ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43213, 10 August 1907, Page 1

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Stated that' some stone resembling opals has been discovered in a district back of TKam.es. It is not known if the stone has any .•marketable value. The exact locale of the discover- will not be disclosed.,.ujitil the. value of the stones has been ascertained. Stones resembling opal have., been', found on the 'Peninsula,, before, but, exam in ation proved them., .not to be the true opal.

. According ■ to' the New Zealand Times, the capital of the Maoriland Steamship Company is £3 0,000. The 'bulk of the shares are held- in Wellington, but there are many shareholders on the West Coast and at Auckland. - .

A statement . recently made by a. builder before the. Arbitration Court at Dunedin that .“kauri rubbish” from mills in this colony was sent to Australia, and worked up by Chinese into “marbled” mantelpieces, which were sent back to New Zealand, has received publicity ;in Victoria',' with the result that a ‘M f P I bourne manufacturer asked the Minister of Labour (Sir Alexander Peacock) to contradict it. .as it was calculated to do injury f.r» the trade, both in. Victoria and ben'! Zealand. Sir A'lcx/ttider Peacock has had inquiries'-’made;''and'he finds that there is not a single Chinese manufacturer of mantelpieces in Victoria, so that official-support is given to the assertion that-"the Statement. referred to is incorrect.' j-k. b- . .

Our Auckland. correspondent telegraphs:—“Mr .William. %e, who died at Turangaj Croek this morning,?aged 91, was the oldest settler in the district, he lejfifcb Kent, England, in 1841, and landed) in Wellington, with his brother, intending to settle there, but came on to Auckland six months’ afterwards, and resided: in the North till the time of his death. He took great interest .in public affairs, and was interest in church work in Howic.k and Tuvanga Creek districts.

Hon. G. Fowlds does not think it will be possible to pass legislation this session altering the constitution of Hospital j Trustees and Charitable Aid Board's, ailthouoh it is admitted refo'-m in this direction is badly needed. The whole question; is a very complex one. and it. has been considered wiser to aPow the newlv appointed Inspector-GTeneral time to make himself acquainted with the various alterations needed,Witt ’-rgard to the constitution of Hospital and CharitableAid Boards and separate institutions before bringing, in. a, Bill; It. is hoped that legislation in this direction will be introduced next session.

1 4. somewhat serious accident occurred at the *Waihi mine, when a uiner named Henry Xreson received a jevere wound on the back, caused by a piece of stone, failing down the shaft. Ireson was at the time en traced in. sinking-in the No. 5 'pump shaft). By some means not mown, ai piece of stone became de ached from tlie truck or the age at/ No. -7 . level, the cane be in,a n work at the time. The distance from he No. 7 level to where Ireson was forking is 4,00 ft, consequently the tone in falling gained considerable -elocity during - its flight down the hafti. Ireson was stooping down at the ime, and by' this action', ’probably soaped more serious injury. The ton© cut through his oilers and other lothes, and inflicted -a nasty wound i the bacpjr' Jreson was knocked over y the f©fso of the blow, and was imiedinteLy ' attended to and conveyed > the surfabe, -where Dr. Craig at‘nded to his injuries. ° The standard of ■civilisation of rei 7 nation, l may be measured by the atus of the-.women folk of that naon,” said the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minter for Education, at the Young omen’s ’Christian Association at ellington. "And whatever we do to eva-te our -Sisters,” he said, fe are doing something . to elete our country.” The need of mpanionship, the need of assoeW >n, is just as great on the part of e young woman, as. it is on the ■rt of. the young mam, and! the result at will flow from endeavouring to ise our national life will be the reird of any little sacrifice we make that, end.” : • ■

We .note that astronomical events this month: are Somewhat importt. /An interesting sight will take icie in the "starry heavens” on the th, as when rises he toll accompanied; by Jupiter about, two gree-s to the north. The larger mefi, owing to its near proximity the sun, toll appear smaller than ml -tte observers. The nearest ap'f&db. of the two planets occurs at minutes to 2 p.m. Venus also supes a phenomenon of some interest, e will rise omthe 2nd with Jupiter, e exact time of conjunction is 4h. ou .atm. ’ Observers ’ should watch this event-In the eaßt, providing re is a clear..’horizon at the time, rs, the cynosure of all eyes, rises the Ist at >2h. 19m. He may he « near the moon bn the 21st. Satt also rises (on the lit a-ti Ph. Im,

Several coal experts have been on a visit to tlie Marlborough district _ within the past week or two, the indications of coal found being' favour-, able.' Preliminary operations will . be commenced shortly. What has become of the coal discoveries reported some years ago from the Tairua district? Very little information has been' available as to the prospects and results obtained, so that we may con-; elude that expectations were not real- , ised. The unearned increment. Three years ago 172 acres close to Napier were sold for £2560—£15 per acre. The land at last valuation was assessed at £25 an acre, • and the owner, appeared before the Assessment Court j at Napier on Tuesday to object toj this figure. He said the land was not; free from floods and was not well! .drained; lie was not prepared to sell,' as the 'property had a prospective value. The Court fixed the valuation at £3050. j The official assignee has been ad-! ed that Albert Hind, of Karaugahake, j fireman, has been adjudicated a bankrupt The amount owing to imsecur- j ed creditors isi£lo6 17s lid, and the. assets nil. The bankrupt attributes j hi* failure to the desinunois of a ball ' at T'atV.VAvJ.V.'kc. WlVic hr CUried Oil ) a gymnasium, his then failure to uei ' work, illness of his wife, and the de- j mantis inaae bv his creditors, and as j he and his wife was depending upon [ what he was earning he could not see j : his way clear to pay any of his . creditors.

The Government has decided to convey, free of cost, fodder on any 1 part, of the Bluff-Huruni railway, in , order to alleviate the condition of ' affairs caused by the drought. Stock taken to feed will 'be charged going, but will be brought, back without charge. A painful accident occurred to the little daughter, aged six years, of Mr. W. J. Radford, of Waihi East. It appears that the child was'/playing with other children on the slide, of a slope, when by some means, she slipped, and fell heavily on her arm, breaking, it in two plaices.