GENERAL NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6935, 26 October 1900, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

. ■ — ♦ '■ A LETTER FROM LORD ROBERTS. An interesting communication has reached Dunedin from Lord ..Roberts (says the " Outlook"). Some time ago the St Andrews' s Church Christian Endeavour Society sent Lord Roberts a letter of congratulation on his successes. Promptly came a reply from' the great commander.- tt is characteristic of Lord Roberts that he should hare found time to send the following prompt and courteous note in reply : — -" Army Headquarters, Belfast, Transvaal, Sept. 9.' Dear Daisy Black, — I thank you for your letter, and for the kind form in which you convey the good wishes of yourself and your comrades. I trust with you that ere long* peace may reign over this land, and that those brave comrades jn arms whom New Zealand has sent to help the Mother Country may return to their homes. — - Believe ' me, yours very truly, ROBERTS, F.M." THE COOK ISLANDS. The Cook Islands correspondent of this journal, writing from R&rafconga on Oct. 11, pays": — "The Ovnltiu arrived from Auckland on Oct. 2, and, after discharging cargo, . went to Tahiti, where she arrived to-day. After taking in produce, she will go on to Auckland to-night. The schopjiers Mongafoa ahd Vaili have been trading between the various islands of the group fairly regularly. A large cargo of copra goes up this trip. There are net ninny oranges now, as the season is just about finished, but rhe mangoes and pines , are coming in. The bananas,',. go on all the year round pretty well. The coffee crop" tends to be 1 very good next season, as all the trees have a healthy [ appearance, and are covered with bloom. The inatives have been taking advantage of tihe recent spell of fine weather, and have j repaired in a good many places the roads and bridges. They have, besides,, built one new bridge between Avarua. and Avorangi. The new missionary and his wife, Mr and Mrs P. Hall, arrived by tiie Ovalau to take Miss Large' s place at the Tereora boardingschool, as Miss Large is leaving for England by this boat. The High Courfc has postponed its- sittings, pending the arrival of the Chief Judge, Lieutenant-Colonel Gudgeon, who went to New Zealand with Lord Ranfurls in H.M.S. Mildura." PRESS REPRESENTATIVES AT INQUIRIES. The question of the right of Press representatives to be present at an inquiry of stewards of a racing club cropped 1 up at a meeting of the Poverty Bay Turf Club yesterday. In the Flying Handicap a protest was laid by the rider (Wilson) against Canopus, on the grounds of crossing at the home turn. The Chairman of the committee, Mr J. W. Nolan, stated that he had always been opposed to Press representatives being present at inquiries, as credence could not be attached to the statements of jockeys. These statements were not on oath, -and no good purpose could be served by publishing the evidence. Mr J. Clark, a we'll-kndws horse-owner, stated that he had previously- beeiTia fs-vdUr of admitting Press representatives, but had since been led to "change his opinion. A resolution was carried unanimously that reporters should be excluded from the meeting.