NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 30, 27 July 1899, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

Me. John Hr/TCHESON was elected Member for Wellington on Tuesday, the numbers being — Mr. J. Hutcheson, 6943 ; Mr. E J Jellicoe, 4771.

At the Bisley meeting, England, Mr. F. W. Williams, of NewZealand, won the Armourers' Prize, at d he was also seventh in the Alexandra Match.

We have received parcels of used stamps for Rev. Father Kreymborg's mission from Miss Jane E. Hayes, Cromwell, and Miss Annie Dougherty, Gimmerburn.

The council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce intends to urge the Government to establish the penny post in the Colony, and a regular fortnightly mail service with England.

Mary Ann Porter, 67 years of age, was killed on the East road, Stratford, on Monday evening of last week, through the overturning of a dray in which she was coming to Stratford.

Informatlon has been received in Wellington from England that the Hon. John M'Kenzie, Minister for Lands, acting- under medical advice, has undergone an operation, which was successfully performed.

It is proposed to form a syndicate in Wellington to purchase land along the Wairarapa Lake on which to erect a sanatorium, and to run steamers of light draught between the lake and Wellington for the carriage of cargo and the conveyance of excursionists.

Me. H. D. Bell, of Wellington, will leave for London next montb for the purpose of appearing before the Pi ivy Council on behalf of the Crown in connection with tbe appeal by the receiver for the debenture-holders in the Midland railway seizure case.

It is said that the new railway station at Oamaru, according to the plans prepared by the Government, will be the finest of its kind in the South Islaud, if not in New Zealand. It is probable that the department will undertake the work of construction, employing such labour from the dibtrict as may be required.

According to the annual report of the Labour Department, the number of factories in the Colony for the year ending 3]st March last was 6286, and the employes 45,305, an increase of 685 factories and 5633 workers over 1898 An extension of the restriction of the hours of labour, now applying only to women, is advocated as regards men workers.

It is notified in the Gazette that native game, excepting species mentioned in the schedule, may be taken or killed until July 31. Following are the schedule species not to be taken or killed. In ali districts : Tui, hum, white heron, and crested grebe. !n Wellington district : Paradit-e duck and blue mountain duck. In Marlborough district : Native pigeon, pukeko, and paradise duck. In Otago district : Wild geese and bittern. In Southland district : Great kiwi (roaroa), morepork, owl (ruru), and bittern.

Otatjtau residents will be glad to hear (writes our Southland correspondent) that the Government will so arrange matters at an early date that greater facilities will be given for the carrying out of postal arrangements, con erning which so much complaint has been heard. Mr. J. W. Raymond of w yndbam informs me that he will contest the Mataura seat in the Opposition interest. A telephone bureau will be opened soon at Lumsdeu, which township is to be connected with Riversdale and Gore. Mb. Hyde, the Government poultry expert, reports that there is every prospect of the poultry industry assuming large proportions during the coming summer. The importance of the industry is becoming generally recognised, and hundreds of formers are turning their attention to the rearing of classe* of birds recoommended by the Agricultural Department. A large farm in Christchurch has arranged to make regular shipments of dressed poultry to London, and it is believed that the example will be followed in other p.»rts of the Colony.

Some little time ago we (West Coast Times) stated that one of our Hokitika boys, Mr. St. Leger Gribben, had taken honours in connection with his medical examination at Edinburgh University. It is gratifying to know that yesterday Mr. H. Gribben, Hokitikaj receivi d a cable from Edinburgh from his son stating he bad passed the final medical examination and thus obtains degrees of M.B. and B.Ch. Our readers will be pleased with us in noting the succeas of another of our boys, and will congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Gribben on it. It is not likely that Dr. Gribben will return to New Zealand for sometime. Dr. Gribben was educated at St. Patrick's College, Wellington, from which he matriculated, and then proceeded to the' Edinburgh University.

