News and Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 8, Issue 31, 17 November 1900, Page 7

News and Notes.

Thieves plentiful in Christchurch. Fifteen pockets picked within an honr.

Fifty mounted troopers from H.Z. to take part in the Commonwealth celebrations in Sydney on Jan, 1. People’s Day at the Christchurch Show attracted 28,000 sightseers. v The Hon. J. D. Ormond won £1,595, and Mr Stead £1,535 at the Christchurch races.

Last year the Dunedin division of the Salvation Array, which includes Southland, Wallace and Lake Counties, contributed £l,BOl 6s 9d to the self-denial fund. This year the total was £2,323 12s, Invercargill’s contribution being, £2OB 12s, as against £164 12s 6d in 1899. Mr Hone Heke, M.H.8., who lately filled his schedule, has paid £2O of his £4O bonus to his creditors.

‘ Gold Miner,’ dating from Lake Wakatipu, more than hints that there are paid Boer agents in New Zealand.

In the Appeal Court, in Regina v. King (Portrose) the conviction was quashed son the ground that the prisoner! was indicted for robbery, and could not be convicted of common assault, as robbery does not necessarily include assault. The other night a girl who visited the Christchurch Exhibition carried some specially arranged fish-hooks in her pocket by way of precaution, and speedily caught a would-be thief. She made him pay half-a-sovereign before letting him go. Mr J. Orr, master of the Waikiwi school, and Mi Greig, of the Arrowtown school, have agreed to exchange positions as from the Ist of December.

The Rev. Mr Luxford, of St. Paul’s Wesleyan Church, recently invited questions on religious points, and last Sunday evening devoted the time usually occupied by a sermon to answering them. The innovation was, we believe, appreciated by the congregation, the questions being of a thoroughly practical character. The Eoslyn tram accident inquiry has been further adjourned to allow the Public Works Department to complete their inspection of the line. It was mentioned that in one case the company had been ordered to pul on brakes costing £6OO, and that they proved absolutely useless. Nine employers of labour in Fiji wish to introduce 2261 coolies next year.

Spain has sold the last of her possessions in Oceana to the United States.

Lord Roberts is detained in South Africa owing to the serious illness of his daughter. It has been estimated that from 90,000 to 100,000 deer feed in the forests of Scotland, and that 4000 stags are killed annually. Dublin tramways are £l7,ooobetter in six months with electricity in place of horses. The pink carnation was chosen as a badge of the Republican party in the Presidential election in the United States. The pink carnation is President McKinley 5 favourite flower. President McKinley is the first president without children since the term of Buchanan, who was a bachelor. The two daughters born to the McKinleys died in infancy.

A well-founded rumour has been current in Puget Sound that a representative of the Russian Government was investigating the cost and possibilities of quick delivery of 30,000,000 feet of lumber at Yladivostock. The first inquiry was received by a large mill in Tacoma a few weeks ago, and early in the month came a similar telegraphic notification from San Francisco to another large Puget Sound mill. It is said that all inquiries have been based on the requirement of speedy delivery, which is taken to mean that the material is

wanted for the war operations in the Orient. One informant states that the class of lumber asked for implies that it is to be used for military encampments. Marconi’s wireless telegraphy is to be installed at Loudon suburban stations.

The Socialist League (Sydney) intend to run six candidates at the Federal elections. Arthur Blatch has been further remanded at Wellington on a chai’ge of murdering a man in Colchester some years ago.

Mrs F. W. Borne, wife of Mr Borne, baker, Invercargill, died suddenly on Sunday last while preparing to go to church. The Mataura Ensign understands that an Invercargill syndicate has secured a dredging property at the head of Charlton Valley. According to the Wellington Free Lance; square shoulders and a square face give Mr MclTab, M.H.R., the air of a captain of dragoons.

The Hon. Mr Seddon will attend the Commonwealth ceremony in Sydney, and will probably be accompanied by the Hons. J. G. Ward and Hall-Jones.

A crop of wheat in the Coldstream district (Canterbury) is said to be already in ear, and the owner expects to have it cut and threshed before Christmas.

The death of a boy from enteric fever is reported from Kaitangata. The drinking of impure water is supposed to have caused the complaint.

The cost of the continuance of the war in South Africa is si ill enormous. The weekly expenditure is estimated by the War Office experts to be something over £2,00,000.

A very successful Christian Endeavour Convention was held at Gore on 9th November. The speakers included Mr McLean (Invercargill), the Rev. T. H. Lyon (Invercargill), and the Rev. Mr Boys (Bluff.) The coal famine in Germany was very serious on August 30, and a number of chambers of commerce petitioned the government for relief. The Prussian cabinet has resolved to grant a modified railroad tariff for foreign coal in order to facilitate the importation of coal from England and the United States. Indeed, the famine is so pronounced that the Prussian minister of railways, in the interest of the State, has laid an embargo on all the coal mined in the State mines.

At Cincinnati, on Sept. 24, the conference committees of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers and of the manufacturers signed the wage scale that will be effective until July, 1901. As soon as the scale was signed messages were sent in every direction before the conferees breakfasted, ordering the fires built at once. This decision means employment to over 60.000 working men who have been idle since June.

Under a tent covering 35,000 square metres, 20,000 persons breakfasted as the guests of France in the Tulleries Gardens. The banquet was given by President Loubet to the mayors of the municipalities of Prance in honour of the exposition. It can safely be said that such a prodigious repast was never before undertaken. The arrangements had been going forward for some weeks, and resulted in such excellence of detail that the event was carried to perfection without a hitsh. Forty or fifty men were found gambling in a house in Christchurch, and twelve captured after an exciting scene.

The Imperial authorities have authorised the K.Z. Government to buy 5000 tons of oats on their behalf. At the inquiry into the fire which destroyed the Royal Mail Hotel, Lumsden, the jury found that the fire originated in Mrs Kenning’s bedroom, but there was no evidence

to show how it originated, and added a rider to the effect that in their opinion the stock and furniture were over-insured. The Coroner in addressing the jury remarked that there was not a tittle of evidence to cast suspicion on anyone.