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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 12, 13 January 1913, Page 6

“About the relative merits of Saturday and Wednesday from the employees’ point of view, there can be no question, and w r e trust that fhe time is not far distant when the Saturday half-holiday will he universal.” This is the unanimous opinion of 112 employees oT an Auckland firm who have just presented an address of thanks to the directors for declaring in favour of the Saturday half-holiday.

A correspondent of the Southland News tells this amazing story:—“A leaseholder in • Southland recently acquired the freehold of bis land at (so it is recently reported) something between 5s and 7s 6d per acre, where;:;; the mineral value alone is worth fully 300 times 7s 6d per acre. The acreage involved being nearly 200 acres, the lucky bolder must he considered a fairly rich man to-day. Naturally, this individual will have nothing hut praises for the great Reform party, who have so generously made him rich at the expense of the body politic.”

The police records for a town the size of Invercargill during the past fortnight or so of festivity, when the Christmas and New Year periods were with us, may be looked upon as an enviable one (says the Southland Times). The work allotted the various honorary justices was of a comparatively light nature. Between the 23rd of December and the 7th of January only nine or ten cases of drunkenness figured in the proceedings. In addition there was one charge of using obscene language, another of assault, and a charge of theft, in which, last instance no conviction was entered up. The Bishop of Manchester (Dr. Knox) has given notice that he will propose the following resolution at the next meeting of the Northern Convocation :—“That the minister, at all times of bis ministration, shall use such ornaments in the church as are prescribed,, or shall'be prescribed, by Ids Majesty or his successors accordingto the Act of Parliament iij that behalf in the year of the reign of his Majesty George V.” The proposal is regarded by many as very Erastian, and the result of the discussion will be looked forward to with much interest. [Thomas Erastian, a learned German physician, maintained that the church is subject to the State in all matters of dotftrine and discipline, as well as in its civil rights.]

The latest Auckland “attempt” is thus dealt with by the Taranaki Herald” :—“The Auckland Weekly News must lie complimented upon its enterprise in so quickly obtaining and publishing photographs of the Wcitaanga Falls, but our contemporary ought really to study the geography of the Auckland province. The falls are described as ‘on the Tanagarkau river, Ohura district, Auckland,’ and again as ‘still another great tourist attraction in the Auckland province.’ As a matter of fact, they are nowhere near the Auckland province—fully twenty miles in a straight line to the nearest point. From New Plymouth in a straight line they arc not much more than forty miles. Our contemporary will be claiming Mount Egmont next as a scenic attraction of the Auckland province.”

For some time past the Union Steam Ship Co. has been running a regular boat between Newcastle and New Plymonth and Wanganui. The service! bae, been maintained l$ r the Kamarn, a vessel of 931 tons. It has now been' found that the Kamaru is not large enough to meet the requirements, so she will be replaced by the Kittawa (1217 tons). The Kittawa is at present discharging timber at Melbourne and Sydney, and on completion of this will go to Newcastle to load for the ports mentioned. The Kittawa’s arrival at Wanganui will create a now record, as she will be the largest steamer to go there. Tin’s record is at present held by the Inga, a vessel of 970 tons.

Any interest or conjecture that may have been amused by the report that a mysterious “craft” had been seen sailing overheat! the Terminus Hotel, Dunedin (states the Times), on Wednesday evening, may now he sot at rest, for a gentleman resident in Hie north end of the town gave to one of our representatives what may he taken as a solution of the affair. Ho states that shortly after 0 p.m. on, Wednesday he saw some hoys launching a big air balloon in the vicinity of Union and Cumberland streets. The balloon rose to a considerable height, and then drifted slowly southward, so that it would 5 over the Terminus Hotel about