General News.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 178, 15 March 1902, Page 3

General News.

There were So deaths this week from smallpox. Dressmaking at R. E. Boyd's is now under the management ot Miss Brook. —Advt, The ordinary meeting of the Waimate Farmers' Association will be held on Saturday next. The music for the Waimate Society has arrived from Invercargill, and a practice will be held on Tuesday night. News from Fiji sports that a petition against federation with New Zealand is being sent round for signatures. Tee Times states that it ;a being poorly signed. The French Chamber of Deputies has authorised the construction of three ironclads and thirteen submarines. "Le Temps" says three additional ironclads will be begun iu 1903. Reuter reports that General He it eracaptured Aguadulce, the leader of the rebels in Venezuela, after four day's fighting. Seven hundred llsvoiutiouists were killed or wounded. Chili has ordered from Armstrong's and the Vickers' Maxim Campany two 12,000 ton cruisers at a cost of over £1,000,000 each. They will bo delivered within eighteen months.' Mr H. G. Ell M.H.R. for Christchurch, aud a great advocate of a State Bank for New Zealand will deliver an address in Waimate on State Banking at an early da:e. It's the same everywhere. Time tells the story, and 99 times out of every 100 the demand is for the Brinsmead piano, because they are built to last, not for 5 or ten years, b-it for a lifetime. Their tone appeals to the ear, their durability and price to your pocket, their direct appeal is to you. Why reject it ? Interview them at Begg's, next Theatre, Timaru.— Advt.

In an exhibition attack on the 120 yards hurdles record at the Auckland amateur sports on Saturday, Geo. \V. Smith, paced by W. Martin, covered the distance in 15 \ sec. This beats H. W. Batger's Australian record by 4 4-sth seconds, and Alvin P. Kraenzlix's world's record by 2 oths of a second. Four time-keepers agreed in making the time 15 l-sth seconds, while another made it 15 seconds dead. Three of the lieutenants of the Ninth got married to the ladies cf their choice within a few days of the troopship leaving port. One marriage was celebrated as late as Monday, and the troopship left on Wednesday! These gallant sons of Mars were evidently determined to make sure of the girls they were leaving behind th»m. At the same time they must be bold men indeed, for what is it the old proverb says: "Beforegoingtowar say a prayer; before going to sea say two prayers; before marrying say three prayers." Yet here we have men entering into all three ventures a" once.—Clutha Free Press.

The census returns for Fiji, compiled up to March 31st, 1901, were published in London some months ago, Lut for some reason were suppressed in the islands. From the figures, however, it appears that in 1901 the total population of the islands was 117,870 while in 1891 the total was 118,961, being a decrease for the ten years of 1021. The native population, however, during the same period, dscreased from 105, 800 in 1891. to 94,397 in 1901, being an jverage decadence for the. ten years of 1140 per annum. The Indian population has increased from 7458 to 17,105, the Europeans and half-castes have slightly increased, while the Polynesians have decreased from 2257 to 1950,