GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue III, 19 July 1902, Page 151

GENERAL NEWS.

“It is such an unusual thing for an insolvent to pay twenty shillings in the pound that 1 will give a certificate on embossed paper, with gold edges, if you can prove in a proper manner that all the creditors have received this amount.” —Judge Molesworth to an insolvent in the Melbourne Insolvency Court the other day. Last week a meeting of representatives from 19 School Committees in the Southern portion of the Hawke’s Bay Education district who are dissatisfied with the present administration of the Board decided to form a permanent combination to guard the interests of the bush districts. Mr. Donne, of the Tourist Department, is to visit Egmont National Park, Taranaki, shortly, and confer with the Board which has control of the park in regard to the expenditure of the fund for the improvement of the place. The whole of the Roto-o-rangi estate, jiear Cambridge, has now been disposed of, with the exception of about 500 acres and a portion of the swamp land. A creamery is to be erected on the estate by the Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Association, and a road is being formed through the estate, connecting with *he Cam-bridge-Te Awamutu Road. At a meeting of the Gisborne Beautifying Association last week the President (Mr Kennedy) said there was a likelihood of the Captain Cook-memorial being taken up all over the colony, and by the Admiralty and Government, and probably a handsome stone obelisk would be erected at the landing-place at Gisborne. They might have a visit from a warship and a great function on the day of its erection. The Anglican Diocesan Synod of Wellington on Friday passed a resolution placing- on record its deep sorrow at the loss the Church has suffered by the death of Bishop Cowie and appreciation of the long a-nd faithful services rendered by him during his episcopate. A committee was set up to draw up a scheme to make the Church's influence more practically effective in temperance work. The Government has awarded 2,000 acres of the Whakarewa Block, 1 ring between Otamarakau and (Bay of Plenty) to the Ngati-Raagitihi tribe. This is the tribe that suffered so much at the time of the Tarawera eruption. They lost not only many of their principal people, but much of their land was damaged. Since then they have managed to eke out a living by cultivating the unoccupied lands-nrotind Matata. Quoting from his roil of New Zealand veterans, Lord Ranfurly says that 39 of those enrolled have medals for service prior to 1850, one being for the bombardment of Acre in the year 1S40; 779 were earned between 1850 and 1860, and there were 1332 Maori War medals. Italy’s great liberator, Garibaldi, also had a representative ( 'Rowley" Hill, of Auckland), who wore, not a medal, but the rosette that was with Garibaldi the reward of valour. A settler of Rangitikei, writing to a friend in Masterton. says: “An incident connected with the recent Hoods in the Rangitikei River has, so far, not been published. A man was camped in a tent on the bank of the river. The flood came down during the night, but he was not disturbed. On

the following morning, when he awakened, he found himself, tent, and about an eighth of an acre of land, high and dry nearly two miles further down the stream than when he retired to rest.” A number of unemployed workmen at Port Chalmers have purchased the schooner Enterprise, with the intention of proceeding to Macquarie Island. in the far South, on a sea - lion expedition. The men intend to work on the co-opera-tive system, and will be away nine months. Captain McLeod, of Broad Bay. will command the party, which consists of ten men, and a start from Port Chalmers is expect 1 to be made in a few days. '1 he committee of the Manawa’u cadets intend to ask the member for the district to move an amendment to increase the defence estimate to give cadets £1 capitation, and also suggest that cadets form part of the volunteer force and be ait 'died to the battalion nearest their headquarters; that officers should be adults, passing the snmo examinations for commissions as officers of adult companies, service to count in full. The co-operation of other cadet corps in the colony is to be invitVisitors to Waimangu (say< the Ro’.o rua ’‘Chronicle’) are warned of the great danger of approaching too close to the great geyser. The eruptions a.e so sudden and take place without any preliminary rising of the waters, th»t there is no time to get out of ike way. Women are the greatest transgressors in getting too close in their anxiety to everything. On several occasions last summer. when it was time to run away, the ladies, instead of doing so, went >tT into a dead faint. The Tourist Department have placed a stretcher there in case of accident. There has been a great commotion amongst the members of the No. 3 Company" Waikato Mounted Rifles at Cambridge during the past few days (says the Waikato “Argus"), owing to eight of them having been fined £3 eu h f«»r not attending the week's drill in camp. Those who have been notified that they have been fined seem to think they are being hardly dealt with; but, on the other hand, they should bear in ml ml they are doing the whole Company an injury by not attending the drill, as the capitation grant will probably ’ e lost through their abronce. Mrs Malcolm Nlcrol, who saved three'persons from drowning on one day, at Devonport, was presented by His E> ellency the G mor with t e silver medal and certificate of the Royal Humane Society of New Z iland at the Exchange Hall. Wellington. 1; st week. Tn n king the ] esentarion Lord Rnnfurly said that never had a med >1 been more honestly won. Mr Nsiecol responded on behalf of Mrs Niccol. saying that she was proud of the opportunity of being useful, and would be only too pleased if occasion arose to show the same courage again. The Minister for Lands was asl ed by a deputation from the Farm rs' Union if it is his intention to put up a plant at Auckland for the purpose of st( rilisin< • 1 >n s imported from Australia, to prevent the introduction of anthrax and other ?attle diseases by that medium. The Minister said that while the Department was in sympathy with the proposal it was a questi- a of funds. However, the matter had not b *en lost sight of. At the Southland Count}’ Council meeting last week hard things were said by members regarding the lapse between promise, as represented by votes on the Parliamentary estimates.and performance.as shown in payment thereof. This applied to votes throw the Land Department and Mines Department. It v.us pointed out that the ratepayers saw these votes mentioned in print and nothing would convince them that the Council had not got the cash and wore keeping it up their sleeves. The position was getting serious. nnd members were threatened with extinction Ivccausc they could not make bricks without straw. It was resolved to bring the mat ier before the member for Mat aura.

