NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7268, 5 March 1885, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Typhoid fever is prevalent in the Friendly Islands. Total wool shipments from Sydney since Ist July laat, 213,899 bales. Three war correspondents from Sydney will accompany the force to the Soudan. Major-General Scratohley hopes to reach New Guinea about the middle of April. A Melbourne Chinese merchant has celebrated his silver wedding. The lady is Irish. Over 300 South Australians have spon? taneously volunteered tor service in the Soudan. The boys of the Parramatta King's School Cadrt Corps will contribute £100 a year to the Patriotic Fund. The funeral of Mr. J. H. Mahoney, who died at Paeroa, Ohinemuri, a few days ago, was largely attended. Sir Thomas Mollwraith promised £1000 toward a Queensland contingent, and undertook to raise a force of 500 men and 400 horses in a week. Mr. Allom has placed in the Kirikiri stream, running into the Thames, 60 trout, six months old, and they have been put under tapu by the natives for five years. It is interesting to learn that 37 pupils of the Auckland Girls' High bohopl have expressed their intention of sending needlework to the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition. " Time will prove," says Sir Henry Parkes, " that in this military craze the good sense and genuine British feeling of the colony have not been represented by the newspapers." At Inglewood, Australia, the Mayor has been requested to call a public meeting for the purpose of taking steps to change the name of the county from Gladstone to Gordon. Lord Derby has telegraphed that the Imperial Government is not unwilling to entertain the question of contributing to the maintenance of New Guinea aa a British possession. The Telegraph Department had its resources somewhat severely taxed at the racemeeting at Duhedin, After the running for the Cup no fewer than 237 telegraphic messages were despatched. The Exhibition Commission have decided that all the fchow cases for New South Wales exhibits at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition shall, as far as practicable, be made of the timbers of the oolony.' Numbers of invalids and visiters are flocking to the Hot Springs at Te Aroba, Warren's Hotel is fall, and a " shake down " is the order of the day. This trade is more valuable to Te Aroha just now than the mining industry. The official returns of the result of the looal option vote in New South Wales, received from 44 municipalities, show that 12 were in favour of the issue of new publicans' licenses, and 32 against, whilst SO voted for removals and 23 against. We nave received from Mr. John Milne, Secretary of the Congregational Union of New Zealand, official intimation of the resolution passed at the late meeting, thanking the Press of Auckland for the long and valuable reports of the proceedings. At the West Melbourne Synagogue Rev. Dr. Abrahams alluded in his sermon to the fate of General Gordon, and expressed a desire that the Jews of Australia should assist in the movement to raise a national monument to the memory of that heroic soldier.