ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43093, 16 May 1907, Page 1

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

I Alt Wellington a firm were charged I with having erected a scaffold over ■ 16ft in height without making appli- ■ cation to the scaffolding inspector for ■ a permit. They werei convicted and ■ ordered to pay' the costs. ■-, Mr C. C. Winstanley, Government ■ Health Inspector, paid a visit to Wan ■ kino, where a mild epidemic of dipth- ■ eria has 'been reported. He is also en- ■ quiring into matters regarding saniI tation. I Speaking at Manchester Sir Hemy I Campbell-Bannerman declared that if ■ a poll was taken of the colonies to- ■ morrow he was certain that only a ■ very small number favour forcing ■ even by the gentle art of persuasion I upon the Matherland a change in the I fundamental policy in their supposed ■ interest. He proceeded to contend that it was necessary to resist the efforts of those calling the colonies to destroy the principals of free imports , and free industry. Admiral Fremantle, in an interview on the naval agreement, declared that if Australia chooses, to adt .aloof it will get an inferior article. A small navy had serious drawbacks and dangers. Among others it Was impossible to offer a career to good men. Though be bad every sympathy with Australia’s ambition he failed to see the wisdom of their withdrawal from the naval agreement. We note that an applicant for a reward for the discovery of gold in the T'apu district in 1867, and at GumtoWn in 1899, has been informed that he is debarred from receiving 'any reward by the provisions of Motion 3i5'5 of “The Mining Act, 1905, a period of more than five years having elapsed since the discoveries of gold in these fields. Lord Hartwell, mentioned in connection with the Chamberlain divorce ease, stayed several months at a leading Sydney hotel with a lady described as Lady Hartwell prior to making a cruise in the schooner Stanley, when she rescued the crew of the wrecked barque Annasona from Middleton reef. The Stanley is n6w at Sydney. Hr Purdie, district health officer, who made an inspection of the Waihi Post Office, stated that the inadequacy of the post office could hardly be conceived. It was, in his opinion, •the worst, of any public -uildincr in New Zealand when it* was taken int r consideration the number of men employed. The space which should be allowed for the men to work in was nearly all taken up with counters and tables. Apropos of the present, con trovers l ' on the holiday question, it is of >n barest- to observe that the Saturdr 1afternoon is the oldest British ho]id. l It originated in th A eleventh centurv when a,n edict of Kincr Canute enact p d that “overv Sunday be kept fron Saturdav noon to Monday’s dawn.” “I a.m frequently asked about darning and bee-farming,” says Mr Hopkins, Government apiarist. “I canno-

recommend this com hi nation unlethe dairying is on a yen’- small seal, indeed, for I think the wearing life - r. dairyman; is against his boincr ah 1 to pay close attention to anythin else.” The Te Aroha telephone exchancre i now in working- order. Mi- Meridiem inspector, passed the work m i Wednesday afternoon, and duly of blared it ready for work. It is con temlplated running a wire to Paeroat an early date, thus connecting T Aroha with the systems in work a Thames and the goldfields. For the prizes awarded by Messrs Collins Bros, and Co. (Auckland) nev Graphic copy writing competition fo--1906 the following pupils of the Kiri kiri School secured prizes; Ber Hawkins 5s books, Annie O’Hara; ant Harvey Hawkins 2s 6d books, Free Newland 2s books, and Archie Ander ton and iMay O’Hara Is- books each. A goodly number, of the prizes went tr the Paeroa District High School. A horse belonging to Messrs Me Cardie Bros., of Baglan, fell down. } well on their premises last Week. The well being some 30ft deep it was some hours before the horse could be extricated. It floated with its head just above the water, emitting groans and watching operations for its rescue Eventually ropes were got round "the body, and it was hauled up from its perilous position, little the worse for its novel experience.

We take the following ifrom the Wellington Free Lance:—There is a river up North into which is washed the tailings of a mining district. On account of these tailings the; river overflows, thie fanners on the banks are washed out, the to-wns are neck deep in water, and bridges are washed away. as if they were match boxes. The Government sent an engineer to report. The engineer reported that the forty thousand tons of tailings that were emptied into the river every month were doing no damage! The Lance happens to know that river, and, among other things, knows that the tailings have poisoned all the fish in the river, have caused death among stock, and have made river navigation (once particularly busy up that Way) impossible. Still, with all their advantages, the settlers are growling I Ungrateful beggars.

A bye-election for Stepney, necessitated by the retirement of Major Sii W. Evans Gordon through ill-health resulted:—Leveton Harris (Unionist Taraffite), 2299 ; Ben Cooper (Liberal Labour), 1350. The Duke of Westminister ban- . f|uetted the Premiers. Mr Bent and ! Sir W. Lyne were also present. In- the House of Commons the Government in accepting the principal of the Old Age Pensions Bill introduced Iby Mr W. 11. Lever, but not its details, was referred to a; committee of the whole House. A! Gazette notice has just been iscd limits in which trawling is illegal in fhe Hauraki Gulf:—“No person shall haul or use a. trawl net for the purpose of taking fish in that portion, of the Hauraki Gulf which is bounded on the north, by ai line extending from the North Head of Cabbage Bnv to the southernmost point of Tiri Island, and generally on the northr-east by a line extending from the said southernmost point of Tiri Island to the right, bank of the mouth of the Matakana River; as the said nortion of the Hauraki Gulf is delineated on the plan marked ‘Mi.D.; .3051,’ deposited in the office of the Marine Department at 'Wellington, and thereon coloured red.” The penalty for a breach of the regulations is not less than LI and not exceding £2O.