At the Whangarei Police Court last week, before two Justices of the Peace, a native lad named Tohu Akarana was charged with stealing 20/ from A. E. North, hote’-keeper. I’oroti. on the 24th, and also on the 29th, with stealing the sum of 15/ from rhe same person ar I place. Accused pleaded guilty to Loth charges, and <»□ the first charge was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment in Mount Eden Guo! with hur l labour, aiic ordere i to receive eight strokes with a birch rod. On the second charge h * wn.> cenvj* ed and discharged. In some quarters (say- the Whangarei Ai. oca to”) a movement is on feet to p tition th * Minister of Justice, an I. if necessary, the Governor, to prevent the birch be ng <;>ed. Recently the miners employed at the Outtrim Colliery, Va toria. struck ag\. list working nonLniomsis. One of the latter, being without food and shelter. o Union;-- r.anit d Barton, out of pity, .-i.el.ercd him. Of ;er Unionists became ii'.eer.sed, and’ List night a largo nu.iihri'. including- women. attacked Ban on’s house, smashed the doers an ; win < \v>. an I _ t up u us iI a i ivl o 1 the police. Jkirion and the non I’mc >. : 't were t- on io the police station for safety. i'ive Unionists were arrested. Additional police have keen sent for to prevent any further outbreak. In connection with the nnu.mincc'.iient made in the cable me- s : s last week that Mount L< ee, in Martinique. has again been in ' iolent eruption, it is interesting to note that Mr J. T. Steven *n. I'.R.A.S., of Auckland, some little lime ago pre dieted renewed volcanic activity in that quarter on a date veiy closely corresponding to that of Price's new outburst. The recent v. i-.mic activiiy in Costa Rica \v:i - ab) g.- ieraliy »oieMiadov,e I by Mr S.u’cn-’.n. who expressed t<> us the opinion nearly a fortnight ago that there would be earthquakes or volcanic out breaks somewhere about that parallel of latitud in the N ’t ri H ni>phere. Mr Steve.-: a’- .hc-ay. w?l. : he ex > i?i‘’d at the ip.!':;-, wa- that th*- irilucut • of t’; * moon ai • ‘to the sun nd »•,: i? h. haw- to .io v. ; t h eri’i ’. s ; . t .it'i i C-. th.‘.ll is geiiui / i u. i. i* misprediction on ll’ is a a;: lion, .r t ovensOn held • this v. < k ihc n «• m's inti ”’ nee w< Id ciu . nt ed .• tivit j < \ r in w ‘h Martin . I’he fact of th.’ (o-t;i I'’.’.”. V.deai'Pus b'-ing appro?,; .el v in that latitude. tho.sMi » ]. .tv..: ! In many .h-grees of lonijit : s to beat out his theory. In \:a rierin |■ p ••• ■ r< eeived by th.' last mail aa An.e: a-aa - ’ii nfist a( lvancing a sim lar t he:»rv pr« lict d a recurrt n. v< ennic activity about July 4 ii \V< M Indio.. When this v/as nicnti’inud to Mr Stevenson lie said he .•.• idered that it was more likely 1 ■ be a few days later, perhaps the Cub Mj- St ven.mi also sta’us thu’ • tn litious for the month of .’ . about il;e second week, are o fav »urable to further v.i.enr.a* di - chiefly in the Northern H ■ L ; here. Tn answer to Mr. Witheford, Mr Hall-Jbnes said that the question of pushing on th.> North of Auckland railway would I ( con. i’dcred after the General Estin.at’s were brought down, but he i garded the Main Trunk line bet'een Auckland and Wellington as the more important Mr. lang v-hed to know if it Ai’ i * correc t that the co-operative workers at the northern end of ’he North Island Main Trunk railway have only been earning last month from 4 ’>» to 7 I per day. and if so, would th Government, considering the cost of living in that district, direct that a living wage shall be provided for the workmen. Ti e Hen W. ! all-.lom s said a man was paid according to what In- earned. The lowest wag* paid on the work last month was 6/1. nnd the hiirh - t 9/8, or an average of 7/3.