ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43083, 18 April 1907, Page 1

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

It has ‘been suggested to the Acting-Postmaster-General (the Horn. Dr. Findlay) that a reduction of the charge of a penny for post-cards to one half-penny would; prove a much appreciated boon to the communty. A penny for post-cards and a penny for a letter of ’four ounces seems out of proportion. 'i The following appointments among others have 'been notified to the Mines Department:—Mine managers: H;. A. Hill, Watchman Gold Mining Company ; J. Gordon, Auckland Gold Mining Company, Whangamata, Thames County; D. Sheehan, Golden Belt • mid Mining Company, Neavesville, Thames County. Battery superintendent: R. K. Cowles, Auckland Gold Mining Co., Whangamata. •In the course of a prohibition order case at the Masterton Magistrate's Court there was a difference of opinion between the arresting Constable arid accused as to whether the contents of al jug, found in accused’s house, was beer or otherwise, the former swearing that it was beer and the latter that it was a -mixture of tea, water, and quinine* put there as a practical joke for the express purpose of trapping the constable.

Thet secretary of the Wilber force Syndicate, Reefton, has (says the Mines Record) been informed that a report has* been obtained on the application of the syndicate for a* suhsid) r f°r £1 on the cost, (estimated at £5000) of driving a low level tunnel at Wilson’s (Reward 1 Reef, Browning’s Pass. It having been ascertained that the cost of the tunnel would exceed £2i1,000, and the Minister of Mines i® unable to entertain thet syndicate's application. Ah old-time praicticie of commendable nature was followed at Feilding stock sales when Mr Norman Gorton offered a lamb on behalf of the family of the late Johln Neajry, the latter having been connected with sales as a drover for some years past. A few days ago Neary met with a fatal acoidentat Turakina, and his family are now left destitute. The lamb was first knocked down at a guinea, and on, being put up again it brought in various sums until £SO had’ been realised. A good m any^New Zealand mill? now hold a front-rank position in th<>

msitter of ore-treatment ('writes Mr John MtaCtarnlbie in. the third prise essay on New Zealand's Mineral Re--sources). To-day the >ve-ra;ge recov eiy of bullion in the different mill* through ouft the colony where l th r cyanide process is used figures up in the neighbourhood of 90 per dent, or; the assay value-, and this bears a very comparison with the , buibon recovery in other parts of ’ the gold and silver mining world. General Booth, reached this week the ripei age of 78. He is, at this advance 7 age, still full of plans for the furtherance of the work amongst all nationf and -classes of people. " At the pro sent moment he is on a. tour embrac ing Canada, traversing the width' nthe continent to- Vancouver, fro? whence he sails to Ja,pan. and. fro-, there on to India, and back to Eim 1 and via -Staez. Canada- has already r cerved him with great warmth, ' hr meetings in that countrv having beeof a. most enthusiastic character. Japapromises him the warmest weloomy©7 accorded to any Engl-'shman. A milk substitute made from bean W shortly to be put on the English market. The discovery hails from Japan. According to this invention beans -are first boiled and then in order to extract the juice. The latter has an appearance and taste closdy resembling cow’s milk, and to it a little sugar and phosphate of potash is 'added, the latter to prevent the formation of albumen. It is said that this new substance can be produced at a pride much' below that of- cow’s milk I>r McDonald, of Adelaide, who recently received from Japan a supply of tuberculo-toxoidin, which is said to be a cure for consumption-, is making experiments with it. Several persons who have (been pronounced by medical practitioners to be suffering from consumption called on Dr McDonald, and asked to/be given a -course of treatment. The doctor selected a bad ease iso las to thoroughly test tIH is t3 ’^ tiri ß l & *lt is stated that the patient's cough, which was a source of trouble at -night, has almost ceased. The patient has gained in' weaght, and has a good appetite lb is stated V the Rangitikei Advocate thlat some residents of Fedldino- ’ have secured the mining rights of over 80 acres of land about % miles from town, for a deposit of lignite The .exist™ of ignite in the vicinity has been known for at least twenty Jf ars > for , ifc outcrops in different plaices, but it has been judged, on account of its inferior 'quality, and the thinness of the-seam, that it was entirely valueles, at any rate while firewood could be Obtained fairly cheap The attention of the syndicate was drawn l hy pn© of the number striking the seam in a Well. He dug through! m of It only, and then, haw ing a good flow of water, decided to stop sinking for fear if he passed through! the seam he would lose the Sgrtefc *

To the Board of Education, Timaru, thie chief inspector reported that at a certain country school a good deal of damage had been done to school furniture and apparatus by its frequent removal for entertainments and dances. He gave a warning to country committees, whose schoolrooms . are the public halls of their Several districts: “Once, we get the single desks into the schools there will be no more dance® or entertainments in them, as the desks have to be screwed to the floor.”

Advice to bandsmen by Mr T l . Bowling : “I would like to let bandsmen know that the members of the Besses Band had been unselfish in their work and if a band .is to be successful members will have to bury their personal feelings at time® and work for the honour of the band. The success of the Besses is largely due to the combination working well together, one with another.”