NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 5, 31 January 1901, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL.

Thb Oamaru Mail states that it will probably be a fortnight before harvesting ie general in the Oamaru distriot, The greater part of the grain is yet unripe. An exchange understands that the Post Office authorities have, by instruction of Hon. J. G. Ward, abolished the fine known as 4 double deficient postage.' The Very Rev. Dr. Wattera, S.M., and Dr and Mrs. Maokin. of Wellington, who are visiting the Holy Land, arrived in Jerusalem on December 15, and were received by \Aw LuLiu Patriarch. Me. Willmm Swan, formerly Mayor of Dunedin, died in Oamaru on Monday evening. He was going north for the benefit of his health, and, feeling exhausted, left the train, dying scon after. Inbpectors of dairies have been appointed as follow : Wei' lington and suburbs — P. C. Thompson, of Invercargill ; Christ" church — Alex. M'Pherson, formerly manager of the Lonirburn Freezing Works, and at another time manager of one of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company's stations in South Canterbury ; Dunedin and suburbs — G. Parker, of Napier. It is not generally known that venemous marine snakes are found off the coasts of New Zealand. At the last meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, Sir James Hector showed some specimens of Hydridae, with other sea snakes from various parts of the world. The sea snakes, he explained, inhabited the Pacific ocean and tropical seas, but had been captured as far south as Catlin's river in Mew Zealand. A meeting of the Wellington St. Patrick's Day Demonstration Committee was held last week. The chair was occupied by Mr. B. Nolan and there was a fairly large attendance of members. It was decided to hold a sports meeting, with art union, on Saturday, March 16, and an Irish concert in the evening, it was also resolved that the City Council should be communicated with and asked to grant the use of the Basin Reserve for the sports gathering. Sneaking of the departure of Sir Westby and Lady Peroeval and their family by the P. and O. s.s. China for the antipodes, ' Anglo-Colonial * in the Citizen says : ' Sir Westby, who succeeded Sir Francis Dillon Bell in the Agent-generalship of New Zealand in 1891, and who also acted as Agent-general for Tasmania, in which colony he was born 46 years ago, has of late years been turning his attention to company work in the city, but this, I believe, has proved rather uncongenial, and I understand that he is anxious to re-enter public life in New Zealand. A barrister by profession, he was firet elected to the House of Representatives in the Jubilee year of 1887, and was filling the office of Chairman of Committees when he was asked to represent the Colony in London. OtTR Rome correspondent, writing under date December 8 says: 'The friends of Rev. J. H. Kennedy, son of Mr. Kennedy manager of the Greymouth Gas Works, New Zealand, will be pleased to learn that he was raised to the dignity of the priesthood in the Propaganda chapel, Rome, on the Feast of All Saint*, by his Eminence Cardinal Respighi, Vicar to his .Holiness Leo XIII. They will be pleased likewise to learn that he was successful in obtaining his doctorßhip in divinity, thus bringing his course to a brilliant close. The rev. gentleman, who is an old student of St. Patrick's College, Manly, is at present taking a well-earned vacation and may be expected in New Zealand about the end of April.' We most heartily congratulate Dr. Kennedy on the honor which has been conferred upon him, and hope that his labors in the Christchurcu diocese may yield a rich and abundant harvest. The London correspondent of the Dunedin firming Star writes : — The Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., V.G., of Wellington, and the Very Rev. Dean Carew, S.M., of Greymouth, who were chosen last July to proceed to Europe to attend a General Chapter of the Marist Order, recently arrived in London, after a pleasant voyage by the Messageries liner La Ville de La Ciotat, from Sydney. After finishing the work which brought them to Europe they, in company with the Very Rev. Father Keogh, the newly-appointed rector of St. Patrick's College, Wellington, took a trip round Italy, visiting Turin, Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, etc. At Rome they had an audience with his Holiness the Pope, and obtained his blessing, and then came on to London by way of Florence, Genoa, Lyons, and Paris. Here they are the guests of the Marist Fathers at St. Anne's Church, Underwood street. Their next move will be to Ireland, where both Archdeacon Devoy and Dean Carew have a large circle of relatives and friends. They expect to remain in Ireland about three months, and will journey b<ck to New Zealand by way of the States. They expect to reach New Zealand some time in June.

An elderly man is required as gardener for the Convent, Nelson. — **» Wanted, everyone who has proved the worth of Tussicura to recommend it to their friend. — »% A shipment of the beautiful Sterling Bicycles — chain, chainless, and free wheels — haa just been received. They are more beautiful, if possible, than ever. Intending purchasers of bicycles should oertainly see the Sterlings before deciding on any other. Morrow, Bassett and Co., Christchuroh, Ashburton, and Dunedin Bole agents. — *% Rims generally bnckle because of their inability to stand lateral strains. The Dunlop- Welch rim, by reason of its tubular edges, is exceedingly strong in this respect, and a buckled rim of this make is very rarely seen indeed. The Dunlop Company's guarantee to replace any rim which becomes damaged by any cause, save wilfully, when fitted to a cycle, is sufficient proof of its reliability. — „*„