GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 285, 13 August 1910, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

*. According to a return tabled in the Federal House of Representatives, the cost to the Commonwealth of deporting 3642 kanakas during the past four years has been ££l3,903. In 1906-1907 the number deported was 2778, and in each of the three following years the numbers were 768, 92, and 4 respectively. The annual cost of administration in connection with the collection of excise duty and payment of bounties on white grown sugar has varied from £5648 in 1909-1910, to £7706 in 1906-1907. A possible revolution in gunnery — naval and military—is foreshadowed by the experiments which Messrs Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. have been carrying out on their experimental range at Silloth, Cumberland, with a gun which is shortly to be delivered to the War Office. The greatest secrecy has been observed, but it is understood the leading feature of the new weapon is the replacement of recoil springs by chambers containing a patent liquid and air. These new recoil cylinders'are understood to have been such a success that it has been demonstrated possible for the guns, once laid, to remain in the same positions for ten consecutive shots. The gun experimented with is a 14.31b breechloader, but there appears to be no reason to prevent the mechanism being fixed to other types of gun, notably the weapon employed on our Dreadnoughts. The increase in steadiness and accuracy of shooting is remarkable, as is shown by the statement that of ten shots fired, as stated above, five passed practically through one point, a feat hitherto unknown in the annals of gunnery.

According to a Sydney cable published during the week, there is an agitation in Australia for the imposition of a duty on white pine imported from New Zealand for other purposes than the manufacture of butter boxes. Those connected wtih the dairying industry will be pleased rather than otherwise at this intelligence, because there is no doubt that the' rate at which white pine is disappearing from New Zealand is serious in view of the fact that no really effective substitute has been found for the mnaufacture of butter boxes and cheese cases.

In the course of his speech on the settlement of native land, the Hon. J. Carroll (Native Minister) gave the following figures to show the position of the native lands in the North Island on March 31st, 1910:-Area of native land held by Maoris on December 31st, 1908, 7,465,000 acres; less area since acquired by Crown purchase, 23,000 acres; since acquired by private purchase, 38,550 acres; sold and included in error on the Commissions' estimate, 20,000 acres; area to which the title has just been ascertained, 113,281 acres; papatupu land (titles not investigated), 377,471 acres; balance subject to Urewera Native Reserves Act, 466,862 acres; balance subject to the Thermal Springs Act, 188,408 acres, leaving a net balance of 6,037,128 acres. Of this area 2,675,177 acres are leased direct by Maori owners, and 557,499 acres are leased on behalf of Maori owners, whilst 360,000 acres consist of lands in the occupation of Maoris, making a grand total of 3,592,676 acres profitably occupied, and an approximate balance of 2,444,452 acres.

[n an interview with a representative of the "Post," Mr Dahl (representing Weddel and Co.) expressed himself as delighted at seeing that 25 per cerit. of the dairy factories in New Zealand had adopted the pasteurisation principle. Having handled considerable quantities of butter on the London market, he could say that during last season he had been able to introduce a very considerable quantity of the pasteurised New Zealand article where it had never been sold before. This was an important fact, he added, that the New Zealand manufacturer of butter for export should file for reference. If the Danes —who could land their butter in London within three or four days from the churns — thought it absolutely necessary to pasteurise, it was obvious that there must be something in the practice, because, as was well known, Danish butter always realised top prices in London. Quite fresh territory had been opened up to New Zealand pasteurised butter. It had gone into localities where the unpasleurised New Zealand article had never entered, and where itwould not enter to-day.