BREVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 11675, 6 February 1902, Page 1

BREVITIES

The Minister of Lands will visit Central Otago next week. Sir John Forrest says that the Western Australian goldfields are looking better than ever. The famous Merton's Reward mine m Western Australia has chanced hands for £300,000. Burglars are dangerous individuals, and ought to have a life sentence which really means life. The appointment of a High Commissioner for Australia cannot be made until a Bill fixing the salary has been passed. Playing for Bendigo against Kyneton recently, S. Upton performed the remarkable feat of taking six wickets for 7 runs. The body of a fisherman named Peter Fagan was picked up at Auckland yesterday between North Head and Beam Rock. The Boer delegates' credentials, whjph are dated March, 1900, compel them to insist on independence, and make other impossible conditions. The Victorian Government have made no charge for commission, and do not intend making any, on their disbursements on account of the Imperial Government. In fifty years the words and phrases of the English language recorded in dictionaries under the letter "A" have increased from 7,000 in number to nearly 60,000. The Royal visit to Western Australia cost the Government over £30,000 —and its Premier has no real invitation to the coronation. The champagne bill was very heavy. W. Lang, chief officer of the barquentine St. Kilda, broke his arm when the vessel was twelve miles from Nelson. He was taken in the Wainui to Westport Hospital. The Canadian Premier has submitted to Premier Barton an agenda paper of subjects to be discussed at the conference of colonial Premiers in London during coronation time. The 'lndependence Beige' of Brussels is republishing Oonan Doyle's history of the war. and is refuting calumnies against the British Army, but it is impossible to get German and Dutch publishers to sell the work. We suggest that hereafter it be made compulsory in the public schools that i course be given in how to write a will, and that every child he compelled to write one. This would save litigation.—'lnquirer,' Philadelphia. Father Cleary ha? been given twelve months' leave of absence, and will visit the Old Country. His co-retigioniste intend making him a substantial presentation in recognition of his services as editor of the ' New Zealand Tablet.' The apricot orchards in Santa Clara County, in the vicinity of San Jose, are said to be the largest in the world. Several orchards" there are over 100 acres in extent, and many cover 50 and 70 acres. The total county is over 5,000 acres. No*less than £BOO was recently paid by one of the most prominent British candle manufacturers for the use of a single window for one week only in one of the big lyondon stores for the display of a new candle they were bringing out. On dit that Commissioner Tunbridge felt called npon when in Dnnedm to speak in unmeasured language about the impropriety of any officer of the force communicating with members of Parliament in regard *o matters of police administration. Considerable dissatisfaction is said to exist among returned troopers from Otago who volunteered for the Eighth on account of raw levies receiving preference in the distribution of " stripes." Several men left the camp at Addington on that account. After a niviht march Colonel Byng defeated a large force under Wessels near l,iebenb3rg-vloi, capturing Finnan's 15pounder and pom-pom, as well as DeWci's remaining pom-pom. The Boer losses were live Killed, six wounded, and twenty-seven captured. The Netherlands Government, on their own responsibility, naked for a safe conduct permit for the Boer delegates to confer with the Boer leaders in the field. It was thought that the mission might return in a fortnight, empowered to make overtures for peace. The evil influence of patronage has overshadowed the Federal Parliament ever since it met, and the past week has been even more than usually full of rumors of lucrative appointments being about to be given by the Government to this, that, or iho other representative or Senator. —'Register.' Mr Humphrey Berkeley, a prominent Fijian resident, now on a visit to Auckland, says that as black labor cannot lie done, without in the group it is impossible for them to federate with Australia. He says that, in view of New Zealand's assistance to the Empire, the present would he an opportune time for her to press for the federation or annexation of the group, and obtaining what would undoubtedly prove a boon to both, colonies. The rep'v of the British Government to the Dutch Premier's proposals discredits the status of the Boer delegates, saying that it is not clear whether they retain any influence over their compatriots or have any voice in the councils of the latter. The Imperial Government regard Steyn Mid Shalksbuxgher as invested with powers of government and negotiation, and the quickest way would be for them to negotiate direct with Lord Kitchener. The negotiations must be opened in South Africa. More men are wanted to end the war, just as more men were wanted at an earlier stage to nip the struggle in the bud- But no sufficient preparation has been made for the provision beforehand of men—especially of mounted men—trained for the work of a > campaign like that in South Africa. In these circumstances we must, for the moment, be coutent with what can be done. We can only rely at present on the patriotic instinct of the subjects of the Crown, both in the Mother Country and in the colonies. —' Times.'

Sooth Africa will keep men alive for years wbpn our English winter -would have killed, but the end sometime* comes suddenly all the same, and thus has it been with George Lohmann. When he was in his prime, Surrey was a great side indeed with the two Reads Mr Roller, Abel, and his matchless self! Lohmann was the keenest cricketer that ev«r pat on flannels. He was like a cat in the slips, be batted as if his life depended on every stroke, and bowled as though he coald win a fortune with every ba.lL A fair-haired, shapely athlete, he waa comely to look upon, and tie Oval has never been crake the same since he left it.—' Pall MalL' Native life does not count for much in South Africa, either with Boers or British Bottlers. We may deplore this departure from the precepts of that good man Wil--sam WHberforce, bnt the moral is that the enemy practise ruthless methods for disomnaging the revelation of their movements, and that we should treat skulkirsr talebearers with equal severity, proviet:.! their treachery is brought home. Let ir behave like masters of the sword, not like idiots with a copy book and nursery text*" at the top of the page.—'Pall Mai!.' An illustrated paper warned in Paris or September 28, under heading ' Concent ration Camps,' published illustrations bj Reder containing most shameful and in decent caricatures of the late Queen Victoria, King Edward, Mr Chamberlain, and others. It k understood that the publisher?: have sold the rights of reproduction in the principal European cities. He Prefect of Police, M. Lepin, issued orders for the immediate seizure of all copies of the payer.—gxehsDge Telegraph -CoaapaoT.