NEW ZEALAND:GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 25, 22 June 1905, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND : GENERAL

According to the Minister of Railways, the Chinese population of New Zealand has decreased by 1649 since'fche present Go\ eminent took office. During the month of May 6406 bales of flax, weighting about 1287 tons, were graded for export at the Wellington grading stores. There is now 1000 tons of flax on hand awaiting shipment at that port. Recently a piece of land comprising an acre, situated in Mansfield street, Wellington, was disposed of by a firm of auctioneers for £4300. Reference to the valuation lists of the city for the year 1863 shows that the land was then valued at only £50. A disco\ery of pure copper ore is reported from the Whakapirau and Battley districts (K-aipara). The nnd was made some months since owing to a piece of pure oie being found on the harbor beach. Since then copper has been freely found in the adjacent hills. A Nathe woman is stated to have gathered a few days hack 701 bof pure copper nuggets in a few hours. A local sjnJicate has the matter in hand. Sir J. G Ward, Minister of Railways, said at his meet) )g at Winton that it was the intention of the department to carry ground lime at the same rate ac unground lime— namely, free. The statement was received with applausq. 'This,' continued Sir Joseph, would be a benefit to many farmers who wished to use the ground lime, and would put them on the same position as those farmers who now enjoyed the free carriage of ungrouna lime.' On the e\ening of June 11 (writes a Hokitika correspondent) the members of the Catholic Literary and Debating Society with their Mends assembled m St Mary's Schoolroom, the occasion being to say farewell to Mr. W A. Dixon, who is leaving Hokitika'for Wellington. Rev. Father Aubry was voted to the chair and briefly explained the object of the meeting. O<n behalf of the society, he presented Mr. Dixon with a handsome travelling bag, and in doing so referred to the splendid services rendered by him to the society which would suffer a great loss by that gentTeman's denartme. The Rev. Father concluded his remarks by wishing him every success in his new home. Several oiher memibers spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr. Dixon, and the meeting concluded with the singing of ' Auld I^n2; syne,' and three cheers were given for the departing friend The members of the society marched in procession from the school to the church on Sunaay morning, and approached the Holy Table in a body.