The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AID FRIDAYS. "Te Oranga Moti Iwi." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1902.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 63, 21 March 1902, Page 3

The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AID FRIDAYS. "Te Oranga Moti Iwi." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1902.

Id reference to. the suggested shipmeat of apples from this district to the iM’ London, market, Mr J. C. Blnckmore, the GovernmentPomologist, telegraphed to us on Wednesday as follows : . “I note your editorial re shipment of apples to England. The Government has not given any guarantee. If the growers decide to ship wire me so that I can ascertain if a cool chamber is available, and return to Motueka in time to supervise the grading and packing of the consignment.” Those interested will note that although-the Gov- - eminent will not guarantee any . minimum price for the consignments sent

from this Colony, they are px-spai eel te assist the, shippers in every possible way by securing space on the direct' steamers and placing Mr Blaekmore’s sex-vices at their disposal. It now rests with those interested in the ques- | tion to make up their .minds speedily, as no time is to be lost if the apples aie to be placed on a favorable market. If it is decided to send a consignment, we feel sure Mr Blackmore will do his best to make it a good one, especially as he has done so much in this locality to promote the fruit industry by recommending the best varieties for cultivation and furnishing valuable hints as to the best means of controlling the pests which infest the orchards. There will be no difficulty in getting the cases from the mills ; the freight charges can Ve ascertained and space booked. We shall be pleased to advance the proposed trial shipment by placing ourselves in communication with the steamship companies, Mr Blackmor-e, or if necessary, with the Department of Agriculture. There is one point which we would like to draw attention to, and which may influence ouiTocal growers. On account of the Coronation ceremonies, there is likely to be an enormous number of visitors from the Continent of Europe, America, Australia and other parts of the world ; extra food supplies will have to be stocked on that account, and fruit will be in demand. Taken altogetner we do not think the proposed shipment would show a loss. [Since writing the above, we have received the following telegram from Mr Blackmore : —“ I forgot to mention that the freight on the bushel case to London is t’ni-ee shillings and sixpence, prepaid.]

A special meeting of the Motueka School Committee will be held to-mor-row (Saturday) evening to consider a letter received from the Secretary of the Nelson Education Board re opening of High School. The trustees of the Fearon Estate invite tenders in this issue for the construction of a road through the property they are to be sent in by noon on Saturday, the sth of April. The specifications may be seen at the Motueka Star office. '" Mr John Battle, son of the late Robert Battle, of Riwaka. is at present on a visit to this district. Mr Battie is on the Eastern Extension Cable Company’s staff and has had charge of the office at Manila during the past twenty years. He was an eye witness of the fighting which took place during the American—Spanish war and has many t iles-to tell of the stirring incidents in conneetion therewith.

In reference to the proposed conference of Chairmen of the School Committees of Motueka district which was to have been held on the 29th of March we are informed that it has been decided to hold the meeting over till after the annual Election of school committees, which takes place at the end of April. Mr G. S. Cooke, Inspector of Stock, is at pvesent on an official visit to this district for the purpose of registering dairy factories and hotels and boarding houses which come within the clauses of thfe act referring to the keeping of cows and the supplying of milk.

Tenders are invited till the Ist of April foi the lease of 100 acres of agricultural land on the Moutere Blains, lately in the occupation of Mr ft. Hursthouse. Conditions of lease may be inspected at Messrs Rankin aud Sons, and at the Motueka Star office. Mr James Drummond, of the Lower Moutere, has for sale five sheep dog pups. The dogs are well bred and anyone in want of this class of dog cannot do better than communicate with Mr Drummond, especially as the price is- reasonable.

A reinarkable telescope has been designed by Mr Thomas Broke after nine years’study. By means of a complicated series of reflectors, it will bring the moon within eight miles of the observer. The inventor says he made

his discovery by studying the eyes of near-sighted people. The team of high-jumping dogs with Messrs Wirth’s circus are unusually clever. The champion, Fly every evening clears a height of twelve feet in a jump thirty-four feet long: The Rev H. Airey Watson, who has had some trouble with his parishioners at Merivale, has sent his resignation to the Bishop, and will prdbably proceed to England. Monday, March 3rd, 1860, just 42 years ago, Colonel Gold, with 200 men of the 65th Regiment, marched from

New Blvmouth to Waitara to take possession of the disputed block of land that Te Teria had sold to the Government, and on which a -rebellious tribe had erected a fortified pah. _A fortnight later the first, shot in the war was fired..

