NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6394, 16 May 1882, Page 4

NEWS IN BRIEF.

BtJiLDiNO operations are proceeding briskly at Opunake. Wanganui is wakening up. It is to have a public library. The Wellington bakers have raised the price of bread. Stepe are being taken to establish an hospital at Manawatu. _ A bullock weighing 14501b5. was recently killed at Masterton. Another large brick hotel is about to be built in Wellington. There is some talk of an effort to get a fire engine for Hawera. The borough of Invercargill spends £1000 a-year on street-lighting. " Breakified," a new word, is to describe a sore that has not quite healed. Mrs. Hampson has just concluded a most successful mission at Timaru. A mushroom big enough to afford a meal for a small family ha_s been found at Martoh. The Taranaki Rifle Volunteers are to celebrate Her Majesty's Birthday by holding a ball. The beer duty paid by the hotelkeepers in New Zealand averages about £100 a year each. It is understood that steps will be taken privately to wind-up the Southland Jockey Club. It i 3 reported that Judge Johnston is suffering severely from Bright's disease of the kidneys. Efforts are being made to hold the next meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association at Wellington. In 1839 there were less than 1000 Europeans in New Zealand. There are now close upon half a million. The Bay of Plenty Times says :—•' Scarcely a garden in Tauranga can show even an ordinarily decent flower garden." It may not be generally known that schoolmasters in the Government employ are exempt from attending on juries. Among the "arrests " at Otago the other day was a monkey, which .the police had found frolicing about the streets, and "run in." Word has been received by the police authorities at Waipawa that the skeleton of an adult has been found in the Makaretu bush. The Waitaki County Council (Oamaru) have, for the third year, decided not to strike a rate. They have a balance to credit of £6890. Writing on the early closing movement, the Lyttelton Times says that so long as the working classes will persist in doing their shopping on Saturday afternoon and evening, so long will shops be kept open to supply them. The Rangitikei Advocate makes an amusing .correction. In a telegram which it printed occurred the words, "he is weak , in the knees." Next day it said they should have read, "he is wanting in keenness." Certainly some one seems to have been.