TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9991, 5 March 1904, Page 3

TOWN EDITION

A special correspondent wires from Clinton (Otago) : The train to Invercargill and the Lakes succeeded m getting through to-day, two hours late, communication having been interupted for the past two days through washouts on the line.

The : Tasmanian Council of Agriculture proposes organising a conference of agricultural chemists from all the States, to meet m Hobart on April 14th next, to discuss the subject of artificial fertilisers.

The Premier must be a stayer. He was m Nelson on Thursday, attended a banquet m his honor at Palmerston on Friday, careered back to Wellington on Saturday, arrived m Hastings by special train on Sunday, and left again m the evening at 7 o'clock by special for Wellington. — Hastings Standard.. He is now at Invercargill.

Stratford Post says that a large number of Swiss are emigrating to New Zealand. Several have found work m the district as milkers. Their employers are more than satisfied with them, as they are kind to the cattle m their charge, and do their work well. There is shortly to be another lot of fourteen or fifteen to go to that district.

During his speech at Palmerston, Mr Seddon remarked that the time liad come when New Zealand should train her own -veterinary surgeons and Iky own scientific dairy experts. When the Government -wished to purchase land, however, some people tried to make as much as they could by demanding outrageous prices.

The number •of divorce cases heard m Wellington last year was as follows: — Petitions for dissolution of marriage, 50; petitions for judicial separation, 2 ; petitions for conjugal rights, 7. Decrees were made as follows: — Dismissing petitions, 2 ; dissolution of marriage, 43 ; judicial separation, 2; nullity of marriage, 2; for conjugal rights, 6.

"The matriculation examination does not ensure that the student shall be able to write his own language property," says Professor Macmillan Brown. He added that he known students who write their own language m a disgraceful way. The Hon. G. A. Tole declared, further, that "the English of some of our stu-dents-is egregious," and they have an absolute difficulty m expressing themselves 1 . .

Women occupy a curious position m Korea. It is considered a scandal if a woman of 20 is not married. Women of the upper class may practise medicine, conduct wineshops, teach, weave straw shoes, and do sundry otlier things, for a living. But they must not sell fruit or vegetables, nor may they manufacture lace or cloth. .The lower their position m the Korean social scale the more occupations are open to women. .

At a Southland hack, meeting "(says "Sir Modred") some time ago a large field started m a trotting race, and there Was some bumping and interference. One rider, unintentionally, badly fouled a horse ridden by a high official of the club, and at the conclusion of the race the offender approached the dignitary m question m fear and trembling, to tender his apologies, to be met with': "Never moind, my bhoy, I was 'slitiff.' " Tlie Rev. F. W. Mackenzie, m a speech before the British and Foreign Bible Society m London, said: — "I was touched with the irony "of a fact mentioned m my hearing that the same State which absolutely forbids the use of the Bible m the schoolroom places the Bible m tho prison cells. I think, perhaps, if there were more Bibles m the schoolroom, fewer might be required m the prison cells. I would be the last to discourage the sweet ministry of the Holy Scriptures to a broken, guilty, despairing soul m tho prison cell ; but I would count far more upon the inspiring ministry of these Scriptures to a young child, to form his ideals arid to shape his character and to fjuide his feet into paths which do not cad to the prison door." Referring to the Premier's suggestion that legislation would be necessary to stay the, decrease m the colony's flocks, Mr R. S. Abrahams, at the Palmerston banquet, said he lwd had an opportunity of judging m his business wliat the result was likely to be if this export of ewe Lambs continued. It must be remembered that it was not the worst, but the best Jambs which were exported. This had a temporary effect of putting up the price of sheep, but that was no good; it only led farmers into a mess. They thought sheep would go increasing m price, but if it were allowed to go on much longer the flocks m New Zealand would be seriously depleted and we should have to pay very heavy prices m other countries to restore them to their original status. He hoped the Premier would make a point of attending to the matter m the manner he had indicated.

Mr C. A. W. Monckton, Chief Resident Magistrate m North-east New Guinea, a Feuding boy, is now engaged making a road 50 miles towards the interior. Each new tribe met with m this operation lias' at first rhown fight. The means adopted for making permanent peace with, them lias gained Mr MoncJ|p.n a good deal of credit. At the palaver which ensues after hostilities have ceased, an opportunity is given for some of the chiefs to enlist m the police force. This is eagerly accepted as a great honor, not only by the chiefs, but by the tribe, for have they not liad practical proof of how mighty are the trained warriors of the white men. Such enlistment, too. ensures the benevolent neutrality, if not the active assistance of the tribe m c:ise of trouble with another tribe. Another important stop m- the negotiation is the appointment of a sort of British Concul or policeman m the tribe. He must be an important person m the tribe. He is paid a small salary by the administrator, and is expected to give information and act for and m the interest of the British. "