NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6, 8 February 1906, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL

In an appeal case in Christchurch Mr Justice Denniston held that milk In which a quantity of water had been added could not be described as ' pure ' milk. The members ol the Dunedin branch of the Hibernian Society, on their re I urn |ourney irom Milton on Sunday week, witnessed an exhibition of perseverance on the pait of a weasel that would scarcely be appreciated by the owner of the article it was purloining The little animal (writes a correspondent) was quite close to a farm house and was endeavoring to carry an egg up an incline. It held the egg between its snout and tore legs and then would advance by jumping on its hintl feg S , but apparently got tired, for the egg dropped and .rolled down the hill again until intercepted by fhc weasel. This process of dropping and intercepting the egg continued for about fifteen minutes until at length it succeeded in getting its booty under the cover of a gorse bush and out of sight. The estimate of the population of the Colony on December 31 last is 937,892, comprising 49(i 853 males and 411,03.0 females. These figures, however,' include a M->M -> a n n rt ■ P°P ulat 'i°n set down at 43,143, together with 12 292 inhabitants of the Cook and^other' Pacific Islands The estimated population within our own shores (excluding Maoris) was therefore 882,457 on the date men-tioned-an increase of 24,918 in the twelve months This increase was made up by an excess of births" over deaths amounting to 15,016, and an excess of arrivals over departures to the extent of 9302. The birthrate for the Colony^ !90 5 was 27.21 per 1000 of mean population (the highest on record), and the death rate 920 The number of marriages (excluding those contracted between Maoris) solemnised in 1905 is estimated at 7234 or 8.31 per 1000 of the mean population-™ record

It is estimated by the Registrar-general that there are 2847 Chinese in the Colony, of whom 50 are females. Sir Joseph Ward was entertained at a banquet at Winton on Thursday evening, and at the same time was presented with a sword by the Winton Rifles, of which he is honorary captain. Mr. John J. Daly, of Christchurch, in a letter to the ' North Otago Times,' adds his testimony to that of Messrs. Anderson and Medley, to the efficacy of the ram rotting method of exterminating Californian thistle. Mr. Daly states that about 1892 he had a full crop of Californian thistles on a farm of 60 acres inthe Ashburton district. With a garden hoe he cut them down when in bloom, just below the ground : the root stems were hollow and caught some rain and the water rotted out every root. He advises that stock should be kept off the ground after cutting the •thistles, or they will tread soil into the root tußes and choke them from receiving rain water. The ' North Otago Times ' states that it is informed that this root-rot ting process is precisely that which is adopted in Canada, and our contemporary wants to know why, the Agricultural Department are not aware of that fact. The inquiry into the management of the Waltham Orphanage was concluded on Tuesday. At the close of the evidence the Commissioner (Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M.) said there was nothing at the orphanage likely, to be of use in training the girls for domestic work The appointments were of the poorest description, and the crockery was of a very haphazard character. Hardly, two cups were alike, or two dishes. He was not speaking in disparagement of Mrs. Carpenter. The excuse she gave -was that there were so many breakages that it was not worth while getting anything decent However the little refinements of life did not cost much and were very acceptable. He expressed his pleasure at the admirable spirit which had characterised the inquiry Throughout the whole long, and to some, wearisome inquiry, there had not been the least friction. His duty now would be to present his report, and he was not looking forward to that with any great pleasure as whatever the recommendations he made they were likely to be assailed on all sides. However, he had no intention of trying to please everybody. He had strong \iews in regard to certain matters, and should have no hesitation in expressing them. ' All Hallows Annual,' the magazine issued by the celebrated Irish missionary college, contains within its 170 odd pages a great deal of matter which will be found not only of interest to former students but also to the general public. There is* a special memoir of the late Mr. Henry Bedford, M.A., who had been actively engaged for well nigh half a century in the work of the college, during the greater part of which time he was a prominent figure in Catholic literary, scientific, and social circles. Mr. Bedford was an Anglican clergyman, and in 1851 was received into the Church, the same year" which saw the conversion of the late Sir Vere de Vere L*ady de Yere, anh Mr. Aubrey de Vere. In 1852 at the imitation ot the late Bishop Moriarty, Mr Bedford became connected with All Hallows, and then until his death last year he h\ed his long life of active effective work as professor of natural sciences, treasurer, and one of the col leg,- directors. Under the heading < Mission Field,' we hu\e items fioiu \:inous parts of the world whilst in ' A Satchel of Letters ' are extracts from) the conespondeiue of tornu-r students now laboring in many climes. The n»cord oi the work of the college during the year occupies considerable space, and in ' The Memory of the Dead ' we have an account of those who passed away during the previous twelve months The. annual both from an artistic and literary standpoint is highly creditable to the great missionary college from, which it emanates. The annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce states that the value of the exports for the year has reached a total substantially in excess of any previous year's, the result being entirely due to the increased price of wool. In wool alone there is an aug* mentation of £1,210,711. There is also a slight increase in sheepskins, dairy produce, hemp, and timber, while each of the other lines shows a measure of falling off. The value of the wool exported totalled £5,542 182 against £4,331,471 in 1904 ; frozen meat was £2,749 28<5' as against £2,798,96(5 in 1904 ; "gold, £2,013<5,091 as against £2,052,059 in 1904; kauri gum, £508 091* as against £542,321 in 1904 hemp, £728,585, as against £70fi,012 ; timber, £310,206, as against £246,763. The total value of the exports during the past twelve months amounted to £15,674,136, as against £114,5-81, «*36 in 1904. The following are the . qiuantitiies of the more important/ products :— Wool, 146,889 7671 pounds ; frozen meat, 1,729.307cwt; butter, 318 457icwt • cheese, ?9,296cwt ; tallow, 15,944cwt ; kauri gum 10 GBO

tons;. hemp, 29,7/40 tons; wheat, 823,995 bushels; oats, 1,386,597 bushels. The increase in the weight 'of . wool would, at previous year's prices, have added only £18,000 to the total value of this line, so that to the extent of over £1,000,000 the enhancement is due to increased values. This is a factor which has also affected sheepskins in an equal degree, - adding fully £90,000 to the total of that item. The value of exporls irom Wellington for the year was £2,9^,2-1-6, an increase of J £lG9 448 over the figuies for 190-1.