BREVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 11676, 7 February 1902, Page 1

BREVITIES

In the darkness of the night Methuen succeeded in capturing his own convoy! New Plymouth held a successful picnic yesterday, about 5,000 persons being present. Messrs Rtranchon, Carkeek, Richardson, and O’Danaboo constitute the Surveyors’ Board. The Corporation of Douglas (Isle of Man) have just purchased the local trams for £50,000. Mr D. E. Theomin was last night entertained at a valedictory dinner by the members of the Otago Club. The monthly meeting of the Ocean Beach Domain Board, called for last evening, lapsed for want of a quorum. The revenue of the colony for the past ten months of the financial year shows an excess of £151,000 over last year’s returns. The depletion of De Wet’s stores of grain are proving more effective than the blockhouses in preventing any prolonged concentration of the Boers. There is very little doubt that tie ‘ Daily News ’ officious interference is responsible for tie activity of the Dutch Cabinet in the matter of peace, negotiations. The Government are urged to properly fortify" the porta of the colony, especially Westport., as recommended by the Joint Defence Committee of Parliament two years ago. 'fihe now Ameer is completely under he influence of Hadda Mullah, who did his level best to embroil Afghanistan with us five vears ago. Hadda is now fomenting trouble. Major Leader’s detachment of Scottish Horse killed seven Boers and accounted i n 130 members of De la Rey’s commando. The captures included four of De 1?- Rey’s lieutenants. The cx-Agent-General for South Australia thinks that the Hungarian remount scandal gives Australia a splendid advantage for establishing depots for providing future remounts for the Army. Our Dairy Commissioner (Mr Kinsella) asserts that large quantities of the best brands of New Zealand-made butter are being frozen in Australia, and being palmed off there as “choicest Australian.” The opinion is gaining ground in France, according to M. de Blowitz, that De Kuyper’s sudden zeal for the Boers is due to a desire to rid the Netherlands of the disturbing influence of the peace delegates. At New Plymouth yesterday some good shooting scores were again put up by the local corps, Color-sergeant Okey making the possible at 600 yds in seven shots, and Private Rogers 49 ont of 50 at the same distance.

The Chief Justice upholds the contention of the Public Trustee that section 362 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, does not- apply to dweiling-honses, -lodginghouses, or hotels existing before the Act came into force.

The Chambers of Commerce Conference adopted the Dunedin Chamber’s remit re a minumtm number of ho!idays s and calling on bank managers, etc., to reduce the number of saints’ days observed by banking and mercantile institutions. The withdrawal of the British garrison, at Weihaiwei is hinted at by the ‘ Daily Mail,’ because the closeness of the German sphere of usefulness militates against the soldiers' usefulness. The civil administration, however, is to bo retained. A proposal by an Auckland city councillor that a danse should be inserted in ihe Council contracts prohibiting the use cf material manufactured in countries hostile to the Empire, and calling on the Premier to pass a preferential tariff, was lost. Details of the Liebenbergsvlei affair show that the South African Light Horse and a squadron of Yeomanry captured tbe enemy’s' convoy and a quantity of cattle, besides several of Steyu’s remounts. The New Zealanders formed part of Colonel Garrett’s column.

The Lyttelton Harbor Board have had a prosperous year, the receipts having exceeded the expenditure by £7,320. The net increase, compared with the receipts of 1900, was £6,823. There has been a lafcge expenditure on wharfage to meet- the increased demands of the shipping for berihage, etc. A meeting at Christchurch yesterday appointed a committee to wait on the Premier during his visit there and urge the desirability of locating Boer prisoners on the Chatham*. ' Twenty settlers at the Chathams are willing to receive the Boers. It- was stated that there is room to accommodate 3,000 men.

The Chamber of Commerce Conference call on the Government to state definitely whether they intend to exercise their powers under the State Coal Mines Art, as the present uncertainty hampers private enterprise. The Conference cannot have read very attentively what the Minister of Bailways had to say on the subject 'during his West Coast tour.

