NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 41, 11 October 1900, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

There will be no mayoral elections in the Colony this year, po +h* prpgeut mayors remain in office until April. The crops in the South Canterbury district aie rcpui.^J tc be looking loinarkably wfll The Southland Frozen Meat Company is erecting abattoirs at Mataura. A contract is in hand to slaughter 200 head of cattle, fattened on Edendale Estate, for the Home ma,rkot. The contents of the Triad for October are, as usual, varied and interesting, and comprise articles on art music, Buience, and literature. The Roslyn Tram Company, Dunedin, has the honor of being the first corporation in New Z- aland to use electricity as a motor power for their cars. A trial of the new cars took place last week with very satisfactory results. The Christchurch people object to November 'J being proclaimed the peace celebration holiday, as it will be the People's Show Day, and would, they think, be hurtful to the Agricultural Show. A fire occurred early on Friday at Papanui, near Christchurch, by which the Town Hall was completely destroyed. Hopkins's grocery store, and the shops of Lake (bootmaker) and Roberts (tobacconist) were burned down. As a souvenir of his management of the Wellington tramways, Dr. Grace's partners presented him with a silver epergne and candelabra, designed and made locally. The weight of the dome is 200oz, and the articles are eaid to be the most valuable of the kind ever made in New Zealand. The reputation of New Zealand as a health report has evidently reached London, for we are informed that a number of cracksmen ore on their way from England. Very likely the police were making London too hot for them, and so they have decided to pay ua a visit. It is reported that the timber trade of the Colony is remarkably brisk at present. The Kauri Company have a million feet ordered for Wellington and Lyttelton alone, neven vessels being employed in the carrying of it. During the next few months two million Jeet of white pine will be sent lioni Wellington to Sydney, where the demand is also very bri^-k. Ou« readers in different parts of the Colony would oblige us very much by bending to this oitice marked copies of local papers containing items of Catholic news. Many of our friends feel disappointed when we do not notice some evuit reported in a local paper, but they should bear in mind that exchanges are liable to miscarry, and furthermore that there is the possibility of a paragraph b< ing overlooked. A sad affair occurred at Wnngnnui List week, when George Wntts, a cirter. was drowned in attempting tos.nun woiimn w ho had jumpdl ofT the wharf. He swan towards her for some t'i«tanco, but peeing a bo it going to her assistance, turned bai_k, and shortly afterwards sank A sailor named Miller al»o jumped oil the w harf, »nd rescued the woman before '■hi- finally went do^n, holding hei up till a boat leached Uiem. The body of \\;uts was found three-quarters Gf mi hoar aiterwards.Riid attempts weie n> ide at resuscitation. Restoratives had to be applied to Miller, who was in an exhausted condition. The Wellington correspondent of the Ot<Ji/<> fiai/ij 7V;//f? says — ' Bishop Grimes, of Christchurch, who ha-s just MYiiei by the Waikare f ro n Australia, informed a iepoiter that lh" icci--.t Conference decided, among otln r thing*, to <ntnbli-.li a Catholic Truth Society tor the dis-eminatiou of Unman Catholic literature. There was no' lung professedly political <,\» ut the Sociery. and in discussing its formaiion politics wtre s.-t a>id< j . Of cour»e *>o u« subjects, Mich as education, must hiwe .1 politual sid ( . but the iiiain object was to un-emuiatis thj truth about the Church. Steps nre also to be taken to organise missions to non-Cathode-*, una pun ins outside the ( hurih Vv ill be m\ntd m v n.iei.Mal manner to bear ieeture*. tt is hoped in th's way to jtmovc erroneous nnprespions. These iuit?sioii.s will be similar to thobu uudeitukeuiu North America by the I'auli^t Fathers,' OK Monday evening of last \vc;k a very suice«bful social gathering was held in Hawera for the. purpose of giving the Cutnolics of the distrut mi opportunity ot siting good-bye to thti Key. Father Otborne, of Musterton, who had in en in charge of the parish during the abcence on holiday of the Very Rev. Father Power. During his short stay in this town (-lay* the Haurra >tar) Father Odborne, by his geniality and other j^ood qua'nii*, made a hont o* triend», who did not feel dinpos<d to al.nw him to deji.irt without some cr.at.itedtation in his hoii(;r. The r-ocial, which was held in the Opera House, was well attended, and proved veiy enjoyable. The Flynn Family orchestra played borne tuneful selections, which were much appreciated ; songs were given by Messrs L. O. Hooker, llnyes, Rapley (Stratford), VYakeinan, mil ,-s.cott, and a duet by Miaseß Nelly and M. Flynn. M**. Fri«i-r n cited humorously. Prior to the supper adjournment, the Rev. haiher Ohborne tnuk tlie opportunity of thanking the promoters of the nocial, and expressing the regret he felt at having to leave Hawera, ih^ waruu-heaited people of which place had shown him such great kindness during his stay here. He would, he said, ever retain kindly recollections of Haweia folk, and hoped at some future date to be able to pay the

district another visit. He would have very much liked to hay« remained in Hawpra, but his superiors willed otherwise, and there was nothing left for him but to obey In bidding farewell to those present, he expressed the hope that, should it so fall out that they would never see each other again in this world, they would meet in a better land, where ther^ would be no parting. An excellent supper was provided by the ladies of the congregation. The ladies' committee consisted of Misses Flyun (2), Sutton, and Carroll, Mesdames Sullivan, Sutton, Roche, O'Donnell, and Hooker, the last-named making an indefatigable secretary. The gentlemen's committee were Messis Rubsell, Sullivan, O'Donnell, and Hooker, Amo^g *Wp present was the Rev. Father Johnston, of Stratford. At the conclusion of the Boctal Mesuames Uouker an.l Sullivan (on l,i half o F thp parishioners) presented Father Osborne with a purse of sovereigns, the rev. gentleman making feeling acknowledgment. Father Osborne left by the next morning's express, carrying with him the hearty good wishes of the Hawera Catholics, many of whom assembled at the station to bid him farewell.