NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Kaikoura Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 13, 16 February 1904, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

We desire to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt from the Government Printer of a copy of the Statutes of the last session of Parliament.

Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Andrew Rutherford, M.H.R., are to be jointly credited' with a vastly improved (faster) rail and coach service between Christchurch and Hanmer next month.

Sowing tussock seed on birchtimber land in North Marlborough has proved of much value. The new settlers at Highfield having similar land might give the idea a trial—pehaps it has already been suggested to them.

A fair amount of rain fell on Sunday and upto before daybreak on Monday. It would be appreciated by all whose pastures were in want of refreshment, but farmers having late crops out doubtless wished there had been deferment of the moisture. .

There is a report current in the North that a member of the Chaytpr family is about to buy Mr Thomas's property. The truth is that _ Mr Chaytor contemplates starting a flax mill at Tironanga (Mr Thomas’s) if satisfactory arrangements can be made.

The Kaikoura Racing Club Stewards and Programme Committee agreed to an Easter Day programme of six events, the added money totalling £5l Easter Handicap of £lO, Tradesman’s Handicap £9, Hurdles, Maiden Plate, Farmers’ Purse and Trot each of £B. Sharks are both numerous and daring here just now. One day last week Mr Alex. Goodall drove an iron into a ten-footer at the wharf steps, but it drew and the fish got away. Some smaller sharks, though still of good size, were seen both before and after the one pai'J ticularly referred to appeared.

Some of the milk sent to the Waitohi Cheese Factory at Tua Marina (between Blenheim and Picton) is conveyed nine miles by an express, which is engaged to carry milk and whey between the factory and Mt. Pleasant. What do some of the Kaikoura factory milk-suppliers say to that ? The St. Patrick’s Day Sports Committee have adopted a programme for the forthcoming sports •showing an improvement on that formerly submitted by them. Three separate handicaps replace the title handicap of three distances, the prizes for each of these, and also the half-mile race, being made £2 10s and £l. The programme will be published in next issue.

Lieut.-Colonel Hume, Inspector of Prisons, visited Seddon last week to determine whether or no some prison labor should be employed, as had been suggested, at the Starborough State Nursery. The experiments made at Rotorua with prison labor have proved very satisfactory, and, as like results are expected at Hanmer, the prospects of the State Nursery near Seddon being found a suitable place for good-conduct men appear favorable.

One of the most disgraceful exhibitions of larrikanism ever inflicted upon an entertainer and his audience here occurred in the course of

Mr Vousden’s entertainment on Saturday night. Immediately on his appearing in the second part of the programme, Mr Vousden was greeted in an ill-behaved manner by a member of the pit. A goodhumored reply was made, but further objectionable conduct on the part of the person referred to and a companion followed, and was continued throughout a clever impersonation of Sir Henry Irving in two of his well-known roles. Mr Vousden then addressed himself to the hoodlum disturbers of the entertainment, telling them, among other things, that they ought to go into the backwoods and never come out to associate with people in a civilised community. He said that he had entertained audiences of the highest intelligence in the Colonies, and he had always met with a cordial reception. Never in all his experience had he had to submit to such ill-behaviour as the two ignoramuses (whom he [jointed out) in the hall there had been guilty of. Mr Vousden ordered the larrikins to leave the hall, but both refused to do so ; one of them, in fact, adopting a defiant attitude.