NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 15, 12 April 1900, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL.

We have received the Triad for the current month. As usual the reading matter is good, whilst the illustrations are excellent.

The valuation of the city of Chnstchurch is now set down at over £220,000, being au increase of £14,065 for the year.

Tue first choice of Imperial commissions offered New Zealand will be given to members of the contingents in Africa, arid after them to volunteers of twelve months' standing ; next to officers of cadet corps ; and finally to any other applicants.

The number of persons in rec 'ipt of old age pensions in New Zealand now exceeds 10,000. So smoothly is the administrative work in connection with the scheme proceeding that there is almost an entire absence of complaints from recipients.

It is reported in Wellington that a sixth contingent, consisting of 100 men and 200 hordes, will be s-eut \ery shortly to South Africa. Half of the hordes will probably be remounts for the first and second contingents.

It is said that it will take quite a year before the Westinghouse brake will be fitted on to the rolling stock of the railways in the North Island alone. In connection with the work of fitting on the brake two large buildings will have to be erected at Wellington and Auckland.

Mu. T. Rothebam, locomotive superintendant of the Government railways, has tendered his resignation, having accepted au appointment in the Railway department of Western Australia. Mr. Rotheram has been in the New Zealand Government service for upwards of '20 years.

A Rome correspondent writes : — The Very Rev. Dr. Watters, S.M., late rector of St. Patrick's College, Wellington, was received in private audience by the Holy Father on February 22. Dr. Watters reports his Holiness to be ' clear of head, and strong and vigorous though bent with age.'

The art union in connection with the bazaar in aid of the furnishing fund of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Wellington, will probably be drawn on the 23th insi. Perbons having books of tickets are requested to forward blocks and remittances before that date to the Very Rev. Father Lewis, Wellington.

The Afric, which is now loading at Sydney, and which will shortly arrive to fill up with New Zealand cargo, will be one of the largest steamers that has ever come to this Colony. The filling up of her cargo in New Zealand will consist of a trifle of 100,000 carcases of mutton. Sue ia likely to call at Napier, Wellington and Lyttelton.

The London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald pays that whatever may be the cause, there in no denying that the butter merchants all over tho United Kingdom are nearly unanimous in affirming that New Zealand butter ia bupc ior to Australian generally A few factories in Australia make excellent butter, but New Zealand is rapidly proving tual the bulk of hers is excellent, and the Home agents are c<m»inir t > the opiuion that the future trade lies largely with New Z> aland. The letter further sayt that iv Manchester and Liverpool New Z a'and butter finds iar more tavorthan Australian, and that cou bid- ruble quantities of the former find their way there.

A Westpokt correspondent writes : — His Grace Archbishop Redwood ai,d the Key. Father Aiusworth lett for Reefton after con* cludiLg a most t-uecesstul mission here. The nnswion was in every re.-peot a record one and at its louclunion both the missioners exprts-ed their gratifi ation at the ret-ult. The Rev. Father Amsworth, who announced that he had been allotted the small task of collecting £40,0u0 lor the new Cathedral at Wellington, was most generously met by the parishoners, receiving in all about £1500 ia promises and cash. Father Ainsworth also established himself in high favor as a pulpit orator. The Archbishop and his popular confrere preached on alternate evenings and during the whole time of the mission the sitting accommodation of St. Canioe's was taxed to the utmost limit.

At the conclusion of the meeting of the Press Association recently in Wanganui the members went on a trip up the Wanganui river. One of the party, in the course of an article in the Rangitikei Advocate on the beauties of the river, writes as follows with reference to the Foundling Apylum established at Jerusalem by Rev. Mother Mary Joseph Aubert : — We may mention that the party stayed for a time at Jerusalem, and visited the home for foundlings established by Mother Mary Joseph Aubert. Here they were surrounded by groups of healthy, well-fed children, whose smiling faces testified to their good treatment by loving hands, and they have certainly cau^e to be thank' ul to the reverend mother and her staff, who provide them with everything riquhed, and are also educating them to fit them for their work in lite. Thanks to the fostering care displayed they have been tav> d lrom the temptations and riskß that mu^t otherwise have been their lot, and though none of the party of visitors were Catholics, all heartily agreed that a good work is being well done, at Jerusalem.

The following news item reached us by a roundabout route and too late for insertion in last week's issue. It is from Mr. P. M. Twomey, hon sec. of the National Federation, Wellington, who says Ihe occasion ol the unity and re-union of the Irish Parliamentary Party prompted the Irish National Federation here— which has beea dormant for some time — to hold on March 27 a meeting to resuscitate and reorganise the association. Amongst the work done was the sending a short cablegram to the Irish Party through the present Chairman, Mr. John Redmond, which ran as follows — 'Federation congratulate Unity. Home Rule principal question. We are sending letter.' As intimated in the telegram, the letter is being sent by the outgoing mail to-day (March 31), with congratulation from Federation branch here and also urging the Party to improve on the present occasion of the Queen's visit to Ireland, coupled with the praises bestowed on the Irish soldiers fighting in the Transvaal, by pressing for a more just, a more needful, a more important reward and privilege than being allowed the empty honor of pporting the shamrock — viz., the right, the privilege, of governing their country by being granted Home Rule. I notice with satisfaction in this week's Tablet that the Irish Parliamentary Party are unanimous as to the course of action, as well as having effected a re-union on sound and patriotio basis, and a sessional chairman elected with the cordial approval of all. Indeed, when we see the Hon. E. Blake proposing and Mr. Tim Healy seconding the election of Mr. John Redmond as the first sessional chairman, it bodes a happy augury for future unity.

A heavily laden stock and timber train was derailed on the Rimutaka line on Monday, with the result that forty of the trucks were broken into matchwood, and 2000 sheep were either killed or so badly maimed that they had to be slaughtered on the spot. The a cident happened on the Wellington eid9 of the range about two miles from Kaitoke. The train consisted of one engine, two brake* vans and 52 trucks,- 43 of which were filled with sheep. While rounding a curve, about two miles from Kaitoke one of the trucks left the metals, and the whole train was quickly piled up in a strange confusion on the line. It was a terrible sight, for not only were 40 of the trucks smashed to pieces but 2500 sheep were piled up with tbetn, and of this number only 600 were got out alive. The most t-eneationai incident, however, was the disappearance of a signalman named Stephen Hicks, who had been put on to brake the middle van. After the accident he could not be found anywhere. Eventually the workmen noticed a plank of the guard's van sticking in the debris, and guided by this, they began clearing away in the hope ot finding Hicks. Alter a time they heard him groaning, and ater two hours of arduous work he was extricated, more dead than alive. He was in a very sad plight, for his left arm was broken and fearfully lacerated, while in addition his left leg was broken above the knee, and he also had received very severe scalp wounds. His recovery is somewhat doubtful. He was extricated from a pile of dead and dying sheep, which no doubt saved him from being at once crushed to death, while at the same time their bodies kept him warm. It is said the accident will cost the department over £7000.

The continued drought, which was causing much inconvenience in the Wellington and Canterbury provinces, has broken up. Splendid rains fell in both these districts daring the early part of the week. The effect of the rains in North Canterbury will be in the direction of improving sheep feed, which was becoming short in supply.

Advice has been received in Wellington from London to the effect that owing to the large increase in the number of candidates for the Trinity College musical examinations it has been decided to try the experiment of sending an examiner to Australia and another to New Zealand and Tasmania. Mr. Birket Foster has been appointed for Australia and Mr. Charles Edward for New Zealand and Tasmania.