These show that for the financial year ended the 31st March last our gain in population by the excess of arrivals over departures was 11,957, as compared with last year's excess of 5892. This is a doubly acceptable increase in every sense, particularly when we learn that our welcome embraces a very large percentage of our own kith and kin from the United Kingdom.
Out of these thousands that have cast in their lot with us only 272 hailed from foreign parts outside the borders of the Motherland. Not that industrious immigrants from the Continent of Europe would not be gladly received by us, but greetings naturally first go out to those of our blood. No better colonists than the Germans are to be found in America and in the British colonies, and the fruitgrowers from the Continent of Europe, particularly from those southern parts where irrigation is skilfully carried out, would bring with them expert methods that would be of pronounced advantage to themselves and to the community.
The statistics now published show that the assisted immigrants for 1912-13 numbered 3451, and of these more than 1000 were much-needed domestic servants, while close on another thousand of the immigrants were farmers and farm labourers.
• The decreasing supplies of white pine, owing to its extensive use for butter boxes, and the discovery of a suitable substitute, are among the important questions being inquired into by the Forestry Commission. At Auckland on Thursday (says The New Zealand Herald) Mr David Goldie, in giving evidence, said that it would be unwise for New Zealand to allow the export of white pine for such use as making piano cases.
Later on in the proceedings, Mr Alexander McCall was giving evidence. He referred to the fact that tawa wood was found to be very suitable for butter boxes, as it had absolutely no odour, while even white pine had an odour which sometimes caused trouble. In this connection, tawa needed no waxing, while white pine did. Dr Cockayne remarked that they had been given to understand that white pine was the only timber suitable for butter-box making which did not need paraffining, yet apparently this process was necessary.
•The following paragraph from the Eltham Argus: An Eltham ''sport'' who was at the Feilding races says there was an indescribable scene when the judge placed the wrong horse first in one of the races. The wild uproar and howling of the people could be heard over a mile away, and it was a scene to be remembered. On this occasion the crowd had lost is money. Now contrast its action in a different case.
A mistake was made in posting up a totalisator dividend on a second horse, 1 too much being paid. There was no howl, the mob tried to beat all records by hurrying round to the back of the machine to get that 1 to which it was not entitled to before the mistake was discovered. There was no howling mob clamouring to pay back the over-payment. Each man as he got his unexpected dividend pocketed it with a smile and walked away chuckling. - ODT, 30.4.1913.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
