BREVITIES.

Evening Star, Issue 11608, 19 June 1902, Page 1

BREVITIES.

Mr E. G. Allen addressed his Highcliff constituents on Tuesday evening,. dealing with objections to the regulations under the Dahy Industry Act. The usual complimentary vote was passed. A deputation from the City Council will Wait on the Minister of Bailways on his arrival in Dunedin, probably on Saturday night, with the object of obtaining a grant of a portion of the site of the old railway station for the purpose of a band rotunda and a public reserve, to be called the King's Reserve. Several truancy cases were dealt with at Waikouaiti yesterday, the Bench inflicting ■nominal penalties. The truant officer intimated that he was instructed by the Education Board to in future press for the full penalty—viz., 10s for every week of irregular attendance under the Act. New Plymouth municipal electors, by decisive majorities, yesterday resolved to sanction loan proposals to the amount of £BO,OOO for various works, including £24,000 for water works and electric lighting, £16,500 for streets, and £9,000 for drainage. A public memorial is to be erected at Blenheim to perpetuate the memory of the late Dr Cleghorn. • At the annual meeting of subscribers to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind it was reported that the building fund stands at £2,384, and the Trustees hope, with the aid of a Government grant, to replace the present wooden building at Ponsonby, Auckland, with a fireproof brick building before the close of another year. Ten years ago the blind of the colony numbered a little over 300. To-day there are upwards of 450. Of these, thirty-four are inmates of the Institute, and they last year manufactured goods valued at £760. During that period £537 was expended in trade material, appliances, and plant, thus leaving a profit of £223. During the hearing at the Wanganui Licensing Committee meeting yesterday of an application for a renewal of a packet license, Mr Walter Williams, a leading native, said that a majority of the natives on the Wanganui Biver were anxious that the Maoris should not have liquor. He himself wished that the Legislature would amend the law so that liquor could be sold to neither Maori man nor woman. He was of opinion that Maoris would sign a, petition to the Government for this. The magistrate offered to draft an amendment in the direction indicated, and Mr Williams promised to bring the matter before the. Maori Council, of which he is a member.

The Queen, in a message to the Find Army Corps, expressed her pleasure at the appearance and soldier-like bearing of the troops in the recent Aldershot review. There is no check to the steady increase in mental infirmity which has been recorded in Scotland ever since 1858. On January 1 last the number of insane persons under official cognisance was 16,288, an increase of 389 on the total for the opening day of 1901. .An attempt was made to dynamite a hotel .at Maclean (Now South Wales). A quantity of dynamite was exploded beneath the floor, doing slight damage to the bar.

The horse Bugler, which was sold and resold in Adelaide, with the result that over £IB,OOO was realised for the Buslp men’s Corps- fund, was last week handed to Mr Abe Shannon for life. The Royal Agricultural Society of South Australia, having ample funds, have conscientiously decided to ask the Government to reduce their subsidy from £BOO to £SOO. Earthquake shocks have been felt m the south of France and at Manila. A terrible atrocity is reported from the Philippines. A party of seven American soldiers, engaged decorating the graves of their comrades, were set upon by Filipinos, and literally backed to pieces. Among the murderers—nine of whom were captured—were two members of the native police. The dutv on spirits imported into England has been increased by Id per gallon. With the, object of preventing the new grain duties favoring foreign manufacturers, the duly on solid glucose has been fixed at 5s sd, and on liquid glucose at 2s 6d. One of the most touching scenes witnessed in Westport during the peace thanksgiving (says the ‘Buller Miner’) was the spectacle of a boy of fourteen being wheeled home drunk at mid-day by bis youthful comrades, with a little Union Jack floating at the forepeak of the barrow. During the month of April 1,367 persons arrived in the colony and 2,766 departed. The Coronation will account for a large number of the latter.

When the colony is able to show a clean bill of health from the various epidemics at present prevailing, it is probable that the officers of the Public Health Department will turn their attention to the somewhat important subject of the occurrence of ophthalmia amongst school children, and how to cope with it. The Tramways Committee will hold a special meeting'on Tuesday evening next to consider the plans, io be presented to the City Council at next meeting, of tire Lee Stream hydraulic works._ The engine of the train which derailed at Sawyers Bay on Tnesdav morning, together with the damaged rolling stock, has been brought into town. Good progress has been made with the permanent W'ay repaiis. At the coming Coronation (says the ‘ Financial Times ’) there will be worn by a certain peeress a petticoat, the lace on which has seen service at more than one similar ceremony, and which it is impossible to value in pounds sterling. The thought that this piece of personal estate might be destroyed by fire, or annexed by some unauthorised person, so preyed upon the lady’s mind that she at last consulted not her legal adviser, but her insurance broker, and has found in Lloyd's the relief she sought. West End (London) tradesmen are effecting heavy insurances on the King’s life. Lloyd’s have raised their premium from four to twenty guineas per cent, that the Coronation procession takes place before the end of July. The House of Commons, by 173 to 15, refused to legislate in favor of compelling publicans to sumily non-intoxicants to their customers' who so desired.

