NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 11, 13 March 1902, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL

The Cabinet has decided that the 24th of May, the late Queen's birthday, will not be a public holiday in the future. Sir James Prendergast, ex-Chief Justice, has been appointed to the vacancy on the Board of directors of the Bank of New Zealand caused by the resignation of Mr. Blair. The Very Rev. Dean Mahoney, of Nelson, is about to take a trip to Ireland, and will leave about the middle of April by the San Francisco route. A number of visitors from Australia and England have arrived in New Zealand for the deer-stalking eeason. Most of them have gone to the Wairarapa. It is stated that the friends and supporters of Mr. P. Hally have decided to make him a presentation in recognition of the straightforward manner in which he contested the late Caversham election. The Right Hon. the Premier states that with the customs revenue for the month of February at his disposal the Colony's finances for the 11 months of the financial year ended February 28 Bhow a surplus of £200,000 over the total estimate for the year.

In consequence of Wednesday, our publishing day, having been declared a public holiday we have been obliged to go to press on Tuesday evening, so that correspondence reaching this office on Wednesday will have to etand over until our next issue. The Surveyor-general has informed the Auckland Land Board that the reason the Kawhia lands were withdrawn from lease with the right to purchase is that they are believed to contain valuable mineral deposits. The bridge across the Kaihu Creek (Auckland) collapsed last week, when a number of Dargaville Bohool children attending their picnic were upon it, many falling into the river. A number sustained broken legs or arms, but no lives were lost. Mr. Stcddon intends to leave the Colony about the middle of April for the purpose of being present at the Coronation ceremonies. He will be accompanied by Mrs. Seddon and the Misses Seddon . Mr. F. D. Thomson, 8.A., formerly of the Education Department will accompany the Premier Home as private secretary. Instructions have been issued to the officers of the Agricultural Department that the proprietors of hotels, boarding-houses, and other places where boarders are taken for payment, and where, one or mere cowa are kept to supply the boarders with milk, are" now required to register th^ir premise-i as dairies, and that every seller of milk for human consumption in an unmanufactured state must register. The Right Hon. tin Premier wag entertained at a banquet and conversazione by the citizens of Dunedin on Monday evening. Both functions were given in connection with his departure to represent New Zealand at the Coronation. There was a large attendance, and the occasion was marked by an absence of politics or party, among those present being many Btrong opponents of the Government. The Premier, when in Timaru last week, stated that the Government had not overlooked the matter of purchasing the Levels entate. But they desired to get it at a reasonable price bo that it could bf» subdivided and let at a rental which would enable the settlers upon it to make a living. The Government were prepared to purchase as soon as the owners were prepared to meet them in price. On February 21 (writes a correspondent) Mr. Joseph Browne, aged about 67, died at the Weatport hospital. Deceased was a married man with a grown-up family and resided for a number of years in Adelaide, from which place he came to Westport and carried on business for a considerable time. A few weeks prior to hip death, he caught a severe cold which settled on his lungs and proved fatal. The greatest care and attention were paid him by the members of St. Canice's Branch of the H.A.C.B. Society, of which he was a member. Brother-members from the surrounding districts showed their reppect for their late brother by attending his funeral in a body — some 50 being present on the sad occasion. — M.I.P. A drowning fatality occurred near Geraldine on Saturday morning, the G-eraldine-Orari coach capsizing in the Waihi River at the crossing known as Mackenzie's. Mrs. Scott, of Woodbury, waß drowned, also a child about 18 months old named Pizzey, whose parents reside at Lyttelton. The other passengers were saved, several narrowly escaping with their lives. Every precaution waa taken by the driver of the coach, who first crossed the river by himeelf, then came back and took the lady passengers and one man across the river, which was flooded. The mishap was caused by a horse stumbling and falling into the river, dragging its mate down with it. The Premier states that two tenders were received by the Government for a direct service to South Africa — one from the Blue Star Line, of Liverpool, and one from the Union Company, as agents for the New Zealand and South African Company — and that the offer of the Blue Star Line, being the more favorable, has been conditionally accepted. The boats employed will be of the firstclbss, with capital passenger accommodation, and a speed of 11 or ll£ knots, and monthly trips will be run. The accepting of the tender is subjpct to arrangement of certain details, and the Agentgeneral has already been instructed to obtain information on peveral points with the view to the offer being finally accepted. The second tender stipulated for boats with a speed of from eight to nine knots, with only third-class accommodation, so that really, no difficulty was experienced by the Government in coming' to a decision on this important matter.