NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4, 25 January 1900, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

THE Cabinet has decided to introduce the Westinghouse brake on the Government railways, beginning with the North Island lines. Miss A. Flynn writes modestly disclaiming the credit given to her in our issue of la6t week as being the composer of one of four pieces played in public on a recent occasion at Hawera. Two scholarships, valued at £40, aud tenable foi two years, offered by St. Patrick's College to pupils of the Catholic schools in the Colony, have been won by Richard Madden (Timaiu) and Duncan McMurrich (Wellington). It in stated that the Hessian fly has caused so much mischief in some plaoes near Timaru that portions of paddocks of wheat are being ploughed in, to be replaced with turnips, as the wheat would not be worth cutting. The Hon. J. G Ward's constituents in the central portion of the Awarua electorate will entertain him at a banquet on the 31st inst. The Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, the Hon. John McKenzie. and the Hon. W. Hall-Jones will be among the speakers. Mb. B. J. Dolan, formerly master of the Catholic school, but now of Mr. A. R. Bunny's office, Masterton, has received a preliminary notice from the Registrar of the New Zealand University that he has passed the first half of his law professional examination. Upwards of 10,000 acres of the Ngapaeruru block are to be thrown open for selection in about a month's time (says the Buxh Advocate). The land is of first-class quality, and the co-operative parties which have been at work there have made good roads through the block. The annual retreat of the Catholic clergy of the Archdiocese of Wellington is now being held (says the N.Z. Times) at St. Patrick's College. Practical sympathy has been manifested by the Fathers towards the erection of a cathedral in Wellington. At a meeting presided over by the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, the sum of £2000 was subscribed. This large donation should materially lighten the burden and give zest to the further prosecution by Archbishop Redwood of collecting the necessary amount Mb. Jambs McGowan, Member for the Thames, has been offered and has accepted the portfolio of Mines. The reconstructed Cabinet now stands as follows : — Premier, Right Hon. R. J. Seddon: Minister of Lands, Hon. John McKenzie ; Minister of Public Works, Hon. W. Hall-Jones ; Postmaster-General and Minister of Railways, Hon. J. G. Ward ; Minister of Mines, Hon. J. McGowan ; Minister of Education, Hon. W. C. Walker (with a seat in the Upper House) ; Minister of Native Affairs, Hon. J. Carroll. The Cabinet now consists of two Englishmen, two Scotchmen, an Irishman, a Victorian, and a New Zealander. The barque Ganymede (says the Southland Daily News) took a cargo of produce to South Africa a short time back, and Mr. WaterBton, her owner, has now completed arrangements for her return with a shipment of 10,000 bags of oats from the Bluff. Such shipments are of considerable importance to this district, for not only is the market improved thereby, but a sum of nearly £SUO is expended on the crew each voyage. The same shipowner's barque Alexa left the Bluff about six weeks ago for South Africa with oits and preserved meat, and he is now negotiating for another to the same country with produce from Southland. A WEDDING took place on Saturday afternoon in St. Mary of the Angels' Church, Wellington, when Mr. Alexander Marshall, third son of Mr .R. A.Marshall, was married to Miss Eveline Me Anerin, eldest daughter of the late Mr. P. McAnerin. The bride, who was attired in a neat muslin dress trimmed with chiffon, was attended by Misses Ada Marshall and Ada McAnerin as bridesmaids, whilst Mr. W. Bush officiated as best man. The Yen Archdeacon Devoy performed the marriage ceremony, after which the friends of the contracting parties were entertained by the bride's mother. The happy couple were the recipients of many useful presents. In a review of the Dominican Star the North Otayo Times says: — 'No New Zealand publication, whope object is to instruct, interest, and amuse, can lay claim to the literary excellence of the Dominican Star for 1900. From all directions the editor has had the assistance of the ablest litterateurs, who have unitedly made a most successful effort to place before the readers of the Star an excellent medium by which to while away the leaden-footed hours. With stories, poetry, correspondence, chats in the library, country trips, etc., the Dominican Star is made one of the brightest and! most interesting of journals. Ellen E. Woodhill, of Fairfax, supplies an account of ' Miners' Curios in North Otago,' being a short article descriptive of a trip to the Livingstone goldfield. The Dominican Star is illustrated with photogravures, excellently printed.' A veby enjoyable entertainment was given on Thursday evening in St. Joseph's Schoolroom, Kerrytown (writes an occasional correspondent). There was a large attendance by whom the entertainment was thoroughly appreciated. The programme was oppned with a violin solo by Mr. R. Hoare, who was ably accompanied by Miss* Annie Hoare. Master Lynch danced a jig. and Master D. Brosnahan sang ' Off to Coolgardie.' The following also contributed • — Mr C. Foley (recitation), Mr. T. Leonard (song), Mr. E. Counihan (Irish jig). Mr. E. Lavery (song), Mr. Rissel (cornet solo), Mr. R. Hoare (song). This was followed by a drama, ' Two heroes,' in which the principal characters were sustained by Messrs. M. Driscoll junr., F. J. Connell, D. Connell, J D. Scannell, E. Counihan, Brosnahan, Lynch, and C. O'Keefe. The second part of the entertainment consisted of vocal items by the Rev. Father Galerne, who was enthusiastically encored, Mr. E. Lavery (Indian club drill), Mr. J. Lynch (Irish jig), Mr. D.

Brosnahan (song), Messrs. Counihan and Lynch (hornpipe), Mr. R. Hoare (song). The piano accompaniments were played by Miss Annie Hoare, while the music for the dances was supplied by Messrs. W. and J. Lynch and R. Hoare. After the entertainment the performers were treated to refreshments by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Nearly the whole of the items were encored, and the entertainment on the whole was the best given in Kerrytown for a long time.