels, and discriminated between those found in the Waikato, the Bulkr, and Lake Wakatipu. The method df their production was for a long time a mystery, but they went down periodically to the sea, and under the enormous pressure of 5000 fathoms, laid thir' eggs. There was another great fresh-water eel in New Zealand, found in the Waikato, the Buller, and Lake Wakatipu, but differing from this one in important respects. In that ppecies the jaws were equal, while in this one the lower jaw projected considerably beyond -the upper. The Waikato eel was steel blue, and this one was a brownish olive above and below. Asked by a member the probable age of the fish, Sir James replied "that eel was no doubt an eel when your grandfather was born." The Wangunui Chronicle complains that the Government, without calling for tenders, now that there are two companies running steamers on the river, have renewed the mail contract to Messrs Hatriek and Company and granted them an additional £400 for extension to Tangarakaii, on the upper reaches, where there is little settlement. The Chronicle says: Had the system' of public tender been employed, as it most certainly should have been, the Aotea Company could and would have competed for the subsidy. Mr Hatriek would have had an equal chance with them in fair competition, and then, whichever proved successful, no fault could be found with the principle and method of transaction. As it is, the renewal of the contract, rightly or wrongly, looks very like Government "job," and those directly interested would do well to have the whole thing probed to the bottom during the next session of Parliament. At a meeting of the Philosophical So--ciety at Wellington an interesting address on earthquakes was given, by Mr George Hogben, who stated that three seismograms recorded in Wellington in October had been found to coincide with three recorded at European stations. One series was of an earthquake in Alaska, which lasted for three hours. Mi- Hogben announced that it was intended to issue monthly reports of earthquake observations in Wellington, and distribute them to the stations throughout the world in exchange for their records. Sir ; James Hector warmly commended the ; way in which the work had been inaugu- j rated under the care of Mr Hogban^whoin ' he thanked for his clear aud early account ' of important observations. Mr Hogbenj ' also mentioned that the instrument in ' his charge was recording a six-monthly ' tilt of the earth's crust to the westward ' in one period,' and to the eastward in the ! other period Sir James Hector said the c explanation was that the instrument in 1

Wellington was situated in Tinakori road, right on the major geological fault which traversed New Zealand. He hoped that the second instrument now lying in the Colonial Museum would be erected at a place away from the fault. One day last week two large ocean liners left Sydney, the Frederick der Grosse carrying 600 passengers and the "White Star liner Runic carrying 460. Wellington is gradually developing a harbor ferry traffic. A new wharf in Evans' Bay, near the cutting leading to Miramar Flat, was used for the first time on Friday, when the steamer Duco conveyed spectators to the polo match between Victoria and New Zealand. A moonlighting outrage which recalls the days of the Land League tyranny was committed at Tooreen, near Mallow, County Cork. A gang of men attacked an evicted farm which was occupied by a caretaker named Dunlea. The man and his mother were seized and bound together, after which the marauders ransacked the house. The furniture was removed and stacked up in the public road and burned. . The white- man's burden has grown heavier year ~y year. John Bulls expenditure when the Queen was crowned stood at £1 18s 9d- per head per year; to-day it stand's at much nearer £3. But there has been a great measure of relief. The laborer, with an income of 13s a week in 1837, paid away every year three weeks' wages in taxes on commonplace commodities; to-day he- only pays 12s. The national income, which stood at £1 19s per head in 1837, is now over £2 15s. Mr F. Mallard writes to the Duriedin Star : "Your London special is too severe in his remarks upon Mr Seddon's choice of Lady Ranfurly for attendance to represent New Zealand- at Queen Victoria's funeral. If Mr Reeves absents himself from the late Queen's levees— as he always has done— how can he expect a member of Hex late Majesty's Privy Council—as is the Right Hon. the Premier — to select him to represent the colony at the late Queen's burial? Every loyal New Zealander will acquiesce in what Mr Seddon did." George Towns, of Australia, the sculling champion of England, has issued a challenge to tt. Gaudaur, of Toronto, Canada, the champion of the world. Gaudaur is quite willing to row over the Toronto Bay 'course — three miles with a turn — any time next August, for any (amount of money. Should Gaudaur consent to row on the Thames he will be allowed £50 expenses, but if he ignores the challenge, the title will be claimed by Towns. Gaudaur won the world's championship from Stanbury, another colonial, four years ago. The race took place on the Thames.

