ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43214, 13 August 1907, Page 4

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Last month there were two cases of scarlet fever at Thames, one of enteric, and one of diphtheria. In the House the Premier stated that there Were 13,000 pensioners in the colony, but' only 150 to 200 convictions had been recorded for drunkenness. A tender of £7549 was accepted for the erection 1 of the teachers’ training college in Auckland. It is understood (that the Queensland Government will offer ai reward of £IO,OOO for the eradication of prickly pear. . Our Coromandel correspondent writes that the recent hospital social resulted in a profit of £lB, which with, the Government subsidy will mean ; aboutf £4O to the funds of the institution. The Acting-Minister of Public Works, Hon. J. McGowan, informed a West t'Ooast deputation that applications which had come in for public works were four times more than the amount that would be available, so it would 1 readily be understood that he would have great difficulty in trying to meet all. the demands.' Our Hamilton orrespondent writes as under:—“James Burns Young wasi charged at the Police Court with mis- j appropriate ~ £2 14s Bd, the property; of the Australian Widows’ Fund. After ( the hearing of evidence, the case was dismissed, the Bench expressing the opinion that there was no criminal intent and that a jury would not convict on the evidence.” It has been incorrectly stated that the Father Hayß, who visited New Zealand on a temperance crusade, is dead. The Father j Hays - who died is not the temperance lecturer, but a priest of higher rank? in the Jesuit Order. The temperance ; lecturer is now stationed! in one of the ( English provinces. _ i Our Paeroa correspondent writes: j “Owing to the prevailing epidemic of | measles, only 19 scholars out of 100! on the roll were present at one class! at the Paeroa Hiejh School. All the. other classes have a much reduced at- j tendance at present owing to the same j complaint.” Mr S. P. Stevens (well known n.t Thames), chief postmaster at Nelson, who has 'been promoted to the position of chief postmaster at Christ- ? church, joined 1 the Postal Department' as a junior clerk! at Auckland in May, 1863, and has served in almost every branch of the service, filling various positions ini Auckland, Thames, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, Nekton, Christchurch, Tirnaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill