The list of dairy factories in the colony and the amount of their output for the season 1896-97 lias just been issued by the Department of Agriculture, and shows that the amount of butter and cheese manufac tured was : Cheese 4,006 tons, and butter 4,506. The following shows the amount produced in the different provincial dis tricts : — Auckland : Cheese, 247 tons ; butter, 639 tons. Taranaki, Cheese, 922 tons ; butter, 2,329 tons; .Wellington: Cheese, llOStons; butter, 346 tons. Hawke's Bay : Cheese, 62 tons ; butter, 78 tons. Nelson : Butter, 51 tons. Marlborough : Cheese, 56 tons ; butter, 60 tons. Canterbury : Cheese, 279 tons ; butter, 540 tons. Otago and Southland : Cheese, 1932 tons ; butter, 523 tons.
A peculiar contretemps occurred as His Excellency the Governor and party were driving to Parliament House to open Parlia ment on Thursday. As the carriage drawn by four horses drove up to the main entrance, headed by the usual escort of two mounted troopers, the horses, hearing the noise of the guns, became restive, and when the escort turned in at the gate the driver was unable to turn his horses, and the Governor and party were seen by a waiting crowd dis appearing down Molesworth street. The escort went in search, and at the end of five minutes returned at the head of the carriage. Once more the escort, turned in at the gate and once more the carriage went straight past ; again the escort went in chase, and after about five minutes more delay returned at a walking pace in front of the carriage. This time the driver was successful in con trolling his horses, and Parliament was opened.
