GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2178, 6 September 1907, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

When we consider (says the Manawatu Daily Times) that a 999 years’ lease granted by William the Conqueror on his accession would still have 185 years to run, we doubt ivlie--thor any actuary would venture to place any actuary value ou the light of re-entry. The ferocious shark is so frequent in Auckland waters that fish dealers lately met in that city to compass his destruction. The dealers thought it was advisable to give bonuses to fishermen for sharks killed, and also thought the Government might bo! asked to give assistance in the matter. One local amateur is stated to have caught fifteen dog-fish off Rangitoto on a recent' day.

Competition ill almost every lino of business at Ohakuno is almost as keen- as that to be met with in more settled townships, says tlio News. The population of Ohakuno proper does not at present exceed 250 souls.'. Tlicro are three butchers’ shops; two bakers, four storekeepers, six boardinghouses, and four more in course of erection ; three drapers, two hairdressing saloons, two saddlers, three tailors, four refreshment rooms, three livery stables, three lines of coaches, and four or five carrying firms.

‘T'hero is not a man who has been in prison for seven or eight years but whose brain is weakened,” declared Mr. Smail at a, meeting of tlio Prison Gate Mission in Christchurch. “They get affected in some way or other, and after the first eighteen months the actual punishment, is, to people in their mental state, a very trivial thing. They get so accustomed to it that it is noti very much to them.” Mr. Smail argued very strongly in favor of short sentences, accompanied by admonitions from the judge, in the case of first offenders, who would then be given a. chance to reform, which was denied to the long-sentence man.

Local papers report great activity at the Hillside Workshops, Dunedin. On the occasion of the last pay there were 509 men on the roll, exclusive of the ordinary managing staff, which numbers about 20. Tlio principal work uiion which the shops are engaged is the construction of railway stock for the Nortli Island. The shops havo in hand orders for some 400 iron waggons for the North Island, and in addition there are being prepared .wheels and axles for another 200 vehicles. Enquiries made by an Evening Post reporter showed that tli 0 Petone and other important workshops have been quite as busy for some time past: Double shifts and overtime are being worked in order to cope with the high pressure caused by the extensive rolling stock ordered by the department, and special efforts are being made to meet all requirements in view of the prospective completion of the North Island Main Trunk line.

Paseengors by tho Ttua, on.hor last trip to tho Islands were told, and had. ample evidonco of the fact, that tho bniiana plantations were gradually getting under tho control of the Chinesu. Of 21,000 bunches put on hoard at one port, two-thirds came down by sailing vessels owned and controlled by Chinese dealers. Tlio natives seem quite willing to allow tho Chinese to take control of their land and its' products.

Th Otago Daily Times says addition to tho offensive smell of| gas escaping from a dofoctiyo main,: tlio olfactory nerves of residents of : tho city woro recently asailed with ■ another odour of romarkahlo pungency. This has now been found to have boon caused by someono tliowing a quantity of bad bonzino down a drain. Benzine being of an extremely volatile nature, the smell gradually spread throughout tho ontire sewerag 0 'system of Dunedin, pervading tho whole city. Tho habit of throwing bad bonzino down drains was until lately prevalent in tho United States, where it became such a far-reaching nuisance that by-laws wore passed in big cities proliibiting the pra-otico.

A paragraph which may interest the Minister for Education and others who are hoping to see a bright future for the School Journal appears in tlio Juiio number of the Bookseller. It is mentioned that the Bublislieis Association ’has issued a circular to English publishers, calling their attention to tho New Zealand Government's desire to make the School Journal take tho. place of text books. “The New Zealand Government,” runs the circular, “expects that it will be 'able to Obtain permission from English publishers to use such copyright matter as it requires for tho compilation of these journals, literary readers, geogaphical," and historical toxt-books. It lias already approached Messrs. Whitconvbe and Tombs for permission to use extracts from some of their hooks, and this firm has made its asent dependent upon an adequate payment being made—You are asked not to accede hastily to any request for permission to make use of copyright under your control until the ultimate effect of the scheme upon all branches of the trade has been duly considered land reported upon.”