NEWS ITEMS.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 47, 24 January 1902, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS.

; Answei-ingacorrespondent, the agricultural editor of the Auckland Weekly News says You cannot do better . tha n seem e India n (.Runners for breeding purposes. . In our. climate their power,is enormous when compelled even with the best layers -of , other hr eeds. ; .-The • /Indian *' ’• -Runners' are good eating birds also. . They are bat it is contended that for their size they have more meat in proportion to, t-he weight of - bones than some of the larger;breeds.; . ; . : Price-list of Australian frozen meats in the Transvaal Beef, 10d, Is and Is 3d per lb; mutton, Is 3d to Is 6d ; lamb, Is 9d ; ox kidneys, 2s 6d each’ Hares and fowls bring 6s 6d each, ducks ]os each, and a turkey costs 20s.

• The strawberry season in the Waimate district, South Canterbury, is just about over, only a few pounds goingaway nop 7 . This year, though a great quantity of fruit- was sent away, it did not neatly reach the total of other years. The raspberry crop is in good Order, and considerable quantities go each day by rail. Ihe use of “ separate communion cups” is; spreading: At the Timaru Wesleyan circuit quarterly meeting it was decided to adopt the separate cup system at the Timaru Church.

It is safe to predict (writes the Stock and Station Journal) that before very many years are past we shall see Sydney the largest wool centi-e of the world, and the number of exported bales unsold will soon deci-ease to such an extent that they will be as * a mere speck compared with the bales .sold in the State.

A building is being demolished in Alexandra which was erected in the early days of the Dunstan rush, when it was known as the Golden Age Hotel. The framework is built of very light timber, the cartage on iwliich, it is inteiesting to learn, cost between LIOO and LISO per ton. Tl ; o best health promoter *\ve know of (says Commercial Poultry) is simply burned maize. Put the maize in a baking pan and put into a hot oven. Leave it there, stirring it frequently, until the grains are burned to a crisp black. The hens fight for it after having it fed to them a few times.

Horseshoes are supposed to be lucky, though the instance narrated in the following story must surely be the exception which, proves the rule:—A man picked up a. horseshoe in the road, and in accordance with the recognised custom, threw it over his left shoulder. So far so good, but the missile hit another man in the eye, blinding him for life, the man fell through a plate-glass window, valued at .£20,: a piece of the glass struck a child' and so frightened it that it fell under the wheels of a passing ’bus and was run over; the screams, of the child made the horses in the ’bus bolt, -and, the. vehicle was overturned, all of its, twenty six occupants being more or less ; hurt. Then the lupky man who picked up the horseshoe wept;ftnd filled his petition, in view of the claim for: consequential damages thpt he anticipated. : , , Mrs Younghusband (who has been taking cooking lessons)—“Why did you bring, tfie pie. back I said you could -*?• y ou would chop ,-up' that pile °f i; woqd.” jv , Hungry Henry (the tramp) .—“I came back to .tell yer, mum, if it’s the same to you, that I’ll eat the wood and.chop up the pie.” ..

,-Captain William Jackson Barry attained his 83rcl birthday on Saturday last. The veteran colonist, although not , as energetic as he was a short time ago,-is still able ( to go about Wellington, canvassing for the : book on his colonial experiences which he is about to issue.

The: new' settlemeiit'*'whieh is -td be opened by ,the Go.velmment on .part > of; the Lyndon Canterbury,, .pur-, chased from Mr D. Macfarlane, is eighteen miles from Culver-den, and is suitable for agricultural, and pastoral pursuits. The area is (says the. Press) . about ! 6,000 acres, whiefif >fijl bedivid-T ed into six farms, ranging "*froro r 500 acres to 900 acres runs of from 3500 to 5000 acres each. It is expected that. the . land will be placed on the market by, the Department about the middle of next March, at a probable rental of from 2s , to 6s per acre, the average rental values of the whole being roughly estimated at 3s per acie. ' ~ ' At- a meeting of the Farmers’ Hnion at Christchurch on Saturdry it was resolved to take steps to hold a- conference of: local bodies to consider the small birds nuisance. Mr Lambie said that in consequence of the rise in wages due to the trades- unions, farmers’ employees were flocking to the towns. He moved that the Colonial Council of the union be recommended to take every possible means of urging the claims of agricultural -workers on the various branches of the union, with a view to having their wages increased and their -hours of labour shortened, so as to be more on an equality with the town workers. The motion was carried. It was resolved to recommend the Minister for Agriculture to enforce the Small Birds Nuisance Act, 1871,’in all; town districts, Borough and Road Board districts.

The Maoris who obtained admission to the Eighth Contingent- about six in number—have been finally infprmed that they will not be allowed to proceed to South Africa. A South Sea Islander has also been ruled out on the ground of colour. This young man, who is a half-cast Samoan, speaking English fluently, is from Auckland, where be was employed in the establishment of a wholesale merchant firm. He attained the l-ank of sergeant in the contingent, and is exceedinglv popular with the officers' and men. Mr W ithefm-d, M.H.R. for Auckland city, is interesting himself in liis case, and urging that if he is not allowed into the fighting line, lie ought to be permitted to go to South Africa, and be given some military work to do at the base of operations.

A Melbourne “ beak ’’ recently made a neat retort when a case of wife-beat-ing was being tried. The accused who had done all he could to blacken his wife’s character, said to the Bench: “Is there any necessity for me to live with the woman ?” “ Not for the en - suing quarter at any rate,” promptly responded the ‘ beak,’ as he gave him three months’hard.

Private Dave McDiarmid, in the course of a letter from South Africa to his parents at Hokitika, says be had the rather unpleasant experience of being made a prisoner of war. He was divested of everything and left with only a shirt on to find his way back to the column the best way he could. He was shortly afterwards found by a patrol from his own column, and was in their company when they captured a Boer. The same treatment was meted out to the Boer that had been given to McDiarmid a short, time before, and the latter; walked back into camp in the Boer’s old clothes.

It has been ascertained’ that some of the passengers by the ss. Eastern, which recently arrived in Melbourne with small-pox on board; have found their .way to New Zealand. The Health Department has traced their whereabouts, and is keeping them under its supervision. ;