Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, 13 April 1911, Page 676

Interprovincial

Napier is said to bo making very rapid progress just now as far as the building trade is concerned. For the March quarter building permits to the -value of £23,954 were issued. Maize has been grown with success in Ashburton district this season. Now that tho dairy industry has been established in the district it will probably be largely cultivated in the future for late summer and autumn feeding. ‘ A very fanciful objection ’ were the terms in which the magistrate characterised a request by a Woodvilla plaintiff to have all witnesses ordered out of court. It turned out that there was only one witness, and he was deaf. Notwithstanding the large number of private residences erected in Ashburton during the past few years, very few empty houses are to be found at present. Several new residents have been compelled to take lodgings on account of their inability to secure suitable houses. It is stated that the late Chief Tamahau Mahupuku spent £40,000 in eight years. He was regarded as a father by his people, who went to him for everything, and he rarely failed to respond to their renuests. He was exceedingly generous, and this fact, no doubt, greatly increased the power which his strong personality naturally exercised.

The rabbits came in in very large numbers last week at the Mat-aura Freezing Works, and the. packers experienced a busy time, working all hours of the night. The heat affected the consignments somewhat, and on Friday over 2000 carcases were bad. Some of them were skinned, hut a large proportion were too far gone to allow of even the skins being saved.

Two men in the Rakaia district, by the use of bird traps, earned an average of £5 10s per week between them

over a period of three months, selling the. heads to the Ashburton County Council. Tho largest catches were generally obtained early in the morning, the record for one pull of the trap being 750 fully-grown birds. This one catch realised the sum of £3 2s 6d.

The hotel now being built at Suva, Fiji, by the Union Steam Ship Company promises (says the Otayo Daily Times) to be an imposing building. It is situated in beautifully laid-out grounds. The verandahs and balconies surrounding it, loft wide, will give every opportunity to visitors to view the attractive environments of the town. There will be accommodation for fifty persons.

In a supplement to the Gazette it is notified (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) that the shooting season for imported and native game will be from May 1 to July 31, both days inclusive, in the various acclimatisation districts, excluding reserves and sanctuaries, and areas proclaimed in the Gazette, with the exception that game only will be killed in the districts of Ashburton, Grey, Inangahua, South Canterbury, Waitaki, Waimate, and Westland.

Some doubt that has existed about the precise meaning of the proclamation issued in connection with the inauguration of the new defence scheme is to be set at rest by the issue of an amended notification. The proclamation made it obligatory on the part of all males between the ages of 14 and 20 (inclusive) to register. The amended order will make it perfectly clear that all boys who had attained their fourteenth birthday on March 31, and who h;*d not reached the ago of 21, will be required to register.

Quite peculiar circumstances arose in connection with one census return which was made up by a resident of Gisborne. The schedule was duly filled up at the specified time, but on Monday morning it was found that the family had increased by one, and there was much speculation as to whether the newly-arrived member should be included. The sub-enumerator, when collecting his return, was asked for bis opinion, and promptly pointed out that the Act provided that travellers who arrived on Monday morning, and were not enumerated elsewhere, would have to bo included, and, consequently, tho little stranger was duly tallied.

The crew of the trawler Nora Niven experienced something in the nature of a disappointment during her recent trawling cruise in Cook Strait (says the Dominion). On the occasion in question, the vessel was in the vicinity of Palliser Bay, and instructions had been given to haul in the net. As it began to come in it appeared to have a large quantity of fish in it, for it was particularly heavy. Enthusiasm ran high, and those on board had visions of a good pay day ahead of them (so it is said). One man promised himself a new suit on the strength of tho catch. Rut, as the trawl gradually came into view, those fine hopes vanished. It was presently seen that the not contained about throe tons of sharks, ranging from six to nine feet in length. Those on board the vessel state that they have never seen such a number of sharks come on board in one haul before.

It is not often that an experienced chairman of a local body is constrained to suggest the advisability of hiring somebody to break the law. Yet (says the Tiinaru J’usi) such was the half-humorous suggestion of Mr. C. N. Orbell at the meeting of the Levels’ County Council on Wednesday in reference to the long-delayed' duty of the Railway Department to fence in the line between Washdyke and Pleasant Point. ‘We should, perhaps,’ he said. ‘ employ a man who does not worry about the disgrace of gaol, to drive sheep along that line continually, and take tho consequences, until the Department is impressed with the advisability of fencing in the line.’ ‘ Oh, it has been done before to-day,’ the chairman added, in reply to the general voice of protest, and ho recounted a similar instance in Central Otago, which had forced the Department to effect the desired reform.

Very soon now there will be no schools in the middle of the town (says the Dominion). Schools follow the residential population, and as the demands of commerce expand land formerly wholly occupied for residential purposes is given over to factories, warehouses, and shops. Hie Catholic 1 authorities became aware of the outward movement of the residential population a decade ago, and laid their plans accordingly. Long ago they sought and obtained power to dispose of their central school grounds, and secure others nearer the people. For forty years past the Sisters of . Mercy , have conducted a school in Dixon street (near the junction with Willis street). Ibis property, a fine level section, 77ft by 274 ft, has been sold to Messrs. Sharland and Co. for £SOOO. It is the intention of the firm to build an up-to-date factory, warehouse, and office building, and then transfer tho whole of its business from the present quarters in Willeston street to Dixon street.