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King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 411, 4 November 1911, Page 3

The members of the Sheffield Choir which recently visited New Zealand have been contributing to the English papers their impressions on their experiences. One of them states that "there are only two sleeping cars in the whole of New Zealand." In all sincerity the same writer says, "It is very strange to see all the cattle in the fields wearing coats, but, as they are outside all the year round, the covering is an absolute necessity." In another portion of the article, the writer says: "In Auckland we saw a specimen of a very horrid native bird called a rea (presumably a kea) "for every dead body of which the Government offers a reward of +M.

Those in search of land—and their number is large—will be interested to hear that at last some of the sections in the Whakihuwaka block, opposite Pipiriki, are shortly to be offered for selection. The land was purchased from the natives some seven years ago, but, for various reasons, has not up to the present been placed upon the market, and some years ago a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce waited upon Mr R. McNab (the then Minister of Lands) and urged that it should be opened up. It has now been surveyed, and about IG,OOO acres are to" be offered to the public in the course of a month or two.

Sydney possesses just now the en' t l viable (?) position of owning a man who claims to be the champion beerdrinker of New South Wales. He is a huge Yorkshireman named Vean. Recently an aspirant for these'honours' lodged a deposit for a match with Vean. The champion beer-chewer arrived at the appointed hotel at (1 a.m. on the day set down for the match, and waited patiently but the challenger failed to appear. So Vean collected the deposit and then, we are told, he spent the day quietly at the hotel, and from the time of opening until 11 p.m. he consumed 16 rums and 3S pints of beer!

Following appointments are gazetted:—Mr R. Leckie to be chief clerk in the District Lands Office, Christchurch, and Mr J. G. Bendely chief clerk in the Auckland Lands Office; Mr J. H. Boscawen, inspector of kauri gum reserves and forests, Auckland land district; Mr A. F. Wilson, rabbit inspector, Department of Agriculture.