Transcripts.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XIV, Issue 759, 27 July 1894, Page 3

Transcripts.

A. W. Rennall, the G.O.M. of Masterton, celebrated his 81st birthday last week. Notwithstanding hardsbiis of his pioneering clays, he is a vigorous old man, mentally and physically. Capr. Russell wants the Minister of Agriculture to place such a sum of monev on the estimates as will remunerate a specially qualified person to trace the life history of the various intestinal parasites that are decimating the flocks ill (ho North Island. Hon. Mr Scotland, in the Legislative Council, said that the operations of the Bank of New Zealand had for years past been a gross scandal. an*d he expected nothing better from its operations in the future. Speaking as shareholder, he never expected to he called upon to endorse its dividend warrants. He believed that the present generation would yet curse the day the State had ever been called upon to rescue it from the ruin which would inevitably overtake it.

No small sensation was created in the House during the discussion on ‘ clause 21 ’ (Alcoholic Liquors Sale Bill) when Mr Reeves said that he considered the Fox Commission a bad precedent and a big blunder on the part of the Government. He was supposed to be having a shot at the Premier the other day when he dilated on members who talked so much that no one else could get a chance. There might of course have been nothing in that, but here the cloven hoof was unmistakeable.—Wellington Press. A dance was given in Invercargill recently and there appeared at the door a rough old customer somewhat uncouthly clad. He had paid for admission and could not be refused as it was practically a public festivity, but the door keeper thought gentle remonstrance would be in season. ‘ You can't go in with those boots,’ said the janitor. * Then I’ll go in without them,’ said the irrepressible' .-si; -£gksi« one. He -fifth tIiASB off, I‘— ■ - land whs so<»n -c-fjn -ryru• s »'• ju I his socks. CrirtK | If wool were, used lor clothing in she ’ States i n :be same proper.; >r. as . t is in Great Britain it rconl.i take appr rm- . ately 850,000,0001 bs weight to supply I requirements. The total production of I wool in the United States is 264,000, ) OOOlbs; and there is thus a shortage I of close on 500,000,0001b5. To give illustration of what the requirements of the United States would be if she took full advantage of the open wool market, and supposing a bale of wool contains 4001bs, it is only necessary to state that there would be a demand for over an extra million bales of wool. The world has no surplus of this kind, and of course the quantity could not be supplied; but the fact that it could not be supplied would create a demand for the commodity that would largely increase its price. An increase in the price of wool is inevitable, and before long that increase will be a substantial one.— North Otago Times. The writer of the Dunedin Lady’s Letter to the Waimea Plains Review (Riversdale) says -I must tell you of a wonderful exhibition of work executed by the Singer’s sewing machines, and exhibited in a shop in Princes street. One can scarcely realise that the work can be done by the machine, the rich embroidered curtains, lovely cushions, draperies, &c., of every kind, all closely resemblin'* very fine crewel work. Then there are wonderful hem-stitched pillow cases and embroidered linen of everv description. Such a variety of work it is scarcely possible to believe to have been worked by one machine. You should try it, if you want a new one at any time. Can fish talk? Mr Basil Field, who has an interesting article on fly-fishing in the Fortnightly, is convinced from some long observations that his friends have some power of communicating with each other. Here is one fact which he mentions in support of his belief :— ‘ If a fly be cast in one of Mr Andrew's stock ponds at Guildford,

there is a rush and fight, for it amongst ail the trout within whose range of vision it, falls. If it bo. cast again, a few minutes after a trout, has been caught and returned to the water, two or three fi-h only will compete fur it. Repeat the process, anti perhaps one may come, slowly, shyly, and in a half hearten manner. But when several have been taken and returned -—although the pond is large and crowded with fish—cast the fly where you will, the trout, are shy, suspicious, and bind to catch.’ The Colonial Confererce delegates met. with an enthusiastic reception in Quebec. Suttor (N. S. Vv’.), m speech at the banquet given to delegates, hoped the Conference would reassemble in Australia. He promised its members would receive a welcome as enthusiastic as they had received in Canada.