ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43088, 4 May 1907, Page 4

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

We note that Parliament is further prorogued.to June 6th. . , . • Wcliingtfe r CSty t" Council- officials have captured 850 stray doge in Web ldngton since January Ist. This in reply to a protest against the vagrant, dog made by the iNew Zealand Shop--keepers’ Association, '* The Hon. J. : K. MEllar speaking in Wellinglxm recently said the Labour Department was the most important: 6f the Stajte, because* it had the in-’ tetests oftoVCr twb-thirds of the people of the oolpnv committed to its charge, j He pointed out thiere were 315 registered unions in the colony and there were 70,000 hands employed in, the factories alone.

'At thie 'annual meeting of Woolston (Christchurch) householders, one of the speakers predicted that the time was withlin measurable distance when not only would the present desks be discarded, but dual and single desks aa Well'. Tn their places would be substituted porcelain desks, which would prove the only safeguard against getms of all kinds of disease. Admiral Fawkes, speaking at the Mayoral banquet at Christchurch, said it was always a pleasure for representatives of the naivy to come to New Zealand, because the people were ready to support- thie navy, not only with money, but with their sons. He had recently inspected the pioneer training ship for New Zealand reicrunhs, r the Challenger, and he was pleased to see how excellent, the young New Ze*a r landers were turning, out. An aspirant for municipal honours in this colony put it ont record at a. public meeting at which some doubt f was beng shown as to his bona, fidies i that he was a real Simon Pure in these words, “I can assure my audience that everything I have done has been done for my own advantage and from no sinister motives.” The interruption that followed, showed him, how much better hie could have expressed himself.

Our Cambridge correspondent writes —“McLean’s boarding house in Duke Street, the property (of Mlrs H Keesing, of Auckland, was nearly destroyed by fire at an early hour. A number of Maoris, who were staying in the house, were nearly guiffocajtod 'by smoke. They wok© thie proprietor, who was found on a sofat, the curtains of the dining room being on fiye. With the. help of the Maori® the fire was extinguished' without much, damage.” (Tn, the cuorse of his monthly report', Mir 'Browne, the Wanganui, Education Board’s dairy instructor, says that sohaoi classes are running smoothly, and in the majority of schools the children take an enormous interest in testing individual cows, and in keeping records of the Weight of milk given by each for a certain definite time—a week or a fortnight. In one school—

Kaponga^—out of thie class of 24, ten boys have signified their willingness to enter for a schools’ competition in testing, were such arranged for, say, at one of the agricultural shows, i The portion of thie North Island Main Trunk railway in the Eigmont electorate was recently visited by Mir W. T. Jennings, MIH.R, who was surprised at the rapidity with which the work had progressed since his previous visit, ten months previously.

The northern portion* which is under Mr Loucihi, as engineer, and extends as far as the Makafcote viaduct, will be Completed by the end of the year. Mr Jennings is quite satisfied that the Ministerial statement regarding the completion by the end of 1908 wall be verified. That view is held by most of the men on, the Works. Tin, connection with the visit of Mr C. J. Fulton, New Zealand fibre expert* to St. Helena, Mr A. G. Wise,

secretary of the iSti. Helena Committee, states that the proposed new industry will not afford .employment for the large number of labourers who have been thrown out of work by the withdrawal of the garrison, even if it is

successful. The question remains how the colonist can exist till the first

crop of flax is ready to harvest, which, will ibe at least four years after planting. The inhabitants are anxiously pressing, therefore, for the establishment of am Admiralty depot, and for m'ore frequent visits from British! War-, ship®. Uniformity of instruction for all Volunteers is 'being aimied! at fov the .Council of Defence, and to* secure that end a class of instruction for the permanent staff of the Wellington volunteer district is now in progress at Wellington, taking drill in detail from squad to company. The amending of certain irregularities in the drill manuals of musketry in all its branches and the construction of artificial field shelters for field force® are amongst the subjects which, are being dealt with. The Council is desirous of extending .the scope of volunteer instruction, especially with regard to making the work of infantry more interesting. The class in Wellington is likely to terminate at the. end of the week. Glasses for all other volunteer districts in the colony are in contemplation, and, subsequent to these instructional classes for volunteer officers and uoh-eotms. will be arranged for. Application Was made to Warden Bush! at Waihi by the 'Education Board for a temporary reserve of five acres for the purpose of a cadet rifle range. The Warden made reference to prevalent indiscriminate pear-rifle shooting, and said that it was a matter to he proceeded with! cautiously, as he did not want to assist in diminishing the in Waihi. Mr Jackson made haste to assure His Worship that these were Government- volunteers.

Upon this the Warden naively asked if that fact licensed them to shloot all and sundry who happened their way. After the laughter had subsided, the Warden stated that! be would adjourn the hearing of the application ini order to have a.repOtrt 'from the Government' surveyor, as to the immunity from danger of thle public.—(Own corres-j pencwwb.) ' j