NEWS ITEMS

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 978, 26 August 1903, Page 3

NEWS ITEMS

Nineteen thousand ,case 3 of fruit were exported by the Hawke’s Bay Fruit Com.pany during the past year. Five months ago the Sydney Shop Assistants’ Union bad only 215 members ; now tho members exceed 1000. The Brisbane Chamber of Commerce intends to enter n protest against the interstate plague restrictions imposed by the Sydney Board of Health. A large order for tho manufacture o f khaki for uniforms for the volunteers of the colony has been secured by tho Ashburton (Canterbury) Woollen Mills. • The sost of constructing the proposed trans continental railway to unite the western and oastern railway .systems of the Commonwealth is eet down at £‘1,559,000.

In connection with the search being made for petroleum in the Coorong district the South Australian Government have issued 295 licenses, covering an area of 913 square miles. The Ashburton County Counoil, since the snow began to fall recently, has distributed 1500 bags of poisoned grain. Recently £26 was paid for birds’ heads, on a basis of 6s 3d per 100 heads. Last week £2O wasp aid 02? t in three days. Mr Rockfeller, the,qß monarch, has conferred a boon on hia follow-men, Luc didn’t intend to, anyway- He lost .20 millions in the recent slump in American securities. He wijl now fieve to do the best he can on a miserable pittance of 200,000 dollars a day.

As far as smoking itself IS col >" cerncd—although that pleasure is now denied me—l think that smokers live just as long as anybody else and I do not think that in modern tion it will do any harm at all. Occasionally, lam sure, it is ver y soothing, and I miss, it very much sometimes.- When lam very irritable, probably some members wish _ 4 .... _ HM.a Drnrmor

I was still smoking.'—The Premier. When the late Sir Hector Macdonald's effects were disposed of in May last, his famous flea-bitten white charger was sold by public auction at Colombo. The animal (says the Ceylon Times) was purchased for 400 rupees by Mr A. J. R- de Soysa (who has now heard from the executors of the will of Sir Hector that it was his desire that the animal should be shot and the hoofs preserved, one to be gifted to a certain army officer and another to Sic Hectors son, Mr do Soysa, who was asked if lie ’ part with the animal, has replied that lie could not allow It to be shot, but that ho was willing to part with the animal to Lady Macdonald on the condition that it was not to be killed. As an alternative, on tho death of the charger he would forward the hoofs as desired.

When we think of our wonderful climato and unqualified natural advantages, wo must confoss to a feeling of shame at t e comparison between our immigration results and those won in the Dominion ot Canada. It is a modern version of the old story that'where Nature does much man docs little, b.ut that where Nature puts men on their mettia ihey rise triumphant over every difficulty. Canada has oxertod herself to win immigration, and has done it. Wo have practically exerted ourselves to discourage immigration, and havo also met with complete success. Is Mr Seddou going to alter his policy to the Laurior lines, or is this immigration conception of his tho usual sop of comfort to tho Cerberus of popular criticism ? —Auckland Herald.