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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1191, 7 December 1871, Page 2

A little girl, the daughter of Mr John Thompson, surveyor, of Timaru, was scalded to death a few days ago. The Press says that the risks taken by the Government Insurance in Canterbury amount to considerably over £BO,OOO. "We (Evening Post) understand that the Hon. the Premier contemplates visiting Westland early in January.

It will be .some sad consolation to the triends of the late Bishop Patteson (say?! the Nelson Mail) to learn that private letters have been received stating that there was not any frightful mutilation of his body as at lirst reported.

lii connection with the late rifle contest, in which Walker proved the winner, the Lyttelton Times .says the defeated competitor may well console himself w ith the reflection that he has made such a close finish with one who must have had every reason to be confident of success before he gave such a challenge. We extract the following from the Evening Post, of the lsc December: Apropos to Walter Buller, Mr Swanson recently alluded to a class of Colonial pets who must always be provided for at the public expense. Amongst these, Colonel Gorton occupies' a prominent position. Having proved himself utterly unfit to command his men with tempei, judgment, or discretion, the office of Colonial Storekeeper was invented for him, and his chief achievements in it have been with the scrubbing brush, preparing floors for siate

balls, &c In wielding this instrument, he has proved himself much more at home than in the use of his sword, and in directing the evolutions of floorscrubbers, he has shown generalship which he never displayed in command of men with arms in their handy. He has shown a considerable amount of energy and dash in leading from t-he top of a shed on the wharf a forlorn hope of cheering when Dr Featherston returned, but we never heard of his showing the same alacrity in leading a charge against the Maoris. All this worthy's previous achievements have, however, been eclipsed by his latest. An act was passed last session for placing all Government stores under charge of the storekeeper, and Colonel Gorton has accordingly girded on his brand—not a sword lias might be imagined from his title—but a literal brand, bearing the " strange device " of a broad arrow and the letters N. Z.; and, thus arrayed, he has taken advantage of the absence of his Excellency the Governor to enter Government House and stamp tiiis brand on every piece of furniture in it--chairs, tables, his Excellency's writing desk, the curtain—everything on which the design could be displayed have been duly branded. Commencing in the sitting rooms, we believe he got on most successfully in his work, until he arrived at the bedrooms, when the crockery ware defied his inge nious efforts to im print an indelible mark. Tn his various experiments he is said to have made considerable havoc in this department, and to have at last desisted in despair. Seriously speaking, however, we regret that his Excellency should have been subjected to the insult he has. We venture to say that in no other Colony is the furniture of Government house branded in such a manner, nor do we think that the furniture of Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace displays the broad arrow. Had Col. Gorton gone to Government house on such an errand while his Excellency was there, he would probably, and very rightly, have been ejected by the toe cf the footman's boot. We wonder whether Colonel Gorton thinks his Excellency is likely to make with the furniture, or whe her, remembering the episode of the spoons, he thinks that his Excellency's visitors are likely to pocket a dining table or steal a sofa.

The following remedy to relieve a choked cow has been known and employed for several years by an experienced farmer, and he never heard of a single case in which it failed :—Wrap up a tablespoouful of gunpowder in thin paper—the thinner the better—and while the animal's mouth is held drop this powder into the throat, pushing it, if necessary, carefully down till it reaches the obstruction. The moisture in the animal's throat dissolves the paper, and, with the ponder, make>< a slime which lubricates the interior of the throat. At the same time the powder irritates the throat and causes the animal to cough violently, and the substance or whatever it may be is thus forcibly ejected.

Mr W. Taylor, F.S.S. read to the British Association a paper containing some very suggestive facts. The total number of laborers in England and Wales of all classes living on weekly vages and working with their hands is, including their families, 8,114,000, less than half the population. Of these, 1,178.000 are skilled artizans, or say 200,000 grown men, 4,002,000 are half skilled artizans, or say 800,000 grown men; and 2,957,000 agricultural and unskilled laborers, or say 600,000 grown men. The average earnings of a skilled man range from ,£6O to £73 a year; of a half skilled man from .£46 to £52, and of an unskilled man or agricultiral laborer from <£2o to £4l. These averages would show prosperity in the working class, the lower agricultural laborers excep+ed, and their iotal earnings are £276,000,000 a year; but they throw away .£58,000,000 a year on alcohol, so paying to the publicans one fifth of all their receipts, that is, a four shilling income tax, and a total sum nearly double the wjiule pf the taxes they pay the State, Teetotal ism has not the*moral merits its advocates proclaim, or Mussulmans would be better men, but it certainly would make us the lichest peoplo on earth.— Spectator.