GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2430, 19 February 1909, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS.

Intimation has been received by the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association that volume 8 of the Shorthorn Herd Book is now in preparation, entries closing on February 28, while tho Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which lias the matter .in hand, is also preparing a herd book for breeds of cattle other than shorthorn. This book: contains sections for all pure breeds of cattle, for which there is no separate volume published in Now Zealand. A resident of Hanmer Springs lest a valuable sheep-dog in a rather peculiar manner'recently. The animal was chained up near some manuka scrub, when a swarm of bees settled some two or three yards away. The bees were naturally excited when the dog barked; he got stung all over, and died in a few moments. On investigation it was found that it would have been extremely difficult to place a pin between the stings in the leathern collar.

! A patent electric fire alarm and temperature recorder, with many uses, but particularly applicable for announcing spontaneous combustion in . flax and wool cargoes, is being pla.e- ---| ed on the market by tho inventor, Mr iC. H. Westneat, of Napier, who, j alter fourteen years’ work at the j idea, claims to have an appliance which, placed in tho hold of a ship, j will instantly indicate a rise in temperature above a certain point by ringing an •electric alarm. The apparatus has the appearance, of a largesized thermometer, which can be regulated from 30 degrees below zero. '• Interviewed at Wellington, Colonel Robin, chief of staff of the Dominion Defence Forces, said that on December 31, 1908, the total of all arms stood at 20,233, which was an increase of 326 over the figures of tho previous year, and a greater total than any previously recorded. A scheme had been practically completed for the institution in New Zealand of 1 officers’ training corps in connection I with the universities. Considerable good: had been done in Great Britain through the institution of such corps, and the New Zealand Council had endeavored to adopt the English regulations to New Zealand requirements. Colonel Robin thought that the Government’s intention to send more New Zealand officers to England to receive special instruction in military work would prove of special value to the Dominion.

An impudent burglary too'k place at Onehunga on Monday evening,, when the residence of Mr. W. B. McIntyre, in Grey Street West-, was raided. Mr. Mclntyre left home to attend a meeting of the Manukau Yacht Club, leaving Mrs Mclntyre and the little ones in possession. Later on Mrs. Mclntyre went along the passage, to attend to one of the children, when, to her amazement, .she collided with a stranger. The latter was evidently as much surprised as the lady, for ho dropped a parcel containing two watches , £2O in cash, and sundry other articles. Without further ado, the unwelcome visiter quickly vacated the building, and got safely away. An examination then revealed that ho had secured £6 in cash, and several other articles of little value. The Onehunga police arc investigating the matter.

Messrs A. S. Adams and G. B. Nicholls, who during the past few weeks have been attending the hearing of the Ohinenuiri licensing petition on behalf of the Tempera nee party, returned to Dunedin on Tuesday. Speaking to an “Otago Daily Times” reporter, Mr Nicholls stated that the time occupied in the hearing of the petition was the longest in the history of the No-License party, and the petition was remarkable in many ways. The. time occupied was ten days, and on one day the -Nh-License party .put through 65 witnesses. Air Adams’s concluding address was a very eloquent one, and lasted for six hours. Considerable interest, Air Nicholls stated, had been manifested as to the reason why judgment had been postponed for a month. The actual reason was that there were three Alagistrates from various parts of the. province of Auckland engaged in hearing the petition, and they had met together at considerable inconvenience, and had been detained longer than /was expected. They had had to leave immediately on the conclusion of the argument, and March 1 was the first occasion on which they could meet together again; and it was essential that all three'should be present in giving judgement, as the question of costs was to he decided then. The decision will be received on behalf of tho Temperance party by Air Miller, who acted as junior counsel during the hearing of the petition, thus obviating the necessity of Alx Adams returning to Waihi.

Mr. J. E. Kyzer, a German investigator, arrived in New Zealand the other day from Sydney. Mr. Kyzer for some years has been working in conjunction with Dr. Karl Weight, one 'of the foremost linguists of the world, and has concluded original research work in various ]iarts of the world respecting the early history ol native peoples. While he is in New Zealand Mr. Kyzer will prosecute his study of the Maori, the traditions ofwhich race he is by no moans unacquainted with. At the same, time he is collecting information concerning immigration, Customs tariffs, and generally procuring material for lectures which will be delivered by Dr. Weight and himself in different parts of Germany. His main idea in this connection is to establish an intelligence bureau at 'Hamburg, which would systematically distribute the information he had gathered during the last fourteen years in practically every country in the world. To a “Post” reporter ho made it clear tlicit Germany did not want to send immigrants to this country—it was lier policy to keep her people—but places like Holland, Denmark, Austria, and Sweden bad surplus population which could be dealt with by way of upmigration. When in lie chscovered two Immigration Societies. One stood for the encouragement of immigration from British countries only; the other for immigrants from any country so long as they were fit to go on the land. Reverting to the Maoris and the investigations he. proposes to make, Mr. Kyzer said it had always struck him that there was some ancient connection between the Maori and the Japanese,