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Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 57, 28 February 1902, Page 3

A romantic interest attaches to one of the contributions to the exhibition of South African stamps in the rooms of the Philatelic Society. This was an envelope beaming two Cape of Good Hope and six Bechuanaland Protectorate stamps, all surcharged, “Mafeking besieged,” which was posted in April of last year hv a sergeant in Mafeking to his sweetheart in Belfast. After the little town had been relieved and the warrior had returned home, the recipient of his letter sold the envelope to a stamp collector, and with the money j:hus realised bought the dress which “she wore when the reunited lovers were married.

At a meeting of the Upper Hutt branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union on Monday last, the matter of dedicating a day annually as “ Union Day ” received consideration, and an unanimous vote in favour of the proposal was recorded.

A milk supplier at Kaponga has a cow that was giving fifty-six pounds of milk testing four per cent during' last month. This is equal to about seventeen pounds of commercial butter a week.

In reply to a question put to him after a lecture at Pahiatua as to what he thought of the Fair Rent Bill, Mr R. C. Bruce said that, if such a’ Bill became law it would get people into a tangle such as the world had never seen.

A deputation representing the Westport Labour Union waited upon the Premier at Westport, and brought up the question of the low rate of wages paid to casual hands on the local railway. Mr Seddoji is reported to have promised to lay the matter before the Minister for Railways. He agieed that 7s a day was too low. Mr Harney, a member of the deputation, asked that the duty on their banner should be remitted. The Premier found fault with the union for importin <r theii bannei, but-as they made a mistake he would let their, banner in free this time.

The Dunedin Trades and Labour Council, in view of the Millers’ Trust, resolved to urge the Premier to introduce a Food Trust Bill early in next session of Parliament. *

Considering the facts disclosed in this colony, it is amusing to read the protests of Australian merchants against the statements made in reference to the marks being planed off New Zealand butter boxes. Recently one of the leading butter making concerns in the Colony filled a large order for butter to be packed in plain boxes without any indented brand. They faithfully fulfilled their conditions, but place© m the bottom of each box one of their circulars. The result was that they received an order two months afterwards direct from the South African firm to whom the Australian firm had sold the New Zealand butter as choice Yiciorian.