The House of Commons Jus again passed the second reading of the Deceased Wife’s Sister Bill, this tame by a two to one vote. Lord Salisbury think* that the British pro-Boers are at the bottom of the yocalled peace efforts of the Dutch Premier. Hie intellect, rather than the emotions, should, in Lord Salisbury's opinion, dominate. His Majesty’s Ministers will welcome any peace overtures that recognise the King’s rights and provide for the permanent peace of the Empire. The Executive of the Employers’ Association set up a committee to report on the legislation ox last session, particularly- the Acts relating to labor, with the view of obtaining amendment of the clauses that injuriously affect trade and the interests of employer and employe alike. The cooperation of similar organisations in tee other centres is to be invited. The census returns, just completed, of Russia show the population of tne empire to be Of these 87,384,000 belong to the Greek Orthodox Churcn, 2.173.000 to the Old Greek communion, 11.420.000 are Homan Catholics, 3,745,000 Protestants, and 1,220,000 belong to other Christian creeds. Mahomedaos nranher 13.880.000 Buddhists 5,189,000, idolaters 640,000. Capital punishment does not exist :n Belgium, and consequently the Kmg h.us commanded the retirement, on a pension < f £IOO per annum, of the executioner, whof-.o title was “the executor of public works.” The guillotine has gone, but the scaffold remains, as the Judges continue to pass ill) death sentence and a copy of this posted on the scaffold. Imprisonment for life is the doom of murderers.

The chairman of the Lyttelton Harbor Board yesterday raised the question whether it would not be well to conader the feasibility of constructing a harbor at Sumner and building a canal to Christchurch. This is regarded as a threat against the Railway Department, which, it is asserted by a section of the Christchurch people, persists in charging almost prohibitive rates on the Christchurcb-Lyttelion Railway. The proposal, however, fell flat, several members of the Board objecting to its inclusion in the annual report. Have you ever kept a tame toad, and watched him changing his skin? asks a writer in a contemporary. When be is about to chanje he first puts his lingers into his month a..d draws off his gloves, and then rubs himself about until gloves, coat, boots, and stockings are all off; then he rolls up his suit and twists and pats it till it is rolled k*o a nice round ball, and lastly he pushes it into his mouth and swallows it down at one gulp, like a big pill. And without having to go, to the tailor, he is left with a brandnew suit, which was underneath the old skin.

The failure of electricity and gsus to penetrate the dense toga which frequently envelop London in Egyptian darkness is responsible for an experiment which is being made in certain parts of the West End whenever fog prevails. The new fog lamp is one which burns crude oil under compressed air. and, being fixed not higher than seven feet from file ground, throws i ut a powerful reddish light capable of penetrating fog for some distance. Being portable, it can be taken to centres where n.g is thickest or traffic heaviest, and much l oss through darkness is thus avoided and danger averted. Speaking at the Dalefield function yesterday in honor of Mr Hornsby, the Premier said the Gwmnert had not been able tp aven'ro l ‘”d for close sc.t*lenient in ihc 'Wvftei-p.. district, eithtr bfcause the land offered was unsuitable, or b?c?>ise the price was lower than the ov/ucr coil’d reasonably lie asked to accept. Thou-di several attempts had been m-dc net a single estate had been acquired. Mr t' ddon hinted at the change of Land Purchase Commissioner as being likely to produce better results: at any rate, there is “to be no more humbug.” The Premier has either said too much or too little. The Underwriters’ Association are asked by the Chambers of Commerce Conference to adopt a uniform policy, failing which the Government are to be asked to introduce a Bill dealing with the matter. But if a uniform policy is agreed to the chambers ask the underwriters to insert a clause providing that, in every case of insurance of a building the underwriting company shall notify the insurer within six months after the date of the risk, such notification, or fact, that six months have passed without. such notice, to be a bar to any reduction of claim in case of fire occurring. Valentine Brodie Rt. John, one of the heroes of the Dargai Heights affair, is in Australia in quest of employment. Immediately prior to visiting Australia be served as drum-major of the 45rd Regimen: of the United States Volunteers, at the Presidio, and with them took a turn at the Philippine Islands. Previously he wawith the American Navy, operating .against the Spaniards in Cuba. With the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) he fought, all through the Afghan campaign, accompanying Sir Frederick Roberts on his celebrated march to Kandahar, gaming a medal, three clasps, and the Ameer’s star for bravery on the field and at Cbarisiah.