ITEM OF INTEREST.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9303, 6 September 1898, Page 3

ITEM OF INTEREST .

A courageous and independent Governmenb \b (says tho Manchester Guardian of 19th July), after < \ what France mo9b needs and would 1 osb admiro, and a Premier bold enough bo pub an end to bhe Dreyfus agitation by submitting tho whole cso nfrobh to a fair wr.d impartial tribunal would probably find his position immensely scrongthoned whoa blie first trust of popular indignation lud pa ' 1, M. Brisson may nob rise to tho ocoa ' n, though one hr\ hoped greab > 'ings of bo auste e a Eopubliran ' ' fcho d' linguist) } Radl" 1 statesman ' ' reputed > be. Bib if he does, ho will certainly Ioso nothing in tho long run by striking a blow for justice, now so sadly degraded in Franco. And oven if M. Biiaeon does nothing, the bask is bat resorted for eomo bolder buo» orssoft Tho Dreyfus affair certainly oannot resb where it vi at oresent. Ono of tho male members of a Witnganui onuroh gob a oruol " b ko down " on Sunctay week. The preacher waa In t' o midst of what bho local paper describes .8 an " Interesting discourse,' when tho Impatient chorister, probably thinking tho sermon was rather long-drawn cub, and wishrd to express his disapprova', pulled out his walob,' looked at it, and then olosrd the o Be with a loud snap, The preaohor paused in his peroration, look' d ab his own watch, and quietly remarked, *'I hope your watch gives tho sarno time aa mine,' and then proceed 1 with his sermon. At) opon face tioktr will pro bably accompany thab young m»n to ohuroh for the future. The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania Is nob afraid or ashamed of tho roughor work of his office. Aooordlng to the Meroary, he recently reaohicl Burnie Hwag"la' 1 en, tirod with throe weeks' bush wandering, a nd oUd in the orthodox "bluey"and loggings. A o-tse brought boforo tho Ooatb in Hustings laBb week presented several shucking features, A child — a bender little^feniale of 4£ yoars—wos, acoDrdinp; to tho modloal testimony, almosb covered wl" h bruises, Thedootor's opinion whs thab these bruises wero caused by ohustisomont wibh a stick. Tho Beuoh said that) there was insD Jliclont evidence bo oonvicb tho person ch»rged wiih inflicting bho punish* munli, and dismissed tho case. Whlto engaged in ladder practice at the ; Frem*n'blo Town Hall (Wcjtralla), on tho 13th ult-., l wo firemen named B. Duranb and Jus. Abtwood were mounting a ladder, when it broke. Atcwood fell 17 feob to tho asphilt footpath. Durant, who was muoh higher, was thrown on to tho lObphono wires, which snappod boneaih tho strain. He then caught on tho wire s ays by means of tho handle of his belb axe, and, swinging round in mid aii, fell on Superintendent) Fraser, striking bhab officer with such force th-tb he Waa thrown some yards away. Atbwood suffered severely from shook and bruises, bub it is though thab Duranb is unhurb, There appear to bo somo very daring and expert) burglars on the Auckland gold* fields, judging rrom the thefts of amalgam which have b ken place (says a oontemporary). Tho detectives have boon o >nv pletoly baill 1 in Iheir researches and havo not been able to effect any arrests or to trace lha arnalgnn. Ib is believed thab tho plunder is still in the district, and a oonvunienb opportuni y uwaitod to got lb awoy. Both the ordinary polioo and the detective branches are undermanned on bho goldfields, bub ib in hoped thab the contemplated increase of the foroo recommended by tho Commissioner and aooop" tod by the Government will romody tho complainis now mad.', and give iuocoss.d protection toproporl^. Some extraordinary scenes have boon wlbncsod ab tho wrf ck of tho Groonock fulJy-rlgg d steol ship Galatea, uahore on Hammonds Knoll, twelve miloa off (he Norfolk coae', writes the Daily Mail. This vessel had a cargo of merchandise ■ f bho estimated value of nearly L100,l \ shipped ab Hamburg for Sydusy* Tho crow had to abandon h*r, und over since she h ri boon suirourded by tis'Jng bi>at j of all nations. As nuuiy as 150 foreigners have been engaged at one time in plundering hor, and bho Yarmouth and Lowosbof b fishermen havo been driven off with threats, Already cases of phnos, bicycles, furniture, toys, tools, china, etc., wushod uob of the holds, havo been pioked up, and tho quays ab Yarmouth and Lowesboob are boing piled up with a mosb miscellaneous t olleoblon of goods. No less than sovon pianos have boon land 1 ab Lowostoft) practically undamaged. On bho owners being informed of bho pilfer" ing, the Admiralty aubhoribles wore tolo^ graphed bo, and now tho gunboat ' Alarm and Hearty havo been sont> to protect the wreck.