The maintenance of beaches along the coast of New England (U.S.) is being successfully accomplished the "groyne systemi " These groynes consist of . a. -series of posts planted firmly in the sand, with close- planks extending from post to post. The groyne is constructed at right angles to the beach, and its position prevents the sand from acting on it injuriously. • Sand is intercepted by the planking, rapidly forming a new beach and preventing- erosion." Why not make a trial of several small groynes to the westward of the present western wall of Gisborne : harbor?

Engineering savs that in 1900 only two sailing cargo-carriers— a ship of 1983 tons and a barquentine of 1380 tons, the latter for San Francisco — were built in the docks, in addition to the barges and such small fry whiclh made up exclusively the sail total of some preceding years. France alone continues to build sailing vessels — they suit admirably the bounty system — but we have in eight years decreased our proportion of; sail to total merchant tonnage built, from. 15 to 2 per cent. ; and this,, too, notwithstanding that the wastage of sailing vessels is at a greater rate than with steamers, the tonnage of sailers lost, etc., last year, having been, 318,887 to 469,621 tons of steamers.

One of the American railway carriages imported for the Hurunui-Bluff section has been erected at the Addington workshops. The new car, the Lyttelton Times says, is of much, the same pattern as the old ones. It is ,46ft 7in in length, about as long as the ordinary carriages in America. The carriage is divided into five compartments, which are handsomely and comfortably fitted with leather upholstery, inlaid tabled, and so forth. As each compartment can accommodate six persons, the carriage will carry with ease thifty passengers. All the carriages will be fitted with the famous Westdnghouae brake. Altogether the carriage which, has been completed presents a handsome j outward appearance, and inside it certainly seems to be very comfortable. Dealing with the price of coal, the ■Lyttelton Times says: The Westporfc Company has a contract to deliver unscreened coal; to the Railway Depart- ; ment in Lytelton at 18s 6d per ton, and we dare say that many of the people who are' aware of this fact wonder whyj they are called upon to pay 39s or 40s J a tin, for their household fuel. But the explanation is very simple. The cost of 100 tons of unscreened coal at 18s 6d is £92 10s, and if the same quantity is passed through the screening process at Lyttelton it yields 40 tons of household coal worth 28s a ton and sixty tons of screenings worth 16s a ton. These prices give a gross return of £104, but after deducting the cost of screening, which is certainly not less than' 2s 6d a ton, or £12 10s for the whole parcel, there is a net return of only £91 10s. 'On these figures it seems that the company actually does better by selling unscreened coal at. 18s 6d than by screening it and selling household coal at 28*. The latter price, it must be remembered, is the one charged in Lyttelton. Before the coal can reach the consumer in Christchurch "it must! bear, the railway charges, amounting to 3s 6d a ton, and the cost of bagging and delivering. In the end the retailer, who has to pay yard rent and often give very long credit, is left with a profit of 3s or 4s a ton, which pan<not, under the circumstances, be consiuere'd very excessive. '

The Dunedin Trades and Labor Council, representing about 3000 Unionists, have published a lengthy reply to Mr Thomson's attack on labor unions at a recent meeting of the Industrial Association. Inter alia, their reply reads: — "Our idea of freedom and Mr Thomson's are probably as wide as the poles are asunder. We believe in combination for the purpose of getting a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Our experience has been that no body of workers can get fair pay and fair conditions unless, they combine to do so. We, as unionists, are accused of always crying 'give, give !' If asking for what one considers is his fair share of wages can be con-j strued into that we plead guilty. We are too well aware that the cry 'give ! give !' was always heard from one side at one time, and that side .is not done as it i is still trying to get the unprotected worker (and does get him, we are sorry to say) to give his labor in return for a miserable existence, but thanks in a great measure to the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the other side are having an" innings and demanding' that an impartial tribunal shall adjudicate between master and man. The President of the Indnstriaf Association has not only tried to put class against class, but he has tried to start civil war by putting the unionists against the non-unionists."

