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Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 149, 23 January 1903, Page 3

The property at Omata, in the Taranaki district, known as Putt’s farm, which was recently acquired by the Government for the purpose of workmens homes, is to be surveyed and cut up at once.

Some idea of the number of .travellers who pass through New Plymouth is convey’ed by the Harbour Board figures, 36,000 having paid the wharf fee of Is during the year, giving an average of 700 per week. The culture of bees is extending througnout the Wairarapa, and in several cases it is being carried out upon up-to-date principles, with frame hives.

Captain E. VV. Freeman, who piloted the steamer Rod dam from destruction during the eruption of Mount Pelee, at St. Pierre, has been appointed commander of the new Union-Castle liner York Castle.

“Come on, I am Carrie Nation,” said the notorious saloon smasher as she knocked down a cadet of the military academy at Charleston, South Carolina. Th« youth was smoking a cigarette in the streets, and Mrs Nation objects to the habit. He did not hit her back. One of the most wondsrful vessels in the world is the Baikal, built to the order of the Russian Government by Messrs Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., of Newcastle. She carries the trans Siberian railway 7 trains across Lake Baikal. In appearance she is anything but graceful, being more like a huge three chimneyed barn than an ordinary vessel. If necessary she can carry three goods trains fully laden,and eight hundred passengers. The ship is of over 4000 tons, close on 3000 ft long, and has nearly 60ft beam. She has three triple expansion engines of 1250 horse-power, two amidships and one in the bow. This power is re-, quired in the icebreaking. She will break through ice 36 inches thick, and her bow is made with a curve, so that when the ice is thicker she can be backed, and then go full steam at it. partly climb on it with her impetus, and then crush it with her weight. New Zerland finance shines brightly in contrast with that of the Commonwealth, says a recent number of the Review of Reviews. Nature is kindly to New Zealand. It knows nothing of droughts ; it has an ampler sea abroad than Australia ; and its frozen meat trade is singularly large in volume, and very profitable- in character. The labour legislation of New Zealand, too, whatever may be its defects has had a continuity which the sister States might well envy. As a result, while the Australian States taken as a whole, have been afflicted with a procession of deficits, New Zealand year after year, enjoys a surplus. Perhaps the best proof of both the character of New Zealander &, and the solid prosperity of New Zealand is found in the fact that all amounts due—both as interest and as repayments of principal—under the 1 Advances to Settlers Act have- been ! paid in full up to March 31st, 1901.