Seventy thousand troops will be employed to line London’s streets on Coronation Dav.

There have been 1,100 surrenders in Cape Colony. One hundred and fifty men have yet to take the oath of allegiance. Lord. Kitchener says that the total surrenders in the Transvaal have been 11,125, with 10,832 rifles, and in the Qrange Colony 5,595, with 4,280 rifles. General Eliott was well received by the burghers, who gave three cheers for the King. De Wet urged his compatriots to be loyal to Britain to the death. The South African Constabulary have been transferred to the civil ’authorities.

The Queen attended Ascot races, and received an ovation.

The King, who was able to take a drive in a closed carriage yesterday, is progressing favorably. The Nationalist parliamentarians have decided to take no part in the Coronation functions, alleging the misgovernment cf Ireland as the reason for their abstention. They will meet in Dublin on Coronation Day to discuss the condition of Ireland. Mr M‘Hugh, Nationalist member for Leitrim, has been arrested for criminal conspiracy and intimidation^ When Speaker Gully informed the House of Commons of the fact, the Nationalists cried out " Coronation Coercion T

Nearly 700 Boers surrendered in the Orange Colony. Most of them were poorly Lord Kitchener has recommended another New Zealander for honors. The Australians won the South of England nhatch by 131 runs. The home team only scored 70 in their second attempt, Trumble bagging six wickets at a cost cf 26 runs. The annual New Zealanders dinner m London was a pronounced success. AgentGeneral' Beeves presided, and there was a great gathering of prominent New Zealanders. Lord Onslow, ip proposing prosperity to New Zealand, said that Great Britain had contributed 315,000 troops to South Africa, while New Zealand, in proportion to her population, had despatched 360,000. It is refreshing to hear the Under-Secre-tary for India declare that while England had been liberal in her treatment of her late enemy, she would be even more liberal towards her own loyal colonists, who had suffered great privations while the war lasted.

Mr Seddon, who had a magnificent reception, appears to have confounded his hearers with statistics. ' _ Our Premier avowed himself a Fairtrader. Nothing sordid had prompted his demand for the preferential treatment by the colonies of England's exports, and it had nothing whatever to do with the imposition of the corn duties. America’s exports to New Zealand bad increased fivefold,' and the speech at Pittsburg by Mr Shaw, Secretary of the United States Treasury, was cited as proof of our far-sightedness. Kitchener, telegraphing to Botha, De la Bey, and De Wet, in appreciation of their unflagging energy in the field, said it was due to the exertions of these leaders that the burghers had displayed such loyalty m accepting the new order of things. ' “ The King is greatly pleased, and the British people are deeply impressed and anxious to welcome their fellow-citizens ” was the Commander-in-Chiefs final word. German bankers propose to establish a German Bank in South Africa, with a capital of about five millions sterling. There is nothing (Mr Seddon declares) to prevent Britain from supplying New Zealand with four-filths of wnat we get from the United States—kerosene excepted.

Our Premier admits his optimism in regard to the colonies giving a preferential tariff in favor of England. The colonies wish to help the Mother Lund. “He asks for nothing, but anything given—however indirectly—in strengthening the colonies will equally strengthen the Empire." ‘ The Times,’ commenting on Mr Seddon's speech, says that our Premier’s offer of preferential trade, which was forwarded to. Mr Chamberlain in December last, embodied a generous offer on the part of New Zealand.

The Evening Press Agency correspondent at English, Indiana, telegraphing on May 7. says: "Thomas Foley is suing for divorce on unusual grounds. His wife admits that she tied his hands and feet while he was drunk, and having applied salt to his face, hands, and clothes, placed him in the fields so that the cattle might lick him, as a punishment for the many beatings she had received. When found Foley’s skin was raw in many places.”

There is to be a great colonial function at Albert Hall, London, on July 22, when Lord Salisbury, Mr Chamberlain, and the colonial Premiers will .deliver speeches, Melba, Albani, and Ada Crosaley will'be the vocal stars on u.e occasion. Some excitement has been occasioned at Dungog (New South Wales) by Alderman Whjtehouse going to gaol for fourteen days rather than pay his sanitary, rates. He entered the Council as a strong opponent of the weekly system in vogue, and succeeded m reducing the rates from 5s 6d to 3s 6d. He still thinks the rate too high, and is making a martyr of himself rather than pay.

Twenty thousand persons or thereabouts foregathered at the Melbourne Exhibition Building to bid adieu to Miss Amy Castles. The remarkable popularity of the young singer was shown by the fact that though the concert did not commence till 8 p.m., the audience began to pour in at 2.30.