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Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 15, 1 October 1901, Page 4

Mr James Maxwell who holds an important appointment in the South African railway service, mentions in a .letter to a Dunedin friend that in his present location (at Springs, 31 miles from Johannesburg), eggs are selling at 12s a dozen, oatmeal 7s 6d a stone, American fiour 25s a bag, potatoes £4 10s a bag, whisky Is 6d a ."hauf," and beer Is a glass.

Parenthetically, during a sermon which he preached the other Sunday at St Phillip's Church, Abbotsford,(Vic) the Bishop of Ballarat alluded pointedly, almost bitterly, to the difficulty, which ministers of his Church find today, as Oliver Goldsmith's father found 200 years ago in living by the Gospel. "For what purpose," he asked, "does the church exist ? Is it to acquire property and pay high salaries to its clergymen ? If so we have made an awful and ghastly failure of it." Mr Joseph Bremmev, of Milton, reports the B.iuee Herald, has recently patented a door jamb to prevent accidents, so often caused by people crushing against each other at entrances and exits, at public entertainments, etc., By using M.r Bremmer's inuention, it is claimed that no one can get jambed in any doorway, no mattei' what the crush may he. The invention is very highly spoken of : especially by several Dunedin architects who have thoroughly tested its efficiency. A syndicate is taking up the patenting of the invention all over the world, inconjunction with Mr Bremmer, and it is intended to float a company to exploit the venture, as soon as all arrangements are completed. Three Hawera Borough Councillors have tendered their resignations as a protest against the Mayor's refusal to put a resolution condemning an unauthoiised letter which he had written at his own instigation. As showing the ravages of influenza (or malarial fever, as the doctors term it), a visiter from Wellington says that 40 of the Petone railway wot kshop employes were laid up with it at one time. The Palnierston North correspondent of the "Wellington Post says ; —There is much indignation amongst the men of the local volunteer corps at the acof the Government in refusing to pay the amount due for the time put in during the Ducal visit. The reason given is that the local men did not travel 100 miles by rail. Iq. is pointed out that the Feilding corps will receive 4-; per day per man, while Palnierston men, ■who were away the same length <,f time, receive nothing.