BREVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 11815, 19 February 1903, Page 1

BREVITIES

The Supreme Court action against the Union Steam Ship Company for £1,600 damages, brought by the widow of Johnstone, who was killed on the Greymouth wharf by a fall of timber some months ago, lias been settled ort of court, the company paying £6OO. The annual meeting of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association will be held at Nelson in the first week ui March, and advantage will be taken of the opportunity by Dr Mason for a conference of the officers of the Health Department on departmental matters. Dr Ogston will leave for Nelson on Friday week. Mr Wigram, Mayor of Christchurch, has declined to stand for election as Mayor of Greater Christchurch, on the ground that he cannot-spare the necessary time for the business. He will, however, be a candidate for a seat on the new Council. James M'Alister has been committed for trial for breaking and entering a butcher’s premises at the Thames and stealing a quantity of beef. A commencement has been made with the. work of the survey of the Piako Block Between 6,000 and 7,000 persons attended the Masterton show yesterday. The Boer delegates, who were present, declared that they were surprised and greatly impressed at the number and quality of the exhibits. The criminal sessions will be opened cn Monday next, and on the following Monday Mr Justice Williams proceeds to Invercargill to take the quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court there, commencing on March 3. His Honor will attend the sittings of the Court of Appeal, which open in Wellington on March 16. hfr J. R. Morris, city valuer, reported to the City Council last night that the increase in the City vaulations for the past year amounted to £10,208, made up as follows South Ward, £2,266; High Ward Ward > £1 > 226 ; and Leith Ward, £1,530. The Chief Justice, sitting at IVellington yesterday, granted a decree nisi in a suit in which Jane Bolls, of Dannevirke, sought to have her marriage with Arthur Bolls annulled on the grounds of drunkenness and desertion. Delegates from different bodies interested .passed a resolution in favor of the establishment of a home for fallen women in Wellington. . . In Gisborne during the recent drought it cost one publican no less than 15s per day for the supply of water which he was compelled to purchase. Over 12,( »0 sheep were purchased reccntly by a Sydney firm of meat preservers at 6d to Is each, the owners being unable to maintain them owing to the absence of feeder. , A strange incident is reported from Melbourne. A well-known music-teacher of an adjacent suburb was'convicted of in* decently assaulting hfe domestics, and was sentenced to the severe punishment ot seven years’ penal - servitude, although

nm ßtfy'®coimnended to mercy by the .gry, has now been released on Am!, 000 bail, pending an appeal to the Full t/onrt. .Some curious developments are promised if a new trial is ordered. The Timara Cemetery Board have/decided to discourage Sunday funerals ,Ty raising the lee for that day by ss. s ; Five ocean liners anchored in the W-.n----ganni roadstead last month to load froaa meat and produce, and 12T smaller vessels crossed the bar. It is intended shortly to appoint six native sanitary inspectors for the colony, whose duty will be similar to that of the European inspectors. The flying fox pest is causing serious losses to the orchards sts in the Molong district. New South Wales, especially among the pears, which they attack in open daylight. J The Waiwera, which arrived at Wellington from London last week, brought out for the Government the supply of ammunition required for the cadets of the colony for the ensuing year. A gross case of cruelty to a horse was reported by a lady to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at Wellington. It appears that the horse had been thrashed with wire and sticks. The inspector was instructed to investigate the matter. . . A Chinee named Ah Yon was found wounded in the roadway at Castlemaine, \ ictoria, the other night, and died the next morning. He had been shot by someone unknown to him.’ He stated before nis death that a man riding on a bicycle shot him. , Much of the maize in the Windsor .distnct. New South Wales, has been' pinched c ,1 diy 'i'cather, although on many or the Hawkesbury farms good Succulent maize stalks are to be seen. Many fanners are cutting them down and stacking them tor stock-feed in winter.