NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 1 September 1904, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND: GENERAL

The electorate of Wallace is 112 miles in length by a breadth of 108 milesi, and contains 4,458,96,0 acres.

During the last fi^ve years over a million and a half sterling has been expended in Wellington in the erection of nolusc property.

_ At a recent meeting of parishioners of St. Patrick's Church, Kumara, it was decided to at lance proceed with the erection of a new school. A sub-commit-tee was appointed to arrange necessary preliminaries when tenders will be called for the work. '

It is intended to unveil a troiopers' memorial in Waimate on September 8, and to invite the Minister for Defance to perform the ceremony. The memorial is mainly in memory of Trooper A. Whitney, a Catholic, and tine only Waimate volunteer who fell during the South African War. The Rev. Father Regnault has been invited to speak on the occasion.

The police force of the Colony consists of 626 of all rah'ks, made up as follows : Inspectors, 8 ; Csub-inspec-tors, 4 ; sergejant-nia'jot, 1 ; sergeants, 5,8 ; constables 528 ; probationers, 6 ; detetetives, 21. The proportion pf police to population and cost <per inhabitant in the various colonies are as under : New Zealand, 1 to 1398 cost, 2s 10 Jd ; South Australia, Ito 1030, 4si lfd • Tasmania, 1 to 732, 4s lfd ; Victoria, 1 to 798; 4s 7£d ; New South Wales, 1 to 625, 5s ll|,d ; Queensland, 1 to 5:87, 6s ,s|d ; Western Australia, 1 to 450, lls 4£d.

A return presented to Parliament gives the number of factories in the Colony and the number of hands employed therein. The totals were as follow :—Factories, 8504— males employed, 18,182 ; females, 15,786. The increase for 1903-04 over 1902-3 was 698 factories. The totals mentioned do not include the various Government railway workshops and the Government printing office in Wellington. The actual number of factories registered under the Act was 8373. The principal factories are :— Bread, bislcuits, and confectionery, 768 ; butter and cheese, 45JL ; coach-building and blacksmithing, 899 ; boot-mamufacturing, 388 ; tailoring and clothing manufacturing, 864'; joinery, sash, and door-making, and sawmilling, 723 ; cabinet-making and upholstering, 306 ; brick and pottery-making, '108 ; dentistry, 115 ; flaxmilling, 228 ; laundry work, 199 ; printing, book-binding and stationery, 234 , watch-making and jewelling, 1.54.

A large audience assembled in St. Mary's Hall, Nelson, on the evenung of August iO, when Dr. Duff, under the auspices' of the newly inaugurated Catholic Society, gave a lecture on the Indian Mutiny. Rev. Father Clancy presided and intioduced the lecturer. The lecture was highly instructive, especially as Dr. Duff dealt with many stirring incidents of the great Sepoy war which had passed under his own observation. At the conclusion of the lecture, which was listened to with the closest attention and interest throughout, a vote of 1 hanks was accorded Dr. Duff on the motion of Mr. W. Redwood, seconded by Mr. Armstrong. Father Clancy paid a high tribute to Dr. Duff for his exqellent discourse, which displayed color, precision, and masterly diction. Dr. Duft", who was in his seventieth year, was the patron of the newly-formed Catholic Society, and had set an examole to the young members by coming forward and delivering a lecture. This would he the means of helping tha Society along, and he hoped it worn Id be an incentive to others 1 ./

A very large attendance (writes a Hokjtika correspondent) was present at the debate on the evening of August 2-3 in St. Mary's schoolroom, between the Menticultural Society and St. Mary's Debating Society. The Mayor, Mr. J. MandJ, occupied the chair. The question for -discussion was ' Is it advisable for the town of Hokiti-ka to go in for a comprehensive water siupply, drainage and sewerage system ? ' The Menticultural Society took the negative, and were represented by Messrs. G. Perry, Rose, Goodrich, and Angel, while Mr. H. Williams 1 led for St. MaJry's Society, and was supported by Messrs. Lynch and Dixon. All the speakers displayed a thorough knowledge of the subject, one and all advancing excellent arguments, and earned hearty appJause from the very enthusiastic audience. At the conclusion of the debate a vote was taken, with the result that both sides received equal support, and it was declared a draw. On the motion of Mr. J. D. Lynch a hearty vote of thanks was acjeorded the Menticultural Society. He expressed the hope that it would be the first of a series of many debates between the two Societies. Rev. Mr. Elliot replied on behalf, of the Menti'cultural Society and congratulated the new Society on the splendid stand they made.