A returned trooper relates a story showing the decidedly active interest the Boer women took in the war. About a dozen men of different colonial contingents were out scouting, when they came to a field wherein an old Boer woman was ostensibly digging potatoes. Not a man was visible, and to all appearances ,the old woman was busy at her potatoes; but now and then there would come the sharp crack of a Mauser, and one of the band would fall with a mortal wound. One of the New Zealanders, after a while, worked round to the house to which the vrow's back was turned.. Happening to glance round the edge of the building into the field, he saw the aged crone suddenly straighten herself and throw a weapon, which she had till then concealed in a shawl, up to her shoulder. She took a quick aim at one of the skirmishers and fired. She got her man. Then she began to dig energetically. Fascinated, the Maorilander watched, and a minute after saw the woman raise her weapon once more. A comrade's Jife was in danger; several owed their despatch to this woman, and so chivalry was pushed aside. His rifle flew to his shoulder, and before her shot was fired a Lee-Metf ord entered the shoulder-blade of the Boer Amazon. Horrible, isn t it, this brutal war on women and. children.

BOWEL COMPLAINT IN CHILDREN. TWO STRONG REASONS. W. J. McDroy, Esq., Kumara, N.Z., said recently:— "From actual use in my own family, and remarks made by all who have ever used Chamberlain's Cough Remedy, I know it to be the best cough mixture in the market, I have had the agency for over four years, have sold many dozens, and have never had a single complaint." Sold by E. D. Smith ; price Is 6d, big size 3s. — Advt.

GRAVEL CURED BY DOAN'S BACK- , ACHE KIDNEY PILLS. The kidney filters out of the body the ' poisons and impurities which collect in it. They are forming every minute, every second of your life, by day and by night. Every time your brain thinks, your hands move, your heart beats, and your lungs inhale, some of their substances break down into waste material. This waste material is poisonous and nature intends its removal as fast as it is made. This is the work your kidneys lave to do. If they are weak, sluggish, inactive or diseased, they do not do it. Poisons which should be promptly thrown out of the blood then collect in the system and clog and poison every organ. . Perfect kidneys means perfect filtering of all poisons of the blood. Pure blood and perfect health are synonymous. Doan's Backache Kidney Pills heal, soothe, and strengthen the kidneys, doing their work actively and properly. Alderman James Livingstone, Ingleburn, near Liverpool, N.S.W., says:— "For over for years I had kidney or urinary disorder. During all this time I never had a proper night's rest, and I could not sit down or take any comfortable position ; I seemed as doomed to be without rest as the wandering Jew. I underwent three different operations for stone' in the bladder, and in each case experienced relief, but slowly grew as bad as ever again. I was ueirig worn to the grave, and it seemed that there alone I could get the much desired relief. I had lost hope entirely, and meant to give in and let my terrible malady do its. worst. However, my wife thought differently. She read of Doan's Backache Kidney Pills and said, "I know these pills must be good. You must try them." To please her I said I would and they were sent for, and it was a great day for me when they were, brought into my house. Before I had finished the first supply I felt almost quite well. " Continuing, I stall improved, and soon enjoyed the comfort of eating with an appetite and sleeping soundly all night. I have never felt so well as I do now, and this well nigh miraculous cure is solely due to Doan's ■ Backache Kidney .Pills. It is my advice to all who are troubled with back or kidneys to try these pills. If they are in doubt I will be pleased if they will write to me and I will reply." Doan's Backache Kidney Pills are not a purgative which weakens the bowels by purging. They act solely on the kidneys and urinary organs. It is important to get the pills which cured Mr Livingstone, therefore ask for Doan's Backache, Kidney Pills. They are sold by Harold Kane and all chemists and storekeepera at 3s per box or six boxes 16s- 6d, or will be posted on receipt of price by the proprietors, FosterM'Cellan Co., Sydney. Be sure you ask for. DOAN'S.