NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 August 1901, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A few days ago it was announced from Dtmedih that Messrs JBayley Bros., tanners, of Green Island, had decided to close down, giving as their chief reason the injurious effect of the Labour legislation upon the cost of production. Now, a boot factory in; •Wellington has been closed. It was carried on in Tory street by Mr Corrono, who employed fourteen hands, and supplied the local market with some classes of goods much in demand. But the proprietor, giving as Iris reason his fear of the Labour laws, has dismantled his machinery, and taken it and his stock of material away to Sydney. There lie intends to continue the industry and he has appointed an agent in Wellington, for the continuation of the sale in this colony.

Referring to the gathering of cadets at Christchurch, Surgeon-Major Thomas, in his medical report, states that the effect of the Premier’s message “possibly weakened the arrangements in the catering direction, but I do not think appreciably so. The food was liberal and wholesome. All rooms used were warm and well ventilated, and the sanitary arrangements at each station were all that could be desired. In view of the large number of cadets and the time of the year, the amount of sickness was remarkably small. There was none at all among the Nelson cadets. Most occurred in the companies from the West Coast, as might be expected after their long and tedious sea journey. . . . The ailments were trivial in character —chiefly biliousness and simple catarrh —and in the majority of instances were due to injudicious zeal in sampling the confectionery, etc., of the city of Christchurch.”

Much indignation is expressed by the South Wairarapa Mounted Rifles (says the Carterton correspondent of the New Zealand Times) at the collection of old clothing which the Colonial War Office has forwarded them as cavalry cloaks. These relics bear the stamp of the Royal Irish EusiUers. After years of service they were called in, and after slumbering in the British Defence Stores for a few more years they were sent to the patriotic New Zealand Government, with the legend “ Condemned ” printed boldly across the backs. They dozed peacefully for another decade in Wellington. Some time ago the most moth-eaten ones were sold at public auction, and the remainder have been worked off on volunteers. The coats look thoroughly disreputable, being mouldy and well ventilated. In some cases where new capes have been sewn on the effect is highly incongruous. The garments arc unfitted for the use of horsemen. The War Office asks 10s apiece for the articles. The Rifles state that they intend to return the venerable collection.

“ No, keep your seat, I beg of you. My husband will sit behind you, and will see quite well,” and Herr Laverstram, a Swedish diplomat, who is on a visit to Paris, did as the lady asked him. Herr Laverstram and a friend (a Paris correspondent writes) had taken two places in a box at the opera, and the lady and her obliging husband had the other two. Madame was not only friendly, but extremely pretty; and during the performance Herr Laverstram paid considerably more attention to her than to the sad fate of Marguerite, while his friend chatted with her complacent husband on the two seats behind. The unknown and her husband left before the end of the last act, and as Herr Laverstram helped her on with her opera cloak she slipped a card into his hand with a meaning smile, and went. A few minutes later, when Herr Laverstram had recovered from the shook of finding the word “ Imbecile ” upon the card, and nothing else, he put his hand in his pocket and missed his watch. His pocket book, with £6O in it, was gone as well.