NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 11, 14 March 1901, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

The Government have re-appo nt d Messrs. J. R. Blair and F. de C. Malet as directors of the Bank of New Zealand. The proprietor of the Triad is to be warmly congratulated on the very fine illustrations in the current i«pue. 'lhese are principally scenes from Samoa, and ara capital productions. The Government have decided that Monday, March 18, be observed aa St. Patrick's Day by the civil service throughout the Colony. Mr. Percy Cecil Hjorrino was on Friday admitted by his Honor Mr. Justice Williams, at Dunedin, as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. All the men dismissed from the Waihi mine since the presentation of the union's demands have been reinstated. This acknowledges the principle that officials of unions are not to be singled out for presenting a claim. The Fortification Coal Company (reports the liruce Herald) expect to have their mine thoroughly opened up and the railway in fall swing within three months, carrying coal from the cit to the Milton railway btation. Two escapees from Burnham Industrial School were found on Saturday on a farm clo'-e to the institution. Tluy had killed a sheep and were boiling the legs in a bucket, when a farmer came upon them, and after a smart chase caught them and took them back to Burnham.

The following item of news received by cable last week will no doubt fire the ambition of candidates for the Mayoral chairs in

various parts of this Colony : — Power has been granted to the Duke of York to confer the honor of knighthood during his tour of the colonies. The London Gazette of 4th January notifies the appointment of Lieutenant Robert Walter Gordon Collins, who is a son of Lieu-tenan'-Colonel Collins, Wellington, to the Oxfordshire Light Tnf'iutry Re/iment, the appointment to date from the 19th May, 1 ( .mO. Lieutenant Collins is an ex-btudent of St. Patrick's College. The Government are disposed to hold no Easter encampments +>-■„ y Orir oo ;t; t w boen decided that when the Duke md T>uoh«>« of York are in the Colony the whole of ithe troops in the North I Hud, NcNom, and Warlborough. numbering about 8,000, will be concentrated in Wellington, and those of the rest of the South Island in Christchurch, where two big reviews will be held, and the training usual in camp will then take place. It looks as if the Government were preparing to engage in the coal trade. Ttip Premier told a deputation of Wellington trades unionists on Friday night that he hoped in a few months to flay that the Government vtere coal dealers. It was his intention to ask Parliament next st^ion for authority to open a State coal mine. He maintained that the combinations existing in the Colony and the manner in whioh they were being worked were to the detriment of the people, especially the poor, and demanded immediate attention. On Sunday, March .1 (writes a correspondent), the Catholio Church, Greymouth, was well filled when the Rev. Father Kimbell preached en the evils of intemperance. The rev. preacher showed that Solomon and St. Paul raised their voices against this vice, and in our own day distinguished ecclesiastics such as the late Cardinal Manning, and Archbishop Ireland deplored the results of the evil. The Irish Bishops gathered in Synod had said that ' drink kills more homes, made more widows and orphans, broke more hearts than all the famines.' The Press agent in London has been very hard up for newi when he has to cable out what the Duchess of York is to wear on the occasion of the opening of the Commonwealth Parliament. When news was so scarce it is pretty evident that he made the most of the incident in which some of the Irish members figured in the House of Commons. As experience has taught us to take this gentleman's reports of Irish affairs with more than the proverbial grain of salt, we shall await with some curiosity our Home exchanges containing an account of the matter. ' Orepukite ' writes : — ' I notice in last week's issue of the Tablet in ' Southland Notes ' a paragraph re the importation of I-SOO girJs from Scotland to woik in the Orepnki Shale Works. As suuh a statement may be misleading to the public I wish to say — as an Orepukite — and one who knows the truth of it that the Company his not the least intention of bringing out those Scotch lassies, and there is no foundation whatever for such a statement. I believe it is the Company's intention in due time, if everything works satisfactorily, to start a match factory, but even then, I think, no girl importation will take place. The worksat present in all its branches will not employ 200 mon.' The Belfast Examiner has a long account in a recent issue of the travels of the Very Rev. T)r. Watters, and Dr. and Mrs. Mackin in the Holy Land. On Christmas Eve they visited Bethlehem in order to take part in the devotions on the great festival. The party received every hospitality from the Franciscan Fathers. Dr. Watters had the privilege of saying Mass in the Grotto at two o'clock on Christmas morning There were priests and Catholic laity present in Bethlehem on the Feat-t of the Nativity from all parts of the world. Dr. Watters, and Dr. and Mre. Mackin reached Malta on the return journey to England on January 8, and were expected in Liverpool ten flays later. It was their intention to spend a fortnight at their birth places, Dundalk and Dunavil, near Kilkeel, before returning to London. A ndmber of the residents of Little River (writes a correspondent) entertained Mr. Maloney last week on the occasion of his departure from the district for Taupo Road, near Napier, where he is to resume his former duties as Native school teacher. Mr. Maloney had by his quiet and unassuming manner n.ade a large circle of friends during his long residence in the district. And although being foremost in all cases where presentations or banquets to others were concerned, he was strongly adverse to all outward displays as regards himself, hence his sudden departure was only known at the last moment by a few friends. However, when it became more widely known that he had left the district universal regret was expressed, and as a token of the high estimation in which he was held by all classes a movement is on foot with a view of forwarding to him a purbe of sovereigns on behalf of the inhabitants of Little River. Mr. Maloney took a keen interest in all Church matters, and the present choir owes its existence to his family.

It was just as we anticipated in onr last issue. The Canadian protest has effected something. In yesterday's daily papers appeared the following cable message : 'Mr Balf our has consented to the appointment of a committee to inquire concerning the Coronation Oath.'

Messrs. Louis Gille and Company, Liverpool street, Sydney, call the attention of our traders to their new stock of books and music for Lent and Holy Week, many of whioh are offered at greatly reduced prices. — ,* m