NEWS AND NOTES.

Southern Cross, Volume 18, Issue 10, 18 June 1910, Page 11

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Maori council at "W'aihi ordered stringent rules to be prepared for the suppression of the drink traffic.

At a preliminary meeting held m Invercargill on the 11th inst., it was decided to form a General Labourers' Union.

The grain carried over the Southland railways this season totalled 577,721 sacks as against 602,707 last year.

The people of Riversdale, on the Waimea line, 18 miles from Gore, are agitating for the establishment of freezing works there.

The Cabinet has decided to invite tenders for the 'construction of a passenger and cargo steamer capable of carrying 1400 passengers for the Lake Wakatipu service.

The Makura kept up wireless communication- with Sydney on her voyage to Vancouver over a- distance of 2080 miles.

The Duke of Connaught, brother of the late King Edward, will, in the Spring, succeed Earl Grey as Go>'-

ernor-General of Canada

Schneider's Syrian Orphanage at Jerusalem has been burned. The 400 students were absent at the time. The loss is estimated at £15,000. The property was uninsured. It is stated that Sir E. Shacklet 0 n will next year lead an Australian expedition to scientifically explore the unknown coastline lying directly south of 'Australia.

It is notified that the Right Sir Charles Hardinge, P.O. ex-Ambassa-dor at St. Petersburg, has been appointed Viceroy of India.

Mr R. McNab has returned to New Zealand, and will lecture in Invercargill on Ist July, his theme being "Captain Cook and the Early History of New Zealand."

Mr Fisher (Federal Prime Minister) states that the Federal Government will be glad to co-operate with the Imperial Government in putting a stop to the indiscriminate slaughter of birds for. their plumage for ladies' hats, etc.

It is reported that a new party is being organised in America, including ex-President Roosevelt and Messrs Pinchon and Garfield. The party is composed of all favouring the people's rights against those supporting the monopoly of the country's resources.

Protests have been made in several parts of the Dominion against the sentence of 21 years passed on Pawelka, and at a meeting- at Wanganui a petition was ordered to be circulated praying- for a remission of a portion of the sentence.

An up-to-date sawmill, with substantial tramway. has been established by the Glenham Sawmilling Co. on an educational reserve -six miles eastward of the township. The plant includes a fine patent geared locomotive, built by Messrs J. Johnstone and Sons, Ltd.. Invercargill. Mr R. C. Macpherson. of Balclutha, purposes leaving X. Z. for Papua about the middle of next month. Mr Macpherson is one of a syndicate of 10 imostly Dunedinites) who have acquired a block of land in Papua (British Xew Guinea) with the object of forming a rubber plantation.

At a recent meeting of the Caledonian Society of Southland, Mr J. A. Mitchell, who has been connected with that body for over 40 years, was elected a life honorary director, and invested with the regalia of the Society. The distinction, which at present is only enjoyed by one other member. Mr M. Robertson, is richly deserved by the genial "J.A.M."

"What's sauce for the goose," etc., doesn't apply to breach of promise cases. Sherman Mackenzie, a farmer of Brown's Plain (Victoria) sued Miss Edith Macvean. of the owner of Howlong Station, for a breach of promise, claiming £3OOO. A hard-hearted jurv allowed him £25.

An acetylene gas explosion occurred in the Methodist schoolroom at Masterton, while preparations were being made for a lantern lecture, through fumes reaching the gas-jet. The presence of mind of Mr Snowball (the Young Men's Christian Association's who was operating, in holding his arm over the lid of the generator, saved the schoolroom. Mr Snowball was badly burnt aboirt the face and arms, and required medical attention. Mr Snowball, it will be remembered, was the organiser in the Awarua district at the last nolicense lecture.

John Trembath, who escaped from custody at Rakaia recently when being taken from Ashburton to Lyttelton gaol to serve sentences for forgery and horse-stealing, was captured near Waitata on June 10th.

Speaking of work among the Ma"ries at the opening of the Anglican Synod in Dunedin, His Lordship the Primate (Bishop Nevill) said : "When at Riverton recently I had an interview with Miss Sterling, a gifted half-caste young lady, who was educated at Te Aute, but who has relatives at Koraka (Colac), with whom she had been staying for some time. It was her desire to take up work there, especially for the Maori girls, and I feel sure that if we could provide the modest stipend which would be needed, very much good could be accomplished/ It is proposed to make a number of changes in the boundaries of Southland County, so as to provide a readjustment whereby an upkeep of main arterial roads shall be borne equally by ratepayers (in different ridings) in the habit of using them. The County clerk (Mr A. J. Service) and the County Engineer (Mr Jiasstian) are authorised to prepare the schedule showing the altered boundaries. One result of the proposed rearrangement is that one of the sitting members, when they take effect, will be disfranchised. Mr J.

P. Wilson, member for Waihopai Riding, has lost a portion of his territory, which is to be included in the Awarua Riding. This portion includes Mr Wilson's farm and homestead, and at the next election he will consequently lie unable to contest the Waihopai seat.