Interprovincial

New Zealand Tablet, 6 April 1911, Page 623

Interprovincial

Unusually heavy bookings for Sydney continue. The Jnion Company's steamer Marama, the largest passenger boat engaged in the inter-State service, which sailed from Wellington for Sydney on Friday last, was a full ship. About 530 passengers booked from New Zealand ports for Sydney. Experiments with gas and electricity as illuminants in the Wellington Hospital have recently been- conducted for the Hospital committee. The lights were tested for consumption, and other purposes. It is understood to be probable, after what has been ascertained by the committee, that the board will be recommended to adopt electric light. ' I cannot claim any exclusive knowledge about cats or any extensive knowledge,' said Mr. Bishop, S.M., at Christchurch, ' although I suppose I sometimes claim to know something of everything. But I do know that I have had five or six Persian kittens, and all have them have died. They are very difficult to rear.' ' We eat too much sugar,' declares Dr. Thacker, who is a candidate for the mayoralty of Christchurch. ' A tremendous amount of sugar is sold in this city, and if Sir Joseph Ward would put 6d per lb on the price of it he. would do a good thing for New Zealand. Two-thirds of the shops in Christchurch sell sugar in some form or other, and in beer sugar does as much harm as alcohol.'

_, The gram-carrying season on the Southland railways is now in full swing, having set in rather earlier than usual. Already (reports the Southland Times), since the beginning of the year, 202,558 sacks have been carried, as against 167,016 sacks carried during the corresponding period of last year. During the week ended Saturday last 51,298 sacks were sent over the railway. - Evidence that pillaging on board steamers from Homo is still being indulged, in came prominently under the notice of a Christchurch firm a few days ago. On opening a case of good just received, it was found that it had been tampered with and about half of its contents had been extracted. The goods stolen were chiefly underclothing, and the pillagers had taken the articles out of the packages and left the wrappers in the case. The firm estimates that goods valued at about £lO were taken. A rather important judgment was delivered by Dr. McArthur, S.M., at Petone on Saturday on the question as to whether or not it was legal for proprietors of tea rooms or small shops to supply people who find themselves away from home on Sunday with afternoon tea and other light refreshment. The police had prosecuted Sarah Snow for having kept her shop open on Sunday for the purpose alleged. The magistrate decided that the supply of afternoon tea for consumption on the premises came under the heading of necessity.' There had therefore been no infringement of the law. The information was dismissed without costs.

There was a further big clearance of goods through the Customs Department at Dunedin on Monday (says the Otago Daily Times), following upon the removal of the surtax of 2£ per cent. During Saturday morning and Monday the amount of duty paid on goods cleared at Dunedin for home consumption was £3233 lis 3d. Our Christchurch correspondent states that inquiries' made at the Customs Department en Monday in regard to the effect locally of the removal of the surtax of 2-J per cent, in increasing the quantity of goods taken out of bond showed that the increase as revealed in the business transacted on Saturday was not so large as might have been expected. The increase on Monday was not as -much as £IOOO as compared with the business that would have been put through on an ordinary Monday. Such increase as there was might, moreover, be partly clue to the fact that it was the beginning of a new month, and to the near approach of the Easter holidays. Christchurch importers have not been doing what Wellington importers have done, namely, been bonding goods for some time past in order to escape the surtax by waiting until April 1- before removing them. The goods have not been kept back in bond n Christchurch to any great extent.

The kauri bedstead on which Royalty has slept, and over which at least one Auckland parlamentarian almost shed tears last session, has been returned to its restingplace at Government House, Auckland (says the Otaqn Daily Times). Nearly half a century ago the bed was built specially for the reception of the Duke of Edinburgh during his stay in Auckland, and a feature of the workmanship was the carving of a huge crown. When the Auckland vice-regal residence was dismantled last year "this historic couch was sent, with other articles of furniture, to Wellington. Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P., in a somewhat lively speech in the House, declared that this sacred structure on which Royalty had reposed had not only been torn from its sanctuary in Auckland, but had been ; gnominiously committed to a stable for lack of other storage room in Wellington. Evidently the eloquence of the member for Auckland Central was not without avail, since the bed has been returned intact and placed in one of the best bedrooms of the newly-renovated residence for the Governor in Auckland.