It would appear that New Zealand is to have a share of Mr Marconi’s series of experiments in wireless telegraphy. In an article by Mr Ray S. Barker upon “ Marconi’s Achievement” in the February number of McClure’s Magazine appears the following paragraph : —“ Mr Marconi’s faith in his invention is ‘boundless. He told me that one proposal which he hoped soon to attempt was to communicate between England and New Zealand. If the electric waves follow* the curvature of the earth as the Newfoundland experiments indicate, he sees no reason why he should not send signals 6000 or 10,000 miles as well as 2000.

The Consolation Race at the school j swimming sports in Masterton was won by a one-armed boy. The headquarters of the New Zealand Grand Dodge of Masons are to be transferred to "Wellington. The Secretary is leaving Auckland for that place on April 25th. An interesting natural history note by Mr R. Henry, of Dusky Sound, on the habits of the Picton “herring” was read at the last meeting of the Philosophical Society, Sir James Hector said that the so-called herring was a true pilchard. There was no representative of the herring tribe in New Zealand, nor of the haddock, which preys upon the ova and young fry of the herring. In fact, there are no fish in these seas which deposit their eggs, as the herring does, at the bottom of the sea. The reason, Sir James thought, was the absence of such natural banks as extend from England to Denmark, and the acclimatisation of the herring, desirable as it was, would probably on this account be a matter, of great difficulty 1 The Foxton Herald says that the highest price yet received by a miller for flax was reached the other day when a contract was signed for <£3l per ton at Wellington. A letter has been received by a public officer in Wellington from the editor of an American newspaper, in which the writer says : “ Your little country is attracting more attention than any other place on earth. Millions of people have been given hope by your example. You are the greatest factor in civilisation to-day. You are making history more enduring than military marshalls.” It is stated that the moa bones found on Mr J. Paul’s Rivetlands property, Wanganui, are in anything but a good state of preservation, owing, no doubt, to the swampy nature of the soil. Some of the bones are particularly large ones, and the indications suggest that the now extinct birds had either been driven into the swamp by the Maoris

or that through some mishap they had become bogged and theieby perished. Xt would seem (says - the Wanganui Herald) that the country right up to Makirikiri was a favourite haunt of the moa, as also towards the Hawke’s Bay province, as many bones and skeletons have been unearthed in these directions.

Inquiries as to the working of Ne.v Zealand’s industrial legislation are being made dy Mr Donald Macdonald, who represents Cowra in the Hew South "Wales Legislative Assembly: Macdonald is carrying out his investigations on behalf of the Workers’ Union, which has "' a membership of 21,000. He has visited Auckland, and is now in Wellington. A London cable dated 17th of March says :—lt is reported in Vienna that Colonel Grimm’s wife revealed the treachery which led to his execution, owing to jealousy. The revealed secrets comprise all Russia’s plans for the invasion of Germany, and for repelling a German invasion of Russia. The Czar is reported to be incensed over the revelations.

In the course of a private letter to a friend in Wanganui Sir Walter Buller, writing from London, says :—The idea everywhere seems to be to rush Home for the coronation functions. My own feeling would be to keep out of” London at that time ! The Great Metropolis will be terribly congested ; everything will be at famine prices, and the still increasing small-pox epidemic will make London a death-trap. A famous artist who is just now very' much in the public eye, and lives in a palatial house m Chelsea, had a very severe struggle in his younger days,, and was at one time living, or rather half starv ng, in Paris garret with his young wife and a . pet monkey. One day (says “ The West End ”) they were very hungry indeed, and were tantalised by the sight of a well-spread table in a room facing their own just across a small court. The artist conceived an idea and taking - the monkey by his chain, ne swung him acx - oss the court: into the opposite window. The monkey seized a roast fowl, and the painter hauled him back. Then he tried again, and landed a loaf of bread. After fishing for ten minutes, he secured a fine lunch, and man, wife and monkey sat down together and enjoyed; it!

. Coming to the point—Mr Grogan- “ What a power o’ funerals they do be havin’ at the church these days. Shure, it s shtarted me thinking.” Miss Casey—“ Thinkin’ av what ?” Mr Grogan—“ That whin it come toime fur my funeral would ye be the widdy ?”

An Irish lady, having had some angry words with her husband one day, had occasion, a few hours later, to send her servant for some fish for dinner. Bridget, - ” the mistress, go down town at once and get me a plaice. “Indade, an’ I will, ma’am,” said Bridget ; “and I may as well get wan for myself, for I can’t stand the. master no more than yerself.” They met by chance in a waiting room of a railway station. ‘"My friend. ’ began the man with a valise full of tracts, persuasively, 4 ‘have you ever reflected on the shortness of life, the uncertainty of all things here below, and the fact that death is inevitable ?”

•‘Have I?” replied the man in the shaggy overcoat, cheerfully, “well, I should guess 1 have ! I'm a life insurance agent.”

ona—looks as if we were going to have more rain, doesn’t it ?” said the other, locking his valise again with a snap.

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