BREVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 11680, 12 February 1902, Page 1

BREVITIES

Smallpox has broken out at Dublin. London consumes eleven tons of salt a day. Barry defeated Pearce, Lhe Australian sculler, by three lengths over the Tyne course. . Kitchener's record last week was:—69 Boers killed, 17 wounded, 574 prisoners, and 57 surrenders. To secure greater structural strength, th* speed of future torpedo destroyers is to be reduced to 27 knots. At Brightwater (Nelson) a girl named Howard, aged four years, fell into a posthole and broke her neck. King Oscar, as arbitrator, has begun hii mquiry into the claims by natives over tha hostilities in Samoa a couple of years ago. The Federal House of Representatives has increased the duty on cigarettes imported into Australia to three shillings per pound. Melba has been "commanded" to sing the special Coronation Ode before tha King's. guests at Covent Garden Operahouse in July. It is proposed to despatch, at a cost of £I,BOO, a representative team of Victorian firemen to the next gathering of the world's firemen in London. At Wellington yesterday Robert Collier, after a second trial, was acquitted of the charge of injuring a cow by throwing chemicals on the animal. The evacuation of Weihaiwei as a garrison post is officially stated to be due to strategical reasons, but the place remains valuable as a naval base. The Commandant has under consideration the offer of the Devonport Artillery to supply two Maxim detachments for serrira alone with the Ninth Contingent. The ratepayers of South Invercaj-gill have declared in favor of rating on unimproved values. The voting was 106 for and 56 against, out of a ratepayers' roll of 60L Colonel Voudonop, with a composite column, captured Potgieter and thirty-five of his men at Rhenoster Spruit and a Free Stater laager hard by at Zanlingsfontein. The Dunedin Fanciers' Club intend to offer- some oil paintings as prizes in connection with their art union, and will allow a commission of 15 per cent, on all sales of tickets. A Malvern (Vic.) policeman prosecuted but did not succeed in getting a conviction for "insulting language" against a woman who said that his billet was too easy, and that he wanted shaking up! A detachment of 100 belonging to Doran's column were rushed during the night near Caledonia, and forced to retire on their base. Our losses were three officers and ten men killed, and seventeen wounded. Messrs Fitzgerald Bros.; the well-known circus proprietors, have just presented the trustees of the Tasmanian Museum with a fine giraffe, stuffed and mounted. Few museums in Australia possess a specimen <. f this, almost the largest of mammals. . The Boers captured a British convoy proceeding from Beaufort West to Fraserburg, capturing 12 and burning 48 waggon?. Wo had 2 officers and 11 men killed, while tho wounded totalled 48. Tho Boer losses are set down at 24 killed and 47 wounded. The Continentals arealarmed at Britain's demand that the sugar duties shall be reduced one-half, under penalty of reprisals by England, her colonics, and India. The German traders have tmanimously recommended the continuance of bounties and Customs duties. News has been received in the colony ot the death in South Africa of Sergeantmajor Bert Tipling, who joined the 30th Imperial Yeomanry, and worked his way np to quartermaster-Sergeant-major in the regiment. Death was due to enteric. Tiplinir was very popular iu volunteering circiea in Wellington. At the meeting of the North-east Valley School Committee the head-master reported that there were 245 boys and 229 girls on the roll, the average attendance being €& a slight increase on the average of this ttms last year. It was reported that the newiyappointed second assistant had taken up his duties. Tiie Melbourne 'Age' says: "It is now beyond doubt that the Federal Tariff, as it k'being shaped, will last only for a singio Parliament," which may be interpreted to mean that the Protectionist party in Victoria are much dissatisfied with it. Thi! pronouncement is certainly significant coming from such a quarter. The opposition between Stevedores' Lidustrial Union and Maritime Wharf Laborers of Lyttelton has been ended, the latter agreeing to cancel registration and join the Stevedores' Union en bloc provided that they were taken iu without an individual ballot The delegates promised to recommend the union to agree. The Wellington Socialists have elected Mr Tom Maim one of their number. He told them that., as the result of his observations of matters political, he did not think the prospects of the Liberal party were verv bright, and the deep-thinking section of that party did not expect much good to result from the General Election. The Anarchist Bill, introduced into the United States Senate, proposes to puni.ii with the death penalty any person who attempts the life of the President, ov -ar.y official in the line of the Presidential succession, or any attempt on the life of the mkr of any nation. The President will in future be-furnished with an army guard. Evidently New Zealand ornithology in not much understood in British India. A gentleman who rejoices in the name of R. Krishna Espa&a, and residing at Tuticorin, writes Eb our local stamp dealers asking for a threepenny stamp with "crows sitting," also a sixj>enay stamp with "chicken." Presumably the gentleman means buias by the former and kiwi by the- latter.