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Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 53, 14 February 1902, Page 4

The Boer prisoners' in Ceylon _are stated to have ; sent, inscribed paperknives, made by themselves, as Christmas presents to the Lord, Mayor, of Dublin, ; My Michael - Davitt,.Mr P. O’Brien, M.P,-j and a number of other Irish Nationalists. The death occurred at Waikouaiti of Mrs Hamiria Matui, who was reported to be 110 years of age.-The deceased, represented .five of the principal tr ibes of tire S ruth- Island. . .Maoris from : all parts of the Squth Island attended the tangi. . / , ;_•>

Some of the croj s in the . Mayfield district (writes a correspondent of the Christchurch Press) are of enormous growth. At Cairndale estate,one paddock is expected to thresh out. between fifty and sixty bushqls to, the the acre. The crop averages over sft in height-, and the heads are well filled. A hotel-building boom is predicted in Christchurch. One architect alone has work in hand for the erecting of eight hotels, to cost altogether £60,000. They are not anticipating prohibition in the Canterbury capital for a tme vet.

A weli-known Capetown medical .practitioner has discarded bis, carriage and horses for a.motor- car.

With regard to the lamb trade (i-ays “Drover” in., the O.tagq Witness), latest reports indicate that 5d per lb will be about ti e ruling pr’ce for prime moderate weight lambs in London. . • i

Suiythe : “ It.won't work.” ..Brown : “ What won’t work ?” Sraythe : “ Hypnotism. Tried it ,on the butcher. Looked'at him fixedly until I had his individual attention, then I said very slowly and \vith*emphasis,, • That—.bill —is- —paid.’ Brown : “ And what did the butcher do ?” Smvthe : - “ He said, “ Y u’re a liar !”

The potato, crops in .the Oamaru district (says the Mail) are suffering considerably from an attack of, blight. ,'Tiis is'what is known asthe-greenfly, iand is found thickly upon the shhws, which, as a result of the attack, wither away prematurely before ~the; tubers ’ale properly developed. It is feared that the yield will be greatly diminished. . . ,

Elaborate preparations ,are being made by English Roman Catholics,: in ci n junction with their co-religionists in al l parts of the world, : to. icelebrate the Pope's silver jubilee next year:: .An international committee- has been formed, and it has been decided;to sent (be _P 'pe with a tiara-, of gold, which will be ii 1 ild with diamonds to the cost yf £60,000, the gift'of an Italian lady.:- ; ■- , ;,;f> . ,

. Toe -census returns give the ; -total population of the_ Russian -Empire as 124,£>68,000. and of St. Petersburg itself as 1.264,920,; The religious elassifi--cation is as follows -Greek,Orthodox, 87,384,000 ; Old; 1 Greek,'f 2,173;OQ0;? .Roman Catholic- /11,,420,000 tProtes-. .(ants, ,: 3,743,000 - - other- - Christian .creeds, 1,2,20,000 ; Mohammedans, -13,8,80,000 Buddhists, 4,189,000, ; idol,,ators,. 640j.000. The .pr-oportionbetween Rem and yyomen is 121 men for every, hundred women.