NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 40, Issue 40, 1 October 1903, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL

The 1 emuka ' Leader ' reports that the Rev. Father Fauvel had so far recovered from his recent illness as to be able to take a drive on Thursday. The parliamentary reporter and publisher of the ' N.Z. Times ' were fined £15 and £25 respectively by the House of Representatives last week for breach of privilege. As evidence of the advance the city of Chnstcbureh is making (says the ' Press ') it is an interesting fact that during the- past six months the Christchurch Gas Company has laid underground no less than 34,000 ft. of service pipe from the street mains to meter. Nearly all this 'has been used in connecting up new premises. At the close of the year 1901 there existed in New Zealand 94,429 life insurance policies, an average of 120 on every 1000 persons living. The gross amount represented by these policies was £23,567,427, an/average of £249 11s 7d for each policy, and of £29 18s 5d 'for every European inhabitant of the Colony at the end of the year. Tlhe distribution of these policies shows that nearly one-half are held in the Government Life Insurance Department. Mr. Samuel Haughey, of Cheviot, who was recently made a justice of the peace for the provincial district of Canterbury, has been a resident of Cheviot since it was opened for settlement. He is vice-chairman of the Cheviot County Council, a position which he has occupied for the past six years. Prior to his settling at Cheviot he resided at Southbridge, and was clerk of works of the Catholic church erected in that township. The Right Hon. Mr. Seddon, in a long letter to the London • Times ' declares that since the inauguration of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act all strikes and lockouts have been instantly adjusted, greatly increasing the output and wages, and inducing thousands of Australians to emigrate to New Zealand The ' Times,' commenting on the letter, says time alone can show whether capital can beat the strain of compulsory m.tion where the tendency of the Government is entirely on the side of the employed.' Mr. Seddon's impetuous optimism and impatience of opposition make him much too light-hearted concerning the possibilities of a pull-up. Recently (says the ' Evening Post ') the manager of a well known health resort was supplied with ammunition to be used in providing game for the table. The other day, however, the department which controls the sanatorium received a memorandum, which began : ' Re cats,' and went on to explain that during the recent severe weather the grounds- and house had been so overrun with wild cats, and ' the , nuisance caused by their nocturnal orgies became so, serious that the manager had to start shooting them, with the resrnlt that 14 fell to one gun in 24 hours. The Government ammunition was used in the slaughter, but the manager confidently adds that ' the carcases were used for manuring the apple trees, so that no loss need be anticipated.' From reports to hand we (' Oamaru Mail ') learn that there has been a fairly good lambing season Of course there have been cases where there were looses, biut on the -whole there has been, with the exception of ahout two days, a favorable time for lambs. In one paddock on the Totara Estate there are 18 stud Border Leicester ewes, and these 18 ewes have proved most extraordinarily prolific, for they have dropped, and are still maintaining, (no less than 57 lambs, all the ewes 'having dropped more than the usual quota. Fifteen of them dropped three lambs eaoh, and the remaining three four each. This enormous percentage shows the nature of the soil, and bears out the statement so often repeated that the Totara is the best land in the district. The representative of the English company that intends starting trawling operations on a large scale in this Colony, in answer to a query put to him by a reporter of the ' Otago Daily Times,' said^that it was intended to make a great feature of the retail trade, and by cheapening the price of fish to increase the consumption. The agency would open their own retail shops throughout the Colony, and it was intended to study the retail trade in every way. However, all existing fishermen and fishing concerns would be studied, and if they liked to supply fish to the company their supplies would be taken. The company would establish its own distributing agencies for retail purposes in all the large centres, and if any of the present agencies desired to purchase fish wholesale for their business they would have the opportunity of so doing. The keynote .of the company's operations was that it would be worked on the lines of a large output without an excessive profit The greater the sale both in the colonies and beyjond them, the better the results to shareholders.

Father Price, the active and energetic pastor of Ha warden, will shortly take in hands the erection of a Catholic church at Hanmer. There are very few resident Cat/holies in the disfaict, and the persons who will' most benefit by the new church will be the J members of ofcir faith who year by year visit the famous Hanmer springs 'l'hey will appreciate the advantage of being able tio fulfil' the obligations of their religion while undergoing ' the Hanmer cure,' and, as the work is intended chiefly for their benefit, Father Puce confidently appeals to their generosity to enable him to begin the new church immediately and see its construction brought to a happy termination. In the letter-carriers' room of the Dunedin Post Office on Tuesday Mr. Edmuna Uaok, chief postmaster, who is retiring from the Postal Department after a period of 46 years' service, was presented by the Post Office staff with a souvenir- of their respect and esteem. The articles presented were a saddlebag armchair, together with a Chesterfield sofa for Mrs. Cook, both pieces of furniture hoing richly upholstered in green plush. All branches of ;e Post Office were well represented, there being about 80 members of the staff present. The presentation was made by Mr. Dall, who spoke of the kindly feelings that had always existed between the staff and Mr. Cook, and expressed the hope that the recipients would be long spared to use them, a hope in , which the public will heartily join, as Mr. Cook has always shown > himself most courteous and obliging. An up-country resident who arrived in Christchurch last week (says the ' Lyttelton Times ') elected to celebrate his visit by a hospitable tour of the town whilst in possession of a very considerable sum of money. A charitable hotelkeeper, to whom he was well known, kindly relieved him of a bundle of .notes, of which he was making undue parade, and on counting it- over in the presence of witnesses found thait his friend had been casually frequenting the town with a sum of over £700 in his breast pocket. The money was returned the next day on the understanding that the visitor was returning home by 'tine afternoon train. This train he contrived to miss, and he turned up at the hotel next morning, minus his motney, to inquire (if he had again left it' there. His dismay^at finding that he had not done so was only equalled by his satisfaction on discovering that a second friend-in-need had stood to him elsewhere, and relieved him temporarily of his capital. He had been shadowed, in the meantime, by several disreputable characters.