NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 21, 22 May 1902, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL.

The Right Hon. R. J. Seddon has arrived at Durban, where he met with a very flattering reception. He intends to Bpend a week in South Africa.

The Government hive decided Lo assist such municipalities who desire to celebrate the Coronation by a pound for pound subsidy up to £500 for the four chief cities, and up to £200 for smaller towns.

The population of Dunedin and suburbs is about 51,000, of whom 8120 are ratepayers. It takes eight mayors, eight town clerks and assistants and 82 councillors to manage the affairs of these boroughs. It seems as if a little judicious amalgamation would be productive ot economy.

On MarcnSl, 15)00, the total number of Government employed in the Colony was 11,335, whose salaries amounted to close on £ 1 ,-100,000 per aunuin, or on an average a little over £ 120 a year each. Nearly half a million tterling is paid in the Wellington provincial district, or more than one-third of the total. As nearly the whole of this amount is paid to residents in Wellington, aud suburbs, it means a weekly expenditure of close on £10,000.

The London correspondent of the Evening Star writes : 'Mr A. B. O'Brien (Christchurch) at the recent examinations at Guy's Hospital secured the Michael Harris prize for anatomy. Eviden'ly the fact that he is one of Gay's most, prominent "muddied oafs" has not prevented him from scoring freely in science.'

According to last veer's census the North Island hrn 34 members to represent a population of 388,">2(i, while the South Island has 32 members for 380 215 person-t. The removal of this discrepany will be one of the duties of the Representation Commissioner i.

The number of persons to the pqnarp mile in New Zealand in February, 1871, was 2A~>C> ; in March, 1901, there were 7.427. The number of females to the hundred males in the Colony in December, 1858, was 70 41. The ratio showed a steady decrease for the succeeding 12 years, but has grown since 1870, and now stands at 1)0.33.

A parliamentary paper just iss iel gives the expenses of members and candidates at the last General Election. Mr G. Fisher, Wellington, occupi -s the post of honor with only a disbursement of ( .K It cost the tlon. J. McGowan £l.sfi to get into Parliament, Hon. J. Carroll £102 IS* lid, Hon. W. Hall-Jones £44 5s 4d, Hon. T. Duncan £15 Us 6d. thr> late Sir John McKenzie -Cl, 163, Sir JG. Ward £21 1 9s 3d, Hon. C. Mill* £113 12s 81 Tue Right Hon. R. J Seddon's return went astray. Nine candidates forfeited thoir deposit of £10, as they did not receive the required number of votes.

Speaking at Motueka last week Sir J. G. Ward said there were many things happening abroad that were exercising intelligent minds at this time because of their probable tffect on the Colony. He specially alluded to the A.m^rican-Anglo shipping combine, which could not be a matter of indifference to us. He could not but look with concern at th° enormous tonnage represented by the combine being controlled from New York. Unless watched the combine would force up freights. It touched the settlers, the buckbone of the country.

In the course of a speech in the Nelson district the other day the Acting-Premier said that, as far as one could judge, there was every probability of peace being proclaimed. It would be a singular thing if the declaration of peace took place simultaneously with Mr Seddon's arrival in South Africa. All were anxious to °cc the termination of the war, and if such a happy augury should occur upon the dat) of the arrival of the Premier nf tin-. Colony, v*hich had done its full nhaM in a-^Nting ti fight the battles of the Empire in South Africa, it would, while being a unique occurrence give pleasure to a great many of the Premier's admners

As a contribution to the ' dairy slaves ' controversy, the following' figures compiled by a school teacher on the West Coast of the North Island in regard to milking done by some pupils at his school will no doubt be found of interest : — No. 1, 13 years of age, milks 5 or 6 cows morning and evening, walks 4 miles to school ; No. 2, 7 years, milks 3 cows morning and evening, walks 4 miles to school ; No. 3, 8 years, milks 3 cows morning and evening, walks 2 miles to school ; No. 4, 10 year-s milks 4 cows morning and evening, walks half-a-mile to school ; No. 5. 12 years, milks 5 cows morn'ng and evening, walks half-a-mile to school : No (i, 13 years, milks 4 cows morning and evening, walks half-a-mile t-> school , No 7, 13 years, milks 5 cows in the morning, rides 1] miles to school ; No S. 11 years, m'lks 5 cows morning and evening, rides 1 \ miles to school.

The Warrimoo, for Sydney, on Saturday ("writes the Wellington correspondent of tne Otott/o Daily Tdiii'x) had a considerable shipment of poultry for S iuth Africa. It is stated here that Missrs A. S. Paterson and Co. have secured the bulk of the cold storage in New Zealand and Australian steamers for African poultry shipments for the next three months. The want of a direct service to South Africa, of course, entails an extra cost for freight, and in order to make up for this buyers have reduced the prce by 3d per pair. The progress which the industry liir made is shown by the fact tha!; in April 10, IS.") birds were put through, the Christchurch poultry depot, as compared with 712 in the corte-pondirtg month of last year. There are now 14 men employed m that depot as pluckers and packers. The Auckland and Wellington depots each provide similar work for three men, and four are so employed at the Dunedin depot. The Agricultural Department has received a letter from a large firm at the Cape stating that the New Zealand poultry Bent to South Africa is of better quality and is better packed than that received from any other part of the world.