BRIEF MENTION.

Evening Star, Issue 11167, 16 February 1900, Page 4

BRIEF MENTION.

Mr Copley, a member of the South Australian Assembly, and Mr Guthrie, a, Labor member, hauled down the Union Jack, bearing the emblem of the colony, at Government House, on the ground that the Queen's regulations onlv permitted the use of the lia.g when the Governor was on shipboard. The private secretary requested the Chief •Secretary to invoke police action. Mr Mather (Liberal) has been elected to the House of Commons for the Rossendale Division of Lancashire by a majority of 1,572. replacing-Mr Maden, resigned. " [At the General Election the Liberal candidate had a walk-over.] The chairman of the Flora Soapworks, Petone. estimates the amount of damage from the recent fire at £17,000.

To-day there arc in the United States more than 40,000 electric cars and 15,000 miles of track. They yield profitable returns on an investment of £300,000,000. They carry nearly six times as many passengers as the steam railroads, at about quarter of the fare a mile.

The Victorian Government intend to take over all the existing cyanide agreements in the colony. The rates for using the process at present van- from 5 to 3 ner cent. The Government intend to make the rate 2£ per cent. As soon as the cost to the Government (£20,000) has been repaid the patent rights will be waived. Mr \V. Swan, ex-mayor of Dunndin. ha.s been added to the Commission of the Peace. In addition to the charge of 2s 6d for six minutes' long-distance telephoning, 2s 6d per hour will be charged for each attendant required out of the usual.

Mr K. C. Blomfiold has been appointed stipendiary magistrate and commissioner of the Native Land Court for the Bay of Islands.

Mr James Robin has been reappointed to represent the Charitable Aid Board on the Advisory Board of the Caversham Industrial •School.

His Excellency the Governor, after receiving a recommendation from the Cabinet to that effect, has commuted the death sentence on Wolfe, the Pelonc murderer, to hard labor for the term of his natural life.

The W.C.T.L 1 . Convention was opened at Auckland yesterday. New Plymouth has decided to form a second volunteer corps. Mrs Buck, charged with arson at Wellington, has to be again tried, the second jurv disagreeing. She has been admitted to bail. The New Zealand Government have floated £300,000 worth of 4 per cent, Treasury bonds with a currency of two years. The average was about £IOO 7s 6d.