Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 21 February 1907, Page 24

Interprovincial

The twelve workmen's homes erected by the Government in Chris tchurch have all been let to good tenants. The Government contemplate building more cottages on the quarter-acre sections still remaining in the block of land acquired by the State.'

Messrs. Bell, Gully, and Myers, of Wellington, have issued a writ for, £15,000 on behalf of the ' Shaw, Savill and Albion * Company against the Auckland Harbor Board in connection with • the Calliope, dock accident. Writs are also being Htesued on behalf of men injured, and their families.

The Chairman of the Masterton Hospital Trustees (Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.H.R.), in referring to the system of eight hours a day for. nurses, stated that the • system had worked most ., satisfactorily. Nursing, he said, was a profession in which it was most expedient that those engaged in it should not be subjected to fatiguing hours. Other- trustees endorsed these remarks.

A Press Association message from Wellington states that when interviewed concerning the Seddon memorial movement, the Minister of Education said that each, centre seemed to have taken up the movement in its own way,- and the idea of the Government was that it, was best to leave each locaili'ty to "decide-on the special form which the memorial should take in its' district. ... About 800 school children's teeth (says the ' Otago Daily Times ') have been examined in Dunedin up to date by certain members, of the Otago OdcHiltolagical Society out of 2000, and .of the number investigated only 13 perfect mouths have been discovered. Many of the scholars, who range from the First to the Sixth Standards, are in a dep'orable slate, in „ respect of their teeth. .

At the time of ■ the - last census the number of public libraries, mechanics' and other -institutes i in' the Colony was returned as 313, with 22,770 members, and possessing 567,841 books. The Registrar-general points ouj;, however, that the returns ,are incomplete as regard's the smaller • public libraries. The number of libraries 1 whi£h " received the Government subsidy for 1905 was 430.

Mir. F. W. Quaife, by the San Francisco; mail, received a^. letter " from - Mr. ' Andrew Carnegie, promising £1500 for a public library and hall at Halswell, providing the local body will provide a site and contribute not. less than- £100 for maintenance. ' - •

. The • Oamaru deep sea fishermen inform, the * North Otago Times ' that they have never noticed sharks- so plentiful as ' this season, and. the locality of the edible fish can be told by' the number of sharks in the vicinity — large and small. Their high dorsal fins can be -seen in all directions as" they move ._ about near ther surface -of -the water pn the look out for their

•There are" excellent houses at His Majesty's Theatre every evening to witness the 'beautiful series of pictures presented by Mr. West, and to hear the popular -Brescians in their new songs, and sketches-. Nearly' every item given by this talented company is ' encored — a practical proof of appreciation by the audience. The pictures are interesting, instructive,' and amusing. For this week a new programme has been arranged, so that patrons, who attended in the early part of the season, will have an opportunity of -.seeing an entirely new set of pictures, and 'of hearing - new musical items.. <■' > •■

The sad drowning fatality at Lake Waihola, in which brave young Mullaney was a victim- (writes our Ohrist- - church correspondent), occasioned the deepest grief among the congregation of St^ Mary's Church; Manchester street. During- the • residence of the. family in Christchurch the deceased was one- of the sanctuary boys, and by his great demotion to duty;" cheerfulness, and exemplary conduct won the hearts of priests and people, "each one of whom feels the distressing occurrence as if it we're a personal bereavement. At the request of ' the : altar boys, the Rev. Blather Hickson offered 'the Holy - Sacrifice for the repose of the soul of the deceased, to "^hose death he alluded in .most, touching terms. The ardent- "prayers of- all,, he continued; would- .ascend, not alone for the brave boy, but also that Divine Providence would strengthen the sorely distressed parents in the great blow that had befallen them. As a tribute of respect to his memory the organist, Miss O'Brien, played the Dead March f:x>m ' Saul r ' as the congregation left* the' church, ■ --'/'■ A leaflet has been issued- by i>he Registrar-general - showing the movement of the population for the years 1902 to 1906. In- 1902 the .population of New Zealand was 807,929, being an increase of 20,272 on the previous year's figures. In 1903' the total population .of the Colony bad risen to 832,505, in' 1904 to 857,539, in 1905 to 882,462, and in 1906" to 908,718. The excess- of births over deaths last year was 15,913, and" the net gain in population for the twelve months 28,761.- In the year 1902 the^-fieii increase • from abroad, after deducting the number of persons who- left New' Zealand, was 7992 ; and in 1903 it was "if,275. In 1904 the excess of arrivals over departures fell a little, 'being 10,355 persons ; and in 1905 it fell still further, being 9302; -but the year . shows the largest increase of all by arrivals, being 12,848 persons over the departures. The natural- increase of births over deaths is considerable, ■on account of the low death rate, and shows a steady rise over "each of the five years' dealt with in the .-tables. . The total excess of births is 71,794 for the 'quinquennium, " under observation* A)MiJSStiJtMLL \'- The picture postcard craze is responsible for many things (says the Christchurch ' Press '), and probably at its door may- also be laid the charge of practically (completing the extinguishing of -the quaint.old-cus-tom of sending valentines, on St. -Valentines- Day, the anniversary of which occurred last ' Thursday.. Not so many years back . shop-windows, a>boiit the beginning of the- present month, used to ; be -gay with displays of valentines of all sort's and descriptions from /the expensive hand-painted dainty creations with a .loving verse printed thereon, down to the penny caricature, the former for exchange between lovers, and the latter for postage to disliked acquaintances' or* rivals, but now the dusty corners have to be ransacked if a customer asks for a valentine. A very old notion, alluded to by "Shakespea-e, is that on -this .day- birds ..begin to mate in England, and .'on February 14 in England and Scotland, in -former times, each young bachelor and maid received by lot one of the opposite sex as c valentine ' for the year. It was a kind, of mock betrothal, and was marked by the- giving of- presents. Later on the custom changed to the sending 'of cards, and now that, too, has become almost extinct.