They agree that in orchard districts it is quite right to permit the killing of opossums, but in other districts they say that indiscriminate trapping should not be allowed. It should be allowed only within certain areas where damage is being done, and then only in the winter months, when the fur is at its best and is valuable.
Already over 15,000 skins are said to have been surreptitiously exported from New Zealand, and they range in value from 5s to 10s each.
• As a result of the visit of Dr Karl Kumm to Australia and New Zealand about 12 months ago, great interest in the advance of Islam in our British colonies in Africa has been aroused.
Several of the European administrators in the Soudan are actively assisting Christian missionary enterprise in order to prevent the pagan population from going over to the Moslem faith. The Soudan United Mission, of which Dr Kumm is general secretary, proposes to send out to Africa during the next few years a large number of missionaries (ordained men, medical men, teachers, agriculturists, etc.), in order to try to win the pagan races before they become Moslems. An Australian branch of this movement was formed last January, and two workers have already been sent to the Soudan from Melbourne, while it is anticipated that a medical man and one or two others will also leave for the field towards the end of the year.
The organising secretary of the Australian branch of the mission (Mr D. N. MacDiarmid) formerly of Otago University, recently arrived in this city, and is now engaged in arousing further interest in the movement to check the advance of Islam.
• In connection with the work on the Midland railway (says the West Coast Times) a start has been made on the Bealey bridge, which is situated just below the confluence of the Mingha with the Bealey.
The rails are laid to a point almost opposite the Glacier Hotel, Bealey, and it is probable that they will be laid to the Bealey end of the Arthur's Pass tunnel by Christmas, or early next year, and the passengers will then be carried by rail from Christchurch to the tunnel mouth.
A shortage of labour on the railway construction works has occurred recently, and this had the effect of delaying operations.
• On Friday, Mr M'Rae, one of Southland's water diviners, who has earned something of a reputation in regard to locating water underground, traversed the eastern portion of Queen's Park from Gladstone in company with Mr Finlayson.
According to the manifestations, which he usually relies upon in such cases, Mr M'Rae was able to locate a considerable stream of water which he traced from Gladstone to the East road. Strange to say Mr M'Rae was not affected by the force, of somewhat unknown quantity, at the places where the Rev Mr M'Rae, besides demonstrating with a twig, also showed that gold is affected by the influence of which he contended was water running underground, three sovereigns which he used turning completely over. - ODT, 5.9.1912.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
