Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, 5 March 1914, Page 36

Interprovincial

The gale experienced on Wednesday night of last week played havoc with bird life in plantations in the Rakaia district (says the Ashburton Guardian), and on Thursday morning large numbers of dead birds could be seen lying on the ground beneath trees. One of the Canterbury representatives who attended the conference called by the Prime Minister regarding the representation of New Zealand at the PanamaPacific Exposition told a reporter that one of the noteworthy features of the gathering was the- unanimity shown on the subject. Another party of 51 farm youths arrived from England on Sunday night by (he steamer Suffolk (says a Press Association telegram from Auckland). The lads are between the ages of 16 and 20 years, and they were selected in England from a list of 500 applicants, by officials of the New Zealand Immigration Department. They have come to New Zealand in charge of Sergeant Thomson, of the Fourth Hussars. The youths are a fine-looking lot, and as they have all had farming experience, they are expected to prove desirable additions to the country’s population. The daily supply of a budget of news for passengers on steamers fitted with wireless apparatus is part of a scheme submitted by the Federal Postmaster-general to shipping companies trading in Australian waters. Mr. Wynne says he is prepared to supply 400 words of news per day to all passenger steamers within reach of Australian wireless stations at a cost of between £2O and £24 a year to each steamer. This would mean a miniature daily newspaper on each vessel. Mr. Wynne has ordered a reduction to 6d a word fer messages to all ships in. Australian waters. Complaints are made by housewives (says the Auckland correspondent, of the Ofai/n Da Hi/ f line's) that the domestics coming out to the Dominion are not of the class most wanted. Several arrived by the Suffolk on Sunday, and numbers of would-be cm pi overs endeavoured oh Monday to secure the services of some of them as generals.’ To the disappointment of the applicants they learnt on inquiry that in the great majority of cases the new arrivals were ‘ house parlormaids.’ It transpired that few. if any cf those so classified could cook, wash, or scrub—three of the duties most essential in the average New Zealand household.