NEWS IN BRIEF.

Hastings Standard, Issue 66, 13 July 1896, Page 3

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Queen Victoria was fined 7s 6il for having allowed six weeks to elapse before registering the birth of the present Duke of Edinburgh. The roll of membership for the Hustings 1.0.0.1-'., M.U., Lodge numbers 128, the average age of the members being 35 years. Mr. Theo. Cooper of .'fnekLind has been retained by the Bank of New Zealand to watch their interests at the Parliamentary Committee. Miss Cunningham, injured in the recent boot-factory accident in Christehurch, is almost the sole supporter of her mother and sister. Messrs I). I). Evans and 11. White, both injured at the Hunt Club Steeplechase meeting, are reported to be progressing favorably. Taking the matches of the Australian cricketers in England to date Gregory has scored 932 runs, Darling 820, Iredale 773, Giffen 607, Trott 512, Hill 4-19, and Graham 407. Gregory heads the batting average with 37-50 per innings, Iredale coming next with 35*22. A day or two ago we were informed by cable that Mr Colmer, C.M.C. of Canada, one of the winners of the Statist's essay competition on the Imperial Customs Union question, had died. Now it transpires that an error occurred in transmission, and that the gentleman whose death was meant to be announced was the llev. Colmer Symes, of Adelaide. Mr A. E. FitzGerald, whose volume upon his mountaineering in New Zealand is to be published by Mr Fisher Unwin, has (says the Daily Chronicle) conceived a more daring ambition, and will start in August to attempt the conquest of the highest mountain yet climbed. This is Aconcagua, on the borders of Chili and Argentina, and is 23,000 ft. high. The expert and now famous Swiss guide Zarbriggen will also go with Mr FitzGerald to South America. With continued good health and good hick, Mr FitzGerald promises to become the most successful mountaineer of the century. He is only 23, yet he has already accomplished many feats, and he possesses large means, limitless ambition and pluck, andgreattechnical skill. Sir Martin Conway, it is added, has now concluded arrangements for his coming exploration of Spitsbergen. About the 20th of May he was to leave for Norway and start from Trondhjem on the 4th June.