In his annual report the Government Insurance Commissioner says that the department shared, during the patst year, in the general prosperity of the Colony. During the past year there were 4461 proposals for the insurance of £980,804. Of these, 3361 were completed, insuring £713,489, the an- ual premiums theieon amounting to £23,314. A considerable improvement iH shown in regard to lapsed and surrendered policies The net increase of business for the year was £302,140, which is larger than for many years past. There are now 37,348 policies in existence, insuring £9,304,741, the total annual premiums being £275,965. The net income for the yearwas £410,148, of which interest amounted to £131,188. The rate of interest is declining, and the department is making full provision to meet the situation by assuming- the low rate of 3$ per cent, in the triennial valuation now proceeding. The expense* wt re I*lßß than in 1897, though a greater amount of basinets w»n do c. The accumnla ed funds now ftand at £2,861,534, an incrense of £136,429. The close of the year is expected to show an accumulated fund of three millions.

The planting of osier willows by the Waimakariri River Board, Canterbury, for basket-making purposes, is fast becoming remunera, tive. This year the Board has let the right ro cut the willows foi £65. Last year the right was secured far £46. The osiers are use locally, and those not required are exported to Melbourne and Sydney. The successful tenderer his printed out that it wouic be better to let contracts for longer ytu ds than one y^ar, a* his firm had contracts lo'-npply the will' ws in the tonu ot ba-kKs etc., for long periods, and would be at gr> it i'xpe?i-e il the}' lane* to secure the contra t. Tins im an iuduiii^ Vtlnoh ii,ijht be t!i» i with advantage in other parts of the Colony.

A curiosity in the shape of the first balance she^t of the Corporation of lnvercargill, that for the yea<- emutig I) ceibber 31st, 1871, was presented at thr last meeting: of tlip Council. From this it appeared that the ordinary n venue w\s £2 17s, and th.it advances had been received from the Bank of Ota.ro amounting 1 to £172 14s lOd. The disbursements i including 1 salaries £,'s,"i 18-, day labour, £22 lfis, Fire Bngide, £2 11s lid. ami preliinui iry expenditure acconnt, £9.~> K>s (id) totalled £173 2s lOd wuich left £2 IN in cash in the hands of the Town Clerk. Tne document (.says the News') certainly affords a striking 1 illustration of the growth of Southland's capital during the intervening- twenty-sevea years.

Messrs. Best and Trenwith, of Victoria, who recently visited this Colouy, have given their impressions of the trip to a Melbourne audience. Mr. Best said that New Zealand had courageously tackled questions of domestic economy. During the whole of the time he spent in the Colony he never heard a d> mand that any of these receat measures of economic or 500u.,1 legislation should be. repealed. Victoria might look with profit at the experiences ot New Zealand in this direction. He spoke in terms of warm admiration of the co-operative system, the resumption of lands, and the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Mr. Trenwith said the present unexampled prosperity of New Zealand was due largely to what might be termed her experimental legislation. Both gentlemen admitted that they had neen struck with the prosperity and productiveness of New Zealand.

Mr. F. B. Allen, director of the Thames School of Mines has discovered in a sample of ore brought him for examination, traces of a very valuable mineral known as molybdenite. On searching the claim he located an iron seam carrying the mineral in question m the solid country. The seam is about one foot in thickness, and th^ molybdenite occurs in nests and pockets alongside of it, whilst hUle strings of molybdenite, a quarter of an inch wide, ate to be ■-een traversing the country in the immediate neighbouihood of the mum seam. An analysis of .samples of the ors broken from the seo.m by Mr. Allen himself proves it to be without doubt a su.phide of the rare metal molybdenum, which as a metal is about as valuable as gold. There are evidences oi its being fairly widely spread in the locality. Molybdenite is a mineral resembling plumbago, ;md is chiefly used in the determination of phosphates, u-anures, guano, etc.

Detective M'Ghath of Dunedin, who has been appointed Chief Detective at Wellington, in succession to Chief Detective Campbell, left for the North on Tuesday. On Monday evening there was a large gathering at ihe Dunedin police station of members oi the police force to bid him good-bye. Advantage was taken oi the occasion to present to Mrs. M'Grath a substanti il pu^se of sovereigns subscribed by members of the police force throughout Otago. The presentation was made by Chief Detective Campbell, who referred to the many good qualities of Detective M'Wrath Inability as a detective, and the many sorvicrs he h.id rend end while in Dunedin His personal popularity among the members of the police force was shown by the fact that all had joined m subscribing the purse of sovereigns which he handed over to Mrs. M"Grath. Mr. Bell, Detective Coon* y. and Constable Dale endor-ed the remarkmade by Chief Detective Campbell. Detective MGrath made a suitable reply on behalf of Mrs. M'Gratk.